[tesco samoa]

Perhaps some back ground on the long Lasting game.

It occured at university. All players were in the same major. It was not every day. Just week days. And we would stop for the holidays and when people were on vacation.

The only way we kept it interesting was by role playing our races. And it became another part of my day to day activities. Stars allowed you to write scripts ( in game ) for everything( planet building was a piece of cake, very automated). So turns did not take that long.

If we did not role play or races the game would have lost interest.

It could be repeated in SEIV.

If you have dedicated players and good race role playing the game becomes just like watching a good show on tv.

We also used the game for keeping in touch with each other during the summer months.

Start a game with 1 planet, max systems, high cost tech, and low tech level.

Get 8 players who can role play and are friends or have alot of common interests and eventually people will just play their turns as an excuse to talk to each other. But at the same time competing to win.

That game would take a year or two to complete.

But it is very important to pause the game for when people are on vacation, or important life situations pop up. When the computer takes control then people lose interest.

The pbem games will weed out the people who are in for quick games and the people who lose interest after a 100 turns or so.

Then get the people who are left in a game and enjoy the experince.

Buy the end of the game. These people will become your friends.

And in the long run that is what gaming is about.

And yea I have not joined a single PBEM game on the web site.

I have just being playing against friends at work and their dads.

In the fall I will start playing some PBEM games. I am looking forward to it.

Just to busy right now to commit.