Newsgroup Questions

• What is rec.games.computer.stars?

  Rec.games.computer.stars (AKA rgcs), is a discussion forum dedicated to discussing the games Stars, and the various tactics, strategies, theories, game mechanics involved in the game, or anything else that could possibly be considered related to the game.
  
  There are no set rules on this NG, and you may say whatever you wish. But this having been said, it is not advisable to just start flaming or insulting people for the sake of it. This NG is actually quite pleasant if you treat it's members with a little respect.

  
  
• What is Stars!

  Stars! is an Advanced, Interstellar, Turn Based Strategy Game and a member of 4x genre (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) of PC games. It was written by Jeff Johnson and Jeff McBride with help from Jeffrey Krauss (collectively known as the Jeffs). Written in response to finding a distinct lack of quality games in the genre, it is truly a game ahead of its time.
  
  It is by far one of the most strategically in-depth and balanced games in existence. It has kept people addicted for years, and still supports a large player community.

  
  
• What is considered on-topic

  On topic postings include: Announcements of new Stars! games that require players, or games in progress requiring replacement players (The title of such a post may be prefixed with: "NEW GAME:" or "REPLACEMENT:").
  
  Strategies/tactics for playing the game.
  
  Questions regarding the game mechanics.
  
  Suggestions, comments and queries about Stars! Supernova Genesis. (Prefix with SN: or SSNG:).
  
  Information on new releases, upgrades, patches, etc. from the game authors.
  
  Comparisons of Stars! and other strategy games in the same genre.
  
  Announcements of commercial or shareware programs or services that are related to Stars! (Prefix with: AD: or ADVERTISEMENT:).
  
  Announcements and requests for opinions and beta testing for freeware Stars utilities, spreadsheets, web sites and other services directly related to Stars!.
  
  Anything else that could be considered related to the game Stars.
  
  

  
  
• A few tips on posting
  
  
  • Please lurk

    If you are new to the NG please lurk for a while before you post. It will help you a feel for the NG and thus have an idea of what will and won't go down well. And you might get the answers you where looking for, as though the regular don't mind answering questions, it can get a bit annoying if we have to answer the same question every few days.

  • Use <snip>

    For space reasons and for easy reading please snip out irrelevant points to the discussion when replying, especially if the post in question is a long one. Also if you leave a blank line between the text you are replying to and your reply, it makes it easier for others to read and follow.

  • Don't ask about getting a free (ie pirated) Stars! serial #

    Most of the members of this NG don't condone piracy of our favourite game, especially now that there is an easy way to obtain the game legally (click here for details).

  • Don't spam

    Any mass posting about commercial products or web sites not related to Stars! is considered spam. Though unwelcome on this NG, there is in reality very little that can be done to stop spammers, as even if they do eventually get kicked of their ISP, they can quite easily get another account.
    
    Spammers do not read replies to their spam. So flaming them is pointless. And some members of the NG can get annoyed if you reply to a spam message. Though it has led in the past with some interesting OT discussions with the ultima.dragons, who are sometimes on the same spam list.

  • Don't post in HTML or post binaries (ie attachments)

    This is a non-binaries NG, and as such binaries and HTML are not welcome.
    
    Binaries are files attached to a post, and they can be significantly larger than a plain text post. HTML posts (Hyper Text Markup Language) consists two attachments, one of the plain text and another of the HTML itself, so unnecessary duplication takes up more space. Some newsreaders don't support HTML posts and don't allow users to download binaries.
    
    Many people still have slow internet connections and pay per minute to the phone company for internet access. Larger posts will take longer to download and this will cost some people their hard earned money as well as their time.
    
    Also there is only so much space on the rgcs servers, so it deletes old posts to make room for the new, but large files and HTML will take up extra space that could be used to keep other older posts on the server for longer.

  • Don't post too many Off Topic Posts (abbreviated OT)

    Off topic posts are anything not directly related to the game Stars!. Though we don't generally mind about OT posts and threads, try not to allow them to become too long, as after a while some people will start complaining (there is always one! ). OT threads should be prefixed with OT: If you do post OT then also try to balance your OT posts with several on-topic posts.

  • Don't flame/insult people

    If you think flaming people is fun and makes you look cool, then think again. It's not cool; most of the members of rgcs will cease to take you seriously, and probably flame you back and/or killfile you.
    
    Trolls are people who flame or antagonise others in order to get a response (much like a spoilt brat), If you do come across trolls or flamers then it may be best to just ignore them.

  • Give credit where credit is due
    
    
  • Above all have fun!
  
  
  

  
  
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