Issue #17 - Suspense & Decision PBM magazine

[GrimFinger]

OK, after much lamentations and without rebooting my computer, it would appear that someone submitted their article to me in A4 page size format, whereas I have been using the more American popular size of 8 1/2 by 11 inches. So, it wasn't the one page that was off, it was a lot of other pages that were off.

Now, we're cooking with Crisco, again.

Hooray!

[Davin]

Hooray, indeed!

[ixnay]

Is there any chance I might have until the weekend to submit an item or two? I'll commit to a column and a comic strip, if I might have that time.

[GrimFinger]

Looks like we have front cover art for Issue #17.

Thanks go out to Kav!

[GrimFinger]

Getting the front cover more to where I like it, but it still remains an unfinished affair.

[GrimFinger]

Most days, I don't really get to spend any time on the magazine. Life just tends to prevail, in that regard.

However, last night was a notable exception, and I made a good bit of progress on refinement of the pages and front cover for Issue #17. It's not quite finished, just yet, but a good sized chunk of it is.

On those days that I do get to work on it, a disproportional amount of time goes into rather mundane tasks, such as trying to track down some free art from public domain comic books of the past, which I think help to lend an air of nostalgic fun to the magazine. I could be wrong about that, of course, but since I am no artist, I try to improvise, that issues will have at least a modicum of visual eye-candy in them, in order to offset the mass of text that forms the bulk of each article.

I'm out of time for this morning, though, and have to head out in just a minute.

Happy gaming!

[GrimFinger]

If the power doesn't go out, here, then Issue #17 should publish either later today or tonight, or sometime tomorrow.

[GrimFinger]

Issue #17 has been published, and is now available for download!

Click HERE to download Issue #17.



Click HERE to download Issue #17.

[Rick McDowell]

OK, after much lamentations and without rebooting my computer, it would appear that someone submitted their article to me in A4 page size format, whereas I have been using the more American popular size of 8 1/2 by 11 inches. So, it wasn't the one page that was off, it was a lot of other pages that were off.

Now, we're cooking with Crisco, again.

Hooray!

First, congratulations to Charles for getting S&D #17 out without some expected supporting help.

Just with a quick once-over of the issue, the article quality seemed better, that said even without much attention to Alamaze. 
I liked the Hyborian War article by Charles the best in my first go-through.  I think it is to the important point of where the hobby stands.  And I feel somehow HW is like a PBM sibling to Alamaze.  It actually came out a year after Alamaze won the Origins / GenCon Game of the Year.  So maybe a sprightly 29 instead of 32 or so.  I knew some of the folks at RSI and of course they licensed Alamaze back in the day.

I played Duelmasters more than HW, but RSI was a core figure in PBM over these years and I think it a valid question to ask if they are intending to develop their games.
 
I remember having dinner with Paul Brown of RSI and Michael Gray, designer of Milton Bradley games including Shogun that won the same year as Alamaze at Origins.  I still have an unopened box of Shogun.  Michael wrote the outstanding review in Dragon Magazine of Alamaze that really catapulted us and likely was the key to getting Game of the Year.

Charles and I have many disagreements, including opinions on art, but I really felt the S&D art in this issue served a good purpose and end. 
I will more completely read the rest of the zine, scarce as it is for Alamaze, but with the initial glances I thought all the contributors stepped up their game (literally).  Good job.  At some point, we have to figure out how to work together to not just keep games going, but how to attract bright young minds to the best kind of strategy gaming around. 

Rick
Alamaze Designer

[GrimFinger]

First, congratulations to Charles for getting S&D #17 out without some expected supporting help.

Just with a quick once-over of the issue, the article quality seemed better, that said even without much attention to Alamaze. 
I liked the Hyborian War article by Charles the best in my first go-through.  I think it is to the important point of where the hobby stands.  And I feel somehow HW is like a PBM sibling to Alamaze.  It actually came out a year after Alamaze won the Origins / GenCon Game of the Year.  So maybe a sprightly 29 instead of 32 or so.  I knew some of the folks at RSI and of course they licensed Alamaze back in the day.

I played Duelmasters more than HW, but RSI was a core figure in PBM over these years and I think it a valid question to ask if they are intending to develop their games.
 
I remember having dinner with Paul Brown of RSI and Michael Gray, designer of Milton Bradley games including Shogun that won the same year as Alamaze at Origins.  I still have an unopened box of Shogun.  Michael wrote the outstanding review in Dragon Magazine of Alamaze that really catapulted us and likely was the key to getting Game of the Year.

Charles and I have many disagreements, including opinions on art, but I really felt the S&D art in this issue served a good purpose and end. 
I will more completely read the rest of the zine, scarce as it is for Alamaze, but with the initial glances I thought all the contributors stepped up their game (literally).  Good job.  At some point, we have to figure out how to work together to not just keep games going, but how to attract bright young minds to the best kind of strategy gaming around. 

Rick
Alamaze Designer

Well, I will concede on the point that Issue #17 was scare on Alamaze-related stuff, but it wasn't because you lacked opportunity to send something in, or to rouse adherents of the Alamaze gaming faith from their slumber. It's only been several month since Issue #16 came out, and even before I published Issue #17, I sent an e-mail to you, and in it I specifically said:

"For Issue #17, just as a heads-up if you're interested, nothing was ever sent in for Issue #17. No article. No ad. Again, no sweat off of me, but if you want something for Alamaze included, even if it is just an ad, you don't have much time left to get it in. I can include an ad from a previous issue, if you want that. Just let me know which ad from which issue."

So, the Alamaze scarcity lament aside, at least that issue managed to finally make it out the door. I'll count my victories were they come, these days, small though they may be.

And, yes, we do have disagreements, you and I. Indeed, that term is an understatement, I think, for it does not do justice to our points of disagreement - at least, in certain instances.

With regard to art, I publish Suspense & Decision as an extension of my hobby interest, PBM gaming. Plus, I like comic books, and always have stretching back to the early days of my youth. The magazine enjoys no real budget to speak of, and the public domain comic book art that I recycle for use in the pages of Suspense & Decision brings with it a sort of nostalgic feeling, I think. You, on the other hand, run Alamaze with the hope of making a profit from it, at some point. Thus far I have encountered at least as many who like my choice of art for the magazine, as I have who have liked your choice of art for Alamaze. It's not that your taste in art is deficient, per se, rather, it's that I question whether your approach to art is yielding the degree of benefit for your game related undertakings as you would prefer. In the process, I think that you're missing the boat - the boat of opportunity, the boat of visual opportunity. And Alamaze suffocates for it. Just my feeling on the subject, mind you. No one else has to agree.

As for article quality, I don't know. I wrote that article off-the-cuff. I appreciate the sentiment, however.

I do think that the fact that the current incarnation of Alamaze enjoys code of recent vintage is a big plus for you. Lots of interesting stuff going on over there. Will it take off? Time will tell, I suppose. It will be interesting to see what you do with what your programmer, Mike, is gifting you with, Rick.

Hyborian War does suffer from its extended absence of programming vigor. It sort of languishes, a fine gaming product in its own right. Plus, the Robert E. Howard created Hyborian Age aspect is one of the game's core and greatest strengths. Alamaze, by comparison, has more of a piece-meal feel to it.

Not much time left for me to respond at length. Glad to see that you found the forum here, again, though. Pop back in, now and again.

Also, we'll look forward to seeing something from the Alamaze community or yourself, in the next issue.