HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: thesingm@soadc.enet.dec.com (Running in the Shadows)
Subject: Re: BTECH-Gamer/Player  which are you?
Reply-To: thesingm@soadc.enet.dec.com (Running in the Shadows)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 22:40:50 GMT


In article <BxK57w.LH6@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, griffin@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Zack Thompson) writes:

|>Howdy-
|>
|>ZT here.
|>
|>Yes.  Me.  And that's because after getting used to inner sphere stuff, it's
|>  frusterating to try and make a clan 'mech.  That's because you have all 
|>  this wonderful sh*t to use, but you WILL run out of crit spots.  I've tried
|>  it a couple times.  'Hey, I just got a great idea for a 'mech!  OK, get  
|>  the sheet... weapons... armor... um, ok, smaller engine... heat sinks... oh,
|>  great, no endo steel... well now I don't have the tonnage left over I need 
|>  for that weapon, so I don't need those heat sinks, so I have the crit spots,
|>  so I guess I can put the endo-steel back, now, um... 5 tons and nowhere to
|>  go... oh, f*ck this!' crumple, crumple.  And the fact that IS stuff lets a
|>  game go on for longer.  And I don't want to hear anything from anybody about
|>  'Well, I use my own special blend of tactics, and my clan games go on plenty
|>  long,' cause if you used IS equip with the same tactics, your games would go
|>  on even longer.

Good point about game time.

But, in some cases, faster IS better.  Like conventions, for example.  If you
have 4 hours or so to run a game, it had better be Clan or small tonage
because it will last WAY more than time allows using IS (3025) tech.  Games
at cons are fun because they are fast and furious (at least at the end) and
allow  you to see the way others think, play and react.  Plus, I get to see
how I've been interpreting the rules incorrectly.

Also, relatively large games (>1000 tons a side for us) can take a while.
The people I game with (it has been a while) tend to loose focus after 10
hours or so.  But we like larger scale games for the variety they allow in
choosing forces.  Allows greater (easier?) opportunity for a fun strategy
that just might work.

Of course, map size make a huge difference also, but I won't get into that.

I'm not knocking long games.  If you have time to kill, great!  If you have
one day a month, short games are more satisfying.  Work has pretty much
killed my gaming time.

Game times, I think, is one reason FASA introduced Clans.  Make the games
end before your attention span does.


|>Just for the Record.
|>
|>                       The Crystal Griffin


  Matt Thesing

--
Matt Thesing				thesingm@soadc.enet.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corporation
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH:The Bounty Hunter
From: ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu
Date: 11 Nov 92 23:47:23 -0700
Distribution: rec

In article <CRUSADER.92Nov11132808@surukuku.cc.lut.fi>, crusader@lut.fi (Crusader ,the Holy Soldier of Metal) writes:
> 
> Ok. We know the green Marauder with credit symbols, and the notorious 
> pilot, the Bounty Hunter.
> 
> We know that he betrayed Natasha Kerensky and captured her Marauder 
> ( he had a Griffin at that time ).
> 
> He met Natasha again in the 4th Succession War.
> 
> After the death of Minobu Tetsuhara, his assistant Michi Noketsuna
> began to hunt down the persons responsible for his master's death.
> During this, we find out that M.Noketsuna has become The Bounty Hunter.
> 
> When Mr.Noketsuna gives up his revenge ( for at time ), one of his 
> companions takes the role of the Bounty Hunter and the green Marauder.

Didn't Michi eventually return to service with the Combine & , by 3050,
eventually rise to the rank of Warlord?

> 
> After this, I haven't been able to find any references to the Bounty
> Hunter.
> 
> Who was the Bounty Hunter before Michi Noketsuna? How did Noketsuna
> become the Bounty Hunter? How is the Bounty Hunter doing in 3053 ?
> 
> --

Wasn't there also a discrepancy between the book _Wolves_on_the_Border_
& _The_Wolf's_Dragoons_Sourcebook_ relating to the chain of events that
resulted in Kerensky's loss of her Marauder to the Bounty Hunter? I also
wonder why the Bounty Hunter , in the book, was so anxious to track down
Natasha. What was the point?

PHIL
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: aodn307@bongo.cc.utexas.edu (Joshua Henry Geurink)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Btech: Favorite Mechs
Date: 6 Nov 92 01:16:47 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <92308.204438OPQ@psuvm.psu.edu> OPQ@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>My favorite mech-
>
>                 The Daishi Widowmaker
>
>                 No explaination necessary.

AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

The Widowmaker is a @#$% CURSED 'mech!  I've NEVER seen so many consecutive
head shots scored against any one class of 'mech in so many scenerios!
I LOVED the DW when I first saw it -- then it became the first 'mech to die
in THREE CONSECUTIVE BATTLES (OK, it tied once).  I couldn't take it anymore.

If you want class, you want style, and you want conservative power,
	NOTHING tops the COPPERTOP
		That is, a slightly customized Warhammer.

=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
King Rat                     |  "You got the power, (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!)
aka Josh Geurink             |   You got the might, (No Way!)
aodn307@bongo.cc.utexas.edu  |   Get ready for battle, (Give me your money!)
                  Defeat the Black Knight!"
`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`



Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: vjelinek@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Virginia G Jelinek)
Subject: Re: Eurorails (or Empire Builder, XX Rails) question
Summary: Definitive? source
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 13:57:36 GMT

In article <9164@vtserf.cc.vt.edu> mage@morse.cns.vt.edu (Kurt Adam) writes:
>
>    I was playing Eurorails last night (I just got it a few weeks ago) and
>we started wondering about an unclear area in the rules.  During rail building
>the rules say that you can either build from existing line or start at any
>major city.  The cost for building into a major city is 5, but coming out is
>usually only 1 (actually just the value of the milepost built to).  Now, we
>figured it would be possible, since it's not explicitly outlawed, to build
>from two major cities to a milepost in between both cities, thereby getting
>around the 5 million for entering the major city.  We decided that was pretty
>sleazy, so played that if you were already connected to the city you could
>build to/from for the cost of the regular milepost there.  Has anyone else
>run up against this?

A friend of mine manages a game store here in Columbus, Ohio.  Among his
many gaming contacts is the guy who (co-)designed British Rails, Empire
Builder, Eurorails, Nippon Rails, etc., Darwin Bromley.

If you'll allow for the admittedly circuitous route that this quote has
travelled, I hope you'll believe me, this does come from "the horse's
mouth." :-)

Having played many times with someone who has played several times with the
games' designer, the rules are intended as written.  In your rail building
phase you may build two sections of track out from Major City Mileposts
regardless of their connection to your existing track at the cost of the
milepost to which you build, usually 1mECU.  Any _additional_ track built in
that rail building phase connecting to a Major City Milepost must be built from
your existing track at a cost of 5mECU.

Medium and Small City Mileposts _always_ cost 3mECU (plus river costs, etc.)
and are initially built _into_ from your previously existing track.

So, that's how the game designer plays.  Hope this clears up any confusion.

Now my comments on the rationale behind all this (if you care ;-))

This interpretation makes the game more playable.  By freeing up an extra
4mECU/Major City build, players have more flexibility and are less likely to
build themselves into an untenable position.  I like this series of games very
much, but if the cards conspire against you, your chance at winning can quickly
disappear and you spend the rest of the game as an also-ran.  In some games, a
player who has to pitch his/her cards has no realistic chance to win because of
the lost turn.   Of course, good play minimizes the probability that you'll get
stuck, but sometimes it happens.

The money saved by this rule interpretation may not be quite as
critical in Eurorails where there is generally more money available from
payoffs.  However, in Empire Builder (EuroRails set in the U.S.: payoffs are
generally less generous, terrain less varied) the extra 4mECU/$ makes a
difference.

That's my story and I'm goint to stick with it.

Bill
From: dave@pce2.fu.hac.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Beer and Pretzel game query
Date: 12 Nov 92 20:57:24 GMT
Reply-To: dave@pce2.fu.hac.com ()
Organization: Huge Aircrash Co.  GSG


This topic may have been discussed in the past, but since
I have only recently gotten net access I will ask anyway.

I am looking for multi-player games recomendations.  Most of
the game players are looking for quick and dirty games, but
occasionally we set up a 12 hour Civ day or RoR day.  I have
included a list of what I own that I have had success with
in the past (for reference purposes).

