revision
Louhal #1 @10
Thu Sep 03 09:28:02 1992
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ณ What Does a Sysop Want in a User?....................IceNET Sysops Speak ณ
ณ ณ
ณ Tandy's New Multimedia PC............................DataNET News ณ
ณ ณ
ณ Ted Kury's Tradewars Primer..........................Forest News Staff ณ
ณ ณ
ณ IceNET Puzzle of the Month...........................Louhal ณ
ณ ณ
ณ More Fun than you can shake a stick at!..............Louhal Quote! ณ
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Edited by Bubba @10
Compiled by Louhal@10
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The Question: "As a sysop, who do you think is the ideal user?"
This question prompted many sysops to e-mail me a series of very interesting
answers.
In starting out with very limited experience with BBSing, I found it
was a very harsh and cruel jungle in the electronic world. My main interest
was just wanting to meet new and different people. What I found was a lot of
frustration and mental abuse from what I had heard was a very enjoyable hobby.
I had visions of hacking at late hours, calling and connecting to
these great mainframes in search of a new knowledge that I could share with
other people.
Well, if you're starting out, you must know of what I'm talking about.
You're typing along on the keys of your keyboard passing the time away at
Tradewars when all of a sudden you're wisked away back to the main screen with
the sysop typing franticly [QUIT PLAYING GAMES AND POST!]
Well! As far as I knew, I'd done nothing wrong. Where did this
agression come from? Then I'm hit with the dreaded post/call ratio. I guess
it gets good later, so I keep on. So I quit playing, then it's off to the
file libraries. What's up with the up/download ratio bit? This is the fun
I've heard about? I should quit this now. I didn't need this. This
experience prompted me to start my own BBS. Had I known what was expected of
me, it would have been different. I asked sysops to tell me what they would
call a "member in good standing." I'd like to share those answers with the
users of IceNET.
Every sysops answer was derived from past experiences. This is
what a few had to say. Jim #1 @1 responded, "First and foremost, I want them
to call and have a good time. I want them to post what they think, and learn
from them. I want them to be fun to share ideas with. If they play games, I
know that eventually, they will post. If they transfer files, I'd hope they
upload some good ones from time to time. My users ARE the bbs, and their
satisfaction is my primary concern."
Another sysop, Tiki #1 @5902 writes, "As a sysop I don't care whether
my users prefer downloading or participating in subs. I figure the board is
here for their fun and pleasure."
Pcfreak #1 @6260 writes, "I have been BBSing for three years and have
a pretty good idea about what many users out there want. Simply put: NO
HASSLE!"
Martin #1 @6257 added his opinion in saying,"What I look for in a
caller is someone who will act like a responsible adult. People who are just
going to download and download & play the online games for hours, but who
never post or upload, are not the kind of "quality" caller I'm looking for."
Rev. Vinnie #1 @2453 adds,"I, like yourself, was very dissapointed
after logging on and finding out what some of these SysOp's idea of 'Fun' was.
It would seem a good many of them simply ran boards so users would call them
and upload files. Others 'demanded' that you make a certain amount of posts
per logon, which would be anywhere from 1-5 which tended to lead to a
frantic amount of streak postings like 'This is to meet my ratio', which
then turned the SysOp into an irrate imbecile. I try to provide a good even
flow of all the parts of the board. Not force the users to go where *I* want
them to, but rather let them choose what they would like to do. The board has
many areas for a reason, and to me that reason is to have FUN, and I feel that
by limiting any one of those areas you are limiting the total amount of user
satisfaction."
The Doctor #1 @7750 writes "Before I upgraded my system, I was mostly
a Message base only BBS. I had some files but not many. At that time, I had
no download ratio and only a 1:4 Post to call ratio. Now I have a 200 meg
drive and one of the largest file sections in my area plus carry 50 on-line
games to boot. After getting used to massive leech raids, I realized that by
adding the files and games, I was giving more for the users to do here. I
removed all the ratios and found that my posts didn't drop. I got uploads
even though I didn't require or ask for any. To answer your question, I guess
I'd say that most users tend to be ok with regards to uploads and games. Some
people leech. Some people play games. Some people post. Everybody seems to
participate, so I'm happy."
As you can tell, many sysops can have a variety of ideas of how they
judge a user as "a good user." One thing a new user can do is when joining a
new board ask the sysop their policy of the board to remain a user in good
standing. This will cause less problems in the future.
Remember also that you can judge a sysop as well. A BBS is an
investment of an individual, and he or she may run it as they see fit. They
don't have to give you any special privileges, or listen to any complaints
that you may have, especially without any monetary help from you as a user.
There are many boards in your area that you can call if the sysop's opinions
conflict with yours. There is no reason to let one sysop destroy the spirit
of what could be an enjoyable and fulfilling hobby.
