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Closed
Beta Test
50
playtesters took to the Starways about 4 weeks ago. We made them
do a lot of unfun stuff. They created accounts, and then they
edited them and then we took them away. Then we gave them back
and moved on to testing the game request system. The playtesters
made game requests, and we honored those requests, but then destroyed
the universes they were in so they could do it all over again.
All in all, we really were mean to them. And not one of them quit!
Now, finally the playtesters are in some games with motion, some
already at turn 5.
They
get even with us by posting their bug reports and telling us about
any installation problems they have. But what they are going through
is helping us bring Imperial Wars to the web in a much better
state then it was when we began. We have rebuilt the Universe
Creator several times and cleaned up numerous bugs, added key
new features and changed some things that didn't work right. It
is a lot of time and effort on everyones part. And there
is still a whole lot to do.
It
was our hope that we could open up to full beta testing before
the holidays but that seems unlikely at this point. There is still
too much work to do and we are physically unable to have enough
technical hands around through the holidays to deal with the issues
that are bound to come up. What we will probably do in the next
couple of weeks is send out invitations to the general IWars community
with a private website where they can join in with the understanding
that we may not be able to support them fully until after the
first of the year. Then, when we are back up to full strength,
we'll continue our plan to let the general public into the games.
From
the dev team at ILG, have a happy and safe holiday! We'll either
see you in the games or when our next newsletter comes out after
the first. All our best from our families to yours!
- The Galactic Effectuator
Internet
Games Becoming the Hottest Entertainment Trend
by Colin Murcray
In
the November 25th, 2002 edition of Newsweek, there is a story
about the biggest new trend in home entertainment: multiplayer
online gaming. The story predicts that the 196 million dollars
earned last year in online game subscription fees is expected
to grow ton 1.4 billion dollars over the next five years.
Whats
behind this rush to multi-player online games? Mainly, its
more fun to compete against or team with a human being than a
computer. But those of us who grew up role-playing with dice and
paper have known that for years, and now technology is allowing
us to have the best of both worlds.
Just
as with any industry, the eventual outcome of this is a market
flooded with all sorts of games, some good, some bad. In the end,
those games that shone first, shone brightest, or took the time
to develop a loyal community will win out. For the gamer, this
is nothing short of good news. It means competitive prices, lots
of choices, and even a chance to be considered trendy. For the
game developers, it means hard work, long nights, and high stress.
But those of us who design games because it is what we love will
be around a lot longer than those who are looking for a fast buck.
For us, the games the thing, and seeing it enjoyed by others
is our ultimate reward.
Happy
Holidays!
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Playing
the Philosopher - Feature Article by Thierry (Xichiro)
One
of the more complex characters in Imperial Wars is the Philosopher.
Unlike the Trader, who makes allies easily because of the services
he or she provides, the philosopher has to work to get allies,
and work even harder to maintain them. If players allow philosophers
access to their worlds, the population will begin to convert,
eventually taking over the planet.
However,
like all characters in Imperial Wars, there are benefits to
having a philosopher as your ally. First, they are wealthy,
and can be convinced to share the wealth. Second, unless you
are a Baron, owning planets isnt really all that important.
As a warlord, you can recapture your own worlds and gain more
points. As a raider, you can ravage, and as a terminator, destroy
them, all without making an enemy, since the philosopher gains
points for martyrs.
Xichiro,
a player in the first Universe 101 beta test, played a philosopher
and was the winner. This issue, he shares some of his experiences
and tips for playing the Philosopher character.
-ed [more]
"the
newsletter"
HAS A NAME
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The
newsletter has a name!
Thanks
to all who submitted ideas voted for the newsletter name. Every
name on the list received votes, but the winner (by one vote)
was THE IMPERIAL DISPATCH.
Thankfully, all of us can stop calling it "the newsletter"
now.
Take
a look above to 'unveil' the title.
See
the Philosopher art on the Feature Article page. There are three
new images:
- Female
philosopher
- Philosophers
- Reaching
hand
In
the IRC Imperial Senate
This
channel is open 24x7 for your IWARS use. However, we have weekly
chats planned too.
You
can connect directly to the Imperial Senate chat room or get
the information on how to connect your own chat client by clicking
on this link or going to http://iwars.org/IRC/index.html.
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