You need 4 players to start a Tournament game.
Only 2 computer players are allowed.
pocker9 visits
pocker9 joined the game in slot 1
GabrielPope visits
pocker9 left the game
phantomarrow visits
GabrielPope left the game
GabrielPope visits
pocker9 visits
pocker9 left the game
GabrielPope joined the game in slot 1
pocker9 visits
pocker9 joined the game in slot 2
goblin joined the game in slot 3
GabrielPope: phantomarrow?
bigheadzach visits
bigheadzach joined the game in slot 4
bigheadzach: Or not?
GabrielPope: Or not what?
goblin: ready
bigheadzach: But it's not starting...
phantomarrow left the game
bigheadzach: There we go
GabrielPope: doesn't start unless the visitors ready or leave
goblin: i have 3 800s for this game
goblin: i tried the 1.0 version but it sucked
bigheadzach: 1.1.1 fixed a lot of issues
Round 1 of 12
goblin: why change perfection
goblin: the original was fine
GabrielPope: nostalgia, she is a harsh mistress
bigheadzach: Ok, goblin, if you like the original so much, why are you playing this?
goblin: to test it
bigheadzach: To see if it's better than the original? I'm sensing some cognitive dissonance here.
goblin: no to see if its as good
GabrielPope: goblin, while I would like to respect your opinion, I have a hard time believing that you prefer the original for any reason but that you played it first.
goblin: no need to be better
goblin: I have 4on4 since 1983
bigheadzach: And to answer your forum question - no they did not have full access to the original code - no one does. We do have the machine code from the Atari, which is better than nothing.
goblin: lol
goblin: hey do yo have to hit button on wampus>
GabrielPope: yes, you do
goblin: >ah
GabrielPope: I think I heard a button press, but you were slightly off
goblin: in original that scared him away
GabrielPope: in this version the wampus appears even when you have a mule following you, so they put in a button press so that you can't capture him with a mule in tow
goblin: im more concerened about the little things
GabrielPope: since the original did not have the wampus on screen at the same time as mules for technical reasons
bigheadzach: We all are - most importantly making the interface cleaner and easier to use
goblin: are you part of the effort?
bigheadzach: Gabe - I think it was due to sprite limitations, in both versions :)
GabrielPope: well, yes. that's what I meant.
bigheadzach: And we are in the sense that we've tested for the devs and continue to report on things.
goblin: did they have access to the original source code?
bigheadzach: No.
goblin: damn why not?
goblin: I thought the kids gave permission
Round 2 of 12
bigheadzach: They did, but it doesn't mean they actually have it. Planet MULE has the right to *publish* the game...the intellectual property
bigheadzach: I'm sure they've got whatever notes Dan's kids could get - but for a game 20 years old, I'm sure most of that disappeared in an EA shredder at some point
pocker9: lol opd
pocker9: ops
goblin: do they at least have a copy of the original 800 version?
goblin: I have a network verison of the game
goblin: using orignal code
goblin: its decent
bigheadzach: I don't think they do. Not that it would be of any further help at this point, because in order for it to help they need the actual high-level code - otherwise they have to go on the machine code, which is obscure and needs deciphering.
GabrielPope: sounds like an emulation platform
goblin: it would help in game play
goblin: they could play it and get a feel for its nuances
bigheadzach: What makes you think that the rest of us haven't done this ourselves?
goblin: do you have it?
bigheadzach: The Commodore version, yes
goblin: c64 hard to play 4 player
bigheadzach: But having it is different from being able to view the code.
goblin: the mechtrons too stupid ruined game
goblin: diassembler
bigheadzach: I'll spoil 2. :P
goblin: i want to se
goblin: 1 unit should not
bigheadzach: Food spoils at 1:2
GabrielPope: it won't.
Round 3 of 12
bigheadzach: Argh, should've pushed it beyond Smithore man :)
bigheadzach: You can catch him when he's hidden as long as he hasn't appeared elsewher
goblin: how do you catch a hidden wampus?
GabrielPope: go to the exact spot he appeared and press button
bigheadzach: *smiles at Gabe* This is like a battle of the self-professed MULE experts here :P
goblin: im good at orignial not ness. this one
goblin: in orig no button pressin no hidden wampus have to get use to that
bigheadzach: So it begins. *Mortal Kombat theme*
goblin: so the graphics with the coins is that just visual or does it mean crystite?
bigheadzach: good, get that off the list early
bigheadzach: What was that about not bothering witl competing on smithore?
