HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ccastks@prism.gatech.EDU (Kevin Stallard, esq.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: Tourney wrap up...
Summary: Test game opening
Date: 31 Aug 92 16:47:20 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

> Know what this all means?  It's time for another tournament...
> 
> Let's get one started!

 

 

  Gee whiz.  I have a machine to run a game on, I have some compiled code,
but I don't have anyone to test it.  Tell ya what I'm gonna do.
Starting Wednesday, Sept 2, I will run a test game.  I need some input
on how the tourney was set up (# of updates, etu/update, etc) and I'll
do my worst to "recreate" it.  If all goes well (or semi-well) I'll run
a real game in the near future.
 

If anyone wants to play in a linear tech, 2 update/day, quick test game,
send mail to ccastks@prism.gatech.edu with:
 
1) Country Name
2) Representative
3) E-mail address

I'll send the host and port info through e-mail.

Ciao,
  Lord Mac
 


Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Xemp utilities
From: sldf3@pluto.ee.usu.edu (beal weston r)
Date: 25 Aug 92 11:05:44 MDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Utah State University
Keywords: xemp

I have a question for you Xemp Gurus.  
How do you use the plan utility?  I assume the *.p files in the progs
directory have something to do with it, but there is no documentation,
and we can't figure it out.

Info on either the plan utility or the .p files will be appreciated.


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%          							    %%
%%  Weston Beal			:  I have a piece of hard rock      %%
%%  sldf3@sol.ee.usu.edu	:  candy, but it's not for eating.  %%
%%  sldf3@cc.usu.edu		:  It's for looking through.        %%
%%                                                                  %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%




Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: hassink@cs.UAlberta.CA (Hassink Brian John)
Subject: proposed update alternative
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 18:11:22 GMT

This is just an idea I've been toying with, something to aleviate
the importance of the update.

Currently there is an update at a scheduled time which represents
an "x" amount of ETU's and updates the entire world at once. What
I'm proposing is an update system which would update an individual
country using the time difference from the last login. In essence,
your country would be changing in real-time. There could still be
regularly scheduled updates to update nations who do not log in
frequently.

The method of distribution and production would have to be adapted
to this new system. As an example, say you build some aircraft,
then logout and then back in again after a few hours. Your aircraft
would gain eff and mob based on those few hours, so they may now
be 25% eff with 10 mob. Also, your factories will have produced a
few lcm's or whatever over this time span as well.
 
As stated above, distribution and production/consumption would have
to be re-worked. Perhaps, as products are made, the raw materials that
were required are consumed, and distribution attempts to replace
them. Instead of sector "z" produces "x" number of product "y" per
update, it would become sector "z" produces "x" number of product
"y" per real-time hour.
 
I don't see any grotesque drawbacks to this system, and it makes
empire even more realistic. Only those countries who rarely login
would not gain from this system, but their nations could still be
updated at scheduled times. Besides, inattentive nations get
mowed anyway. :)
 
Any comments?

Brian
hassink@cs.ualberta.ca
From: duelge@schaefer.math.wisc.edu (Jason Duelge)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: UPenn update ... Temekula retirement announcement
Keywords: You were all just bricks in the wall
Date: 31 Aug 92 13:08:58 GMT
Reply-To: duelge@schaefer.UUCP (Jason Duelge)
Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin Dept. of Mathematics


  Aw, c'mon, there has got to be someone that is willing to
take my country over in UPenn.  I've only got two days left.
Then the Salamis and Sundiver will come down hard on me...
Jason
Temekula
From: fsjfz@acad3.alaska.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: flexible updates
Date: 31 Aug 92 05:11:11 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks


