From: Doug Murphy Subject: Review: GameFix 9 (LONG) Mea culpa. I fell victim to my worst imaginings about GameFix prior to receiving the issue. Having thought previously of this mag as a "mini-Command," I must applaud editor Jon Compton for seeking the "road not taken" in the magazine's development. He's certainly trying something here in seeking to break into the mass market. GameFix 9 looks very similar to the myriads of COMP game mags one might see on the rack at a big bookstore. I've been frustrated in the past with GaF because it seemed to change its collective mind as to what it was with every issue. Now placing 9 issues next to one another, you can certainly see an evolution. Re the non-die-cut counters issue. Compton says counters in future issues will be full-color on heavy cardstock a la this game's insert but with more "imagination" as the die-cutting process restrictions on art and info in the little "box" are now removed. I think I'll be trying George Phillies' suggestion about wrapping future counters in tape. Compton also hopes to increase map size to 17" x 22" in the future with counters at no more than 150 or 4 sheets of cardstock cards. On to the issue. The game: Among Nations, a hilarious ("jaundiced" is word used by designer Alan Emrich) multi-player card game at international relations. This issue also has the BEST industry gossip section I have ever seen. For an issue put to bed some time ago, there's a lot of meat here. Especially for one who scans a lot of game discussion groups. There's also a tinge of "house mag" to this issue, an interview with Rebel Yell designer Richard Dengel, a new scenario by same for RY, advanced rules for Ancients (now owned by GPG), and new scenarios for Crisis 2000. There is a great editorial by Jack Greene (of Quarterdeck Games fame) that directly touches our current thread on the "future of wargaming." A semi-amusing note to Vice President Al Gore AND NO DAVE WOOD. :) Let me give you a sample of the Industry News and hopefully whet your whistle to buy this issue and get more scoop. A future grand tac game on Anteitam with very interesting mechanics by Jim Werbaneth. Upcoming designs from Dan *Rise of the Luftwaffe Verssen. What's coming up from MiH and GMT. Oh, and a note about something I was wondering about that I'll pass along. S&T 173 and 174 should be late because DG switch printers. A quickie review of Avalanche's SMS Goeben (designed by Black Sea Fleet's Mark Benninghof). What is Keith Poulter up to. Will War in Europe rise from the dead. Speaking of dead, the ghost of Fresno Gaming Assn. seemingly returns in the person of Mike Crane. Now how the heck to explain Alan's card game? There are only four pages of rules. And lots of that is taken up with explaining concepts. Let's see his text: "An easy-to-play card game of international wheeling and double-dealing for 3 to 6 players. Each player reps the exec leadership of one nation and each round of play equals one year. Because average tenure of head of states in the game's nations is 4 years, game lasts 4 rounds. During each round, each player determines his country's agenda and tries to promote it while helping, hindering the others through card trades and diplomacy." "Victory" as it were is determined by points. The game does not play well with 2: I've tried it. Three types of cards: agenda, resource and option. Six nations: Israel, US, India, Mexico, South Africa and Japan. (What! No New Zealand!) Agenda cards note what 6 resource cards that nation should try to obtain from others and how many VPs of each. Resources are "bargaining chips" to try to acquire the right mix specified on the agenda card. Option cards are used to help or hinder other players and are "levers" of diplomacy. How does this all work? Well, we're not really sure. There's not set sequence of play. A timer is started and play consists of card trading, Option card play and verbal diplomacy. Here's a unique rule: Players may leave and return to the playing area without any formal announcement during the course of a round. ("Attention! Attention please! Japan is going to the bathroom."). When the timer runs out, players must immediately stop talking, trading and playing cards. VPs are tallied up. To paraphrase the Oldsmobile tagline: This is not your father's wargame. I believe people's reactions are going to be extreme, either: I Love this game or I paid $6.95 for This?! The graphics and "finish" are very very very high. I think I'll actually try this on some non-gamers and see what happens. Play is certainly fast. And the dynamics are well-thought-out. But Waterloo or Battle of the Bulge it's not. Buried in the mag, Compton notes a planned move to more "classic" wargame subjects when the mag's doing a wargame and not "climbing Mt. Everest" (ie no more Winceby's). I'd rate GaF 9 a buy if you have at least 2 friends to try this out with. Regards, Doug Murphy (dmurphy@wpppost.depaul.edu)