GabrielPope: ?
bigheadzach: Instead of holding for a spike, you sold....I said that as a anti-smithore strat and you said it wouldn't work :P
GabrielPope: $141 IS a spike.
bigheadzach: Not a supreme one, though
GabrielPope: I get $141, you get... $89. Good enough for me.
Round 4 of 12
bigheadzach: Heh, there's nuance
GabrielPope: damn, no auctions
bigheadzach: I will not fall prey to your energy shenanigans :P
goblin: is crystite still hidden or do the pics show its location on map
goblin: how many units were sold to store last round?
GabrielPope: the pics only show it after it's been producing for a turn
bigheadzach: It's hidden - if you do an assay, you get little signposts that stay
bigheadzach: (The signposts don't stay for other players)
goblin: ok so the gold coin plots are?
bigheadzach: Those are deserts
bigheadzach: No, you were greedy.
GabrielPope: blah
GabrielPope: I don't know if they changed the netcode in 1.1, but auctions seem much more lag-senstiive
GabrielPope: er, sensitive.
bigheadzach: as a positive?
GabrielPope: no.
GabrielPope: as in, lag has a much larger impact on auctions.
GabrielPope: even with a 100ms ping, it drops movements and you never know where the heck other players actually are.
Round 5 of 12
bigheadzach: yow
goblin: told ya not to bet
bigheadzach: seems like you need to get off that popup asap - the clock still runs
goblin: good looking mule there
goblin: this version is def. better than the earlier one
GabrielPope: dammit
bigheadzach: yeah, get down on that ;)
goblin: hehe
GabrielPope: dammit pocker, quit helping out zach
bigheadzach: lol
GabrielPope: admit it, zach, you're playing as pocker on a 2nd client
bigheadzach: I'm totally not...I only got two hands :)
GabrielPope: I notice that pocker only moved to buy out the store after you had finished... coincidence?!!
bigheadzach: Peer pressure :)
GabrielPope: also he bought out all the energy earlier
GabrielPope: right when it hurt me most without hurting you
GabrielPope: it's a conspiracy I tells ya
bigheadzach: Gabe, I'd never play that way. I'm a hardcore gamer and I has teh integrities
Round 6 of 12
GabrielPope: I know
GabrielPope: my intrinsic sexiness naturally intimidates people and inspires them to cooperate against me
bigheadzach: Antique PC ftw
goblin: balls out smithore!
bigheadzach: He's going to capitalize on my buyout strat, and try to make more pure profit than me
bigheadzach: Whereas most of my ore I had to buy, his is all fresh
GabrielPope: you had a considerable lead to begin with, though
GabrielPope: this won't close the gap all by itself
bigheadzach: Some lucky crystite will help. One game I accidentally got three of the High plots.
GabrielPope: crap, no quake no quake no quake
bigheadzach: This'll even out in this auction
bigheadzach: Pirates would be nice. Pests, I'll grumble if its me
GabrielPope: of course it's you, you're in the lead
GabrielPope: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
goblin: lol
GabrielPope: that is the one weakness of my strategy
GabrielPope: being #1 in smithore production means planetquakes hurt badly
bigheadzach: You rely on what you make now, but it's all profit if it works
GabrielPope: and of course there are always 2-3 planetquakes during my prime smithore production turns, because the universe itself conspires against me
bigheadzach: Now it's the universe. I totally am playing on another universe. You got me
GabrielPope: nah, you're simply enjoying the benefit of the universe's perversity
goblin: come to papa
bigheadzach: No. I'm converting to energy.
Round 7 of 12
bigheadzach: lolwut
bigheadzach: It always hurts to buy mules the turn following a spike
bigheadzach: But I'm a masochist so that works out
goblin: the auctions are much faster in terms of cranking the money up
goblin: i mean land grant
bigheadzach: Yeah goblin - that actually is something most of us are wishing to return to orig spec
bigheadzach: Slowing the price inc/dec
GabrielPope: UGH
GabrielPope: original spec was freaking horrible.
