Aurora 4x

Other Games => Beyond the Stars! => Topic started by: Journier on February 27, 2010, 02:23:17 AM

Title: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Journier on February 27, 2010, 02:23:17 AM
anyone? id like to atliest see some screenshots or something?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 27, 2010, 01:06:14 PM
Quote from: Journier
anyone? id like to atliest see some screenshots or something?

Journier, I am in the process of setting up a new site where I am consolidating all of my works, books, and games, into one place, instead of all over the net.  :D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: dalord0 on January 27, 2011, 01:33:41 AM
Seconded I had a look at the gunny pub forums and they are apparently closed down.  Looks awesome tho would like to have a peak at it
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on March 18, 2011, 07:04:20 PM
Seconded I had a look at the gunny pub forums and they are apparently closed down.  Looks awesome tho would like to have a peak at it

Sorry, it has been a while. Below is the addy for where I am doing the BTS! Stuff now.

The other site closed down due to a difference between Go Daddy and myself.  >:(

http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=124



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on March 29, 2011, 09:35:28 PM
Sorry if I'm doing something wrong by saying stuff in here, but how the damm hell I get this game? (Assuming it is a game)

I was seeing the Gunny Pub Forums and this "thing" really got my attention. So how/when/if I get this? Do I have to pay something? Is it free? Is it a game, or a board game, or neither of the two? I really would like to get a copy of it.

Sorry for my bad english, I'm not American
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 21, 2011, 10:39:48 PM
Sorry if I'm doing something wrong by saying stuff in here, but how the damm hell I get this game? (Assuming it is a game)

I was seeing the Gunny Pub Forums and this "thing" really got my attention. So how/when/if I get this? Do I have to pay something? Is it free? Is it a game, or a board game, or neither of the two? I really would like to get a copy of it.

Sorry for my bad english, I'm not American

The game is pretty much designed, but it needs one hell of a lot of playtesting time. Right now we are just waiting on Haegan to finish doing up the GM One Click. This program will automate most of the GM's actions, which will make it far easier to process a turn, and make it more fun for the GM.

As it stands right nopw the players have fun, since everything that could be heaped onto the GM's shoulders has been done so. Before we decided the GM One Click was needed, it would take me damn near 30 minutes per player to process a turn. So as more players joined it became a nightmare for the GM.

Once Haegan finishes the playtesting will begin again. Not to toot my own horn, but I believe I have come up with a viable system to simulate a free market economy. So unlike all other 4X games, you can run a non-command economy.  8)

@ Erik, I am not recieving any notices of these posts. That's why it is taking me so long to reply, for which I apologize.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 21, 2011, 11:31:38 PM
@ Erik, I am not recieving any notices of these posts. That's why it is taking me so long to reply, for which I apologize.
Cheers, Thor

Hmmm maybe doublecheck you are subscribed to the thread? And your email is up to date ;)
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 22, 2011, 10:44:14 AM
Hmmm maybe doublecheck you are subscribed to the thread? And your email is up to date ;)

Considering I am the moderator of this fora, and my email has not changed, I think the problem is on this end.  ;) ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 22, 2011, 12:06:09 PM
Considering I am the moderator of this fora, and my email has not changed, I think the problem is on this end.  ;) ;D



Cheers, Thor

I changed the mail settings. Let me know if you get this faster.

And were you getting emails prior from this version of the board? Or just the other?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 22, 2011, 09:37:35 PM
I changed the mail settings. Let me know if you get this faster.

And were you getting emails prior from this version of the board? Or just the other?

Never got the notice for this message either. And I have not gotten a message since the migration to this board.  :(

I also noticed that in the screenshot thread the screenshots are missing, even though the URLs are correct. I just checked the url for the colony cost screenie, and it is correct.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 23, 2011, 07:31:30 AM
Never got the notice for this message either. And I have not gotten a message since the migration to this board.  :(

I also noticed that in the screenshot thread the screenshots are missing, even though the URLs are correct. I just checked the url for the colony cost screenie, and it is correct.



Cheers, Thor
You might need to edit the original message and under "Additional Options" check Notify.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 23, 2011, 09:29:39 AM
You might need to edit the original message and under "Additional Options" check Notify.

Got it. Please post another message to see if it goes through.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 23, 2011, 09:38:20 AM
Got it. Please post another message to see if it goes through.  :)



Cheers, Thor

Okay :)
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 24, 2011, 08:40:27 AM
Okay :)

I got this message. I am used to all other forum formats making the notify in case of posts a default checked box, I had assumed it was the same here. Now I know better.  ;D

Any idea why the screenies are FUBARed?



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 24, 2011, 11:04:31 AM
I got this message. I am used to all other forum formats making the notify in case of posts a default checked box, I had assumed it was the same here. Now I know better.  ;D

Any idea why the screenies are FUBARed?



Cheers, Thor

Probably related to the switch from phpBB to SMF. Are they embedded in the post or linked? Maybe edit the posts and reinsert them?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 24, 2011, 03:44:53 PM
Probably related to the switch from phpBB to SMF. Are they embedded in the post or linked? Maybe edit the posts and reinsert them?

They are linked. And the urls are correct since they work just fine on my website. Can this software handle PNG type pics? The screenies are in that format.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 24, 2011, 03:58:55 PM
They are linked. And the urls are correct since they work just fine on my website. Can this software handle PNG type pics? The screenies are in that format.



Cheers, Thor

Some of the pics posted have been png.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on April 25, 2011, 08:36:24 AM
Some of the pics posted have been png.

Then I have no idea why the screenshots are not showing. The URLs are valid, and I tried to replace them just in case. No Go, and they work just fine on my site.

You can follow the link and see them on WoTG, and they use the very same URL as is posted here.  ???



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on April 25, 2011, 11:07:45 AM
Then I have no idea why the screenshots are not showing. The URLs are valid, and I tried to replace them just in case. No Go, and they work just fine on my site.

You can follow the link and see them on WoTG, and they use the very same URL as is posted here.  ???



Cheers, Thor
I went in and modified the screenshot posts. Changed nothing and now they appear. No idea why.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on July 31, 2011, 08:12:19 PM
Wow, I thought the game was dead. Also, sorry for not replying for all of this long, but after a couple of days with no response I thought you abandoned the game.

Anyways, I think I haven't made myself clear, I'm asking if the game is for the PC. You know download and play, or do we need someone else to make the orders, produce the factories (Or anything else that can be built)? The game looks really good, a software of it would be nice. (If there isn't one already)

EDIT: Do you guys intend on selling this game?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on July 31, 2011, 09:18:22 PM
Wow, I thought the game was dead. Also, sorry for not replying for all of this long, but after a couple of days with no response I thought you abandoned the game.

