Good News Bad News

Dear Don,

My congratulations on another well rounded issue. I was quite surprised to see the article on the Israeli Airforce being in it as it was not so long ago that I had sent it to you. Your promptness in getting the issues out is definitely the most commendable new thing about PF. This new punctuality should do quite a bit to restore any lost luster.

The new regularity of PANZERFAUST is now to be very favorable compared to the many delays of CONFLICT and the total disappearance of BATTLE FLAG. So, hang in there, Don!

Now, I have some good news, and some bad. First. the good. At long last VERDUN is back in stock and re-packaged in our now familiar 1" thick box, and your backorder went out to you today. And, more good news BAR-LEV has broken all our old sales records, re-orders have poured in, along with many compliments. Perhaps, the most flatering came from a Phantom pilot, who called all the way from New Mexico to talk to me about the Air Module, of which he was very impressed. He said the only errors I made were traceable to the fact that I did not have access to classified data which would have shown me "many things."

And now the bad... BAR-LEV is sold out... I have no more. However, we are frantically re-printing it as fast as we can, but it will probably be about six weeks before it is again available from us. If you re-call we printed 2,000 BAR-LEV, and not even I, with my traditional overoptimism would have guessed that ALL would be gone after only two months! This is going to be a bit embarrassing, particularly since I have a full page ad for BAR-LEV in the next CONFLICT which will be out by the end of June...in theory ... and a quarter page ad in the next three issues of MODEL DEALER.

Well, that about wraps it for now...

Your friend, John Hill

Missing

Dear Don:

After looking over issue #61, I felt that something was missing from PANZERFAUST, and got the impression that your latest issue was only slightly on the whole better than average. I then realized the reason for this. Usually your magazine has two or three excellent main articles. In your latest issue only "The War at Sea" really stood out, while those articles that deserved special mention were "The Winter War" and "Star Trek Revisions."

Now what can be the explanation for this turn of events? As far as I can see from my distant viewpoint, is that first your magazine is in a period of financial reintrenchment, and second, there have been no real in-depth game analysis and strategies in the last few issues. While there have been several good articles on this line there have been no exceptional ones. Examples of what can be considered "classic" game analysis are the "France 1940" and "Dunkirk" analysis in PANZERFAUST 54 and the "Phalanx-Alexander the Great" analysis in one of the later issues. The combination of history, game analysis, and strategy all concerning one game is tough to beat.

Another innovation I enjoyed in PANZERFAUST which has not been seen lately is that of having two or three main articles on one subject and having the rest of the article in the magazine for contrast. The procedure of having a complete general mix is fine, but having a theme to the issue leaves a greater impact on the reader. I am not saying that you should devote a whole issue to one general idea, but having it contained as a major part of the issue is excellent.

One thing I must caution you on Don, is having or appearing to have too much of an anti-SPI bias. Now you have been more moderate in your latest issues, but you must show restraint. A sizeable amount of your criticism is valid, and you do have the right to your editorial opinions, but the reason I brought up this point is that I know of specific instances where this has cost you subscribers.

There are a lot of new people in the hobby who were introduced to it through SPI and play almost totally SPI products. Unfortunately they are very sensitive to criticism concerning SPI polices and games no matter whether the criticism is valid or not. Personally, I think that any mag- azine or company in the hobby could stand some criticism as long as it does not degenerate into a vendetta.

An excellent opportunity exists for any budding writer. In the old days of the hobby games were thoroughly analysed and there was an abundance of different analyses, strategies, and variants to each game Today, with the wide variety of new names on the market, any writer can pick virtually, virgin territory for his article. It will take a writer time and concentration to become familiar with a name. and to master most of the different aspects of it, hut with determination, he can present an excellent article. There is a crying need for this.

In previous years, the "Old Guard" could play practically any game on the market, but tended to master a few specific games. Now there is a whole new wave of fresh blood in the hobby. With the influx of new games, they have a tendency to play many, but not to really master any. I would have to class myself in this category. These people could really use PANZERFAUST to help assimilate themselves into the hobby.

All of what I have written is only my personal opinion. You have the right to disagree with the whole thing. If you disagree with it or agree with it, please express your own opinion. I will assure you that whether I disagree with it or not, I will give You the same right to express your opinion that I just exercised.

PANZERFAUST magazine is still one of the best wargaming magazines around. What is really great about it is that it has so much promise. I wish the best of luck to your operation and I look forward with anticipation to the forth-coming issues.

Sincerly, Jack C. Thomas
First Vice-president
Hershey Senior High School
Conflict Simulation Club

Complaints

Dear Sir:

First, let me congratulate you on a very fine magazine. I have subscribed to Panzerfaust since issue #50 and feel that it has progressed greatly without losing its personal touch. But I have a few complaints about #62. What happened to Miniature Warfare? It is just about my favorite article in your magazine. Also the articles themselves were not up to your usual high standard. The Swedish Army article was very well done but I'm getting tired of those interminable ACW articles and I'm an ardent Civil War miniature gamer.

Then came the BAR-LEV article, all right but too long for a game many of us probably don't have. You miniature article was pretty good but then came three variant articles, on three loser games. Many people I know agree with me about Winter War and Strategy I while D-Day is my own opinion. The SS- cavalry article was well done but should have been a minor article but in this issue it is one of the major ones. Your regular articles were great as usual except for the missing Miniature Warfare.

In response to the flak you have been receiving on views critical of S&T. You have just as much right to an editorial viewpoint as any other newspaper or magazine. Go ahead and express your opinions and let your readers express theirs, just don't become fanatical or present false data as facts. As for footnotes, I've read all of them and they seem more like mini-articles than readers opinions to me.

Keep up the fine work.

Jeff Martin

Fine Work

Dear Don,

I got PANZERFAUST #62 the other day and was quite pleased, as usual. For AH material I can read the GENERAL, for history CONFLICT, for laughs S&T and MOVES, but only with PANZERFAUST can I get excellent coverage of ALL aspects of wargaming, ranging from history to news of upcoming conventions. I'd like to help you out with a lifetime sub to Panzerfaust, but financial reasons dictate otherwise. I enjoy almost everything about the mag, even the ads. Without them I would never have known about Game Designers Workshop and the great stuff they turn out.

Wargamers Guide to the American Civil War is quite valuable to me for a number of reasons. Unfortunately I'm missing the first two parts, but hopefully you may print the entire Guide to the ACW in a separate booklet after its completed. Any plans along this line?

Best,

Steve Kane

Probably. --DSL