Dear Sirs and Madame Art Director:
Although I don't share in the mania for tiny soldiers and wargaming, I still like your magazine. It is perhaps one of the best designed publications I have ever come across and I wish to praise and congratulate you for the fine design and layout and illustrations in all the issues I have seen.
. . . I was really amazed to find such sophisticated and beautiful design in a magazine dealing with such a gruesome subject. Bravo!
Dear Sirs:
I'm a relatively new subscriber having only issues #4 and #5. I must be honest. There were only two reasons why I subscribed to your magazine and not S&T. Those reasons were: the price; and the German data on Allied tanks. But you surprised me. The magazine is quite good.
I have to give it to you on your subject matter. The complete story of the French armored units I just didn't know about. Well just to be short, all in all I'm learning more history from your magazine than I would have thought possible.
The game NORAD looked too simple to play at first. But after playing it several times I found that if both players know what they are doing, the game becomes tough to win. KhalkhinGol is a very interesting game and I have enjoyed playing it.
Thank you for a good magazine.
Dear Sirs:
I have received one of your issues of Conflict (#4 with NORAD). I have read and played the game in this issue, now I have a few comments on your magazine. First to warn you, I'm a S&T subscriber.
I ordered your first issue, but I received issue #4. That made me real happy. But after reading and playing the game, I became glad you sent it to me. The articles have to be rated with those of S&T. The game, on the other hand, was not up to the S&T standard. But I enjoy playing it.... I personally feel your units are too big to be stored easily.... Keep on trying to outdo S&T and keep those prices down.
Dear Sirs:
I wish to do two things. Fist: compliment you on an excellent magazine. You have done many new things which I hope to see continuing in the far future. Second: I wish to express my feelings towards those wonderful people who seem to use your magazine for a hate campaign against Strategy & Tactics.
I agree that there are many things wrong (such as late delivery of purchases) and that you should complain, but how about the company in question? You seem to think that all the people there at Conflict have to do is hear you whine about your troubles. If you fmd other magazines revolting why not start your own and see how easy it is to please everyone. You complain about the games not suiting you because of some reason. Make your own and quit playing theirs ....
Sirs:
Upon receipt of the fifth issue of Conflict, I can say that if you do not produce at least one more issue similar to this, I will not renew my subscription. This issue is far and away the better of the two issues I have received.
The previous issue was not worth the paper it was printed on. It was obviously a slapdash affair. I agree totally with Lt. Matthews with respect to the game with that issue. It is extremely simpleminded.
Issue #5 was far superior in format as well as content except for the article by Dr. Pournelle. "The BEF" article was dealing too much in theory and not enough in actual fact. The game Khalkhin-Gol is very easy to learn, fast and extremely playable.
Dear Sirs:
I have been very disturbed by the readers' comments in your magazine. I think that it is in poor taste to criticize Strategy & Tactics in every issue. The main cause . . . is the stupidity of several of your readers to understand why S&T provides a mass volume of games ....
. . . you don't have to buy them! Anyway, I imagine that these readers want S&T to publish games only in a certain area. Well, they fail to realize that other people want other areas covered. If S&T tried to limit its output to certain areas and fewer games then they would be disatisfying many more people and they would be wasting capable designers by not using their talents ....
If people want fun wargames they should go back to Risk and Stratego (which I like) or stick to level 1 games.
Dear Sirs:
I have one question: Are your games as ridiculously complicated as S&T's? You see I am very tired of getting games that are so difficult that the enjoyment is lost.
Sirs:
I am on the staff of an organization that has over three hundred members, of which a good number are wargamers. Our own magazine has been rated by outside sources as one of the best in the military hobbyist field. We are very proud of our contributions to the hobby, just as you should be of yours.
We have found that no matter how you operate, a few people will always storm off in a huff over something that goes against their grain. So if someone is upset over Zombie or any SF game, or doesn't want anything but military simulations, let them go! They are narrow-minded, unwilling to experiment and must be uery dull people.
I read every set of rules I can get my hands on. Many of the games I would never play, but I still get new ideas to use in games that I do play, and the games that I have designed for myself. The purpose of any magazine is to inform; if new ideas upset a person, he should not be reading your magazine or any other ....
And now one correction! Your list of Confederate Ironclads has an error. The "Neuse" was built in North Carolina, just above Kingston. It has been raised and its hull is on display ....
