HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: u9044140@cs.uow.edu.au (Scot Joseph Wilson)
Subject: Re: Timetable blues
Organization: Hey , I'm already missing one T
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 21:53:57 GMT

wes@echo.canberra.edu.au (Wes Nicholson) writes:
>   As a computer programmer, I bet those few alterations would be mind
>boggling. What you're trying to do is solve N simulataneoius equatiuons,
>often with N+ unknowns. The only computer that can come close to this is
>the mark one human brain. 

	Not wrong. And what's more if you (not a personal go at Uncle Wes - i.e
this is refering to the general public) had a mark one human brain, how in the
hell did you get suckered into running a con in the first place?


>   If anyone does solve it, and get it foolproof, you could sell it to
>every con in the world.

	How much for? More than Austudy? Could I keep going to Uni on the
profits? Is it some sort of majour graduate work? Nobel prize material? (Like
bodysuits are?)

				Hooray for organisers! Let them proliferate!
						Scot. (I'm a player not a GM)
-- 
  Scot Wilson, The man with One T.            u9044140@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au
    "Its Scot with 1 T because all the other four letter words were used."
		DEUS EX MACHINA!	E PLURIBUS UNIX?
Warning: This .signature may be suddenly, and without prior notice, be cut shor
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
From: s925892@numbat.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Jason Pouflis)
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
Subject: Re: Judging Roleplay
Date: 12 Oct 92 09:11:03 GMT
Distribution: cs

tal691@huxley.anu.edu.au (Tonio Loewald) writes:

>engjs@wombat.newcastle.edu.au (James Smith) writes:


>>Tonio Loewald writes:

>>> In freeforms, characters are
>>> often earmarked for favourite players, while newbies get relatively
>>> pathetic characters. (Flame me as you like. I've seen it done.)

>>Another way of saying this is that pivotal characters are given to
>>players who the designer knows can handle them in the way he wants to
>>ensure that the freeform runs successfully.

>>Why does a player go to a con?  What does he put into it?  What does he
>>get out of it?  How about a GM?  A designer?  An organiser?  What looks
>>like nepotism is often just common sense.

>You're perfectly correct. Unfortunately, this leads to them having
>characters with more exposure and opportunity to be seen to be a
>"good player". Your arguments are fine, so long as prizes aren't
>involved, which is what I've been saying all along.

>All of this stems from the mistaken belief that the purpose of a role-
>plying tournament is to determine who's best whereas it is to HAVE FUN.

Ha! I can have fun any day of the week 
(except for these last two before my thesis is due),
I go along for the competition, to improve my skills,
by trying my best, to compete.
Roleplaying for leisure is fun, so is roleplaying for competition, IMHO.
Prizes entice one to PLAY HARDer.

wrt. freeforms, I'd like to see a players choice, cohort's choice
(what do you call those dude(tte)s anyway, NPCs?, what?)
and a ranking for what character objectives were achieved.
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
From: braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au (BRAY CHRISTOPHER)
Subject: Re: Timetable blues
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 04:04:46 GMT

horne@physics.su.OZ.AU (Geoff Horne) writes:

>In article <1992Oct8.110159.1@wombat.newcastle.edu.au> engjs@wombat.newcastle.edu.au (James Smith) writes:
>>I went to Necro last week.  I payed to play 12 sessions of games, and
>>ended up playing 5, mostly because of timetabling problems.  I'm not
>>blaming the organisers; I know from past experience what timetabling
>>can be like, and they did try.  At least they didn't land us with the
>>dreaded Arcanacon system.
>>

Been to ARcanacon for 4 years, never had any trouble with my timetabling.
I consider it to be a good system.

so bash it pal.

hook

Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
From: engjs@wombat.newcastle.edu.au (James Smith)
Subject: Re: Timetable blues
Organization: University of Newcastle, AUSTRALIA
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 05:47:28 GMT

BRAY CHRISTOPHER writes:

> There are computer programs that you can buy or write, I believe, that will
> timetable for you.

I know of no programs on the market that will do convention timetabling.
School timetabling programs will not do the job.  Convention timetabling
is an order of magnitude more difficult that school timetabling, which in
itself is not a minor thing.

To the best of my knowledge no one has ever written a program to do
convention timetabling.  People start to do so, realise how difficult
it is, and give up.

