From: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu (have clue, will travel)
Subject: Re: sb question
Reply-To: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: The Ghost Of Christmas Past Society
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 03:30:36 GMT


dtabb@ecst.csuchico.edu (Don Tabb) writes:
>I have a easy question.   I was in a game and
>my starbase didn't want to give us armies unless
>we asked.   I found this out after he was dooshed
>with 21 armies.  I'm not going to talk about how
>far up he was or what planets he was guarding.
>the fact remains, he died died with 21 armies when
>we have at least two (2) people who wanted those 
>armies.  He told me he was being taught by Zeke?

>you know Rear Adm. Zeke?   Since he was in the game
>I asked him.  He says it ok for a sb to require
>a scummer to ASK before he would let him take the
>armies.   
>what do you all think?
>(And Zeke,  did I miss your point again?)

From the phrase "Rear Adm. Zeke", I can only assume that the game was on
patriot.ulowell.edu, which means that expecting clueful play is a bit much. ;)

At any rate, I had the same problem on ulowell not too long ago--a base scum
who'd grabbed a base and sucked up every army in sight at an inopportune
moment literally refused to allow anyone to even DOCK unless they told him
what they were doing, where they were going and how they were going to do it.

Note:  The aforementioned base scum REACHED Commander through t-mode scumming,
as has been well documented here (*cough*  *cough*  "NCSU!"  *cough* ajlafleu)
If you have to t-mode scum on ulowell, save your car fare--it's not worth it.

When I complained about this, not only did he refuse to give me docking rights,
but started pressoring me away from him, into torps, etc. while calling me
a pompous asshole on the ->ALL board.  Apparently the thought that he was but
one of EIGHT people on the team hadn't sunk in yet.  (Or maybe so--he let other
people dock and pick up, but *I* was a heathen for challenging his mighty
Commanderhood.)

#include <spooge.h>

My $0.02:

If a game's in a situation where armies are extremely hard to come by (i.e.
you're down to your core, and your base carries the last 3 armies you own),
then such base behavior is excusable.  That's a necessity thing.

If someone is getting DOOSHed left and right, i.e. they keep getting 2 kills,
picking up 4 armies and flying uncloaked into enemy space with shields down,
THEN *maybe* it's applicable.  *MAYBE*.  See if the rest of your team is
bitching, too, before you start rendering sanctions.

However, in other cases where a reasonably competent player who's been 
demonstrating success in taking planets NEEDS armies and the base HAS them,
such arrogance is not just unjustifiable--it's hurting the team.

Now, a taker who's not communicating with the rest of the team isn't helping
that much, either; this much is true.  The Message Board is Your Friend[tm].
But, if you're going to fly a base--
DON'T BE A TWINK.  If I DOOSH 5 armies while trying to take a front-line
 planet, no big deal; they'll pop back.  If they're just SITTING on your base
 while you attempt to interrogate anyone who DARES to try to use them, they
 might as WELL be dead, because they're doing nothing but growing MOLD.
 The base is the linchpin of the team; act like it, and don't be a whiner.

The preceding, of course, doesn't apply to the Wrecks and Baltons of the world.
They already know damn well who to help out and who to use as sacrificial 
lambs.  

			--Commodore Video Sex Pope, NCSU [retired for semester]
			--also Commander Black Adder on ulowell [also retired]
 			--"ajlafleu, you wouldn't recognize a subtle plan if
			   it painted itself purple and danced naked on a
			   harpsichord singing 'Subtle Plans Are Here Again..."
--
                         jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu 
          ---------     have clue, will travel.    ---------
  "I am a penis. Worship me."--lead singer of rock band Bicycle Face,
vainly attempting to gain attention of the crowd at the Cat's Cradle
in Chapel Hill, while opening for Mojo Nixon & The Toad Liquors
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek