Digest Number 1171

mepbmlist
#1

Advise? Yes, definitely advise newbies. Give them an idea of how much harder nation A is to play than nation B. Give them an idea of how much more involved decisions are, and how many more people may depend on them. Give them a clue. Tell them you cant play X? No.

We have already heard how good teams can make a newbie strong in any positions, and bad ones can frustrate them, even in positions that are "newbie approved". The newbie may get frustrated, no matter which position he plays, but the simple fact of the matter is, if you say ok, here are the 4 nations you can choose from, he is just as likely to get frustrated BEFORE he even pays. Maybe some sort of intro for each game, giving their...Nazgul? Heck I don't know, which ever one is the silly winning percentage one, so you know that the person playing the Noldo is 0 of 0. If it frustrates you that bad, try to hand off the position, otherwise, you know that the Noldo player could use some advice, and provide it to him. Maybe this will let teams know that certain positions are newbies, and instead of quiting the games and running scared, they will put more effort into helping those players grow, and learn. The way you get better at making choices? Its by making them, seeing what the outcome is, and dealing with those outcomes. IMHO, dont deny anything...this game has been made flexible enough with the allowance for any game that both sides agree on...passing a Grand High Decree that newbies can only play on second thursdays if playing nation 15 is silly. If thats what you want, build a variant like that, dont make it law. IMHO.

-Ken

···

From: Jason Bennett <jasonab@acm.org>
Reply-To: mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com
To: mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [mepbmlist] Digest Number 1171
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 10:34:38 -0500

Richard DEVEREUX wrote:

> RD: And who can blame them? A newbie's money is as good as the
> money of the most senior veteran. You start restricting the nations
> which a newbie is "allowed" to play (what a breathtakingly arrogant
> concept!) and you will cut off the flow of new blood into the game.

You mean, as opposed to the "breathtakingly arrogant" concept of showing
up your first game and demanding the biggest, most important nation,
regardless of advice to the contrary?

I still do not understand the controversy of having people "step up" in
difficulty over the course of 2-3 games. Everyone benefits in the long
run. New players get less frustrated because their nations don't get
stepped on (and they don't get yelled at), and experienced players are
less frustrated because their games go more smoothly.

  jason

--
Jason Bennett, jasonab@acm.org
E pur si muove!

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#2

Absolutely! If you tell people what they cant play then it will turn
them off. If someone reads the background blurb of the WK and
says "Cool, I want to play them" definately tell them its a tough
position and they may want to reconsider, but if they are adamant
then let em take it. The best way to learn the game is by making
mistakes, you build 6k MA and then try to attack a City/Citadel and
then get overrun on the way there....well, I'll never do that
again...but now you know better! You will always get the people that
get frustrated and drop but I think thats probably more of a
mentality thing than anything else. There are many players out there
that are in the game to have fun, win or lose. Pair me with an entire
team of new players, I dont care, at least it will be REALLY
interesting and probably lotsa laughs as Minas Anor burns around me!

Fletch aka Nero!

--- In mepbmlist@y..., "Kenneth Weed" <watakshi@h...> wrote:

Advise? Yes, definitely advise newbies. Give them an idea of how

much

harder nation A is to play than nation B. Give them an idea of how

much

more involved decisions are, and how many more people may depend on

them.

Give them a clue. Tell them you cant play X? No.

We have already heard how good teams can make a newbie strong in

any

positions, and bad ones can frustrate them, even in positions that

are

"newbie approved". The newbie may get frustrated, no matter which

position

he plays, but the simple fact of the matter is, if you say ok, here

are the

4 nations you can choose from, he is just as likely to get

frustrated BEFORE

he even pays. Maybe some sort of intro for each game, giving
their...Nazgul? Heck I don't know, which ever one is the silly

winning

percentage one, so you know that the person playing the Noldo is 0

of 0. If

it frustrates you that bad, try to hand off the position,

otherwise, you

know that the Noldo player could use some advice, and provide it to

him.

Maybe this will let teams know that certain positions are newbies,

and

instead of quiting the games and running scared, they will put more

effort

into helping those players grow, and learn. The way you get better

at

making choices? Its by making them, seeing what the outcome is,

and dealing

with those outcomes. IMHO, dont deny anything...this game has been

made

flexible enough with the allowance for any game that both sides

agree

on...passing a Grand High Decree that newbies can only play on

second

thursdays if playing nation 15 is silly. If thats what you want,

build a

variant like that, dont make it law. IMHO.

-Ken

>From: Jason Bennett <jasonab@a...>
>Reply-To: mepbmlist@y...
>To: mepbmlist@y...
>Subject: Re: [mepbmlist] Digest Number 1171
>Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 10:34:38 -0500
>
>Richard DEVEREUX wrote:
>
> > RD: And who can blame them? A newbie's money is as good as

the

> > money of the most senior veteran. You start restricting the

nations

> > which a newbie is "allowed" to play (what a breathtakingly

arrogant

> > concept!) and you will cut off the flow of new blood into the

game.

>
>
>You mean, as opposed to the "breathtakingly arrogant" concept of

showing

>up your first game and demanding the biggest, most important

nation,

>regardless of advice to the contrary?
>
>I still do not understand the controversy of having people "step

up" in

>difficulty over the course of 2-3 games. Everyone benefits in the

long

>run. New players get less frustrated because their nations don't

get

>stepped on (and they don't get yelled at), and experienced players

are

···

>less frustrated because their games go more smoothly.
>
> jason
>
>
>--
>Jason Bennett, jasonab@a...
>E pur si muove!
>

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