Strat Guide and other stuff

Velociryx · May 8, 2001, 15:38

Swapped a couple of threads with my Brother Googlie just a bit ago, and the topic of our discussion was such that I figured it ought to have it's own thread. I've copied and pasted below:

{Googlie's Post:
Vel:
I'm just offering the teeny tech tree thru the SC site (In fact, with the imminence of publication of your Strat guide I've removed it as a downloadable item - didn't seem fair to be giving it away for free when it is now a commercial item)

So get your marketing hat on and promote it shamelessly

G.}

{My response:
Brother Googlie! As always, you're both a scholar and a gentleman! The Apolyton forum has been like a second home to me, and I've met a number of good friends from this very place....seems only right that I should give something back to the place that's given me so many chuckles and smiles over the many months I've been lurking and writing here, so I'd like to announce here and now that the both versions 1.0 and 2.0 of the guide are to be considered "FreeWare" from here on. Put 'em on your sites, print and make elaborate paper airplanes out of them, hell, if you can get anything for them, auction off your dog-eared copies of version 1 on ebay! LOL...and if you make a mint, drop me a line and let me know!

Hmmm....Come to think of it, perhaps I should put this announcement in its own thread as well....}

Okay....so news like that won't bring about world peace or feed the hungry, but still....I figured I'd let everybody know....

PS: New e-mail addy for me....I put that someplace too, but what the heck. I tried updating my profile...no dice there, so the new addy is:

WebMaster@velociryx.every1.net

-=Vel=-

[This message has been edited by Velociryx (edited May 08, 2001).]

Fitz · May 8, 2001, 15:44

Thanks. That answers my question about putting up v2.0 on my website. I also reformatted what I think is v3.0 as a word document. Is it cool if I stick that up too?

I should specify, it is the SMACX 3.0 from the Signed, sealed & delivered thread that sticks up above.
[This message has been edited by Fitz (edited May 08, 2001).]

Velociryx · May 8, 2001, 16:15

Hiya Fitz! Stay tuned for version 3.0 of the guide....it will indeed be released in the same manner as the earlier versions, but not just yet.

-=Vel=-

Fitz · May 8, 2001, 16:45

If you haven't released v3.0, which version was the one associated with the sticky thread Signed, sealed & delivered?

Googlie · May 8, 2001, 17:52

Vel: I have the same feeling as Fitz - see my post to Mixam's thread

G.

Velociryx · May 8, 2001, 19:20

Quite right you are, and upon further reflection, I see no reason why I should not go ahead and make v3 of the guide "freeware" as well. Howwzat?

As to version 4.0, I'm getting really excited about it, and I think you all will like it very much!

Ahhh, and I just now caught what you meant. V3.0 was indeed "released" in the sense that I put it out there for everybody to take a peek at, but I meant "released" as in "declaring it freeware," but again, on further reflection, I don't see why not. There are some pretty significant differences between v3 and v4...certainly more than enough to give it weight and merit as a separate "product" so after thinking further on the matter, I see no reason why I shouldn't open v3 up in the same manner as I did the elder versions.

-=Vel=-
[This message has been edited by Velociryx (edited May 08, 2001).]

Fitz · May 8, 2001, 19:49

Thanks. I don't know that it'll get downloaded loads from my site (once I get it back up), but it's nice to have as much as possible on my SMAC page to help those interested and/or looking for tools.

Googlie · May 8, 2001, 20:38

Thanks Vel - I've hung it back up on the SC site here

(and Fitz, what's your URL and I'll put a link in the Chronicles site)

G.

[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited May 09, 2001).]

Velociryx · May 9, 2001, 14:04

Version 4 has been re-organized into nine chapters for publication in book form. I'm plowing through each of those one final time to make sure I don't have too many of those durned colons ::::: I'm so fond of, and to make sure that there aren't any really stupid spelling errors or other snafus.

Structurally, everything is done except the embedded linking that will be part of the electronic version of the guide, allowing the reader to hop instantly to various sections of the book from the table of contents, and in some cases, move around within the book when additional information is offered in some other chapter.

As to a specific timeframe...LOL...I'm a little leery of that...last time I said I was almost done, I wound up spending almost three weeks in the hospital. The one advantage though, was my forced vacation allowed me to approach the project with a fresh perspective, and I came back to it with a number of new ideas.

Anyway, it won't be long now, and I'll keep you guys posted. When I send her off for formatting, I'll make the announcement here, and then it'll be just a matter of days, if my previous experience with the company is any indication.

-=Vel=-

Googlie · May 9, 2001, 18:15

Vel:

Will you be taking orders through your renaissance site? (traffic, etc, nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

(for those who haven't visited Vel's web site, you can get to it here )

G.

Velociryx · May 9, 2001, 21:15

Hey bro, and I sure will be! In fact, I'm toying around with different page layouts, trying to design a "gallery" of sorts. There are three, and soon to be four published authors on my site now, and I'm gonna showcase their work on a special page....I figured I'd put my first novel, and the SMAX guide there as well....

-=Vel=-

Darius · May 10, 2001, 00:09

quote:

Originally posted by Velociryx on 05-08-2001 07:20 PM
As to version 4.0, I'm getting really excited about it, and I think you all will like it very much!

