Frustrated with Fumbbl

[duttydave]

Is there an easier way to play Bloodbowl online other than by downloading Java, downloading the BB Client, configuring the Client and then downloading an IRC?

I got frustrated and gave up with Fumbbl after many annoying error messages.

Does anyone have a walkthrough or 'idiot's guide' to getting this up and running?

Will the release of the Bloodbowl PC Game offer online league play and thereby make Fumbbl obsolete?

Regards

duttydave

[GalakStarscraper]

Will the release of the Bloodbowl PC Game offer online league play and thereby make Fumbbl obsolete?

Regards

duttydave

That is the plan as I understand it.

Galak

[The Ref]

Can't wait for it to happen

[Gumbo]

Is there an easier way to play Bloodbowl online other than by downloading Java, downloading the BB Client, configuring the Client and then downloading an IRC?

I got frustrated and gave up with Fumbbl after many annoying error messages.

Does anyone have a walkthrough or 'idiot's guide' to getting this up and running?

Will the release of the Bloodbowl PC Game offer online league play and thereby make Fumbbl obsolete?

Regards

duttydave

I think there is a real chance this could happen but it would take a very long time, and it depends what you mean by obselete. The Case Study I would cite to back this up is the OLBBL being made obselete by fumbbl back in 2002/2003 (although admittedly the OLBBL was on its last legs anyway).

That being said there is still a small hardcore of people still playing OLBBL so its not completely "obselete".

My guess is that fumbbl will still be around (all things being equal) for another 5-10 years. The problem with large-scale online gaming communities is that the bigger the pool of players, the bigger the propensity for "idiot" players. So this new PC game will likely breed that type of player, and people will remain loyal to Fumbbl. However in the long term Fumbbl is likely to see a huge drop in players.

[kithor2002]

My guess is that fumbbl will still be around (all things being equal) for another 5-10 years.

I think after the release of the online Game GW will make some restrictions a/o sanctiones so that fumbbl will find it's end very quick.
So the online gaming community will be "forced" to switch.....

[IronAge_Man]

I got frustrated and gave up with Fumbbl after many annoying error messages.

Does anyone have a walkthrough or 'idiot's guide' to getting this up and running?

Yes. It's on the FUMBBL website. It's under a link marked Help. FUMBBL has a forum of it's own, so I'm mystified why you posted this here instead. Anyway, the forums for the Academy division are a good place to post such requests. I've been drumming up enthusiasm for greater support to newcomers on the site - it does require a (minimal) amount of perseverance; setting up IRC (I recommend using Chatzilla via Firefox) is a very good way of interfacing with more experienced users as well as setting up games, and the Academy division has it's own channel - #FumbblAcademy.

Any attempt made to make people choose between FUMBBL (and other JavaBbowl and PBeM leagues, they're all in the same boat) and the new game will lead to unpleasantness. I fully expect both to prosper side by side.

[DoubleSkulls]

Any attempt made to make people choose between FUMBBL (and other JavaBbowl and PBeM leagues, they're all in the same boat) and the new game will lead to unpleasantness. I fully expect both to prosper side by side.

No disrespect to FUMBBL but I'd be very surprised if this were the case. Gumbo highlighted the OLBBL "collapse" when FUMBBL got going. Basically a better client with more up to date rules is a big pull for a lot of the online gamers.

The likely reasons why the new game might not quickly overtake FUMBBL and other online BB (e.g. PBEM) would be

• Cost. If the monetary costs are too high (either initial or ongoing) then the "free" alternatives will continue to prosper
• Poor implementation. Low usability, buggy s/w may well mean many stay with the better alternatives.

I think its more likely Cyanide will do a decent job and at some point the costs won't be too significant and the new game will be the dominant online BB mechanism.

I think it unlikely GW/Cyanide will resort to legal action. There is a risk they could lose and that would be disasterous - and it would be impossible to really shut down online BB since the genii is out of the bottle. They can just let their alternative compete on its own merits and probably win.

