If historical games from third world companies tend to be relatively unknown, even more obscure are their fantasy and science fiction games, which tend to be harder to learn because of the idiosyncratic concepts that underpin their structures. When they are not linked to a marketed novel which some of us may be familiar with, opening the box can be quite an adventure into the unknown. It takes a certain type of bravery (or madness) to put one out, and an associated nuttiness to play them. The payoff is a greater freedom in playing, since one is not being compared to a historical general, or being asked to conform to a preconceived notion of strategy and tactics. While we cannot evaluate them in light of historical knowledge, we should still expect clarity and consistency. I have found in general that F & SF games are often vague and open ended, requiring greater demands on the players for judgment and conceptualization. This need not be the case. But this warning in general: if you are willing to work and have a sense of humor the games can be terrific, but one must be prepared for the effort.

TROY by Donald A. Dupont: Chaosium, $10.00. Graphics are ambitious and excellent, although the beautiful board is unfortunately printed on very thin stock. Rules organization is good and tight. The counter mix includes heroes/leaders, three types of infantry, cavalry, chariots, and special counters, all with picture silhouettes that are most effective. The first three learning scenarios are not great games, but useful to check the rules; the fourth scenario is all right by itself. The fifth scenario is the Iliad, very long (36 turns) and challenging. Special Deity cards may be played, simulating the intervention of the gods and goddesses on each aide.

The combat results procedure is unique and bizarre. After determining odds, one adds a die roll to the respective odds numbers. The two die rolls added on, the highest total is declared "the winner," and the difference between the two totals indicates the degree of victory by a fixed CRT result. This adds a large element of chance to each battle, which is the ethos of the entire game. The Iliad portrays a siege of Troy where wildly fluctuating results begat an overall stalemate, rather than the static aspects of modem trench warfare. It is this concept which makes Troy a fantasy adventure game, along with the exotic rules (In F & SF games, "exotic" means a character with unique powers). Wild maneuvers may be pulled off, but generally these will balance out. This can be frustrating to a player of more controllable games, but appeals to the gambler's spirit, and the willingness to take risks at the right moments.

It is both a strategic, (decisions on where to invade the Troad area, supply, and groupings of forces) and a tactical affair (hero to hero combat, divine intervention, ZOC retreats). Wild melees occur more often than set piece battles, and it is not a game for the Montgomery type of commander, even with the large mix of conventional elements. However, this is the spirit of the Iliad, with which the designer is obviously in love. Victory conditions are by points, but it is difficult to get the difference necessary for even marginal victory. Although this is a pain, it makes both sides enjoyable to play. Troy city is only one hex. I think an opportunity was missed here. Although the city itself can be attacked, the vicinity is impossible terrain and cannot be taken if properly garrisoned. The main actions center on successive battle lines as the invaders advance, and there is little opportunity to tactically assault the city itself. Terrain is a major consideration, and includes meadow (clear), hillside, rough, marsh, wood, river, ford, road, beach, village, and Troy city. Effects are cumulative, and since ZOC considerations affect combat, duels for strategic hexes are frequent, even though some areas may not be fought over at all. A wooden horse option allows for a final, desperate attempt to get into the city. Of course.

ALPHA OMEGA by J. Stephen Peek: Battleline $12.50. Subtitled "A Game of Tactical Combat in Space," it reflects the background in miniatures that Battleline brings to its list of games. Graphics are only good, my major beef is that the pieces are difficult to make out and beg for miniatures to replace them - ship names and types are actually black on deep purple! The rules are excellent - ah well, you pays your money and takes your choice. The board is a basic hex grid set on a nice, amorphous astronomical poster. Counters are ships, moons, planets, asteroids, star bases, outposts, mine fields and special weapons.

A long and interesting science fiction rationale section explains the background for the encounters between Human and robotic Drove forces, and those of the Humans' Rhylsh allies (try to say it) in the Second Drove War. Human ships have trouble getting their speed up and down; Droves have unlimited acceleration/deceleration but a random arrival on their destination hexes. They also have different ship characteristics in the twelve ship types from carrier and battle cruiser to scout and transport. Nineteen scenarios provide a rich mixture of possibilities. Optimal rules list extra weapons types and a second technological level shows greater ship capabilities in all classes.

The keys to the game are the several weapons matrices and the judicious allocation of the energy points on each ship (a la Star Trek and others) to various offensive and defensive devices, as well as movement. As you take energy hits, the total energy available dwindles and each ship must redirect its resources. Using a maximum offensive posture makes you vulnerable to attack, for firing is simultaneous. Each ship has a beam weapon and a field weapon in the basic game. It is the unique field weapons and the optional ones that make this different from conventional naval encounters. And you can make up your own weapons and scenarios easily enough.

While no attempt is made to simulate three dimensional space, the game is interesting, varied, and fun to play. Victory conditions depend on the scenario, although successfully damaging an enemy almost always counts (spaceships are few and expensive), and the SF rationale section gives a coherent and semihistorical feel to the actions portrayed.