Jim
-- 
James J Smith             | "I couldn't get over it. All these women
School of Engineering     | in the world...and under their clothes
Newcastle University      | each and every one of them was naked, you
engjs@cc.newcastle.edu.au | know..." -- Psycho-killer, "Sandman"
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
From: braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au (BRAY CHRISTOPHER)
Subject: Re: Timetable blues
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 04:09:30 GMT

engjs@wombat.newcastle.edu.au (James Smith) writes:

>Your comments about timetabling indicate that you haven't actually done
>any.  Neither have I, but I've been on the outskirts of it and have studied 
>the problem. It is not nearly as simple as you describe.  In practice,
>a good solid timetable will only leave a few individuals who don't
>get to play what they want, but it takes a *lot* of work to get that
>timetable.

There are computer programs that you can buy or write, I believe, that will
timetable for you.  A few alterations and I'm sure that you could get a
convention going.  I dont know whether the costs would preclude a convention
from doing this, but I'm sure a teacher could nick one from his school.

And if conventions were to share this (shock, horror) then it would 
simplify it greatly.  It may reduce the flexibility, but if the program 
is good then it will allow for sudden changes.


                             -=[ |-|()()|<  ]=-
-----------------------------                  ----------------------------
 braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au          |    "If you've got it shake it" - hook
       ========			      |    "My heart beats just like yours, 
      /        \                      |    When I dream, my mind soars,  
      |        |                      |    but no fantasy will pay my bills
      \        /                      |    Another dream unfulfilled"
       ---  ---                       |                - Living Colour
	 / /                          | "Right now there are hundreds of
	 | |                          | sceptics falling of the edge of the 
	 \ \   /|                     | Earth"  Clem Turner (LEUT, RAN)
	  \ --/ |                     |
	   \---/                      |
copy this sig and help `Just Say No' to Big Brother monitoring public bandwidth
      NSA KEYWORDS:  AVIARY, OCELOT, KIT GREEN, JOHN ALEXANDER, ED DAMES
From: axg708@anu.edu.au
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
Subject: Re: Judging Roleplay
Date: 9 Oct 1992 06:07:14 GMT
Organization: Australian National University
NNTP-Posting-Host: misdpc18.anu.edu.au


For gods sake, leave it alone will you

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Quiet everyone - let the crystal do the work"
Ashraf Ghebranious axg@anu.edu.au (Just a NEW-AGE type of guy)
From: axg708@anu.edu.au
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
Subject: More Utopian Judging ideas (re Judging roleplaying)
Date: 9 Oct 1992 06:14:48 GMT
Organization: Australian National University
NNTP-Posting-Host: misdpc18.anu.edu.au

For gods sake please leave it alone. Firstly,roleplaying is 
intangiable.  You can not measure it quantitatively or 
qualitativley. Secondly, at a tournment you have several judges
all with their own opinion on roleplayers and their skills.

What you end up with is people who try their best and a DM who
compares a performance with what he/she thinks how it should
be done. At the end of the tournament the winners are people 
who got along well with the DM as well as did some of the 
module. 

Call me stupid but is it a coincidence that teams that do not
get along with the DM end up not winning? Is it also 
coincidence that the DM's for so called winning teams can't
stop talking about how great they were. 

Not many DM's can seperate themselves from a group of people 
they like. With that in mind, shut this topic up and pass me
that trophy!!!! 

---------------------------------------------------------------
Ashraf Ghebranious axg708@anu.edu.au

"Quiet everyone - let the crystal do the work"

I'm just a NEW AGE type of guy.
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
From: s925892@numbat.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Jason Pouflis)
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
Subject: Re: Timetable blues
Date: 12 Oct 92 08:25:49 GMT
Distribution: cs

jph613@huxley.anu.edu.au (John P Hughes) writes:

>In the past, I've used just about every convention tabling system in
>existence, manual - Arcan-arcon, Sydcon, Cancon, and electronic - the Necro
>Hypercard stacks and Cancon database programs.

>None of them work.

Yes, indeed. Scheduling (not just conventions) is a hot research topic,
many a PhD can be got from this.
This particular type of convention has more constraints then others,
Lectures can go on without all registered persons turning up,
RPGs generally require the correct number of people turning up.
(to state the obvious).


>Then there's the entry curve. It goes like this. Necro this year had around
>250 players. By the late fee date, only about 150 players had entered.
>In the week before the con we get another 50 entries. At registration
>we get 50 more. A good percentage of these are gms who've decided to play.

>What's the solution. I'd love to know. Lets hope this discussion can generate
>some fresh approaches.

