From: rjones@itchy.dsd.es.com (Ray Jones - Perp)
Subject: Re: Netrek in an arcade?
Organization: Design Systems Division, Evans & Sutherland, SLC, UT
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 00:03:15 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.185537.16749@beaver.cs.washington.edu> tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang) writes:
>In article <1992Oct7.165655.1762@dsd.es.com> rjones@dsd.es.com writes:
>>In article <> paulsen@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (FreeKill) writes:
>>>If the technology was there to have netrek in an arcade as it exists now,
>>>what changes would have to be made to handle the amount of time played.
>>>[...]
>>
>>I've given some thought to this, too.  You can't make it dependent on
>>Ratings, cos then all you get are scums.  You can't make it dependent
>>on #of lives, cos then no one oggs/bombs, and everyone runnerscums.  
>
>The first thing I would do would be to eliminate planet-taking.
>Sorry, but Netrek's strategic aspect just doesn't seem arcade-oriented.
>
>Now, Sturgeon... *that's* arcade-like.  Getting kills, buying special
>weapons... I certainly swiped that from arcade games.

Not to put down sturgeon (where I tried playing a couple times but
never really got into), but I think that the strategic element would
be the best part.  Then people like me, with reflexes like a 2 week
dead snail, could still show off :)

>Some sort of strategic aspect would have to be added, though, or the
>sum total of ship types will be (SC, DD, CA, BB), simply platforms on
>which to mount extra weapons and stuff.  SB's would be too powerful
>(since ogging would be wasting money), and AS' useless.

That assumes that dying brings you closer to game over.

>
>>I think the best way is to go for the simple solution:  You get
>>genocided, game over.  You genocide, you play the next game.  You end
>>up with better teamwork, since people are *paying* to play, and they
>>want their money's worth.  Sorta like what the INL wants to do (i.e.
>>create better games).
>
>Uhh... 9 hours of play time for a quarter?
>
>Charge by the time unit.  Ten bucks an hour (at least it's cheaper than
>phone sex...).

I never said quarter... I was thinking more of the BattleTech (or
whatever that VR game is called) idea... A reasonably large amount of
money.  At least $10.

>>The only problem is that Netrek is copyrighted, and it would be kinda
>>low to just take it :)  If someone wants to try building a 16-terminal
>>hardware netrek server suitable for an arcade, I'd be very interested.
>
>We thought about this, too.  It's easy to contact the two Xtrek and two
>Netrek authors... I'm sure some arrangement could be reached.
>
>But the hardware is still a bit pricey.  Give it a year or two.

Hmm... You sure?  I think you could get a hardware server up and
running that would be plenty fast enough (You'd want to quadruple the
10 updates/sec bit, since the closer you get to 60 Hz, the more
arcade-ish it is).

Any Hardware types out there who could give "Real Numbers"?

>-- 
>Donald Tsang                    "Ho!  Haha!  Guard!  Turn!  Parry!  Dodge!
>tsang@june.cs.washington.edu     Spin!  Ha!  Thrust!"
>..!uw-beaver!june!tsang                       -- Robin Hood Daffy

--
                                          rjones@dsd.es.com
Organization: Senior, Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA