PUB Games
A subscriber can create a PUB (Private Universe Battle) game for two to six players (up to 12 for Elite subscribers). You can invite anyone to play your game, and tick it whenever you want. You decide how many players there will be, whether the economy will be in force, and so on.
Joining a PUB Game
To get into a PUB game, choose the "PUB Games" link in the Lobby. This takes you to the PUB Games page, which lists both open and passworded PUB games that are available. Anyone can join an open game. To enter a passworded game, you'll need to ask the game's owner for the password.
There is no limit to the number of PUB games you can be in, but don't join more than you can keep up with!
For players, pretty much everything about a regular massive game holds true for a PUB game, except:
- Anyone can write a Headline item by clicking a link on their Com-Net page. This gives each game a private news area. (UltraMail still works normally for private mail.)
- All the players start with different colors on the map. You can change these colors if you wish, except for your own - your worlds are always white.
- Your Watch List starts off populated with all players.
- Player-owned PUB games will not score points.
- Your profile will show how many PUB games you have completed. A game is only added to this total when it is deleted.
Creating a PUB Game
To create your own PUB game, go to the PUB Games page, and follow the Create a PUB Game link. This will take you to the PUB Setup and Administration interface.
Regular subscribers may only own one PUB game at a time. If you own a game, you must end it before creating another. Elite subscribers may own up to six games.
Deleting Inactive PUB Games
Inactive PUB games don't stay on the server forever. Any PUB game that has not ticked for 21 days will be deleted, to free up disk space. We'll warn the owners by both e-mail and UltraMail before a game is deleted, and send UltraMail after deletion.
Blitz PUB Games
By setting a game to tick quickly (every 10 or 15 minutes for early turns, maybe more for later ones), you can change the game from one of careful planning and negotiation to one that requires decisions as quick as any real-time simulation.
You can either play a blitz completely without communication and negotiation, or set up a way to communicate in live chat. UltraChat allows you to create private rooms for in-game talk without being distracted by people who are not in the game.
Complaints About PUB Games
From time to time, we get complaints from players who joined a PUB game . . . and then the owner stopped ticking it, or ticked it several times quickly so he could build up his own empire, or did something equally lame.
However, there's no way we can keep game owners from being lame. Your remedy is just "don't play with the loser any more."
To avoid joining games run by that type of player, you can check "reputation" on the owner's Profile page before joining. For more information on this system, see PUB Game Reputation.
Subtopics:
PUB Setup and AdministrationCustomizing Units in a PUB Game
PUB Game Reputation