-- The easy/quick games
Family Business
Express
Nuclear War/Escalation/Proliferation
Grass
Modern Naval Battles (I and II, III was not worth the cash)
Star Force Terra
Acquire

-- and some more complex/time-consuming
Rollout
Maxi Bourse
Eurorails (aka Euro-snails)
Rail Baron
Outpost

-- and the big time-consumers (OK so they aren't easy to learn)
Republic of Rome
Civilization

Send e-mail and I'll summarize, or post to the net for
others reading enjoyment (so they will have something 
to read besides Battletech stuff)

Dave Fandel
dave@pce2.fu.hac.com
00e0966@msgate.emis.hac.com
From: pmenard@cse.unl.edu (Patrick Menard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Axis & Allies
Date: 12 Nov 1992 01:43:40 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska--Lincoln	
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cse.unl.edu

victor.ng@rose.com (victor ng) writes:


>Date Entered: 11-11-92 16:49
>Does anybody know where I can get my hands on an expansion set for 
>Axis and Allies?  I'm looking for Expansion set 1.  

the expansion by which company?  There is "Max's Rules","1939-1945","world
war II: the expansion",and "wwII:the expansion II".  Max's rules keep the game
simple, in my experiences, but add lots of flavor.  For Instance, there are more
technologies to get, and some tech's are harder to get than others.  There are
also various tactical manouvers available, the best of which is tactical air
combat.  the 1939-45 expansion changes the board and adds france and a whole
bunch of neutrals and lots of things the axis can do.  If the axis do things
right, russia and the usa can be kept out of the war for a long time.  This 
expansion is best if you have two a&a sets, as it uses lots of pieces and its
better to make the board changes permanent.(on one board, and keep the other
one for regular games)  I have seen the other two expansions and they seem more
complex.  I opted not to get them because I like the simplicity of a&a and the
added realism didn't really make the game better.

Shadow
From: randall-joshua@yale.edu (Joshua Randall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Diplomacy rules wanted
Followup-To: rec.games.diplomacy
Date: 9 Nov 1992 14:27:49 -0500
Organization: Yale University Science & Engineering UNIX(tm), New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: minerva.cis.yale.edu

[Please not folloup redirection.]

In article <ROBERT.92Nov9105432@wsooti11.info.win.tue.nl> robert@wsooti11.info.win.tue.nl (Robert Lukassen) writes:
>I'm in need for the rules of diplomacy. Could somebody mail them ? Is there an FTP
>site which has them ?

The rules are copywrited by Avalon Hill Game Company.  It is illegal
(at least in the US) to distribute them.  You can order a set from AH
for around $5 American.
-- 
Joshua E. Randall                       randall@minerva.cis.yale.edu
From: mcgrew@ichthous.Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Monopoly Rules
Date: 6 Nov 92 18:58:59 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: ichthous

Some Monopoly variants that I've encountered are--

+ If you land on GO exactly, then you get $400 instead of $200.

+ If you land on FREE PARKING, you get $500.

+ If you land on FREE PARKING, you get all the money that has
  been paid for LUXURY TAX, STREET REPAIRS, etc, etc.

+ If you land on FREE PARKING, you get $500 plus all the money
  that has been paid for LUXURY TAX, STREET REPAIRS, etc, etc.

+ You can't build houses on a property unless you land on that
  property.

+ You can't build houses on a color group unless you land on one
  of the properties of that color group.

+ You can't build houses unless it's your turn.

+ If you land on the mortgaged property of another player, you
  can usurp ownership of the property by paying to have it
  unmortgaged.

+ Player #1 starts on GO, Player #2 starts on JUST VISITING
  (JAIL), Player #3 starts on FREE PARKING, Player #4 starts on
  GO TO JAIL.  Players #5-8 start in the corresponding spaces,
  but get an extra $200 at the start.

+ No one gets to buy anything the first time around the board.

+ No one gets to buy anything on their first move.

+ Multiple hotels on a given property are allowed, but you have
  to build them all at once (ie, no mixing hotels and houses) and
  you have to build evenly (ie, all properties in a color group
  have to have the same number of hotels at all times).  Rent is
  multiplied in the obvious manner.

+ Properties are not auctioned if the player landing on them
  doesn't want to buy them; they remain unsold.

+ Properties are always auctioned when first landed on, instead
  of being sold to the player landing on them.

+ Just like the bank can print more money, the bank can issue
  more houses than are in the set.

+ A player rolling doubles may choose not to roll again, and play
  passes to the next player.

+ A player caught stealing money, propeties, houses, etc. from
  the bank or from another player goes to JAIL.