 Thinking about all the talk about updates (both scheduling them to be
(un)convenient and the attack on the update strategies) i was wondering
if anyone has tried flexible updates.
 i ws thinking about giving each empire 4 updates in a 24 hour period, which
could be initiated for each empire by that player by using the zdone command.
Since every sector and ship/plane in the game has an owner id, i don't think 
that it would be TOO terribly difficult to program (assuming one wasn't a
poly-sci major with no idea of how to program. :), just updating everything
with that particular owner id.
 If you let a player have four updates, and let him zdone the updates whenever
he wanted to, you could allow for more flexibility both offensively and
defensively- you could blitz into another country by using successive updates,
and at the same time, if you `save' an update or two, you could defend against
that nasty scripted blitz that catches you by surprise.
 The abuse that immediately comes to mind is waiting just before midnight
(or whenever the updates are renewed) and blitzing into a country with
eight successive, scripted zdones.  The solution that i came up with was to
place a delay on some of the updates like this:

update:     1         2       3      4
delay:     none     4 hours  none  4 hours
  (delays would carry over into the next 24 hour period if necessary)
  (max possible blitz zdones would be 3 at midnight, assuming that the
   player did not use his 4th zdone for the 1st day)
 
the second solution would be to let a player perform (or NOT perform) a single
zdone at anytime within a 6 hour period.  That would allow a maximum of 
two zdones to be performed closely together at the 6 hour break.
 Since i'm NOT a programmer, i was wondering if anyone has looked into an
update schedule like this, or if it is in fact workable.
 
James Zuelow
FSJFZ@acad3.alaska.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: kpearce@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (BULLDAWG)
Subject: Land Units should be modifiable.
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:53:22 GMT

I agree, if we go to land based units (al la ships) then individual mils
should be done away with entirely.

Furthermore, perhaps instead of set mil types, perhaps one should assign
points to each characteristic and let a person specify a unit's characteristics
limited only by one's tech and money...

say it goes something like this.....

build mil

unit type ?  ?

name           attack defend portage gas SAM    cost  tech mobility  weight
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Infantry      5      4       2   0   2   1000    50   1          1
Mech Company        8      6      10   5   5   7000   100   3          5


mod atta Light +1

Tech / Cost is now 78 / $3500
build unit? yes
how many? 3
location of enlistment center?  2,0
That just cost you $10500 and 10 BTU.


mobility would be a relative mobility, weight for the plane load etc, but the
point is that for a coast (or benifit) characteristics should be modifiable...
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: Was Prevent Update attacks, Now Land Units (yeah!)
Date: 3 Sep 92 15:52:12 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Sep3.130057.23895@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> kpearce@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (BULLDAWG) writes:

>I have the following sugeestion:

>	Have a "stacking" limit based on the "size" of the units, say 
>10 war bands, 8 calv's, etc.

Why?  There's no limit to the number of ships in a sea sector, why
to land units?

>	Furthermore, limit max number of mils in each sector so that they now
>reflect "local militia" and make them weak enough so they will defend but not
>bea able to stop a determined army. I was thinking of 10 mils max....

Why?  If we were invaded, the army could move into any city.  Why
shouldn't you be able to put mil that can actually fight in any sector
you want?


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | Sign in a restaurant:
Georgia Institute of Technology  | 
Office of Information Technology |   "We reserve the right to serve refuse to
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |        anyone."
From: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: New Games?!?
Date: 26 Aug 92 11:23:58 GMT
Organization: The Dorsai Grey Captains

In article <1992Aug25.205552.26965@midway.uchicago.edu> h125@midway.uchicago.edu writes:

>BTW, perhaps deities should respond to regs before they close registration. 
>I know that can be alot of work sometimes, but it might help elleviate this 
>problem :-)


Uh...any chance you can keep line lengths to 80 characters or less?  I 
reformatted your post for readability...

A question to ponder: if you aren't on the list, how will replying to 
incoming registrations help you? :-)
-- 
Matthew DeLuca                      "I'd hire the Dorsai, if I knew their 
Georgia Institute of Technology      P.O. box."
Office of Information Technology                - Zebediah Carter, 
Internet: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.edu              _The Number of the Beast_
From: watkins@acsu.buffalo.edu (Rob Watkins)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: Iceland, where are you???
Date: 3 Sep 92 01:14:38 GMT
Organization: UB

kpearce@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (BULLDAWG) writes:

>keywords:  Iceland

>Iceland:  I have lost your address.  Could you send me the same?

	Is this the same Iceland that was in Late Spring 1990
Kent State University Emprie run by Jeff Bailey?