SUPERHERO 44 by Donald Saxman: Lou Zocchi, $6.00. This is a well illustrated 48-page rules booklet for D & D type role playing with comic and adventure heroes. It gives much material for playing campaigns and setting up characters, with eleven tables and examples of characters and actions. The major drawback is an assumption of veteran level roll playing and a good knowledge of superhero types. There is no gradation for beginners, and it is also assumed that one will want to worry about such indirect activities as lawsuits, training, and even amount of sleep/rest per day! Characters go on patrols each day and evaluate their careers weekly. Game time is slower than normal time.

The first nineteen pages are a detailed description of a future world of 2044 (hence the title), where a nuclear war has devastated the former major powers and radiation is fast providing a large segment of superhumanity. The capital city of the Pacific island of Inguria is replete with political parties, terrain, scientific institutions, an enclave of aliens, and other details. The author notes that the system should be adaptable to any other environments as well.

The combat mechanics are better detailed than basic D & D, being a combination of physical, mental, magical, and technological conflicts. Character types are superhero, technological master, and specialist. These tend to blend into each other. The weapons and resources of heroes are carefully detailed, and it is unfortunate that those of villains are not, as the bad guys should not be just nasty good guys, but again a large mount of creative ability is taken for granted. Nor are basic types of powers or motivations discussed; knowledge of all is assumed. The importance of the referee is noted, but there are no guidelines as to how he should limit characters or situations. This is a tournament level fantasy world, for combat-happy vets. It is a notable attempt to develop rules for our favorite fantasy heroes, and is the first such published by a game company.

WHITE BEAR AND RED MOON by Greg Stafford: Chaosium, $10.00. This is the major effort of this small company, and has been rated by many gamers as the finest fantasy board game yet available. Weird beings swarm through Dragon Pass, where the hordes of Prince Argrath are gathering to resist the might of the Lunar Empire. This is a strategic game with infantry and cavalry of various strength, magicians used in a manner similar to Napoleonic artillery, and a vast range of exotic magicians and heroes. Colorful tribes of neutrals may be wooed by either aide, and various monsters roam the board, killing anyone on sight.

Graphics are very good, but the 72-page rules booklet is hard to absorb even with the decent organization provided, because of the large number of idiosyncratic fantasy beings that exist. A history of the area and each character is given. Good learning scenarios are included, but are too loosely defined. Many major rules such as victory conditions, reinforcements, length, etc. are presented with several options. While this leaves much to the discretion of the player and is therefore able to appeal to folks with different tastes, it is too anarchic for the beginner who is attempting to peg his understanding on some solid procedures. And there are enough unusual elements to keep one guessing in the first place: odds rounded off in favor of the attacker, cyclical magic fluctuating with the day/phase of the moon, complicated unit factoral symbols, and others. This is a very "California" game (sorry about that)!

Chaosium publishes a magazine devoted to this microcosm, The Wyrm's Footnotes. Thus the game is ever changing as people add new suggestions, extra units, rules are clarified, etc. One who is really enamored of the game must either obtain issues or make a lot of decisions himself. For example, the combat table is so bloody and unpredictable that I don't use it, but use one suggested in a magazine issue, of which there are three so far.

The game is something of a cult to those "in the know." An attempt has been made to include almost every type of rule in wargaming today from terrain and superheroes to (in magazine issues) prisoners and supply. I strongly suggest that it be played in partnership with at least one other person who is willing to devote a lot of time to it. Otherwise, you may never be seen on Earth again.

WB & RM is the first of a trilogy of which the second game, Nomad Gods, has recently appeared. This game is quite different, centering around the feuds of roving bands of nomadic barbarians with special tribal exotics and various wandering neutrals. Again the rules are anarchic but somewhat more reasonable. It is hard to see how the systems of the two games are harmonious, and I think that the kit that links the games together will be extensive; nevertheless, the boards are connecting and the basic philosophies of the games are alike. For those who like to tinker and contribute, they provide an interesting exercise in game design.

MELEE by Steve Jackson: "Micro Game #3," Metagaming, $2.95. This is a successful attempt to provide a matrix for man-to-man combat for fantasy/medieval characters. It revolves around an options table which can be used depending on the current status of the character. If the character is disengaged, engaged, or fighting hand-to-hand, he may elect certain options depending on his abilities. Designed around the Dungeons & Dragons character creation system, it attempts to regularize such combat, and has a small hex grid arena in which to move counters representing one character each.

The rules are well written, with statistics on various weapon ad nonhuman beings including Elf, Hobbit, Dwarf, Giant, Gargoyle, Orc, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bear, Wolf, and Giant Snake. Graphics are good for the resources spent, as in Ogre. A companion game for magic is planned. You are getting here more than your money's worth; a set of basic rules which you can modify for your own purposes, and a neat little game if you have an hour or two to while away in an enjoyable manner.