Favorite type of NES?

[Symphony D.]

And to get more players, the game (as expressed by the rules and play dynamics) has to appeal to a broader audience.

False. You simply need a bigger initial pool. The same draw percentage counts for more the larger the pool is.

 

[silver 2039]

while Putin was rooting out the remaining Japanese resistance (not Putin's fault, the Japanese actually went and started it).

No we didn't.

 

[das]

A better solution might be to limit players to just a few arbitrarily-decided key nations and possibly work with invitations (actually, that might be a must). If that takes off, newer players and lesser nations may gradually be opened up as well, under close scrutiny of the moderator. Ruthless and controversial, perhaps, but I think it might work fine.

 

[Abaddon]

Could a mod handle NPCing 100+ nations?

 

[das]

Sure, why not? Besides, as I said, simplified stats are the way to go. Ridiculously simplified if need be. Possibly all but omitted for the particularly insignificant nations.

 

[Abaddon]

I suppose many countrys can be pretty much ignored

 

[Dachs]

Sure, why not? Besides, as I said, simplified stats are the way to go. Ridiculously simplified if need be. Possibly all but omitted for the particularly insignificant nations.

Like what Stormy did on the 1919 NES.

 

[das]

Yes, for a start. It certainly is much more important to get the main system running properly. Once you have that, you could gradually introduce some of the less important countries if you have the time and the players.

Like what Stormy did on the 1919 NES.

Or Daftpanzer did in 1936 NES. Yes, it's a tried and true method for modern day NESes; it certainly has worked better than managing the stats for El Salvador and dealing with its domestic issues. All of that could be pretty fun, sure, but pretty irrelevant when compared to grand international politics.

 

[North King]

You could make stats for, say, El Salvador. You'd just have to make revenue = spending, and the stats would never have to be changed.

 

[das]

See, that's exactly the kind of meticulous balancing that I'm trying to avoid!

 

[Communisto]

I like the 1700-1950 NESes. Though Fresh starts can be fun.

 

[#1 Person]

I can vouch for the system of simplified NPC states, like in my 1880 NES. It makes updating as well as start up time so much easier.

 

[jeps]

i like different aspects of each age, though not so much space.

my all time favourite NES was ancient, but my favourite ERA is definitely colonization+. (1500-2000)

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

I think there are quite simply too many countrys for a Mod to handle the stats. Also you would need 50+ nations at a minimum.

The World Turned Upside Down has 59 nations. So far, so good. Of course when humans are involved there will always be errors and more nations makes more errors more likely.

Symphony, if you can pull off a completely realistic and historically accurate modern NES, my hat's off to you. I'm well aware that my NES pushes the whole bit of realism, however, my main concern has always been for the story and diplomacy rather than the technical details of a war. I respect your apparently significant technical knowledge, but the question remains: would a completely technically accurate NES be any fun for the players? Some of the greatest fun arrives with unrealistic occurances.

@das, I've hit the same problems with The World Turned Upside Down. Looking at the domestic issues of minor countries across the globe can be rather tedious. That's why it's generally best to choose your battles depending on what's going on.


Overall, just regarding moderating of anything, I've discovered the best way to tell if you've got a good NES going is if you get at least one complaint from everyone. The best way to be fair is to be unfair to all the players, if they're really interested in NESing, they'll bear through the bad and boring times in preparation for a stunning moment of victory and glory.

 

[das]

I respect your apparently significant technical knowledge, but the question remains: would a completely technically accurate NES be any fun for the players? Some of the greatest fun arrives with unrealistic occurances.

I think that true technical accuracy (as opposed to predictability) would if anything make the experience better, though it is ofcourse a matter of getting the right balance between this realism and gameplay (which is probably the main thing to keep in mind when working on a ruleset). Oh, and the players have to get into the right mindset, ofcourse.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

Therein lies the problem. One of the biggest issues I had at the start of the World Turned Upside Down, and still existing at this point, is the player IC problem. Quite a few people persistantly view things from a modern, RL perspective, when quite frankly that shouldn't apply. Fortunately with modern-based NESes this isn't as big of a problem. However, just think of how easy moderating NESes would be if we didn't have to deal with all these pesky players

 

[Symphony D.]

I respect your apparently significant technical knowledge, but the question remains: would a completely technically accurate NES be any fun for the players? Some of the greatest fun arrives with unrealistic occurances.

I disagree completely. I also throw out the single worst example of it as a counterpoint:



Furthermore, you don't need to be "completely technical" to get realism right. Nothing could be further from the truth. All you need to do is know what you're talking about to some capacity. If you don't, you should go find out, and be able to argue and defend it rationally if necessary. Otherwise people like me will show up to tear you down.

Most moderators who run modern games (or any game) don't do that and when they hit a roadblock of something abnormal or new they hop about the U.S.S. Make-. .. .. .. .-Up and go with whatever they think makes sense or whatever they think should happen. As you yourself pointed out, they tend to do so from a modern perspective and furthermore, they tend to be wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.

Moderators educating themselves so they don't look like fools isn't such an oppressive stance, in my book.

I think that true technical accuracy (as opposed to predictability) would if anything make the experience better, though it is ofcourse a matter of getting the right balance between this realism and gameplay (which is probably the main thing to keep in mind when working on a ruleset). Oh, and the players have to get into the right mindset, ofcourse.

Seconded, and most of the issues where technical accuracy comes up have nothing at all to do with gameplay, or only tangentially so--they're usually not in conflict.

 

[Nylan]

Anything with more story writing and less stats. The time, technology, and map don't really matter to me.

 

[Nylan]

Could a mod handle NPCing 100+ nations?

Ask NK/Thlay

 

[North King]

Ask NK/Thlay

It can be done. The problem is, the NPCs better be minor countries, and not, you know, the three most powerful states on the map.