				Rob
From: marko@ocf.berkeley.edu (Mark Nolte)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Looking for an Empire and/or Conquer Campaign to join
Date: 25 Aug 1992 22:00:15 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: tsunami.berkeley.edu
Summary: New Campaigns
Keywords: new

Any new Empire campaigns starting up?  I'd like to join.

By the way, anyone know if a Conquer campaign is about to start somewhere?


Please mail me ASAP.


Many Thanks,

marko@ocf.Berkeley.edu
From: ccastks@prism.gatech.EDU (Kevin Stallard, esq.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Replacement needed
Keywords: game opening
Date: 24 Aug 92 00:23:53 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


  We need a replacement player for one of the countries in European
Empire III.  The country is "in the middle of the pack" and is in decent
shape.  Leave mail to me or "the REAL deity" Pat Loney if you are
interested.

Regards,
   Elsinore
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: reed@owlnet.rice.edu (Kevin Niles Reed)
Subject: Updates
Organization: Rice University
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 09:43:03 GMT


On a tangent subject of updates, what about having an update
consist of 1 ETU?  Have an update occur every 15 minutes or so?
That seems to me to be the closest to having the ability to slowly
move things around, and prevents sudden attacks.  It seems to make
enough sense, that there must be something heniously impractical with the
idea for it to work.  Ideas?

Kevin Reed
From: mytelka@codon9 (Daniel Mytelka;612 Barker;x2-5110)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: Strategy
Date: 27 Aug 1992 20:08:46 GMT
Organization: University of California
NNTP-Posting-Host: codon9.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Aug27.143525@cunix4.Prime.COM> jasonp@cunix4.Prime.COM (Jason R. Pascucci) writes:
>
>I'm interested in hearing if there is a generally accepted
>strategy, especially where begin-game is concerned,
>even to the point of 'what to do at the first update'.
>
>I was thinking that the first update, you should move
>a fairly small number (say 20-30?) of mils or citizens and food 
>to each adjacent sector, and then use the rest of your mobility for
>exploring, (a' la the utility in xemp). Then, the next 
>update, use the mobility of the other sectors to expand 
>your exploration area. 
>
Depends on whether it's a start island game or not. If so, just explore a few
sectors around you to get mobility for later. If not, there'll be a play-off
between exploration and production. Generally, you must move at least enough
civs out of your 0,0 to ensure max civ growth. Never move 20-30 people onto
a sector. Either move one or move enough to make stuff. 

>I haven't quite figured out which things to do next,
>but it seems to me that it should be in the order of
>Agriculture, Iron, Light materials, Gold,
>Schools, and others...How long should this take? 
>etc..
>
Iron is first priority. You start with enough food for a while, and shouldn't
waste work early making more (one of the many ways of deciding who's fodder
in a game is seeing whether they make food early). The two main strategies:

Update 1)    Iron          Iron
Update 2)    lcm           lcm/hcm/harbor
Update 3)    edu/gold/oil  ship/mil
Update 4)    tech

>Where do you start caring about happiness? Etc...
>
When people start complaining (generally around tech 50, I think). Or maybe
as a defense if someone is about to attack :-)

Dan Mytelka, aka Langerhans


Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: hassink@cs.UAlberta.CA (Hassink Brian John)
Subject: Another idea to downplay update attacks...
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 04:12:54 GMT

Ok, the majority agree that fiddling with update schedules is not
the answer. Several people have suggested some form of automated
land defence, just like air-cover.

How about allowing something like military reserves in your 
sectors. We already have global reserves which can magically be
summoned anywhere, so what about something similar for individual
sectors? You move "x" number of mil into a sector, place them
on reserve, when the sector is attacked these reserves are 
immediately called up to help defend the sector. Surviving
reserves are put back on standby immediately after. 

Example: Sector 5,5 has 700 civs, and 50 mil in it. The sector
         is defended by these 50 mil, the player then moves in
         an additional 50 mil and puts them on reserve. The sector
         now has 750 civs and the original 50 mil. Now, sector
         5,5 gets attacked (or paradropped), the 50 mil on reserve
         are called up and the sector now defends with 100 mil.
         Conflict takes place, and the proportional survivors
         are placed back on reserve. 

