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+--- Thread: Digital PBM Convention (/showthread.php?tid=38)
Digital PBM Convention - GrimFinger - 08-11-2022
So, is such a thing possible?
I'm talking about a digital PBM convention. The thought crossed my mind, this morning, and even if it isn't a viable concept, I don't think that the world is any the poorer for us having a discussion about it.
How would it work? What would it look like? What all would it encompass and entail?
Let's hear your thoughts about such a thing. Unleash your imagination upon it!
RE: Digital PBM Convention - Shoulda - 08-11-2022
I love the idea. Something like the old Andcon PBM convention but online.
Maybe if companies could run their convention demos if they still have them. Or if there was a charge to attend the convention and it allowed you to play a certain amount of games and turns? That would give people a chance to try multiple games and see which fits their game style.
Companies would have to be open to it though.
RE: Digital PBM Convention - GrimFinger - 08-11-2022
(08-11-2022, 01:55 PM)Shoulda Wrote: I love the idea. Something like the old Andcon PBM convention but online.
Yes, something like the old AndCon PBM Convention (even though I never went to it/them, back in the day).
(08-11-2022, 01:55 PM)Shoulda Wrote: Maybe if companies could run their convention demos if they still have them. Or if there was a charge to attend the convention and it allowed you to play a certain amount of games and turns? That would give people a chance to try multiple games and see which fits their game style.
Wow! You just caused something to click loudly inside of my mind, Shoulda.
Specifically, what if it was a one day convention, or a two day weekend convention. It wouldn't work for the paper format PBM games (though perhaps it might work to start paper format PBM games, but only for the first turn, and then you would just receive your turns normally through the mail.
But for PBM games in digital format, what if there was one or two days where PBM gamers could start and play in PBM games online at zero cost? Basically, you could play in however many PBM games were run on that day during whatever hours any given PBM company decided to participate in their "online booth/online convention presence? This would allow PBM gamers to sample different PBM games at no cost to them, but by sampling them in the modern era, perhaps some would then decide to continue playing PBM games with those PBM companies and PBM GMs going forward, after the Digital PBM Convention had ended.
A digital gathering for a day or two of possibly intense PBM gaming.
(08-11-2022, 01:55 PM)Shoulda Wrote: Companies would have to be open to it though.
Yes, they would, and all might not be nor could be, since all PBM games being run in the current era do not really have digital turns. I'm thinking that several should be able to participate and function just fine, but if some couldn't for any reason at all, then that would just be something beyond our control. Understandable, though perhaps a bit sad, but it should preclude other PBM games by other PBM companies from participating, if they were so inclined.
RE: Digital PBM Convention - GrimFinger - 08-11-2022
Expanding on this a bit more, what I'm thinking is that if the Digital PBM Convention PBM games are free to play, there would be no correcting of any input errors that occur.
Basically, the idea is to let people try the PBM games, in order to give them a taste of them, and to let them see what playing in them are like. or if there is a fee, then a fee per game, or for the whole day(s) of the Digital PBM Convention. The grand object is to get people trying and playing PBM games, more so than for PBM companies to generate a profit for their convention participation. A big day or days to sample PBM games. If many PBM game sin digital format are automated, then I don't see why that asoect would work, even if other aspects of PBM gaming didn't.
RE: Digital PBM Convention - Davin - 08-11-2022
I'd be happy to provide some free-play Galac-Tac if such a thing came about. In the old days a group of friends would physically get together and play "Lightning Galac-Tac" (there was an S&D article on this if I remember) where we'd run a whole game in a weekend with turns one or more times an hour.
On-line Galac-Tac turns could be processed as soon as the players got their orders in, or perhaps more usefully, they could just play by themselves against the computer to get a feel for the game without involving other human players and running as fast as they wanted to.