The postal gaming industry has existed for over twenty years. At present, there are over 300 games in operation in the United States alone. From two to 2,000 players participate in each game. When a player joins a game, the person or company who moderates the game will inform the player of the nature of his starting position. The player then decides on a course of action, and mails his response back to the moderator. The moderator collects all of the responses from the players, processes them, and sends all players a new status report. The process (called a "turn") is then repeated.

There are many different categories of PBM games, covering many genres. Most are computer moderated, which means that the moderator takes the players' input and enters it into a computer. The impartial computer performs all calculations and determines the results of the players' actions, and then prints out a new status report for all players. Players need not have a computer to participate, nor do they need to know "computer language."

Some games end when a predetermined set of conditions have been met (e.g. when the Germans capture Paris, or when someone has found the Sword of Carnage). These games are called "closed-ended" games. Other games, called "open-ended" games, have no set ending, like traditional face-to-face RPGs. There are many great victories and losses, but the game never ends.

The fee charged by a moderator for one turn (sending in one set of orders and receiving one status report) ranges from under a dollar to over twenty dollars. The average price per turn is currently between four and five dollars. This may seem steep to newcomers, but compare the cost of a RBM turn, which can bring hours of enjoyment on a regular basis, to a movie ticket, or similar entertainment.

Many gamers who insist that they don't like RBM gaming have never actually tried it. There are many companies who offer no-obligation, no-cost rulebooks and/or turns. With so little to risk, we hope all of our readers will try at least one PBM game.

This is an extremely abbreviated version of an article in the first column of Post Marque. If you would like to hear more about PBM gaming, please send an SASE to SHADIS, 17880 Graystone Avenue #203, Chino Hills CA 91709, and we will send you a reprint of the article, free of charge.

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Gladiators of Death