WHY IBGAMES DOES NOT SUPPORT MACROSIBGames does not support the use
of macros, Fed-bots or any kind of automated Fed-playing
program. We don't go so far as to ban them outright,
because it would be a difficult rule to enforce, but we
do not like them because we think they are very damaging
to the game. We don't allow players to trade macro
programs on the comms or to post messages asking for, or
offering, macros on the electronic noticeboard.
We use the term macro
to describe any piece of software that will make your
computer play Fed without you having to do anything.
We have no problem with
hotkeys, f-keys or command strings - anything that lets
you send a command, or a series of commands, to the game
at the touch of a button is fine. All that does is save
you typing. Our official front-end, FedTerm, has f-keys
built in.
What we object to is
the programs that do the thinking for you, by analysing
the text that Fed sends, and making decisions about what
to do next. Those are extremely anti-social.
Why do we dislike them?
There are a number of reasons:
- Fed is a social
game. Even if you are working really hard, you
can send the occasional remark to the comms in
between doing jobs, or pop into a bar and chat
for a moment while you stock up on pizza before
going back to trading. But if it is not you
playing but your computer, then you're never
going to be part of the social community of Fed
DataSpace.
- Macros give you a
very unfair advantage because of the speed at
which they run. We have designed the lower ranks
of the game so that it should take several days
for a player to promote from GroundHog to
Adventurer, and then another several days to do
the AK jobs and get to Merchant. Macro programs
allow you to get from GroundHog to Merchant in
one game session. Doing it this fast is like
jumping a queue; it's not fair to players who
don't use macros and do it the hard way.
- Macros can do a
lot of damage in a short space of time. A macro
program can descend on a planet and strip all of
the useful stuff from the exchange in just a few
minutes. This can be a big shock for the
planet-owner, and also leave non-macro-using
Merchants with nothing to buy. We urge
planet-owners to use the 'EXILE' command
as soon as you discover a player is operating
macros in this way - that's what the command was
put into the game for!
- Macros cut out the
learning curve. The way the Fed ranks are
designed is that at each rank you learn something
new, which you then build upon every time you
promote. A new player has to learn how to fly a
ship, has to find the way between planets, and
discover the Armstrong Cuthbert offices. An
Adventurer has to do some heavy-duty exploring to
find the correct places to deliver packages. A
Merchant has to learn how exchanges work in order
to make a profit trading. The knowledge gained
while doing this is very useful at higher ranks.
But give a new player a macro program and he
doesn't have to learn any of this stuff.
Suddenly, he will find himself at a high rank
with no idea how anything works. That's not good
for him or for the game.
Fed isn't about getting
to the highest rank you can, as fast as you can. If it
was, we might as well just allow people to purchase
higher ranks for money. It's about the total game-playing
experience as you work your way up the ranks and become
part of the community.
We do understand that
some people enjoy the intellectual challenge of writing
their very own Fed-playing auto-bot macro program. But
the ultimate sin, as far as we are concerned, is giving
those programs to new players. Don't do it - please! If
we end up with a game that consists only of macro-users,
Fed will not survive.
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