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Galac-Tac
''Galac-Tac'' is a closed-end, science fiction, play-by-mail (PBM) wargame. It was first published by Phoenix Publications in 1982. By 1990, the publisher had changed its name to Delta Games, and then later to Talisman Games. In 2010, Talisman Games changed ownership and transitioned Galac-Tac to a web-based game. It is still available for play by postal mail or email for those with web access challenges. The game has been updated as well as reviewed multiple times in its 40 years of active play. Various reviews in the 1980s and 1990s provided both positive and negative comments as well as potential areas for the game to improve. The game has been featured numerous times in the modern PBM magazine, ''Suspense & Decision''. During gameplay, players begin in one of hundreds of star systems in a 100 × 100 grid map with money and some basic ships, expanding to other star systems in search of resources. Players can establish colonies to enable further expansion. Military conflict is ...
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Paper Mayhem
''Paper Mayhem'' is an out-of-print play-by-mail (PBM) game magazine that was published in Ottawa, Illinois. The staff published the initial issue in July 1983 and the magazine ran until mid-1998. Its format was 40 pages published six times per year. Moore 1988. p. 4. The magazine was the most well-known of the play-by-mail periodicals of the period, providing articles and reviews of play-by-mail games, as well as reader-informed ratings of play-by-mail companies, game masters (GMs) and games, both intermittently and on an annual basis. The magazine, along with its long-time editor-in-chief, David Webber, was influential in the play-by-mail community, even echoing into 21st century play-by-mail activities. The publication ceased suddenly in mid-1998 following the unexpected death of Webber. History Rick Loomis of the game company Flying Buffalo, Inc. stated that, after the early 1970s, the play-by-mail community had sufficient interest to support only two magazines: ''Paper Mayh ...
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Battleplan (play-by-mail Game)
''Battle Plan'' (or ''Battleplan'') is a closed-end, military strategy, play-by-mail (PBM) wargame. It was first published by Flying Buffalo Inc. in 1972, as one of the company's game offerings after '' Nuclear Destruction'', the game that started the PBM industry in 1970. In August 2021, Rick Loomis PBM Games began publishing the game. To win the game, players must conquer 29 countries in Europe through the use of five types of military units or eliminate the other players. Four to eight players play the game which involves significant player interaction. Players today can play by email or postal mail. Another variant of the game is the complex ''World Wide Battle Plan'' with the same rules but encompassing a world map and up to 31 players. History and development By 1996, ''Battle Plan'' was one of Rick Loomis's longest running games at nearly 25 years since publication. Lewandowski 1996. p. 13. In 1996, Flying Buffalo had also run 1241 games, a significant number in the PB ...
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Dallas TX
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County with portions extending into Collin, Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. With a 2020 census population of 1,304,379, it is the ninth most-populous city in the U.S. and the third-largest in Texas after Houston and San Antonio. Located in the North Texas region, the city of Dallas is the main core of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea. The cities of Dallas and nearby Fort Worth were initially developed due to the construction of major railroad lines through the area allowing access to cotton, cattle and later oil in North and East Texas. The construction of the Interstate Highway System reinforced Dallas's prominence ...
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Beyond The Stellar Empire
''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' (or ''BSE'') is a play-by-email (PBM) game. Originally published by Adventures By Mail, ''BSE'' was an open-ended "space opera" with a single available game that began in playtesting in 1981. According to Stephen Marte, during the mid-1980s, like "'' Tribes of Crane'' and ''Midgard'', ''BSE'' asthe stomping ground of many of PBM's best power gamers". The game had two variants, one monitored by Game Masters who imposed artificial constraints, and another without constraints. Gameplay took place on a vast space stage where mega-corporations formed the dominant organizing framework, alongside various other groups that players could join to pursue tasks to advance, collaborate with other players, and progress to more senior positions such as space colony governors. ''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' placed #5 and #11 for Best PBM Game of the Year in 1987 and 1988, respectively, in ''Paper Mayhem'', a magazine for play-by-mail games. In subsequent years, the ...
