THE

N0.8 SPACE GAMER

$�

GCJll3J'l
A three-dimensional war game... I
1
A political/ economic simulation.. .
A possible future...

Godsfire is two games in one. In the Basic version, it's a

battle game, as space fleets and ground forces fight for
control of fifteen planets. A totally new system of move­
ment makes true three-dimensional maneuver easy.
The Advanced game adds diplomacy, subversion, and
politics - and the chance of Armageddon. Before you can
fight a war, you 'IJ have to gain the support of internal
political and economic groups (by fair treatment, negotia­
tion, bribery, or force)... or face revolution.

Components for two to six players:

Two giant (22" x 34") strategic maps
Fifteen System Sheets
Six National Government Sheets
1,008 unit counters
616 Giga buck counters
Detailed rule booklet (cover by Elrohir)
Extra Data Sheets

$15.00
2,112 1hroe-dimensionol "cells" $/2.50for The Spuce Gsmer �11/1scribt•1.\.
gc»ern movrmen1 In Godsjire. You
don't surround an enemy - you
e11glvbe him.
mETAGAffilnG conCEPTS
llo\ I SJ-1<1
Au\lin, ' """ 78761
 1

the Where We're Going

SPACE GAMER
dee-Jan no.9 As this is written, mid­ the folder now and cost looks fair
January, GODSFIRE is being shipped for it. The folder would have a
to buyers and OGR� is due back two color cover and look pretty
from the printer in 7-10 days. slick.
GODSFIRE is a real mind blower for In terms of play value. Qfilti;,
sophistication/complexity buffs. CHITIN, end other MicroGames will
Wtth two 22"x34" space maps, type­ be a real bargain. Yeh, you're
set rules booklet with full color always told that, but MicroGames
cover, 600+ money chits, 1008 com­ are meant to be played, not set on
IN THIS ISSUE bat counters, and 24 assorted Sys­ the shelf with you $8-$10 unplayed
tem Sheets, National Government "collector's'' games. The i:-eaction
Sheets, and Data Sheets, GODSFIRE of some 14 play-testers is uniform­
1 where We're Going RT is B-I-G. It will have an even ly, "Let's play another; I think I
2 Editorial HT greater impact on gaming than can get the command post/Ogre this
STELLAR CONQUEST in terms of new time if ..... " It may be petty.
3 Designer's Note PT factors and methodology. but some others would put OGRE in
15 Rooks CBO Good ol' hindsight says GODS­ a box and charge $7 or $8.
FIR£ was too much for MGC to try at More different games have been
17 Feedback & Game Ratings this stage of our growth. Since we worked on in the past eight weeks
18 News & Plugs didn't know that, we'll award our­ than at any time in MGC's brief
selves 500 experience points for history. GODSFrRE, METASTAR 80,
30 Letters only being six weeks late getting and HYMENOPTERA have all seen major
FEATURES it out. In the seven month period design work. OGRE, CHITIN, filIB­
ending in January. MGC has pub­ WHON, and WARPWAR have also seen
4 Notes on the Ogre Steve Jackson lished three new games. MONSTERS! heavy work. Several major promo­
8 The Bored Board MONSTERS!, GOOSFIRE, and OGRE, plus tional activities are also in the
Kevin Pardus
reprinting STELLAR CONQUEST and works.
FICTION THE Y!f!B.l with format changes. TSG 1977 will be our first really
also went bi-monthly. In terms of big groth year. MGC should stand
10 Weekend Warrior Patrick Kernaghan
time and money, that's like going with secondary publishers like
19 Iago's Vow Robert •raylor from zero to now in only seven GOW, TSR, and Conflict by year end.
months. The spearheads are MicroGames
REVIEWS
Lurking in the near wings are and TSG. Microgames are risky, as
25 Outreach Lynn Willis two more MicroGames and FIYMENOPTEAA said before, but we think they will
26 Gods. Demi-Gods & Heroes Yes, HYM£NOPTERA will be published go. TSG goes for double to triple
Glen Taylor
as our next big, i.e. $10+, game. circulation with a schedule of
28 Buffalo Castle Steve Jackson There have been design problems gradually increasing improvements.
29 Triplanetary Variant V/2 Kelly Moorman (uh, bugs?) arising from the multi­ More TSG material will be staff
tude of genetic types we'd like to generated to give a more even mix.
include. A lot of the types were The computer CPU should also be ac­
looking like a more complex combat quired and testing of PBM games
FRONT COVER: Steve Oliff with 2 , 000+ counters for six play­ begun.
ers. Air. ground, and water types 1977 will also see almost all
ARTISTS: Hogan, Jaquays, Chung, Rahman Norton
were included. Production complex­ staff/local game designs published.
PUBLISHERS: Howard Thompson EDITOR: c. Ben Ostrander ity looked out of hand if a $15 lid We haven't been idle and you'll see
on price was to be maintained. The the results of our efforts soon.
problem is in hand now. And, a Be assured we appreciate the
THE SPACE GAMER is published bi-monthly by Metagaming Concepls. bonus of the solution is CHITIN. continuing reader support and com­
Box 15346, Austin, TX 78761. Copyright 01976 by Metagaming our second MicroGame. CHITIN I: ment. We're having a lot of fun
Conc�pts. All rights reserved. A six-issue subscription is $5. Harvest Wars is a $2.95 MicroGame and see a lot of new projects open­
twelve issues $9, USA and Canadian postal addresses only. abstract of RYMENOPTERA's tactical ing up. E:very subscription and
Contributions are solicited at the base rate of �¢ per word plains combat system. It will be game directly advances science
cash or 1¢ per word purchase credit. Base art rate is S4 per available around April 1st (not an fiction and fantasy gami ng. Look­
page cash, $8 per page purchase credit. News items and product April Fool's joke). ing back to October, 1974, our shoe
announcements accepted subject to editorial di scretion. For those who missed it, let me string has stretched and grown
say again--$2.95 for MicroGames. fantastically. MicroGames, TSG,
We've taken a bit of a risk plannin� and computers should see MGC to a
for three to four times our normal rapid take-off in 1977!.
sales to get that $2.95 volume
pr ice. '!'hat will include an 814x 14" Howard "'hompson
heavy paper stock play map, 56-112
counters. and a 16-20 page rules
booklet. Exterior packaging will
be either plastic baggie or a littlE
"pocket" folder. We tend toward
2 3
EDITORIAL Designer's Note
Given the occasional bomb, surpris­
ingly many of SPI's games are
superb, by any standard. Gamers
.
would be lucky if all game publish­
ers hit the SPI average or put out
SPI BADMOUTHING even one game a year in the SPT
"best" league.
WATT! Before anything, let me TAKE THAT, DICEll
Charles Roberts started board
say this ISN'T one of th?se �11 too wargaming with A-H. SPI stretched
frequent Simulation Publ1cat1ons If it always seems that combat
it to nn'lrecedentPr! bound5. llther die rolls run against you, we have
Inc. (SPT) putdowns. SPI, the war­
gaming/simulation industry leader, publishe�s will have to be desi ¥n something in common, aside from,
is frequently subjec� to. putdowns by innovative and break new market1�g perhaps, a tinge of paranoia. One
gamers and game publication.. Bad­ ground to stand with SPI/A-H. Do1ng reason STELLAR CONQUEST allows a
mouthing SPI seems to be a side as SPI and A-H do means you're al· builder's game is because dice seem
effect of SPI's success. ways a coat-tailer. Follower� won't to do me in. If three Attack ships
.
For the record, gaming (as we make gaming reach bigger aud1enc� s. show up at my home coiony and I've
know it) consisted of.A!alon �ill . TSR has broken new ground with got three Attacks defending I know
(AH) publishing two s1m1lar histori­ Fantasy gaming. It remains �o ?e I'm likely to lose it. g:;_lets me
cal games a year prior to SPI. There seen if TSR drives home their inno­ build and concentrate that SO\ to
was no Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), vation with market know how and 100% edge I seem to need for
. steady quality. In my est�ate, '.SR victory.
Game Design Workshop (GOW), Simula­
tion Design Corporation (SDC), will make it if they keep improv mg My poor dice luck was a cause
as they have. of problems in play-testing OGRE.
Conflic , MGC etc; just those two
MGC is also trying to break When you are never sure how you're
new games ·a year. Then came
new ground. I'm very �uch awar � that doing on the die rolls it becomes
Dunnigan/Simons �n with Str�tegy and
innovation and marketing (selling/ bard to tell when a scenario is
Tactics (Sf,T) with a game in every
advertising, etc.) are the key. SPI fairly balanced. This testing of
issue. This had to be one of the
is a tough act to follo".". You �ave OGRE led to what now seems an easy,
strangest market ventures of all
time. But, S&T reached 32,000 sub­ to keep all the apples Juggled, ex­ natural idea. It's a gimmick which
pand a firm, watch cash-flow, de-. allows fair play-testing and (inci­
scribers and modern gaming ex�loded
sign, test, produce, sell, advertise, dently, hahl) leads to the near
with new magazines and compan�es.
re-test, etc., etc. You also have to elimination of imbalanced die rollL
Again, for the record, without
show a profit or your days are num­ In fact, the idea is such a No, this doesn't guarantee
SPT and their million dollar adver­ completely equal die rolls, espec
tising budget (total est�mated to bered.SP! did it, and a lot of "natural" I suspect it has been ial­
others have benefitted. ly when players don' t fully
date) we'd still be getting two discovered a number of times by get
On a competitive level SPl other gamers. But, who cares? I through a stack at game end.
(A-H) historical games per year. But,
scares hell out of me. They aren't you get so close you know play
Even A-H profited by the SPI don't recall seeing it in print any­ tac­
as powerful as IBM in computers but where in the last few years, so it tics made the big difference
boom. Non-mail buyers pushed A-H in
SP£ has customers and resources to should be new to most TSG readers. winning. The number of chits used
store sales to new highs largely be­ can be varied according to the game,
cause of SPJ advertising. Nor:ie of the go nearly anywhere faster and better And, .J know how us poor dicers need
. . ie. use the number of likely comba
smaller firms,except some m1r:iiatures than anyone but A-H. A-H is, unfor­ all the help we can get. ts
tunately, a subsidiary. of a larger in a game as a guide. Probably
efforts, would likely exist without The gimmick is based on a chit you
firm which is like having one foot draw for combat die rolls. Each need at least 30 chits, five dice
SPI. GOW and Conflict started on a set equivalents, or so for each
hard core specialty type market. in a bucket of cement. SP! scares player has a separate pile of chits
me but l have to respect them. No of equal number with one to six player so he can't easily remember
That specialty market would have what he's drawn. I think this chit
been too small without SPI. TSR, ot�er company in ga�in ' is as con­ numbers on them. For OGRE I made two
sistently fair and reliable t � deal sets, writing down one thru six gimmick will cut our play-testi
SOC and MGC are others who've bene­ ng
fitted from the larger market SPI with. I can just see IBM letting seven times for each set on heavy time in half and we're more sure
. of
created. competitors advertise to all their card stock and then cutting them what our testing results mean when
customers as SPI does with S&T. out. Each player then had 42 chits we've finished. This might also
So hear this publishers, SPI be
No SPI isn't perfect, if all turned face down and mixed up from a neat equalizing idea for tourna­
created1our opportunity.Unless, of
you're �illing to measure by is which to draw for combat results. ment play.
course, some of us �ad a few hundred
perfection. Maybe all that badmouth As each chit was drawn for a combat So, when your oh-so-lucky-at­
thousand for promotion.
ing is just gamer envy and ego . it was turned face down in a sepa­ dice opponent begins to crow sprin
A popular pastime among hard­ . g
core gamers is badmouthing SPI Maybe gamers like underdogs, until rate discard pile for each player. this gimmick on him and tell him to
they succeed. Maybe it's just fun to This way each player wi 11 get the get his chits together. Of cours
games. When you publish 30+ games a e,
gripe and SPJ is the biggest target. same number of hits and the used if you're like me, the chits mean
year some will be clinkers, there's
. Just remember that without SP!! we'd chits can't be seen to help a player you'll forever lose those "damn
no cost effective help for it. But
don't forget the S&T publishers rat­ have an average three month wait remember how his odds are running. dice" as your last, and best excus
from right now for the next A-H e
ings that quickly spot th� goofs. When a player has used up his start- for not winning.
game. Maybe we'll get a reissue of ing chit pile, he merely mixes up
SPI gains nothing by pushing a dud.
Duds get dropped and replaced by CHANCELLORSVILLE this time guys; oh the discards.and starts with them. Howard Thompson
winners. boy, I can't wait.
On average, SPI games are well
designed and a solid value buy. Howard Thompson
4 5
Present antitank technology (air cloud of gravel fired into its
feature attacks, laser- and wire-guided
missiles, etc ...) have made it too
path. A shielded one would be ex­
pensive to send up - and a little
cheap and easy to kill those mil­ bitty nuke would ruin its elec­
lion-dollar tanks. Tanks will still tronic insides with even a not-so­
have their uses: probably not as near miss. So spy satellites may
ultra-heavy, multi-gun monsters, still be used - but they will have
but rather as fast, lightly-armored, very short lifetimes and will be
cheap vehicles, used to exploit correspondingly restricted to
breakthroughs rather than create them. times of maximum need.
Which pretty well lets out the smart Another problem, not so much
tank concept. A cyborg like Gottlos with the tanks as with the whole
would be incredibly expensive, and game, is the Q1g nukes - either
could be knocked out by a single missile-delivered or airplane­
tactical nuke; a 200-meter Bolo dropped. If these are still effect­
Mark XXIII would cost even more - ive, they would make a mockery
and, while it wouldn't fall to one of conventional warfare, by elim­
nuke, it would be such a big target inating all large concentrations
that it would go out long before it of units, and by smashing the ob­
paid for itself. But I still wanted jectives that a conventional force
to do a smart-tank game-:--SO-I did. might otherwise be needed to take.
But it had to make some kind of Again, though, we have a way out.
sense...so half of OGRE is built While it's not absolutely certain
around the need to explain why such that laser weapons will become
units would ever be built. The other practical, it seems like a good
The lieutenant spun a cursor, moving
half is built around the Microgame bet. But a laser that can spot
NOTES ON THE OGRE a dot of white light across tho map and
concept - but more on that later. and destroy a missile or airplane
Problem number one, of course, will be big, delicate, and costly.
halting it on the orange spot with prac­
by Steve Jackson ticed ease. He hit another key, and a n is those little laser-guided mis­ So they will be used to protect
iJna g e appeared o n t h e big screen . . .pitted siles. If a supertank is � going rear areas - but forward units
The conwnand post was well quarded. It ground, riverbank...and something else, to be practical, i t has to be will have to rely on dispersion
should have been. The hastily constructed, able to stand up to a lot of mis­ and jamming.
something rising from the river like the
unlovely building was the nerve center conning tower of an old submarine, but he sile (and that means nuclear) fire. The net result would be a
quiding Paneuropean operations along a 700- So the first postulate has to be an battlefield where tremendously
knew what it really was, he )USt couldn't
kilometer section of front - a front that it...and then it 1110ved. Not straight improvement in armor technology. I sophisticated weapons systems
place
was pressing steadily toward the largest rejected a force screen. not be­ would nearly cancel each other out.
toward the camera icon, but almost. The
cause it wouldn't do the job if it Target-seeking missile weapons
Combine manufacturing center in the lieutenant saw the "connil;g tower" cut a
existed, but because modern tech­ would be countered by various
hemisphere. wake throu9h the rushin9 water, bounce
Therefore, General DePaul had taken nology doesn't give us even a hint jamming devices. and mass weapons
once, and begin to rise. A second before
no chances. His comman d was located in the d when or if we'll get one. Too much would be too expensive to be used
the whole shape was visible, he recognize
most defensible terrain available - a bat­ like fantasy. On the other hand, we except on the most attractive and
it - but for that second he waR frozen.
tered chunk of gravel bounded on three �. if we wish, assume that mater­ vulnerable concentra·tions.
And so thirty men with their minds on
sides by marsh and on the fourth by the ials technology will continue to So, given these assumptions,
other things were suddenly brought to
river that fed that marsh. The river was improve. We already have some in­ tank warfare might again become a
heart-poundi.ng alert, as the lieutenant's
the swamp, gluey and im­ credibly tough two-phase materials. cost-effective way to run a cam­
deep and wide; strangled gasp and the hu9e ima9e on his
Nothing bigger than a rat could If an armor substance were to be paign. Having justified tanks,
passable. screen 9ave the same warnin9...
avoid detection by the icons scattered over "OGRE� 0 developed such that a couple of though, we still have the prob­
the island and thirty kilometers in every feet could stop a tacnuke - and if lem: robot tanks? A number 0£
direction. Even the marsh was watched - even that substance were light enough commentators don't believe we will
•
the river surface. The air was secure; three so that a vehicle could carry that ever see robot fighting units. of
laser batteries had been set up, and were couple of feet - tanks look better. fil!Y type. A recent article in s &
Every so often you throw logic Even if the little nukes T (Invasion: .America in nr. 57)
reqularly knocking down Combine aircraft
and the few missiles that penetrated the and reason out the window and do fired by opposing armor (and infan­ mentioned the idea in a listing of
jamscreen. And scattered through the twi- something because you feel like it. try) can be weathered, though, possible "futuristic" weapons
light, here and there, were the bulky regardless of whether it makes any there is the possibility of a systems, and then dismissed it:
shapes of tanks and ground effect vehicles - sense. And
occasionally, when you're slightly bigger missile, fired from " ...no robot brain could fight aa
the elite 2033rd Armored, a1most relaxed a s through, it works. That's what a couple of hundred kilometers off. efficiently as a tank crew: again,
they guarded a spot nothing could attack.
happened with OGRE. We get around this by assuming people are cheaper... " With all
Inside the post, too, the mood was Like many people, I'm fasci- (again, not too illogically) that due respect to the author of that
relaxed - except at one monitor station, nated by tanks. Nice image: all that jamming technology has improved. we generally-good article: hogwash.
where a young lieutenant watched a computer compact power and invulnerability. can jam most long-wave signals now.
map of the island. A light was blinking on SF stories like Colin Kapp's Gottlo" I dno•t know how you'd jam a laser •
the river. orange: something was moving, out and the Laumer
Bolo tales fed that (except with smoke or window - un­
there where nothing should 1110ve. No heat. A
fascination - imagine something feasible over large areas), but in Less than three minutes had
stab at the keyboard called up a represen- tank-strong and human-smart. So one a hundred years they may think of passed. After the initial seconds of
cation of the quardian units... not that any of the things I really wanted to put something. And satellites, which are panic, the command post had settled
should be out there, twelve kilometers into a wargame was the intelligent such great spotters for missiles, down t o business. Instead of master­
away. None were. Whatever was out there was tank. are easy to knock down today. An minding an attack, it was fighting for
a stranger - and it was actulllly in the river. But there is one small problem. unarmored satellite is a sitting its own life. Men spot orders into throat
A swimming animal7 A man? Ridiculous. Tanks seem to be on their way out. duck for something as crude as a mikes, eyes on the big screen. The
6 1
a new crater along one of the armored The practical limit to the
orange dot that was the O<]re was two sides - nothing more. size of one of these land cruis­
kilometers closer, but green sparks
"Get those guns, Comman der." The ers would be that at which it be­
were moving out to meet it - the men general's voice was calm: Hercier's came worthwhile for an enemy to
and machines of the 2033rd.
repl� was equally mild. "Trying, sir. I t use a strategic nuke on it. Or,
The general entered at a run. "Get
ducks." Then jubilation. "Good shot, alternatively, the size at which
me a pictur<>!" he ordered. The screen
Fair! You got it. Bit the misbegotten you couldn ' t afford enough of the
flickered; moving dots gave way to an
pile of junk." The big screen was com­ things to cover all the places
image. The huge machine ground over pletely dark. It came on again, froin a you needed to cover. A navy with
the landscaJ>A, incredibly fast for
different angle. The O<]re was hurt. One nothing but battleships would be
something so uge. Guns bristled. The The Ogre was six kilometers away. of those big front guns was gone - com­ a poor excuse for a navy, although
tower on top ros<> seven meters high. On the big map, a ring of green around pletely. '!'he other was clearly wrecked. I wouldn ' t want to be the first
"A Hark v," said the general. it showed missile tanks ready to move "Good man, Mercier! Who did that? one it got mad at. So I figured on
They really want us, all right. Who in: more green dots, visibly moving, were Commander Fair? . . • Mercier? . • .Fair? • • . a size of 50 meters or less. That
had the watch?" GEVs harassing the enemy machine. As "This is Kowalski in 319. It got should be amply sufficient to
"I ... I did, sir." they watched, one GEV light went out. Fair about three times. I can't find create a monster.
"Where'd it come from?" Another stopped moving and began to Mercit>r."
"Sir • the river. I got a move­ blink plaintively. The Ogre moved toward •
On the screen, one heavy tank
. .

