New: Solar Dominion (free, open-ended, email, www, human, space, wargame, economic, rpg)

Name:           Solar Dominion 
Costs:          Free
URL:            http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solardominion/
Frequency:              Weekly
Email:          [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Type:           Futuristic Strategy Wargame 
Last-Update:            2003Nov30
Keywords: free, open-ended, email, www, human, space, wargame, economic, rpg

Description:

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away, an ancient race of aliens
decided to once and for all cut down the travelling time between
habitable planets and their respective star systems. So, they created
a massive network of Jump Points (wormholes), setting up a web of
connected star systems, each with habitable planets of their own. Then
something happened, and those benevolent beings dissapeared from the
picture. Eons have passed, and finally new tendrils of intelligent
life are venturing into this web to explore it, to expand throughout
it, to exploit it - and to dominate.

***

Welcome to the Universe of “Solar Dominion”, a strategy game designed
and conducted by yours truly, Lokos the Game Master. As you may have
guessed already, Solar Dominion (AKA SD) is a space strategy
empire-building game reminiscent of the 4X strategy games of yore
(eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate), although the 4th X is not
necessarily a given. Here is the low-down on the game's logistical mechanics:

Format: Since this is a PBEM game, the format will be largely E-Mail
based. Most likely, the game will use Yahoo! Groups to facilitate
galaxy-wide communications, news reports etc. 

Turn-around: Real Life permitting (as will hopefully be the case), the
game will run on a weekly turn-around, with all turn sheets due in by
12am Friday and due to be updated and sent out by 12am Sunday (Melbourne
time). 

System: Well, since this  from a rules “booklet”, there is most
certainly a simple, yet detailed, game system in place for “Solar Dominion”. 

Turn Sheets: The turn sheets will be .doc based. I have a personal
dislike for the bland exactness of Excel and this distaste has time
and again led me back to Word, even for turn sheets of this nature.
However, all turn sheets are set out according to a defined standard
(there is a template turn sheet to make sure of this).

Number of Players: At any given point in the game, there will be no
more than eight players with PR’s participating in Solar Dominion.
While this may seem a draconian constraint, the reader must understand
that the GM is but a man, who does have a life apart from Solar
Dominion, and cannot spend the entire weekend updating endless turn
sheets. Eight is a number I feel comfortable with and know I can
manage on a weekly basis. 

So what are you waiting for? Contact me, and find out how you can take
part in the Solar Dominion experience. 



[ This is a new entry for the PBM List. You can find the list
itself, and instructions for adding games or comments, at
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm_list/ -- greg ]