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Adventures By Mail
Adventures by Mail is a company that published play-by-mail (PBM) games. The company was founded in 1981. It published various PBM games including ''Beyond the Stellar Empire'', '' It's a Crime'', and '' Monster Island''. History The company—based in Cohoes, NY—began publishing PBM games in 1981. Paper Mayhem 1993. p. 9. In 1982, the company hired another gamemaster, Michael Popolizio. In the January–February 1985 issue of ''Paper Mayhem'' magazine, the company announced a significant expansion of one of their main PBM games, ''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' (''BSE'') had occurred the prior December. They asserted in 1993 that they were the largest PBM company in the United States. At the time, their game offerings included ''BSE'', ''It's a Crime'', ''Monster Island'', and ''Quest''. In 1983, readers of ''The Space Gamer'' voted Adventures by Mail the top PBM publisher of the year, due to the popularity of '' Warboid World'' and ''Beyond the Stellar Empire''. Adventures by Ma ...
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Starweb
''Starweb'' (or ''StarWeb'') is a closed-end, space-based, play-by-mail (PBM) game. First published by Flying Buffalo Inc. in 1976, it was the company's second PBM game after '' Nuclear Destruction'', the game that started the PBM industry in 1970. Players today can choose a postal mail or email format. Fifteen players per game assume one of six available roles and explore and conquer planets within a universe comprising 225 worlds. The object of the game is to attain a predetermined number of points which are generated by various actions during gameplay. Multiple game variants are available. ''Starweb'' is still available for play as of 2021 through the company Rick Loomis PBM Games. ''Starweb'' has received numerous reviews from the 1970s to the 21st century with positive and negative comments. Reviewer and game designer Timothy B. Brown stated in 1990 that "''StarWeb'' is arguably the best-loved, most widely known play-by-mail game in history," Brown 1990. p. 76. and the edi ...
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Empyrean Challenge
''Empyrean Challenge'' is a strategic science fiction play-by-mail (PBM) game. Published by Superior Simulations in 1978, its introduction was important to the nascent PBM industry. 150 players per game strived to dominate a cluster of star systems. Diplomacy, combat, economics, technological development, colonization, and other factors were important aspects of gameplay. Detailed work was required in all aspects of the game, requiring a significant investment in time for players. Reviewer Jim Townsend stated in 1988 that ''Empyrean Challenge'' was "the most complex game system on Earth". Various observers reviewed the game in the 1980s across gaming magazines such as ''Dragon'', ''The Space Gamer'', ''White Dwarf'', and ''White Wolf''. Commentators focused on the detail, complexity, and time required for the game, noting it was generally for more advanced players. Play-by-mail history Some games have long been played by mail between two players, such as chess and Go. McLain ...
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The Tribes Of Crane
''The Tribes of Crane'' is a play-by-mail game that was published by Schubel & Son. According to Jim Townsend, the game was launched in "roughly" 1976. Gameplay ''The Tribes of Crane'' was a turn-based game where players took on the role of leader of a tribe on the planet of Crane, and attempted to accumulate warriors, gold, and other resources. It was the first commercial play-by-mail game that was moderated by a human game master instead of a computer, although later the game master was assisted by a computer. A new player started by picking what type of tribe they wished to lead (herdsmen, warriors, merchants or sea people), and what type of climate and terrain they wanted to start in. The player would then be sent details of how many people and livestock were in the tribe. The player would mail a monthly turn, which consisted of a movement or stand-in-place order, a combat order, a transaction order, and any special orders. Special orders were unusual for play-by-mail games ...
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Schubel & Son
''Schubel & Son'' was a hobby and gaming company that published play-by-mail (PBM) games. The company began in 1974 and expanded to large-scale PBM games in August 1978. It also published the game ''The Tribes of Crane'' in 1978, followed by ''StarMaster'' in 1980 and ''Global Supremacy'' in 1982. History Schubel & Son opened for business on October 4, 1974 in Sacramento, California. For the first few years, the company worked in science hobby supply. Schubel & Son 1990. They began in the PBM field in 1974 and began moderating large-scale PBM games in August 1978 with the game ''The Tribes of Crane''. Paper Mayhem 1990. p. 26. The company stated that it proved very popular in the initial months of play and enrollment quickly expanded. They later published ''StarMaster'' in 1980 and ''Global Supremacy'' in 1982. Both of these were human-moderated PBM games. In the September–October 1983 issue of ''The Space Gamer'', the company announced that they had merged with Venture Manageme ...
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