ment indication from the center of the it. faced the O<]re. Two GEVs swept in and The Ogre rolled on. It was within
river - I saw it come up. Nothing
out. Missile tanks and infantry moved
howitzer range now, and the big missile
before that. I swear it, sir.•
• closer - too slowly.
cannon were scoring on it. It missiles
The general started to reply,
"Here it comes." Kowalski - com­ were gone, but it still had guns. The
then checked himself. Suddenly, he step­
mander of the last heavy. "You• 11 have infantry had met it - finally - but, pow­
ped to the keyboard. Tbe map reappeared­ Tne other nice thing about
to shoot better than that, you gadget. ered armor notwithstanding, they were
the orange dol"was closer - and shrank. computers is that they can do a
GOTCHA! Took out its . . • " dying as fast as they came in.
They saw their island from fifty - 11 lot of things at once. I suspect
Static. Then a new voice. It "It's committed," said a big major, his
hundred - kilometers in the air. that part of the reason tanks,
sounded quite human. And amused. eyes on the screen. "It can• t afford to
The general traced the river­ unlike battleships, never devel­
"Gotcha." stop now." The general nodded. "Get be­
coursc. "Here... and here. Yes. They oped multiple-gun versions is that
could have done it." a group of men under cramped, un­ hind it," he said into his mike. "It's

comfortable tank-crew conditions • after the howitzers. They're killing it."

"Sir?"
In the flame-lil darkness, men heard
"Underwater. It went into the have a great deal of trouble using
the scrambled transmission. Men, ana one
ocean here. Through the delta - up the � gun well. A robot unit, on
Enough. I managed to convince other. The Ogre took in the surrounding
river i'ii'i!out. Very clever. I wonder • . . the other hand, could handle as
myself that, yes. under certain
many weapons as it was given, with terrain, considered the location of the
t!o, they just outfoxed us. A s you
circum s t a nces, the robotic tank command post and the howitzers, watched
were, son." perfect coordination.
would be a workable weapons system. the movement of its enemies, weighed the
Which leads to an interest­
The next question was: what kind order it had decoded. Behind, it thought.
• ing conclusion. Everything else
of robot tank? 'l'hey have made a miatakC.-
·

