Dear Editor:
Please accept my congratulations on the first issue of GAME NEWS. I was really impressed by the high-quality, interesting writing you managed to assemble on many topics. And yes, I did subscribe - I look forward to much more good reading in future months.
I was, of course, highly gratified by
your laudatory reviews of two items I had
worked on -- South Mountain and The
Battle of Shiloh, both of which I co-
designed and developed. Mr. Wayne Close,
in writing a generally favorable review of
South Mountain, nonetheless criticized the
game on a number of points. One of these
was that there were not enough "player's
notes" to help inexperienced players form
their strategies. True enough, there weren't;
we didn't have any space left in the rules
book. Well, that being the case, would
GAME NEWS be interested in a strategy
article for South Mountain?
Dear Editor:
I take great exception to your review of Palladium Books' Heroes Unlimited game.
As a frequent collaborator on Palladium games I can testify that Heroes is not "an ill-thought attempt to secure a piece of the rapidly expanding superhero RPG market." In fact, Kevin Siembieda published the game knowing full well that it might do poorly in a crowded field. He went ahead because he loves comics and because he believed that Heroes would be a positive contribution to comic role-playing.
The random character generation that offends reviewer Mike Dawson is simply a reflection of the comic books that this type of game is based on. Did Spider Man choose to get bit by a radioactive spider? Would Bruce Wayne choose to have no super powers? A character is weak or powerful by the workings of fate. In any case, the author makes it plain that using the random generation system is an option of the gamemaster.
Now if you insist on running a superhero role-playing campaign as one long hack-n-slash then Heroes Unlimited is not for you. After all, Bruce Wayne wouldn't find it "fair" that Superman had terrific powers and Batman didn't have any. But many of the best superheroes had little or no superpowers to fall back on. The way you balance the characters is with the imagination and creativity of the players. And that just makes their adventures that much more exciting.
Now I understand the expression of a
biased opinion. But a legitimate review
reflects the strengths and weaknesses of any
product. I saw no mention of Heroes'
strengths in the review. I'm not saying that
Heroes is a perfect game. But Mr. Dawson's
review of Heroes is unbalanced. He
criticizes it not for it's flaws but because it's
not the kind of game he expects.
Dear Editor:
I have read and enjoyed your second issue of GAME NEWS magazine and do wish you continued luck with it. Truly, the real strength of the magazine lies in its ability to get "news" about the happenings within the game industry. The color, style and articles are all fine and possess their own appeal, but this journal will probably become an industry leader for its timeliness and "news" items.
As an example, I read in the very first sentence I looked at in issue #2 that the magazine we publish here at Diverse Talents, Inc. (Fire & Movement) will see Howie Barasch writing the Firing Line column. Since this was news to me (forgive the pun), I called the magazine's editor, Wallace Poulter to confirm this (which he did). Now if that's not acceptable as a new industry standard, I don't know what is! For the person who is an "insider" in this industry of ours which we call gaming, GAME NEWS is an indispensable product.
While others see our forthcoming
V.I.P. of Gaming magazine as direct
competition to your GAME NEWS, I only
sigh gently and rest assured that the style and
approach are far too different to draw many
similarities there, and that content-wise "this
town is big enough for both of us."
Dear Editor:
I have just finished reading the first two issues of GAME NEWS and think they were great. I especially like the coverage of General Adult Games and the absence of software reviews. I would be interested in reading reviews of Wabbit Wampage and Conquest of the Empire (although Ill bet the latter will be reviewed in May -there seems to be a trend ... ).
I would appreciate it if you would send me a copy of your review guidelines. Personally, I do not consider the cover art when I decide to purchase a game and am not sure it should be a factor in a review. With the exception of Up Front (which I am embarrassed to be seen in public with), I pay no attention to the cover art.
To pick a few nits - in G. D. Swick's review of Shiloh, A. S. Johnston is referred to as "one of the South's finest leaders". There is virtually no basis for the assessment, although it is a popular myth. Rather than defend my statement I refer anyone interested to Thomas Connelly's book, Army of the Heartland. Second, in John Hill's Falling Waters scenario, he confuses William Pendleton (the "preacher artillerist" with the Rockbridge Artillery) which his son Sandie, who was best known as one of Jackson's staff officers.
I am looking forward to articles on marketing designs and writing for the industry. An interview with John Prados might be interesting in this context. I would also be interested in the mechanics of game production.
I hope GAME NEWS continues to
grow and prosper since the first two issues
were like a breath of fresh air.
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© Copyright 2000 by Dana Lombardy.
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