Evening of the 16th.

Game Designers Workshop. Young group, Rich is the eldest (28); he is their graphics man. Efficient group.

GDW uses one person, the designer, to bird-dog the game to completion. There is no development team concept here. None of their games has sold 5,000 copies yet. 100 copies of each title a month sold is good. GDW is solvent and the four chief members are paid staff. As to the value of reviews? The one in S&T on Narvik generated 40 additional orders. GDW may produce an irregular newsletter . . .

GDW does not like to publish when a game will appear or what it will be as one must answer "time consuming partners". However, over the next six months we can hope to see a game on the Russo-Japanese War designed by Marc Miller, Fall of' Tobruk (by Chadwick), En Garde, Their Finest Hour, and Waterloo (Chadwick). Marc's favorite games are Chaco, Triplanetary, and Coral Sea. Narvik is their best seller right now.

Rick made a point about what he thought Origins would be like - "I think most people will be surprised that they get along at Origins". He proved to be very correct.

Marc considers himself, from time to time, to know the most about "What's happening" in the Hobby.

The 17th

The following appears on the door of Marc Miller and Frank Chadwick's apartment home:

Temple of the Minds
Ch'ung, Ch'ing, Ch'ang, Ch'o, Fang Ch'ew Arie Ltd.
Miscellaneous imports
Green Pepper Society
Sir Duck's Arms & Toothpaste
Bloomington-Normal Game Designers' Protection Assn.

Larry is in the process of getting excited about Dungeons & Dragons. He related to me that Loren and Dwain (the latter being a friend of GDW) told him of an unusual sequence in a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Larry remarked by saying, "Sounds like a bad acid trip." Loren and Dwain both paused, "Ya, I guess so." Latter the conversation went to En Garde and we both suggested that it needed a V.D. factor when visiting the bawdy house.

Turns out that Marc spent some time in Vietnam and we both ended that discussion quickly as we had somewhat opposite views on it. Marc did say one of his favorite games was The Year of the Rat. As a footnote, I should mention that later John Prados (John designed The Year of the Rat) and I agreed that it was a positive move to have published that game and the article that appeared in that issue of S&T as far as an act of education. John's article was somewhat controversial and it appeared that S&T wanted to back off from endorsing John's views that were expressed in the magazine. At least that's how events struck me at the time.

Loren designed Eagles and is currently working on a game on Vicksburg. He is also Vice President of Conflict Games. One of his favorite games currently is Dungeons and Dragons. He felt the value of wargame reviews was in that they gave attention to a game and lifted it from "the morass of (many) games". On the question of women in wargaming, "I'm in favor of them." (Hah) He felt that is was largely cultural as to their relative non- involvement within wargaming. Many women feel it is a "quote 'male pursuit' ". Loren feels too that most wargamers are introduced into the Hobby by a friend which helps keep it a white, middle- class, male Hobby. Loren also related to me the Hobby rumor of a Black wargamer who showed up at a Convention in an SS uniform! As to my question on selling violence when one sells wargames . . . "(you're) not killing people, you're killing cardboard counters".

Richard Banner really enjoys Drang Nach Osten. He feels the German's have a 60% chance of victory in 1941, 50% in 1942, and that it is impossible after that. Marc Miller gave a ratio of 55/45 in 1941. Richard also is excited about the Blue & Grey games, "more playing then reading rules."

On the value of game reviews he felt that the credibility of the reviewer was important for the value of a review. It is, he felt, in some ways, more creditable than advertising and that one could pick and choose strong and weak points of a game. "No publisher will say he just put out a bad product". He hoped that reviewers would talk about the strong points of games more often then the weak points. Richard believes that "Opinions!!" keep the Hobby strong.

Richard also believes that there is a danger of losing contact with the little guy in the Hobby. He spoke of the "vacuum" of wargaming. He also felt that the Hobby is for generalists, that is, something for everyone.

Richard feels that the Hobby is drifting towards hobbyists who specialize in periods and that the companies will do the same thing as well. But then, he also feels that the Hobby has no reliable survey of what and who makes up the Hobby.

Bar-Lev had a total run of 4,000 copies. Narvik and DNO are the big sellers to date of about 4,000 copies each.

As to women and race Richard felt that much of it had to do with the male and military, and with the growth of the Hobby dependent on word-of-mouth that it will remain 18-25 in age, white, college oriented, and will only change greatly, in the racial sense especially, as more Blacks, etc. go to college. "Wargaming is non- sexual". Marc felt that the Wargaming Widow syndrome was a problem that the man had to deal with if his hobby or his job was placed before his wife/lover; because the Hobby is the pursuit of a non-sexual role, the woman had a problem to deal with if she saw it as competition. "Neither (Lovers) are a slave to each other".

Richard jumped in again with a feeling that a personal relationship could not be dealt with by assigning "faults" to one partner or the other. "Wargaming is not different from anything else."

Next I sat down with Marc to talk to him about his views. He opened by defining my ties as I do work for Simulations Design Corp., as Slowly Dying Corp.

Marc likes to design simple games like Chaco and play complex games like Narvik, he feels, is in reality a "Staff game." He views Narvik as a combined arms that allows the players to use forces choose, but also have the risks of their use e.g. one loses points if a second German Mountain division is committed.

