Table Of Content

SUSPENSE & DECISION ISSUE # 2 Published by: December 2013 PlayByMail.Net ©2013 Managing Editor: Charles Mosteller Assistant Editor: Mark Wardell Staff Writer: Jim Kemeny Cover: A. Kaviraj INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 Remembering the Keys of Bled Issue # 2 7 A Yuletide Carol in the Theme of Phoenix Welcome to issue #2 of Suspense & Decision 8 Introduction to AGE games magazine - just in time for the Christmas holiday 11 INTERVIEW: Bill Heron of Nova Games season! 16 Diplomacy We hope that all of our readers will enjoy what we've 20 The New Battleground of Alamaze packed into this issue. So, as you turn the page, prepare 23 TAKAMO Yesterday and Today yourself for this PBM present that we've spent the month 26 Exploration, Expansion, Exploitation, and of December wrapping for Extermination for Extremists: A Review of you. Cluster Wars Whether you've been 35 Call for Content naughty or nice, it's Christmas, once more, in the 38 Letter from Rick Loomis to the Play By realm of play-by-mail and Mail/Email/Web/Turn Based Games Community turn-based gaming. 41 Game Mastering Unto one and all, we wish you a very Merry Christmas 45 The Changing Face of Play-by-Mail and a Happy New Year! May God bless each and 51 Reflecting on the Musings of PBM Personalities every last one of you, and may this holiday season be a 57 Where We're Heading bright and blessed one for all mankind! Is sue 2 www.PlayByMail.net Page 1 Suspense & Decision A PBM Magazine for the 21st Century! Remembering the Keys of Bled By Jim "The Scribe of the Ages" Kemeny Spellbinder Games Keys The Gnos moment. But I hoped to of Bled was a complex My second oldest clan be able to prove my and very deep game that was called The Gnos, and reliability, so this was a ended sometime in the as a member of the calculated risk. Here I late 1990s. It was ideal 1960s generation I made quote from my turn for sub-creating. Here I the classic choice to sub- results: want to describe one of create in the spirit of the my end-point positions in Age of Aquarius. Its “Barse has knowledge of one of the oldest and leader was called Sib, Hurst’s business with most addictive PBM short for sibling. Esterhazy. Muktar El games I have been in. Naturally, my position Kabar is an ally of was given "the objective Esterhazy and it is I kept the last turn of role" of Priest, which I thought that Hurst is each of my three guess was fine. This clan being well paid for his positions, but never was in Farholm and was service. Hurst has imagined they would be on turn 81. instructions to land his worth keeping - until cargo outside the town. now. I am sorry I did not I made my clan sea- Also the disquiet that you keep a copy of the rules, based, with a fleet of 5 feel about this business too. warships: Flagship is lost on him. There are Maharishi, the other four no reports of sightings by My oldest clan in the Krishnamurti, Rudolph the fire rock guards and game was Balgownies Steiner, Esterhazy I and the first delivery will Bairns last turn being Esterhazy II and a base arrive at the beginning of No.104, and with the for the ships. The two spring. He cannot objective role of Esterhazy ships were recommend anyone from Insurgent. This was a allied, Esterhazy (a Dual the ‘higher’ families for conventional military Monarchy Hungarian the position of mercenary position, enabling me to magnate whose name, captain, neither can he explore the game. I liked Esterházy means House spare any of his own it, so began to diversify. of Esther). men. He also wishes to The youngest clan was express (sic) your called Israel headed up Esterhazy was Chris recruitment in his town. by Rebecca with a Dempsey's response to Whilst he will not stop Matriarch objective role, my seeking a naval ally, you from doing this he on turn 62. My idea was so the NPC needed to be will not co-operate to develop the 12 tribes treated well. Of course, either.” of Israel, but only got as there was no way of far as Benjamin, Isaac, knowing that the two Each warship had 25 FM Kohn and Levi. They allied ships might turn and 25 sailors. The FM were based in Firstholm. against me at the worst were equipped with and most vulnerable leather armour, stabbing Issue 2 www.PlayByMail.net Page 2 Suspense & Decision A PBM Magazine for the 21st Century! sword, and longbow. led by Francis, There were also 3 Escort conducting spiritual One part of this my last Ships: Cosmic discourse and group turn result was devoted Consciousness, meditations in the town to them, as follows: Transcendence and for any interested to take “In the town there have Nirvana, each with 20 FM part (this was not a been bought 5 (20 Leather Armour, 20 subgroup). Sib attended keysearcher potions for Stabbing Sword, 20 these and during those 250 gold. 500 SP have Sling). times appointed another been sold for 5000 gold. person to act as acting The Mutant Key has been I was gradually adding clan leader. bought from the vindarer ships to create a fleet for 1200 gold....The that would be hopefully I also created a subgroup vindarer stats that 1 too strong to be defeated training as mountain fertility potion is enough by a player. Chris, of commandos under Attila. for your whole herd of course, could throw It was to train up in HA［Herd animals］for anything at this to cause mountain skills and find one season. Use another endless problems, as carrier eagles which were on your horses in the indeed he did. I also built known to roost in the same way, perhaps? a fortified settlement on mountains. Atilla‘s Smear the the coast with a strong subgroup was still keysearcher［potion］ and deep harbour. It had training and the first unit over the key to learn it’s security forces and spies. of 25 was to be ready by use.” I had plans to build the start of winter, when heavy catapults and had Keys of Bled ended. In the paragraph above 100 potters making are GM hints and how to containers to be filled Did anyone ever discover use the keysearcher with oil, to be lit by the the secret of Bled? I potion. What the Mutant FM shooting fire-arrows: don't believe I ever heard Key is remained to be the nearest I could come of anyone who did. investigated. to Greek fire. But this was pre-empted by our Why was the game Espionage Reports: purchase of a Bledian called The Keys of were a regular feature of item called fire rock, Bled? turn results (at least for which was to be Central to the game were me). This is