HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: stevena@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Steven Alexander)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Computer Scrabble??
Date: 28 Aug 92 20:38:59 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley

In article <lycnrp-@lynx.unm.edu> mulberry@triton.unm.edu writes:
>I've seen a number of scrabble games for the computer. If anybody
>is a scrabble player, I would like to know which ones are challenging
>and highly recommended.
>
>I am interested in those for an IBM PC Compatible system.  Graphics
>is also a must.

Tyler, from Matchups of Medford, MA (by Alan Frank) and Crosswise,
from Cygnus Cybernetics of Ft. Collins, CO (by Jim Homan) are both
excellent.  Neither uses anything beyond character-based graphics
and color on the PC.  Both find use a complete Official Scrabble
Players Dictionary, 2d edition and find every move.  Tyler plays
its overall favorite among the 15 top choices on a rough comparison.
I don't know Crosswise's method, but for some reason it doesn't know
the words above 8 letters (from the Websters 9th New Collegiate,
which Tyler does).  Neither plays an endgame in which it uses the
knowledge derived from knowing the opponent's exact tiles, although
a version of Crosswise which the author has entered in the
international computer game olympiad I believe does so.  Both make
good choices of moves -- although the current sub-version of Tyler
is a bit flaky.

Either provides a good challenge, regularly beating top players.

Don't bother with Monty Plays Scrabble, from Ritam of Iowa.  I think
a licensed Scrabble game (neither Tyler nor Crosswise is licensed, so
neither uses the name and both have to be configured by the user to
resemble Scrabble) from Electronic Arts is derived from Monty, and if
this is correct, avoid it.

Tyler is $50, Crosswise $35.

I am a tournament Scrabble player, rated something like 30th in the
country, and have been as high as 6th or 7th.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steven Alexander
Comp Sci grad student                           stevena@cs.berkeley.edu
& non-practicing lawyer extraordinaire
{I'm really wonderful at not practicing}
Xref: sparky rec.games.board:8390 rec.games.frp:25062
Newsgroups: rec.games.board,rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: BattleTech MechEditor -- Whatta Piece of Work!
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 18:41:09 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico

Chris Meadows writes:
>
>The only problem with it is that it won't print to an ascii file on 
>disk for some reason--it says something is wrong with the printer.

Does it save at all? I mean, if it doesn't save, then all you can do
is copy maunally from the screen. Not much good, is it?
-- 
If you give Congress a chance to vote on both sides of an issue, it
will always do it.
		-- Les Aspin, D., Wisconsin
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: fhoffer@titan.ucc.umass.edu (Fred Hoffer)
Subject: Talisman
Organization: University Computing Services
Distribution: rec.games.board
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 18:20:31 GMT
X-Posted-From: titan.ucc.umass.edu
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu


Have any of you played Talisman and found many ambiguous rules.  We have
found quite a few, and were wondering if you have any ideas or suggestions
about them..

Teleportation Spell
  Can you cast the spell and do the move??
  Can you teleport inside to any adjacent street space in the city??
     or use it to teleport outside the city to the main board?

 I think most of it deals around the issue, is the City considered the same
region as the main board???

 We have been playing that you can teleport to inside the City Gate and
don't have to battle the arm wrestler.

Another Question we have is about Player landing on space with a monster/
treasure cards and another player on it..  Can the person fight the monster
and then fight the person.. Or can they do only one thing..

 We have been making the rule.. If you land on a space with a monster and
some item cards on it.. You must fight the monster and win to get the goods.
If there is another person on it and items. You may take the items but you
can't fight the person.  You may fight the person but can't take the items.

  Any Suggestions or comments will be welcome..

 Please reply to my mailbox fhoffer@titan.ucc.umass.edu if possible..
  Thanks.. Posts to the nets are ok, but mail is better...


