From: kuryakin@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Rick Pavek)
Subject: Re: S+T 155
Organization: Boeing
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 21:30:19 GMT

In article <Bz279K.Cyy@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> robert@geoblue.gcn.uoknor.edu (Robert Lindsay) writes:
>
>I'm becoming a reviewer currently. I'm reviewing Red Christmas for our
>friend on the net who does a small game magazine, Richard D. Erwin.
Excellent.  I helped Rich start WCJ.  I hope that you'll be one of those
reviewers that try to give a broad view of the games reviewed instead of
one who only looks at certain aspects of a game.  Some reviewers blast
away because the game they are reviewing doesn't fit their narrowly defined
requirements.  While I'm not really addressing you, let's use S&T 155 as
an example.  You didn't like it since it required the ownership of a
previous issue to play.  Your parameters were so strict that you sent it
back for a refund.  There are gamers that don't mind that and would like
to see an examination of the game and how it works.  The worldly reviewer
might blast the requirement for the prior issue but go on to talk about
the merits as well.  Now there are those that blast anything that hops
the wrong way and get paid for it.  Berg is an example.  To get blasted by
him is almost considered de rigeur and honored.

>computers to generate graphics, why is their still such a wide difference
>in output? To avoid offending you again, let's compare the counters for
>3W's Operation Zitedelle and The Gamers Stalingrad Pocket. Similiar scale,
>similiar cost, vast difference in output. Why? Needless to say I could
Well, there are styles and there are styles.  Zit had a glitch in that
the stripper (guy who preps the negatives for the plate making process)
thought the russian counters lined up for a shadow effect.  I'm not too
happy with that.  Simplicity is sometimes preferred to complexity.

I think that Dean Essig's counters (Done with Freehand) are very colorful
and busy.  Also, they're sometimes hard to decipher.  I'm of the simplicity
school, rather than the artistic school...  MacGowan and the SPQR counters
he did are quite involved.  But unfortunately, he covered up much of his
dynamite graphics with little colored boxes and numbers.  Too much data on
a counter makes it hard to play the game easily.  Look at 4 Battles...
Or Zama.  Friedland/Vittoria counters got the most praise of any, though
Russo-Turkish war is doing well.  Roman Civil War takes the Trajan counters
(which I neither liked or produced) and improves on them, they look worlds
better.

But I don't consider myself an artist as much as a draftsman, so to speak.
And I know what I like to see on the counters and I am always working towards
that ideal.  Readable, simple, playable, attractive.  In short, not only
easy to use but adding to the game in a way that makes it easier to
get into character, so to speak.


GEnie is only $5 per month for regular, basic services which includes
email.  Compuserve might be better, but more expensive.

Enjoyed the discussion.

Rick

-- 
Rick Pavek                       | Never ask a droid to outdo its program.
           Moved                 |           
  Left no forwarding address.    | It wastes your time           
                                 |          and annoys the droid.  
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