Weeeere Back! Yes, The Courier has experienced some difficulty over the last few months because of problems with our desktop publishing program and exporting it to my new computer at home. The bugs are all worked out now and this issue represents the fruit of all that labor. I appreciate the patience our readers have shown and their loyalty will be rewarded. The Courier has quite a few great articles lined up for the next several issues, and I am sure that you will enjoy them. I do need more feedback, though, on what it that you want to see between these pages. Detailed interests are welcome but I would also like some general observations and wants: e.g. a beginner's column(?); More scenarios (what periods); More on computer moderated miniature gaming (?); whatever, Come on - write in. Last time I wrote the editorial it was on the sad note of Fred Vietmeyer passing. Since then as the convention season comes around several gamers have decided to run Memorial Column, Line & Square games at the conventions in memory of "The Baron". This is just a small indication of the number of gamers he influenced with his rules. The Courier is no exception. We printed many of his battle reports in The early Courier and they were an inspiration to Napoleonic gaming. and to the writing of Battle reports and scenarios. The Courier staff with the help of many of the people who gamed with Fred in Fort Wayne will be recreating Fred's Scenario of the Fuentes de Onoro Penninsular battle at Historicon. If you are/were a CL & S player, join us; if not come and watch it will be great. COVER TYPO Those of you with quicker eyes will have caught the WWII typo on the front cover. I expect that you all know that the aircraft depicted and therefore the rules and figures reviewed are actually WWI. We didn't catch it until the cover was printed. *&%#! But too late - another trivia question for future generations of wargamers. Note: at the request of Editor Bryant, MagWeb altered the front cover text slightly to correct the error. And that's probably another trivia question. --RL HMGS Speaking of future generations of wargamers, I am beginning to feel that HMGS has lost the spark that gave it birth - the promulagation of the hobby. Yes HMGS has done wonders in producing excellent conventions where Miniature gaming no longer gets the short shrift it did at the boardgame and fantasy cons. But the original concept was that the conventions were a means to an end - namely to raise money to further the hobby. To introduce it to new hobbyists through video tapes and demonstrations; to improve everyone's gaming through seminars and introductory pamphlets; to ease the newcomer into the hobby by listing clubs, and other gamers who one could game with, and more. A start has been made in some of the chapters toward the last goal but our efforts in the other areas have been woefully weak. I urge all of you who enjoy the hobby to join your local HMGS, participate vocally in its politics and get HMGS back on track - back to its original vision. THE COURIER ADDRESS CHANGE The post office, in their infinite wisdom(?) has decided to change The Courier's ZIP Code to 02303. Please make a note of it. The Courier PO Box 1878 Brockton, MA 02303 Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #74 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com