If you were to ask me how many PBM ads that I made over the years, I wouldn't have a clue. Quite a few, for sure. Of late, for some of them, I've begun to turn more and more to artificial intelligence to provide a variety of imagery that I think works well for PBM games.
The latest one is the ad for Far Horizons, above. What do you think about it? Me? I actually like it quite a lot. It's one of the better ones that I've had a hand in helping to bring into existence. Basically, I'm trying to put a fresh coat of pain on play by mail gaming.
Why? To try and get people's attention. To draw more eyes to PBM gaming - even if it's only for a mere fraction of a second. Whether I'm failing or whether I'm succeeding is anybody's guess. At a bare minimum, avid readers of PBM Chaos get to enjoy a few visual treats, now and again. More and more, though, I feel as if I am trying to drink water straight from Niagara Falls. I can't help but to ask myself whether there's any real point in all of this?
Perhaps some new PBM imagery helps to off-set all of that text that I plop down on these pages. The human eye needs a visual resting spot, sometimes. And how many of us have seen the same old PBM ads until we're blue in the face? Raise your hand if you've had your fill.
According to the rulebook, "Far Horizons is a strategic role-playing game of galactic exploration, trade, diplomacy, and conquest. The first and second editions were designed for play by postal mail. Later editions were designed for play by electronic mail, and many mistakes were made in the transition. Hopefully, this current edition has corrected most of those mistakes. At the start of a game, each player controls an intelligent species and the home planet on which it lives. As the game progresses, you can explore nearby regions of the galaxy and establish colonies. As you range farther and farther from home, you will encounter other intelligent species. These encounters can be hostile, neutral, or friendly, depending on the participants. Interstellar war is a distinct possibility."
I think that this image to advertise Far Horizons with fits the theme. Of course, the current game of Far Horizons has already started, but maybe the new ad will come i handy, if future games of Far Horizons turn out to be a reality.
Lately, I've also been busy trying to come up with some new ads for the PBM game, Galac-Tac, by Talisman Games. There's a little visual eye candy for that game in this issue of PBM Chaos, also. Hopefully, you - our readers - will enjoy it. If you don't, though, then don't hesitate to write in and give me an ear full about it.
Galac-Tac is probably one of the most overlooked PBM games of our time. Maybe there' reasons for that, though. What do you think? Why do you think that so few people play Galac-Tac, these days? Do you play it? Have you ever played it? What about the game does or does not appeal to you, if you don't mind writing in and letting me know. I know what I think, but I'd really love to know what you think!
I'm trying to finish this issue up, and get it out the door to our readers. But before I do, yesterday, I was thinking about PBMer Nazareth (Tony), and he was such a wonderful fellow, one who donated a whole bunch of PBM stuff to me a number of months back.
Browsing and reading through those old back issues of different PBM magazines that he gave me always makes me realize how very far away from the mark the PBM literature that I create is from Paper Mayhem, Flagship, Nuts & Bolts of Gaming, Gaming Universal, and other PBM magazines that came into existence at various different points in time, in past years.
Persuading people to part with some of their time and energy, in order to contribute to PBM publications, always seems to be an uphill battle, at best. This isn't a lament, as much as it is an observation from off the top of my head. Lots of people still find PBM gaming to be of interest, and in the grand scheme of things, a lot of people still play PBM games (including of the paper format variety - just ask anyone who plays Hyborian War, currently).
Not like the old days, certainly, but if one were able to actually track down every last individual who plays in one or more PBM games, currently, the actual number might well surprise you (and in a good way). I still find it more than a little amusing that PBM companies used to brag openly and publicly about how many players were playing their PBM games, yet these days, you barely ever hear so much as a peep from them about their player numbers. Why do you suppose that is?
Tell me something - are these PBM Chaos e-mails too long? Am I trying to cram too much stuff into each e-mail that I send out? Frequency. Length. Content variety. These are all things that I think about, time and time again. How to weigh and balance it all is a never-ending story and challenge all its own.
But I've probably droned on way too much, already, so I am going to be merciful, and bring this article to an end.
Until next time, happy reading and happy gaming, PBM-style!