Insperato exspectis, Expect the unexpected. Everything that goes into Simulacrum has a purpose, if for no other reason (don't worry - there is usually at least one other reason) than the fact that I don't have a lot of discretionary time to waste on unnecessary bits. Think Occam's Razor. If you don't understand something that appears herein, feel free to contact me for an explanation.

The initial print run of the first issue of Simulacrum was 50 copies. Those were gone within five days, so I printed an additional 25 before destroying the page masters. On one hand, this was slightly less than the print run of 100 that I had set my sights on; on the other hand, 75 copies of a completely new, untried and untested publication is still an accomplishment worth fiddling around about. Thank you for your support!

As I've mentioned elsewhere, this is purely a labor of love at the moment. Under another guise, I could be accused of operating a vanity press. This remains to be seen, of course, but I decided to take the risk on the basis of the results of a questionnaire I sent out with one of the issues of Strategist I edited. Over 60% of the subscribers responded, one magnitude greater than the rate Jim Dunnigan got for his reader response cards when he was editor of Strategy & Tactics the first time around. I don't think I could repeat the 60% performance just yet, and a rate of about 6% as Dunnigan got would be statistically insignificant under the present circumstances.

So if you have a problem, or would like to see something done a different way, you'll just have to send me email or a letter. I will do whatever I can to accommodate you.

Be forewarned, however, that I will not sacrifice quality for a deadline. If Simulacrum is just not ready to be printed by the next quarterly deadline, I would rather delay it a month and, by doing so, ensure that you get a quality product.

Regularity is, to my mind, a characteristic appropriate to bowel movements, but not much else. That is why your subscription is for a fixed number of issues, rather than for a fixed period of time. I don't like airing my personal life in this forum, but an explanation is, at the least, warranted.

After 21 years of marriage, my wife finally had me served with a restraining order and a divorce petition. She is not to blame, other than for putting up with me and my foibles for much longer than necessary. I have taken steps to deal with my character traits, and have stabilized myself in considerably less than the two months I first envisioned. This should all be transparent to you, as there will be very little effect on Simulacrum. Did I say anything about expecting the unexpected?

I have switched over to an inkjet printer for producing the masters. Quality is unaffected, but the task was harrowing.

Richard Berg had some nice things to say about Simulacrum in the Virtual Wargamers Headquarters (VWHQ) discussion forum he moderates. Timeo danaos et dona ferrentes.