Suspense & Decision

[Ry Vor]

Don't forget to read and yes, submit articles that you write, to Suspense & Decision Magazine, the only one supporting our hobby. Everyone needs your support! Here's a short piece I penned for Grimfinger's consideration for the upcoming edition:

Your Secret Mistress
Rick McDowell, June 2014

Do you play a computer game you bought 20 years ago? Of course not. Why not?

Do you play the PBEM game you played 20 years ago? Yes. Why?

The answers might be different for different folks, but there is certainly some common ground. Computer games seem to generate excitement and infatuation – a short term bounce based on something as skin deep as splashy graphics that are easily surpassed by the next year’s splashier graphics or bigger sounds.

Love may seem a strange way to describe PBEM players and their relationship with their chosen game or games, but it kind of works. It is a commitment; it is putting up with disappointment from time to time, the joy of the discovery of subtle nuance, unearthing hidden treasures, gaining understanding and appreciation. Accepting uncertainty and enjoying it, having anticipation replace instant gratification. Maybe like a fine wine or single malt, appreciation grows over time. And you probably didn’t make new friends playing computer games, but you likely have many friends in your PBEM life, even though you have never seen them in person, maybe never spoken to them. She brought them to you and your life is enriched for it.

Your game is made for you, not for millions. Those millions wouldn’t understand why your mistress is perfect despite those little flaws with which you are intimately familiar, but that ultimately don’t matter. They can’t appreciate how she can captivate, motivate, stir imagination. It is a romance that goes on for decades. It’s so personal you probably don’t even mention her to your friends that exist in that other part of your life.

You love the uncertainty of what might happen next. You have rivals, and nemesis, enemies and allies, friends and foes, and all are capable of brilliance or idiocy, of a selfless act or all about self. You might both admire and despise them, or just wonder what they might be up to this time around.

What will the next turn bring? Did you consider all the possibilities? Have you overlooked or underestimated an unfamiliar opponent? Did an ally disappoint, or was he heroic in the mutual cause? Have you looked several moves ahead? Did you do enough diplomacy, have you tipped your intentions?

Reservation for two at that romantic spot at that private time where all other thoughts are cleared away. This time is just for you and your Secret Mistress.

[Wynand]

Don't forget to read and yes, submit articles that you write, to Suspense & Decision Magazine, the only one supporting our hobby. Everyone needs your support! Here's a short piece I penned for Grimfinger's consideration for the upcoming edition:

Your Secret Mistress
Rick McDowell, June 2014

Do you play a computer game you bought 20 years ago? Of course not. Why not?

Do you play the PBEM game you played 20 years ago? Yes. Why?

The answers might be different for different folks, but there is certainly some common ground. Computer games seem to generate excitement and infatuation – a short term bounce based on something as skin deep as splashy graphics that are easily surpassed by the next year’s splashier graphics or bigger sounds.

Love may seem a strange way to describe PBEM players and their relationship with their chosen game or games, but it kind of works. It is a commitment; it is putting up with disappointment from time to time, the joy of the discovery of subtle nuance, unearthing hidden treasures, gaining understanding and appreciation. Accepting uncertainty and enjoying it, having anticipation replace instant gratification. Maybe like a fine wine or single malt, appreciation grows over time. And you probably didn’t make new friends playing computer games, but you likely have many friends in your PBEM life, even though you have never seen them in person, maybe never spoken to them. She brought them to you and your life is enriched for it.

Your game is made for you, not for millions. Those millions wouldn’t understand why your mistress is perfect despite those little flaws with which you are intimately familiar, but that ultimately don’t matter. They can’t appreciate how she can captivate, motivate, stir imagination. It is a romance that goes on for decades. It’s so personal you probably don’t even mention her to your friends that exist in that other part of your life.

You love the uncertainty of what might happen next. You have rivals, and nemesis, enemies and allies, friends and foes, and all are capable of brilliance or idiocy, of a selfless act or all about self. You might both admire and despise them, or just wonder what they might be up to this time around.