 Fred
From: clf@ecl.psu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: WWII strategic level games
Date: 1 Sep 92 09:28:51 EDT
Organization: Engineering Computer Lab, Pennsylvania State University

In article <peters.715307558@physics.ubc.ca>, peters@physics.ubc.ca (Dan Peters) writes:
>>                                                             ... check out
>>TSR's re-release of SPI's WWII:ETO (European Theater of Operations). 
> 
> Could someone help clear up my confusion:
> 
> Before TSR's recent release of WWII:ETO and WWII:PTO, I had never heard of
> these games, despite them being clearly some old SPI games re-released.
> Are these the same things as "War in Europe" and "War in the Pacific" (SPI
> monsters that I remember seeing as a kid but never played)?
> 
> Drin


	NO, they are quite smaller than the venerable War in Europe/War in the
Pacific by SPI.

SS
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: marauder@access.digex.com (anonymous)
Subject: Re: Btech: MechEdit
Organization: an Express Access user
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 12:24:42 GMT


Since you obviously have access to both the Internet and your BBS, what
are the chances that you would be gracious and either post version 3.3 or
ftp it to wuarchive.wustl.edu?

Please?



-- 
|\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ marauder@access.digex.com \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/|
|   MARAUDER - a  75 ton battlemech commonly armed with twin PPC's, twin   |
|              medium lasers, and a medium autocannon. (Tech Readout 2854) |
|   MARAUDER - "Instant constipation relief!" (unknown 'mech pilot)        |
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: caraher@pn32.petnet.med.umich.edu
Subject: Re: World in Flames/Planes in Flames
Organization: pet/cyclotron
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 12:52:49 GMT

>Damn, and I was *SURE* that was a joke! Where can one get these rules?

"Planes in Flames" should be available through wherever you bought WiF;
otherwise, just write to ADG in Australia. I think they want $25 (I bought mine
in a package including Fatal Alliances, the Canadian Wargamers' Journal WWI WiF
variant, plus the Scandinavian add-on map and CWJ WiF annual (when they come
out; the map should be in the mail and the annual is due out Oct. 15), so I'm
not sure of the unit prices).
 PiF includes not only rules but new counters to replace all the existing air
units. In fact, I think the new counters are the heart of the expansion. There
are more units, they are cheaper but now you have to buy pilots separately,
each unit represents one actual aircraft type (rather than the
generic/composite types in WiF), and each type has a printed range right on the
counter. (Have fun with that 26-hex range US ATR, or that 0-hex range Me-163
fighter!) Most of what you buy is 600 new counters, which are pretty amazing.
No silhouettes; each aircraft in drawn with nation-appropriate insignia, and
with camoflage patterns that denote what class the unit is within a type (for
example, B-17Gs form a class with better combat values than the B-17Fs
Obsolescent types may be scrapped, so the distinction is important.) I heard
the counter art alone took 900 hours to complete; some of that effort is lost
on those small counters, but they're still quite attractive. The new rules run
3 pages, with another page of optional rules. All the existing scenarios have
revised air unit setups, and there is an extensive listing of the armament,
performance and production stats filling out the scenario booklet.
 I thought "Planes in Flames" had to be a joke, too, until I actually saw it at
Origins...
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: mfh@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (mitchell.hansinger)
Subject: Space Hulk -- used game wanted!
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 12:39:16 GMT

I am looking for an inexpensive, used copy of Space Hulk which is still in
decent shape.  Please e-mail me direct with any info.


Thanks,

-Mitchel
From: canders@isr.harvard.edu (Carl E. Anderson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BattleTech--What should I get next?
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:36:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: burrhus.1992Aug31.153613.26040
Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

In article <1992Aug29.165322.13730@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Meadows) writes:
>
>Okay.  My little b(r)others and I are just now getting into BattleTech.
>We have the BattleTech boxed game, MechWarrior 1st. Ed., the BattleTech
>Compendium, the Clans novels, the ComStar Clan mech blueprints, and
>that's it.  My question is, what should I get next, like for a Christmas
>present for them?
>I posted this to Rec.games.frp a week ago, and the consensus among those
>gameers is that I should get (first in order of popularity) the Tech
>Readouts, (second in order of popularity) 2nd Ed. MechWarrior, and (third)
>everything else.  What do you think?

