~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Fine Games for Players & Collectors | | now located at: 2078 Madrona St., North Bend, OR 97459-2143 USA | ~~~~~~~~ 541-756-4711 866-690-7879 M.Dean@FineGames.com ~~~~ Update 1996 #7 3 March 1996 WELCOME again to another Fine Games electronic newsletter.These updates contain news and other info of interest to active board gamers and collectors. They also explain how you can download copies of the many Fine Games' online catalogs at your convenience. C O N T E N T S Fine Games NEWS .......... What's going on at Fine Games - The Flood of '96 - FTP Site Updated 2/15 - Keeping Your Subscription NEW Games ................ Newly released games Pending Releases - A New World in Flames !?! A Recommendation Card Game SPECIALS ....... Special Deals on Card Games INDUSTRY NEWS ........... S&T to Raise Rates GDW Sinks Under the Waves GEnie Destroys Online Community ONLINE CATALOG ACCESS .... Using a WWW Browser to Access FTP Q & A Your SUGGESTIONS ......... Suggestions Always Welcomed F I N E G A M E S N E W S THE FLOOD OF '96: A week of heavy snow & ice, followed by a very cold, sunny weather, and topped off with an abrupt week of wet & very warm weather created massive flooding across the northern half of Oregon & southern Washington. Hard to believe, but this was only two some weeks ago. Ice flows clogged the normally temperate Columbia River. The one river running thru this county (which is west of Portland) flooded the downtown districts of two suburbs. The Willamette River, which empties the central Oregon valley, was at 230% of normal depth & came within inches of flooding downtown Portland. Those living on the river often weren't so lucky. The long term consequences are the tremendous damage done to roads & other infrastructure around the state due to mudslides & road washout. A lengthy stretch of Interstate 84 about 30 miles east of Portland was simply obliterated by a huge slide; only 2 lanes have reopened to date. Forest Service roads, even paved ones, are more often than not simply "closed until further notice." ALL the roads leading north from the Columbia River are damaged & closed. And one of the 3 primary routes to the coast from Portland will be blocked for 4 months; another is open only to auto traffic & requires a hairy detour. The environmental impact is especially severe. Our forests are heavily roaded & clearcut. Both are the primary cause of the hundreds of mudslides in the forests. The flooding & mudslides, of course, eliminated or buried salmon spawning habitat thruout the state. The impact will be seen in 4 years. All in all, not a good spring for happy camping on the west side... MY ONLINE CATALOGS were updated today (2/15). I expect to update them again in mid-March. Please note that I have changed the name of the primary read-me file to "_readme.txt". YOUR SUBSCRIPTION to this newsletter assumes that I have your correct email address. If you change your address for any reason, please send me an update including your name and your new email address. This is especially important for the mass of GEnie cusomters now fleeing (see below). N E W G A M E S This is the off season for game releases. Nonetheless, there are a fair number of games including 2 long awaited releases from AH. What do you know? Here's the list of new items since Christmas time: Cash Publsr Game Title & Edition Box Wght Price Rels Date ------ ------------------------------ --- ---- ------- --------- AH GLOBAL SURVIVAL, 2ND BC 5.0 $45.50 2-8 player gm of global economic competition in a chaotic world. Simple gm of 'buying' countries. '96 AH LONDON BURNING BC $24.50 2 gms in one heavy box: operational air combat over SE England, summer 1940, for 1-2 players, or plane-plane combat using the Mustangs system. '96 AVALAN BLOOD ON THE SNOW HC $14.70 Battle of Soumussalami in which a scratch Finnish division holds off & ultimately defeasts 2 tank-reinforced Soviet Inf divs. A small gm with a good system, & a bargain. '95 AVALAN RED PARACHUTES: DNEPR RIVER HC $26.60 CROSSINGS Lrg, moderate complexity gm of the Soviet Sept'43 offensive in which lrg para formations were used to attempt to surround retreating Germans & secure bridgehead. Uses Avalanche game system. '95 COFA COMMAND AT SEA: SUPERMARINA I BC 2.8 $35.00 Miniatures oriented rules & counter set to recreate WW2 in the Mediterranean in the air & at sea, '41-5. Sister game to Rising Sun. L.Bond'95 COFA COMMAND AT SEA: SUPERMARINA n $10.50 COUNTERS COFA COMMAND AT SEA: SUPERMARINA n $11.20 DATA ANNEXES COFA COMMAND AT SEA: SUPERMARINA BC $11.20 SCENARIOS COFA KING'S WAR HC $25.20 Strategic lvl gm of the 4 decisive years of the English Civil War thruout England. 