Excuse my lack of experience, how does this sound.

For those people who register before some deadline,
a timetable is created for them detailing
	when they play what, with whom, and where.
(this assumes people who have the moxie to get organised early,
 will be organised enough to turn up.)

Then for those people who register after the deadline,
timetabling is not guaranteed.
All of these late entries will get put into a player pool.

At registration, mark down those people who turn up,
 which sessions they can attend, along with prefered games.

First, make full teams for those that registered before the deadline,
from the player pool of those who have the game in question as first preference.
Second, Then ask GMs which sessions they are available for which games,
and draw from the player pool to the GM limit.(This may include Demo games)

This second step may be done by computer, or
by Auction of GMs at the beginning of the session on a stage.
This is okay for single sessions games,
multisession games should be run in contiguous blocks or not at all.

Somebody keeps room allocations, and keys for that room get given to the GM
at session time, at the end of the auction.


summing up, those people who register early, get set sessions,
and recieve players from the player pool who have the game as first preference.
Those players who register late have no guarantees about getting a session,
but will probably get to play games they most want,
and enroll in games in a public auction for places at the session time.

comments?

Jason Pouflis
From: langsl@hhcs.gov.au
Newsgroups: aus.games.roleplay
Subject: Re: Judging Roleplay
Date: 7 Oct 92 14:55:33 +1000
Organization: Aust. Dept. Health, Housing and Community Services

In article <1992Oct7.102702.1@wombat.newcastle.edu.au>, engjs@wombat.newcastle.edu.au (James Smith) writes:
> 
> When you pay to enter a con you are paying your share of the cost of holding
> the con, i.e. the cost of printing entry forms, booking a venue, and so forth.
> You are not paying for a service, and you have no right to expect anything

  I DISAGREE.  You are paying for a service - the service is the convention 
  itself and the games that are run there.  If it is big enough to attract
  vendors then people often get access to goods as well that they mightn't 
  otherwise have seen.

> other than that the con gets held and that you get as fair a go as anyone
> else who is there.

  I think it is fair to expect a good chance that you will enjoy the com-
  petitions as well as being given a fair go.  Getting treated equally 
  shabbily as anyone else while having a rotten time meets your definition, 
  but I don't think that is what you or anyone else really wants.

  From what I have seen the majority of organisers have as one of their aims
  that the players at the convention have an interesting and enjoyable time.

  ...and if they don't have this as one of their aims then they should - it
  doesn't happen by accident, and a lot of hard work goes into making it all
  happen.  Having this as one of the conscious aims of the whole exercise
  helps make it more likely that you will succeed.

> 
> You have to remember that GMs are there for the same reason you are, i.e.
> to have fun.  For a GM, fun is running a good team through a good module.
> Just as all players want good GMs, all GMs want good players. It's natural
> that name GMs end up with name players.
> 
> Jim
> -- 

  So long as other teams all have a crack at _name_ GMs, and all GMs can have
  a crack at _name_ teams.  You should be giving _everyone_ a fair go.

  And having played and refereed at cons I know what it is like to have good
  and bad teams, and good and bad refs.



> James J Smith             | "I couldn't get over it. All these women
> School of Engineering     | in the world...and under their clothes
> Newcastle University      | each and every one of them was naked, you
> engjs@cc.newcastle.edu.au | know..." -- Psycho-killer, "Sandman"
From: bena@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Ben Aveling)
Subject: Re: Diplomacy Question: Double Support
Organization: Monash University General Access Unix
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 13:26:04 GMT

Alan Bick (abick@sebastian.carleton.ca) wrote:
:    Consider this scenero. German has been double-teamed by France and
: Russia and is left with only Berlin and Kiel. France and Russia are
: now moving in for the kill. What would happen if these were the
: orders:
: 
: RUSSIA
: A Sil - Ber
: A Pru S A Sil - Ber
: 
: FRANCE
: A Ruh - Kie
: A Hol S A Ruh - Kie
: 
: GERMANY
: A Kie S A Ber - H
: A Ber S A Kie - H
: 
: 
:    Assume no other units can either lend or cut support. Would both
: attacks succeed, fail or would one attack work and not the other.
:    I find it unlikely that both attacks should fail becuase if France
: were only to attack with a force of one, that would cut Kiel support
: and Berlin would fall to Russia. On the other hand, both forces are
: clearly attacking with forces of 2 against forces of two so they
: should bounce. Is this to say, that it is better to attack with less
: force in order to may an attack succeed? This doesn't make sense
: either.
:    I've asked a few people, and no one seems to know for ABSOLUTE sure
: what is the proper outcome. If anyone knows for absolute sure what
: should happen (Ie. from a rulebook or something) please let me know.
: Also, how would the JUDGE resolve this situation. I'm joining a game
: and would like to know becuase chances are that a situation like this
: may well come up.
:    Please email your responses to me as I may not see your reply here
: before the message is cancelled. My email address is
: abick@business.carleton.ca

Both attacks succeed.