being equal. a robot tank might be

I rejected the cyborg ap­
Granted, present computer expected to carry as much armor
proach of Gottlos and Cemetery •
technology can ' t replace a man and weaponry as it could. On the
�. not because I doubt it'll
at anything requiring judgment. one hand, that computer is an ex­ All in all, a supertank with a
work (I think it would) , but be­
But that does n ' t always have to be pensive investment, and needs to cybernetic brain would be a formi­
cause (a) it still leaves a human
true. It is pure mysticism to be protected; on the other. th� dable weapon. Since it wouid need
brain at the controls, and I want
suggest that the "miraculous" computer can handle more weaponry, no crew, its interior could be
something better, and (b) I d o n ' t
numan brain will never be sur­ so every gun you give it augments almost solid. What wasn ' t power
like the idea.
passed by electronic circuitry. I its strength effectively. plant or weaponry would be armor.
Keith Laumer•s Bolo stories
won ' t get into the argument of hit closer to the mark for me, in It would be fast, hard to kill,
whether machines can be self­ that he was making the same basic and frightening. In the battle
•
aware , although I think of my assumption: big, invulnerable, in­ line, it would be a menace; if it
Ogres as personalities. I will telligent supertanks. But his Bolos could pursue hit-and-run tactics.
assert that we will someday be are just too darn Qig. it could tie up many times its
Twelve minutes since the shooting
able to build a computer that is Admittedly, we won ' t know own strength.
had started. The Ogre was five kilometers
faster, "smarter," and more unLil we try. But fooling around
away. Faced by eight missile tanks, it
competent, at least in non- with models and sketches and
had slipped to the side1 three of the
creati ve occupations, than a thinking about the cube-square
tanks were gone, and two others had
human brain. law, I get the idea that the dino­
never gotten in range. But the Ogre
sure, they ' ll be expensive. saurian Bolos would have the same
had paid; it was moving more slowly now.
But expense isn ' t as important trouble that the dinosaurs did.
On the big map, three more green dots
as cost-effectiveness. If a mil­ Unnecessary bulk. Consider: an
moved toward it. The heavies were
lion-dollar robot brain can last ordinary main battle tank today
going in.
ten times as long, given the same is maybe 12 meters long. Double
"Mercier to CP. We've spotted it.''
weapon system, as a man on whom that and you increase the bulk
$100,000 was expended for train­ The general punched for an image.
� times. Not only is that
'nlere it was. Four of the six missile
ing, the robot side is ahead by already pretty expensive, but it's It was very close now. Had the coumand
tubes were empty: two of the "small"
the cost of nine sets of weapons already big enougn to do the job. post had windows, the men inside could
guns along one side were scrap. Loos e
blown to scrap with the "cneaper" Sketch a tank - top view. Now have seen the explosions. The Ogre was
tread flapped: damaged motors sparked.
human operators. draw a tank body twice as long, moving very slowly now, but two guns
Its guns moved and flashed. Then the
twice as wide. See how many tank s�l spoke. It no lonqer dodged; it was
• screen dinmed as a nuclear warhead hit
guns the same size you can give a juggernaut, coming straight for its
the Ogre. The image returned. There was
it without crowding . . • target.
 9
8 realistic vector movement used by the planets would be able to have
Inside, the general's face was gray. "smart tanks." But I hadn ' t come the ships. As a game can last for hexagonal shaped orbits around Sol.
He spoke to no one in particular. "Smart. up with a way to make it anything many months (game time), these With each planet's orbit being print­
That thing is smart." The scre am still but a dressed-up Battle of the stationary positions produce a quite ed on the game board and having Sol
echoed in the big room - the scream from fu!lgg. Tanks are tanks. I nee ded a unrealistic situation. In Three at the center of the playing board.
Lhe last missile tank commander. out of new wrinkle. months (real time), Venus moves al­ Each planet would now be represented
the Ogre's path, safe behind a three­ The limitations of the Micro­ most halfway through it's orbit by a counter. All planets and the
meter ravine, lashing out at the metal Game format p r ovided that wrink le . around Sol. Terra is a quarter of the two major asteroids would be randomly
giant - and the thing had changed course, Thinking about writing a scenario way through it's orbit around Sol in placed along their orbital path at
ignoring the howitzers, waiking over the using maybe 30 counters and just that same amount of time. But as it the beginning of the game.
gully like it wasn't there, crushing the a few hexes, it hit me: give one stands now, they just stand still. The final group of changes
smaller tank. Two GEVs had died a second side � coun ter . One Q!g counter. Precise changes would add more to would cover the planetary movement
later; their speed was their best defense, After that, it started to fall the realism of the game. The end around Sol. Each planet's movement
and the Ogre bad outguessed them. The into place. result would make it a more challeng­ is shown on table # 2 . The "x" means
side trip had given the h wi o tzers a few And it plays - that's the nice ing s-f game than it is now and that the planet moves one hex along
more minutes; h
then t ey , i
too, had d ed. thing about it. It actually works. possibly the best s-f game to be its orbital path round Sol, the
c en
The s r e showed the Ogre grinding on - Some people pref er running the played. "0" means that no movement takes
a shambling monster, barely able to move. defense: "I like to kill Ogres," Only three groups of changes place that turn. The planets move at
"The treadS... shoot at the t.reads." whis­ as one playtester who shall remain would be needed for the more realis­ the beginning of each turn before
pered the general. "Stop that t h ing." The nameless remarks. Personally , I ti� format. The first and simplest any of the players move. One turn is
image changed, and he saw what was left of l ike being the Ogre. Either way, group of changes would be to elimi­ equal as it is now to one day (game
his force: three GEVs and a handful of though, a player has to make some nate Luna and the three Jovain moons time). All planets and asteroids
infantcy. tough decisions. As the Ogre. from the game board. These four move counter-clockwise. Ships that
The Ogre rolled on ... you're running i n against a super­ moons plus all the other moons would have landed or are in orbit around
ior force that can swamp you with be given counters equal to Oribital a planet or asteroid base move with
• sheer numbers if you're not care­ Bases, except that they can not be that planet or asteroid base.
ful. As the defense, you have to moved from their parent world's hex. With these changes T R I PLANETARY
Why name il Ogre? It seemed stop a unit that (at least in the Ceres and Eros would no longer be becomes one of the most realistic
appropriate. Ogres - the " real" beginning) eats your tanks like printed on the game board, but would s-f game formats to be played. If
ones - were big, violent, and popcorn, and doesn't have to be given counters as Orbital Bases. you want to make these or your own
gruesome - and some of them were worry about getting back alive. They would follow their own orbits changes to T R I PLANETARY, SPI sells
prett y smart. When someone whis­ around Sol.
That pretty well ends these blank sheets and counters or you can
pers "Here comes the Ogre," you The second group of changes
notes. It doesn't end the OGRE make your own.
can feel the hair rising on the would be to expand the board size so
story; I hope that's just starting.
back o f your neck . . .
It doesn ' t end the story of the
The Ogre, as we worked it
Ogre and the general, either
out for this game, exists in two . Table H
You'll have to settle that one for
varieties - the monstrous Mark V
yourself. The results aren ' t
and th e slightly less fearsome Planet I of hexes from Sol
in yet ...
Mark III. The Mark V carries two
big guns. six smaller ones, lots Mercury 4
of antipersonnel, and a half-dozen P?P'?t?t?'P'?PP?P
P!D!!P! '
missiles. It is around 40 meters Venue 8
long, and moves (in this game) at
45 kph; it ' s probably faster on Terra 10
good ground. A Mark III is just The Boreu Board
as fast, but has less p unch. by Mars 15
We're working on specs for the Kev in J. Pardus
Marks I, II, IV, and VI(!). The Asteroids Ceres 27
These may show up in TSG, or in TRIPLANETARY, since it's first
a future aame. printing back in 1973, has had only Eros 29
And, with luck . there will be one major drawback to it's very
other Ogre games. This one seems to realistic s-f game format. This Ju piter 48
play well in the MicroGame format; drawback has been mentioned many
Table # 2
if the micros go over, I ' d like times in many reviews. Little more
to do another one, working in all than that has been done. The fact
Planet Days (Game Time)
the different types of Ogres, and still remains that the planets do
maybe yet· anot her, compatable but not orbit Sol. The time has come for
1 2 3 4 s 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
separate, exploring the powered­ some hard thinking and discussion to
armor concept. Of course, OGRE had rectify this problem.
Mercury 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 x 0 0 0
� work as a MicroGame : it was The present game board has on
designed. from the ground up, to it all the major (plus some minor)
Venus 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0
bodies out to Jupiter. This list x
fit th e format .
The original MicroGame idea w as includes Sol, Mercury, Venus, Terra, Terra 0 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0
"think small." Something that could �ars, Jupiter, plus Luna, the
be played on a legal-sized map, Asteroid Belt and three Jovain satel­ Mars 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
with a total supply of 50-100 lites. Each of which is in a sta­
counters. that. coul d be le arned in tionary position around Sol. �11 of The Asteroids 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0
an hour or so and wouid take which is represented to the scale of
about the same time to play. Now, 10 million miles to the hex. Jupiter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x
as I said i n the beginning, I've The problem with the present
been wantinq to do a game with board is that it takes away from the
 10 11
colors, red and white, danced the open-class meet. Plenty of
around a little to adjust his loin­ everything there . "
cloth ' s armoured cup, and hung his Johnson felt properly chasten­
buffalo horn hard hat on the door ed. Murphy had represented his
while he had another cup of coffee. block in the Samurai Games, had led
The leggings posed a problem. It his team in the Cluster Edged
could be chilly in the h i l l s at this Weapons Meet, and had taken the
time of year, and the bushes were Morning Star Block Ronin to the last
murder on his shins. On the other Gameland open-class meet, where
hand, leggings s l owed you down. they had tackled everything up the
Their fringes were always getting twentieth century. As the sole
caught, and if you got them wet it survivor, Murphy had to work out
was like being tied to the ground . now with the Tudor Block Team.
At his age, he could n ' t afford to Johnson had never competed at a
be any slower. Grunting a,bit, he higher level than the regional
laced on his moccasins, standing to tribal games, and he knew in his
(est the feel of the foam inserts. heart that he would never take his
When he was a kid he'd done it the lance and tomahawk into twentieth
hard way, barefoot, with just a century territory .
feather in his hair and a knife in Murphy stepped off at his

