I thought that I had this editorial written about a month ago, well into a very nervous four hour wait for an overdue guest at a bus station near Boston, I penned my explanation to the wargaming public as to how I had managed to lose Phil Barker. Fortunately (unfortunately for that great editorial) Phil finally showed up and we spent several days talking and play testing the 6th edition Ancient rules (Please -- no letters -- they are not due out for 8 months to a year). Through previous correspondence with Phil, his answers to rule questions and communications with other English gamers, I have always been of the opinion that, in general, a different style of game is played in England than here in the States. In partial support of my thinking, Phil observed that many Americans tend to play the rules rather than the game -- some correspondents arguing through many pages of closely written letter about a colon, or a semicolon in Phil's rules which may have been only a typo in the first place. Many who answered the VOLLEY FIRE questionnaire suggested that, one way or another, THE COURIER should undertake to promote fair play and Ethics in Miniature Wargaming. I am all for that and I would like to start it off by calling on the Rules Lawyers among us to EASE UP!! You wouldn't think of playing a chess game in which you said to your unintiated opponent -- ''Oh didn't I tell you that the queen can move diagonally as well? - sorry 'bout that." Then why do it in a wargame? Win your games by better tactics, not by better knowledge of the rules or the use of loopholes deeply and tirelessly researched. The ETHICAL wargamer will tell his opponent such things as ''you might be better off putting your light infantry into skirmisher formation because...." or BEFORE the game - "I noticed this loophole in the rules that seems to allow me to... How do you think we should handle it?" Awards? I am of a mind to offer two COURIER Awards, suitable for framing, one for THE MOST ETHICAL OPPONENT, the other for RULES LAWYER OF THE YEAR (or MONTH -- the frequency of these awards hasn't been decided). The awards, suitably titled, would be chosen by the editors from a list of nominees sent in along with the reason for the nomination by the readers. This is very preliminary and needs a lot of thought so please send in your comments, thoughts, and, perhaps, first nominees. OPPONENTS WANTED COLUMN starting next issue, THE COURIER will run an OPPONENTS WANTED Column free of charge to readers. Individuals and Clubs will be listed for three issues unless renewed. Address, phone number (including area code) and name of person to be contacted is mandatory. Individual and club periods of interest should be listed along with any age restrictions, etc. Regular meeting nights should also be noted. Please send in your listing to make this column a successful way of getting wargamers together. ORIGINS '79 We had planned the usual report on the convention. But we have received so much input, both positive and negative, and much of it contradictory, that it was decicled to do an in depth study of ORIGINS '79. ORIGINS is one of the high points of the hobby each year. As such, we expect it to be well nigh perfect. Why it is not, the reasonableness of our expectations, and what might be done to improve it and all wargame conventions will be the subject of an extensive article in the next issue. I have dozens of photographs to cull to help make it an interesting article, but I solicit your photos as well as your comments, gripes and whatever about ORIGINS and other conventions so that I might take it all into account in the article -- anything you care to contribute to this study will be appreciated by all who want to see improvement in the hobby. I have another reason for wanting this information as well -- having complained to Jay Hadley on the scarcity of miniature-oriented events -- he offered me the job of being responsible for all Historical Miniature events at ORIGINS '80! Being a fool of long standing, and a glutton for punishment, I accepted. Wearing that particular hat I will be asking for advice, help and volunteers in the near future. But for the moment I want to understand what mistakes were made in '79. So send in your comments. THE COURIER offered a pre-publication special wherein persons subscribing before June 1 were eligible for a drawing for a gift certificates to be made at ORIGINS '79. The initial offer was made to U.S. residents only, but since this is a universal hobby, we felt we should open it to all subscribers, whatever country they reside in. The results are as follows: $50 Gift Certificate: John K. McAskill $30 Gift Certificate: Walter Compton $20 Gift Certificate: Robert Sarber Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. 1 #2 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1979 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