[SillySod]

Even with the new game out I feel that I'll be sticking to FUMBBL for a long time. There are a fair few things that will keep me there:
1 - the community, all the people who I've grown to really like
2 - the teams, I have a whole bunch of fun teams on there that've had alot of time put into them. I dont plan to just drop them.
3 - racial diversity.... with only 8 races the new game is lacking in diversity a bit and I wont be able to play using most of my favourite races (I imagine that vampires will be one of the last races done, if they ever appear)
4 - concessions and disconnections, FUMBBL currently handles them slowly but very very well
5 - stats, team values, and matchups... I'm quite familiar with FUMBBL statistics and how to find a fair game and I can be sure that I will get a fair game (if I want it). If I dont want it then any hardships are at least recorded and my teams have a bit more to say for themselves than a cherrypicker Orc team.

Potentially the new game could be just as good if not better, on the whole I like LRB5 so no barriers there (IF all the races are present). The new game will have to handle alot of other things right to achieve it though.... and I wont be convinced until I see it implemented.

[Barry20]

They also have not stated how league play will work online yet, it maybe that the new game will be a straight substitute for JavaBbowl.. ok, maybe not so straight.. but we'll see..

[ClayInfinity]

I think the whole thing will boil down to costs.

If Cyanide develop a good product that is true to the rules and are serious about increasing the races then they will ultimately be the place to play online.

HOWEVER, if they charge monthly costs and hence are not "Free" then there will be a core remaining element to stay at fumbbl.

There are just people who won't or cannot afford to pay... that is a fact of life, and hence the free version will stay alive.

I personally will probably play both.

[Purplegoo]

As for the OP, the User Guide and Forum are good places to start. If you can get IRC up and running, people in there will help too.

As for the Cyanide game and whether or not it will spell the end for FUMBBL... Doubtful.

We all want the game to be (basically) FUMBBL with an all singing, all dancing, spot on LRB5 client attached. The chances of a small software company getting the game from a beta testing phase, past all of the obstacles (making enough cash from the real time to spend on fine-tuning turn based, setting up and maintaining a community, allowing user run leagues, getting all the races in, keeping costs down, getting the rules more or less right, etc, etc.) to that end point are somewhat slim, in my opinion. Can’t wait to see it in action at the GT, but even if it looks good, a lot of questions will remain unanswered.

I read somewhere someone comparing it to EA Sports putting out a Handball sim with Fifa '09. They'd tell the Handball fans everything they wanted to hear, there would be a large uptake of Handball guys buying the product, but 6 months after release, there would be frustration as EA spent all of their time and resources on the cash cow. Much as everyone reading this loves turn-based BB, it's not the money spinner here (BB isn't even big in a GW sense), and as such, we won’t be their main concern.

Anyways, _if_ it all works, and _if_ it is what we all hope it to be, then FUMBBL will die a natural death of sorts. I do see it rumbling on in one form or another as Gumbo mentioned as long as Christer fancies it, but it won't grow beyond what it is now. If Cyanide fail (did anyone play Euro Cycling Manager by the way? Do I need to give them a smidge more credit?), then on goes FUMBBL. All of this legal stuff is just a red-herring from the anti-FUMBBL types to have a dig, I just can't see it happening. GW are dumb, but they aren't that dumb!

[Cloggy]

I'm actually convinced that Fumbbl will stay alive.

The reason for this: Regardless of the actual client or software used to play the actual game in, a site where you can organise leagues and keep track of team and player stats will always be needed.

After all, what we use now is the SJ Java client, not a Fumbbl specific tool. I very much doubt any new game coming out would be able to compete with a new free LRB5 online client, but as long as such a client does not become available there is always a risk that my favorite online hangout will dissapear in the near future. Not a big risk though, as I see it.

[SillySod]

If there is a sudden mass migration of fumbblers over to the new game then the same coaches are likely to carry on playing in pretty much the same culture so I dont think any anti fumbblers have much to gain from the new game being a complete success Love us or hate us we're here to stay for a good while longer under whatever group name.

[TexMurphy]

When the new game comes out fumbbl will live on because a) there are cheap people who will enjoy a free game and b) there are cheap people who are on old computers.

But seriously fumbbl will take a hit from the new game especially in the begining.