'\
�is teeth. Now he neeaed a l l the transfer point, and Johnson began to
help he could get. see more and more Indians on the
tt was time to go. Adjusting moving strip. There were Tudor Rose
his fur-covered hard hat in the Apache from the transfer point,
mirror, he bid a silent farewell to Eastern Gate Iroquois, but no Morn­
Johnson, the hydroponics supervisor, ing Star Sioux. He was the first of
Far below, in the living core for now he was Black Bear, dog h i s tribe to reach the heliport, so
of the block, an alarm purred soft­ soldier of the Morning Star tribe . he fitted his lance together and
l y in the dark . Ignored, it growle� Wrapping h i s blanket around squatted against a wall out of the
then changed to a high-pitched him, he hefted his lance, s t i l l wind, holding the lance butt down
maniac howl as Johnson stumbled safely in two sections, and let to show the red and white feathers
across the floor and s i lenced it on himself out into the h a l l . at the head.
the second blind swipe. I n the elevator h e met two The others came up silently,
Without turning on the l ights other early birds. Murphy, the week· grunted, and took their place by the
WEEKEND \'lARRJ OR or fully opening his eyes, he crept end Samurai , bowed low. "Ohio, w a l l . Other groups of weekend
by stea lthily to the kitchen, toes Geronimo , " he hissed. Indians huddled in clumps around the
alert for contact. He swept aside a Edmunds came crashingly to field, waiting for stragglers. A
Patrick Kerna�han
small wheeled vehicle, a needle­ attention, presenting arms with a troop of archers in Lincoln green
pointed space cruiser, half a yellow :�apoleonic musket almost as long as filed by, led by a man carrying a
duck. Safely in the kitchen, he Johnson ' s lance. "Bonjour, mon highly polished hunting horn slung
pressed the buttons for breakfast, sauvage," he said.
·
from a leather baldric. One of the
news and weather. Johnson rai sed h i s right hand, Morning Stars indicated the leader
Holding his cup in both hands, palm outward. "Ugh," he boomed. Let with his chin. He c l i c ked his ton­
crouching over h i s coffee to warm them share that between them. This gue against the roof of this mouth,
himself against an imagined chill, little period of morning sol itude "Tock". The tribe registered dead­
he listened without hearing as the '
was valuable to him. He l iked to pan amusement.
machine spoke of negotiations, pre­ put his thoughts in order and plan Then it was time to g o . "Chief"
Around the top of Morning Star conditions, fruitful discussions. !Out his tactics for the day. Sherman, the senior Morning Star,
Dome the maintenance gondola crept, The weather, for which he had been They sank through the living led his sixteen stonefaced, steely­
a mechanical snail, gripping its waiting, was favorable; the old core of the vast truncated cone they eyed savages to join the others
fixed tracks securely with the cog­ Indian squinteJ one eye towards the called Morning Star; past the hydro­ boarding the big yellow hel ibuS
wheels on its belly. Conso halted horizon--which would be just over ponics tanks, the fish ponds, the marked Anvil Mountain Game Park.
his vehicle at the Eastern most the sink--and nodded sagely. organic gardens , the compost pits, There was one last formality
point of its circle and turned his After breakfast and a sketchy to the underground transportation between Anvil Mountain Heliport and
back on the ventilators, solar clean-up he fetched his bag out of center with its web of moving and the guard towers flanking the gates
c e l l s , dew collectors and wind gen­ the hall cupboard. He left the lance static strips. of the game park. A thin l ine OI
erators s�routed above him. tied up in two sections . No point in There they parted, grunting picketers· from the Anti-Games League
The sun was just cresting the stabbing somebody in the elevator. civil ized nods. The corporal of the straggled back and forth before the
mountains, striking fire from the The rest he laid out on his blanket Old Guard marched off to the north­ gates. A solemn-faced girl with a
six domes along the line of the in the middle of the floor. It paid bound strip, towards the green-paved wreath of plastic flowers in her
river. This was the .best moment of to get up and out early, before quadrant of the spaceport which was hair offered pamphlets. The ritual
his day. He looked up the river at everybody came trampling through his reserved every Saturday for the exchange began.
the other domes-·Tudor Rose, Pine stuff. eighteenth century games. Watch out, " It ' s wrong to k i l l your fellow
Tree, Co·op Youth, Western Pride, Over his shaven skull went a Well ington. men . "
East Gate. From this height they black, stiff wig with two feathered Johnson and Murphy stepped onto "It hurts to be k illed."
looked l ike anthil l s ; the sleeping plaits. Then, working from a tray of the east strip, j oining the motley "The games areunnatural."
denizens of the Morning Star Block colored penci l s , he started painting crowd moving towards the mountains. "They suit my nature. "
beneath him were no more to him his own insignia, the bear, on his "Like to get that tin soldier out in "There are other ways to prove
than ants. chest. He added stripes across his the bush," Johnson growled. your manhood . "
* * * forehead and biceps in the team "Not much c hance,'' said Murph y . "Come on inside and we'1 1 try."
"But you could g o to Gameland for "The games violate the univer-
•
12 13
s a l peac e . " w e ' r e fast enough, we may get there
connected only by a few l igaments .
"The games are the only reason before the S a l i s h f i n i s h them a l l low enough. He dragged in great
That one had learned h i s lesson
that it works . " "O f f . " gulps of a i r and ran his tongue
young. Next time he ' d s i t back over teeth gritty with sand. His
The girl looked familiar to Sherman waited for the laughs.
until he ran out of arrows or t a r ­ n o - run paint was running in l i t t l e
Johnson. It seemed that she ' d been There weren ' t very many.
g e t s , whichever came f i r s t .
coming to the games for as long a s "The medicine men w i l l be at puddles o f swea t , a n d the cut on
Swiftly Johnson went to work; h i s head refused to stop dr ipping
h e h a d , but s h e was too young for the fork of the c r e e k . "
forming a tourniquet from a dead
that. Maybe he was thinking of her "How big is the safety circle?" blood past his right e a r . He was so
man ' s be l t , he s l iced the hand o£f
mother. They a l l looked a l i k e any­ "One hundred yards diameter. tired that h i s legs v ibrated like
neatly and packed it in the young
way. White pole marking s . Better come in v i o l i n strings. He had six men
man ' s b e l t pouch, pushed the arrow l e f t , and not the best s i x , e i t h e r .
Then, a s the tail o f the crowd from downstream i f you can. I ' ve
through Sung ' s l e g , cut off the
went through the g a t e , a ritual known the Algonquin to stake out the Petersen ' s incompetence had
head, and withdrew the s h a f t . Only led to the expected r e s u l t , but
joke. "Hey, sweetheart , did you safety circle and pick off the
then did he unhook his bea r.- fang Petersen was dead, so there was no
murder those flowers?" wounded, and there ' s plenty of them
necklace , unscrew one of the teeth '
The tribe laughed at that one, out there today. Any questions?" one to complain t o . Prom where h e
a �d inject each of them with pain- stood he could s e e the rockp i l e ,
the adrenalin in t h e i r systems "Yeah. When is that rematch
k i l l e r . They were too w e l l - trained
driving their laughter out in barks with Custer?" It was the Morning and the scattered, feathered heaps
to moan, but Sung did let out a
and howl s , l i k e a �ack of wolves Star j o k e , as much a part of them a s that marked the route of Petersen ' s
long s i g h when the arrow came o u t .
scenting blood. A man could l e g i t i ­ the r e d and white feathers . Sherman initial assaul t . Johnson spat thicK­
Looking a r ound for ieadershjp, l y . Idiots like Petersen should b e
mately b e k i l l e d in the games, in a l e d off toward the h i l l s , and the _ scovered that
he d i he was t h e senior
d u e l , or at the euthanasia c e n t e r , rest dog-trotted behind him in confined to t h e eighteenth century.
survivor, and c a l l ing up the Wilson
because a man i s a reasoning b e i n g . single f i l e . Passing the leadeship Napoleonic was too flexible for
k i d , a s s igned him to take the two them, never mind I n d i a n .
P l a n t s , on the other hand, could b e t o the senior survivor saved a lot
casualties to the medicine man.
k i l led only b y l icensed technicians of argument s , but i t created some No u s e crying over i t . He sent
"And stay around", he ordered. one of his six stumbling right to
and only for food or f i b r e . The problems. One way to solve these
"There may be more, and I want you establish contact with the S a l i s h ,
Universal Peace e x p l i c i t l y forbade problems was to have the chief lead
to get the wounded to the helibus . " one staggering left t o see i f there
the destruction of flowers for dec­ from the front.
He turned t o the one- handed man. were any Blackfoot l e f t . They had
orative purpo s e s . About half a n hour into the
"Okay, Lefty. Get to the medicine to pull the tribes together before
Once through t h e g a t e s , the h i l l sJ Sherman found the Eastern
man now before the hand cools and
Morning Star squatted in a c i r c l e , Gate Iroqu o i s . They were farther the other side came out of the
you ' l l be playing the banjo t o ­
scratching and s p i t t i n g , while down the ridge than he had expected, rocks, or t h e y ' d be slaughtered
morrow . " like rabbits.
Sherman huddled with the other and had surprised him w i t h an arrow
The wounded man swayed, eyes
chiefs around the huge sand table in the throat. They a l'so k i l l e d
glassy with shock. Johnson took a 1t * "
representing the Game Park. Johnson PaTker, a n older type who worked a t
spare bowstring from one of the
watched a large black bird f l y from t h e f i s h farm, a n d Wilberforce, the Conso padded out to the obser­
dead and attached h i s left arm to
tree to tree, and rubbed the c a l f transport mechanic. A l i t t l e man vation deck and leaned over the
Sung ' s right a r m . Then, with Wilson rai l . To the north, he could see the
o f h i s left l e g . H i s thumb ran back named Sung , who lived three floors
supporting Sung, and Sung towing
and forth across an old arrow scar, down fTom Johnson, took an arrow in spaceport. Blocks of red, blue,
t h e stranger, they moved off to the green and white moved across i t . He
a twent y - f i r s t birthday present. the thigh, and Johnson had to back
safety c i r c l e . heard a bugle ca l l , faint but clea�
Sherman came trotting back, two out o f the ambush to cover him as
Johnson sent out a runner t o Then a volley o f musketry, and an­
b a l l s of p l a s t i c cord in his hand s . he crawled to shelter. The ambush
Petersen t o report t h e situation,
"Colors o f t h e d a y , " h e s a i d . He only involved three young appren­ other, l i ke cloth tearing. Clouds of
and looked around. Ten l i t t l e
threw them into the cente� of the t i c e s , but they a l l came at Johnso� smoke blot ted out the colors. "Must
Indians - - e leven with himself--an d
c i r c l e . They began cutt ing ·the cord and he had to do some pretty fancy be Saturday , " he said to himself.
the day had hardly begun.
into short l e n g t h s , twisting green stepping to keep from j o ining
"From here on in , " he told them, * .. ..
and gold to make headba n d s . Sherman . Then he caught the lead
1'we go slowly and carefu l l y . "
"What have t h e y g o t ? " man in the throat with h i s broad­ The l i t t l e brook was only shin­
"Red and r e d . " bladed lance, and a l l the feathers deep, but it ran a l l year. I t s
* * *
"Good, doesn ' t show t h e mess . " were red. The other two c i r c l e d , singing coolness was too" much for
Conso stirred in h i s hammock Shulman, and he went down on his
A couple of snickers. trying for a target with their
feeling his sweaty shirt stick to '
"They .defend, we attack.They ' l l knive s , a l ready regrett ing that they knees and stuck his head in the
his back, and extended a languid arm
be o n t h �s side o f the r i d g e , with had left their bows. They separated, water. Johnson kicked him in h i s
to the network of cords strung above
their home in the roclcp i l e . We ' l l b e left and r i g h t . Johnson lunged to plainly visible ribs.
his head. He pulled one to open a
co-ordinated � y C h i e f Petersen o f the l e f t , pivo�ed r i g h t , and sank " G e t out of i t ! I f you "ounder
vent, another t o provide him with a yourself we ' l l leave you . "
t h e P i n e Tree S a l i s h . " the lance head between the r i b s of
pressure-t ube of beer from the
"Happy d a y s . " the second man. Letting go of the Shulman staggered to his f e e t ,
cold-pack. dr ipping a n d trembl i n g . Johnson and
"Wipe o u t . " shaft a s soon a s he felt the shock,
This was the l i f e . Not like Arkwright scooped water in theh
"Watch your b a c k . " be continued his turn, drew h i s
the howling hell they l jved through hands, rinsed their mouths , spat i t
Sherman ignored t h e muttering. tomahawk a n d met t h e other coming
every winter, w i t h everything frozen
There was nothing to be done about in. As the last attacker brought his o u t . The three o f chem padded off
open or frozen shut, ice b u i l dups to
the leadership. The Pine Tree com­ knife up, Johnson hacked the toma­ down the creekside in an exhausted
crack the dome, snowdrifts that dogtro t . Now they were being hunted,
plex had had a good year, they had hawk down on his wrist .
turned into s l i d e s and tooK you over
fielded the largest team, and t h e Johnson drew a deep brea t h , and and .Johnson was in the rear.
the edge with them . . . they had lost
rules put their chief in charge. let it out slowly. Lucky for Morning
two of their crew the previous * " ..
"Pine Tree S a l i s h w i l l b e i n Star to be ambushed by three young
winter. There was no Universal Peace
t h e center, and attack t h e rockpile; keeners. Even one older man might After supper ,Con so and Hamil ton
with the weathe r .
Co-op Youth Blackfoot go to the have kept them back in the bush, and sat out on the deck and watched the
left, and try to g e t above the rock­ then too bad for Johnson. He looked * * *
birds come back. They swept up in
p i l e on the ridge. We swing wide to down at the wounded survivor. great flocks, returning from the
Johnson grounded the butt of
the r i g h t , cross the low end of the Kneel ing in the d u s t , he supported bare h i l J s and scrubby fields where
his lance and leaned on ] t . The sun
r i d p. e , and work u p behind them. If in h i s cupped left h�nd a right hand they pecked out their l i v i n g . Each
was lower in the sky, but not half
flock made several passes before
14 15
they seemed to £eel secure enough Shulman started to rehash the
to come to their nesting grounds .
"Saw that greedy hawk toda y , "
game with a couple of survivors from BmHS
Co-op Youth, so Johnson went home
said Hamil ton. "He ' s hanging a round alone. Luckily he ran into Murphy on
the main solar collector . " the moving strip, and they rode
There was no Universal Peace along in companionable silence. He
amoung the birds. wondered i f h e could persuade
Murphy-san to pack in Oriental and
"' "' "'
go Indian. After a l l , a man ' s first The difficulties in writing
ALTERNATE WORLDS such a novel are testified to in the
Sundown . loyalty should be to his block, not
Johnson and Shulman sat in the his game, and a man like Murphy was by small number of volumes available.
Ranger Shelter dictat ing their re­ too valuable to be lost to Morning An alternate world, in i t ' s purest
Ben Os trande r form, demonstrates our current time
ports. Long tapes on who was kille� Star. Tomorrow h e ' d bring it up,
where, when, how, who by. Johnson casually. period against a single event in
filled out a form for the recovery Lost in such thought s , he revers a l . No time machines, no time
of one helme t , horned, simulated didn ' t notice the pedicap until travel lers, but a world that could
buffalo hide, his name and social �urphy drew his attention to i t . " . . . l i f e ' s a l l a m a s s of signifi­ have been but was n ' t , told straight
number engraved on lining, lost in Two men in white coveral l s were un­ cance, a l l sorts of strands and as i t would have happened.
vicinity of the rockpile. loading a broken toy soldier in the threads woven like a tapestry or a The Man in the H igh Castle by
"Very good , s i r . The c l eanup uniform of N�poleon ' s Guard. I t brocade. So if you pulled one out or Philip Dickis the most well known
crew will have it for you when you looked as though Edmunds had caught broke it the pattern would alter example of this type. I n this ex­
come in next week. Just pay the girl some grape shot, or musket b a l l s , OT right back through the cloth . . . it tremely well written novel, Dick
when you pick it u p , " said the cannon b a l l , or something. would make just as much sense back­ postulates a present i n which
attendant. "We'll take him," Murphy said. wards as forwards , effects leading Roosevelt is assassinated in Miami.
The wounded had gone ahead. The man holding the foot of the to causes and those to more effects .�·· His heavy influence is lost and when
Eight, thank God, with Johnson and stretcher appeared to be in charge. Pavane Japan and Germany r i s e , the United
Shulman ten, and Wilson made eleven. "We ' r e supposed to take him right States is in a weak position. We
Six short. The Pine Tree Salish home, and get a receipt . " The Oxford English Dictionary lose WWII and Japan becomes the
should be so lucky. The fol lowed " H e ' s home now , " said Johnson. defines extrapolation as "the action occupator instead of the occupated.
that idiot Petersen right up to the "What the hell , in Morning Star or method of finding by a calcula­ Dick won a Hugo with The Man in the
rockpi l e , and not many came back. we're all brother s . " tion based on the known terms of a High Castle. I t is a n excellent
As Johnson and Shulman left the series other terms outside of them, novel and an even better yardstick
helibus, the amplified beat called whether proceeding or following . " for judging other novels of this
them over to Big Circle, where the Extrapolation i s the corner stone o f type. Ada by Vladimir Nabokov
tells
Tribal Cluster had laid on the fire­ science fiction, the means b y which us of an America in which Russia
water. They filled the Morning Star facts are altered, changes are re­ explores and settles North America
cup, but with only two of them to cognized, and stories are produced. from the west . With typical Naboko­
pass it back and forth, they d i d n ' t Extrapolation i s present in scienti­ vian trickery, anti-terra, as he
refill i t . While they had their fic stories (what if a new form of calls this new world, views time
noses in the battered old loving energy were discovered? a new type differently. The hero of the story,
cup, the loudspeaker kept up a of physics or math?) or life science Van Veen, has frightful visions o
f
drumbeat of announcements. stories (what i s this sentinet, a world like ours. J n i t h e i s poor
''Memorial dance for the fallen water-breathing race like? what of and insignificant, a nobody. Night­
Salish. Water games fans --don' t miss their minds? Gods?) or demonstration mares of our current reality haunt
the pinnace match- -Long John Silver polemics (wha t ' s i t like to be him constantly. Ada i s , at best, a
and Captain Morgan at the Big River. watched at all times? or i f ad agen­ difficult novel .trabokov is a styl­
After a hard game do you have cies ruled the world? or cloning was ist who is better know for Lolita,
trouble getting back to work? Owl ' s the only means of producing a new but he i s an obvious admire�
Cry Herbal Preparation calms nerves, generation?) In fact, extrapolation Wells and Verne whom he read as a
increases energy, sweetens breath, can be applied to any field of study boy. Tunnel Through the Deeps by
improves digestion . . . " that has a base of data from which Harry Harrison gives us a world i n
to draw. ¥hich the battle of Navas d e Tolosa
However in one field, history, was lost by the Christians. Spain
extrapolation reaches a pinnacle. and Portugal never come into being.
By changing a single fact or inci­ John Cabot discovers North and South
dent, by l e t t ing a pivotal figure America. The United States becomes
live longer or d i e earlier,an author nothing more than a large dominion
can show us our present in a fun­ of England.
house mirror of crazy-quilt logic. To my mind the best alternate
Alternate worlds are pure examples world novels are Pavane by Keith
of what speculative fiction can Roberts and The Artera"tion by
achieve. With a carefully extrapo­ Kingsley Ami s . In Pavane, Elizabeth
lated example of what-might-have­ is a�assinated. England, weak and
been in hand, we can view the present unsure, c a n ' t turn back tne Spanish
in terms free of bias and prejudice Armada in 1 5 8 8 . Spain, under heavy
that so much accompany our current influence from the Pope and the
opinions. Free of what i s , we can Roman Catholic Church, invade s .
gain perspectives and insights val­ England falls and Papal law rules for
uable to our everyday lives and the next 500 years. A d i fferent
decisio ns. England of 1968 i s where the novel
11 17
begins. Trains and trucks have undel'"
gone a strange metamorphosis. Com­ .... FE EDBACK . . & .... ..
GAME RATINGS
oined, they carry goods about the
country, but horseback is s t i l l the
chief means of travel. Communica­
tions are carried out through an The following publications had
elaborate system of semaphore towers fl��� Feedback and other response for
TSG #8 was the heaviest i t ' s been too few ratings to be fully accur­
that occupy the high areas of Erfg land for the last several issues. More ate. Alien Critic 6 . 7 , Creative
and Europe. Lady Elanor is the cen­ than 150 readers sent in feedback Computing 6.3, 6.0,
Algol Little
tral character o f the book. Her keep, sheets or made other comments. The wars 5.7, and Locus 5.0.
seriously burdened by a bad growing big suprise was the high rating for The rank ordering of the com­
season, has it ' s tax rate increased TSG #8 a r t . That tells us to keep puter gaming proposals showed sev­
by Rome. With a calculated care for improving TSG graphics and format eral things. Readers aren ' t in­
her suhj ects, she defies the Pope along current lines. terested in cash tournements and
and refuses to pay. War, in which she prizes. Tha t ' s a bit of a suprise
RATING ARTICLE
/ITEM
i s victoriou s , fu l f i l l s the destiny for us. Given gamer egos, the same
o f Elizabeth. Rome is numbed by the f 6.8 TSG 118 Art as every one else, it is hard to
loss and revolution becomes the nor­ THE DRAGON AND T�E GEORGE 6.5 Starship Troopers: Review believe there is no drive for a tad
mal means of freedom. History begins y 6.4 Triplarletary: Suggestions of glory.
a slow return to our way of viewing Steve Jackson ' 6.4 Present at the Birth . . . What readers liked best about
i t . The strength of Pavane lies in 6.1 Starship: Review computer gaming possibilities are
it ' s rich characterization and detail If Gordon Dickson doesn't play 5.9 Godsfire Teasers greater game complexities, greater
filled background. The realism of {DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS) , he should. 5.7 Sorcerer : Review challenge to skill/ knowledge , and
i t ' s logic seems indisputable. He'd enjoy it . And if you have n ' t 5.4 Ythri: Innovations player rankings. You see the
I n the same vein is Kingsley· read THE DRAGON AND THE GEORG E , you 5.2 Simonsens Trinity paradox? Player rankings are pop­
Amis! The Alteration. This recent should. Espec ially if you ' r e a *6.1 TSG 118 Overall ular but tournements aren ' t .
novel by a long time lover of specu­ D & D fan. One series of comments was on
lative fiction portrays a world in --THE DRAGON AND THE GEORGE is Our apologies to Robert Taylor rank order rankings. Many found it
which there is no Reformation. pure, unadulterated, 200 proof for forgetting to feedback his hard to shift from the TSG article
Martin Luther compromises, accepts escapism - consistent, convincing, article on the Soviet space progra111. ratings method to the rank order
the post of Pope and becomes Ger­ and well crafted. It chronicles the Many asked about it and a l l comment method . We won ' t do it again.
manian the First. Again the Catholic adventures of James Eckert, a grad­ was favorable.
church is in full power. Hubert uate student with two hobbies - The feedback on the computer
Anv i l , the main character, is a boy volleyball and a lady named Angie - game pricing was welcome . The three
soprano of unbelievable s k i l l and and one problem - survival on a higher priced items were rated
talent. The Holy Office of Rome teaching ass istant ' s "salary". Until virtually identical. The $1 a turn
deems his ability so great that his the day Angie ' s crackpot boss makes option rated a 5.7, $1.25 rated
voice should be preserved for all to her disappear before his eyes . When 5 . 8 , $ 1 . 5 0 rated 6 . 7 , $ 2 rated 6 . 6 ,
bear. He is to become a castrato. Jim demands to be sent after her, and $ 3 rated 6 . 6 . O f course, i t ' s
When faced with the choice, Hubert things get interesting. likely that those most interested
defies Rome and tries to escape his For Angie went to a world where in the computer PBM games were
fate. Amis' storytelling gift is magic works, wolves talk, and dra­ those who voted . The key factor
incredible. The reader becomes com­ gons abound. And Jim somehow left seemed to be the $1.50 a turn game
pietely swept away in the adventures his body behind in .the transfer, and being more complicated than Stellar
