> Dar "Newbies? Lunch time!" ien

Hmmmm. [Pernicious thought follows.]

Sam, how about creating two modes in which the game engine could be used--the ordinary single-player game, and a "tournament" mode that would allow players to pit their favorite teams agains one another? Combat would take place just like normal within the single-player game: it would still be turn-based, and each party would simply be regarding the other as an ordinary group of monsters from the game's point of view. This would require, of course, that the players carry out this battle within an agreed-upon window of time; otherwise one person would leave the fight hanging like an unfinished game of Fantasy Quest. It could be great fun, though. The scenarios could even be expanded to allow three or four parties to battle at one time, so that you can pick which group of enemies you target each turn, and weaker parties could also team up against a stronger one this way.

I realize that this is quite an unrealistic, difficult to implement idea (and here I was urging everybody to give you workable suggestions), but just think what fun it would be if after building up your party in the game proper for awhile, you could plug their statistics into the alternate "tournament mode" and battle it out with other players who think their parties are so tough. Can you say, "bragging rights"? If the resources of your engine design can be modified to plug parties into a tournament as well as into the regular game, would that not be one of the most addictive experiences we Rinky-dinks could possibly have in lieu of real lives? :-)

The answer will be "Nope, can't do it for several different reasons," I'm sure, but the idea was so delicious that I just had to kick it out into the Forum. And now, back to answering customer email... :-(

Iss "Turn 1: 'Chainsaw' the half-orc ninja leaps in for a flying deathstrike. 'Short Round' the halfling thief attempts an assassination from behind. All three mages cast 'Gotterdammerung' on the enemy. The Bard sings 'Sir Robin's Ballad'." achar