+ You don't reshuffle the deck when all the COMMUNITY CHEST or
  CHANCE cards have all been drawn; after you run out of cards,
  no one gets to draw cards anymore when they land on the
  appropriate spaces.

+ You don't reshuffle the deck when all the COMMUNITY CHEST or
  CHANCE cards have all been drawn; drawn cards are placed at the
  bottom of the deck, to be drawn in the same order the next time
  through the deck.

+ You reshuffle the deck after all the COMMUNITY CHEST or CHANCE
  cards have all been drawn.

+ Income tax only applies to your cash on hand, not your
  properties.

+ Utility fees are based on the dice roll that caused you to land
  on the utility.

+ Utility fees are based on another independent dice roll after
  you have landed on the utility.

Darin.McGrew@Eng.Sun.COM            Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
Soli Deo Gloria!                      but righteousness delivers from death.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: gregory_b@cubldr.colorado.edu (Brian Gregory)
Subject: CWJ special annual WiF edition.
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1992 00:56:02 GMT

So, has anybody seen this, or better has it?  It was supposed to be
out mid-Oct., which is when I recieved the Fatal Alliances games I'd
ordered with it... but no Canadian Wargamers Journal has appeared.

Respond here, or to me.
Brian

-- 
***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---
Brian Gregory				|| 'Fall colors seem incongruous
I-net:  GREGORY_B@CUBLDR.COLORADO.EDU	|| with eighty-degree weather,
ECE Graduate Student			|| but maybe it's just all the 
Univ. of Colorado @ Boulder		|| flakes around?'  Boulder life.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: elm4252@zeus.tamu.edu (MOORE, ERIC LEE)
Subject: BTECH-Gamer/Player  which are you?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 05:48:00 GMT


*SIGH*

it has been a while since i last posted on this thread.
i think it is because i am becoming jaded in my 'old age'.

all the arguements...errr....discussions on the net right
now are ones that i have seen at least twice before in the
past 2 years.

it seems that people who play BattleTech in the BattleTech
universe are going the way of the dinosaurs.  i can remember
when a 'mech force was just that, a BattleMech force.  lately,
BattleMechs have been chosen as only about 1/3 the tonnage 
and less than 1/4 of all the vehicles shown. 

am i the last of my kind?  i play campaign Btech.  the motto
for me is how much material was lost, not how many people
were killed.  even Kurita fanatics would start running dry
with the number of spotters and suicidal hover pilots that
seem to be on battlemap sheets now.

there are always techs and trainies to step in and pilot a 
mech.  but, there are not always mechs to pilot.  my
characters personal best juryrigging was 2 engine,
2 ppc, and 1 medium laser after a particularly bloody
guerilla campaign.  yes, it WAS a marauder.  bloody
hot towards the end.

as towards having longtoms, snipers, thumpers, and arrow IV
missile systems:

longtoms are scenerio object items.
snipers, thumpers never are mech fitted and are SO SLOW in shells
                  arriving to be nearly worthless.
arrow IV made mostly by capelians for capelians.

i am personally happy to have a Star Lord jumpship with 1 Union
and 4 Leopards to ship my companies.  i could not imagine having
enough resources and transportation facilities to take vehicles,
infantry, artillery, and the like with me on raids and assaults.

is there ANYONE left who still campaigns and does not use clan?

					Mok

a.k.a.  Mjr Kessel
        CMDR 537th Reinforced Heavy Company
        CMDR 369th Heavy Company
        Mercs now employed by Snakes

	How can you expect to outwit a maniacal genius on an
	empty tummy?   
					-Eve
					 Mann and Machine


Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: colorado@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov (Martin Snow)
Subject: Nuclear Proliferation
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: NASA/GSFC-Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 20:33:00 GMT

I just saw that Flying Buffalo has produced a sequel to Nuclear War and
Nuclear Escalation called Nuclear Proliferation.  Has anyone played it
yet?  Is it worth buying?  The other parts of this game system were
getting kinda dated, but the box implied that it was a post-cold war
update.

Any reviews?

Martin Snow

snow@lyrae.dnet.nasa.gov
snow@cololasp.bitnet
msnow%cygnus@vaxf.colorado.edu
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: R.A.H. Started walking tanks?
Date: 5 Nov 92 10:25:42 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu

bbaydar@pcpc-next.ucis.dal.ca writes:
>Transformers (go-bot's in desguise) were starting to become popular at that  
>time, too.

