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The Tribes of Crane
The Tribes of Crane is a play-by-mail game that was published by Schubel & Son. The game was launched in 1978.
According to the publisher, Schubel & Son, the game was launched in 1978. By 1982 there were 2,200 players.
The Tribes of Crane was a turn-based game where players took on the role of leader of a tribe on the planet of Crane, and attempted to accumulate warriors, gold, and other resources. It was the first commercial play-by-mail game that was moderated by a human game master instead of a computer, although later the game master was assisted by a computer.
A new player started by picking what type of tribe they wished to lead (herdsmen, warriors, merchants or sea people), and what type of climate and terrain they wanted to start in. The player would then be sent details of how many people and livestock were in the tribe.
The player would mail a monthly turn, which consisted of a movement or stand-in-place order, a combat order, a transaction order, and any special orders. Special orders were unusual for play-by-mail games, which were often moderated by a computer. As reviewer Jeff Neufeld noted, "Properly utilized, this is the best part of the game... What can be done here is virtually unlimited. For instance, you can push development of a better crossbow, or breed faster horses. The big advantage of having a [human] gamesmaster is that he can decide on the feasibility of new ideas."
Knowledge of the world and other tribes was gained through moving from place to place, meeting other tribes and trading knowledge, or asking questions of the game master.
There were up to 1200 players in each game, using a large map with 4600 sectors, 100 cities, and over a thousand non-player characters.
When The Tribes of Crane began, the cost was $1 to join a game, and $1.50 for each monthly turn, with unlimited special orders. After several years, the number of turns increased to two per month, and the cost rose to $2.50 per turn. A charge of $1 per turn for special orders was also initiated, increasing the possible monthly cost for two turns to $7.
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The Tribes of Crane
The Tribes of Crane is a play-by-mail game that was published by Schubel & Son. The game was launched in 1978.
According to the publisher, Schubel & Son, the game was launched in 1978. By 1982 there were 2,200 players.
The Tribes of Crane was a turn-based game where players took on the role of leader of a tribe on the planet of Crane, and attempted to accumulate warriors, gold, and other resources. It was the first commercial play-by-mail game that was moderated by a human game master instead of a computer, although later the game master was assisted by a computer.
A new player started by picking what type of tribe they wished to lead (herdsmen, warriors, merchants or sea people), and what type of climate and terrain they wanted to start in. The player would then be sent details of how many people and livestock were in the tribe.
The player would mail a monthly turn, which consisted of a movement or stand-in-place order, a combat order, a transaction order, and any special orders. Special orders were unusual for play-by-mail games, which were often moderated by a computer. As reviewer Jeff Neufeld noted, "Properly utilized, this is the best part of the game... What can be done here is virtually unlimited. For instance, you can push development of a better crossbow, or breed faster horses. The big advantage of having a [human] gamesmaster is that he can decide on the feasibility of new ideas."
Knowledge of the world and other tribes was gained through moving from place to place, meeting other tribes and trading knowledge, or asking questions of the game master.
There were up to 1200 players in each game, using a large map with 4600 sectors, 100 cities, and over a thousand non-player characters.
When The Tribes of Crane began, the cost was $1 to join a game, and $1.50 for each monthly turn, with unlimited special orders. After several years, the number of turns increased to two per month, and the cost rose to $2.50 per turn. A charge of $1 per turn for special orders was also initiated, increasing the possible monthly cost for two turns to $7.