A REAL INTEREST GENERATOR for your BBS By Dave Metheny, Sysop of The Masters Place. Belleville, Illinois (618) 234-4043 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Early last spring, as I usually do every month, I go out searching for some good door games to put up on my BBS. Seems that many of them are really good games, but users very soon lose interest. I have to constantly be on the lookout for new and more exciting games, ones that would keep a users interest. I have found several that keep a fair following. Namely, TradeWars 2000, EZ-Slots (lots of people do gamble), and the Freshwater Fishing game. But the endless search goes on.... UNTIL... While working with several Wildcat Sysops on the Illinois side of the St Louis area (Metro East), we were building a local QWK network of Wildcat BBS's called WILD-618, we hit upon an idea to promote and benefit all our BBS's. How about a networked version of VGA Planets where the BBS's each could have a team (say three persons) and then we would run three teams (nine races) in a game. Passing the daily RST files, and TRN files via QWKnet message attachments. WOW! What an idea.... But, First.. For those of you who DON'T know about the VGA Planets game. It is simply an offline spacewar game, in a small universe of 500 planets, and a maximum of 11 races (players). The BBS hosts the game, and each player signs up thru a door interface. Each day the player dials in to the BBS, downloads a RST (Results) file (5-15K), loads it into the player module "ON HIS OWN" system, plays out his turn, making commands, building ships, colonizing the neighboring planets, attacking his neighboring races to gain power. Then once done for the day, he runs a "Maketurn", which generates a TRN file (like PLAYER3.TRN), dials back in to the BBS and uploads the TRN file to the door interface. The BBS runs a "hosting" program as an event, which meshes all the TRN's into the game, and then it generates a new "Timestamped" RST file for the next day. Well let me tell you further.. As a prelude to setting up the net version of this game. I decided me and my team-mates (who had never played Planets), had better get some experience. So I obtained a player/host package (Shareware Player is free, Host programs are free too). But each player (to really play right) MUST register the player version (a mere $15). I registered the host interface, and it too was inexpensive ($10). Then I proceeded to set up the BBS version for me and my team-Mates to "practice". Off we went, and soon several of my regular "gamer-users" joined in. That 1st game lasted FOUR MONTHS. Meanwhile, several more of my "regulars" wanted into a game too! So, using the tools in the package, and the door interface which allows up to 5 simultaneous games, I configured a second game, a little different scenario than the first. Within two days, all eleven slots were full. Now after having this one going, my BBS starts getting the "regular gamers" friends signing on to the BBS wanting to get into a game too! Now mind you, these are not all KIDS. My Planets players range from 14 to 60. After about nine months of "hosting" Planets games, each of which seem to last about 3-4 months, I still have FIVE FULL GAMES running, and I only allow a user to be in two simultaneous games. My nightly processing: I had to move to a RAMDISK because it began taking up to an HOUR or more to process all the games. (Even on RAMDISK, with a 386-50, it takes about 15-20 minutes to process 5 games). The traffic generated, just from Planets, has pushed my daily call rate (single line BBS) from around 15-20 calls a day, to near 40 calls a day. And NO ONE SEEMS tried of playing!! I am starting to get a waiting list to get into the games!! Now the major benefits, and pitfalls of "hosting" a Planets Game. First the benefits: A. Players get on, get their RST/TRN's and get off, average time on... 1-2 minutes twice a day. Other game players such as Fishing and Tradewars average 15-30 minutes at a time. B. Word gets out,especially if you host different scenarios and offer "small incentatives" to win. I offer things like ONE MONTH at the CO-SYSOP level. (actually it is just more time, and ability to LOOK at more Stuff). Now the pitfalls: A. Other non-Planets player users start to complain about not being able to get on. (Too much traffic.) Might have to go multi-line, just to keep up. Maybe even a BIGGER computer just to handle the nightly hosting. B. Police work! Many of the real gamer addicts will try anything to get into a game, or two games, or in every one of them. I have a couple that had logged on with a friends name (friend doesnt even have a computer), but when I did a voice verification, confirmed he was the John Doe who signed on. PS: Ole' super sysop caught him because the Returned TRN files had the exact same time stamp, and he had forgotten to set his time clock, so the files all read DOS Standard 01-01-80, 2:13a. C. The other main pitfall is the tremendous urge to get in all the games yourself!! Then you want to win em all. Which you shouldn't do. But the way its set up you cannot cheat...... TOO MUCH!... :-) All in all, VGA Planets is a great game. Fun, interesting, forces real thinking, strategy, and is ADDICTIVE. If you are hosting the game, you know well, if you are not yet hosting or playing in a game try it out. You can get the game from any BBS that is hosting the game. Or get it from the author and/or his BBS. FidoNet carrys an Echomail conference of planets players (nationwide). Or call my BBS and I'll give you the package. Dave Metheny, Sysop AKA: The Silver Fox The Masters Place BBS (618) 234-4043 (28.8 VFC) FidoNet Node: 1:2250/19.0