I'm getting excited too! I know you can't rush greatness, but when do you think it will be ready?

Fitz · May 10, 2001, 00:46

My url isn't working right now, but it hopefully will be in a week or two. It's either going to be www.serverofdoom.com/fitz or fitz.serverofdoom.com (probably the latter).

Velociryx · May 10, 2001, 07:49

Stuff that's been keeping me up late these past few nights:

I'm a little perplexed. See....I can only send one manuscript to press. Can't send one for the electronic version and another for the bound version, which means that my internal linking has to be built into the framework of the book, but at the same time not be intrusive or hard on the eyes of those who want the bound edition.

There are two ways that I know of to create "links" inside of a word document. First, simply insert a hyperlink pointing to a bookmark placed elsewhere in the work. That's easy, and it makes it easy to spot for readers of the electronic version, cos it's underlined, and a different color. But, for those who have the bound edition, it'd look...odd.

On the other hand, I could use cross referencing, which is the same basic concept, only the text looks no different on the screen. No different at all (though I could go back manually and make it a slightly different color, to at least give some indication that it's clickable). This approach looks good from the perspective of the bound edition, but might be hard to spot in the electronic version.

So...I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed here. Embedded links? No links? Some other way of doing it that I'm not aware of?

-=Vel=-

Closey · May 10, 2001, 10:12

Ok, I don't really know how they tend to do this, but couldn't you make the electronical version yourself as a pdf or something? Or does both versions have to go through the publisher?

And one way to make those links could be to have them as foot notes or on either side of the text. Maybe in a little smaller font or something.

You probably could have the links just using another color and not having them under lined, I mean there's lots of links like that on the web and they aren't hard to spot. Maybe a blue or green color? They don't stand out as much as, say red would.

Edt. Ah.. spelling.. *hunts it down*
[This message has been edited by Closey (edited May 10, 2001).]

Fitz · May 10, 2001, 10:57

Vel, I agree that another color, preferably one that prints really close to black in B/W put looks quite different in full color, will do the trick. Play with colors a bit. It'll take your mind off the stress in your life.

Solver · May 10, 2001, 13:09

After I remember the horror of combining it all into Word and printing out, I'd like the book. If someone would ship it here

.
Vel, very good work - really. I'm a verteran civer, and story writer, must admit you've done excellent work both in terms of SMAC and writing.
Said Solver looking at those 100 pages on the table.

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Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Velociryx · May 10, 2001, 14:11

Good ideas here...thanks guys!

Solver, thanks for the boost...needed that after having spent most of the day in the guts of the strat guide, tweaking and polishing.

I have no idea how many pages it'll translate to in book form, but the manuscript is a whopping 217 pages long (and that's single spaced type, with double spacing between paragraphs).

It may fluxuate slightly as I finish editing and polishing, and I do have one more section to add near the end...prolly no more than a page or two, so I'm guessing that when I finish this thing off, it'll be sitting right at 220 pages, looseleaf.

As to the internal linking, I'm now pretty happy with the look and feel of it. The text links are of a slightly smaller type than the surrounding text, and blue in color which means that when the book goes to press, there won't be a notable difference on the printed page--certainly nothing to upset the eye. The only thing I cringe at now is the fact that I've put page numbers next to all the links, which will allow people with the bound edition to also "jump" to the same sections that folks with the electronic version will be able to, but when the manuscript goes to Formatting, all my carefully laid out page numbers will be ruined, and I'll have to go back and do that part again. ::shrug:: Good way to spend a weeknight...lol

::sigh:: Okay, break's over....just had to come up for another breath of air...back to editing. Still got almost two hours left of the work day....

D'oh! I almost forgot! Solver, I think getting a bound copy on "your side of the pond" won't be a problem! The company has just finalized agreements with a press in England which will be responsible for print and distribution to that side of the Atlantic! (don't know the name of the company there, or the first thing about them, but that's the buzz)

-=Vel=-
[This message has been edited by Velociryx (edited May 10, 2001).]

Solver · May 11, 2001, 09:33

Vel, looks very promising. I also hope to see you playing rated PBEM games someday, it would always be a honor for me to have contact with such a genius SMACer you are. You're probably one of the best playrs hanging our there. And well, over 200 pages seems excellent.
But, will it also be availble for free download in MS Word format? Anyway, many thanks, and I look forward to the new version. Just what I do with CtP 2...

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Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Rynn: · May 11, 2001, 10:32

Hey, rumor has it that Vel's hard at work on a Strat Guide for CtP2

Not

R.

Solver · May 11, 2001, 13:45

Rynn,
What's the point of message? Didn't get it :confused". Can't imagine Vel playing CtP 2

.

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Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

mark13 · May 11, 2001, 14:10

Solver - it was a joke

Anyway, this looks *really* promising. And it's coming to England? Woohoo!

Thantos · May 13, 2001, 23:02

Looking forward to seeing the new strat guide Vel

Velociryx · May 14, 2001, 09:58

Wow....came back from a long weekend to find lossa new messages on the board!