GabrielPope: you'd have $10,000 but it wouldn't let you bid $300 on a peace of freaking food because you'd just run out of time.
bigheadzach: Really? Right now it seems you can move price around way too easily - or is that something you view more as a limitation, the orig spec?
goblin: i think the land should be slowed somewhat
GabrielPope: slowed somewhat, sure.
bigheadzach: balllllllls
goblin: do they still give more production for every 3 plots of same
GabrielPope: better than losing your farm :)
GabrielPope: hell yes
bigheadzach: yeah those bonuses still work
goblin: cool
bigheadzach: EOS and LCT are crucial to being good at the game
goblin: 1.1.1 is better, i like it
bigheadzach: One buyout this game, I'm feeling sore after getting ruined trying to do it the last time
bigheadzach: Come to papa, gobbs
goblin: tu
bigheadzach: Nice move to energy, gabe
bigheadzach: Think it'll last?
GabrielPope: no.
goblin: never know
Round 8 of 12
bigheadzach: grats to you goblin if you found the High plot
bigheadzach: aw hell naw
bigheadzach: Gob - also notice the wumpus doesn't appear on owned plots..that's a change from orig spec, one I don't mind
goblin: lol
goblin: i suck with keys
bigheadzach: Pocker - you might be sitting on a High plot
goblin: so at end of game no wampus?
pocker9: where
GabrielPope: goblin, press your button
GabrielPope: it skips to the end of produciton so we don't have to waste
bigheadzach: There won't be any wumpus anymore unless someone loses a mountain plot
goblin: k
bigheadzach: either 2,8 or 3,9
goblin: awww i loved those 300 ones
bigheadzach: Aw shoot no that's helping gabe :(
goblin: it will rot
GabrielPope: actually, smithore spoilage is one mechanic which is not yet implemented
bigheadzach: That's one thing that's not been fixed yet though
goblin: what?
GabrielPope: anyhow, he'd still turn a profit even if it did spoil
bigheadzach: There's no 50 cap
goblin: so it does not rot past 50 units?
GabrielPope: not yet, no
bigheadzach: Nope.
goblin: they forgot about it?
bigheadzach: But they do recognize it's a bug and it will get fixed in 1.2
GabrielPope: or else they didn't realize the significance of it
goblin: sounds like they have not played the original/
bigheadzach: It's tough to play the game and realize every single nuance.
GabrielPope: that's stupid.
GabrielPope: they've obviously played the original, many times and at great length.
goblin: ok then just an omission
GabrielPope: they probably made a conscious decision to change it, thinking that it was a minor aspect that wouldn't make much difference (which, alas, they were somewhat wrong about.)
Round 9 of 12
goblin: if its not broke dont fix it
bigheadzach: In playing and reading the code, there's a lot of "limiters" that Dan put in the game that don't have a basis in real life, in order that the game would be fun.
bigheadzach: There's plenty broke about the original, just so it would fit in 30K
GabrielPope: goblin, if you disagree with the concept of progress, you're free to go back to squatting naked in a cave, clubbing small animals and eating them raw
goblin: they are going back to 50
goblin: so no progress there
GabrielPope: right. they tried something, it didn't work. progress consists of trying many things, some of which occasionally do work.
goblin: but i understand
goblin: ya have to try
bigheadzach: hit yer button gob
goblin: ohhh noooo
bigheadzach: Here's where everyone plays catchup - WELL.
goblin: smithore went up much faster
goblin: which i like
GabrielPope: 0 mules, and there are several empty plots to boot
bigheadzach: D/S baby
goblin: sometimes in original it took 2 rounds to get it to move
bigheadzach: Well there's still the debate about whether the original manual is wrong about it requiring a full turn to build a MULE with smithore
bigheadzach: Based on Kroah's notes, seems like the manual is in error
GabrielPope: ooooooouch :(
bigheadzach: food glorious fo-LOLWUT
Round 10 of 12
goblin: when they comming out with 1.2
bigheadzach: dunno yet. But they've been good at keeping us informed
goblin: yea wish i knew about the no 50 rot thing
goblin: nice move
bigheadzach: I figure with the 50 cap, pocker and I would be neck and neck
bigheadzach: i see we're looking at keeping the food price stable...and by that, elevated :D
GabrielPope: here pirates pirates pirates
goblin: hehe
goblin: they are putting their boots on
bigheadzach: there's something to think about - getting a little food plot later to have a surplus when 16 BPV won't cut it
bigheadzach: Well, I'm putting on my Wizard Robe and Hat
bigheadzach: No event? DId I see that correctly?
bigheadzach: GL gabe. I mean that.
