Hello all,

Apologies in advance for the newb question, especially if this has been answered elsewhere on the forum.

I played TW2002 back in the BBS days (in grade school on a x386 with a 2400 baud modem, ha!) religiously and loved it. 17 years later as a full-grown adult I still yearn to play again. I tried to play using the modern internet maybe 8 years ago and hated the whole helper/script/bot scene. Completely different game in my opinion. I don't want to offend anyone, but I feel like that element of the game really prevents the community from continuing to thrive, or perhaps even attracting novices. Just throwing that out there as an aside.

Anyways, I'd love to figure out how to play "classic" settings against humans using their keyboards, if possible, with a friend who interested in seeing what TW is all about. Any advice? Is the only real way to do this to basically set up our game and keep it locked from outsiders?

Thank you in advance.

Love this game, by the way.

Unfortunately, there are some very aggressive players who make it their goal in life (such as it is) to undermine any effort to host a scriptless game. If you run a public site, you will always be exposed to such players coming in and spoiling your game. I continue to make efforts to give gameops more control over the kinds of players/tactics they want to allow, but there are no guarantees that I will succeed with that effort.

A recent feature allows you to run games with limited access, like they were back in the old days when you originally played. If only one player can play at a time, scripting is obviously less of an issue. Automation can still be used, but many of the worst problems with scripting will go away with a limited access mode. So if you are truly "old school" and you don't mind playing one-at-a-time, give that a try.

You can also set a password on any game you create so only invited players can enter that game.

There are a few servers out there that limit scripting with the delay options built into TWGS, and/or with specific rules against certain kinds of scripts. Cruncher's TWGS is one of my favorites.

Thank you!

Hoodwink if you let me know what you and your friends would like, I'll gladly bang a new game for you. In the mean time, log in and check out the Lobby game to get a feel for the settings I use. This is for testing only really, the planets in that game will go Level 5 in one day without product or colos, so you can get a feel for the planet delay setting I use to help keep certain tactics from happening.

Otherwise most all the settings are stock, like we used to play back when. (I started on a 486 with a 9600 baud modem.)

John,

Thank you for the quick reply. Would it be possible for me to host my own game if I get a copy of TWGS and then have my friends telnet in (assuming I have enough friends who will play earnestly)? As long as I don't publicize the address of the server, then there is nothing to fear, right?

PS. I haven't played with TWGS yet, but I assume that is how it would work, right?

Oh, absolutely. I assumed when you said "public", you meant you wanted to announce your server, but control the kinds of players you got. The vast majority of people running the software run it privately. You have the option of activating Jumpgate so your site will be publicly listed, or you can use Micro's game list site, but if you don't publish or pass around your info, nobody will bother you.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have the ability to host a server on the net so others can reach them. Another option is to go to an existing site like Micro's or Cruncher's and ask if you can guest-host a game there for your friends. Many ops are open to this, and the software supports limited access for guest-ops.

I could even set you up with a private game for you and your friends.

But I understand if you want to set-up your own server, it's a fun hobby.

The last HVS version of TW is almost bug free, Stoneslinger, sysop at theswampbbs.net runs a game using it. 95% of TWX is non-functional in HVS, so you would not have any twixie pixies running around with bots, afk scripts etc. if you got a copy of it. The only bug I know of in it is that if you trade a port and do not trade it again within a certain time after it regens, it reverts to what it had been bought down to. I cant remember if it stays there until it is traded again, or if it starts back up again. Cruncher might remember.

It is probably limited to 5K sectors.

HVS is a very good version for those players that can't compete with todays style of play.

Very few twixie pixies would last long in a HVS bang, it is not conducive to AFK scripts, BOTs, etc.

There are those of us from way back that can compete today without using the CPU to play our turns. I started in 1988, quit for a few years a few times. I still play. Easy to smoke the CPU players, no fun tho so why bother.

Yep. I played in 1988 too. I remember the single node games, tiny universes, and not enough turns to make it to the dock in one day. Personally I'm very glad those days are gone.
BTW, how did your last game against Kraaken go? Remind me just how good you are. laff

I would agree with you. They were in fact gone when I returned in the mid nineties. I used play on eclipse.ultranet.com. Most nights there were 15-20 players in the game simultaneously, and I remember clvs 100->200 players.

I have never played against Kraken. Last time I remember playing a game with Vid in it was on eclipse (although he might have been in some of the BOTEs or other tournies I played in, not sure) - I'm sure he remembers the traffic we used have there, he was a regular.

Another question: Is there a friendly guide or walkthrough to setting up a private game on TWGS including the networking side and the game configuration?

I know, I know, RTFM. The problem is I can't find the M.

Ancillary question: does anyone have a guess as to how big the TW community still is (active human players) and what it was at the peak?

That might be a good topic for the new wiki at docs.classictw.com.

I think a lot depends upon your router and knowing how to set that up. I just did a lot of looking at the help files for mine and in the end I had one of the more experienced sysops remote access my system to finish the set-up. Once you have that all figured out, installing TWGS is a breeze!

You can play on it now yourself. For the IP I just use localhost and port 23.

Of course you'll need a telnet client as well. The most popular are Swath, Zoc, Putty.