Mail Call

Ta very much for printing a few of my contributions. One or two small
points - in the 'Foxbat' thing I was referred to as 'A J Gilham'--I
don't like the idea of hiding behind my initials, my name is Andrew, not
A. Also, I guess the bane of all authors is the editor who persists in
changing titles, so I'd rather you didn't. OK?

Anyway, I enclose another thing for your perusal. Whilst I am writing,
I'd like to make a few comments on Feedback and the Phoenix's first
year. First of all, your perennial 'right direction' question. The
Phoenix gives the impression of trying to be the British MOVES, but I
don't buy this. While it remains an amateur concern, this just isn't on.
On the other hand, it isn't even a good fanzine, despite the good
physical work. It's too serious to be fannish. The Phoenix needs a good
jolt of sf fandom. It also needs some sort of kick to shift the
complacency that has so soon set in. Heck, how can a one year old zine
be the establishment! But that's just what it is!

OK, I'll trV to be more coherent. Emotional issues are involved. But
what I'm driving at is that articles should be more chatty, less
involved and if they have jokes, let them be funny ones. The Phoenix is
a bunch of amateurs ripping off MOVES - at least that's how I see it (I
suppose you don't.) I can't get worked up over the Phoenix . It's
dullsville, man (to coin a boring phrase). Even my own articles are
boring because I've read them all before.

If Ed Merryweather (what's an Ed Merryweather?) can give tips to
writers, then I sure as hell can too. Don't start by telling us what
you're going to say (Jerusalem, ish 4). If you must, at least do what
you set out to do - don't stop because you're getting bored (ditto).
Sign your article (Fall 1940, ish 4). And unless your forename is
something like Aloysius, use it. Contrast the informal American approach
- Rich Berg, Jim Dunnigan, &c. This is about the only thing in Rob
Gibson's favor so far.

Incidentally, did you try playing my Navarette scenario (Mail Call, ish
5)? And if so, was it any good? I'd love to know - you see, I've never
tried it myself, and I don't know anyone who has. Its success or failure
will maybe vindicate my theory that good design doesn't need
playtesting. I did playtest the other scenarios you've printed, and they
all worked first time.

Do you get many sf type articles? I'd be interested to know. Two fantasy
articles so far suggests not. This raises a point - have you changed
your proofreader since ish 3, I mean the oaf who let 'magic and
conjugation phase' thru not once, but twice? The mind boggleth.

Oh well, after a year of the Phoenix I'm pleased to see it's still
around, but I might have hoped for a more exciting zine with the
circulation (captive audience) you have. If a fanzine like News From
Bree can be so good with a circulation of only 500, surely you can do
better.

Andrew Gilham

In my opinion, articles on the "basic strategy and tactics" of
boardgames should be included in The Phoenix. As a newcomer to
boardgaming I would welcome articles of this sort. Indeed, it might
attract more people to become involved in board gaming.

One comment about Phoenix 5 was the 'Book Review' on the Crusader Tank.
I thought a review was meant to be an account of the contents accuracy,
layout, objectivity, etc. of the book in question but this "review"
gives a short summary of the Crusader Tank itself. Kasserine Pass
(Phoenix 4) made enjoyable reading but what was the point of it? In the
two issues I have received, these two articles are the only ones I think
should not have been included in the magazine.

The review I liked best was the review of "Jerusalem" by Tony Jones. The
run through of the game gave the article flavour and was enjoyable
reading. I, for one, will buy this game when I can (as a student, I
don't have much spare money!)

"The Phoenix" is, in my opinion, a good magazine and given time will
develop into an excellent magazine.

John Lewis Laird

I couldn't agree more with your suggestion for Phoenix articles on basic
strategy and tactics - you write them we'll print them! Come on all you
experts - spare a thought for the newcomers and pass on some of your
experIence.

Editor

My copy of Phoenix 5 had evidently been trodden in the mire.. However
apart from such superficial indications, I still thought it wasn't as
good as No 4. The two SPUKORGY pieces were no doubt interesting to those
Who were there, but for the rest of us...The one on 'Flying Circus' was
very disjointed, and that "typical target areas" diagram was a mess.
Apart from the fact that it omitted the main machine guns, though it did
show their ammunition, from all my reading it seemed a total fallacy. I
have never heard of anyone who tried to shoot at the upper wing machine
gun or the propeller (at some immense no. of r.p.m.) as a target, let
alone typically. The typical target was the middle of the plane, and in
particular the pilot of a single seater and the observer/air gunner of a
two seater so that a clear shot could be made at the pilot once his tail
was undefended. However, I did like the excellent historical Borodino
variant, the Tank article and to a lesser extent the Kingmaker one,
though that could have been much better.