GabrielPope: good luck on what? being able to perform basic arithmetic?
goblin: thats why the 50 rule
bigheadzach: Well, that it will put you over :)
GabrielPope: indeed :)
GabrielPope: although like I said: it would be a big profit even with the 50 rule
GabrielPope: the spoilage simply stops it from being an absolutely obscene profit
goblin: no
GabrielPope: yes, goblin.
bigheadzach: Buying at $100, selling at $230...but you lose half, wouldn't it barely break even?
GabrielPope: a small profit is still a profit
GabrielPope: and it's only "small" in comparison to existing profits.
GabrielPope: not to mention that was a fairly high smithore price.
goblin: let them rot
GabrielPope: it's possible to buy 83 at $90, sell 50 at $230.
GabrielPope: oh dear
GabrielPope: I did go in the lead
bigheadzach: FUUUUUUU
Round 11 of 12
goblin: i go hungry!
bigheadzach: once again, FUUUUUUU
GabrielPope: also: remember that buying out the store to drive up the price also increases the value of your production that turn
goblin: lol
goblin: you mean the value of the unit bought out? or do you mean you will produce more?
bigheadzach: I now see you're just taking the energy spoil hit in order to cruise. Makes perfect sense (though I doubt you could do that with food)
GabrielPope: you produce the same, but you sell your produce at a much higher cost post-buyout
goblin: oh yea i know that
GabrielPope: so if you're producing 50/turn... you buy 83 from the store, it spoils to 50, then you get another 50, and sell 100 at the higher price
goblin: not use to smithore moving so fast
goblin: it moves a turn faster
goblin: which is not bad
bigheadzach: I'm not sure I like selling to the Store being simultaneous, if it's going to speed up. Sometimes I want to back off at a specific surplus
goblin: I think they need to slow down smithore a bit
GabrielPope: you can always back off in advance
goblin: somewhere between original and now
bigheadzach: True. So I think once the 50 cap goes in, Smithore's "dominance" will finally get balanced out
goblin: its too easy to crush with it now
GabrielPope: blah, 1 too many
GabrielPope: oh well
Round 12 of 12
bigheadzach: We got the luxury ending easy
goblin: yea it needs some balancing
goblin: we have super high coloney number
bigheadzach: I would find it very interesting to see what the Store's balance is as the game goes on.
goblin: and gab did s huge slingshot
GabrielPope: nah. this? this is downright shoddy by the standards of the current version ;)
goblin: not sure if it needs balancing or just get use to it
GabrielPope: our modest hover-mansions will be embarrassingly small compared to the hyperpalaces of the other colonies
goblin: hehe
GabrielPope: I think a little from column A, little from column B
GabrielPope: there are still some things that need to be tweaked to be more in line with the original, but there are some little things that I think are better this time around
bigheadzach: Well once the original game is captured, the devs do want to make good on Dan's dream of enhancing the game
goblin: man i wanted to see my MULE yah!
goblin: they have to put the YAH MULE back in
goblin: now at the end it did not matter if you bought or sold
goblin: still same?
GabrielPope: yes, same
GabrielPope: I do not have enough smithore. I feel inadequate :(
goblin: 99 still
goblin: great price
bigheadzach: Well this might get gob to edge me out...
goblin: hehe doubt it
goblin: played a shit game
GabrielPope: I think I did end up going slightly overboard on land auctions. I would have had 13 plots otherwise and that's all I need, and being so desperately cash-hungry hurt me a lot in the middle
bigheadzach: You have 25+ more crystite at $140 a pop, that's almost $4000
bigheadzach: Yeah, you spent way over that $500 value lol
GabrielPope: if I had bought one fewer $2000 plot I could have been sitting at around $60,000 or so
goblin: OMG
goblin: does not matter
goblin: one thing they could do
Game Over. Your progress has been saved.
GabrielPope: 3 extra plots = +1 smithore on every smithore plot for every turn for the rest of the game, +about 15 or so base smithore
goblin: is to have it not time if all pull down with food in store
pocker9 left the game
goblin: nice job!
pocker9 was disconnected
GabrielPope: when you're usually selling at $100 or $230? those first 3 plots I bought were easily worth the $5000+ I paid for them.
bigheadzach: gg all!
goblin: u2
GabrielPope: yes, well played. I was very worried for a while in the middle
goblin: yea
goblin: yea I can deal with this version
goblin: need to get use to things
GabrielPope left the game
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