I'll echo goldfinger here, if RiverSong is a troll she's putting an awful lot of time and effort into doing it, beyond this thread. Given the statements above it seems like trying Rat Wars as a new player might be a little confusing. Throw in new terms and other variations that this site offers over webDip, and sure it can be daunting for a new player. They can either learn on the fly - often irritating experienced players to no end with 'noob' errors - or they can ask. This also irritates some experienced players. Some people are just easily irritated and need to transfer that to those who are 'weaker' or 'stupid' by virtue of being new to something. Sure, the site provides a lot of rules and instructions, but when just beginning there is a lot more to it.
I'm pretty new myself, so I can relate. I appreciate the welcome and support I got from many people, and didn't pay much attention to the ones yelling at me. RiverSong, welcome to the site, welcome to the game, and ignore the negativity. There are a lot of great folks here and you'll learn quickly. And if you are a troll....I don't care, my points stand.