Anyways, I think I haven't made myself clear, I'm asking if the game is for the PC. You know download and play, or do we need someone else to make the orders, produce the factories (Or anything else that can be built)? The game looks really good, a software of it would be nice. (If there isn't one already)

EDIT: Do you guys intend on selling this game?

No, never abandoned it. With the lack of interest I just kept the work on my own website. No need to spread around what is not wanted.  ;D

Right now it is planned to be a Play-By-Mail game. But there may be a full program done up for it.  ;D The player will create his own orders and send them to the GM, where he will process those said orders and return the results to the Player.

Each Player will have his own mini-fora for his power, as long as he is active. This is where he can interact with the other Players and GM.  :) The Gm will also do up a newletter for the players for any significant events that have happened in the turn.

And as of now, no, the game will be free to play. This is the type of game I have always wanted to play, but no game made yet has come close. So I am making this game for me, and anybody else who wants to have a detailed game they can care about.

I tell my testers that this game is for players who love detail, and and wish to take the time to plan the growth of their power.  :)

Last, but certainly not least, I believe that Haegan and I have come up with a workable economic model for a free market system. So if a player wishes to play a Republican or Democratic form of govt, they will have a free market system for economics to begin with. But with Governmental policies he can evolve whatever form of economy he begins with into another form. The model can simulate State Capitalistic and Command Economies too. In fact, the upcoming playtest is to see how it works and to tweak what needs tweaking.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on July 31, 2011, 10:02:28 PM
Play-By-Mail? hum... I dunno, I was like waiting for a Single-Player type one. But as it seems the game looks good.

Also I couldn't acess you website I clicked on the Planet figure near your name but it just gets me to a unknown site/domain. Could you direct the correct one to me?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on July 31, 2011, 10:27:29 PM
Play-By-Mail? hum... I dunno, I was like waiting for a Single-Player type one. But as it seems the game looks good.

Also I couldn't acess you website I clicked on the Planet figure near your name but it just gets me to a unknown site/domain. Could you direct the correct one to me?

If you have any questions about the level of enjoyment you can get from the game, PM Backstab on this board. He is one of the playtesters and can give you the skinny on how he likes the game so far.  :)

That is the old URL. Below is the one where we are working at.  :)

World of the Gunny (http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on July 31, 2011, 10:42:13 PM
Thanks! Gonna give it a check now.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: backstab on August 01, 2011, 02:03:36 AM
I can not recommend the game enough !  We had some good times play testing some of the early versions and with the upcoming GM Program, I think that it will take the game to new heights of intrigue, slaughter and mayhem !

 
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on August 01, 2011, 04:56:53 PM
So I checked the Website, but I coudn't find the Rules Area - I'm really thinking on joining, but if I don't know the Rules I can't play the game correctly.

I'm quite slow so if the Rules are right on my face I apologise beforehand.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 01, 2011, 06:16:26 PM
So I checked the Website, but I coudn't find the Rules Area - I'm really thinking on joining, but if I don't know the Rules I can't play the game correctly.

I'm quite slow so if the Rules are right on my face I apologise beforehand.

Xkill, I apologize, I had the BTS! area unseen for guests. It is now viewable in case you wish to see the public area. The rules and playtesting forums are still hidden though.  :)

And we do need playtesters, though.  ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on August 01, 2011, 10:43:54 PM
Xkill, I apologize, I had the BTS! area unseen for guests. It is now viewable in case you wish to see the public area. The rules and playtesting forums are still hidden though.  :)

And we do need playtesters, though.  ;D



Cheers, Thor

Well, Þórgrímr, I tried to register at your site but it doesn't allow me - It says that my Email isn't allowed. I normally use Hotmail but have an account on Yahoo too; neither worked. What Email 'Provider' (I don't know the right word in English) I need to be able to register?

Cheers! ;D
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 02, 2011, 09:13:48 AM
Well, Þórgrímr, I tried to register at your site but it doesn't allow me - It says that my Email isn't allowed. I normally use Hotmail but have an account on Yahoo too; neither worked. What Email 'Provider' (I don't know the right word in English) I need to be able to register?

Cheers! ;D

Both Hotmail and Yahoo are banned providers due to the extreme amounts of spam that occurs using them. Go ahead and use the following: XkillATcomcastDOTnet, replacing the at and dot with their equivalents. Then once you have registered you can change your email back to anything you wish since the email ban is only for new registers.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on August 02, 2011, 07:55:32 PM
Both Hotmail and Yahoo are banned providers due to the extreme amounts of spam that occurs using them. Go ahead and use the following: XkillATcomcastDOTnet, replacing the at and dot with their equivalents. Then once you have registered you can change your email back to anything you wish since the email ban is only for new registers.  :)



Cheers, Thor

Well, I did a workaround - I used a local Brazilian Email Provider, and it worked! Now I only need to wait the confirmation of the Admins. (Who I think is you and Haegan) I'll hit the Ruler after the confirmation and talk to you after I read 'em all.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 02, 2011, 08:48:29 PM
Well, I did a workaround - I used a local Brazilian Email Provider, and it worked! Now I only need to wait the confirmation of the Admins. (Who I think is you and Haegan) I'll hit the Ruler after the confirmation and talk to you after I read 'em all.

You have been approved. Welcome aboard.  :) I will leave you a PM on WoTG as to what you need to do, to join the playtesters.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on August 02, 2011, 09:02:33 PM
Cool, i'm anxious to start!
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: mavikfelna on August 03, 2011, 11:22:32 AM
Just be aware that it's a HUGELY complex game. The playtests helped find and fix a bunch of stuff but it needs yet more playtests to refine things.

Still, if you don't mind the complexity it's pretty thorough and hugely variable which should lead to alot of interesting gameplay.

--Mav
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 03, 2011, 05:03:19 PM
Just be aware that it's a HUGELY complex game. The playtests helped find and fix a bunch of stuff but it needs yet more playtests to refine things.

Still, if you don't mind the complexity it's pretty thorough and hugely variable which should lead to alot of interesting gameplay.

--Mav

The following paragraph's are aimed at the whole board and not just Xkill.  :)

I have to qualify Mav's statement a bit. Since the word 'complex' has gotten a bad rap with today's gamer.