7 scenarios & campaign gm. By Charles Vesey'95 COFA ZORNDORF: WARRIORS OF HOLY BC $33.60 RUSSIA * yes, its FINALLY out, but lists at $48 * Colorful gm in the Age of Reason series. Freddy's attempt to decisively defeat the Russians at Custrin, Aug 1758. Several scenarios & 2nd ed std. rules w/ retrofit for Kolin. '96 COLUMG EAGLES: WATERLOO SB $6.30/deck Quasi-collectable card game of 4 btls of Waterloo using a total of 300 cards, ea printed in 3 possible colors of various scarcity. Similar to Dixie system w/ many elaborations. '95 COLUMG WEST FRONT, 2ND BC $42.00 Block game of war throughout west w/ multiple senarios from '43-45. Invasions, production. Simple yet extremely challenging. Great mapboard. 1992. COLUMG WEST FRONT, 2ND RULES n $8.00 Updates WF to correct minor problems & enhance it per subsequent Med Front & Euro Front developments. '95 CRI ASL: ASL RULES INDEX n $3.50 Extremely useful comprehensive index chapter update by Critical Hit. '95 CRI ASL: AUSSIE ASL PACK n $5.60 EXPANSION KIT Sml kit adding 8 well-tested scenarios involving the Australian army. '96 CRI ASL: PLATOON LEADER EXPANSION n $7.00 KIT Sml kit allowing play of 5 campaigns (Tobruk, Bouganville, Torch, Burma, Winter War). S.Swann'95 CRI ASL: SS ABTEILUNG EXPANSION n $4.55 KIT Kit allowing play of several scenarios focused on SS attack on Hill 112 near Caen, July 1944. '95 DECGMS '45: SCOTTISH REVOLT HC $21.00 Intriguing rgt lvl, area move gm of Bonnie Prince Charles attempt to restore the Stuart line to the throne of England. Covers all of England & Scotland. 6 scenarios & campaign. '95 DECGMS EMPEROR'S FIRST BATTLES HC $21.00 Graphic update of gms on Austerlitz, Dec 1805, and Jena- Auerstadt, Oct 1806. '95 DECGMS LORDS OF THE SIERRA MADRE, 2ND BC $35.00 Popular 2-8 player game of empire building in turn of the century SW (N.Mexico, Arizona & New Mexico). Economics, diplomacy, buying & selling, Federales & US Cavalry, revolutionaries, assassins, & event cards. What more could you want!? P.Ecklund'95 DECGMS NAPOLEON'S LAST BATTLES QUAD, HC $21.00 3RD Graphic update of 4 games on battles at Waterloo that mate for a campaign game. Once again, some production flaws... '95 DECGMS THIRTY YEARS WAR QUAD, 2ND BC $21.00 Four battles of the 30yrs war: Lutzen, 1632; Nordlingen, 1634; Rocroi, 1643; White Mtn, 1620 (a new game). With updated graphics. '95 DECS_T BLOOD ON THE TIGRIS #176 n $11.90 WW1 on the Mesopotamian front. '96 DECS_T GERMANIA #175 n $11.90 Strat/op lvl gm of Roman defense of German frontier, 50BC - 150AD, using Trajan system. J.Miranda'95 GAMERS STALINGRAD POCKET, 2ND HC $23.80 Minor revision of this great little gm of Soviet Uranus offensive that pocketed the German 6th Army, Winter'42. M.Yamazaki'96 GMT INVASION: NORWAY BC $25.20 Op lvl gm of the entire Norwegian theatre, complete w/ air & naval support. Detailed OoB showing air squadrons, bttln lvl units, individ ships CA & above, unit differentiation. Uses simplified Britain Stands Alone system. K.Boylan'95 MAYFR BRIDGETTE BC $10.50 Modifies Bridge into a 2-player game. '96 MAYFR SIMPLY COSMIC BC $14.00 Simplified version of Cosmic Encounters. STO QUEST FOR THE HOLY GRAIL BOX SC $69.30 OF BOOSTERS STO QUEST FOR THE HOLY GRAIL BOX SC $57.75 OF DECKS Card game set in Arthurian England. WARFRO SIXTEEN THIRTY SOMETHING... zl $21.00 Lighter multiplayer gm of financiers to nations during the 30 Years' War. Inexpensive components. '96 WARFRO STOCKERS! zl $14.00 3-6 player gm of futuristic vehicle racing using a card system & a betting system. Fast playing. Inexpensive components. '96 WWW SPIRES OF THE KREMLIN HC $38.50 Detailed gm of German drive on Moscow, late Fall 1941 at bttln- rgt lvl. Large gm