I've been playing since I was 13 (1983) so it's no lie when I tell you I had about 3 or 4 thousand dollars worth of games, supplements and comics. But at least I am alive. Still, I'm jobless (worked in the Keys), homeless and depressed. Please ask your ADQ readers and Roleplayer readers to donate to the Red Cross and any other hurricane disaster charities available. Miami is in very bad shape. We need all the help we can get. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
-Milton Martin Fernandez
Miami, FL
After playing Car Wars for a year, I recently received a lot of Car Wars supplements. Since I could not find anything newer than 1990 at my local hobby shop (Summit Hobbies) and was given puzzled looks when asking for "the most recent ADQ," I decided to find out why.
Reading the ADQ 8/4 edition, I found out about the Secret Service raid, and then, not having anything newer, feared that you went out of business. I then questioned someone at Summit Hobbies if I was correct, and he told me that you had lost popularity, but still existed.
After about a month I decided to write, and request that you try to gain momentum again. Summit Hobbies does not contain the Car Wars Compendium Second Edition, and I know many people who would love to be able to play, but I have found some problems in the second edition, so I propose a third edition.
In the second edition, there wasn't much in the way of explanations for the hand weapons (the only way I know what a Gauss Gun is, is because there is a vehicular version). Second edition did not contain rules for weapons of guerrilla warfare (molotov cocktails, poison, etc.) either. On p. 39 there is a list for the alternate encumbrance system. In this list there are items such as the life jacket, scuba gear, silencer/flash suppressor, derringer, handheld flare launcher, etc. that I couldn't find rules for anywhere in the book. Third edition could have these, and other rules, as well as rules from Aeroduel, Tanks, etc.
After third edition is created, advertising is needed. Ads on television, in magazines, comic books and newspapers, catalogs and elsewhere will boost sales, and help you gain momentum, thus keeping a great role-playing game on the market. I haven't heard of any attempts to gain popularity for two years, and that's kinda sad, considering Car Wars is a great game, and should be on the market still. Please try these and other suggestions to get back in business (try holding another Car Wars championships, do things involving the press, create a "rival" company to the AADA trying to sell some products, do a movie of the future entitled Car Wars...) and I hope to see some more new products soon.
- Max Lybbert
Thanks for your support, Max. I hope you get a chance to read this.
Sounds like you've been relying on a retailer that's . . . well, let's be kind and call them "confused." If you'd included your retailer 's address (or; for that matter your address) with your letter I'd sic our salesman on them.
Let's see - SJ Games are more popular than ever before right now. ADQ has been coming out four times a year for the last 10 years. The Car Wars Compendium just got a new printing. Last year saw Car Wars promoted in the Marvel Car Warriors comic and this year it's the Car Warriors novels from Tor books (and wait until you hear what we're working on for next year!). And most of the gadgets you wanted more on were covered in Uncle Albert's Catalog From Hell (and most of the rest can be found in the upcoming Chassis and Crossbow) - in short, everything you've been told about the death of Car Wars is wrong.
Regular readers, there 's a moral to this story. Keep an eye on your retailers - there 's a lot of games out right now, and it's hard to keep track of all of them. Your retailers rely on you (and so do we) to keep them informed about what you want. If you can 't find ADQ or the Catalog From Hell on your retailer's shelf speak up, and keep speaking up until he's carrying the games that you want to buy.
-CWM