"I don't like the forced march rule." Death or success are too extreme.

"SPI does more in the way of researching the information than does Avalon Hill." He believes Avalon Hill to be a "company that is a captive company (to National Check)" and that "I think they have many more constraints." "It is not clear to me if there is any difference in the playtesting (of either company)". "SPI has made a lot of basic changes" through playtesting.

I asked Joe about the concept of a development team for a game, is it a bad idea? "No, I do the same thing in my business."

Steve Peek

I also spoke with Steve Peek of Battleline (who also holds down a "regular" job). He and Richard Berg are probably the funniest people in the Hobby (and they are both friends to boot). I asked "Why does your wife hate wargamers?" "Why do you think!?" 2,000 copies of Wooden Ships & Iron Men were run, 1,400 of Seven Days Battles. "I like Bar- Lev." He told me about a televised game of DNO with 14 players where "the Russians creamed 'em." "I'm running out of time to play them." Steve Phenow of Martial Enterprises made a point while talking with Steve Peek, on game designers, ". . . and you research, and you research, and you research and then find something that you want to throw out the window!" Shenadoah is Battleline's newest release at $10. It has a Jackson counter (as well as an Ashby and Mosby counter) so I'll probably like it!

On violence. "Maybe one of my games will hit a 12-year old who might be an Adolf Hitler and I worry about it." Steve Peek quoted a friend of his who once said, "if I studied malignant tumors, would you call me a cancer monger?"

On women. "Most of the girls don't understand it" was Steve Phenow's comment. Peek felt that "not too many women can relate to (a wargame) unless (she is a) Florence Nightingale." Battleline sells most of its games, in this order, to Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, and California, with England being the single biggest retailer." Game Designers' Workshop sells mostly to California, New York, the Midwest in that order. Avalon Hill sells mostly to California with Illinois in 2nd place.

Don Greenwood at this time told me that at least 1,100 people had showed up for the convention. He hoped that the Convention would rotate with the "profit to I.G.B. and/or future conventions." The idea of the Convention not being a place to make money appealed to both Don and myself. "if SPI did the Convention it would be a service to the Hobby, not to make a buck * " Later, talking with David Isby, he felt' "Simulations (SPI) hasn't done that since the early 70's." On a per capita basis SPI does the most sales in Connecticul and California, with Arkansas on the bottom. On absolute dollars in sales it is New York and then California with Wyoming the lowest.

Steve Phenow and I talked a bit about Torgau. He felt it "doesn't give a good feel for the Frederican period." The game is not linear enough, poor visibility rules, cavalry is not really used to scout, and cavalry, especially heavy, would not stand to receive a charge for they would be destroyed.

I spoke with Al Zygier, once with SPI now the graphics person for Rand Game Associates. He really has "no time" to play games anymore. "I like Avalon Hill pictorially." "I try to put a little period into the game", such as in Napoleon's Last Campaigns. "I try to interpret a map as a military person would." On the Hobby, Al felt that it "seems to be coming more and more popular." Rand has had requests to re-do previous games, e.g. Hitler's Last Gamble, another Bulge game. Rand's newsletter, Battle Plan, is definitely expanding in the future. Rand sells mostly to California with Illinois in 2nd place.

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