	Good plan, but you might not need _everything_ else.  I say take
any information book over the scenario books.  Maybe get the Merc Handbook
and the Objective Raids book or something like that after 2nd E.
Mechwarrior.  I do recommend 2nd. Ed. Mechwarrior since I like combining a
role-playing game with wargaming (two different "levels" of play). 

	BTW, does anyone know whether the old sourcebook on the Star League
is still available?  If anyone has a used copy they don't want, I'd like to
get it ...

Cheers,
Carl

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl Edlund Anderson	            	"Hefi ek ok aldri sva reitt vapn
canders@isr.harvard.edu			at manni at eigi hafi vidh kommit."
OR
anderso2@husc.harvard.edu			- Skarphedhinn Njalsson 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH)
Subject: Re: Titan
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 22:11:56 GMT

In article <1992Aug30.175720.2714@schaefer.math.wisc.edu> duelge@schaefer.UUCP (Jason Duelge) writes:
>  I recently discovered the world of Titan, and am engrossed with
>the game.  I've not played many games yet ( <10 ) but i have
>some questions :
>1.  What is the ideal number of players?  Two seems to work out fine,
>but with 3 the player that gets a kill seems to win easily.

That is somewhat a matter of taste, but I would recommend lots.  In
fact, I'd reccomend that given three players, you give each two teams,
with the added rule that in cse of combat between the two teams owned by
the same player, the player to the left of the owner plays one of the
stacks for that battle (the owner chooses which) this also helps prevent
a couple of unlucky die rolls from removeing a player early.

>3.  In the games played so far, none of the more powerful creatures
>have seen any action.  No Serpents, Dragons, Hydras, Giants or Colossus'
>have been acquired.  Is it common for these creatures to find their
>ways into armies?  We haven't tried TitanPlus, but assume it alleviates
>this problem (at the cost of a potentially shorter game).

Hydras aren't all that uncommon, but Serpents, Giants, Dragons and
Colossi usually herald the end of the game (if the game lasts that long)

>4.  Are there any interesting home rules that have been developed?  Is
>there a way to play by mail?

Yes.  There are several PBeM games in progress.

>Please email replies ...

No.  This material is of general interest and is not appropriate for an
email reply.

Mel


Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: elm4252@zeus.tamu.edu (MOORE, ERIC LEE)
Subject: BTECH-RiflemanVarient
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 21:11:00 GMT


Hookay.  This group is pretty good at pointing out the flaws
in mechs that are posted.  Here is one that I have converted
2 of my Rifleman to.  waddaya think? (besides the obvious
use of the XL engine)

mass    60 tons
internal                              6
engine             240 xl            5.75
  walk  4
  run   6
  jump  0
heatsinks       10 [20]               0
gyro                                  3
cockpit                               3
armor           200                 12.5

  head             3          9
  ct torso        20        29/10
  rt/lt torso     14        20/8
  rt/lt arm       10         20
  rt/lt leg       14         28

weapons          locat     crit     tonnage
lb-10x            ra        6        11
lb-10x            la        6        11
ammo (20)         rt        2         2
ammo (20)         lt        2         2
case              rt        1        .5
case              lt        1        .5
med laser         rt        1         1
med laser         lt        1         1
sma laser          h        1        .5

Rifleman Varient

  There are only 2 of these varients known to exist at this
time.  These two varients are both found within a mercenary 
company.  The twin weapons are removed from each arm and are
replaced with a single weapon system, the LB-10X.  The 
decreased firepower is more than compensated by the new added
features.  These varients now carry almost 50% more armor than
the regular Rifleman.  The leg armor has increased to the 
point that what could have severed the leg, no longer even
breaches the outer armor.  This has surprised more than a few 
warriors.  These varients also carry twice as much ammunition
as the original.  The ammunition bays are lined with the new
CASE systems to protect the MechWarrior.  These enlarged ammo
bins allow for extended campaigns.  Plus, it allows the mech
to carry both cluster and regular ammo for each LB-10X.  This
design deserves to be looked at as more battle testing occurs.