Now, if the sector is shelled/bombed/nuked then proportional
numbers of reserves are destroyed along with everything else.

Some people may now say that blowing the sector into oblivion
will help you break through lines of this type of defence. So,
as an alternative implementation you could set up something like
distribute which would automatically shuttle reserve defenders
from a designated sector to the one being attacked. So if somebody
pounds a sector into nothing and then tries to grab it, there's
suddenly defenders rushed up to protect it.

Any comments/flames?

Brian
hassink@cs.ualberta.ca
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: ts@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (Thomas Ruschak)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: Update Stuff & Land Units (100 mil per unit)
Date: 4 Sep 92 03:31:33 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <186fmsINNsas@agate.berkeley.edu> tedrick@triangle.Berkeley.EDU (Tom Tedrick) writes:
><The UNIT database would get *HUGE*.  That alone makes
><replacing mil completely with units seem impractical.
>
>Good point. I think a unit ought to represent 100 mil rather
>than 10 (or something like that) to keep the UNIT file smaller.

	True.. Those were top of my head numbers anyway, but the point is
well taken...

Tom
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: smithw@col.hp.com (Walter Smith)
Subject: Another considered change 
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 22:21:39 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

One of these days, we're going to put together a list of
modifications found in the HP version of the empire code.

In the meantime, we're considering another change.  Adding
work % to the shell/bomb damage code.  Right now, if someone
shells/bombs a sector of mine into the stone age (like a
nice 4-jet-hvy-bomber raid doing 98% damage) 2 minutes
before an update, I just run my civmover, and slam
a quick 800 folks in there, and right after the update,
you'd never know any damage was done.  In the small-land
games we've been leaning towards, where shells are
often a precious item, it seems a waste.  So:

We're thinking about making the work % drop to make
those kinds of attacks more damaging.  With many of
our games bogging down into defensive battles, this
gives a reason to attack.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Flames?

Walter Smith
smithw@cs.itc.hp.com
UUCP
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: New Games?!?
Date: 26 Aug 92 13:15:24 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <66875@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes:

>A question to ponder: if you aren't on the list, how will replying to 
>incoming registrations help you? :-)

Maybe because if he's expecting a response and doesn't get one, he can
send you mail and say "Hey, why didn't I get a mail message?  Am I on
the list?"


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | Sign in a restaurant:
Georgia Institute of Technology  | 
Office of Information Technology |   "We reserve the right to serve refuse to
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |        anyone."
From: jfeldhouse@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu (Jim Feldhouse)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: Was Prevent Update attacks, Now Land Units (yeah!)
Date: 4 Sep 92 19:08:40 GMT
Organization: as little as possible

There is already a limit to the number of theoretical
land units that can be put into a sector.  It is determined
by how many you are willing to lose to a nuclear weapon...

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: elf@titan.ucc.umass.edu (Wanderer)
Subject: Re: More Update Stuff... perhaps a "new" idea?
Organization: the Elves of Briton
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 20:18:08 GMT

kpearce@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (BULLDAWG) writes:
>Eliminate update's all together for mobility, leave updates for things like
>production, starving, etc.
>
>Instead, lets have a routine that goes something like:
>
>if (time())      /*  say every 10 minutes */
>   {
>	while (sector_file(i).mobilty != MAX_MOB)
>	{  sector_file(i++).mobility++; 
>	}
>    }
>and so on...

arararararargggggggggggghhhhhhhh

NO!

then people will have to be on all the time.
att 20,10
wait 10 minutes
att 22,10
wait 10 minutes
att 24,10
wait 10 minutes
att 26,10
*you have taken Mirkwood's capital*

Wahooooo!

what we need is automated defences for land attacks.

for sea attacks we have forts,
for air attacks we have interceptors and ack-ack.

for land we have forts, but they don't help much.

what we need is a system by which if a sector is taken, then the
auto defences will automatically take it back.

how hard to code? not very I'd imagine.
modify land_def to check the surrounding sectors for mil, have them 
counted in also. or send a flag off to land_retake, only if the sector
is lost.

*--*
the Elf


Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: remo@cc.tut.fi (Suomi Markus)
Subject: Need for a slowish game!
Keywords: empire
Organization: Tampere University of Technology, Finland
Distribution: rec
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 13:41:12 GMT


Help me, withdrawal symptoms are getting too serious!