What will the next turn bring? Did you consider all the possibilities? Have you overlooked or underestimated an unfamiliar opponent? Did an ally disappoint, or was he heroic in the mutual cause? Have you looked several moves ahead? Did you do enough diplomacy, have you tipped your intentions?

Reservation for two at that romantic spot at that private time where all other thoughts are cleared away. This time is just for you and your Secret Mistress.

Rick... may I say, in all sincerity, this is beautifully written and completely incapsulates how I feel about Alamaze.

Thanks again for bringing it back.

[Ry Vor]

Many thanks, Wynand.

[Jumbie]

How did Rick know that all my Alamaze turns are filled out during lunch sessions at cheap motels with the TV turned up?

[Ry Vor]

How did Rick know that all my Alamaze turns are filled out during lunch sessions at cheap motels with the TV turned up?

Come on, Jumbie. I may not be Danielle Steele but that was pretty good.

[unclemike]

... This time is just for you and your Secret Mistress.

Here's an honest opinion about the proposed text:

The above is very general in fashion and is meant to attract people to play PBeM games instead of other games but isn't Suspense & Decision's intended audience already interested in such games? Is there really a need to peek interest for such that already read that magazine?

Wouldn't it be better to state the reasons why Alamaze/Kingdoms of Arcania is better than the rest? The text should be clear in stating what makes your games more entertaining so that people would rather play yours than another's.

If you asked me, Alamaze's magic system is the most attractive part of the game. Nearly all other PBeM games have militaries, politicians, and espionage types of activities but magic is rarely done properly or even well thought out. There's a few computer games that have very nice magic systems but not many PBeM games. So if you want my opinion, I would go light on the generalization of playing PBeM games (shorten what you have to a single paragraph) and concentrate on why Alamaze/Kingdoms of Arcania is better than the rest.

Many writers like to romanticize about things but tend to forget the intended audience. If you're submitting the above to a general audience then what you wrote is solid but not for a mag that consists entirely of PBeM gamers. If I were a subscriber of that magazine and read your post, there's nothing in there that would attract me to play your games. In fact, I would stop reading it since it's too wordy on the abstract and short on the details.

Sorry if this comes across harsh but every writer needs a technical editor who is not afraid to say the importance of considering the publication's intended audience when writing an article.

[Jumbie]

I think unclemike would be right if indeed the S&D audience was just hardcore gamers, but I suspect part of the S&D mission is to recruit people into the culture, so it probably wants these kinds of 'come in, the water's fine' articles too.

[unclemike]

I think unclemike would be right if indeed the S&D audience was just hardcore gamers, but I suspect part of the S&D mission is to recruit people into the culture, so it probably wants these kinds of 'come in, the water's fine' articles too.

After reading issue 7's editorial comment about the publication's readership (which is an elaborate account by the editor lamenting about his failures as the magazine's editor and quite depressing BTW), perhaps it doesn't matter after all.

Though I would rewrite Rick's proposed article a bit for what's its worth. Again, what does the above text have that will entice someone to play Alamaze rather another game? By referring to the gaming experience as a "secret mistress"? That may actually come across as a bit much, even creepy, to some people.

My English professor said you have about 30 seconds to impress people to continue reading an article. That's why, newspaper articles typically start off in a clear and direct manner regarding their subject matter.

Just trying to help

[The Usurper]

I'm pretty sure Unclemike is not right about most things, or he wouldn't be trolling the Alamaze forums everyday.


I got a negative reputation for this comment from kik1661, That's the joke


As an after note, he's not trolling everyday anymore, so mission accomplished.

[Cipher]

I'm pretty sure Unclemike is not right about most things, or he wouldn't be trolling the Alamaze forums everyday.

Hm, a bit rough here. I may not agree with unclemike on some stuff, and he can come across as blunt/gruff, but I don't doubt he is trying to improve things.