w/ 3 maps & 1000 counters but a box too small to contain them! A labor of love in other respects. Just ignore the hype on the box... J.Youst'95 WWW SPITFIRE HC $23.10 XENO EUROPE AT WAR: RUSSIAN @ WAR LB $24.50 EXP KIT Add-on to Europe @ War w/ 2nd ed rules & new map. XTRCMD MASON-DIXON / BALKAN HELL #35 n $24.50 Large what-if gm of combat between the two Americas during the assuming the mid-20th century Confeds had one the first civil war. Interesting game w/ nice maps. Balkan Hell is a shoot'em'up that assumes the Bosnians had gone for a military solution. P E N D I N G R E L E A S E S The following are the games in the queue, based on the most current information available. I've tempered publishers' chronic optimisim with a little reality where I thought necessary. AVALAN SMS GOEBEN HC $26.60 due 4/96 Looks like a great, colorful gm of the naval war in the Mediter- renean at the beginning of WW1. The Goeben attempts to interdict the French transports sailing from Africa, while the Brits try to find & sink the Geoben. '96 DECGMS DESERT FOX DELUXE HC $24.50 due 6/96 Reprint of Acclaimed Btln lvl gm of N Africa, '41-43. Integrated w/ Trail of Fox. R Berg, '81,'95 DUE DATE NOW PUSHED BACK DECGMS FORGOTTEN WAR, BATTLES OF... BC $28.00 due 6/96 3 btls from Korean War: Naktung, Chosin, Chipyng-ri. Company lvl. GAMERS CHAMPION HILL BC $23.10 due 3/96 The decisive btl of Grant's Vicksburg campaign, May'63 using Gamers' ACW system. 5 scenarios w/ what ifs. K.Jacobson'96 GRD WAR IN THE DESERT FB $57.40? due 3/96 ? Combination of 3 earlier games, Western Desert, Torch & Near East kit into one unified & update game. WD & T were very good games on their own, so this should be a must-have package for Europa fans. '96 GRD FIRST TO FIGHT, 2nd FB $35.00 due 4/96 ? Reprint of Europa series gm of the invasion of Poland, 1939. '96 GRD SECOND FRONT, 2nd FB $77.00 due 4/96 ? Reprint & minor upgrade of this massive game of WW2 on the French & Italian fronts, 1943 on. If you didn't get it the first time, do it now! '96 PACRIM ROAD TO BERLIN FB $52.50 due 4/96 ? Vaporware winner of last year. Still coming 'soon'. If it does arrive, it could be a nicely produced, div lvl gm of the last year of the war in Europe, '44-45. Note that the price has risin substantially since the initial 'release' of Spt 1994. _SFTWR WOODEN SHIPS & IRON MEN HC $49.00 due 2/96 ? CD-ROM DOS CD-ROM only. 1, 2 & PBEM adaptations of the wondeful boardgame. Historical ship-ship & fleet battles, campaigns, & design your owns. '96. This could be a winner....if it ever shows up. World in Flames is due for yet another incarnation. The purpose of this one appears to be two-fold. First, to integrate the rules to the various add-on kits so that everything is in one easier to use rule set. This is the DELUXE edition. Second, to tweak the system still further by revising the maps & counters. The due date announced was early spring '96, but Australian time runs a little bit slow. Look for it by, say, Fall '96? ADG WORLD IN FLAMES 6TH BC $42.00 due 3/96 THE finest detailed strat WW2 game. 2 scenarios, 2 1-map & 5 2-map campaign games. Mates w/ Days of Decision to add pre-war politicing & builds. 1986 .Roberts award; 1986 Game of Year & Game of Decade by F&M mag. '91 ADG WORLD IN FLAMES 6TH DELUXE BC $77.00 due 3/96 Latest & greatest, w/ new streamlined & 3-holded rules, plus 4 kits. THE finest detailed strat WW2 game. 2 scenarios, 2 1-map & 5 2-map campaign games. Mates w/ Days of Decision to add pre-war politicing & builds. 1986 .Roberts award; 1986 Game of Year & Game of Decade by F&M mag. '91 ADG WORLD IN FLAMES 6TH UPGRADE n $35.00 due 3/96 KIT Includes rules, maps & counters for WiF, plus rules to 4 add-on kits. MY CHRISTMAS RECOMMENDATION, a small card game called ONCE UPON A TIME, 2nd (Atlas Games, $11.20), is now back in stock. This is a small card game in which players tell stories when they play their cards. Other players try to steal the story by playing their cards. With the 2nd ed, the cards are very nicely illustrated. The first player to play all his/her cards, ending with a 'happy ending' card, wins. Feedback has been quite positive; its a excellent game to play with your children, especially