Amazingly, I still had not met another player to my "south" or "west." However, the pattern EEKER had discovered in the Web was definitely repeating itself on the "west" side. I now had 1553 points, EEKER 1230.

W165 turned out to be very uninteresting - no industry, one RMP - except for connections to three unknown worlds. W222 was even worse, except for Vol. 3 of the Nebula Scrolls. W191 also had zero industry, zero RMP, but had a loose key. W52 had zero industry, one RMP, a loose key and a one ship fleet belonging to EEKER. His presence there kept me from gaining control of either the key or the world. W136 also had nothing but a loose key, and W207 had nothing but a loose key and Vol. 1 of the Nebula Scrolls (giving me two of the five volumes). However, W156 was more valuable, having one industry and two RMP, a loose key and the Golden Moonstone. What’s more, it was not guarded by any I or P ships. W6 had two industries and two RMP, a loose key, the Platinum Stardust and, unfortunately an I ship.

With 31 RMs at W44 I was able to build 30 ships there this turn and still have one left. Unfortunately I only had 21 RMs to unload there this turn. But I brought in ten from W204, eight from W223 and twelve from W113 for unloading next turn. Four were brought to W113 from W30 where they were met by a fleet of 38 ships from W44. Eight ships were sent to W222 to pick up the loose key there and to be available for further exploration in that direction next turn. Meanwhile the one-ship fleet at W222 was sent to explore W225. The 14 ships at W82 picked up the two RMs there and moved to W55. The one ship at W165 was sent to explore W42. Four went from W30 to W66 and two moved from W6 to W51 while two stayed behind to blast away the I ship. A fleet built up to nine ships by W130 was sent to W219 to pick up a loose key and two one-ship fleets were sent from W191 to W89 and W64. The four ships at W52 were sent on to W16 and were replaced by two from W207. At W156 a ship was built onto the loose key which was loaded with an RM and sent to W2 where it was met by 22 ships from W113, and the other, one ship fleet from W156 was sent to W10. From the latter two ships were sent to explore W60 and two to explore W13. All together I was exploring eleven new worlds! I plundered W207, W136. W191, W165 and W222 for 50 points each and W158, W208 and W223 for 40 each. W197 and W152 were given back to EEKER.

The following letter was received from EEKER, just after I sent my move in:

I got your letter about two days ago. The mails are really something else. Every letter from out of town has taken at least a week.

W52 must have been a mixup. You can have it, I'm leaving. I saw some weird links:

KUBLA W13 goes to 67, 156, 164, 176.
EEKER W14 goes to 57, 65, 112.
FREEN W15 goes to 24, 87, 129.
KUBLA W35 goes to 85, 93, 145, 164.
              W52 goes to 31, 80, 89, 191 (Oops! You already know that).
KUBLA W93 goes to 35, 53, 85, 167, 209.
KUBLA W122 goes to 77, 114, 209, 214.
EEKER W146 goes to 42, 83, 225.
KUBLA W184 goes to 92, 214, 215.
KUBLA W214 goes to 19, 122, 184, 209.

I have found the Silver Sphynx, however. It's on a world with a P ship, and I only have one ship there. Soon, however, I will have it.

I replied immediately:

Finally received your note updating the map - just after I sent off my orders for this turn (9)! Wish I had had your info before making my move. Could have changed a few things. Could have explored W119 or W135 instead of W42, if I'd known the latter led to W146 (Wasn't sure there even was a W146 as you left it off your most recent map!) Might also have sent more force into W13 if I'd known it belonged to KUBLA. Hadn't realized it, but I had W13 on my map in two different places by W156 and by W164.

When are you going to check out the worlds that border W100 (W182, W133, W117)? I'm curious to see if they belong to, or lead to, KUBLA. Also the worlds bordering W217 should be checked out soon. Heaven only knows where they might lead.

Have You learned anything about the location of any of these other players KUBLA has mentioned, or what kind of players they are (berserker, pirate, etc.) I'm really amazed at how few players we’ve met, considering the percentage of the 255 possible worlds we've seen.