John Norris

Phoenix 4: the review of MERCENARY ommitted to say that the rules are
totally incomprehensible as they stand, that FANTASY GAMES UNLIMITED
have bought US rights and will (I hope) be doing a decent edition...and
there was no indication of where the game could be obtained! A far
better game in my view is Gamestesters other product, MADAME GUILLOTINE,
which is the French Revolution done in ORIGINS OF WWl 1 style but for
under a œ,

What I'd suggest is that at the end of any article on a particular game
the price and details of how to obtain it if not from S.P.U.K. are
given. See MOVES for how to do this.

Hartley Patturson

In Phoenix 5, in the reviews of SPUKORGY, there is mention of one
K.Broadhurst and his game 'Strategos'. If, as the article has it, you
are thinking of publishing it, then every good luck. Mean while, is it
possible for you to let me have his address, as the mention has whetted
my appetite and I'd like to see a copy of it.

While I think of it, might that be an idea for Phoenix? As a clearing
house for British gamers and designers to get in touch with each other?
Stocking and selling games would be one thing, i.e. your comments on
Jagdpanther, but I imagine several people like Strategos' Broadhurst
must be around and I for one would be interested in what they're doing.

Jim Hind

Good idea, Jim. If any budding designers want to take up this
suggestion, please feel free to do so.

Malcolm Watson

Re: the "wisdom" of Frederick of the Palatinate's acceptance of the
Bohemian crown: my 'ranging shot' in Phoenix 4 having drawn R.J.Stephens
may I continue?

Perfect informat;on wargames may be unrealistic but how much more so is
'perfect information' diplomatic history. The Bohemian protestants had
irreversibly repudiated Ferdinand by the Defenestration of Prague (22nd
May 1618) and so Frederick brought them no additional danger. The
Bohemian estates only voted to offer him the crown on 26th August 1619
and he had to make up his mind before the election of a new Holy Roman
Emperor in Frankfurt only two days later. Therefore any estimate of the
likely reaction of rulers (other than those gathered in Frankfurt) could
only have been the wildest guesswork. His acceptance of the crown did
endanger the protestants of the Palatinate but the analysis that the
Dutch could not afford to let the Spanish control the Rhine seems sound
enough. In any case, are we to conclude that it is only prudent to
defend a cause (the liberties of Bohemia) if one is first assured of the
support of the 'big battalions'?

Getting back to wargames: Musket & Pike scenario 16.21 of the battle of
White Mountain (8th Nov 1620) suggests the Bohemians have some chance
but this is only because the victory conditions insist on speed of
Imperialist victory. Of the battles in the 30 Years War Quad system
which use the Swedish army I find they have a harder task at Breitenfeld
than at Lutzen, itself harder than Nordlingen! Presumably the play
balance versus historical simulation dilema is still with us.

P.H.S.Hatton (Dr)

Our sincere apologies to the author of this item but we have mislaid
your name somewhere in the Phoenix production machinery.

Editor

Quite by chance I have come across a great way of storing the counters
for my simulations.

I have for some time been utilising the plastic boxes in which colour
transparencies are returned. (I find the Kodak ones especially good).
However, as my collection of games has grown so has the problem of
storing the boxes themselves. Almost by accident I noticed that a
Compact Cassette is the same width as the film boxes. By using a
Carrying Case designed for 30 such Cassettes I have storage capacity for
approximately 30 games in the form of a near, compact, and portable case
only 280x240x80mm.

The cases cost about £2 50 from most record shops and although a little
expensive do give advantages over the Manila Envelope filing system.

The following is a selection of comments taken from the foot of feedback
cards. Though not readers' letters we reproduce them here simply to
prove the point that 'you can't please all the people all the time'

'The only thing that will encourage newcomers into the hobby is
advertising. Anybody not into wargaming will take one look at the
(comparatively) poor quality production of Phoenix and move on.'

'More information needed on the type of articles readers and editor
would like.'

'SPUK centre spread very good'.

'Kingmaker article reasonable - would like to see more Kingmaker and
Diplomacy'.

'Borodino series excellent - I will buy this game in a few months.'

'How about a UK games rating chart'.

'To improve Phoenix inciude more game scenarios'.

'Scenarios useless if I don't own the game. Historical articles and
reviews more interesting'.

'I would like to add that Phoenix does not, in its current form, make
beginners more interested as it has no separate column for them. I would
welcome such an addition for beginners. It could include advising how to
make games solitaire'.

'Why not more game reviews--say one page of short, to the point, reviews
per issue'.

The articles on new scenarios/improving games are a good idea especially
as regards question 25 but the trouble is they are of little use if you
do not have the games (I only have Kingmaker). I would like to see such
articles balanced by more 'review style' articles e.g. 'Jerusalem' in
the last issue'.

'I have no complaints about the articles in Phoenix concerning games
(either histories, reviews etc) or news on the scene articles. However,
book reviews should be relevant to boardgaming'.

'I have read every Phoenix so far. No.5 was the best to date but don't
take that as a compliment!'.

'Q23 This cannot be better because, so far, they all seem excellent to
me!'.