Having seen and played both of Battleline's games, I feel that the physical production, game production, and general playing style of each game is quite good. In the case of WS&IM, I feel that a game has been produced here that will not grow old quickly. However, before pressing on I would like to touch on two obscure points and develop thein a bit further.

First, the idea of WORLDWIDE wargaming is one that Battleline mentions in passing, and I feel that most wargamers do not full; understand it (or particularly want to). I feel that it is out of ignorance that not more time and effort has been expended in developing ties with overseas wargamers. England and Australia both have strong wargaming elements, while New Zealand, Europe, and elsewhere there are developing wargaming elements that can benefit the hobby as a whole. While in financial terms the overseas market may be smaller than California's warqaming market, the future potential as well as current cultural potential is easily larger than the North American market. I think we have all seen or heard of Canadian complaints with American wargaming companies. This in many ways goes double overseas. It takes the form of worse service, incredible prices (though, as in the case of Australia, there are tremendous taxes involved too), and general inattention on the part of the companies. Yet, one has a market that is growing and is reminiscent of our own in the early 60's.

Further, the access to campaign data and the like for certain world and especially European) conflicts, is an asset that can be developed. Better research means better games. All in all, I hope that this attitude changes.

For those who might wish to pursue this subject further, I would direct you to a new European magazine entitled EUROPA (Walter Luc Haas, 4018 Basel, Postfach '29, CH-4018 Basel 18, Switzerland) (Priced at $1 surface; $2 by airmail) It is published in English, and has become with the demise of Albion, one of the best overseas magazines.

Let me make my second point, and preface it by saying that it is a large digression. While reading through the Battleline interview, I had to laugh at one point where Mr. Peek mentions his wife's help within Battleline. I most likely would be totally unfair by associating Mr. Peek with sexism, but I do feel that somewhere along the line we should discuss the problem of wargaming and sexism.

Just about all of us have been confronted by some situations gr9wing out of this problem in the past.

I am sure everyone in the hobby is aware of how male-dominated the hobby is. Pretty damn obvious. Many of us have had angry girlfriends, moms, or wives because of the games. Certainly some of us have sublimated parts of our lives into wargames. I remember one classic quote of why a certain woman friend disliked wargames: "I hate losing out to a cardboard-and-paper game!" (This remark was directed at a mutual friend.)

I cannot suggest too many solid ideas for this problem. I really do not think a massive recruitment of women wargamers would be successful, though it would be nice if it worked. One thing that has had some success in the DIPLOMACY world is a women's group formed by Carol Ann Buchanan, associate editor of DIPLOMACY WORLD (RR#3, Lebanon, IN 46052). Possibly something along these lines could be established within the wargame world. It might be helpful for us to open some brand new lines of communication. I hope that all readers of this section show it to their wives or girlfriends. Maybe there would be some women out there willing to start such a group, as has been done in the Diplomacy world.

Returning to Battleline, there are only a few points to be made. Battleline's feeling that there is a great untapped source of wargame design out there is most likely valid. But it is very, very undeveloped. Off hand, of the desions done by "nonprofessionals", it would be a safe bet to assume that eight out of ten designs are poor or average. Too often the budding designer does not strike out on his own, but simply adopts rules and concepts from other games and places them on a new map. Sometimes the work required (something SPI discovered sometime back) to repair the flaws of a game submitted from the outside is tremendous.

Maybe Battleline will be lucky in this respect, but the true genius game designer is few and far between. My definition of a genius game designer is one who looks at a situation and creates the mechanism to make that situation repeat itself on the game board. Ne is the one who simply does the "obvious" and is not confined by the traditional approaches.

Battleline's financial approach of pay-as-you-go will keep them from growing rapidly into a new giant, but it will insure that they will stay around for quite some time. Many warqamers feel that there are easy bucks to be made, however, it requires incredible amounts of time and devotion, as well as luck, to support one's self from the hobby.

The true bellweather of financial success is not SPI but Avalon Hill. Their cheap run-down offices and tough thoughtful financial control is the way to establish a firm in the hobby, One of the reasons SPI's products are as expensive as they are lies in the fact that the hobby is paying for expensive, and sometimes wasteful, advertising, as well as a prestigious address in the middle of an expensive city. Being well aware of the costs to produce CONFLICT, I can argue that a wargaming magazine can not only make a profit, but that the smart "little guy" can break into the .. big leagues" if he takes his time and watches his expenses.

Battleline's local structure sounds quite good. The only danger I see arising lies in the fact that outside playtest groups are important. Otherwise, the naturally incestuous relationship of a close group will keep certain playing prob 1 ems from appearing. Problems that are obvious to one group will not be so to another.

More Slice of Battleline Publications

Introduction
Interview with Steven Peek and Craig Taylor
Comments on Wargaming and Battleline
Review: Wooden Ships and Iron Men