Matrix Games are perfectly suited for play over the internet. They are quick easy and cheap to do and allow players to do whatever they want to in the game without the rules getting in the way. All that is needed is someone to actually referee. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A REFEREE? It takes very little to run a PBEM Matrix Game. All that you need is the following. 1. An email account that you check regularly. 2. A scenario to run. 3. A copy of the basic Matrix Game rules (you can print a copy from my web page). 4. A single six-sided die. 5. And a supply of players (which is where building an online community comes in). It is helpful to play in a PBEM before running one (but many of the present PBEM referee have done it without doing that first). Barring seeing a game be run – read the examples of play on my web page and check out the rules closely (they are only ten pages and quite readable). That done and you're ready to play. A LITTLE BIT OF THEORY ABOUT RUNNING A PBEM Matrix Games are all about exchanging information – arguments. In face to face games this is done by saying what you want to have happen out loud for all to hear. In a PBEM this is done by sending an argument to a referee. Some the main role of a PBEM Matrix Game referee is to communicate. First by being the central point that people feed information to and then by being the one who distributes results back to the players. The referee is the one who rolls all the dice for arguments but this is really a simple matter. What really matters is ease of communication. So new referees should be mindful of getting turns done rather than doing things perfectly. To paraphrase the Thurber fable "Don't get it right get it written!" How to do that? Well, first have a reliable email address that you check daily. Have a set time each week in which you resolve a turn. Be consistently on time. Prompt short messages are better than long over due big messages. Be courteous and encouraging to all players and potential players. As a referee you are a host. Make your guests feel welcome! And if possible have game run for only a limited period of time. This adds focus and drama to the game and helps players know they are not signing on to a life time commitment. The internet makes it possible for the referee to be a communications nexus in many different ways. Exactly how it is done depends on what kind of cyber community we create. But I've found that email lists for each game help immensely. Messages prompt players to reply which in turn prompts the referee to resolve turns. RESOLVING TURNS In a PBEM the players send written arguments to the referee each turn. The referee need only copy and paste these messages into another email or word processor program to begin resolving a turn. This is important. The referee does NOT need to retype player's arguments. That would be too much work. Make it easy on yourself. Let the players do the typing! Once the arguments are pasted into a document, the referee goes through them and decides 1. How strong each argument is, 2. Which arguments are in competition, and 3. Which arguments will trigger conflict and trouble (which cause additional rounds of arguments. I find it helpful to type this information above each argument just so I don't forget. Now the referee rolls the dice to see which arguments succeed. In face to face games the players roll for their own arguments. This would be a massive pain to do in a PBEM so the referee gets to do it. I type the numbers in as I roll (again so I don't forget). This takes a few minutes but is the only difficult part of running a PBEM Matrix Game. Soon you know which argument happened and which failed. I recommend deleting the unsuccessful arguments. They didn't happen so don't confuse the players with non-events. Once the rolling is done, the turn resolution message can be emailed to everyone on the list. Which in turn triggers the next round of arguments. CONFLICT AND TROUBLE ARGUMENTS Some arguments trigger conflict and trouble. These are resolved by a second round of arguments. In conflict the referee decides who is involved and who is in the strongest position. In trouble the referee decides which player are effected. In face to face games a second round of arguments is quickly done. In PBEMs it requires another day or more. For once a week games I have a second resolution day for doing conflict and trouble. Since only those involved argue, not everyone gets to make arguments for these turn. For game that go quicker, I recommend doing regular arguments one day followed the next day by conflict trouble resolution. So a turn every other day – a game could be done in only two weeks! A LIST SERVER HELPS A LOT I highly recommend Matrix Games be run over a list. This gives the players an easy way to write to one another and spread propaganda. It also gives the players a constant stream of incoming messages that keeps interest alive. You will find that players will begin lining up to run games on the list. GREAT! This is how the hobby grows. When one list starts getting too busy, another can be started. Eventually there will be many lists running all kinds of games all the time. I for one look forward to the coming variety! WHAT TO DO WHEN PLAYERS GET TESTY Sometime players will get angry when their arguments fail. Sometimes people get obnoxious and rude in their postings on the list. And sometimes people are just demanding and never satisfied. Such times try a referee's patience. Remember always that a referee is a host – just like a face to face referee is a host. This is a social situation – no one's ego is really on the line. Polite, calm under spoken comments are usually the best to keep people calm. Humor helps and never be afraid to accept a one down role to maintain order. One may look one down but as the ancient Chinese knew, one yields to overcome. That being said, the referee must also maintain civility to protect the other players enjoyment of the game. If one bad player is ruining it for everyone it is up to the referee to kick him out! As I see it, most players are fine. Some may be a little obnoxious, but they respond to calm humor and play nice. But there are some people who are playing a very different game than the rest of us. They join groups to play "Spoiled Child" or "Petty Dictator" in short they are barbarians. And what do barbarians do? They burn down Rome! Referees must guard against barbarians. HOW???? The referee very limited power but power none the less. Barbarians like to push people around. When this happens it will drive off good players if not checked. The referee can rule such arguments stupid or very weak. The referee can decline to have arguments cause conflicts or trouble. Or the referee can just ask a player to leave the game. These are the ancient tools of shunning and exile. They should not be used often but they have their place. What about foul language, racist, hate talk, or pornography? I think the referee should have the right to block this kind of abuse as it to drives people off and spoils social situations. In addition given that the internet is world wide we need to be sensitive that this kind of talk is illegal and highly offensive in many parts of the world. I for one do not like to see arguments that use rape or torture as tools for achieving goals. When I see them (and they have come up a few times over the last ten years) it makes me wonder about the person playing the game since this plan came from their mind. Maybe a little counseling would be in order! In general though, I recommend avoiding censorship and instead focus on humor and gentle guidance. Sometimes a little well placed editing is all that it takes. Just remember – keep it fun! QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RULES The rules to Matrix Games are on my web page. When you have a question, check them first. Then send an email to the Matrix Gamer egroup. One of use Matrix Game referees will help you out. The Matrix Gamer egoup is a good place to bounce any ideas you may have off other people. Scenarios, rules questions, new ideas, or problems can all spark discussion. If you have a full blow article, send it to me through the egroup list and I will put it in "The Matrix Gamer" newsletter (which is posted at Magweb.com for all to read). If you still have questions after all this then you have found a great gaping hole in the rules. IF you do I will endeavor to fix it but I hope that you will help me by coming up with your own solution and sharing it with the rest of us. Back to Table of Contents -- Matrix Gamer #15 To Matrix Gamer List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Chris Engle. 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