The complexity in the game comes from the sheer amount of things you can do. With the unitmaker, leadermaker, speed checker, and colony cost programs the actual complex things are greatly simplified. With no slight towards Mav, he has seen the design docs but has not participated in a playtest yet. So has no experience in what is and is not dealt with by the player. Now Backstab, has participated in the tests, and is qualified to comment.

One thing I believe is to allow the gamers to do pretty much what they wish in the game. And to allow that you need a pretty hefty set of rules. But as an aside, the rules Mav and the tester's have seen are the design docs. Pretty much 75% of those the actual player will never see.

I would say that Aurora is more complex, in its minutia, than BTS! is. We just do not have a fancy program to hide our innards.  ;) ;D

My final point is do not let the word 'complex' make your decison for you, you may miss something that you will enjoy for years, and not just for a few months and grow bored with.

BTS! is going to be the type of game that what you put into it is what you get out of it. You want great detail, the data is there. If you want quick, that is covered also. Playing the game is, actually, quite simple. In the last playtest it was taking the players, as they told me, between 10 and 20 minutes to make their orders.

If this sounds like a 'sales pitch', in a way it is. It is also an attempt to deflect the negative conotations of the word 'complex'. One man's complex is another man's dumbed down. ;D



Cheers, Thor

Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on August 03, 2011, 07:24:00 PM
Calm down Þórgrímr, I still want to play the game...  :)

But, leaving the comic (Or not) comment above, I like the complex games - If the game isn't complex you run out of things to do; if its too simple you will master the game way too quickly making it boring. Aurora is a "Way too much" game - I actually stopped playing it for awile because I was afraid that I was going to abandon a Campaign because of the complexity. :P

So bottom line: No game is the "Middle Term" (At least not the ones that I know of) the perfect game is the one that you have fun playing for a long time.

But now to the questions: (They would come sooner or later)  ;D

1: How does the "Space Age" is played properly? (Is there any kind of Ship Design, Space Battles, Pirates, etc...)

2: Do we all get dropped in a single planet and battle our way out? (Like some sort of World Domination eventually reaching the Space Age)

3: Oh, The Research! :P   How does it function? (You know, Tech Trees, Espionage, maybe research facilities like in Aurora)

4: About the Sheet Stuff... I'm not sure of the huge amount of Sheets that people talked about... (I completely SUCK at Math so my own calculations will suck too. Well, maybe... And yes I know about the Calculator but not even it can calculate more complex calculations)

5th and possibly last one: The Cold War!  *cue dramatic music* (Or Hot one in this case) How does actual Planetary Combat Works? (Does it work like a RTS: Sheer Amount over Strategy; like a Grand Strategy: HOI3 Has Come! Beware its Divisions! or maybe a TBS: It's your turn pal...)

I'm a joker ain't I?

Anyways, Thank you for aswering my questions and forgiving the terrible English of mine...
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 03, 2011, 09:33:36 PM
Calm down Þórgrímr, I still want to play the game...  :)

But, leaving the comic (Or not) comment above, I like the complex games - If the game isn't complex you run out of things to do; if its too simple you will master the game way too quickly making it boring. Aurora is a "Way too much" game - I actually stopped playing it for awile because I was afraid that I was going to abandon a Campaign because of the complexity. :P

So bottom line: No game is the "Middle Term" (At least not the ones that I know of) the perfect game is the one that you have fun playing for a long time.

But now to the questions: (They would come sooner or later)  ;D

1: How does the "Space Age" is played properly? (Is there any kind of Ship Design, Space Battles, Pirates, etc...)

2: Do we all get dropped in a single planet and battle our way out? (Like some sort of World Domination eventually reaching the Space Age)

3: Oh, The Research! :P   How does it function? (You know, Tech Trees, Espionage, maybe research facilities like in Aurora)

4: About the Sheet Stuff... I'm not sure of the huge amount of Sheets that people talked about... (I completely SUCK at Math so my own calculations will suck too. Well, maybe... And yes I know about the Calculator but not even it can calculate more complex calculations)

5th and possibly last one: The Cold War!  *cue dramatic music* (Or Hot one in this case) How does actual Planetary Combat Works? (Does it work like a RTS: Sheer Amount over Strategy; like a Grand Strategy: HOI3 Has Come! Beware its Divisions! or maybe a TBS: It's your turn pal...)

I'm a joker ain't I?

Anyways, Thank you for aswering my questions and forgiving the terrible English of mine...


Not mad, just setting a definiton is all.  ;D

1. I will give an example of a 'Dawn of the Space Age': It is the dawn of the American space exploration effort. The US has decided that to explore the final frontier and they will need a secure base in orbit to support efforts further out in the solar system.

They have a (star)port located in the Southeast region and will be using rockets to lift the IUUs and pop into orbit and in expectation of that have built quite a few of their Titan 2 lifting bodies. They pay the 100 WUs and lift the 500 pop and 10 IUUs into orbit. At the end of the fifth turn Skywatch One becomes operational with one Bastion.

Now let's continue with the example, BTW, these examples are right out of the design docs: The American space exploration effort has yielded spectacular success and Congress has decided it is time to move manufacturing into orbit to ease the cost of producing space based items. Therefore the US has decided that to expand Skywatch One into a proper space station.

They have a (star)port located in the Southeast region and will be using rockets to lift the IUUs into orbit and in expectation of that have built quite a few Saturn 5 Heavy Lifting Bodies. They pay the 200 WUs and lift the 2.5K pop and 20 IUUs into orbit. At the end of the turn Skywatch One transforms into Earth Two and becomes operational in 6 turns with a pop cap of 10K and with one Bastion. On the seventh turn the US designates the next infrastructure point to be built will be an sHI (Space Heavy Industry) and pays the 100 WUs then lifts the pop needed to run the infra and the 10 IUUs into orbit. 6 turns later Earth Two has been upgraded to a level two space station with 3K pop and one space-based heavy industry capacity available.

And yes, there are ship desgins, space battles, and you betcha, pirates!  ;D

2. In the next playtest all of the testers will be a nation on earth in 1969, just after Apollo 11 has landed. The main thrust of this playtest is to make sure the new Research and Development rules work as designed.

