Subject: acka-research-digest V3 #62
From: [email-masked] (acka-research-digest)
To: [email-masked]

acka-research-digest     Wednesday, April 8 1998     Volume 03 : Number 062

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Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 01:30:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alexandre Owen Muniz <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: FTP programs

Tom Walmsley wrote:
> 
> Can anyone recommend a good FTP program for windows? The one I'm using at the
> moment is driving me crazy (although I suppose it could just be geocities) by
> basically not letting me do anything. Any help would be much appreciated, and
> an URL would go down a treat.
> 
> TGW.

WS FTP LE has been OK for me.
<quick web search>
http://www.ipswitch.com/Products/WS_FTP/index.html

There is also a command line ftp in windows 95.

(I like the linux one better since you can do any shell command from
inside it.)

**two-star

dual-boot boogie master.

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Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 15:32:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sunflare <[email-masked]>
Subject: Question, um, Five?

	What is the attraction to things such as the Stock Market in a game that,
especially in the case of Acka, is in general rather far from 'real life
dealings'?  Is it just that it's simpler to come up with a parallel from real
life and give it the same name, rather than come up with something different?
[I'm not downing on the people who proposed and modified the Stock Market, or
other 'real life' functions, by any means -- I'm just wondering why they exist
in such an abstract world.]

Sunflare

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Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 16:15:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Question, um, Five?

> What is the attraction to things such as the Stock Market in a game that,
> especially in the case of Acka, is in general rather far from 'real life
> dealings'?  Is it just that it's simpler to come up with a parallel from real
> life and give it the same name, rather than come up with something different?

As far as I can tell, yes.  This is why we have Ackadollars, a president,
senate, and supreme court, land and buildings, etc.  We used to have
personal bonds which paid dividends based on the increase in a player's
score, which the player initially had 100 of.

> [I'm not downing on the people who proposed and modified the Stock Market, or
> other 'real life' functions, by any means -- I'm just wondering why they
> exist in such an abstract world.]

Total abstractness is hard to grasp, so we use familiar ideas to make them
a little easier to grasp.  Note that the Viruses game doesn't resemble
real-life viruses very much at all, but we use the analogy to point out
the growth and death patterns which at least make it resemble living
things, in some sense.

/dev/joe

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Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 16:15:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: Guy Fawkes <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Question, um, Five?

On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Sunflare wrote:

> 	What is the attraction to things such as the Stock Market in a game that,
> especially in the case of Acka, is in general rather far from 'real life
> dealings'?  Is it just that it's simpler to come up with a parallel from real
> life and give it the same name, rather than come up with something different?
> [I'm not downing on the people who proposed and modified the Stock Market, or
> other 'real life' functions, by any means -- I'm just wondering why they exist
> in such an abstract world.]

I have noticed that most of the people who enjoy playing Acka are people
who enjoy playing games in general.  Over time, Acka has become a rich
tapestry of interlocking subgames, some of which are more obviously
subgames than others.  In this context, I find it very natural to take the
games that people enjoy playing in real life (such as the stock market)
and adapt them into Acka.  This I feel, adds a new dimension to the
original game by making the players very much a part of the game's design
process, and by allowing the players to tinket with the game as it
progresses.

Guy Fawkes

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Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 16:30:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Question, um, Five?

>	What is the attraction to things such as the Stock Market in a game
>that,
>especially in the case of Acka, is in general rather far from 'real life
>dealings'?  Is it just that it's simpler to come up with a parallel from real
>life and give it the same name, rather than come up with something different?
>[I'm not downing on the people who proposed and modified the Stock Market, or
>other 'real life' functions, by any means -- I'm just wondering why they exist
>in such an abstract world.]
	I'd guess that it's because everyone is familiar with the stock
market.  What I really wanted when I proposed the stock market was a way
for people to invest money.  I selected the stock market basicly as a
metaphor, since what have isn't really very similar to a stock market.  I
could have created the money-ifer.  You put a certain amount of A$ in it
and you get paid for every yes vote cast.  But the stock market is a
metaphor which doesn't require any new concepts.  We could try to make
Ackanomic violate cause and effect.  It could be that transfering money to
someone has only a 50% chance of succeding, and the other 50% of the time
it get transferred to someone at random, but that would be confusing.
We're all used to thinking in certain ways, so it's easier to make a game
that works that way.

