The psychology of PBeM

martynq · Post by **martynq** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 10:01 am

I've just joined a local group of players up here in Scotland and had my first match featuring my rookie dark elves vs. a rather experienced undead team (TR160+). Obviously this was going to be a difficult game, so I was rather pleased to draw 2-2, though one of my linemen died.

However, the thing I noticed is that it seemed to be far less stressful and the death of a player felt far less painful than it does in PBeM. What causes this? Is it because the match drags on sometimes even up to a month? Is it because you don't get to see the turn evolve, but simply load in and BLAM there is your best two players off the pitch?

Is it just me that finds PBeM more painful and stressful?

Does this make any sense at all?

Martyn

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 10:33 am

I've found that the quality of opposition and the amount of double skulls the damn tool rolls damn stressful at times. the software seems to have the inate ability to identify if you have re-rolls left then force you to burn them on the first block every time on a double skull, making you frantically search around for some safety tactics.

The dice rolls in table top for some reason seem friendlier and less stressful

Also in think that the horrible scenario where you open your file to see three players in the Casualty box, without seeing the turn unfold can sometimes bring a nasty lump mto the throat

Post by **GalakStarscraper** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 11:37 am

McDeth wrote:the software seems to have the inate ability to identify if you have re-rolls left then force you to burn them on the first block every time on a double skull, making you frantically search around for some safety tactics.

I swear on all that is holy that its not programmed that way ...

Galak

Post by **Dave** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:58 pm

sure .. I never reroll that many skulls into new skulls at home dude

dwarfcoach · Post by **dwarfcoach** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 6:21 pm

I honestly think it is the inate wrongness of thhe dice actually not leaving your hands in PbeM. When you roll the dice in a real game you see yourself do it. You can blame no one or no circumstance, it was you who rolled the dice. In PbeM? It's the f**king computer jinxing me! I have never actually rolled that many skulls, bloody thing must be broken! Are you sure the program hasn't been hacked? The human beings inbuilt reluctance to trust anything that it cannot see, especially if it means a disadvantage.

(apart from my current game vrs McDeth, where it really is broken. There is no way a stunty with dodge can possibly fail that many dodge rolls....

)

Tojurub · Post by **Tojurub** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:32 pm

PBeM made me join the NBA....which is a good thing

Dangerous Dave · Post by **Dangerous Dave** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 10:10 pm

I am sure its the immediacy of the effects of your oppos turn - I believe Galak should program it so that it opens at the start of the previous turn.... sure this is likely to lead to more re-loads! but at least the shock will be partly taken care of!

Dave

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 7:59 am

that would be great, watching the turn unfold would be pretty cool, At least you could leave comments on the file to add to the tension, so when that +4 Dodge, + 4 Pick up Dodge Pass catch GFI, which fails on the last roll would be great to see rather than it had already been done and dusted. Especailly if the only info you got was your opponenet saying, "wow what a Play!"

RogueSangre · Post by **RogueSangre** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:38 am

as long as my opponent is rolling the same jinxed skull-loving virtual dice as me I'm happ... er.. content.

begbie · Post by **begbie** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:57 am

For me its the shock of seeing what has happened to my team, without first seeing what my opponent has done...

It all makes sense after i've reviewed their turn (as much as i don't want it to sometimes

) but I agree wholeheartedly with Martyn. For some reason or another it is more stressful over email, or it can be. In RL i remember it being a whole lot less serious... although I was winning more regularly then

And the "sorry... hope your apothecary works" text in the email, with the new game file attached, puts a lump in my throat...

Post by **GalakStarscraper** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 10:39 am

I'll see how difficult it would be to have an auto turn rewind trigger at the end of the game load sequence.

IN THEORY ... that shouldn't be too painful to program in as part of L.

Galak

martynq · Post by **martynq** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:19 am

To be honest, Galak, I don't think there is a huge point in doing this. The problem will always be there that in tabletop you see your opponents turn progressing and you come to terms with his achievements as it happens. In PBeM you receive an e-mail saying "I've killed your best blitzer and now have the ball within sight of your endzone and out of blitz range" when you were convinced you had protected the ball pretty well before sending of your own turn, and the shock is always unpleasant.

Martyn

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 12:14 pm

And i thought it was just me that happened to

I'm still living in naivety where my first assumption is, bah, he's sent me the wrong file, that must be some other game he's playing in

Xtreme · Post by **Xtreme** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 7:58 pm

I've found it is just the opposite, I tend to shrug off bad things more in PBEM then in table top.

I would like the tool to load to the begining of the previous turn though thats always the first thing I do. But its like reading the last chapter of a book first.

Melifaxis · Post by **Melifaxis** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 8:08 pm

I've only played one PBeM game thus far and I had horrible luck. I plan on giving it another shot soon, but each time I got the file back I was really shocked at how things continuously got worse.

When you see it unfolding live, as each opposing player moves, I think it's easier to laugh about it when things snowball. Plus, the impersonal nature of e-mail as opposed to live play is a distinct disadvantage. Then again, being able to play over countless distance is a pretty cool thing