Rynn...LOL...yeah...::as he grumbles something about not getting caught dead playing CtP::

Solver....much as I appreciate the compliment, I must disagree with your assessment...I think it can be fairly said that I'm the most verbose SMAC-er hanging out 'round here, but as to the best....nahhh....I leave that to the true diehards in the game.

What I DO consider myself is....a Professor? See....there are a group of people who seem to take an almost sadistic delight in utterly rending new players (MP), then bragging and gloating about it--I'm sure you've all been exposed to the type. You don't find that so much any more with SMAC....it seems to be a cyclical phenomenon, most common when a game first comes out, and then fading with time. My hope with the guide has always been to get players thinking in unconventional ways in an effort to prepare those players for an eventual run-in with one of the gaming trolls. In that regard, perhaps....Ramerez from the Highlander movie? LOL....or perhaps not. Anyway, my thinking behind all that goes something like this:

The aforementioned gaming troll tends to hunt down players new to MP and just run them into the ground, then rub it in and gloat about how talented they are....not only is that boring to listen to (and hey...in the final analysis, no matter how outstanding it is, it's still just a game, so how valuable can the "skill" of crushing unsuspecting opponents really be?), but it hurts the game itself in the sense that the new player who just got trounced and gloated to stands a chance of getting so frustrated he'll decide not to play further. That sucks, no matter how you look at it, and preventing that or at least making it more likely that the newer player won't be completely blind-sided has been a hope of mine from the start. Whew! How's that for waxing philosophic first thing in the morning....

So...all that to say....I'm probably not the best player here....there a lots of other folks who are playing every day, continuing to hone their skills, and they'd prolly kill me in a heartbeat, but I'd like to think I'd give them a surprise or two before they trounced me outta the game....::grin::

Okay, and before Thantos or any of the others who are anxiously awaiting the newest version of the guide tar and feather me, I'm gonna subit this post and get back to the painful process of editing....painful, but I love it....

-=Vel=-

LoD · May 14, 2001, 15:37

Hey there, Vel - great to hear you're nearing completion of your guide - can't wait to read it (finally

)!

quote:

Quite right you are, and upon further reflection, I see no reason why I should not go ahead and make v3 of the guide "freeware" as well. Howwzat?

Absolutely great, especially since I had v3 on my site for weeks now

.

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I love the smell of Nerve Gas in the morning. It's the smell of... victory! - MichealtheGreat

LoD - Owner/Webmaster of

THE CHIRONIAN GUILD SMAC Site
Chironian Guild's Discussion Forums

PS. I you'd ever need someone to do marketing for the Central European region - you know who to call

.
[This message has been edited by LoD (edited May 14, 2001).]

Solver · May 15, 2001, 08:02

Vel, my appreciation also goes to your amazing knowledge of game theory. But, not saying I'm better than you, I believe I'm better at one part of SMAC, that is the meta-game.

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Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Velociryx · May 15, 2001, 10:39

And you may well be, Solver! Kudos for it in any case. The metagame is the most elusive of all the concepts covered in the strat. guide, but in my book, also the most potent trick up anybody's sleeve. Anybody who has a firm grasp of the metagame would be an exceedingly tough opponent to beat, because such players often do things that defy all logic, but work out perfectly nonetheless.

Players fluent in metagame concepts can control the map in ways that make them appear almost like ghosts, appearing at exactly the right moment (or wrong moment, depending on which side of the fence you're on), doing tremendous damage, and then vanishing before any retributive strike can be organized.

Mostly, it's about control of every element of the game. Making your opponent believe he's following his own game plan, when actually he's playing right into yours. Seeing to it that battles occur on exactly the terrain you dictate, and of course, making sure that every advantage belongs to you when the fight begins. In this way, the fight is effectivly over before it begins.

Cool stuff, that....

-=Vel=-

bondetamp · May 15, 2001, 17:41

I'm somewhat unsure what is ment by the term 'meta game' but if it means 'winning by screwing with the opponent's head', the only game I've even been close to master on that level is Othello. The simplest board game in known history. And even that was years ago.

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-bondetamp
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
-H. L. Mencken

Solver · May 16, 2001, 00:51

Yes, metagame and diplomacy are my loved parts of the game. Actually, I agree with you that it's pretty impossible to teach someone the metagame, but through experience, that is gained. I really liked your example with Lal and his crawlers. In Multiplayer, MetaGame is probably even more important. Feint takes less effect vs. the AI - it's too dumb to think about being attacked, but humans might well panic.

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Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Thantos · May 16, 2001, 01:33

To me Bonedtamp the metagame can be summed up with this philosophy very good players go into the game believing they are going to win. A master of the metagame goes into the game knowing that he is going to win. To the player of the metagame you are no longer looking at each individual game but at the game itself. Its about playing for the endgame as each setting is chosen on the selections screen. It is about controlling the other players perception of what is happening in the game. It is your ability to indirectly channel your opponents in ways that even if they understand what you are doing they have only a choice of bad decisions to make in order to protect themselves.

It is about the proper execution of combinations. For instance Naval crawlers add a tremendous amount of energy for an economy that makes enourmous use of them.

And Finally Vel shouldn't you be getting back to work