of the young runaway. This is an wound up as a dragon himself. Which Conquest. This probably means that
excel l ent book by any standards! comes in handy when the Powers of METASTAR SYSTEM 80 will be about
The significance o f such novels Evil make off with Angie . . . the right scale as planned. It will
should not be l o s t to gamers . Every I ' m not giving anything away. be the next magnitude up from SC
tactical game session is in itself I t ' s barely started. Still to come and it should be possible for that
an "al ternate worl d " . War games, is plenty of sorcery, intrigue, $1.50 per turn.
especially those based on actual beautiful maidens, an archer to put The magazine ratings were in­
conflicts, a l l ow outcomes to change.
Results of such reversals aren ' t
Robin Hood to shame, and some
scholarly discourse on draconian
f structive. The high TSG rating
should probably be deflated by . 5
known, but it must be assumed things aerodynamic s , a l l set against a to 1.0 worth to reflect the bias
would have changed. In future s o ­ beautifully detailed and, as far as ' of a readership that alread,y likes
ciety level games each decision can I can t e l l , accurate medieval back­ TSG in a general way. When the
alter the end result of play . When ground on a world that is not quite number of responses for each mag­
political aspects are added, as in Earth - but has an England. azine are related to their relative
GODSF IRE, the possibilities for The final battle could have rating there is almost a perfect
alternate results increase many come straight from a DUNGEONS AND correlation.
times. DRAGONS campaign - whichled to my
RATING MAGAZINE
Remember, next time you read a opening comment . I t reads wel l , and
book about how it could have been, looks as though i t would have played 7.8 Strategy & Tactics
you are really reading a complex we ll . There are tragedies, but right 7.3 The Space Gamer
example of a game. It is a narrow triumphs in the end, which is as it 7.0 Moves
view, a "one line" idea, but it is should be. 6.8 Jagdpanther
in essence a game. One that wasn't THE DRAGON AND THE GEORGE is 6.6 Dragon
played in reality, but somewhere published by Doubleda y . There's a 6.6 The General
within the texture of time, it does book club edition out. One way or 6.3 Panzerfaust/Campaign
exist. another, read i t . 5.9 Wargamers Digest
18 19
NEWS & PLUGS fff/!!I[
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reasons. We are a small company JagdPanther magazine has changed it ' s
and can ' t handle the extra load. name to Battlefield. It is available
If you know someone overseas, from Steve Cole, P . O . Box 3 5 6 5 ,
have · them contact THE GAMES Amarillo, TX 7 9 1 0 6 .
CENTRE, 16 Hanway Street, London
WlA 2LS, England, they are our
European rep. They are the ones
to see for our entire line. Northwestern University ' s Chess 4 . 5
p�ogram was declared this year ' s � . s .
1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' 1l' Computer Chess champion after sweeping
The Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the C I A director,
a fieid of 10 contenders . Chess 4 . 5 ,
and the National Security Advisor
run on a CDC Cyber 1 7 0 has won the
IAGO ' S VOW seemed to share the same mood. Each
title six times in the seven years it
by was downcast, and they spoke in
QUENDI KHAZAD DUM is a fanzine has been played. It set a record for
published by William A . Clumm. He Robert Taylor heavy tones.
the number of positions evaluated for
is also running a myriad of play­ "He should have never let the
a single move-- 2 , 0 4 8 , 0 8 8 .
Paul Miller watched the men a s public know," the CIA director said.
by-mail games . To find out more
they entered the room. Each was "May b e , " the NSA replied, "but
write him at; Entwood, RR#l,
Amesville, Ohio, 4 5 7 1 1 . obviously tired like himself. It it certainly would have been im­
had been a rough weekend. possible to keep the lid on anything
The men deposited their fold­ after Austral ia . "
ers and briefcases on the table ·�o you think he will declare
then gathered around a small tray martial law?" the Chairman of the
that held a coffee pot. Slowly they· JCS asked.
found seats around the massive The NSA shook his head. "Who
table where Miller s a t . knows? Kennedy d i d n ' t during the
A s the men began sitting down, Cuban c r i s i s , and we haven ' t reach­
Miller noticed they had a sameness ed that point y e t . " '
to them. Only the uniformed man Miller turned toward the third
stood out , but like the others he group . The two leaders of Congress
was middle-aged and graying. Yet were l i s tening to the Administrator
each man had an intensity about him. of NASA.
Their eyes were alert and intelli­ "No, the shuttle won ' t go out
gent. Despite their fatigue, the to 2 2 , 000 m i l e s ! " he said.
men carried themselves and the "Why n o t , " the Speaker of the
powers they held very w e l l . :-louse asked.
Miller recognized a l l the men, " I t doesn ' t have enough fue l , "
and wondered idly if any of them the NASA chief replied.
knew who he was. Shrugging off that "Can ' t you fix it up to carry
thought, Miller noticed the men had more fuel ? " the Majority Leader of
broken into three groups each en­ the Senate inquired.
gaged in i t s own conver sation. The NASA chief smiled tolerant­
The two Cabinet memb e r s , the l y . "We are working on something
Secretaries of State and Defense, like that Senator, but we've on.ly
were quietly debating some point, had three weeks to almost redesign
but Miller cou.l d n ' t hear them. an entire spacecraft . "
 21
21 o ' clockr Australian time, the own mi1itary capabilities are
The Speaker of the House froWn­ he moved t o the head of the table.
cities were destroyed and close to quite limited, I would like to
ed. " C a n ' t you speed things up?" Miller and Smith took their
three million people were dead." point out that the aliens, too,have
Miller felt sympathy for the seat s . Smith whispered to him, " I f
you have something t o say, make it He paused, and then added a final limit s . "
�ASA chief. As a scientist, Miller
statement. "The ships are now over "Tell that to the Australians;
knew the difficulty of explaining short and to the point. They re­
the south Atlant i c , they s t i l l the Secretary o f State muttered.
and justifying programs and theories spect a scient is t ' s opinion, but
broadcast the same message every The Defense Secretary ignored
t � �on-scient i s t s , especially poli­ they don ' t want to hear a l l the
hour, and they still ignore our the comment and continued. "Now if
t1c1ans. thinking behind the opinion . "
communication attempts . " these creatures are planning an
Shutting .out the conversation, Miller nodded silently a.s he
"Thank you , Rick , " the Presi­ invasion of the Earth, as ludicrous
Miller turned to the contents o f his watched everyone turn their atten­
dent said slowly. He turned toward as that statement sound s , I feel
folder. He began to thumb the half tion to the President.
Smith. "Jim, how were those cities they've come a little shorthanded . "
dozen pages for the tenth time. "Gentlemen, Dr. Paul Miller is
destroyed . " "Get t o the point, Mark," the
"Glad to see yo.u could make i t , with u s today at the request o f Dr.
"In simple terms, Mr. Presi­ President said softly.
Pau l , " a voice said mildly. Smith. D r . Miller is head o f a
dent , " Smith said heav ily, "the "Yes , sir . " He produced a sheet
Miller looked up and saw the think tank on the alien s . " The
weapon was a . beam of high energy . " of paper from his briefcase. "This
familiar face of the White House President l ooked directly at him.
"A laser?" the Speaker o f the information we received today. Ever
Science Ad.visor. "Dr. Smith , " "Dr. Miller, feel free to speak up
House asked . since they first appeared we've
Miller said with a smile, and grasp­ at any time. These sess ions are
Smith frowned. "Technical l y been unable to get a decent radar
ed . the extended hand. quite informa l . "
speakin�, n o , but laser comes a s image of their ships . Of course,
"When did you get here?" Smith "Thank you , Mr. President , "
close as anything. This beam was that ' s why we noticed them to begin
asked sitfi�gdown. Miller said dryly.
nearly two miles in diameter, and with. They have some sort of field
"My plane landed two hours The President folded his hands
the heat generated from it was over around their ships that distort
a g o , " Miller said, "then a helicop­ and leaned forward .on the t a b l e .
a thousand degrees. Each ship swept radar and light waves. We couldn ' t
ter brought me here, and I ' v e just "A great d e a l has happened since w e
its beam over the city it was get a good photograph either . "
been waiting . " met o n Friday. Rick, bring u s u p to
attacking like you would use a water Everyone was bent forward a t ­
Smith smiled, "Waiting i s a date . "
hose on your front lawn. The de­ tentively.
popular pastime in Washing t o n . " He The NSA spoke in a quie t ,
struction in Sydney was enormous , ''But wl\en they ;fired on the
paused. "Let ' s get some coffee be­ matter-of - factly voice. "Yes s i r .
and Melbourne and Brisbane liter­ Australian c i t i e s , " the Defense
fore the Pres ident arrive s . " Friday afternoon the three alien
ally don ' t exist anym o r e . " Secretary ' s voice was e.xcited,"this
Miller nodded and they went to spacecraft were in orbit over the
Miller was quickly jotting field ceased, and we were able to
the tray. While Miller poured for southern United States, where
down notes. He noticed the Presi­ get good radar images and photo s . "
both o f them, Smith began discuss­ they've been since they first show­
dent was also scribbling on bis pad. "Curiou s , " Smith said quietly.
ing his quick trip to Austra l i a . ed u p . Late Friday one of the
He wondered if their notes were the "Now the radar images told us
Miller l istened intently, and was smaller crafts broke out of orbit
same. No, he thought, the President the big ship was nearly a thousand
forming a question when he noticed and went into lunar orbit . " The NSA
probably sees a l l of this in a feet long and the two smaller ships
the President enter the room. He looked to his right. " B i l l , I under­
broader perspective than any of u s . were about three-hundred feet each.
was of medium height and build and stand you have some information on
The President ceased his writ­ And the photos confirmed t h i s . "
seemed to carry the weight o f his what that craft d i d . "
ing, and looked up a t the Chairman "What did the ships look 1 ike?"
office wel l . A woman passed middle­ The NASA chief nodded . "This
of the JCS. "General Wynn, do we the CIA director asked.
age accompanied him. She was scrib­ smaller craft launched another ship
have any defense against the aliens' "The photos don ' t show deta i l ,"
bling notes as he spoke. Abruptly that landed on the moon. It landed
the President stopped, glanced in the Taurus-Littrow region, right weapons?" the President asked sharp­ he conceded, "but none of the ships
ly. is aerodynamicly sound . "
around the room and gave her a on top of the Apollo 17 landing
" N o , s i r , " the General replied The Speaker of the House look­
courteous nod. She left clos ing the site. So c l o s e , in fact, that the
promptly. ed puzzled.
door ' behind her . seismograph left by our astronauts
"Can we take any effective "They can' t enter the a tmos­
All the men seated at the picked up the aliens' activities . "
military action against them?" the phere , " the Defense Secretary
table were now standing. "Good morn­ ''Any idea what they did up
President asked with little opti­ explained, then went back to his
ing, Mr. Presiden t , " the Chairman there?" the President asked.
mism in his voice. discussion. "Now we were able to
of the JCS said briskly. "Not exactly, sir , " answered
The General shook his head. " I estimate the cubic feet inside those
"Be seated, gentlemen ," the the NASA chief, "but we feel for
doubt i t , M r . President. Their ships, and if we believe these
President said toneless l y . He walked certain they gave most our equipment
ships are over 2 2 , 0 0 0 miles out in creatures are similar to us in
to they tray, picked up a cup, and a good going over . "
space in a synchronous orbit. Any height and build, then there can't
extended i t toward M i l l e r . "They know our space technology
missle we fired at them would take be more than 300, 000 troops on those
Miller poured, concentrating represents our best hardware. They
over an hour to reach them. In that ship s , probably l e s s . "
on not s p i l l ing, but he saw the wanted to learn about our capabili­
amount of time, they could move or Miller nodded in understandin�
President regarding him with a ties , " Smith injected.
with their laser weapon they could but felt a nagging doubt.
curious look. Smith spoke up quick­ "I agree , " the NASA chief
easily shoot down our m i s s l e s . " The Defense Secretary drew a
l y . "Mr. President, this is Dr . Paul nodded. "And that could be a plus
"Even a thousands missles?" deep breath, and finished. "From a·
Miller, the exobiologist from for us since that equipment is over
the Majority Lea�er asked hopefull y . military stand point, 1 don ' t see
California. He heads the Rand think fifteen years old. They may under­
I ' m afraid s o , Senator , " the how they could conquer an entire
tank on the a l i e n s . " estimate u s . "
General responded . "We worked up a planet with 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 troops. And 1
"Yes. Miller . . . Jim told me The President smiled then nod­
computer model on that possibility, don ' t care if they have a Buck
about you Sunday before I sent him ded for the NSA to continue.
but with the obviously advanced Rogers death ray gun, a l l we have to
to Austra l i a . I hope you can offer "The landing craft rejoined the
state of their weapons they would do is wait till they land then we
us some insights into the aliens' mother ship, and it returned to
have no trouble stopping a thousanc can attrition the hell out of them."
behavior . " The Pres ident ' s voice earth orbit. Late Saturday the three
or two thousand missles . " There was a moment of silence
was s t i l l tone l e s s . ships moved over Australia. Approx�
Miller heard someone in the then the NSA spoke. " I nteresting.
" l ' 11 try, Mr. President . " mately noon, Australian time, the
room sigh heavily. The situation is very similar to our.
Miller replied evenly. ships began firing on the three
"Mr. Presiden t , " i t was the engagement in Viet Nam. We controll­
"Well , l e t ' s get started , " the largest cities of Australia . " The
Secretary of l)efense. "While our ed the air, but the Viet Cong held
President said in a quick breat h a s NSA ' s voice tigh:ened. "By two
 23
22 "Why Austral i a ? " the NSA asked you think the American people w i l l
the ground, and forced us to figh't go along with u s ? " the Speaker of
abrup t l y . understand?"
their type of warfare . " the House asked incredulou s l y .
"Australia is a l a r g e , empty " Y e s , Mr. President, they wi l l .
"Exac t l y , " the Defense Secre­ "Yes, M r . Speaker , " the .
continent, few peopl e , and l i t t l e Dying i s only worthwhi l e when one
tary s a i d . Secretary answered calmly. " I t is
industr i a l i z a t i o n . The aliens prob­ dies for something. To fight would
M i l l e r looked at the P r e s i ­ in t h e i r interest to d o s o . ' ' The
ably felt the world could afford to perhaps be n o b l e , but it is certain
dent . H e was frowning. M i l l e r Secretary swept bis hands apart in
l o s e theAustralian c i t i e s , " M i l l e r suicide . "
c�uldn ' t t e l l i f i t was an expres­ a broad gesture. "This situation is
r e p l i e d in a l e v e l tone, "and after "Ma r k , " the President said to
s1on of concentration or skeptic ism. unique., but i t i s a global problem,
a l l , the rest of the world got an the Defense Secretary, "keep those
"Mark, ar� you suggesting we like nuclear war. Nuclear war
excellent l e s s o n . " plans for a guerrilla war ready. We
abandon our c i t i e s , and wage a threatens everyone. They avoid
"They fired a s h o t across our w i l l need them someday . "
guerri l l a war against the a l i e n s ? " nuclear war because i t is i n their
b o w , " the C I A director said f l a t l y . With the decision mad e , M i l l e r
t h e President asked evenly. interest to do s o . We w i l l face the
M i l l e r nodde d . "Yes, and the noticed t h e room had relaxed. The
"Essentially yes, Mr. P r e s i ­ aliens with a common front because
positioning of their ships over the pressure was gone, and idle conver­
dent , " t h e SOD answered reluctantly. i t i s in everyone ' s interest to do
Atlantic indicates they w o n ' t sation f i l led the vacuum.
"I feel we have no other c h o i c e . " so. Each nation w i l l have i t s own
a t t a c k any c i t i e s for awhile. Smith had turned to h i m , and
The President nodded silently selfish reasons for doing s o , but
They're waiting for a reply, and if was speaking in a light tone. " I t ' s
and wrote on his pad. the overriding cause w i l l be that
they d o n ' t get one soon they ' l l not a very noble or dignified de­
"Mr. President, I disagT e e , " we a l l inhabit the same planet.
probably destroy some more c i t i e s . c i s ion, but i t i s the correct one.
the C I A director said c o l d l y . " I Tha t ' s a trite phrase, but i t
Can you imagine the panic i f those We must give in now, and hope that
don ' t doubt that the Secretary ' s appl ies . "
ships were to move over Europe or in the future we w i l l be a b l e to
figures are correct, but I ' m an old "What if the a l i e n s were to
the east coast of the United avenge oursel v e s . "
navy man, and the way these ships offer us help i n confronting the
State s . " "Following so that we can
maneuver reminds me of a battleship Russians and the Chinese?" the
"And the aliens w i l l only serve our turn upon them," Miller
with a cruiser escort. The purpose Defense Secretary asked bluntly.
accept one repl y , " the President said softly.
of these ships may be to soften us " I would strongly recommen·d we
said with a tone of finality. A quiet smile crossed Smith ' s
up before a larger fleet arrives. decline such an offer," t h e Secre­
Miller nodded with r e l i e f . face. " I t appears you ' r e becoming
And �nyway, why should they bother tary ' s tone was grim. "I see no
Everyone was thinking t h e same rather philosophical, Pau l , quotin�
landing. Their apparent a b i l i t y to a.Jvantage to beating our human ad­
thought. A heavy s i l ence f i l l e d the Shakespeare. O t h e l l o , I b e l ieve . "
fry any spot on the globe seems to versaries with a non-human a l l y . I
room. Miller waited for someone to "Ye s , " M i l l e r s a i d . "Iago ' s
dictate the current strategy. can assure you the Soviets and the
put the thought into words, to lay vow of reveng e . " He paused, then
They're in contro l . We can ' t make Chinese feel the same way. I d o n ' t
i t naked before the group. shrugged. "But I don ' t feel philo­
them land . " doubt that w i t h t h e a l i e n s ' aid
M i l l e r glanced at the Presi­ sophical, only cold and scared.
Thank you, B e n , " the President America could rule the worl d , but
dent , and noticed that everyone was Very, very scared . "
said and again he wrote on the pad. to what end? We would �ule the * * *
looking at him a l s o . Truman was
Miller studied the President world, but the aliens would rule The alien took in the planet
r i g h t , thought M i l l e r , the buck
us.
ti
c l o s e l y , but he couldn ' t t e l l how stops here . • below. He enjoyed the richness of
he was weighing the discussion. The Secretary looked directly
The President was staring at the colors, and marvelled at the
"Gentlemen, l e t ' s put" the military at the President. "Excuse my lectur­
his note pad, searching i t for an beauty of the swirling sphere.
problem aside for a moment , and ing, Mr. President , but as I s a i d ;
answer. When he looked up a t t h e ·An aide approche d , bowed, and
concentrate on our diplomatic op­ w i t h t h e a l i e n s w e have no o�tions;
men around t h e t a b l e , his eyes had extended a thin sheet of p l a s t i c .
tions, Steve . " with the r e s t of the world they w i l l
a profound sadness to them. The alien gave a short nod, and the
The Secretary o f State looked respond favorably w i t h our initia­
·�entlemen, it appears a l l aide bowed again and l e f t .
at the President, then glanced tive."
options are exhausted,'' the Presi­ T h e alien looked at the sheet
quickly at the rest of the men at " I confirm what t h e Secretary
dent said heavil y . "There a r e other of p l a s t i c . It g l owed as l e ttering
the t a b l e . s a i d , Mr. Presiden t , " the CIA d i ­
factors to consider besides m i l i ­ appeared on the surface. The a l i e n
"With t h e a l i e n s , w e have no rector added. "Our intelligence
tary and diplomatic. The economy read and finished w i t h a grunt.
options since they do not respond reports the Soviet leaders will not
So the l i t t l e creatures have
to our communication attempt s . " The �
ta e unilateral action. They ' re
.
froze when the a l iens appeared
three weeks ago. Now, with the surrendered. A wise choice! With
Secretary spoke in a slow, h e s itant waiting for us to take the first
attack on the Australian c i t i e s , my their backward s c i ence and equip­
manner. "They s imply repeat the step."
economic advisors conclude this m �n t they could not have fought
s�me message they've sent since they The President sighed deeply.
nation w i l l collapse financ i a l l y in with any hope of succ e s s . His v i ­
first appeared . " H i s voice suddenly He massaged the bridge of his nose.
one short month. As you know, the s i o n turned to t h e planet once
filled with firmnes s . "But the His voice h a d a weariness to i t .
stock market did not open today. again.
message does give us an advantage in "Dr. M i l l e r , any conclusions, any
Many banks have been forced t o Perhaps I will b e rewarded
deal ing with other count r i e s . Not analysis?"
c l o s e . The people need the guar­ with the senior ship of the planet,
in anything i t says, but the fact Miller ' s throat felt dry. He
antee of a future even if it is he thought . I have del ivered a liv­
that it was in English and trans­ l icked his lips and began speaking
one dominated by a l i e n s . I , there­ ing planet. They should b e most
mitted over the frequency used by slowly but firmly. "Mr . Presiendt,
fore, feel we must acquiesce to the generous.
our astronauts makes t h e United in attempting to analyze the a l i e n s ,
a1 iens and surrend e r . " His mouth produced the equiva-,
States appeaT to b e something· spe­ w e only have t h e s e two things-the
The awkward silence lasted lent of a s m i l e , but a thought
cial to the aliens . " a l i e n s ' actions and the message they nagging in the back of his head b e ­
half a minute before someone spoke.
''Meaning other nations are keep repea t i n g . " M i l l e r glanced a t
"Mr . President , " it was the Speaker gan t o push i t s e l f forward t i l l i t
waiting to see what we do , " the the terse statement before him. I t
of the House, " I believe everyone occupied his m i n d . T h e smile faded.
President s a i d . read: relinquish control o f your
here supports that decision as the Something one of his lieuten­
" Y e s , M r . President , " the planet to u s . Miller looked around ant had said after returning from
only choice left to us under these
Secretary replied. "Also, the course the table. "The message i s an u l t i ­
cond i t i o n s . As a member of your the plane t ' s moon. The l i eutenant
of action we choose w i l l be follow­ matum. I t only lacks the ' o r e l s e '
loyal oppo s i t i o n , I assure you of had spoken of t h e crudeness of thei1
ed by a l l the major powe r s , and with to make i t comp l e t e . W e did n o t re­
my party ' s full support . " spacecraft. How brave the creatures
the Australian destruction action linquish control, and they acted to
"Thank you , John . " The Presi­ must be to trust their l i v e s to
becomes imperative . " prod us along with the destruction
dent turned to t h e Senator. "Do such equipment. Yet their suTrender
" W i l l the Russians and Chinese of the Aus tralian c i t ie s . "
24 25
showed them to be �owards , will ing able and too often, surprising.
to sacrifice everything to live. He stared hartl at the planet,
Such creatures could have no honor. and gave a small, slow bow. The REVIEWS
But, could they be both cowardly victory was h i s , but the war would
and brave? I t was a contradiction, be long, and the outcome could be
in doubt. Play sequence models the dyna­
and contradictions were unpredict-
mics of expanding populations:
GAME REVIEW: OUTREACH Movement , Exploration (hex potential
by determined) , Galactic Interrelation
Lynn Willis (contact, foreign policy, fleet
conflict, stargate reduction ) ; Fate
(random socio-cultural resul ts) , and
OUTREACH continues the game­
universe originated by Redmond Resource Allocation (purchase, con•
Simonsen in STARFORCE, the house version, and augmentation of forces) .
relationship showing chiefly in This may sound complicated, but
counter design and movement r a ­ OUTREACH is mechanically simple.
tionale. STARFORCE was narrowly Players complete most phases by
military, operational/tactical in simple actions or by one look at a
scope, and broadened mainly by the table conveniently at hand . This i s
reverence for life embedded in the a smooth game.
'
rules; OUTREACH is a true FSL Unfortunately the smoothness i s
.:} (future society level) game in whicl� achieved b y over -trust. Admonitions
pop up regarding the recording of X
:: ::�:�:�: conflict is cultural , economic, etc . ,
and the starfleets and stargates or Y, but no £orm is provided .
::: ::: :::::: represent massed sentient activity, STARFORCB ' s complexity stemmed from
: ::::: ::::::
.
.

