We received several complaints--some quite bitter--about the inclusion of the ALEXANDER variant with the last issue instead of a complete game. We were accused by some of "pressuring" our readers to buy ALEXANDER THE GREAT. So we had better explain our policy on publishing free games with PANZERFAUST.

First, I want to point out that we have never guaranteed, promised, or indicated that subscribers would receive a game with every issue. The most we've ever said was that PF would occasionally include a free game or variant. Now your $5.00 buys you 6 issues of the magazine, which is a savings of $1.00 compared to the cost of buying an issue (without game) each time over the counter (which many people do).

In addition you get the INTRODUCTION TO WARGAMING booklet, which we could probably sell for $1.00 if we wanted to. (And to clear up another misunderstanding, resubscribers also get this booklet.) So any games or variants we include are just so much gravy--a free bonus. We are selling SPIRIT OF '76 for $5.00 and ALEXANDER's OTHER BATTLES for $3.00 and THE INVASION OF SICILY (included with this issue) for $5.00. So if your subscription started with 54 you've already received $13.00 worth of games, in addition to 3 issues of the magazine and the INTRO TO WG. We realized that most of you didn't have ALEXANDER to start with. That's why we included a coupon giving you a $1.00 discount on ALEX.

However, if you threw the variant and the coupon in the trash, you'd still be no worse off then you were before you received tham (but if you don't want the variant, why not sell it to someone who does?). So the point is, we don't have to include any game at all, and if you don't like one that we send vou, nobody's forcing you to play it. What do you expect for $5.00 a year? Green Stamps?

Anti-S&T Campaign?

Another complaint we've heard from several readers is that we are conducting some kind of anti-S&T campaign. Now, I'll be the first to admit that many of the things said about S&T, MOVES, and SPI games in the last few issues of PF were not terribly complimentary to them. This is due to two things.

First, I believe one of PF's most important functions is to review and criticize new games, magazines, etc., in the hobby. And, secondly, since SPI (S&T) produces the vast majority of material in the field now, they are naturally the subject of most of our criticism. But we are not out to smear S&T (fat chance, anyway, when their circulation is more than 10 times ours). But we're not going to say we like something when we don't. If SPI produces the world's greatest wargame, I'll be very happy to sing its praises , and theirs. (So far, in my opinion, though they ain't even come close.)

Also, remember that no one can divorce himself from his own tastes and preferences. My taste in games runs to the playable, as opposed to the complex. I'd like to point out, though, that the articles appearing in PF except those I write myself, of course), are not written in accordance with any "party line." If Totten's reviews had said that ALEXANDER and DUNKIRK stink and PHALANX and FRANCE 1940 are great , I'd still have printed them (maybe a little further towards the back ... ), because I believe Harold knows what he's doing, and the purpose Of publishing reviews is to get a knowledgeable, unbiased opinion. So, anyway, if a lot of what you read in PF seems to be knocking S&T, it's because the writers of the articles think that Dunnigan, Simonsen and crew are human and have yet to design the perfect game---a fact I'm sure they'd readily admit themselves.

We also had a few questions concerning the reason for having two reviews of the same games in a single issue. The purpose behind this is to let the reader see the subject of the reviews from two viewpoints in hopes of enabling the reader to thereby identify and discount the biases of the reviewers .

The following articles were voted the best three in Issue 55:

1. Russian Front -- Lundstrom $5.00 bonus
2. WATERLOO: 30 Turns of Battle -- Gygax $3.00 bonus
3. Six Days War -- Totten $2.00 bonus

The "Editor's Choice" $5.00 bonus also goes to Gary Gygax for his excellent WATERLOO analysis. Good strategy articles are still hard to come by. Incidentally we regret that the second installment of the Wargamer's Guide to the Russian Front" series has not arrived in time for inclusion in this issue. Hopefully it will appear next lime.

The last ''Return Fire'' questionnaire results indicate that 20% thought Issue 55 superior to 54, 34% thought 54 better than 55 , and 34% rated them "about the same", (12% had seen only 55 or expressed no opinion). This shows that while only 20% thought 55 an improvement, 54% thought it was no worse, anyway. I'm sure the inclusion of just a variant as opposed to a complete game had much to do with it .

The articles were rated (1-10) as follows:

Guide to the Russian Front 6.94
The Six Days War 6.54
WATERLOO: 30 Turns of Battle 6.36
Line of Communications 5.88
Design Analysis 5.80
PANZERBLITZ and COMBAT COMMAND 5.80
Reconnaissance in Force 5.72
Second Opinion 5.68
Guide to the ACW: Part IV 5.62
Pass in Review 5.58
Game Design 5.44
Mail Call 5.44
Playable USN 5.34
ALEXANDER'S OTHER BATTLES 5.26
Miniature Warfare 5.14
DIPLOMACY 5.14
D-Day at LeMans 4.48

I notice that humorous items are usually rated very high by some and very low by others. They get very few 4s, 5s, or 6s. No accounting for tastes - The same was pretty much true of my ACW article this time--separating the Civil War  buffs from the mildly interested. I was pleasantly surprised to see it rated so highly, considering that it's pretty dry reading. Evidently we have quite a few Civil War buffs out there, and they may be happy to hear that we have an ACW game in the works. Designed by your kindly old editor himself (blush) it will cover the Atlanta campaign on a strategic level and will include a number of innovations in the inechanics of play. It's still being play-tested but we hope tohave it ready for inclusion with the next issue, which may well turn outto be aspecial Civil War issue! (Oddly enough, the game is called--ATLANTA--in case you were wondering.) Incidently, S&T plans to bring out an ACW game on the Wilderness Campaign soon, we hear. When it rains ...

The next issue may be a trifle late (this one is early, by the way), because of the press of Christmas business around here and due to our settling in at our new location. (in case you haven't noticed the change of address, we've moved from Evansville, Indiana to Belfast, Maine.) We'd like to thank all those who responded to our help-wanted ads in the last issue. We have filled all vacancies for now. We regret being unable to answer personally all who applied dueto the move and all. We will probably be needing help again in a few months if we continue to grow, as we think we will.

On the last Return Fire questionnaire we asked for the readers' three all time favorite wargames. Giving one point for third place, two for second, and three for first, the top ten were:

1. PANZERBLITZ
2. STALINGRAD
3. BATTLE OF THE BULGE
4. DIPLOMACY
5. NAPOLEON AT WATERLOO
6-7. ANZIO tied with GRENADIER
8. BLITZKRIEG
9. AFRIKA KORPS
10. STRATEGY I

Interesting. Interesting.