BBSs are in the same boat as RPGs they "seem" to be dying. personally I believe its a case of poor promotion.

BBSs like RPGs are a very nitch group. The only thing BBSs have left in their favor are the Games as the internet, because of its nature, has eliminated the BBSs message bases and file areas.

So being gamers, what would it take to draw you to the games on a BBS? Rignt now I have RPGs, Strategy and War games on my BBS, but a new user wouldnt know the difference between BRE, TW2002 or Yankee Trader, and if its not what they expect then they are more than likely to disconnect and never come back.

So throw me your opinions and suggestions

Nothing. As far as I'm concerned they are as dead as 8 track.

I don't even own a modem anymore.

Quote from: QuasarNothing. As far as I'm concerned they are as dead as 8 track.

I don't even own a modem anymore.

not dead, still alive and kicking, and most of them you cant get to by modem anymore anyway, its all telnet.

Is a BBS different from a forum?

Quote from: hgjsIs a BBS different from a forum?

yes, they started in the 80s, before the internet. you would log into each BBS seperatly (like a forum) using a terminal program. (just look at Cyberpunk 2020, it was published in 89 and its netrunning is based on BBS technology)

once inside there would be whatever the SysOp would want to install:
Message areas, both local and networked, similer to usenet or mailing lists. obviously those have been usurped by the internet, and the web does it better anyway.

File areas, consisting of whatever the SysOp could find and what the Users would upload. again, for the most part the web has usurped this area as well, cause unless you knew what was on each seperate machine it was a crap shoot, luckily most SysOps tried to have a nice setup

Games, the games are all text based, some are RPGs with a defined path, some are wargames where you build your empire and destroy your opponents, and then there is everything else.

BBSs nowadays are acessed via the web using either the built-in telnet client, an external one, or a Java Client built into web pages. I like MTelnet personally, though the built in one that comes with windows 2k up gets the job done most of the time.

So yes BBSs are different than forums, excepth for the one component listed above, and forums do that aspect better

Quote from: hgjsIs a BBS different from a forum?

This site might prove enlightening.

Quote from: GrimGentThis site might prove enlightening.

I can't read that sight without my shades - lime green on black is an eyeball killer for me these days..

Are BBS games anything like chatroom games?

Quote from: O'BorgI can't read that sight without my shades - lime green on black is an eyeball killer for me these days..

Are BBS games anything like chatroom games?

I dont think so, they are more like text based video games...

Some examples:
Falcons Eye is the text-based equivelent to Warcraft.
Pick Race, build buildings, cast magic, attack other players

Netrunner is a RPG where you take the roll of a netrunner (duh) in a matrix, moving from node to node, it is graphical, but in the most basic of terms

Tradewars/Yankee Trader are text (and space) based versions of board games like Iron Dragon or Empire Builder

Legend of the Red Dragon/Darkness/DoorMud/Jezebel are RPGs, where you build of your caracter through exp, weapons, and armor. they are precursors to modern day MUDs and MMORPGs.

so unlike chat games, there is no one person in charge, its all done through the program itself.

Quote from: NYTFLYRBBSs are in the same boat as RPGs they "seem" to be dying. personally I believe its a case of poor promotion.

BBSs like RPGs are a very nitch group. The only thing BBSs have left in their favor are the Games as the internet, because of its nature, has eliminated the BBSs message bases and file areas.

So being gamers, what would it take to draw you to the games on a BBS? Rignt now I have RPGs, Strategy and War games on my BBS, but a new user wouldnt know the difference between BRE, TW2002 or Yankee Trader, and if its not what they expect then they are more than likely to disconnect and never come back.

So throw me your opinions and suggestions

As a former BBS Sysop I understand where you are coming.  The problem is that the internet does everything the BBS does but better.   Sorry, door games lik TW 2002, Legend of the Red Dragon, Etc were fun then but they just don't do it for me anymore.

BBS's still exist but they are few and far between.  