3. I will give an example research project and explain it's parts.

[] Rocketry: Manned Orbital Capsule Name of Project
Tech Level Requirement Engineering, Physics/Mathematics 6.9 Technology Levels required to open up the project
R&D Requirement Manned Capsule, 10 Rocket Manufactory Production Slots Technology required to research. Number of Manufacturing Slots needed
Beneficial Disciplines: Rocketry, Astronautics, Ballistics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Spacecraft Propulsion, Spacecraft Design The teams and scientists assigned to the project will have disciplines they excel at, these are the beneficial ones
Successes Required 2 Each Project has three stages, Theory, Develpoment, and Practical Application. These are the number of successes needed to progress.
Chemical cryogenic rockets use fuels that demand active storage measures in almost all star systems if used inside the 'snow line.' By far the most common such system is the liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket, which uses plain water as fuel, split into its component elements. Such rockets typically have a impulse rating of 400 to 500 seconds, a thrust to weight ratio of less than 100 to 1 and a total delta-v of no more than 6.2 m/sec. Project Description
Completing the Rocketry: Manned Orbital Capsule project allows the Power to build a larger manned orbital space vehicle squadron. This carries more crew and equipment than the primitive Manned Capsule. It is capable of moving out of LEO into higher orbits, and leads the way to manned Space Platforms, Space Stations, and eventually the Moon. Benefits of the Project.

4. The player has two sheets. A System Sheet and an Empire sheet. The player does no math beyond basic planning. All of the math is done for him. All you do is enter the data and the math is calced by the sheet. Everything else is optional or a helper.

5. The player gives the orders for his military, and the GM processes them and returns the results. So like all Imperious rulers, you have to rely on your military to carry out your orders.  ;) ;D Needless to say, this is one reason the GM program is being made. Combat has a LOT of modifiers. The base unit is the Bn, and you build your own order of battle. AKA, make you own military as you see fit.  :)

I like jokers.  ;D

And I also like to answer questions, the more the merrier since it shows an interest.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 04, 2011, 06:32:46 PM
Xkill, PM sent on WoTG.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: dalord0 on August 04, 2011, 07:58:39 PM
I'm interested in playtesting this but my account hasn't been activated.... ;)  how long does it usually take?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 04, 2011, 08:43:18 PM
I'm interested in playtesting this but my account hasn't been activated.... ;)  how long does it usually take?

Give me five minutes.  ;D Onced I approve it I will send you a PM about joining the playtest team.  :)

EDIT: I had an account of dalord and dalord0. I approved the latter one.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: haegan2007 on August 04, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
hello all.  We are getting close to finishing the GM one click.  Hopefully about 2 weeks.  I don't see the excel sheets changing from now till then.  Right now we are working on placing finished infra and facilities on the system sheet.  The next step is updating the Empire Economics sheet and then its a go i think!
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: dalord0 on August 04, 2011, 10:27:38 PM
Give me five minutes.  ;D Onced I approve it I will send you a PM about joining the playtest team.  :)

EDIT: I had an account of dalord and dalord0. I approved the latter one.



Cheers, Thor

Cheers that was a mistake on my part :P
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 04, 2011, 10:37:56 PM
Cheers that was a mistake on my part :P

No worries bud. It happens to us all at one time or another.  ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 22, 2011, 02:29:47 PM
Xkill and dalord, the game is about to start. If you are still intetested, please head over to WoTG and let me know.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Xkill on September 26, 2011, 06:38:49 PM
Oh, hello Þórgrímr, look I think I'll have to pass this game; my PC got screwed. I'm about to get a Notebook from the local government as a prize, but, they didn't distributed them yet, and I don't know when it's going to get on my hands.

It was about to be delivered to the students at about 09/27/11, but they rescheduled it, and they didn't gave me the date yet. It is going to be delivered this year, in the end of October or November but I'm not sure.

As soon as I get my Notebook, I'll start contributing to the playtesting team.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 27, 2011, 02:41:50 AM
Oh, hello Þórgrímr, look I think I'll have to pass this game; my PC got screwed. I'm about to get a Notebook from the local government as a prize, but, they didn't distributed them yet, and I don't know when it's going to get on my hands.

It was about to be delivered to the students at about 09/27/11, but they rescheduled it, and they didn't gave me the date yet. It is going to be delivered this year, in the end of October or November but I'm not sure.

As soon as I get my Notebook, I'll start contributing to the playtesting team.

Thanks for the heads up bud. We will be here when and if you get the time to play.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Tssha on December 17, 2011, 10:40:26 PM
Howdy!  I am fairly interested in your game, and have attempted to register with your site, but it's not accepting my gmail address.   If you find any accounts that need approval and the name Tssha pops up, please approve it.   If not, I guess I'll need to employ some kind of workaround. . .

. . . but while I've got your ear, where are you in terms of games in progress?  It's been a few months, are you still on the 1969 scenario?  Or are you back to the interstellar period where empires rise in fall after the Elohim gate network is reopened?  Is there room for another player?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: backstab on December 18, 2011, 03:19:09 AM
Hi Tssha,

I'll get in toch with Thor and let him know your intrested !
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Tssha on December 18, 2011, 02:28:33 PM
Thank ye kindly. :)
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on December 19, 2011, 08:52:06 AM
Thank ye kindly. :)

Tssha, I apologise for that. But I have been hit from so many spambots from Gmail that I had to ban the domain. So if you wish to register, use the following email address: TsshaATcomcastDOTnet.

And once you are registered you can change your email address back to your Gmail account.  :) The ban is only against new registers, not registered members.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Tssha on December 19, 2011, 07:04:13 PM
Thanks!  Done that, now it just needs approval. ;D
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on December 19, 2011, 07:30:23 PM
Thanks!  Done that, now it just needs approval. ;D

Your account has been approved. Welcome to WoTG.  ;D

If you are interested, a playtest of DSA is going on right now. Kinda slow due to the time of year, but still going on.  ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Zerkuron on February 15, 2012, 02:33:21 PM
Hi there!

I killed a bit time reading about BTS! and it sounds interesting to me. Are you still locking for players, aka playtester at this state of dev?

If yes I would give BTS! a try. The game sounds great for me, even if I never tried Play by EMail yet. Also I am not a native english speaker but if low reading speed is not a problem for you I would be glad to try this kind of game! But the fact of having 1 month vacation should help to read the rules in time. :D

I think the domain ban on yahoo is still active I would ask you to help me register, if you decide to let me partizipate.

*edit: improved speech*+1

Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 15, 2012, 03:39:28 PM
Hi there!

I killed a bit time reading about BTS! and it sounds interesting to me. Are you still locking for players, aka playtester at this state of dev?

If yes I would give BTS! a try. The game sounds great for me, even if I never tried Play by EMail yet. Also I am not a native english speaker but if low reading speed is not a problem for you I would be glad to try this kind of game! But the fact of having 1 month vacation should help to read the rules in time. :D

I think the domain ban on yahoo is still active I would ask you to help me register, if you decide to let me partizipate.