Loren said of Marc, "He likes to design games where people can't cheat." "Everyone designs a game of what they want in a level of complexity they want." The corollary to this is that one designs a game to the level of complexity dictated by the situation.

As to GDW response to Europe, Marc says that the language barrier was the key and that on a run of 1,000 games how could one translate into German? He sends 20-50 aerograms to Europeans telling of SSN and Crimea. Anyway, GDW is trying to break into the market."

Marc had some comments on Seastrike we both agreed it was an excellent game and liked the system failure approach of it, but disliked the step reduction system of damage as he is convinced that if you're hit, you're out of commission or sunk outright. Marc ultimately felt it was a good system for World War II games, and it was a fun game he "loved it".

Marc believes that "Some game reviews are read by the writer and sometimes editor but quite possibly no one else." He also feels that reviews have little effect on buying habits. There appears to be no history of dependence on reviews. He did think that the SPI game rating chart has significant effect on sales; why else would SPI have its top sales chart now.

The direction of the Hobby? "Straight up". Marc believes that there is room for a total of four companies. Avalon Hill with a base in retail, SPI for mail order; GDW the historical appeal of a well done game and T.S.R. may be the fourth foundation stone of the Hobby with its emphasis on book and miniaturists. The Hobby is "Still at bottom."

At present wargames are still basic recreational but eventually "might have beens" may make superb historical tools. Already the Rumanian Consulate has purchased a copy of DNO, Unt, and SSN!

Blacks in wargaming, "Racial groups have a cause, while wargaming is a waste of time." Marc went on to say that the Chicanos would need a good Pueblo or Alamo game to come along, though he was not sure if a Watts game would be the same for Blacks to spark interest in wargaming.

To me this raised the entire question of: Are wargames counter revolutionary as is T.V., underground comix etc .... ? In other words, by playing wargames does that take time away from affecting the fundamental changes this society needs to continue? Does the morass and bullshit of wargames keep us from dealing with the realities of life? I must disagree with Marc that we ("we" being white, middle-class, and male) have no "cause". Yet I must also admit that we can all relax with a wargame and learn something as well.

Marc went on to point out that a white clique has nothing to hold it together internally. Whites must rely on an "out project," e.g. wargaming, golf, etc. Race has race, women have women. To my mind all men have to deal with Men's liberation, white, black, brown, or purple, as we all have some questionable "roles" thrown at us in our society.

As to women, "Different frame of mind; socialized through dolls versus toy guns." Scrabble is as manipulative as wargaming, yet it is much easier for a man to relate to the numbers on a division from their previous army life. For example, Marc went on to show that the war in Africa during World War II is thought of as a "clean war". Women find it hard to relate to it as it is still death. Men see it as clean because the Geneva accords were followed. "The rules were followed" which adds a different dimension to it.

Later, in an open discussion we got into the question of violence in our art. Richard came back by asking if Goya is violent ... Wargaming often points out the futile aspect of war and that was pointed out as a moral justification for wargaming. Wargaming is educational "not graphic" violence, as their graphics man Richard pointed out. It is a "creative art" though it still lacks a certain depth. Larry mentioned that "all games are models of reality."

Rich made a good comment when the question of the censure of a subject because it is sick came up. He flet the "discussion of sick material is not sick." How can an historian comment on morality otherwise?

Marc mentioned about this time the "Exercise in humility rule" in a potential game in the future dealing with Space Empires. In it one may be a Woman character! What is ironic was a Dungeons and Dragons game that followed in which I was Donna Keebler, an Elven princess. It was the first time in that circle where a man picked a woman character. Did better then the two mates with her too! Frank Chadwick has a rule in which a woman character, after rolling for characteristics subtracts one from her strength and adds one point to her dexterity, intelligence, and charisma. No comment.

Some odds and ends. Marc felt we were not an Elite as long as there are "some ... 12 year olds who want to nuke Russia." GDW tries for one week service. The basic game of Chaco is the game usually played while the advanced game is not. The DNO ad in S&T paid for itself but direct mail advertising is better, but then no new gamers are generated by that method, nor does the mailing list grow. No word from Andrew on either day of our stay. How unlike Andrew! He'll get in touch with us when we reach N.Y.C. probably.

Back on the Road

July 18th, stopped by a State trooper in Dayton. Patted down for weapons! "Your car kind of looked like one we were looking for." No arrests or tickets. What can I say?

July 20th, arrive in Washington to stay with the parents of the Police Commissioner of Isla Vista. Silver Springs turns out to be an interesting stay.

August 21. Arrive at the Cave of the Ancients, the Tibet and Lamasery of Wargaming. Shintoists are about ... Islam lies back in Normal. I suppose that would make SDC and L.A. cult group-certainly the Police must think SDC to be part of the Manson family!

Baltimore. The most venerated Cathedral of wargaming.

More Cathedrals

Cathedrals of Wargaming: Introduction
Cathedrals of Wargaming: Game Designers' Workshop
Cathedrals of Wargaming: Avalon Hill
Cathedrals of Wargaming: SPI
Cathedrals of Wargaming: On the Road to Origins
Cathedrals of Wargaming: Joe Seliga and Steve Peek
Cathedrals of Wargaming: Taurus Games
Cathedrals of Wargaming: Postscript