Surprise! I hope this issue has surprised everyone. We went to the larger format because retailers complained that the smaller format hid on the shelf so much. I found out we could make the transition with little pain so we all benefit.

I want to handle a few bookkeeping chores in this In Brief so please bear with me. Many of you have tried to save us a few cents by putting postage on the backs of our reply cards in an effort to help us save that money (at 59 cents a crack, they add up quick). The problem is that the Post Office charges us the fee regardless of the postage on the card--you are out your money and we didn't save a thing because of your effort. The only way to effectively save us the money from those reply cards is to put them in an envelope and mail them to us. In any event we appreciate the thought, but don't want our customers throwing their money away for no good effect.

The next point deals with phone calls. Please leave a message with your phone number on the answering machine if you get it (and not me) when you call. I'll be happy to return your call. I fear that some have called, not left a message, and therefore didn't get their question answered, etc. I want to help all I can so please leave your name and number if you call and get the machine.

This is an "on-time" magazine. We pride ourselves on keeping tight to our production schedule. The illustrious USPS does, however, lose some magazines every time. While the numbers are no big deal, I always get upset when some long-suffering gamer calls three months later to see what happened to his last issue. He shouldn't have to call at all, but those things happen and we are happy to ship off a replacement. What is upsetting to me is that the customer feels he has to wait three months before "earning the right" to complain about it. I feel you have the right to call me and get a piece of my behind if your magazine is three weeks (not months late. Generally, we'll need to send another one since the USPS lost it or something. If it's wrong, I want to fix it and I want to do so right away. So, be sure to let us know right away if your mag hasn't shown up. Also, we don't play games with our subscribers the way some other mags do-you know, shipping it to the stores six weeks before the subscribers get theirs. If this mag is on a store shelf and you haven't already gotten yours, something is wrong and you need to let me know.

Many gamers have developed avast knowledge of their favorite subject. We all do this and in the case of wargamers, that expertise has been developed over the course of more than 20 years of research and reading. The problern we are having is that, for some reason, these people do not come forward until after the game is released. During the year or so of development, they remained quiet and only made their expertise known after the game was published.

The point I am trying to make is simple. If you or someone you know has been studying subject X for twenty years and is the expert in the field, let us know about it. I'll very happy to send off an OoB for cross-checking. Our publication schedule is always set a year in advance so there is plenty of time to identify experts and make corrections, Doing this after publication doesn't help anyone.

We have been asking for this sort of help ever since this company was founded and it gets ever more annoying when experts sit out the year or two of design and development and then suddenly make themselves known after the game comes out. I don't claim to have all the answers, and neither does Dave. We need all the help we can get. And, we need it during the design and development process. After publication, all I can do is shrug.