*edit: improved speech*+1



Hello Zerkuron. The game can always use playtesters!  ;D  Follow the link and it will take you to the forum where the testing is currently taking place. If you like what you see so far, go ahead and register and ask to join the playtest in the discussions thread.

By the way, you english is far better than a lot of native speakers can write! So no worries in the department!  ;D I look forward to seeing you on WoTG!

I will send you a temporary email address you can use to register. That way when I see it and your username I will know it is you. You can change it back once you have registered, since the ban is only against new registers due to the amount of spam Yahoo puts out.


http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=133 (http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=133)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Zerkuron on February 15, 2012, 04:28:24 PM
Hello Zerkuron. The game can always use playtesters!  ;D  Follow the link and it will take you to the forum where the testing is currently taking place. If you like what you see so far, go ahead and register and ask to join the playtest in the discussions thread.

By the way, you english is far better than a lot of native speakers can write! So no worries in the department!  ;D I look forward to seeing you on WoTG!

I will send you a temporary email address you can use to register. That way when I see it and your username I will know it is you. You can change it back once you have registered, since the ban is only against new registers due to the amount of spam Yahoo puts out.


http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=133 (http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=133)



Cheers, Thor

I have completed register and wait for activation. :)

*edit: the Year 1 Events thread read like a good crime story"
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 15, 2012, 06:33:15 PM
I have completed register and wait for activation. :)

*edit: the Year 1 Events thread read like a good crime story"

You have been appproved, and you can now change your email back to whatever you wish. Welcome aboard.  :)

Lol, yeah, with all of the explosions and failures it did look like a fireworks display for a bit.  ;D I try to get the players to make fluff news posts to make it more enjoyable.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Zerkuron on February 16, 2012, 01:29:11 AM
thanksfor fast response. But changing e-mail needs reactivation of my account. Only one last step ...  :D
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 16, 2012, 09:55:00 AM
thanksfor fast response. But changing e-mail needs reactivation of my account. Only one last step ...  :D

And you are reapproved.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Axner on February 17, 2012, 10:22:31 AM
Hello there !

I have been looking through the BTS! articles on your site and I am rather interested in this.  It looks rather interesting I must say.  I was wondering perhaps if I could jump in on this.  If you would have me of course.  It looks like something I would enjoy.  :D So if you need another play tester then I am more then willing to help.  ;D
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 17, 2012, 10:42:42 AM
Axner, you are most welcome as a tester! Just register on the site and ask to be a tester.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Axner on February 17, 2012, 10:52:11 AM
It would seem my email address is not allowed to be used? Any work around I can use to register? 
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 17, 2012, 10:58:46 AM
Sure, I will send you an email address to use in the registration in a PM. That way when I see it and your username I will approve it.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 17, 2012, 11:01:18 AM
It would seem my email address is not allowed to be used? Any work around I can use to register? 

Axner, PM sent.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Axner on February 17, 2012, 11:04:28 AM
Thanks! :) i look forward to being a part of this.   ;D
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 17, 2012, 11:21:24 AM
Thanks! :) i look forward to being a part of this.   ;D

Axner, you have been approved. Welcome to WoTG. Send me a PM on WoTG with your email address and I will sned you the rules to begin reading.  :)

Welcome aboard.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 17, 2012, 11:55:48 AM
Thanks! :) i look forward to being a part of this.   ;D

Email sent with the rules.  :)
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: TheDOC on August 17, 2012, 06:29:02 PM
How can i get the game? Is registration to the forum required?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on August 17, 2012, 07:06:23 PM
How can i get the game? Is registration to the forum required?

I do believe so. Thor has his own forums at the link above.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 17, 2012, 08:39:45 PM
How can i get the game? Is registration to the forum required?

Hello TheDoc, Currently we are playtesing Beyond the Stars! Dawn of the Space Age. The introductory game to the BTS! family of games. You are most welcome to head on over to WotG and participate, or just converse and offer your opinions.  :)

The WotG URL is as follows: http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/ (http://wotg.stgfc.com/phpBB3/)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: TheDOC on August 18, 2012, 09:07:50 AM
Can't register, email problem.

Reading the thread, this happened to some others too. Is this a problem of phpBB?

However, in case some mod reads it here, i need a subforum in the aurora fiction section. I'm making a topic for every part of the AAR so this is going to be very big.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 18, 2012, 09:13:23 AM
Can't register, email problem.

Reading the thread, this happened to some others too. Is this a problem of phpBB?

However, in case some mod reads it here, i need a subforum in the aurora fiction section. I'm making a topic for every part of the AAR so this is going to be very big.

What email address are you using? Some email domains are spam highways, so are banned. You can use the following email to let me know it is you. Then when you are registered you can change your email back to whatever you wish. The ban is only against new registers.  :)

Use this email: TheDOC@comcast.net



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: TheDOC on August 18, 2012, 04:11:05 PM
Ok, thanks. I'll send you a PM after i register.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 18, 2012, 10:14:00 PM
Ok, thanks. I'll send you a PM after i register.

I look forward to your participation.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: clement on February 05, 2013, 10:59:46 AM
Are you still looking for people? I was reading about this and it looked interesting. Not sure if I would have time but would like to dig into it more. I tried registering but my email address got rejected.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 05, 2013, 01:23:15 PM
Clement, due to unfortunate circumstances, WoTG being hacked, I had Erik open up a Playtester's forum here on Aurora.  :)

Once I have the rules updated Haegan and I are going to run a playtest here on this board. When the Playtest begins we will need folks to participate. So stand by, and keep an eye open for that announcement.  ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: clement on February 05, 2013, 03:33:17 PM
Ok, I'll keep an eye out, I look forward to seeing the completed ruleset.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 20, 2013, 09:21:08 AM
Well, BTS sounds like the sort of thing I appreciate.  I agree that games now are far too dumbed down.  But I'm not entierly sure what it is, can you tell me if my first impressions are correct?

It seems to be a 4x game that begins in the pre-space age, but then progress onwards into the future.  It also seems to be some sort of pen and paper type game (or screen and keyboard). It also seem to require more than one person to play.  Are my assumptions correct or have I misunderstood this game?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 23, 2013, 06:02:59 PM
Well, BTS sounds like the sort of thing I appreciate.  I agree that games now are far too dumbed down.  But I'm not entierly sure what it is, can you tell me if my first impressions are correct?