Each attack cuts the support to the other German unit,
thus neither unit has support and both have to retreat.

If you check the rules, if a unit is attacked from
any square other than the one it is supporting into
(ie, supporting a move into that square) then it's
support is cut even if it itself is not dislodged.

Trust me, my mother is a Doctor

        Ben
: 
: Thanks in advance,
: 
: Alan Bick
From: mussher@alsvid.une.edu.au (Mark Ussher)
Newsgroups: aus.games
Subject: CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN FOR SALE (1-6 Episodes) $40 Australian
Date: 15 Oct 92 00:49:22 GMT
Distribution: aus
Organization: University of New England - Northern Rivers (Lismore)

The subject line says it all!.
E-mail me for more info.
-- 

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|    Mark A. Ussher              Internet:  mussher@alsvid.une.edu.au   |
|    University of New England, Northern Rivers (Lismore) NSW Australia |
Newsgroups: aus.games
From: tp923083@elm.canberra.edu.au (Simon Porritt)
Subject: Monkey Island I (yeah, I know, you all finished it years back)
Summary: Help!
Organization: Info Sci & Eng, University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA
Date: 13 Oct 92 23:24:11 GMT

OK...How the hell do I get from the boat onto Monkey Island?
I know that Toothrot etc came back in the little boat, but where is it?
If anyone can help, I'd be mega-grateful
Bye now

Newsgroups: aus.games
From: arnew@ifi.uio.no (Arne Olsen Watnelie)
Subject: Re: Monkey Island I (yeah, I know, you all finished it years back)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 16:24:07 GMT
Originator: arnew@herfjotur.ifi.uio.no


In article <tp923083.719018651@elm>, tp923083@elm.canberra.edu.au (Simon Porritt) writes:
> OK...How the hell do I get from the boat onto Monkey Island?
> I know that Toothrot etc came back in the little boat, but where is it?
> If anyone can help, I'd be mega-grateful
> Bye now
> 

You have a canon don't you? What did you do with a canon earlier
in the game?

 ___________________                            ___________________ 
|                   |    /\    \  \   /  /     |                   |
| Best        from: |   /__\    \  \ /  /      | E-mail:           |
|      wishes       |  /    \    \  X  /       | arnew@ifi.uio.no  |
|___________________| /      \RNE \/ \/ATNELIE |___________________|

 Student of the Institute of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway.
       Mail: Arne Watnelie, P.O.Box 191, 1349 Rykkinn, Norway.
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
From: 10619518@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (DAVID MARTIN)
Subject: Pentax Camera Lens
Keywords: lens
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University 
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 01:31:05 GMT


Does anybody have a zoom lens of size about 80 - 210 mm to suit Pentax K 
mount.

Or a telephoto of about 400 mm to suit same.?

The lenses should be in excellent condition

Price negotiable

Thanking you

David Martin


Mail 10619518@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
From: curlis@desag.trl.OZ.AU (Sean Curlis)
Subject: 1Mb SIPS
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 23:27:48 GMT

Hi,

I have a need for 4 x 1Mb SIPS. 
Please email replies to above address or phone (03)253 6747
Thanks,
Sean
From: s864291@yallara.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Panagiotis Stamos)
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
Subject: Wanted: Information on Python/32B minicomputers
Date: 12 Oct 92 15:16:58 GMT
Distribution: aus

Help!!  -- 
	I recently got my hands on an old minicomputer
that was used at my old school it is a Python-32B and has a 300M
SMD hard drive + support for 16 terminals (plus a console).