					Mok

a.k.a.  Mjr Kessel
        CMDR 537th Heavy Company
        (2nd Company on the horizon...<WHOA Salvage>..)
        Mercs employed by Federats

	How can you expect to outwit a maniacal genius on an
	empty tummy?   
					-Eve
					 Mann and Machine
From: Jesse.Taylor@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor)
Subject: Re: Axis and Allies
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:45:33 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.222609.7976@cco.caltech.edu> keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:
>Jesse.Taylor@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor) writes:
>>In article <26AUG199213525529@zeus.tamu.edu> mrh0631@zeus.tamu.edu (Mark Hesidence) writes:
>>>2.  It seems kind of pointless for Japan to do any thing but attack
>>>    Russia.  (exept for the inital pearl harbor attack to kill the
>>>    U.S. fleet)   Is this what most players do?
>>	Nope. In one game I was in, Japan attacked (and captured) the west
>>coast of the US. And held it for about three turns until the Axis made a
>>critical blunder. They did destroy Russia utterly though.
>
>Well, the US player must've been pretty thick to let you do that.  I mean,
>as soon as Japan build enough transports to threaten the coast, the US 
>can just build some guys on the west coast.  I mean, you can see such
>a Japanese attck coming far in advance.
	Hey! Watch it! *I* was the US player! :)
	No, but really... I thought I had everthing tied up... I shoulda
known not to let the Axis' best die-roller oversee that battle... Sheesh. :)

>No, I think probably the best thing for Japan to do is to work on Russia.
>India is probably the key.  If the allies are able to hold India (and build
>a complex there), Japan will probably end up being not-so-effective.
>As the allies, I always move the two russian fighters to India, and I move
>as many British guys there as possible (and leave the transport there so
>the Japanese can't do an amphibious assault).  Of course, the second turn
>is more important.  Now, Japan will be able to concentrate all of its
>stuff on India, so you'd better make sure you have enough force there
>to stop it.  It also helps if Russia concentrates all of its Eastern
>guys into that territory that is just to the NW of Mongolia (forgot its
>name).  With some tanks here, you can bother Japan a bit.
	Nod. In the games I've played in, those areas were allways the
hottest battle sites...

>Again, Japan should destroy the Hawaii fleet.  If it doesn't, the US will
>swing that fleet through Panama, and cause some major problems for Germany.
	Most definately.

>Germany's best moves?  Probably destroy as much of the allied fleet as
>possible.  Then, you will be safe from amphibious landings for a while.
>Mass in Eastern and attack the second round (maybe).  If you attack
>sooner, you will be losing costly armor (assuming you can even win).
	Too true. Your logic overwhelms me. :):):)

>oh well
>keith

JT

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: casper@vxcrna.cern.ch (CASPER,DAVI./PPE)
Subject: A3R Strategy (for Mike Lewis)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 20:12:00 GMT

Sorry for posting this private message folks...

Mike Lewis,

Thanks for your note about A3R.  I have tried repeatedly to reply, but it
keeps bouncing off a mailer somewhere in the net.world.  If you have another
address I can try, please let me know.

Dave Casper

Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: bz556@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Joshua E. Randall)
Subject: Re: Opinions on HeroQuest by MB?
Reply-To: bz556@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Joshua E. Randall)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 17:56:36 GMT


In a previous article, gt7994a@prism.gatech.EDU (ORMOND,SEAN PATRICK) says:

>
>	Anyone have any comments on HeroQuest by Milton Bradley (I think)?

A lame D&D style game for 10-year-olds.

>How does it compare to Talisman, for example?  
Totally different.  The gamemaster controls all the monsters and plays
against the players.  The players are a team.

>For reference, the people
>I game with are in their twenties.  While we generally stick to the more
>elaborate games we occasionally are short on time, short on attention,

Well, like I said, this game is juvenile, but it's not short.  You can
easily spend an hour and a hlf playing one session.

>and/or can't get rid of the wives/girlfriends so we play something like
>Talisman - which I still enjoy after having played it for years!  

Hmm...our problem is that we don't have any wives/girlfriends to get rid
of.