I wish to thank all the sysops that wrote back to me and helped make
this section of the newsletter:
Jim #1@1 - [The Great White North] - 716-837-0044
Rev. Vinnie #1@2453 - [Slackland [ASV]] - 214-307-8437
Tiki #1@5902 - [Tiki's Express] - 509-624-2480
Martin #1@6257 - [Amiga Blues] - 612-591-1781
The Doctor #1@7750 - [The Doctor's Office] - 717-823-0027
{ Some or all quotes were edited or shortened to keep context of the story. In
no way is it intended to belittle, shame, or ignore the ideas or opinions of
the writers... Louhal }
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Just a small puzzle of a few of the systems in the
net. Find Louhal in here also.
AMBER N O A D N A L K C A L S R E P
AMIGABLUES A O M Q M K T G W N R N C Z J
COLDFUSION I V I E X U R F H E A I I D W
DOCTORSOFFICE T H G S O X M C B L F U P L V
FOREST S J A V U M H M C F S P V K O
IFTV E T B T V F A S O B A D C A R
PARADOX R I L W B Q D S F Q N X W L T
SANSORA O I U A H R R L Z L S X H H E
SLACKLAND F U E V A O E U O E O J Y G X
STARBASE Q L S Z T J D D C C R K D X R
TGWN C D I C Y F T R E Q A I G T E
TIKISEXPRESS E W O R F Y I J Y S A T X L S
VORTEX H D M H Z P A R A D O X G J N
WIZARDSCLAN W B T I K I S E X P R E S S U
XTASY L O U H A L S T A R B A S E G
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29-AUG-1992 Quote of the Day By United Press International
White House staff representative Tom Scully, describing the
escalation of aid to southern Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew:
"Every thing we could get is on the way, and if it's not enough
we'll get more."
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Tandy's New Multimedia PC!
The Sensation! is Tandy Corp.'s new Multimedia Personal Computer (MPC).
Multimedia is a standard part of every facet of the Intel 486SX-25 machine.
A Microsoft Windows organizer called Tandy WinMate was developed to take
advantage of the computer's multimedia fucntionality. "With a full range of
multimedia features, an impressive array of software applications, voice mail,
text to speech technology, true digital stereo, fax capability, and optional
full-function TV display -- it truly represents a new dimension in personal
computing," said Bernard S. Appel, senior vice president of Tandy.
The Sensation! computer has 4 Meg. of RAM (expandable to 32 Meg.),
3.5-inch floppy drive, 107 Meg. hard drive, internal CD-ROM drive (375 ms
access time), Tandy Enhanced Sound (MPC 12-bit ADC/DAC), 2400 baud modem with
voice mail and fax capabilities. Three 16-bit ISA expansion slots are avail-
able for additional option, such as the $399 PC/TV board which makes the
computer a full-function 122-channel cable-ready TV set. Graphics is enhanced
by use of the Tandy Multimedia chip to provide 16 million colors and faster
animation; SVGA graphics with 512k VRAM (exp. to 1 Meg.); and a Windows
accelerator. Built-in ports include: serial, parallel, mouse, MIDI, and dual
joystick ports. Microphone, headphone and stereo line out jacks are also
provided. A 101-key keyboard and two-button PS/2-style mouse are included
with the machine.
The healthy software bundle that will accompany the Sensation! includes
MS-DOS 5.0, Microsoft Windows 3.1 (with Multimedia Version), Tandy WinMate,
Microsoft Works for Windows (Multimedia Version), and Microsoft Bookshelf for
Windows. Communication software is provided for several nationwide on-line
services including Prodigy, America Online, and The Sierra Network (on-line
games).
The Tandy Sensation! appears to be an impressive multimedia computer
coming complete with just about everything to not only get started, but con-
tinue exploring multimedia technology. Unfortunately, you won't be able to
get your hands on the $1,999 multimedia wonder until October. We hope to have
a preview of Sensation! right before release time so we can better fill you in
on the WinMate software that Tandy developed for it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The answer to the Network Puzzle!
AMBER N . A D N A L K C A L S . E .
AMIGABLUES . O M . . . T G W N R N C . .
COLDFUSION . . I . . . . . . E A I . . .
DOCTORSOFFICE T . G S . . . . B L F . . . V
FOREST S . A . U . . M C F S . . . O
IFTV E . B . . F A S O . A . . . R
PARADOX R . L . . . D S . . N . . . T
SANSORA O . U . . R R L . . S . . . E
SLACKLAND F . E V A O . . O . O . . . X
STARBASE . . S Z T . . . . C R . . . .
TGWN . . I C . F . . . . A . . . .
TIKISEXPRESS . W O . . . I . Y S A T X . .
VORTEX . D . . . P A R A D O X . . .
WIZARDSCLAN . . T I K I S E X P R E S S .
XTASY L O U H A L S T A R B A S E .