: :::
.:::::::: :::::::
.· · - - · · · not merely ranked telesthetes , the belief that, if challenged,
waiting to cast . players should be able to prove the
.::::::::::::::::::
.
Components : 4 0 0 die-cut makeup of their forc e s . In OUTREACH
counter s , four identical tables/ one counter may represent any number
interaction sheets; one die; one of and type of fleet and, while it i s
the super SPJ sorter boxes; one true that the continual-shift and
cover sheet (allusive, of a teleship approximate-conflict rules partially
bound for the great Andromeda obviate the need for proof, in
galaxy . . . as on the STARFORCE cover , m� ltiple-contact situations players
it is the good ship Simonsen, that with double-entry brains will find
PSL workhorse) , and one ZZ x 34 ample room to pull a fast one. Or
3-color schematic map of the known two.
galaxy (as well as guesses, includ­ That is not a criticism.
ing the galatic core) . Each hex i s Cheating well in the company of
1 2 0 0 light years across and 1 5 0 0 cheaters becomes the most amusing
deep (that ' s right- - some two billion and gratifying aspect of the multi­
cubic light years per hex ) . Hexes player game. The reviewer merely
are graded by color in three levels recommends the cheating be subtle
of stellar density. Galactic nucleus and gracious: players who grossly
hexes inhibit movement; beacon stars flip-flop explorers and dreadnoughts
and dust c l ouds vary terrain and deserve to roll an F on the Fate
movement. schedu l e .
Game Sketch: Sequential move­ To my knowledge, the Interac­
ment; random player order each turn; tion Matrbc/Display is a real
movement enhanced by explorer fleets, innovation in design. I t is a small
stargates, civilization level, etc . ; matrix forcing each player to advo­
2 - D movement system by "shifts , " not cate a policy each game turn toward
:
.·.•.·.·.·.· ·.