Have you and KUBLA come to terms? Do you still own W164 or does he? (Very important for me to know due to link with W13!) It looks as though KUBLA and I may come to blows over W13. I'm not at all happy to have him there The real problem will be if he refuses to let me move on beyond W13 along the rim of the galaxy. What are your thoughts about the two of us combining to blitz KUBLA in a turn or two? I can think of three problems we'd face: (1) To take control of a world he has populated with robots (such as his home world!) would require killing off all the robots on it - a tough job if population is high (2) He may very well be able to get help from some of these other players he knows. (3) Either or both of us may run into another play(s) at any time that requires the deployment of strong forces to defend what we already have.

If we should attack KUBLA, it makes sense to try to have the best possible diplomatic relations with all other players for the duration of the struggle. This means FREEN especially. Maybe we could even get him to join us in the attach. It also means contacting LIE, DRM and HLAKA to try to keep them out of the fight, or on our side.

So what is your attitude? A couple of turns ago you seemed eager to pitch into KUBLA or FREEN or both. But since then you haven't mentioned it. If you don't want to join me in attacking KUBLA are you agreeable to me taking him on alone? Have you contacted (written) LIE, DRM or HLAKA? The latter never answered the note I sent him before. I've sent notes to him and the other two this turn, just to establish contact, try to get their addresses, some idea where they are in our "galaxy" etc.

What do you hear from FREEN? What’s his score now?

I now have the following artifacts available for trade to you or FREEN, whoever bids the highest. Golden Moonstone, Platinum Sphinx, Radiant Sword (Kubla'd like that one!) Arcturian Moonstone and the Platinum Stardust. The latter two are the closest to you. I’ve found another volume of the Nebula Scrolls so I may just try collecting them. If you have any volumes, I'll trade any standard artifact, not of my categories, for one. What am I bid for the others? 5 x 15 = 75 points/turn! Nothing to sneeze at. The Silver Sphinx is nice, but only worth 5 points/turn to me, or a third of what one of my five is worth to you. I'm still willing to trade artifacts for real estate. Of course, I'd still like to have W168. Might also be interested in W164, W83, W163, W146, W192, W112, W31, W220 or W48, depending on their Ind, RMP and RMs. The sooner we make a deal, the sooner you start collecting the extra points!

P.S. What would you say to us trading geographical info with FREEN?

I also sent letters to KUBLA and FREEN at the same time:

Have you and EEKER reached agreement? Who wound up with W164? I've just learned from EEKER that you own W13. What’s more it’s just dawned on me that W13 connects my W156 to W164. I had had W13 on my map twice without realizing it! Unfortunately I did not find out about you owning W13 until I'd already mailed in my Turn 9 moves, and I am moving into W13 with a fleet of two ships. Sorry about that.

I'm quite surprised to find you way over here because W156 is away over on the opposite side of my system from EEKER, who is otherwise between you and me.

Have you moved into any other worlds around W13? I own W156 and am moving into W60, W170, W171, W16 and W64, all in that general area. I’ve been expecting to run into another player around here, (W13) soon. Hare you met anyone around here? EEKER tells me you are in touch with players called DRM and LIE. Where are they located? I hope we can arrive at a satisfactory division of the worlds in this area.

Incidentally, I have an artifact that would interest you, being a berserker: the Radiant Sword. Do you have anything you'd like to trade? It wouldn't have to be an artifact. Maybe ships, keys or worlds.

To FREEN:

EEKER has been probing y our worlds and, as part of our info exchange, passing world locations on to me. Actually, I think I know how to interpret his info better than he does. Anyway here's what I know about your system: (map)

Actually, of course, I know where W26, W186, W112 & W192 lead as I know all of EEKER's system. I also know a little of KUBLA's - such as EEKER has probed. I'd be willing to trade you some such info in exchange for more info on your part of the "galaxy": such as the numbers of the worlds where I have question marks, above; who owns them; and any other worlds you can add to the above map.

I doubt if EEKER knows W87 is your home to world, though he might. He also may not have surmised some of the connections between worlds shown above. I have discovered there are certain recurring patterns in the arrangements of worlds. I’ve pointed these out to EEKER but, from the maps he's sent me, he doesn't seem to have grasped their full significance yet. As we get to know and trust each other better, I'll clue you in. "Knowledge is power," in this game as in life. Before I could arrange a full trade of geographical info I suppose I should clear it with EEKER first, since much of it comes from him. Don't tell him even what I've told you already. But I'm prepared to answer a few questions, if you have any, in exchange for the info mentioned above and anything you know about other players.