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRADEWARS
by Ted Kury
You probably haven't noticed but the Tradewars game has been reset. All
of you who have wanted to play, but didn't like starting with nothing will be
happy to hear that now everyone is starting out that way. I think this game
will be a lot better with more than 5 or 6 of us playing regularly, so I urge
anybody who's ever wanted to rule a corner of the galaxy, or cultivate a pro-
ductive world, or just blow people away to give the game a try.
Try Tradewars for a week, if you don't like it I will cheerfully come
over to your house and turn all the clocks back 2 or 3 hours so you won't even
have wasted any time playing the game. It's like getting the game for free !
For those who might feel the game is too complex, I offer a strategy
primer. This should only help you get started, but by then you'll develop
strategies of your own. Keep in mind, however, that I have only been playing
for a month myself, but I have learned a thing or two:
1) Download the help file. Read it while off-line and refer to it while
playing. All those commands can be confusing, but after a while you'll
only be using 8 or 9 frequently. TWINSTR.DOC is under 'Utilities' on
The Forest or in some kind of area on another BBS.
2) Find milk runs. In your travels you will certainly find ports one or
two sectors from each other that buy each others' goods. Going back
and forth between these is a good way to build up capital in a short
period of time, and money is the name of the game, or at least the
means to an end.
3) Put off fighting. For a while, anyway. Until you build up decent
battle capabilities - 500 to 600 shields and 1300 fighters or so,
an investment of about 300,000 credits, you should learn to run away
and stay near the Federation sectors. Put most of your early cash
into about 100 shields and as many cargo holds as you can buy, this
will allow you to make more from each cargo transaction. Even if the
Ferrengi you (S)urrender to take some of your cargo holds, you're
better off in the long run. Your day will come.
4) Find Stardock. Until you find Stardock, you can't buy a new ship, so
if your attitude gets you killed, you'll float around in your Escape
Pod. You can't do any real fighting in a Merchant Cruiser anyway, so
grit your teeth and swallow your pride until you have some real muscle.
5) Ask others for help. Community is the name of the game. If you have
any questions or proposals I'm the Day-Glo Pirate (from Jethro Tull,
in case you were wondering). Raistlin and Spectre seem to be the best
players on this The Forest BBS, and they may be able to help you out
even more. The worst anyone can say is no.
This is Part II of my Tradewars Strategy Primer. By now you should
have built a fortune of 100,000 Credits (CR hereafter) or so, have 100-150
experience points, and found Stardock. You've been robbed a few times by the
Ferrengi, and you're probably also sick to death of doing nothing but trading.
Now you're wondering, 'Is this all there is to the game? What next?' Fear not,
gentle reader, trading will always be part of the game, but you've barely
scratched the surface.
1) Put 50,000 CR in the bank and leave it there. No, it won't earn
interest, and yes, you could buy 200 fighters with it but don't touch
it. You'll be taking risks and making enemies, and sooner or later
one of your enemies will be better than you. Making enough money to
buy another Starmaster with the cargo holds on an Escape Pod is very
frustrating. Put the money away just in case. It's easier than
starting over.
2) Buy a new ship. You should be able to trade your Merchant Cruiser in
for about 24,000 CR and this is a good chunk of a new and better ship.
Go over the ship catalog, and choose the best ship for you. Two of the
best overall ships are the Battleship, one of the best fighters in the
game, and the Starmaster. You can only acquire Corporate Flagships
and Imperial Starships in special circumstances so cross those off
your wish list for now. The Starmaster gets my nod because you get
more moves with it per day - 80 to the Battleship's 50.
3) Stay good. The friendly skies are not terribly friendly for good
traders, but less friendly still for evil ones. Good traders - the
majority of the players - will get bonuses for killing you. Coupled
with the threat of the Ferrengi, you will find you have very few
friends. If you have your mind set on being evil - and there are
advantages, believe me - wait until you've built a stable power
base and then turn to the dark side. It's easy to lower your align-
ment in a hurry if you really try.
4) Start a planet. Genesis Torps cost 25,000 CR, and you'll have to kill
a few days building up your planet and protecting it, but it's well
worth your time. Planets can produce goods to sell, fighters to use,
and a safe place to rest. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time
running colonists to it - found on the planet in sector 1 - in the
beginning. So pick a sector within 5 or 6 jumps of sector 1, and as
out of the way as possible.
5) Watch out for Ferrengi. The exhilaration of blowing away that first
Ferrengi will be tempered by the damage that his Corbomite Devices do
to your ship. After that, every Ferrengi in space will be after you,
so be prepared for retribution. The longest I've ever lasted after
taking out a Ferrengi was two days. If you must attack someone,
attack aliens. You don't get any cash for it but they don't hold
grudges, either.
6) If you need help, ask. Once again, I'm the Day-Glo Pirate.
See you at the Tavern !
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บ The opinions and reviews expressed herein are the expressed บ
บ views of the respective writers, and do not necessarily reflect บ
บ those of the IceNET News Staff. บ
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