When the printout for this turn arrived it was soon evident that somehow my understanding with FEKER had gone awry. He did not leave a one-ship fleet, or fleet of any size, at W56. nor move into W166 to pick up the Plastic Stardust. A small note with the print-out explained:
I just realized that any fleet (at peace or not) I sent to W166 or 56 might get captured or it would be very large. You will either have to move into my area, or tell me a minimum number of ships to send to your area. Sorry about the delay.
As for the newly explored worlds, W11 had only two RMP and no industry, W82 had four RMP and no industry plus the Arcturian Shekel, and W2 did continue the string of industrialized worlds I'd noticed - with one industry and two RMP - and luckily it had no defending I or P ships, and so was now already mine. Surprisingly I had still not met any other players but EEKER. Since the latter was not at any world where I had ships this turn his score did not appear on my printout. I later learned it 570 at that time. Mine was 475. Not until the game was over and I received the master computer printouts did I learn that EEKER and I were already running first and second, and had been since the previous turn's printout.
On Turn Six I unloaded the 13 RMs at W44 and brought the 12 RMs from W61 and the 15 from W204 to W44. I sent 10 ships to W113 to pick up the five RMs already there and the five it would produce this turn. I also sent 19 ships to W194 where 10 RMs had already accumulated, one would be used this turn, but five more would be produced. The extra ships were sent to establish a pool for building up the fleets exploring what I considered my "Western" border, because, once again, I found myself forced to use one-ship fleets to explore all that I wanted to explore. It seemed very likely I'd be meeting other players soon, so I wanted to pick up as many worlds as possible while I still could. So one-ship fleets were sent to W30, W55, W219. W196 and W80. Fortunately I was able to use four of the ships sent to W130 last turn to explore W70 leaving two ships on the captured key to eliminate the I ship at W130. And by building a ship with W194 and transferring the I ship it built last turn I was able to send a three-ship fleet from there to W105.
Three worlds were plundered this turn: W82, W11 and W56. And the following letter was sent to EEKER:
- Your timidity is primarily your own loss. I had only 1 fleet in W56 this turn, and none in W166! I have no reason to "garrison" such places. It is a waste of badly needed fleets and ships.
However, I too have been reconsidering our deal and I feel I'm giving more than I'm getting. If you get both 30 pt. artifacts you gain 60 points per turn. I would gain 20 per turn for getting rid of the plastic artifacts and 50, one time, for plundering the planet - plus the ability to continue plundering it every third turn for diminishing gains. Since your own hesitancy means I already own W56 and can plunder it this turn without paying anything for the privilege, some re-negotiation seems to be in order: I'll give you the Ancient Sword (30 pts.) and you'll relieve me of the Plastic artifacts (the Pyramid is being brought to W56 this turn, the Stardust is still waiting for you at W166). I will keep the Slippers of Venus. Thus we both gain a net of 30 pts./turn, not counting my plundering, which I can do anyway. You will have rights to pass through W56, W76, W166 and W223 (between W76 and W166) provided such transiting ships are at peace. There would not normally be any of my ships at these worlds, or more than one, with the possible exception of W223, where I might occasionally gather RMs. If you like, we could declare each other to be allies, then you won't have to worry about losing your ships and fleets. O. K. ?
I still have not run across any other players, have you? But I would like to know I have a secure and peaceful "eastern" boundary with you, as I'm bound to run into someone else soon, and they may not be as easy to get along with as you - like a berserker or apostle. I'm doing a lot of exploring to my "west" and "south" (if you are to the "east", ). I seem to be near an edge of our "universe," as there is not much to my "north" at all. Is that true for you? Incidentally, I just remembered that our deal included letting me have W48 after you remove the RMs, right? Have you done so yet?
I want to check on some new systems I've located to make sure I know where our common boundary is. Didn't you say you border on W51? That’s away around to the "south" of me! Do you own or border: W163, W165, W222 or W70? The first two, it seems to me, you might have asked me about when we talked on the phone. I'm not planning to move into these two this turn, or W222, but will into W70. If you are in either W163 or W165, stay out of W82 for now, it’s mine. I am also moving into W105, W80, W196, W219, W55 and W30. Aha. It’s just dawned on me that perhaps W51 connects to either W163 or W165, but more probably there is another world that connects with both W51 and either W163 or W165. Right?
You never did make me an offer for the Arcturian Moonstone or Vol. 5 of the Nebula Scrolls, aren't you interested? You don't have to trade me artifacts, I'd just as soon have real estate. I've also just acquired the Arcturian Shekel, worth 15 pts./turn to you. I might also trade the Slippers of Venus if the price is right, say for W168.
Sometime after sending that letter I was studying my latest map of the Web when I noticed the alignment of the worlds was symmetrical! If the line W61-W204-W113 was taken as a center line everything to the left of it was a mirror image of everything to the right of it. I sent EEKER a map of what I knew, omitting the numbers of some of the worlds I felt were none of his business. He returned it with additions, two maps of his own, and the following letter:
- Sorry, but it doesn't work! I had the same theory last turn or so. I have put (in red) enough worlds to show its wrong.
I now have a "new theory"!!! There is a pattern, which repeats over and over again. The only variations occur where it "ties into" another group. To prove this I set up my worlds just the way you have yours, and compared the differences. They are almost identical. Further, I have just found a slight difference between my other game’s pattern and this one's, which suggests that I'm on a similar pattern.
The key to this is the worlds labeled U and A. These have four gates and form two hexagons and two pentagons.
The third map is the best pattern I can arrive at for both our info. It is possible (but not likely) that all the worlds trapped inside the 51-99 gate just connect to each other rather than breaking out.
Your "edge of the universe" (WQ-WR-WO-WN-WD-WA-WC-166-168-WU-WW-WX) still holds up. I will try to follow it past X, but that will be a slow process. It could be any of the starred worlds, then any of the eight past that etc.
I assume your home world is "D ", care to try for mine?
Map 1 (slow 50k)
Map 3 (slow 61k)
STARWEB Part III: Introduction
STARWEB Part III: Turn 5
STARWEB Part III: Turn 7
STARWEB Part III: Turn 8
STARWEB Part III: Turn 9
STARWEB Part III: Turn 10
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© Copyright 1979 by Donald S. Lowry
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