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Creels early history of SM (very long! do not read if sleepy
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Creels early history of SM (very long! do not read if sleepy
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Creel
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For a game to be popular and evolving for more than 10 years it must have something going for it. Heres some recollections from the early days which some of you may remember or might be of interest to players who have picked the game up later in the piece.
When I first found Shareplays' Space Merchant site it was around mid 1998, closed beta had finished and two games (Phase 4 and Huge) were running in open beta. No set finish times existed then, the games just continued until the developers and/or players felt it was worthless to continue. Alskant was the first race on the list and described as traders so I thought "thats me" and hopped into the Phase 4 game. The map for this game was one huge galaxy, no warp gates and all races feds evenly spread across. The map was continuous so as you moved off the right hand side of the map you came into the left and top to bottom, vica versa etc (Huges' map was the same). I had a little look round, worked out the trading system which was primitive back then (xp the same no matter what you sold, only $ better for trading better goods). No Trademaster so I worked my way into a Deal-Maker (that did not have a jump drive) and by that time had a route worked out that pulled nice xp. Each day consisted of one big run around this route which pretty much used up my turns.
Top trader back then was a chap called Willow (founder of Willowstrance) and he traded about the same time of day as me in a PSF. (From memory he was in Japan, while I live in New Zealand) Each night once finishing I noticed that the lead he had over me was getting less and less. Like today, although the PSF looks best for trading on paper, you have to consider travel time to and from fed/planet and between particular trade routes (if you use more than one). Every turn used in an empty PSF is much more costly than in a faster trader (and why coincidently all PSF owners should never miss the free turn adverts, they gain much more than say someone in a Thief). Port refreshs were slow so it was virtually impossible to just sit and milk two adjacent ports (no bonuses for distance trades), a trader had to cover alot of ground each day so something like a Deal-Maker or Thief when used well was superior to a PSF.
Murmurings were happening about the game ending so I thought about giving fighting a go. Having earned enough I went straight to the most expensive ship, the dreaded Federal Ultimatum. The FU one on one was vastly superior to anything else in the game but cost almost 50% more than the next most expensive ship. Unlike now, they were not everywhere and not easy to replace (money just was not as easy as it is now). Alliances often worked this way: lets imagine an alliance of 20 players. All would trade there butts off and pool funds until they had enough to put one member into an FU or maybe a lesser ship, the rest would contiue trading until they had enough to put a second guy into an FU etc etc. Today an alliance of 20 all trading could buy multiple FU's each day, back then an alliance of 20 in top trade ships might need to trade well for the best part of a week to buy one. (Imagine the bollocking recieved if the alliance had worked a week to buy an FU and it got shot down first day!). It was big news when the first FU was seen in a game probably towards the end of the second week and evoked a general state of fear among the game community.
Arming a ship back then was different too, no power level limits (a great innovation to the game in my mind) and planets were armed with ships guns which could be transferred from a ship to a planet and vica versa. So, as long as an alliance had both good and evil members all FU's were pretty much stocked out with 4x HHG and 3x nuke (by todays reckoning giving an FU a rating of around 57/17 but in those days 54/16). DC's at 39/15 were no match. So I joined an alliance for the use of a planet, geared up an FU and scored some easy trader kills.
At the same time in the other game; Huge, an alliance called Da Ork Boyz (presumably something to do with Warhammer) were wreaking havoc. They were all hunters and really had the knives out for an all trading alliance called Politburo. Coincidently one of the Ork Boyz, a guy called Legolas, was in the alliance I had joined in Phase 4 and we got matey. I was invited into their alliance in Huge for the last couple of weeks of the game. Thus I found myself with xp of zero in a 54/16 FU. Politburo had decided that they had been podded enough and it was time to fight back so some fun dogfights happened each night and I experienced my first death. Low level planet busts were possible in a solitary FU back then and I recall one night finding such a planet. I attacked once, restocked shields, attacked again, restocked etc etc until the planet was bare and then had the fun of taking out the three planet inhabitants in a 3 on 1 fight. Three traders (actually one was a small warship I think) versus 1 FU: no problem. That one little act of heroism on my part caught the eye of the Orks leader Dudeman and began our little friendship that was invaluable in later games.
Both Phase 4 and Huge were to finish at the same time and a new single big game was to commence: Arms Race. Preparations began and much alliance debates and discussion ensued as the big alliances from Phase 4 such as Willowstrance and Space Marines were to meet the Huge alliances Da Ork Boyz (renamed Unforgiven) and Politburo in one big game for the first time.
A couple of other little notes of interests
1. Planets could be anywhere even within Fed space
2. Planets at level 70 had the same config as now except that they usually were gunned by 6xHHG and 4xNuke
3. The use of mines and scouts was virtually non-existent (scouts may not even have existed then). Can't remember why. But they certainly became powerful in later games.
Has a one galaxy game ever been run recently? Is it feasible nowadays? The game to me lost something by moving to multiple smaller galaxies.