younger ones. S P E C I A L D E A L S O N C A R D G A M E S The market for card games is both booming and saturated. There is a glut of card games on the market, and an oversupply of certain titles--even Magic! I offer these special deals on BOXES to you on a special order only basis while distributor stock remains: Magic: Jyhad Decks BOX $40 cash-basis price Boosters BOX $45 Fallen Empire Boosters BOX $55 Homelands Boosters BOX $60 Dixie: Shiloh $60 Virtually all card games are now readily available in distributor stock. All are at least 30% off list. And many can be ordered by the deck or by sets of 4 booster packs. I N D U S T R Y N E W S STRATEGY & TACTICS WILL RAISE ITS RATES, both cover price and subscription cost, within a few months. The amount may be on the order of $2 on the list price. GDW sank beneath the waves last Thursday. It had been financially troubled for some time. Frank Chadwick finally decided it would be best simply to cease doing business. We wish him the best. If you're interested in any of the now out-of-print GDW titles, many are available still. These include the popular Imperium 2nd, Blue Max 3rd (or 4th), Blood & Thunder and Phaseline Smash. Their lesser boardgames, Stand & Die and Tet Offensive, may be had for subtantial discounts. But don't wait too long: most distributors are actively liquidating their GDW stock now. In a few months, it'll be gone. GENIE ONLINE SERVICE has all but destroyed the best and most long- standing online community of gamers. The service was purchased by a new company that immediately announced plans to be a nationwide internet service provider--and to more than double basic GEnie monthly rates to $19 a month from $9. The biggest loss is that there are few, if any, alternative online sites that rival GEnie's fluid BBS format or facilitate online commercial activity. And yes, that includes the internet Marketplace. I plan to remain on Genie myself for the time being. You will receive a mailing well in advance should I elect to change my emailing address. F T P S I T E An ever wider variety of catalogs is available to you online at my FTP site. Look for the "_readme.txt" file at the following address: ftp.FineGames.com/pub/vendors/finegms/ In particular, you may wish to download the "all_cats.zip" file (450k) which contains a copy of ALL my catalogs. Also, if you haven't noticed it, there are specialized catalogs that list (1) only newly-listed used/out-of-print games, (2) family & sports games, (3) solitaire games, (4) mulitiplayer games, and (5) games sorted by publisher (rather than historical era). U S I N G A W W W B R O W S E R WWW BROWSERS such as NetScape can access these files using the path given above. Just enter the URL "ftp://ftp.FineGames.com/pub/vendors/finegms/". This will provide a menu of of available files. Point to any TEXT (.txt) file to read it. Or use your browswer's LOAD TO DISK option to download any file to your hard disk directly. F T P Q U E S T I O N S & A N S W E R S I'm happy to attempt to solve FTP-related problems. But keep these points in mind especially when using any text-based FTP tools: * If your FTP program looses its connection prematurely, try setting your program's time-out threshold to at least 60 seconds. Or try contacting the site at times OTHER THAN evening hours PST. * My FTP site, like most, is CASE SENSITIVE. Use lower case letters unless a directory listing shows the use of upper case letters. * Most FTP sites use a FORWARD slash ("/") rather than the backslash ("\") that DOS users are familiar with in path statements. * Signon via Anonymous FTP. That is, signon with an account name of "anonymous" and a password which is your actual, complete email address. * Use a BINARY TRANSFER mode when copying ZIPped files of any sort. You can use BINARY or ASCII transfers with TXT (text) files. * You must use the current version of PKZIP to UNZIP compressed files. The current version is 2.04g. Earlier versions probably won't work. Y O U R S U G G E S T I O N S YOUR SUGGESTIONS that help me improve the service I provide to you via this Update or in any other way are greatly appreciated. Michael Dean Fine Games for Players & Collectors