Want desperately to play in a game of Empire with 1 upd/day max,
no weekend updates and/or play.

There must be a hell of a lot undergraduates who have free time
to spend, even if they have far too many courses to attend to.
But normal 2-4 upds/day are just too much and really slow games
with update every 5-7 days are just too boring. And I'm sure
that some player's girlfriends have something to say about weekend
updates. So, please, someone organize a game before I do something
stupid.

BTW, my friend agrees with me and is suffering also the same symptoms...


Remo aka The Ruler of Consolidated
From: dsm@prism.gatech.EDU (Danny McGurl)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Tourney wrap up...
Date: 30 Aug 92 19:56:15 GMT
Organization: Revelstone High Command

Well, next Saturday marks the end of the famed tournament from the
Georgia Tech point of view...

It's the day when Dreamlands pays off his debt to Revelstone and Dorsai.

The bet was based on placement at the end of GaTech players in  the tourney.  
With the winner getting 50$ worth of alochol, the second place person
getting the services of the loser as designated driver and the
looser driving the others and paying for the winners alcohol.

Know what this all means?  It's time for another tournament...

Let's get one started!
-- 
Danny McGurl                        "No, no Pixel!  Beer is not for baby cats."
Office of Information Technology        --Richard Ames,
dsm@prism.gatech.edu 		        __The Cat Who Walks Through Walls__
From: dsm@prism.gatech.EDU (Danny McGurl)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: Re: UPenn update ... Temekula retirement announcement
Keywords: You were all just bricks in the wall
Date: 30 Aug 92 19:51:20 GMT
Organization: Revelstone High Command

In article <1992Aug30.053617.26135@schaefer.math.wisc.edu> duelge@schaefer.UUCP (Jason Duelge) writes:
>  UPenn continues to blaze...
>Since BBN ended a week ago...or so i was told ... i have no problem
>  I'm probably going to continue logging into Iceland every now and

Funny... Teme forgot to mention Ualberta...

I guess being down to 5 sectors means that he's lo longer viable :)

>  I guess this is farewell.  Sorry this is hard to read, i'm dripping
>on the keyboard.  :)

*wave* Goodbye to Teme everyone!

-- 
Danny McGurl                        "No, no Pixel!  Beer is not for baby cats."
Office of Information Technology        --Richard Ames,
dsm@prism.gatech.edu 		        __The Cat Who Walks Through Walls__
From: greyhelm@cis.ksu.edu (Karl S. Hagen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
Subject: KSU Empire is finished
Date: 2 Sep 1992 04:33:25 GMT
Organization: Kansas State University, Dept. of Computing and Information Sciences
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cygnus.cis.ksu.edu


    Well Kansas State Univ. 1st empire game is over.  I got on and
  they had declared the winner.  So it is done.  I will post the
  power chart and report in the morning.(it is midnight right now)
  The game is still up ... but there are no more updates. 

   As to a 2nd KSU.... well that is dependant... I am busy right now
  and I am doing alot of things on the side.  I run the moria archives
  and if the admins. here approve I will probably take over for Evil
  and the Empire archives.(That is still waiting on approval)

   I am going to run a Labor day blitz.... But that is all for now.
  I will post more in the morning.

  BTW: I havve a power and repo already... I also havve all of the
      last days tele's saved.  I will post them all in the morning

*******************************************************************************
****     Karl S. Hagen          Student - Kansas State University          ****
****     greyhelm@cygnus.cis.ksu.edu      greyhelm@matt.ksu.ksu.edu        ****
****     Moria Archives Manager
*******************************************************************************

Newsgroups: rec.games.empire
From: ricou@dudel.huji.ac.il (Olivier Ricou)
Subject: For beginner
Organization: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 17:26:47 GMT
X-Posted-From: dudel.huji.ac.il
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

 If you want to learn Empire and have time, then I have a good proposition.
Co-ruling a country with me :) If the personne agree, I'll just give him
general plans, and show him the basic trick, then he'll have to do the moves.


						Maximilien d'Orleans.