Snakepit Interview Beta 4

From Astro Wars

Snakepit is the number 1 of Astro Wars Beta 4... Today (or tonight) he answers all my questions... Cool...

SO - So Snakepit, my first question : why that nickname ?

That's a long story. The short version: I think its important to have a nickname which can be easy memorised and is remarkable. If you use the same nickname over a long time and in different games you can build up a sort of reputation.

SO - You are the number 1 for weeks and your alliance (AstroDome) is number 1 too. Pretty good result no ?

We and i had a very successful start in beta4. We were very happy with our success, in particular there are also many other very good players and become daily more. It was clear to us that we will hardly hold this position up to the end of this beta. For a long time at position 1 everyone becomes inevitable the goal no 1.

SO - Astro Wars Beta 4 ha a pretty impressive success. More and more players (and AFK). Is it more and more difficult for you in the game or easier and easier ?

AstroWars is over-all a communication game, i think. You have less chance to survive over a long time without friends and without intensive contacts to your neighbours. That's one part of its success i think to speak with other peoples around the world over month having the same interests. On the other hand AstroWars seems to be quite simple but has also enough possibilities to optimise if you are willing to invest more time. Overall a great game for thousands of players with no realy difference for the single player if there are 1 or 5 thousend other players out there.

SO - Do you think you and your alliance are going to win easily or do you think that is going to be difficult and will offer us a great contest ?

I think noone can win AstroWars easily. We was too long on the position 1 so many other player find there same interest to attack us. You can't have peace with all players in this game. That's ok - it isn't the best strategy to win holding the first place over a long time. It's better to hold the second or third place and make a great finish. The attack on us shows that but the single player race isn't finished until now. I will do my best furtheron.

SO - What will be your greatest memories of Beta 4 ?

I win very much new friends in this beta and had the chance to deepen some very good contacts out of beta3. That are really my best impressions of this beta.

SO - What is the piece of advice you would give to players to start and play well for Beta 5 or even for newbies of Beta 4 ?

Speak to all players nearby you and try to co-ordinate common actions with them. Its much more funny to play this game together and more successful over all. Find some players you really trust and you can optimise your groth together. Knowing some players in other parts of the universe and in other allis is also very useful to know what happens there. The better you communicate the better you could be - if you have enough time to do so.

SO - Another question ! What do you prefer : destroyers or battleship or cruisers ?

If have no really preference. Mixed fleets seems to be the best. Cruisers seems to reduce your loses if you have really a great fleet but overall i prefer mixed fleets.

SO - What would be the best upgrades to do to Astro Wars for you ?

I think more complexity is not really good for this game, especially for newbies. AstroWars is a communication game so there should be some more prospects helping the players by there communication, that would help them holding the contact to thier friends.

SO - What are the advantages and disadvantages of being in an alliance ? And what is the best size for it ? (What to you think of AGP this alliance of 35 players ?)

Official allis are a nice idea to give the working togehter a new dimension. I think there is no optimal size, depending on what you want to do in the alli: working together, winning, showing your strengh whatever. If you want to win this game the greatness of your alli isn't the decisive point.

SO - Can you tell us some anecdotes about your alliance ?

I think this interview is too short to tell only some of them That's one of the greatest things in this game, playing with others throughout the world not really knowing what they will do, lifing with your own and thier mistakes, successes and feelings in the game and in the "normal" life. One example: we had to put off an attack by one day a view minutes before lanching because the wife of one of our partners forbid him playing AstroWars at that night, an other one because one of us had a power blackout over hours because of an icestorm, that's life

SO - Why this attack against AstroDome ? What will be the consequences ? You lost a lot of planet ! Will you be able to reconquer all ?

I think you mast ask the chiefs of the aggressors. It's abolut normal in AstroWars that the leading player and the leading alli will be attacked before the game is over. Maybe they have some other reasons but i think thats the main reason and that ok. I would have done the same.

We have many friends asking us if they could help. Maybe we could reconquer with thier help all of the planets. But we desided in our alli already on the day of the first attack not to draw on them as we saw that there are some aggressors to much to hold all planets. It's better they concentrate themsevels on thier own intentions. Even with only some lost planets we had also lost the first place in the alli ranking. Maybe we can use thier help better by an other occasion. Beta4 isn't finished until now

SO - Finished ! Did you enjoy this interview or was it very boring ?

As AstroWars is a communication game it's a great idea to have some reporters and newspapers there. Writing hundreds of PM's in the last month it's no problem to write one more and i enjoied it to be asked about my experiences in Astrowars. Please excuse my bad english. I hope you can understand most of my writing. Thanks once more for asking me. You do a fine and important job growing up the worth of astrowars, i think. Greetings, snakepit