>HeroQuest
>looked pretty good though, and I was wondering if anyone has had any
>experience with it.  Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Now for the real review:

The board is a map containing several rooms.  Each session, of which there
are 14 in the basic set, the GM has a map which shows what parts of the map
are being used.  The players only learn of this as they move around. 
Combat is based on dice, with the players given a heavy advantage. 
Treasure can be used to buy better stuff which can be used on the next
adenture.  It ought to be pretty hard to lose this game as a player unless
the GM makes things impossible.  The game is inherently limited by the lack
of freedom given the players.

My advice?  Play Cosmic Encounter.

-- 
Joshua E. Randall
bz556@cleveland.freenet.edu
My motto:  "So little time, so little to do."  --Oscar Levant
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: etxaha@eua.ericsson.se (Anders Hallberg)
Subject: Re: Flat Top
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 11:38:22 GMT

This is a followup to the original article which is no longer here.

  Flat Top requires a fair bit of book-keeping.  In my opinion it is
best played with several players per side in the larger scenarios.  It
is also a very exciting game.  One of my most nailbiting gaming
experiences was in a Flat Top game.  It took some poker face to avoid
a sigh of relief as that Catalina turned away a few hexes from the
Japanese carrier group.  Later in the same game we discovered two
American carriers and, after recalculating fuel consumption N times,
launched every dive bomber and torpedo bomber we had at the maximum
range and was rewarded with one sunk and one badly damaged American
carrier.
  I have not played blind with a game master (yet) but I think it
would be even more fun.  Actually, I would like to play it with one
player per Task Force/Land base.  Each player would be isolated from
the other players.  The only means of communication would be by radio
(notes passed via the game master).

	/Anders Hallberg
From: byafuso@athena.qualcomm.com (Byron Yafuso)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Axis and Allies
Date: 27 Aug 92 19:02:55 GMT
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA

I recently played my first game of A&A before starting to read this group.  I
was the Allied player and ended up losing.  I suspect this may have been
because I lost Russia's capital pretty early in the game.

What's a good first move for Russia?  The obvious thing, which I did, was 
to attack Germany and take that first weaker territory with superior numbers.
Then Germany came back on its first move and started an advance toward the
Russian capital that I was unable to stop.  Is it better for Russia to lay
back for the first turn?

Also, (I couldn't find a specific answer to this in the rules) does the whole
attacking land force have to end the turn in a conquered territory, or can you
choose which units end up there?  If that's the case, you can't use all the
units in a territory to attack an adjacent territory without leaving the
original territory undefended?


Any help from you A&A veterans will be appreciated.

Byron
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: tmartin@nyx.cs.du.edu (Thomas Martin)
Subject: BattleTech Editors
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 02:25:36 GMT


	I uploaded the latest version of Henry Link's MechEdit to
wuarchive.wustl.edu tonight. It's version 3.30 and it can be found in 
the \pub\MSDOS_UPLOADS directory.

	Enjoy!

Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: ahabig@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu (Alec Habig)
Subject: Re: SFB: Alternate Damage Allocation Methods
Organization: Indiana University Astrophysics, Bloomington, IN
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 05:47:35 GMT

In article <67339@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt7994a@prism.gatech.EDU (ORMOND,SEAN PATRICK) writes:
>	The absolute quickest method we've ever used is to simply have a
>computer or calculator generate X rolls of 2d6 and report the results as
>"5 rolls of 2"
>"4 rolls of 3"
>"6 rolls of 4"...
>Then damage is called out starting with rolls of 2, then 3, etc.  Obviously,
>this generates different results than taking one point at a time.  Can anyone
>who has experimented with this system comment on its "fairness"? 

We used this method when playing in fairly massive fleet battles.  It worked
out ok in that context.  The differences with the correct DAC method are there,
but are small compared to the amount of damage being done.  Use this in a small
fight?  no, because then the differences could become important, but then
again, if the fight is small enough, you can usually just roll them out.

The best thing for this sort of thing was a program I saw once where someone
had the ships in a database (ship a has 30 warp, 4 impulse, 3 PIII LS), etc,
and had the dac built in.  This would whip up a damage report to the letter of
the rules in a second.  Wish I knew where to get this program!

	Alec