It seems to be a 4x game that begins in the pre-space age, but then progress onwards into the future.  It also seems to be some sort of pen and paper type game (or screen and keyboard). It also seem to require more than one person to play.  Are my assumptions correct or have I misunderstood this game?

I apologize for not answering your post sooner. Been busy doing up the Orbats for one of the intended scenarios to test the system.  :)

BTS! has it's Genesis in my disappointment with most 4x games. Most seem to concentrate on one aspect or another of space, combat and the expansion of a species into the deep black. One of the names Haegan and I have given BTS! is a '4x Nation Simulator'. What we mean by this is that we cover ALL facets of a nation of sentients.

Fist off, the populace of the power is no longer free resources to be exploited at your whim. You have to actually take care of them. House, feed, and keep them employed. Now, you can keep them inline with your military, or even go so far as to make their Self-Determination low. What a low Self-Determination does is give a player the sense of how much 'trouble' his populace will give him and his rule. Low means they are content, or have resigned themselves to their fate as biological cogs in their governments machinery.

However, if you set your SD too low, that will come back and bite you in the ass if you are ever invaded.  ;)

Now that I have given the rah-rah speech, I will answer your points.  ;D

BTS! Can be configured to start at the dawn of time, up to far, far in the future. The GM and the players determine exactly what epoch they will begin in.

Unfortunately, BTS! cannot be play PnP. Too many variables that would make the GM go insane. The reason I say this is that the BTS! Engine was designed to make it as easy as possible for the players to play the game. They give their orders to the GM, and he processes them. It is possible to play it with excel sheets. They do an excellent job of cutting down the number crunching and math the GM has to worry about. In point of fact, the program Haegan is working on is for the GM, not the players.  ;D

As for the number of players, yes more than one would make it more fun. Human interaction is FAR more interesting than interacting with NPRs, and such. However, the Gm can generate entire NPRs if need be. So, technically, it can be played with one GM, and one player.  :)

Some would say BTS! is complex. In a sense, it is. The complexity comes from the myriad decisions a player MUST make. Yet the mechanics of the game for a player are not complex at all. With BTS! you can put as much, or as little, as you wish into it. As an example, I have created an entire Steampunk Nation called Albion. Yes, it is based off of Victorian England. Moreover, in creating this Power I went into great detail into their history, military units and organization.

Now, a player is NOT required to put that much detail into their power, but BTS! is going to be a game that you experience, as well as play. The canon 'verse will be an ongoing setting that will have story elements in it, while there will be other 'verses and modules released over time. So, I think I can safely say, if you do put the effort into your power, you will enjoy the game much, much more.  :)

Below is an example of flavor I have created for one of the main powers in the canon 'verse.  :)


 The Terran Armored Cavalry: The Horse Soldiers of the Stars


INTRODUCTION

The Terran Armored Cavalry Regiments claim to be some of the oldest units serving the United States of Terra today. Only the United Terran Marine Corps can claim to be older than the ACR's. Their troopers are steeped in the traditions of their ancestors and are proud, almost to the point of insubordination. Although an ACR is not a large unit their lists of achievements rivals any Marine or Special Forces Unit one can name.

The roots of the modern day Armored Cavalry Regiments can trace their origin back to the day Gunnery Sergeant DeShane swore in Alpha Troop, 1st United States Cavalry in the early days of the Unification Wars. As Mankind sought the stars numerous military units went into space, the Cavalry leading the way.

When out in space the ACRs assumed the duties of protecting the colonists of Terran worlds. Pirates, warlords, and criminal organizations were commonplace, mainly due to the government being so far away and only a Territorial Governor to rule. Usually, as the only garrison on many frontier worlds, the ACRs began to live up to their their reputation and history.

Deployed in Troop level posts, members of the ACRs sought out and destroyed these threats. Although rarely engaged in a set piece battle, the ACRs fought hundreds of skirmish level battles on every world along the frontier. During this time the ACRs reached back into history and began to wear the yellow scarves and gloves we now find so common. The blue Regimental number on the backs of the scarves reminded the colonists that the Cap Troopers were on the job. All vehicles have a guidon divided into a swallowtail red upper background and white Regimental number half, and white lower background and red Squadron Number / Troop letter half.

REGIMENTAL TRADITIONS

The unofficial Cap Trooper Motto: Hit Them First, Hit Them Hard, and Hit Them Last.

The first thing a person notices when dealing with a member of an ACR is their dress uniform, worn when the ACR is not in combat. The uniform jacket is navy blue and the trousers are light blue with yellow striping down the outside of the trouser legs, while yellow gloves are either worn or folded over the black leather belt. Squadron numbers and Troop letters are worn on the left sleeve while the Regimental number is worn on the right, along with the unit crest. There is a yellow scarf worn which is knotted in the front with the Regimental number on the back.

Vehicle Crewmen of an ACR wear black knee high leather boots and silver spurs, a reminder of the days when the horse was the mode of transportaion. Infantry uniforms are similar. When in combat the infantry wears light powered armor. Each vehicle crewman of an ACR carries a Colt M-3211 4mm gauss pistol. The Infantry carry the Winchester M-25 plasma rifle and a Colt M-3211 gauss pistol as a sidearm.

The jargon in an ACR seems to come from a different time altogether. All members of an ACR are called troopers, vehicle crews are called Horse Soldiers, and the infantrymen are often called Dog Soldiers. Only other members of the Regiment may call their infantry Dog Soldiers, however. It is a serious insult for an outsider to refer to any member of the Regiment by these names. The Regimental commander is always called the 'Old Man' no matter the gender or species.

The ACRs contain Human, Halaorian, and Dardanii. No other species are recruited, and no other races are accepted. Denevans are particularly disliked by the ACRs as a whole. Members of all three species have been promoted to Regimental commanders over the years. Members of an ACR have been known to disobey, or ignore, commands from another non-ACR unit's officers. Although dealt with harshly, the practice of only recognizing officers within an ACR continues to this day.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 24, 2013, 04:24:08 PM
Thanks I feel like I have a better understanding now.  I take it that it is in early stages?  "Beta testing" for want of a better name.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 24, 2013, 07:46:55 PM
Thanks I feel like I have a better understanding now.  I take it that it is in early stages?  "Beta testing" for want of a better name.