each of the other players - - but the

· ·

through adjacent hexe s ; fleets

·

:::
. .

scatter if shifts exceed dis tance policy is modified by the policies

· ·

·::. based on fleet type and technical of the other players, also advocated
level ; stargates produce at one of independently. Correct judgement i s
five levels of development; star­ absolutely cruci a l . This simple
fleets can be regular (two convert matrix erases the normal 2 against
to one gate), explorer (which 2 pattern of the 4 -player game, and
augment movement and exploration) , the idea is enthusiastically
and dreadnought (which increase con­ applauded .
flict capac ity); autonomous forces ; . OUTRE�CH is highly playable and
divide attacker ' s strength by de­ wildly variabl e . Counting time in
fender ' s to resolve conflict; five centuries, it is logical, realistic
lengthy ( 2 5 - or SO-move) scenarios; (though necessarily abstract--no
solitaire version generates good character roles here, gang) , and
interest, but the 4 - p l ayer version evocative. The components are a very
is best; generational game-turns ; high quality. Irad B . Hardy, design­
competition between civil izations on er; Redmond Simonsen, physical
a scale driving designers to hys­ systems; B . E . Hessel, developer.
terics. SPI, $ 9 . 0 0 .
21 27
GAME REVIEW: armor c l a s s , move, psionic abili­ picture of Odin, there is very
how the authors used it in their
GODS, DEMI -GODS AND HEROES t i e s , etc i n tabular form, then the l i t t l e . This is somewhat understand­
campaigns. This inadequacy isn't
by special and unique abilities each
due to the material itself, which, able due to the nature 0£ the
Glen Taylor god has are outlined. Often new material, but I s t i l l wish there
spells, etc. are introduced and ex­ as I have said, is excellent. It is
rather due to the awesome capab i l i ­ could have been more.
GODS DBMI·GODS ANO HEROES is plained. The appearance of each god GODS, DEMI-GOOS AND HEROES is
the fourt� and purportedly the last is a l s o described. Since many of the t i e s o f these beings. I doubt i f
available for $Sfrom TSR, and is
supplement to DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS , more than a very few referees w i l l
mythos would be incomplete without worth it for the mere pleasure of
the pioneer fantasy role -playing feel entirely comfortable with
a presentation of the various reading i t . For students of ancient
game which needs no introduc tion. As �ctually using them.
animals, monsters, etc. they con­ legends i t ' s a Type I treasure. It
might be expected from such a "last tain, these are also presented, and This supplemen t ' s physical
quality meets the high standards should much ·liven up any D & D
bow," a s it were, this newest sup­ most o f them would put any but the campaign in which it is u�
plement is d ifferent from all three TSR has already s e t . The cover i s
most exquisitely fiendish monster although I will create my own gods­
of the previous ones, in a major i n full color and portrays a scene
from the "basic" ga.me to shame. after a l l , most D & D campaigns are
way. Indeed, the supplement ' s own These include the Peacock of of gods which might have been l i f t ­
ed directly off a n Egyptian sar­ not considered t�on earth. But
conception is that of a work intend­ Karttekeza, Yama ' s Buffal o , my creations will be heavily in­
ed to "set down guidelines that will cophagu s . The only thing I can
Brahama ' s Goose, and the Fenris fluenced by, and patterned after,
enable you to incorporate a number Wolf. complain about i s the dearth of
artwork. Aside from a f�ll-page the material in this sweeping work.
of various mythologies into your These beings are not omnipo­
game/campaign". This is by no means tent, but even a 20th level magic­
"standard" D & D material. used wouldn't stand a chance against
In GOD�I -GODS AND HEROES most of them. This naturally raises -· - · - · - · - · - · - · - · - ·
- · - · - · -· - · -·-

you w i l l find no new character the question of how the material is

classes, no new methods of resolving used. No formal codification of
extant combat , or no new monsters or Divine Intervention rules, like the
magical items. The supplement pre­ one in EMPrRE OF THE PETAL THRONE,
sents the deities of various cultur­ i s contained her e ; the authorsdon ' t
es of Earth (and elsewhere ! ) in a . even suggest how to employ the gods,
form from which they can be easily probably intending to leave it en­
assimilated into the existing 0 & D tirely up to the referee. This in
game structure. The mythos invOIV'eO turn raise� several questions about
include the ancient Egyptian, the philosophy and the way it relates
Indian, the Greek (of course) , the to D & D . A s I said, pitting the
Celtic, the Norse, the Finnish, the gods against players would be a
Central American Indian, and the farce. Perhaps the authors intend
Eastern (the coverage given to the for the referee to use Divine Inter·
latter two is scanty at b e s t ) . Also vention (and retribution) freely
included are creatures ( I can ' t whenever he feels the need to reward
really call them deities) from some valorous act or punish some
Howard ' s Hyborea, and from "Eldric sordid one. But this smacks of comic
and the Melnibone . " I ' m no scholar books and fairy tales, not legiti­
of ancient (and modern ! ) legends, mate swords-and-sorcery fiction.
but it seems to me the authors have The consequences of an act in D & D
given a view of the various mytho­ should be incorporated into the-act"
logical concepts which is both itself. Anyone who cops out on this
panoramic and scrutinously detailed, is literally using a deus-ex­
and as complete a s possible within machina.
the space limitations imposed (this The few cases where the authors
is also the longest of the supple­ do give specifics about the inter­
ments at 72 pages) . Kuntz and Ward vention capabilities/proclivities
have taken material which has come of the gods, the information seems
down to us in a sometimes distorted unreasonable. For instance, Bast,
and almost always nebulous form, and the Egyptian cat goddess , has a 40\
clarified it into a solid body of chance of appearing whenever a
material which would fit in well member of the cat family is killed
with any fantasy game. and either annihilating the offender
In any adaptation of this type or forcing him to serve her. This
there i s , to say the least, room for is absurd when you consider the
a lot of latitude in the way you number of feline monsters in the
interpret the source materia l . The game, most of which have hel lish
authors freely admit that what i s dispositions.
given here is only their interpreta­ I can only say that if the
tion of the myths, fully subject to material in GODS, DEMI-GODS AND
change due to players' own ideas . HEROES is taken by itself, it re­
They also strongly recommend further presents a stupendous labor of
reading about a l l the mater i a l . compilation and adaptat ion; but
A s for the material i t s e l f , it when you try to actually use i t in
is superb. G'ods (there is really no a D & D campaign- well, I don ' t
formal distinction between "god s , " know. l t seems that something should
"demi-gods" and "heroes") are pre­ have been said about how this
sented with the numbe r . o f hit points, material was intended to be used or
21 29
GAME REVIEW: BUFFALO CASTLE
inclusion of two 2 1 B s . (When you
by
get the book, you should immediatly
Steve Jackson
turn to page 2 1 and make a note at
One of the biggest problems the top . . . when you get to 21B, r o l l REVIEW OF TRIPLANETARY VARIANT V/2
faced b y a fantasy gamer is s o l i ­ t h e d i e . On a r o l l o f 1 - 3 , take the by
first 2 1 B ; on 4 - 6 , take the second Violat ions of the law play a
tude. I t ' s r e a l l y d i f f i c u l t t o get Kelly Moorman
o n e . ) The second edition w i l l prob­ part in this variant a l s o . I f
into good role-playing b y yours e l f
ably have the bugs out. caught committing any crimes from a
(unless, o f course, y o u ' r e blessed This variant does much to add
My second criticism i s more a l i s t of three c l a s s e s of crimes, the
w i t h a split personality, i . e . , to the economic play�ng side of this
suggestion. The idea is so great players are t r i e d , and punished
"Some days I ' m schizophrenic , b u t , popular SF game. It i s an expansion
that it deserves to b e taken far­ on the suggestions made in the according to the severity of the
then again, som.e d a y s I 'm n o t . . . ") .
Secrecy and surpris� are the essence ther. BUFFALO CASTLE i s a fairly Prospecting Scenario in the Errate crime on a t a b l e . Of course,
o f fantasy role-playing. Which means simple dungeon, suitable only for sheet o f the Triplanetary rules. whether the player is convicted or
a solitaire game i s unsatisfying at exploration by f i r s t - l ev e l fighters, Some very interesting ideas have not depends on his public relations
b e s t . Hahl and then only once per fighter. been added , which give the player a points, which come from acts and
Rick Loomis o f Plying Buffalo (All the same, not everyone who goes wide choice of ways to accumulate deeds he has accomplished or com­
has shot down that problem once and in w i l l get out . ) I hope that KiloCredits (KCs ) . He can do a com­ mitted throughout the game. Once
for a l l . BUFFALO CASTLE is the Loom i s , or somebody, or l o t s of bination of many things, one of again, the d i e result on the trial
f i r s t , andh op efully not the las t , somebo d i e s , w i l l come up with some which is establish a passenger lin� table can be adjusted through a
solitaire dungeon. And i t works. complex flowchart dungeo n s . I t for which there i s a chart g iven in successful (or unsuccessful) at tempt
How did he do i t ? Simple. could be d o n e . Then you would have the variant rules for rou t e s , number to bribe the t r i a l judge. I f con­
Buffalo Castle is actually a flow­ something suitable n·ot only for of turns required to accumulate victed, a player is fined or
solitaire play b u t · a l s o as a guide­ passengers at the various planets, imprisoned according to the graded
cha r t , done i n booklet form. From
book for a regular exped i t i o n , moons, and asteroids, as w e l l as a table.
the moment you enter the castle by
one of three doors (shades of Monty complete with Game Master . l i s t ing of the fares to and from One of the more interesting and
H a l l ) you a r e . faced with decisions. BUFFALO CASTLE is $ 3 from each of these. imaginative ideas put forth in this
Flying Buffa l o , Inc . , P . O . Rox 1 4 6 7 , Of course , at the first of the variant is the existence o f a
Do you want t o fig�t that t r o l l ,
t a l k to h i m , o r j u s t t r y to walk Scottsdal e , AZ 8 5 2 5 2 . I t i s ONLY game, a l l the prospecting players ' Lloyds of Luna ' , which serves an
past? Each d e c i s i o n p o s s i b i l i t y re­ a dungeon; to play, you a l s o need begin evenly, a Space Patrol player obvious func t i o n . The game can b e
FRP r u l e s . It was designed to work being recommended for improving the concluded any one of several p r e ­
fers you to a d ifferent coded result
which t e l l s you what happened, with TUNNELS AND TROLLS ( a l s o from game. The prospectors must begin viously agreed manner s , or it can
whether and how your character has Flying Buffalo); it w i l l work with prospecting immediately i n order in l a s t almost indefinately.
to fight, and what your next d e c i ­ MONSTERS I MONSTERS I (Metagaming ) start building up economic empiTes. I think you can see there is
sion p o s s i b i l i t i e s are, i . e . : "You with J U S t a l i t t l e adaptation. It Several new types of ships have quite a b i t of complex figuring
are in a short corridor that runs could also be adapted to DUNGEONS been introduced in t h i s variant , and record-keeping involved, but
east & w e s t . Make your saving ro l l . AND DRAGONS (TSR) , but would need including s Sunship and a Bussard many SF players seem to enjoy it a 1 1
If you are successfu l , you may go a l i t t l e more work, since the ��- 0 & D Ramscoop. in the interests o f realism. The
east (go to 240) or you may go west system is different. The p l ayers spread out from l evel o f realism achieved in this
(go to 2 2C ) . I f you m i s s your saving I f you're into role-playing, Ceres in the b e ginning , determining variant is remarka b l e . TuTn by turn
rol l , go to l O C . " you ' l l enjoy BUFFALO CASTLE. I f the economic worth o f asteroids, play is a b i t slow, especially after
The various results a r e so y o u ' r e into s o l o role-playing, buy then returning to Ceres to f i l e the players b u i l d up a b i t o f wealth
thoroughly scattered throug� the it. claims. Tbe ore that i s gathered and get involved in d i f ferent a c t i ­
book .t h a t , even though you can ' t can be sold at various worlds for v i t i e s . Piracy can b e attempted a t
help reading some before you g e t to varying p r i c e s , or it can be pro­ any t i m e b y any player, but if
them, there are so many p o s s i b l e cessed i n t o cordrazine at two caught, he ' l l lose h i s corporation.
event s , and t h e y are s o scrambled, processing centers (for a price, o f A l s o , kidnapping of passenger l i n ­
i t doesn ' t ruin the game. BUFFALO course) and s o l d for higher prices e r s , cargoes, or even other players
CASTLE i s well-written, w i th the wit e lsewhere. Later, when a player has for ransom plays a part. The book­
and imagination that character i z e s accumulated enough wea l t h , he can eeping is the one real drawback,
buy his own ore processor i f he but I would recommend this variant
a r e a l l y good FRP game. For
instance . . . "You have tripped the wishes. to anyone interested in a very real­
" s t ink" trap. You are squirted with The players must each form i i s t i c space- economic-tactical game.
essence o f skunk o i l . Your charisma corporation when a certain amount o f Anyone wishing to be the J . Paul
is reduced by 5 for the rest of this wealth is achieved, which costs Getty of the 2 1 s t century , buy this
t r i p , and by l permanently . . . " or KCs, naturally. These corporations o n e . After a l l , you ' re half way
"It is impossible to get to (this must have offices on different there by just buying this vari a n t ,
number) . You have cheated. You are worlds to operate for them. They which i s a bargain in t h i s hobby at
instantly vaporized by the Dungeon must pay annual income taxes to the $ . 7 5 (plus postage, I imagine) . I
!.laster ! " Space Patrol, in addition to taxes bournt mine in person at a conven­
I can offer only tw.o criticisms paid each time a ship is b u i l t , for t i o n , so I don ' t know how John
of Buffalo �as t l e . The first i s o f the protection the Patrol offers. handles postage.
the production quality. This i s The players may combine corpora­ It is printed in computer
Flying Buffalo average - that i s to t i o n s if they want; or they may. printout form, which is attractive
say, pretty awful. Mimeographed engage in Piracy, r i s k ing the l o s s if a l i tt l e difficult to take care
pages are okay in a $ 3 book, but a o f their corporations if caught; or o f . Naturally, the basic game o f
l i t t l e proofreading would have been when they have enough money to take Triplanetary is necessary to play
in order. A couple o f typos are s o on the Patrol, become an outlawed this variant. Variant V/2 is a v a i l ­
bad you c a n ' t t e l l what was meant , Warmonger in complete defiance of able from John R a i l i n g , P . O . Box 5 4 ,
and the most fiendish trap in the the Patrol ' s authority. Clear Creek, Indiana 4 7 4 2 6 for $ . 75.
whole book is short-circuited by the
 31
30 Stars ) . The people part of these
as those owned by the Chinese or the
cyberships w i l l be schizoid in that
LETTERS French. And the worst thing of a l l they will have problems deciding
you can d o : k i l l someone. A t pre­ The articles i n TSG about laser
whether they are the ship or the
sent, the US has made no formal weapons have been interesting . But
been missed. If ship is them.
protest against killer satellites one major point has Suggesti on: someone should make
nor has Moscow - - but if one l i f e 1 i s a gamma-ray or x-ray laser i s used, a microgame out of the first chapter
Space warfare may already have l o s t i n space, i t ' l l b e the inter­ it is potentia lly more deadly than
begun . . . with lasers. In the paper of Doris Piserchia ' s A B i l l ion Days
national incident of the decade . a heat laser, because when it hits of Earth. The action consists of a
last week (?n the back pages - - a s �ne scenario might be as follows - ­ it will penetrate a shield of metal
are most things that have major group of men being drafted right off
l.� some �f� ican nation, there i s a and destroy the electron ic compon­ the street, armed and trucked to a
potential but which are unspectacu­ Qitter civil war which has been ents within. X-rays and gamma-ra ys
s i l o where the Zizzies (genet ically
lar) was a report that one US spy r�g�ng, say, since 1 9 8 2 . The US i s cause semiconductors (transist ors, developed combinations of honeybee,
satellite had "gone b l ind" due t o giving support to one s i d e in the diodes , and ICS) to lose semicon­
sparrow and housecat) have broken
a brill iant flash, centered i n i t ' s for� of arms supplies, while the ducting properti es, so they could
into one of the God ' s s i l o s . The
viewing area. The official story was Soviets have been giving support to knock out an opposing ship by knock­ men must drive the zizzies away b e ­
that it had been knocked out by the the other side in the form of arma­ ing out their electron ic instru­ fore the Gods arrive or b e severel y ,
flame � of an o i l fire -- even though ments plus satellite reports of
. ments, making control almost inposs­ and indiscrimi nately, punished.
a maximum-brightness oil fire would enemy movement s . The objective of ible. So i t may be that the "cutting There are approxima tely three truck­
only have l / l S O O t h of the brightness the American - - to remove the Soviet torch" laser w i l l not be the most loads of men sent out one after the
needed, and the fact that no other "up�er hand" (pun?) of satellite important i n space �arefare . Aimi�g other and a fourth truck is armed
satellit�s surveying the area saw SPfl.ng : The Soviet objective - - to these lasers should be no problem,
such a fire. But a good-sized laser have with a flamethrower. The men must
maintain �he spies long enough to since many mechanica l devises
shot into the camera lens would do 1 micron. fight off the zizzies with rifles
score a victory over the American­ position t o l erances of
(bolt action type) . The zizzies are
+
the job quite nicely . . . and very allied ground forces below. (The As novels seem to oe good
i>robably did. about three feet long (not counting
game p �ays normally until a turn sources of inspiration for games,
a poisonous stinger tail which k i l l s
The article then went on to when, if th� American hasn't yet I feel Niven/Pournel l e ' s The Mote i f i t strikes a man i n the skull,
discuss the possibilities of . a great situatio n to
won, a die is rolled -- i f the re­ ill God ' s Eye is the heart of juglar) . Zizzies have
"hunter/killer satellites " defi­ sult is a 1 , the Soviets have won. game. The game could be a strategi c
nately projected by both ; ides and a five foot wingspan and b i t e with
If not, the play continues." The next game like SC with 1 player the suckers. They grasp and nip with
P?ssibly space borne already. B e ­ turn, a 1 or 2 w i l l end the game in Emp ire and� the Rebels (possibly a
s �des l a s e r blinding, such s a t e l ­ / two small claws. The men may use
favor of the Soviets - - the next solitair e game) or a tactical their rifles as clubs in close com­
l �tes could use conventional projec­ turn, a 1 , 2 , or 3 , etc. if the operational game covering a sector bat or when they run out of ammo .
tile systems, too: a single bullet Ameri�an hasn • t · won by the end of with several Rebels and a single
can easily render the average Each man has a steel claw to grasp
the s i x - turn series, then the Empire player. {these � are genetic ally refined
modern-day satellite useless. Most Soviets gain an automatic victory . )
unmanned s�acecraft are delicate Edmund C . Mack rats who would otherwise not have
things ! and even the slightest error Houston, Tx. much in the way of grasp).
K . Allen Bjorke
can ruin them -- during the 1 9 6 0 ' s So approximately sixty men are
M p l s , Mn. attacked by two groups of zizzies in
came the realization that there are
a lot of useless (though s t i l l ­ succession (approxim ately 2 0 0
orbiting) spacecraft u p there that zizzies per group ) . The men must cut
could be fixed by a single twist of down as many in the larger groups as
a screwdriver. .
While you ' r e pressing onward possible. The battle goes hand to
Something like this could make
with computer-plans, Micro-games, hand once the zizzies complete their
Hymenoptera and such, I think you'd first p a s s . The first of the zizziy
for a via�le game, too - - suppose better watch your flanks. SPI is groups h i t s and runs. then the
the year is 1 9 8 5 . The American play­ fast moving forward i n the SF area
er has space shuttles and a small
' second comes in, then zizzies come
but highly sophisticated network of
traditionally yours and TSR ' s in a s they get the chance.
territory. This scenario, of course, would
hunter and killer satellites. The In 1 9 7 4 , SPI released i t ' s require attrition factors.
Russians will have one or two
classic STARFORCE. Then for two
Charles R. Bowles seems t"o be A B i l l ion Days of Earth i s , to
multiple-Salyut space stations and
years i t was dormant in the sf-£
a larger number of combined func tion field. Early this year i t releases on the right track in suggesting it put it mildly, a bizarre novel . It
h�nter/ killers which are l e s s effi­ i s wrong (inefficient?) to colonize might be possible to make a larger
SORCEROR , destined t o be another
cient than the American ' s . There are ;Jlanets when moons, asteroids or game in which one player i s Sheen
classic. Several months later it
a l s o a large number of passive systems are easier to handle in (the Ego Eater who wants to take over
comes out with OUTREACH tenta'tively
satellites, including both spy and
rated h i g her than STE that you are not up against man's the bodies of a l l the men by con­
R RAR CONQIJEST !
neutral types. Each p l ayer knows
Early next year , STAR S OLDIE R S will greatest block t o a long and produc­ suming their sou l ) . Witll"other
only which satellites are h i s own, tive l i f e - - gravity. The Lagrangian players as a combination of the
appear, and by the end of the year
an� the others may be Russian enemy motto will probably b e : "You've rich people of the planet with the
BATTLEFLEET MARS will be out. Ther�
s�ies of may be something else en­ never lived, unt i l you've lived in Gods (human evolved into demi-god s).
are rumors of even more such re­
tirely (perhaps even Canadian or a can ! " More microgames are definite ly
leases by S P ! .
E�ropean ones ) . Also, new launches One o f the elements o f the needed i f there are to be more war­
In my opinion, SP! i s out t o
will be made each turn of a l l sorts starfaring -colonizat ion games is gamer s . If the public i s treated to
establish a beachhead in S F gaming.
of spacecraft, by a l l sides. The how you really expect t.o send out too many complex and till!e-consuming
A l s o , the fact that OUTREACH was
object is to render the other s i d e ' s ships with millions of people games i t won ' t respond very favor­
not designed by RedmondSimonsen
space�arfare fleet ineffectual b y
snows t�at SP! is not afraid to go aboard . I ' d sooner hypothes ize that ably.
knocking out hunters and spies '
to outside sources for game ideas. there will be few colonists and much
while avoiding the bad results o f cybernation. Starships will be John Robinson
knocking out neutral satellites such people as much as they are machi�es Troy, N . Y .
Mike Lazich
as weather and astronomical satel­ (see Jack Chalker ' s A Jungle of
Burlingame, C a .
lites or non-participant ones , such
32
To be blunt : I don ' t like the
direction in which The Space Gamer cult for the individual player, but
is turning. My primary beefis de ­ I think a board version of most such
rived from a notice on page 2 1 of games �ould be easier to plaf .
TSG 8 , which says that TSG and MC (excepting the paperwork , wh1c� � s
are not accepting any more orders merely tiresome) . Try computerizing
from foreign countr i e s . You may have Strategy I or Tunnels and Trolls
a "good" reason for this, but right sometime. I t doesn ' t work .
now, I ' d prefer to shoot first and
ask questions later. Norman S. Howe HOW ABOUTA $2.95 QUICKIE?
From the subscription note on Winnipeg, Manitoba
page 2 of the same issue, i t seems Canada If you've been spending too much money on games you never got to finish, this is for
that Canada ' s not a foreign country, you. Too many gamers don't have the time for all-day play sessions. Metagaming has
in regard to that notice. No matter; the answer.
that ' s SOP. Perhaps it makes book­ Our new MicroGames are designed for quick understanding, quick setup, and quick
keeping easier to exclude overseas action. You'll be playing within an hour after you open the package.
gamers from your mailing l i s t ; you But quick doesn't mean trivial. These aren't kid stuff. The MicroGame series will
may have other reasons . ( e g . when mean the same high-quality games as Stellar Conquest and the rest of the Metagaming
you start your computer-moderated line. Enough careful planning and imagination to give you the rules for a realistic
games, foreigners might feel they're alternate universe - and enough playtesting to make sure the bugs are out. These games
playing-by-sna i l . ) Whatever your are as good as any you'll find. They're just smaller. Quicker. And cheaper. $2.95 - or