Hmm, these toys were in turn inspired by the old metal/plastic die-casts
that were incredibly popular among the asian friends I hung out with a
few years before Transformers/Gobots/Robotech came out.  I'd say the toys
far pre-date Transformers et al.

-- 
If you didn't get caught, did you really do it?
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: bernt@Kimura.Stanford.EDU (Bernt Guldbrandtsen)
Subject: Archive anywhere?
Organization: Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 23:28:15 GMT

The subject-line says it! Is there an archive for this newsgroup
anywhere?

Bernt Guldbrandtsen

bernt@weinberg.pop.bio.aau.dk
From: charbonn@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (gary charbonneau)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: EiA reparations
Date: 11 Nov 92 12:53:55 GMT
Organization: Indiana University

In article <BxJqq9.EnG@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> ahabig@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu (Alec Habig) writes:


>The french player is right (as much as it pains me to admit those revolutionary
>scum are not flat out losers).  (oops, pardon the flashback).
>
>The phrase "printed on the map" was intended to refer to the big red starting
>home nation value and obviate such questions.  However, the EIA rules-writing
>crew is up to their wonderful writing again.  They should have just said
>"starting home nation tax value" instead.
>
>Note that this is not an offical opinion, just one based on several years of
>trying to figure out what those boneheads really meant (and usually, when our
>group sends off to AH for an interpretation, I had guessed correctly).
>
>	Alec
>
>(ducking the incoming flames from Gary, who usually disagrees with me on these
>interpretations...)

I agree with your interpretation of the rule.  I take umbrage at your
characterization of La Belle France.  Just for that, I'm going to have
to get back to work painting stripes on the trousers of my Revolutionary
period 15's, to keep them scruffy Russkies out of Paris!



-- 
Gary Charbonneau
charbonn@silver.indiana.edu
From: mab@wdl39.wdl.loral.com (Mark A Biggar)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Monopoly Rules
Date: 10 Nov 92 00:22:48 GMT
Organization: Loral Western Development Labs

In article <1992Nov9.183630.1473@news.arc.nasa.gov> nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH) writes:
>In article <lflg3jINNhom@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> mcgrew@ichthous.Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew) writes:
>>Some Monopoly variants that I've encountered are--
>>+ If you land on GO exactly, then you get $400 instead of $200.
>I think I know of a connection to this one.  Another monopoly-like game
>called careers had exactly the rules that if you landed on the start
>square exactly, you collected double salary.  Of course, this may have
>been around in Monopoly circles before Careers was ever minted.

I have also seen this justified via strange arguments based on the original
rules.  The original rules say you get $200 if the land on or pass GO.  Well
if you land on GO this turn, you don't pass it until next turn so you get
$200 both turns, taking $400 when you land is just a way of not forgetting
to take the extra $200.  Of course, if you look at a current addition
rule book that contains a lot of rule clarifications at the end PD explisitly
disallows this reasoning by saying that you get at most $200 for each compete
trip around the board.  (at most because going to jail usually completes a
trip but you don't get you $200).

--
Mark Biggar
mab@wdl1.wdl.loral.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: charbonn@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (gary charbonneau)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Reviews wanted
Date: 5 Nov 92 19:01:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.Bx9BHs.H8w
Organization: Indiana University

I'd like to read brief reviews of the following products:

1. War for the Union.  I've bought the game and generally like the
look of the components.  Is it worth my time to learn it?  I would
especially like to see a post from somebody who can compare it to
Victory Games' Civil War.

2. Stonewall Jackson's Way.  Again, I already own the game.  I've
played the brief Cedar Mountain scenario and found it quite enter-
taining -- and the maps are the best I've seen in any wargame.  Has
anyone played the full Second Manassas scenario.

3. GHQ's new line of Rebellion figures.  I haven't seen 'em yet.

Looks like I'm starting a Civil War thread here....



-- 
Gary Charbonneau
charbonn@silver.indiana.edu
From: bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Eurorails (or Empire Builder, XX Rails) question
Date: 5 Nov 1992 20:54:56 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Reply-To: bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.46
Originator: bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu

From article <9164@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>, by mage@morse.cns.vt.edu (Kurt Adam):
You are limited to building out from a major city to twice in one turn.
So you can build toward the center to save $4, however this may limit the
amount of track you can usefully put out in one turn.
Lines: 23