Actually, the mechanics of the game are pretty much finished. Just some tweaking and Haegan finishing the GM Program before we can proceed with the testing. Right now I am putting the finishing touches on the maintenance and supply rules. We had that overhaul and it required a redo of the M&S Rules.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Haegan2005 on February 24, 2013, 07:59:59 PM
The real delay is the programming. Its being done on my free time, which isn't as much as I would like these days. I seem to be averaging a screen every two weeks at this point, but the screens are fairly simple right now. As I am going I am designing the DB as well. By the time the Racial, Nation, Regional, and unit design screens are done, we will have 80% of the DB effectively made. 

We have the Racial creation, Government design, and the first screen of the Nation creation process done. Next is the Infrastructure and population purchasing screen to do. Then the Region/World creation screen. I am not sure If we will be able to add the infra and pop in on that screen or if we are going to have yet another screen for this. 
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 25, 2013, 01:51:40 AM
Cool, I'm certainly going to watch this project.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: MrAnderson on February 25, 2013, 01:52:06 AM
It's looking good Haegan. Don't worry too much about how long it takes. While I blitz through interfaces whenever I write a program, it's the coding that really takes time. As always, if you need any assets/help with anything, feel free to give me a shout.

(I'm a bit burnt out right now, went on a 4 day trip with my band to Moscow, Idaho for the Jazz Festival.)
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 25, 2013, 10:30:40 AM
One thing I have emphasized with BTS! is the ability for the player to recreate real life Orbats and situations. However, to be able to do that I had to use real life to design the engine.  ;D What that means is that BTS! will NOT gloss over things like Maintenance and Supply. The example below is an example for the US 1st Armored Division and it supply load out. The totals are figured by the game and only the final totals are given to the player. If there is a shortage it will be reported to the player. So, while it looks complex the player only worries about the final tally.  :)

With the new rules we can now simulate the Allied Army running out of fuel in late 44, while still having plenty of Ammo and General Supply. Or the situation in January 45 when the American Army was so short of ammunition that they had to ration ammunition. In point of fact, the situation was so bad that they had to limit each 105mm piece to 22 rounds a day, maximum.  :P

I know this example will scare off a lot of folks who do not like details. That is fine with me. I would rather have five or six players who love the detail and are willing to commit to the game.  :) The Company Motto for GPI is: Games for gamers who love to sweat the details.  8)

Each Republican Combat HQ or independent formation can carry two full load outs of its basic supply requirements.

Example:
The American 1st Armored Division consists of the following assets:

For the purposes of this example the Aircraft assets will be classified as vehicular.

1st Armored Division:
1 Combat Engineer Battalion - Vehicular
1 Air Defense Battalion - Vehicular
1 Military Intelligence Battalion - Leg

1st Armored Brigade:
3 Armored Battalions  - Vehicular
2 Mech Infantry Battalions - Vehicular
1 SP Artillery Battalion - Vehicular

1st Mechanized Brigade:
2 Armored Battalions - Vehicular
3 Mech Infantry Battalions - Vehicular
1 SP Artillery Battalion - Vehicular

2nd Armored Brigade:
3 Armored Battalions - Vehicular
2 Mech Infantry Battalion - Vehicular
1 SP Artillery Battalion - Vehicular

1st Aviation Brigade:
2 Armored Cavalry Squadrons (Bn) - Vehicular
2 Attack Helicopter Squadrons - Aircraft
3 Light Aviation Transport Squadrons - Aircraft

Division Artillery Brigade:
5 SP Artillery Battalions - Vehicular
2 MLRS Artillery Battalions - Vehicular

So the basic supply requirement for the American 1st AD is as follows:
1. Fuel = 34 Fuel Points.
1. Ammo = 70 Ammo Points. NOTE: US Units carry enough Ammo to fully supply one attack and one defense in each Load Out.
3. General = 35 General Supply Points.

So if fully supplied the American 1st AD can carry 68 Fuel Points, 140 Ammo Points, and 70 General Supply Points.

If a Republican combat HQ or independent formation is out of ammunition that combat HQ or independent formation may not initiate combat. If a Republican combat HQ or independent formation moves while out of General Supply it must consult the forced march table to see if any Formation Cohesion is lost.

If a Republican combat HQ or independent formation is out of General Supply it may not remove any CFL levels or remove a Combat Ineffective marker.

Republican Artillery only independent formations carry 2 Fuel and General Supply Load Outs, and 3 Ammo Load Outs.



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 25, 2013, 11:12:44 AM
This certainly looks good hopefully we'll be able to see it soon.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 25, 2013, 01:38:40 PM
For the playtesters, it will not be too long.  ;) ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 25, 2013, 02:58:23 PM
And the rest of us have a while to wait? :'(
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 25, 2013, 08:43:45 PM
And the rest of us have a while to wait? :'(

Pretty much, unfortunately. There will be reports and posts of what is happening in the testing process.

However, on the other hand, we do need more playtesters to give a helping hand.  ;) ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 26, 2013, 01:51:27 AM
Well, I probably don't have the most experience, but if you need volunteers, I'd be happy.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 26, 2013, 12:11:52 PM
Well, I probably don't have the most experience, but if you need volunteers, I'd be happy.

If you like to play 4x games, can form an opinion and are willing to post them, good or bad, then you qualify.  ;D

One last thing, Since we are pretty sure BTS! has some new and innovative ways to accomplish our goals, we will require the playtesters to sign an NDA. We wish to protect our IP, and just like any other company will do, we have done.  ;D All it says is that you cannot tell or show anything that is provided to you by GPI without express, written, permission.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 26, 2013, 01:50:13 PM
Sure, I love 4X and I agree with a lot of what you said about games being dumbed-down.  I have no problem with Nondisclosure agreements either.  So yeah of you need more play testers I would be happy to sign up.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on February 26, 2013, 03:31:28 PM
Sure, I love 4X and I agree with a lot of what you said about games being dumbed-down.  I have no problem with Nondisclosure agreements either.  So yeah of you need more play testers I would be happy to sign up.

PM sent.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Haegan2005 on February 26, 2013, 07:48:54 PM
Welcome Coco!
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Haegan2005 on February 26, 2013, 08:02:27 PM
(Insert maniacal Vincent Price laughter here...)

I am interested in how you use an msflexgrid and have what looks like an integrated drop down in it. I have a free download called Lynx that does it, but it looks sloppy compared to what you use.

Because VB6 is getting long in the tooth, I am looking at alternatives like jabaco which uses the VB6 language, but I think compiles to bytecode. Unfortunately, Lynx is also not supported in this, so its double indemnity.


It's looking good Haegan. Don't worry too much about how long it takes. While I blitz through interfaces whenever I write a program, it's the coding that really takes time. As always, if you need any assets/help with anything, feel free to give me a shout.

