Rules Revisions

[Ry Vor]

Post whatever you think needs to be added to the rules.  Be specific and exact.

[Wookie Panz]

Post whatever you think needs to be added to the rules.  Be specific and exact.

Index for orders and spells alphabetically and numerically.  This should include either hyperlinks or page numbers in the rule books.
Updates to the frost lord calculators and the Draugr political calculators with links to each.
Updates to the brigade ratings and brigade special abilities charts.
Create a tab in the orders generator for all things Maelstrom instead of having it under 3rd cycle. 
Include all of the changes in the "Uncle Mike notes" in the rule book or other appropriate places.

I'm sure there is more but these were the first things that came to mind.   Lets make the best game in play by email even better!

[Senior Tactician]

Not to be a smartass, but I logged out to log another persona, and am having trouble logging back in/ staying logged in.

Just my 2 cents...
1) Accounts:  One account for game and forum, same name and password.

2) BIG buttons:  Once you find the Alamaze website, everything should literally be one click away in big bold buttons.  Click HERE to register your account... and on the same page;  Click HERE to play the tutorial.... and on the same page: click HERE to see the rulebook... Click HERE for the game orders.  Click HERE for calculators.  Click HERE to enter the forum.

Click HERE to return to the main page.  etc...

The idea that the forum is the place were games are set up isn't bad exactly, its just takes a minute or two to digest.

Click HERE to join a duel, Click HERE to join the next silent steel game.  Click HERE to see what other game variants are currently filling.

Either that, or a lot of people with only a mild interest (because they don't yet know what the are missing) will just log on google-play and download another app.  (I like Merge Dragons personally, and I'll play valheim for a few minutes until my computer catches fire)

I get that this is a lot of work, I'm guessing. People who have been here a few days probably don't need all that, but to catch those prospective new players who would like the game if they just got past their laziness (like me) It might be a good investment.

[uncledarkside2]

You absolutely lose players because it is difficult to start the game. Once the account is created, the info is not organized. If you look at Valhalla, you will see that I have two different names as Uncle D. The reason is, I tried to play one year before I actually started playing, and it was so confusing I could not figure it out, so I quit.
Test run the process as tho you have no clue, have a friend do it, and you will see.

I would eliminate all useless info of any other cycle not in use, update everything and streamline the process.

I know this is a huge undertaking, but you have the best game I have ever played, and the fact that only 22 people are active shows that there is a disconnect. Kids these days like to click and play immediately, and when they can’t do that
they move on. More people are on the internet than ever, but the amount of active members does not reflect that.

I learned how to play without the forum in the 80’s. The forum is a great attribute, but also the downfall as it confuses new people. An updated Maelstrom rulebook would help, and the things the others mentioned above.

Thank you guys all for the hard work, we know you try to provide us a great experience, and you do.

[RELLGAR]

You absolutely lose players because it is difficult to start the game.  Once the account is created, the info is not organized.  If you look at Valhalla, you will see that I have two different names as Uncle D.  The reason is, I tried to play one year before I actually started playing, and it was so confusing I could not figure it out, so I quit.  
Test run the process as tho you have no clue, have a friend do it, and you will see.  

I would eliminate all useless info of any other cycle not in use, update everything and streamline the process.

I know this is a huge undertaking, but you have the best game I have ever played, and the fact that only 22 people are active shows that there is a disconnect.  Kids these days like to click and play immediately, and when they can’t do that
they move on.  More people are on the internet than ever, but the amount of active members does not reflect that.  

I learned how to play without the forum in the 80’s.  The forum is a great attribute, but also the downfall as it confuses new people.  An updated Maelstrom rulebook would help, and the things the others mentioned above.  

Thank you guys all for the hard work, we know you try to provide us a great experience, and you do.

I can vouch for losing new players, I had gotten 4 different friends that I play d&d and table top games with locally, interested in Alamaze, all looked into playing, but found everything unorganized  and confusing.  I offered to mentor each of them, but they all declined, until the rules were all consolidated  in easy to find places. The more I tried to tell them rules and where to find them, the more turned off they got.  They felt this was a great game,  but gave a huge advantage  to a niche  of people that knew how to play. They are all competitive  in gaming and didn't  want such a disadvantage,  especially  in a game that cost money to play. 

I tried my best, but its the same problems of rules un organization that prevented my recruitment  efforts.

[HabeusCorpus]

You absolutely lose players because it is difficult to start the game.  Once the account is created, the info is not organized.  If you look at Valhalla, you will see that I have two different names as Uncle D.  The reason is, I tried to play one year before I actually started playing, and it was so confusing I could not figure it out, so I quit.  
Test run the process as tho you have no clue, have a friend do it, and you will see.  

I would eliminate all useless info of any other cycle not in use, update everything and streamline the process.

I know this is a huge undertaking, but you have the best game I have ever played, and the fact that only 22 people are active shows that there is a disconnect.  Kids these days like to click and play immediately, and when they can’t do that
they move on.  More people are on the internet than ever, but the amount of active members does not reflect that.  

I learned how to play without the forum in the 80’s.  The forum is a great attribute, but also the downfall as it confuses new people.  An updated Maelstrom rulebook would help, and the things the others mentioned above.  

Thank you guys all for the hard work, we know you try to provide us a great experience, and you do.

I can vouch for losing new players, I had gotten 4 different friends that I play d&d and table top games with locally, interested in Alamaze, all looked into playing, but found everything unorganized  and confusing.  I offered to mentor each of them, but they all declined, until the rules were all consolidated  in easy to find places. The more I tried to tell them rules and where to find them, the more turned off they got.  They felt this was a great game,  but gave a huge advantage  to a niche  of people that knew how to play. They are all competitive  in gaming and didn't  want such a disadvantage,  especially  in a game that cost money to play. 

I tried my best, but its the same problems of rules un organization that prevented my recruitment  efforts.

It was my third attempt, along with a mentorship, that got me over the hump of the learning curve and the challenging signin/login process (it isn't intuitive for new players).  My first two attempts I got stuck on how to set up an account and get into a game and gave up.  It was the third attempt that stuck.  Those three attempts happened over 4 to 6 months so it would have been easy to have been lost forever on each one.  As noted above there is only so much patience a potential player will have in their efforts to try and engage and learn.  Agree with the comments above - single updated rulebook that captures "all the notes" (should include artifacts, spells, brigade qualities),  if not in the rulebook, then all the calculators and brigade qualities etc together in one place, artifact descriptions and spell descriptions..  I am also in the camp of make all the setups/turn1 available.  I tried to get my brother into this game but having a large army bounce off a Dome of Invulnerability (he didn't know the spell existed) and not knowing that he could get a Dispel Dome of Invulnerability by level X was the singular event that caused him to drop before his first game even finished and he has never came back.  He is a big gamer and is a loss for the community.   "Too many advantages for those that know the game just make it frustrating".  

Also agree with the comments of cleaning up all the old maelstrom 2nd cycle, 3rd cycle etc.  It should be one game, with a current and updated rulebook - that is what any new player will be expecting and just gets confused by the different names and mash up of update notes.  Veteran players just take it for granted, and understand the evolution, but for new players it is daunting, confusing and frustrating.  As an example I just had a relatively new player (but has played several games) ask me about an Avenging Angel spell and advise he couldn't find it described anywhere.  I looked in my rulebook and quickly found it and gave him the page number.  It didn't exist in the one he was using ... I am guessing because it was 3rd cycle rulebook or something?  I was frustrated on his behalf and gave him what I think is the current rulebook although it is still missing at least two major updates of material changes.  One standard rulebook with a version control process on it is the way to clean that up.