from the delivered in the spring. the powerful items that same turn results: could be found, bought “The spies who are Sib also organised a or investigated. following Paul have group of Dancing established that he has Dervishes under a The keys I had in my again met with the man character called Darvish. inventory were part of a in the tavern. He is doing See the Wikipedia item standard search. I little that is again out of on Whirling Dervishes, a imagine that just about the ordinary and again kind of ecstatic sufi everyone was looking for he at times disappears dancing. There was also them and investigating but these occasions are a group of Mendicants, them. becoming less frequent Issue 2 www.PlayByMail.net Page 3 Suspense & Decision A PBM Magazine for the 21st Century! as your spies have location. As subgroups reports that Anstey discovered a pattern to moved and more seems quiet. The rioting his movements. He is mapping was generated is over whilst the town certainly doing more than the maps grew, forcing appears calm, it is recruiting for you. me to add pages and doubtful if another tax cellotaping them demand would be The house of his ‘contact’ together. welcome. He moved is also being watched and rapidly to the town of this man is most The number of NPCs to Battiya and saw troops of definitely doing interact with is Esterhazy riding out of something sinister. He considerable, with more the town to scout him. appears to be counting being available Battiya troops also troops and making depending on what you greeted him and asked sketches of fortifications want in your orders. This his identity. He is in the town. is from my scouting camped well away from report: the town.” The spies watching the “Your scouts report that troops of Esterhazy the troops of Esterhazy Chris Dempsey was a report little of interest are quartered within the formidable player and an other than that their town of Byholm. The outstanding GM. I met targets are doing nothing town of Harach and Hugo with him several times out of the ordinary.” the Red and his bandits and expressed my is at 83/97. The own of admiration of the game. I Non-Playing Characters Battiya and many was very sorry to see (NPCs), towns and Esterhazy troops are at this game fold and mapping: I kept a large 83/07. Your message to replaced with Bledian piece of paper for each Luigi C has been passed Diary. clan to map their on at Battiya. Sven Issue 2 www.PlayByMail.net Page 4 Suspense & Decision A PBM Magazine for the 21st Century! A Yuletide Carol in the Theme of Phoenix By: Lady Silith Ungol of the Flagritz Empire Brutal Overlord Kang looked out Well fed Overlord forth he went On the world of Venus Servant on a tether All the humans lay round about Through the nuclear wind’s wild lament Deep and crisp and even And the bitter weather Brightly shone the nukes that night "Sire, the night is darker now Though the heat was cruel And the wind blows stronger When a scavvy came in sight My arms are glowing, I know not how, Gath'ring AM fuel I can go no longer." "Hither, slave, and stand by me "You may have serve`d me for an age If thou know'st it, telling Still you should not speak so boldly, Wretched creature, who are thee? Thou shalt find your master’s rage Where and what your dwelling?" Freeze thy blood more coldly." "Lord?” uncertainly he did tense In his steps his master trod Kang drew out his blaster Where the ash lay dinted Clearly he had given offence Kang would lash the lazy sod Sadly couldn’t run faster In the night his flail glinted. <BLAM> Therefore, humans all, be sure "Bring his flesh and bring my wine Wealth or rank possessing Bring his AM fuel hither Bend the knee and let Kang cure For on his corpse I will dine Your puny world with his blessing You will cook my dinner.” Issue 2 www.PlayByMail.net Page 7 Suspense & Decision A PBM Magazine for the 21st Century! Introduction to AGE games By: Darrell E. A. Lias AGE games is a site that the Yahoo groups and at its for sale, and negotiations hosts and moderates peak saw circa two had completed, the multiplayer strategic war thousand members. acquisition of the game games, which are open to system, web sites and The original ownership everyone to join and can be intellectual property began rested with Andrew Lloyd, played at no cost. In our in a phased manner, with as the programmers: Oleg games, each player is the full transfer completed on Gorshunov and Dennis leader of an empire, taking May 14th, 2012. Mikhailitsky left the US, and on the roles of warlord, Unfortunately the original the games moved from diplomat, and economist. web domains were not strength to strength until As ruler, you will need to available and so the new around 2006. At this point, expand your dominion ones were created: the workload of being GM using whatever means are http://www.agegames.co.u necessitated sub- necessary, and make the k (initial access site, still in contracting out games to decisions on how to deal need of a revamp for with your neighbours: will background information you attempt to deal with and links etc) and the them diplomatically, or games main site overpower them with raw http://www.lords-of- military force? Below you conquest.com – meanwhile can see the titles we have the yahoo groups were available. For more info on used to announce the new a game or to sign up, visit ownership and a call for other volunteers, and http://www.lords-of- test game players to prove although initially successful, conquest.com or contact that the whole system the cracks began to appear the GM at worked. in reliability of turns [email protected] for running and response to There were still major general queries. the player questions. hurdles to overcome, not Origins least the venerable The collapse of the whole software versions used in Originally set up by three venture was then inevitable the game system and GUI, students in the US, in the and the games ceased, with and even in the websites early 2000’s, the games disappointed players and ill themselves. developed through various feeling in many quarters. guises until crystallising The first games with the Like a Phoenix from the into the six scenarios that Royalty features (adding flames exist to-day, around 2003. additional perquisites to the The player community built basic game) available by a In September 2011, after up around AGE games via turn fee donation began the ownership was offered Issue 2 www.PlayByMail.net Page 8