(I'm a bit burnt out right now, went on a 4 day trip with my band to Moscow, Idaho for the Jazz Festival.)
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on February 27, 2013, 09:57:42 AM
Email sent.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Summercat on May 29, 2013, 04:35:44 PM
I come from the depths of time to ask...

Any updates on this?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on May 29, 2013, 09:09:31 PM
I come from the depths of time to ask...

Any updates on this?

We have been working hard on getting a playtest game for The Game of Nations!, The BTS! engine set in the Victorian Era, going. Hopefully the test will begin by the end of June. We decided to test the new rules in a non-space setting so we could test them with less items to keep track of.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Summerotter on May 30, 2013, 11:37:45 AM
Quote from: Þórgrímr link=topic=2297. msg63147#msg63147 date=1369879771
We have been working hard on getting a playtest game for The Game of Nations!, The BTS! engine set in the Victorian Era, going.  Hopefully the test will begin by the end of June.  We decided to test the new rules in a non-space setting so we could test them with less items to keep track of.   :)



Cheers, Thor

I see! Was wondering.  The concept looks interesting, similar to a concept I was trying (and horribly failed) to develop a decade ago.  I was young and foolish :P

I'll try to keep an eye on things!
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on May 30, 2013, 07:53:07 PM
I see! Was wondering.  The concept looks interesting, similar to a concept I was trying (and horribly failed) to develop a decade ago.  I was young and foolish :P

I'll try to keep an eye on things!

The game engine, hopefully, is designed to go from the stone age to the distant future using the same set rules. This test is to work out the bugs on the new changes and additional rules added, and detailed here on the forum.

I will be posting updates on the test as it proceeds.  :)



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on August 16, 2013, 04:40:54 PM
This seems really interesting, but I cant tell if this is pen and paper or download.   If it is downloadable, will someone send me a link?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on August 16, 2013, 04:51:10 PM
BTS is a moderated pbem. Thor (not going to try to get his special characters in) created it and runs the games. I'm sure he'll be responding to this at some point and can give you more details.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on August 16, 2013, 08:46:08 PM
This seems really interesting, but I cant tell if this is pen and paper or download.   If it is downloadable, will someone send me a link?

Erik is correct, it is a PBEM game and we use excel sheets to track the data, which makes it easier on the player.

Nothing new to report since the playtest game I tried to get going fell apart when Backstab had to go to the 'Stan, and MrAnderson disappeared.

The rules have, FINALLY, been finished, Just needs lots of testing.  ;D



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 12, 2013, 10:40:27 PM
I'd like to try this.   Can I register?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 15, 2013, 04:38:45 PM
I'd like to try this.   Can I register?

Are you willing to sign an NDA?



Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 16, 2013, 11:44:23 AM
Quote from: Þórgrímr link=topic=2297. msg65686#msg65686 date=1379281125
Are you willing to sign an NDA?



Cheers, Thor

You're kidding right? A legal document for a PBEM?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on September 16, 2013, 05:00:36 PM
Don't worry, your just guaranteeing that you wont give out any details on the game before the agreement runs out or (correct me if I'm wrong here Thor) until Thor says you can break it.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 16, 2013, 05:55:51 PM
Is it a legal-legal document? Do I need to sign anything? Or a lawyer?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on September 16, 2013, 06:24:57 PM
You should really ask Thor about this, but you are signing a document that agrees that everything you learn about BTS and connected information is confidential.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Erik L on September 16, 2013, 07:00:55 PM
I believe it is to give him some path if someone were to steal his ideas, prior to him publishing them.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 16, 2013, 07:38:57 PM
Oh, ok.   I'm willing to sign it, as long as one of the clauses is I have to become a human centipede.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 16, 2013, 08:26:08 PM
Erik and Coco are correct. Haegan and I have put in too many hours designing and developing this set of games, and since we are still testing the designs we need to protect our ideas.

All it says is that you cannot talk or give out any details of GPI games you are playtesting without my express permission.

This is because what we desperately need right now is playtesters. So we can release it for the general public to play. I have said many times that I will never release a game with my name on it without being fully tested.

However, I also understand if you have problems signing a legal document. I am leery of those buggers too.  ;D


Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Haegan2005 on September 16, 2013, 08:45:42 PM
lol its not like reading the NDA will bind you to it. It has to be signed. But we do take it seriously. This game has had a lot of time and effort put into it over the past several years. We would like to be able to protect it until it's published.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 16, 2013, 09:50:52 PM
I'm not really familiar with NDAs, but does this mean I can't tell anyone about it?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 16, 2013, 11:04:40 PM
I'm not really familiar with NDAs, but does this mean I can't tell anyone about it?

You can tell folks about it, but only general details. If there is a question you can always ask me and I will let you know if the data you wish to speak about is ok or not.

If you wish to look over the NDA, which stand for Non Disclosure Agreement, and then want to make your decision, PM me with your email address and I will send you a copy to look over. That way you can make your decision once you have seen what it entails.  :)


Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on September 17, 2013, 04:25:32 AM
Yeah, you can probably say "I'm playtesting this game called BTS"  But you couldn't give out the documents on the military unit system.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 17, 2013, 09:43:22 AM
Mantisoboggan, I just tried to send you a copy of the NDA. However, I recieved a message stating that the email you specified does not exist.


Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 17, 2013, 11:39:58 AM
Mantisoboggan, I just tried to send you a copy of the NDA. However, I recieved a message stating that the email you specified does not exist.

The one you sent me in the PM did not work, so I used the email you used here on Aurora, and it worked. So the NDA has been sent.


Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 17, 2013, 05:21:36 PM
I read it and agree to it, but do I need to send you anything?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on September 17, 2013, 05:38:39 PM
I read it and agree to it, but do I need to send you anything?

Yes, you have to fill it out and then send me a copy to add to my files.  :)


Cheers, Thor
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Dr. Toboggan on September 17, 2013, 07:07:38 PM
What should I put for the first two lines? And what about the last two lines? Are those for you, or should I also fill those out?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: theonlystd on December 05, 2013, 08:49:04 PM
Can I get in on this?!?!?
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: coco146 on December 05, 2013, 09:29:02 PM
Hah, fresh meat!  I mean... you'll have to ask Thor.
Title: Re: where do you get BTS???
Post by: Þórgrímr on December 10, 2013, 10:03:58 PM
Can I get in on this?!?!?

Sorry I took sop long to answer, not getting the emails.  :P

We do need playtesters, can you commit to a playtesting schedule and willing to sign an NDA?


Cheers, Thor