[Jester]

Originally posted by TrinTara
I’ve been reading these boards with some bemusement. It seems that many have forgotten the basics of what the game should be about, or at least what we as Cows think the game should be about – fun and community.

When round 8 died unexpectedly many people were disappointed but it was great to see emails start flying around as soon as word came out that a new round would happen. People were trying to see who would play and with who….in other words trying to set up galaxies with friends.

How to do this when the make-up or structure of the new galaxies was as yet unknown? Personally I’ve always quite enjoyed random galaxies and my best friends in the Planetarion community have come from being thrown into a galaxy with them and then getting to know them. Many people however prefer private galaxies.

If you take a short-term view, private galaxies give you the opportunity to play the game with people you know but you risk stagnating the community because people become too entrenched and safe with just the people they already know. If however you take the long-term view, random galaxies encourage community because they bring strangers together and expand the circle of community. MadCows take the long-term view since they are and always will be community oriented.

Our compromise for the round so that both the goals of our members (play with mates) and our goal (maintain a community) was achieved, was to create cells of friends so people were sure they had some mates with them and throw them out there into the universe of planetarion with ‘strangers’ from other alliances. This allowed us to be flexible enough to cope with whatever form the final galaxies took. It also allowed us to be excited and positive and encourage people to COME BACK and play.

Alliances should be about more than military aspects. YOU should hang your head in shame if you haven’t also created a positive atmosphere where people WANT to come back and play.

Trin
MadCows HC

You just keep telling yourself that when they whip out the anal-cacti and you should be all right.

Jester