Have you met any others besides EEKER, KUBLA and I? EEKER says that KUBLA has mentioned three others that he knows! I still haven't met any others. Our relative positions are approximately like this: (map)

However, EEKER has discovered a number of "short cut '' connections that cut across "normal" space. That explains, for instance, his presence at W192. W192 and W112 are two of the weird ones that connect with otherwise distant and unrelated worlds. We have just discovered that KUBLA also has at least one of these short cuts as he owns a world way over on my "west " (the x on map above)!

By the way, I don't think I ever told you, I am a Pirate. EEKER knows but I haven't told KUBLA, so please don't you tell him - or anybody else. It could be an advantage to keep it secret. Anyway, if you have, or come across, any silver artifacts, or lodestars, maybe we can arrange a trade. I now have the following artifacts available for trade to you or EEKER, whoever offers the best trades. the Golden Moonstone, Platinum Sphinx, Radiant Sword (KUBLA could also use that one), Arcturian Moonstone and the Platinum Stardust. The latter is the closest to you. Make me an offer on any or all. In addition to lodestars and silver artifacts I will take volumes of the Nebula Scrolls (already have a couple of volumes) or real estate (worlds). You know, it is possible to give a world to another player, even if he's not there. (Wxxx-G=PZFST is how you write it.) You know best what you have and what you can spare. One possibility is for you to give me a world (such as one with no Ind. and little or no RMP), I plunder it (to make 50 points) and then give it back to you. (It takes three turns: 1. You give, 2. I plunder, 3. I give back). I also get points for owning keys (fleets), but doubt if you could spare any. Anyway, make me an offer(s). The sooner we make a deal, the sooner you start getting the extra points for the artifacts you get.

How are you getting along with EEKER, KUBLA, et. al.? KUBLA seems a particularly belligerent fellow. He and I may soon clash over worlds near his that borders me (W13). If so, one can always use allies or at least benevolent neutrals. Any idea of his strength in worlds, fleets or ships? Would you be interested in a PZFST-EEKER-FREEN alliance against KUBLA to wipe him out and divide the spoils? Just thinking ahead.

P.S. My score is 1553! Don't tell KUBLA.

P.P.S. Your low point total indicates that you must not understand this game perfectly yet. If you are probing every world before you enter it, you're wasting valuable time. I’ve never probed a world yet! (and look at my point total). Don't worry about Black Holes (I've only found two so far, lost two keys with three ships between them - far more economical than losing valuable time probing everything) or meeting other players (if you do, work it out with them; but if you don't, you've got a new world and probably a new key, and maybe a new artifact!).

Are you aware that: You can build a ship and move it on the same turn; you can load or unload (RM) or hook or unhook (artifacts) to/from a ship and move it in the same turn; you can build a ship, load it and/or hook to it and move it all in the same turn!; you, of course, can use Industry and RM on worlds you capture to build ships for you. (This seems obvious, but EEKER tells me that KUBLA just announced this simple fact as though it was very clever of him to have figured it out!); you can, of course, pick up raw materials (RM) on other worlds, transport it to your home world (you cannot move and then unload in the same turn) and use it with your home industry to build more ships; you can transfer ships between fleets and/or worlds and move them on the same turn?

If you already know all this I don't see why you shouldn't have more worlds and therefore more artifacts and therefore more points! If I can be of any further help along these lines, let me know.

A few days later I received a postcard from HLAKA:

I got a letter from DRM yesterday telling me that unless I pull back from his space next turn, he will declare war on me. Well, I ain't gonna spend a buck just to stay at peace with a Berserker.

If you can see your way to alliance with me, I'll give you a chunk of any of DRM's keys I capture. I'm thinking you're either a pirate or a merchant.

DRM will not give me his address. I told him that I did not want any mapping done of my space without a visa. When he failed to ask for a visa, I started blowing up his scouts. I offered to sell him back the keys. No response 'til his ultimatum. Screw him, sez I.

STARWEB Part III: Introduction
STARWEB Part III: Turn 5
STARWEB Part III: Turn 6
STARWEB Part III: Turn 7
STARWEB Part III: Turn 8
STARWEB Part III: Turn 10