New PBM Magazine from PlayByMail.Net

[PNMarkW2]

Turn-based gaming CAN refer to board games online - and if you think about it - that's very much what PBM is too.

Yes, 'turn-based gaming' can refer to a great many things, which is why I've long maintained that it's not a valid description of play by mail gaming. There is an intrinsic difference between an off the shelf game being played by mail, and a game specifically designed to be played by mail.

The fact that any board game can be played by mail if you put enough effort into it also serves to lessen the usefulness of 'turn-based gaming' as a meaningful descriptor of anything beyond the difference between a real-time strategy game and everything else.

It's not just about the method of play, I could play Monopoly by mail if I thought about it, it's also about the intent of the design.

Mark