From: tw1r+@andrew.cmu.edu (Timothy C. Worsley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Ogging/bombing/dogfighting
Date: 9 Oct 92 20:09:32 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


	Excerpts from netnews.rec.games.netrek: 9-Oct-92 Re: Hell Peacock Scott
Drellishak@soda.be (3788)

> In article <Bvtv1G.88C.2@cs.cmu.edu> hill@norman.VI.RI.CMU.EDU (Robert
> Hill) writes:
> )Scott 'I have spoken' Drellishak writes
> )> This article sums up everything I've ever criticized CMU for.  Namely,
> )> the idea that ogging (captialized, even) is equivalent to "clew", and
> )> ignorance about our netrek heritage.  Hell Peacock has been around so
> )> long that you approval is meaningless.
> )> 
> )> Tremble in fear.
> )
> )And you state the entire reason why berkeley teams have not been able to  
> )beat a CMU team.  Ogging is a superior tactic to dogfighting.  Therefore,  
> )a clueful player would tend more to ogging, and less to dogfighting,  
> )simply because it is more efficient.  So, really, ogging rather than  
> )dogfighting is more clueful.
> )
> )Eventually, ogging causes running, which is another tactic more effective  
> )than dogfighting.  Since you can't ogg the runners, bombing becomes  
> )important, and quickly you learn that bombing is the ultimate plan.

> So, ogging is better than dogfighting, and bombing is better than
> ogging, and nothing is better than bombing?  How can I refute such
> a careful analysis?


	Well, you win netrek by killing all of your opponent's armies.  When
they run out, you win.  Bombing accomplishes this goal directly.  Ogging
accomplishes this goal and also keeps your opponent from accomplishing
this goal.  Planet taking takes armies from your opponent and eventually
give them to you.  Dogfighting is a useful skill for accomplishing any
of the above, but does not directly accomplish the goal of destroying
enemy armies.  Thus, it seems like a good skill, but not a good tactic. 
Does *that* analysis make more sense?

>In any case, I play netrek to relax after work, not to winwinwinwinwin.
>The biggest flaw of the now-popular CMU style of play is that it turns 
>netrek from a game into a contest.  Frankly, I'd rather play a fun game
>of softball than an all-out game of baseball. If you take my meaning.

	I see nothing wrong with that attitude.  Netrek is a game that works on
a lot of levels, and a relaxing dogfight is one level.  Just don't
expect us to tremble in fear.

>No, you don't understand *our* (yours too) heritage.  Next thing,
>you'll be saying, "I saw this guy smith playing from sgi.com, and he
>was just a silly dogfighting weenie!  He didn't ogg at all."  I'd use
>a smiley if this hadn't actually happened the other day (on discovery,
>I think...).

	But some of us *do* understand our heritage.  I've played xtrek.  I've
played netrek before Ogging came into the forefront.  I can remember
people being upset because people would take planets when they should be
dogfighting.  It was a different game.  What I like about netrek is the
team sport apect of it.  You didn't get that in xtrek or the ancient
games of netrek.  People who like the every-man-for-himself style of
netrek can still play on Chaos, Sturgeon, or any of a number of clueless
(Note: correct spelling this time -- just for you) servers.  However,
there isn't really a great deal to talk about.  Just how many
interesting strategies are there to "We fly up to eachother.  One flys
away."?

ZZnew guy