excuse, i t ' s not good enoug�. $2.SO for The Space Gamer subscribers.
Foreigners are people, too. You'll get a clear, well-organized set of rules, attractive components, and a playing
When TSG first arrived at my home, time of about an hour. Which is great for novices - or for experts on their lunch hour.
i t was like a breath of fresh a i r .
Previously, I had acquired SF and F Check out the MicroGames. You just might wind up getting more play for'less money.
games piecemea l , never knowing what
I would like to comment on
kind of quality I was getting because
Steve Jackson ' s article on TRIPLANE­
the reviewers d i d n ' t understand S F . Micr�ame #1...
TARY , he is definitely right that
T o tantalize people for a year and

[] G A E
then cut them short is cruel; I mines are underpowered weapons . On YOUR las111UMnts pl<k II •P

appeal to your sense of fendom. If the other hand, I have found i t tttt kHomc:len away - ud )M
ktlOw you're la troublt. 1 1' 1 JI
you isolate TSG within the US/ difficult t o torpedo an opponent who .. 1cn lo•I· II llas pu, taloUles,
Canada, I feel i t w i l l hurt your re­ is expecting it and can accelerate •nDo .r. It'• u smart a a mu .
putation immeasureably. (I person­ away; then you must guess which way Aecl 11° 1 <
o•I..10 kJll y...
he i s going to acceler a t e . Since a Caa you 1lop Ille OCRE?
ally may start a hate campaign,
comparing you to the people who ship can launch only one torpedo per
cancelled Star Trek, etc . ) Please turn; you must use a squadron or a
group for a good chance and you are OC RE is a tactical ground combat aamc set in the ntxt
reconsider your position.
vulnerable yourself._ There are many century. In 208S AD. antimissile 1cclmolOI)' has made armor
The other complaint i s your vercraft, ti.Ilks, and p0
ways to introduce Simoves into
vehicles practical once aaa.in. Ho wcrcd
apparent preoccupation with in � t i ­ infanuy slus h ou.c with taclical nuclear dniccs. Butthe most
Triplanetarv ; I use the fact that fearedweap0n of all needs no human JUidantc. It's the giant,
tuting a pbm-computer game series.
the hexes are numbered SPI style cyllc rnctie lank called lh• Ogt<.
The basic idea i sn ' t bad, so long as The basic ve,..ion of OGRE gives one pla.y<r a force of
coupled with a system of letters for
you don ' t neglect conventional games Infantryand armor. and a command post he mus t defend. The
direction in the s i x hexes around other play<r bas only OM uni1... bu1 it"s an Ogre. It's an
in the proc e s s . I ' m not too keen on
the sun. Fire and movement are plot­ evenm
uc:h.
some of the ideas coming out of the
ted and then resolved, with the Advan� scenarios allow for solitaire or multi··player
project feedback c olumn . My first accion - with Ogres on both sides. Op1lonal rules n i clude
ordinance phase before movement . We conuaJed units, limited sensor range, mines, and sclf�destruct.
reaction was about as follows:
use the plastic overlay to protect
"Player rankings? Tournaments? Cash
the map, and to figure out out­
prizes? What kind of glory-seeking
rageous movements and velocity Components include:
clowns do they think we are?" I ' ve
di££erences for firing passes. •9"x 14"gamemap
just started one of Flying Buffa l o ' s
Steve ' s comments o n asteroids and • 91 unit counters
games, and their magazine hinted at
some of these phenomena, but I d i d n ' t rendezvous are well taken; and I •Rules booklet

think TSG was into them t o o . I think have never considered minor repair
possible except at a base. (Though
the entire recognition/status scene
destroys the whole idea behind games : truly minor repairs could be con­ $2.95
the play ' s the thing. In my club, we ducted in orbit with the right
don ' t worry about winning, w e ' r e just equipment and engineering type s . ) $2.SO for subscribers 10 TheSpace Gomer.
Commx up: Chitin. WarpWar. and Erewhon.
there to have fun. So long as people The problem o f "Heroism" has bother­
are w i l l ing to learn the rules to a ed me ever since, as a patrol ship
game, we don ' t care if they're �ac­
I rendezvoued with a disabled ship Metagaming's MicroGames maR6Amm6 CODCEPTS
tical idiots; t h e y ' l l learn. P: ises that was plunging into the sun; all
The a•mes IJle playteslers took home. Box 15346
and ratings are an ego trip which I could think of was to rescue the
Austin, Texas 78761
spoils the game. crew, as my opponent objected to me
One more point: I disagree that towing it at no extra fuel c o s t ; I
computer-moderated games are more like his alternatives.
demanding, and that computer­
opponents are more intellig� n� or James S . Evans
tougher. Perhaps con� eptualiz �ng a Winooski, VT.
computer simulation is more d1ffi- .