Every time I sit down to write this, I decide to wait a week more to see what changes occur in our ever-flexible schedule. No more delays, though, the editor cracks his whip and I call them as I see them.

Two new games are due at the end of January - 1940 and Dark Nebula. Both are Series 120 games (23x17 inch map, 120 counters) in the new, Traveller-sized box format and will sell for $5.98. 1940 is the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, at corps level with five day turns. The map covers from Paris to Frankfurt, Amsterdam to Berne. Along with the Germans, French, British, Belgians, and Dutch are the Swiss: for the Germans have the option to flank the Maginot Line through invading Switzerland (a persistent French fear). 1940 is a Frank Chadwick design.

Dark Nebula utilizes the basic Imperium game system on a set of astro-morphic stellar maps to allow a wide variety of scenarios and situations. This one is designed by Marc Miller. Also at the end of January we will be re-releasing Alma, Mayday, 1942, and Beda Fomm - all in the new box format and at the $5.98 price tag, but otherwise unchanged.

Hard on the heels of the January games will be a full wave of new titles in February or March. Everyone promises that TacForce will actually be published this time. As we've promised for months and months, TacForce will be the complete system of contemporary campaigning with micro- armor, a boxed set with rules, complete organization and doctrine information, unit capability cards, and all necessary accessories. We'll also have Fortress Holland, the German invasion of the Netherlands; research and design work was done by Frank Prieskop, a name familiar to the readers of this magazine. FH will be a battalion/regiment scale game with clever rules for air drops, Brandenburgers, the Dutch royal family, etc. Narvik will be reprinted in its new, updated guise. The maps will be brought up to Europa standards, some counters will gain unit IDs, and the rules will be mildly revised to include the accumulated errata of the past years.

Traveller fans will thrill to two new Traveller booklets, an adventure and a double adventure (titles unknown as yet). The double adventure will include, in expanded form, the feature article of the now unavailable Journal No. 1. My System 7 experts also promise me two or three new sets, but they are mysteriously keeping secret the nationality and identity of the new units. I have, however, heard rumors that work is being done on some guards sets ...

Beyond March, the schedule grows ever more murky. The major projects underway include Desert Victory, Azhanti High Lightning, and the DNO revision.

One of the playtest maps for Desert Victory, showing the terrain of Egypt

Desert Victory is still in playtest. Reproduced above for your approval is one of the test maps, displaying a portion of the easternmost map from the Suez Canal into the Qattara Depression. A non-inclusive list of the terrain features on this map is: swamp, sebkha, wadis (two types), escarpment, roads (two types), etc. Azhanti High Lightning is a science fiction/Traveller game in the same vein as Snapshot, featuring a huge star vessel and a plethora of deck plans. Both DV and AHL will be unvailed at Origins 80. DNO ... well, we're working on it, what can I say?

Floating about in the production schedule after March for 1980 are various other games. Look for Assault! before the year is out. For the fans of the Age of Glory, Eylau is being ground through the mill. In the science fiction line, expect Galaxy to make its appearance. All will be one map, boxed games.