So ends PART 1 of my long winded tale - if still awake and interested, look for PART 2 Arms Race and beyond
Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:03 pm Report this post Profile
olaf
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A couple of other little notes of interests
1. Planets could be anywhere even within Fed space
2. Planets at level 70 had the same config as now except that they usually were gunned by 6xHHG and 4xNuke
3. The use of mines and scouts was virtually non-existent (scouts may not even have existed then). Can't remember why. But they certainly became powerful in later games.
Has a one galaxy game ever been run recently? Is it feasible nowadays? The game to me lost something by moving to multiple smaller galaxies.
Yea I only read this much of that.
I can tell you that we are running a one galaxy game as we speak and there are fed planets in it. Its called "slow unimportant game" or something i can't remember.
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Kahless_
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I wasnt sleepy when i started reading it........=)
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Harry Krishna
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I think you overestimate a modern alliance's money making ability and underestimate the strategic value of multiple galaxies, but it is an interesting read. I look forward to more.
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Blade
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Hehe I enjoyed reading that
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Penglund
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Not to get chippy with you but Willow is in fact a SHE. But yea i remember those days. And also you had to barter for your XP everytime, there were no relations. and also Wood/food gave high XP i believe and Lux/Narcs and such gave low XP but higher money. I could be wrong on that last part but i believe that is right.
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Ardbeg
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I also believe it was Ork Deth Boyz, or was that an offshoot of Da Ork Boyz? I'm a little hazy on some of the details myself, partly because I wasn't there for the early history, I heard about it secondhand.
It should also be noted that although Creel was not active in the famous Famine in Flames war, he did influence it indirectly since it was the merger of his Shadow Syndicate alliance into Willowstrance that triggered the political issues that contributed to the conflict http://www.cubitdesigns.com/yellow/fifpro.html
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Tue May 01, 2007 9:37 am Report this post Profile ICQ YIM
Creel
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A few comments
Olaf: obviously got out of bed on the wrong side that day judging from the your two or three mails i saw yesterday.
Kahless: has found a new insomnia cure. And is the sort of person who ignores warning signs "Poison. Do not drink". "Keep left". Natural selection usually weeds these people out. *wink*
Harry Krishna: Thanks for the comment, more to come. On the money issue, I'll reassess my view shortly into the next new game and comment. On strategic value of galaxies, I tend to disagree. 1. I know their value. 2. I see easy opportunities for monopoly ie the rich (vet organised alliances) get richer and the poor (newbies and others) get poorer (in terms of ownership and space control not purely money) so would question game balance but again will probably fully discuss in another thread.
Blade: thanks, more to come
Penglund: Thanks for that insight on Willow. Internet games are so androgenous
Ardbeg: I think you're absolutely correct, my minds a bit shady too but it comes back the more I think of it. They also had another name somewhere in this time too that has escaped me for the moment. More to come on Famine and will clear up a few minor factual mistakes I saw in the enjoyable Famine in flames account at the website you cite
Sterling: Correct. But side by side Lux/Narc routes were the ideal.
Last edited by Creel on Wed May 02, 2007 2:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Tue May 01, 2007 2:25 pm Report this post Profile
Penglund
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Sterl i was pretty young, but i played in WT during that time. How do you think i'm so friendly with RF, and willow.
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Blum
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Now, if my memory serves me right, it was Ork Deth Boyz(lika Ardbeg said), their leader was Rogue and they merged with the Unforgiven under DudeMan, not changed name. Also, Famine started when Huge and P4 ended. AR started a bit later. Now, I wonder what "factual mistakes" Creel will find in Famine in flames........
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Creels early history of SM (very long! do not read if sleepy
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Creel
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Thanks Blum, you've actually jiggled something that wasn't sitting right in my memory. Famine came first, Arms Race started later but ran concurrently at least until when I left the game.
So my next part better be about Famine, or Prequel to Famine if I get a bit wordy, which of course I never do (Arms Race, I just basically lurked in anyway, it never really interested me)
You and Ardbeg are correct about Ork Deth Boyz as the name but Dudeman was definitely the leader when I joined them in Huge and Rogue was part of the alliance. So I'm beginning to wonder if they weren't called something else in Huge and maybe Ork Deth Boyz was Phase 3.
Oh and I did say my "factual mistakes" as you strongly quote were "minor" and I doubt you will dispute them :)
Last edited by Creel on Wed May 02, 2007 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Blade
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Pretty sure Ork deth Boys was lead by Rogue, as it was at first primarily an aussie alliance I thought and DudeMan's creation was Unforgiven who took alot of the Orks in.
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Ardbeg
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I thought ODB was originally Rogue and a bunch of his colleagues, and then grew from there.
I still remember when we had the first SM convention - one of the first things that happened was that Rogue, Dudeman and I sat down with a few beers and decded we didn't like Elvis Fett (who is a short little punk with a face like a weasel and an attitude to match) - I wonder to this day what Nariis ever saw in him.
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olaf
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Creel wrote:
A few comments
Olaf: obviously got out of bed on the wrong side that day judging from the your two or three mails i saw yesterday.
what
You didn't even realize I wasn't criticizing you. I actually did read your post but seeing as how I didn't join SM until a few games after that I don't really care. If you have a problem with me pointing out things that are in current games then I'm sorry.
Actually I don't care.
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Wed May 02, 2007 7:40 am Report this post Profile
Blade
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Ardbeg wrote:
I thought ODB was originally Rogue and a bunch of his colleagues, and then grew from there.
You are more than likely right, I might be getting my wires crossed. So many names, changes and years been and gone haha
Ardbeg wrote:
I still remember when we had the first SM convention - one of the first things that happened was that Rogue, Dudeman and I sat down with a few beers and decded we didn't like Elvis Fett (who is a short little punk with a face like a weasel and an attitude to match) - I wonder to this day what Nariis ever saw in him.
That made me laugh lol Cruel but funny none the less I could add to that but I will keep stum.
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Ardbeg
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I wasn't disagreeing with you Blade, I was expanding on what you said - the original bunch of aussies led by Rogue were colleagues I think.
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Wed May 02, 2007 9:06 am Report this post Profile ICQ YIM
Creel
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When all you little Americans were safely tucked up in bed at night, four or five Australians sitting in the same room (sometimes joined by two kiwi's) would come out and have their fun.
In those days many Americans still thought they were the only people who had the internet. I first went on the internet in around 1984 and the most common question I received in those days was "What state do you live in?"
Can't remember the name of the other kiwi but heres a little geography lesson and another snippet for you.
New Zealand had a bit over 3.5 million people at that time. I was living in a town (we call it a city :) ) of just over 30,000. This other kiwi (and to our knowledge there was one other in the game at the time) lived two blocks from me. That equates to about 20 houses away.
So you never can tell: Chef might be sitting in the next room, podding you.
Oh and Olaf: I didn't take your comment as criticism, I was just tickling you. I saw two posts from you, the one obviously in this thread and the other something about not caring about Ssjz (or whatever this 'interesting' name is) podding Chef
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I was in Willow (who is definitely of the female persuasion :) ) in P4, and in Big 8 which seems to be the forgotten game somehow. I was independent in Huge at least for most of it. I just ran around and traded.
At the end of Huge ODB had such a strangle-hold on the game that all the little folk formed an Alliance called the "The Rebellion" as I recall, and I joined up.
I was in an ITAC trying to bust one of the ODB homeworlds when the counterattack got us. Even with all the stragglers pulled together ODB still outmanned and outgunned everyone else.
That's where Creel podded me. My only Pod. We didn't get the planet either.
In Famine I went straight into Willow and stayed there. In Arms Race I was recruited by a hodge-podge allegience put together just to hunt the weapon with folks from TU, Speef, Willow, etc. They recruited me just for my ability to run away and hide :) It was fun but tough. You try keeping at the top of the EXP stack in a Thief. At the end we did 'win' by getting the most parts. The problem was that it wasn't an allegiance win, they gave the prize to the person holding the parts, which happened to be me because that was my job. I didn't actually hunt down any of them.
I got a cloaked FU in Famine as the reward, which was excellent fun, but I didn't really take full advantage of it because it didn't seem fair to use it against the folks who had helped me get it. Gotta tell you though, there were a lot of people who never knew how close they were to a pod.
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Blum
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Creel wrote:
Can't remember the name of the other kiwi but heres a little geography lesson and another snippet for you.
Spineless?
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Creel
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Blum, you're a genius.
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SMR-CNN Index » Space Merchant Realms » General DiscussionAll times are UTC - 6 hours
Creels early history of SM (very long! do not read if sleepy
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d3c509b
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When ODB and TU combined, later in (cannot remember hte name of the game, after MIllenium for sure), they were called Unforgiven Deth Boyz.
If i remember correctly, the alliance bombed pretty bad. I know, I was in it, and that was pretty much the last time i played SM. that was RIGHT before the move to SMR. i think?
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seldum
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no where close I think
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Blum
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Now, if my memory serves me right, ODB joined TU either just before Famine or during early Famine(most likely just before Famine since the combination was called Unfogiven in Famine). The alliance TU merged with at a later date is Sneezy Syndicate. That happened some time during The Big Bang, the game prior to MY1. After that most of that group moved on to Horses of Apocalypse which is a continuation of Behold a Pale Horse which was the alliance Galactic Grim Reaper (a former Space Marine if my memory serves me right) started during Newbie Ship Test.
/blum - SM(R) Historian
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Edgecrusher
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Seems mostly people from one camp posting here. I joined somewhere in beta testing, thought it was 1995, but as Blade pointed out the other day it couldn't have been that early.
I was in the Royal Guard back then. That was one of the big alliances in the first few rounds, led by Freebird and NightHawk who later had a fight which resulted in Freebird starting Stellar Pride. In my memory, there were approximately three camps: there was of course HoA, then there were the alliances mentioned earlier in this thread, and finally there alliances like TRG/SP and Imperial Dreams, who were, as I recall it, mostly Europeans under the lead of Aralis. The players who formed Stellar Pride later joined Thauglor in Lords of Melnibone, which I think was started just before sm bankrupted. We didn't mingle as much as we do nowadays, and the only player from my 'camp' back in the early days who I think still plays is Puredeath.
Of course, what I remember mostly is that we all wanted to take out HoA, but chose to fight eachother because we both were the easier target.
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