I played NORAD, both as the Russians and as the Americans. I enjoyed the game very much. Although we did not use the optional rules, it was a playable, non dust-collecting game. I spent two years at HQ Washington Defense Sector, ADC, NORAD. We had a computer, nine squadrons of fighters, hundreds of missiles, and thousands of personnel, and our wargame results were very much the same ....
Gentlemen:
I just received issue #5 of Conflict and was very pleased at 1) receiving it all and 2) the content and game. I had had previous doubts and criticisms of some of your initial efforts (most pointedly, the "game" [?] Assassin!) but most of these were dispelled by this latest effort, I am pleased to acknowledge. The artwork, layout, printing, and design of your 'zinc is better than S&T! And I do believe that your content and game (that is, the latest game -- Khalkhin-Gol) designs are their equivalent ....
Gentlemen:
I have just received Conflict, Number 5. The articles on the Nomonhan Affair, Xenophon, and The BEF were highly informative and enjoyable to read. Your games are getting better, on the whole.
I read both of Dr. Pournelle's articles with great interest. The first, on the actual BEF was good. Let me just say he interprets Sir Basil Liddell Hart very well. But for the second article, I cannot let it go unchallenged. On page 43, first column, last paragraph, here lies his basic false assumption. If one counted only "rifles" a Panzer division would roughly equal an Allied Armored division. But more than this, I believe, was taken into consideration. Namely the shock effect upon the French soldier. This is the most important consideration. This is a simulation of an actual event, no matter what one may wish. S&T considers their games as an adjunct to their articles and we must remember that France 1940 was initially one of their bi-monthly games....
The CRT reflects the basic superiority of not German personnel but of German technique. In 1940 the French and other Allies were basically defense minded. I believe that this is carried over to the game by the players, whether they realize it or not. The French player does not haue to be defense minded....
Gentlemen:
Once again I was pleasantly surprised to find Conflict arriving in the month it should, in sharp contrast to four others I subscribe to....
The issue overall was excellent, althogh the France '40 variant was only so-so. NORAD seemed better than Khalkhin-Gol, but even the latter is playable, unlike many. Keep up the good work.
People:
Whatever has happened to your "bimonthly" magazine? Well, I don't care. I would gladly exchange one issue of Conflict for one year of punctual hardcore 'zines. I only fear that you are too far ahead of your time. Jon Lynch, Arlington Hts., IL
Hail to thee, O publishing ones!
Despite all of the death notices, obituaries, mourning, etc. expressed by other magazines, I decided three months ago to subscribe to Conflict. My faith has been justified.
Admittedly, you got off to a rather shaky start. Issue #4 impressed me as a well-printed magazine with quality editing and articles. On the other hand, NORAD, your game, was astonishingly amateurish. I don't deny that it's fun to play, but it's not my style.
What turned up next was issue #5.... I then examined the game, KhalkhinGol. You have surpassed my wildest expectations. This game . . . is exquisite. The level of complexity is perfect. The game moves quickly without being bogged down in the mud of difficulty. With luck, it will become as popular as other simple (relatively) games, such as Borodino and Winter Wor (S&T magazine games).
Dear Sirs:
After reading your latest issue of Conflict (#5) I was greatly impressed by the improvement over issue #4. The game Khalkhin-Gol is both playable and realistic, equal to any of Strategy & Tactics latest efforts. I would rate your magazine as outstanding considering the number of previous issues.
I enjoyed all of the articles in your last two issues, and feel that they are le. biased than most of S&T's articles. However, with issues #4 and #5 as the sole output for the f~rst half of 1973, you are going to be hard pressed to put out four issues of the quality of issue #5 in the second half of 1973. Keep up the good work, it is worth waiting for, despite your promise of six issues per year.
Attention Staff:
It is amazing to see you produce a magazine like Conflict in spite of your editor. Leaving off the understrength 12th and 23rd Territorial Divisions, as well as the 46th Division from the Lines of Communications Troops (BEF order of battle, issue #5) is inexcusable, especially since the 1940 campaign is supposedly his forte.
And despite all of your fine efforts he still cannot get Conflict out on schedule. You are truly remarkable people to have tolerated this for so long.
My thanks.
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© Copyright 1973 by Dana Lombardy
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