The evolution of this web site and how it supports the Celestial Empire community is in constant change, attempting to address the desires of the participants without fundamentally changing the game.

We invite discussion on the issues in the Forums section.

Issues such as Forums, file sharing and Web interaction with the games themselves can have a significant effect on how the game is experienced. Celestial Empire is fundamentally a slow-paced play-by-email game. It doesn't involve graphics or interactive participation, but requires the players to mentally visualize the game and plan and implement long-term strategy over an extended time period.

The Web, by it's very nature, tends to promote instant gratification, stimulating visual effects and high degrees of interactive participation. These characteristics seem to be at odds with the game.

The problem, then, becomes one of trying to provide improved access and visibility to the game through the ubiquitous web browser interface without changing those characteristic features that make the game what it is. Any direct interface between the website and a game has the potential to significantly change the game.

The communique system is a good example. Because the original system was manually processed the only in context communication system involved sending private or broadcast messages that appeared on the turn sheets. Diplomacy happened at the same speed as the turns, and you had to plan actions based on how confident you were of your diplomacy. When the system was automated an in context messaging system with the speed and characteristics of email became possible. In my view this was a fundamental change that could have significant consequences. But I believe that was offset by the fact that it allowed out-of-band communications that were already occuring via email to be brought into the context of the game itself. And after a phenomenally successful trial I think it has been established as a positive change. So not all change is bad.

I think it will be inevitable that the website will create change. We've already seen how some players feel that open forums can affect the game. There are other current capabilities like file sharing that could evoke similar feelings. And there are any number of proposed website enhancements that would extend the game capabilities.

We have the opportunity to determine how the website creates change. Obviously I'm not capable of foreseeing all of the effects that might be produced by various enhancements. I ask that you join us in the Forums and voice your opinion on the issues.