The One nice thing about the BBS is that you were able to control who came in, so the crap could be kicked out and the community was nice.

In order for the BBS to compete it would have to provide something that people cannot find on the internet

Quote from: Blue DevilSorry, door games lik TW 2002, Legend of the Red Dragon, Etc were fun then but they just don't do it for me anymore.

too each their own of course, I still love those games, and play them daily

QuoteBBS's still exist but they are few and far between.  

Survival of the fittest, it seems the BBS software to use is Synchronet, being free, it makes it simple to set one up, but difficult to master, just like web pages anyone can set one up, but it takes work to make it look good.

Im getting about 1 new user a day, which may not seem like much, but as you know users dont just visit, they stick around.

One thing that will help is getting back into the InterBBS BRE and FE Leagues. My board used to be one of the dominate ones, even back in the late 90s.

But I agree its got to be something that the internaet cant provide, and the games IMO are it, that and community... the web based version of LORD Sucks, and Im open to "new" things, but it just seemed cluttered, disorganized, and not very personal

Quote from: NYTFLYRtoo each their own of course, I still love those games, and play them daily



Survival of the fittest, it seems the BBS software to use is Synchronet, being free, it makes it simple to set one up, but difficult to master, just like web pages anyone can set one up, but it takes work to make it look good.

Im getting about 1 new user a day, which may not seem like much, but as you know users dont just visit, they stick around.

One thing that will help is getting back into the InterBBS BRE and FE Leagues. My board used to be one of the dominate ones, even back in the late 90s.

But I agree its got to be something that the internaet cant provide, and the games IMO are it, that and community... the web based version of LORD Sucks, and Im open to "new" things, but it just seemed cluttered, disorganized, and not very personal

I used Iniquity BBS which is multi node and really nice.   I enjoyed running a BBS but when I saw the number of BBS's dropping I got out of it before it got too bad (and I was getting a number of calls a day, 15-20, and they were different users).

As for the games, I dont know maybe you are right.   I have considered setting up an internet BBS and I don't know if I will or not, I have the extra computer to do it on too.

Quote from: Blue DevilI used Iniquity BBS which is multi node and really nice.   I enjoyed running a BBS but when I saw the number of BBS's dropping I got out of it before it got too bad (and I was getting a number of calls a day, 15-20, and they were different users).

As for the games, I dont know maybe you are right.   I have considered setting up an internet BBS and I don't know if I will or not, I have the extra computer to do it on too.

Im back up to about 15-20 a day unique callers. I dont know if iniquity handles telnet or not, if not you can set up synchronet as a frontend for iniquity, I think it is also possible to use NetFOSS (or associated program) as a front end. I was using TriBBS for several years, but once I installed Synchronet (and tweaked the menus) I was quite happy with it. It took about an hour to set up, but the biggest challenge was getting the old games/doors to work thatnks to a bug in the language they were programmed in... Turbo Pascal which didnt like any machine faster than about 233mhz... luckily there are patches to fix most of them.

If you decide to fire it back up let me know, Ill help where I can. I have a bunch of links on my web page for sysop resources.

Quote from: NYTFLYRIm back up to about 15-20 a day unique callers. I dont know if iniquity handles telnet or not, if not you can set up synchronet as a frontend for iniquity, I think it is also possible to use NetFOSS (or associated program) as a front end. I was using TriBBS for several years, but once I installed Synchronet (and tweaked the menus) I was quite happy with it. It took about an hour to set up, but the biggest challenge was getting the old games/doors to work thatnks to a bug in the language they were programmed in... Turbo Pascal which didnt like any machine faster than about 233mhz... luckily there are patches to fix most of them.

Yeah it does support it, and they made sure it supported that when they put out the new edition.

Quote from: NYTFLYRIf you decide to fire it back up let me know, Ill help where I can. I have a bunch of links on my web page for sysop resources.

Thanks but I doubt I will.  I really just don't have the time to do it and I have too many other projects to work on.