- --
- -Henry Towsner, AKA else...if, The Fearless Alibi Posesser, Laefu, and Yilran

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 19:05:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Action

On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> > I challenge TGW to a Bat'leth/Boomerang duel.  
> > Not a Duel, for I am already involved in one of those, but a duel.
> 
> Hmm, a duel you say? I've not had much practice in duels (Duels on the other
> hand I've had two, both against Alfvaen, and been a Second in two as well
> IIRC). Naturally, I accept (it's a matter of honour) although I am curious as
> to how you plan to carry out such a duel.

Well, I thought it would go something like so:

We stand back-to-back and each take 10 paces in opposite directions.  I,
knowing the propensities of my opponent, attach a Bat'leth-proof shield to
my back.  Once pace 10, being the tenth number of our pacing, be reached,
we both spin and ready our weapons.  At this point, since my Boomerang has
a range of at least 20 paces and can cut through any metal with two or
fewer tenths (cf. Synnibar) and your leaden Bat'leth has a range of one
meter, or maybe two if you toss it, you are left lying bisected on the
field and I walk off triumphant with the cheerleaders from both sides.

Actually, I was pretty much just kidding about the duel.  But if anyone
else feels up to refereeing and has an idea about how it should run, I'm
up for a try.

- -Hubert

If God meant for us not to genetically engineer, he would have 
write-protected our DNA. 

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 19:47:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Re: Question, um, Five?

>    What is the attraction to things such as the Stock Market in a game that,
> especially in the case of Acka, is in general rather far from 'real life
> dealings'?  Is it just that it's simpler to come up with a parallel from real
> life and give it the same name, rather than come up with something different?
> [I'm not downing on the people who proposed and modified the Stock Market, or
> other 'real life' functions, by any means -- I'm just wondering why they exist
> in such an abstract world.]

I don't actually consider the Stock Market to be a "real life" entity, or if
it is just by coincidence.  It's more of a simulation, with the complexity
that comes from lots and lots of data.  (I've never done much with it myself,
not having ever bothered to figure out how to read that data, but perhaps
someday.  Is there some kind of 'Fantasy Stock Market' out there on the Net?)

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--Oingo Boingo:Dead Man's Party
Current Book--Sean Stewart:The Night Watch
Smilie-captioned for the alternatively clued.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 20:29:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Action

>Actually, I was pretty much just kidding about the duel.  But if anyone
>else feels up to refereeing and has an idea about how it should run, I'm
>up for a try.
	I'll referee:)

- --
- -Henry Towsner, AKA else...if, The Fearless Alibi Posesser, Laefu, and Yilran

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 20:29:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Question, um, Five?

>I don't actually consider the Stock Market to be a "real life" entity, or if
>it is just by coincidence.  It's more of a simulation, with the complexity
>that comes from lots and lots of data.  (I've never done much with it myself,
>not having ever bothered to figure out how to read that data, but perhaps
>someday.  Is there some kind of 'Fantasy Stock Market' out there on the Net?)
	http://www.hsx.com Invests in movies and actors

- --
- -Henry Towsner, AKA else...if, The Fearless Alibi Posesser, Laefu, and Yilran

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 20:49:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Action

On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Towsner wrote:

> >Actually, I was pretty much just kidding about the duel.  But if anyone
> >else feels up to refereeing and has an idea about how it should run, I'm
> >up for a try.

> 	I'll referee:)

If I can trust your vaunted Klingon honor to fairly referee a duel between
a member of your party and another, go for it.  Tell us what to do.

(Yes, that's right.  Your honor would be refereeing, not yourself.  I hate
correct grammar.)

- -Hubert

Bartender, I'll have whatever the gentleman on the floor is having. 

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End of acka-research-digest V3 #62
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