	Anyway - the problem was that i had to reformat the
hard-drive, that went fine, but when I tried to reinstall the
root-filesystem from the backup tapes i found that the tapes
have been corrupted (or I wasnt given the correct tapes). My
question then, is does anybody know *anything* at all about
this system and especially, does anybody have a root-filesystem
tape that i could borrow?.

thanks in advance, Panagiotis Stamos.
s864291@yallara.cs.rmit.oz.au
 
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
From: vthrc@mailbox.uq.oz.au
Subject: Re: Distributor of End Note for PC
Organization: Vision, Touch & Hearing Research Centre
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 10:24:31 GMT

Mike McBain (mjm@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au) writes:
>Does anyone know who is the distributor of the product End Note
>(a bibliography manager) in Australia?
Coincidentally our upgrade of EndNote for the Mac turned up today. I think the
offical Niles&Associates distributor is
  Crandon Services Pty Ltd
  25 Crandon Rd
  Epping  NSW 2121
  ph (02) 868 1079

BTW an email address for the developers: nilesinc@well.sf.ca.us
which is taken from the Mac Vendor list, which also has some relevance to other
platforms. Can be found on the info-mac shadow on archie.au

cheers,
X500: @c=AU [I'm about to update VTHRC entries, soon...]
       @o=University of Queensland
        @ou=Physiology and Pharmacology Department
         @ou=Vision Touch and Hearing
          @cn=Danny Thomas
           @rfc822Mailbox=vthrc@cc.uq.oz.au
From: t9114209@phillip.edu.au
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
Subject: Searching for MCGA w/composite out!
Date: 9 Oct 92 20:41:28 GMT
Organization: RMIT (Bundoora Campus)

Hoi,

I'm looking for a MCGA card (or eqivalent with mode 13h (320x200x256) that
has a composite video output as I am trying to do some video work and don't
want toto go to teh expence of buying a vga genlock!

Any leads would be great..
Thanks,
Peter
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Koch (Comp.Sci.Student)   <SPACE> Q: Why did the Cybernaut cross the road?
E-mail: t9114209@phillip.edu.au <4RENT> A: Cause he was jacked into the chicken
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: skcgoh@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Shaw Goh)
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
Subject: 386sx Mboard
Date: 12 Oct 1992 04:05:21 GMT
Organization: The University of Westrn Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: tartarus.uwa.edu.au
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

OK.  I've inserted this posting before but someone did a bad deal on me.
I still have the 386 SX 16 Mhz Motherboard.  Has 2Mb DRAM, Intel
Chipset, Phoenix BIOS.

I'll seriously consider any offer at all but please make it reasonable!

Please email me direct

Shaw...
skcgoh@tartarus.uwa.edu.au

Newsgroups: aus.wanted
From: 10702946@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (PARTH DESAI)
Subject: NTSC VIDEO
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University 
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 05:22:39 GMT

Hi

I am looking for a video that has NTSC playback.

PARTH
From: pmair@alsvid.une.edu.au (Peter Mair)
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
Subject: Re: Extended memory card wanted.
Date: 13 Oct 92 09:22:11 GMT
Organization: University of New England - Northern Rivers (Lismore)

> 	I'm looking for a AT extended memory board that is capable of
> accepting 3MB of 41256-100ns chips starting at address 1M or (preferably) 
> 1M +384k. (I've got the memory so I'm looking for the bare board only)

E-mail me direct .. I'm sure I have what you are looking for !!
-- 
Peter Mair                                        Phone :  Home  +61 66 853588
                                                           Work  +61 66 858911
Internet:  pmair@alsvid.une.edu.au                         Fax   +61 66 858812
Packet  :  VK2PF@VK2YDN-1.NSW.AU.OC                        Pager 016020 660104
From: igp@mel.dbce.csiro.au (Ian Pearson)
Newsgroups: aus.wanted
Subject: Mathematica
Keywords: math
Date: 15 Oct 92 05:44:31 GMT
Distribution: aus
Organization: CSIRO, Div. Building Constr. and Eng'ing, Melb., Australia

Would anybody who uses the math package Mathematica care to share their
experiences (both good and/or bad) and their recommendations with me and/or the
net at large.  I have had it recommended to me and am loathe to buy it without
some other advice as I understand it is quite expensive.  Also could anybody let
me know who is the Aus. agent for this particular piece of software.

ps  I am talking about the PC version of this package, as I understand it is
    also available for the Mac.
-- 
| Ian G. Pearson                         Internet - Ian.Pearson@dbce.csiro.au |
| CSIRO    -   Div. Building, Construction & Eng   | Tel  +61 3 252 6132 (bh) |
| P.O. Box 56, HIGHETT  Vic  3190      Australia   | Fax  +61 3 252 6240      |
Newsgroups: aus.wanted