First of all, I would like to express the feeling of disgust I have towards Steve Jackson Games. A few months ago, I bought the Car Wars Compendium, when it was first released. I spent over $15 on it, and now I find that there is a second edition. Needless to say, I am angry that I spent my money on a book that was immediately revised.
Secondly, I would like to know why you rip off all of the autoduellists in the country by putting outrageous prices on all of your supplements. Some of us aren't billionaires.
Last, but not least, I would appreciate it if you would send me any information that I might need to start my own AADA chapter. There are none in my area.
Oh, and one more thing. Get rid of Uncle Albert. It was a great idea to have advanced weapons and accessories in the beginning, but now everything is so powerful. The game isn't fun any more when you can blow away (or be blown away by) somebody with one shot.
And another thing, my friends and I are having an argument over some of the rules. Can a car attack once per phase, or once per turn?
We play that cars attack once per phase, which is very convenient for leaving long lines of smoke or mines, but it also makes the games a lot shorter. Unfortunately, now with the five-phase speed chart it disrupts our system. Playing by attacking once per turn takes too long, especially at high speeds. How is it supposed to be?
--Jason Erb
Bethlehem, PA
For any other distraught owners of the first edition Compendium out there, last issue we published an article by Ken Scott giving a complete run-down of all the rules changes between the two editions. This article is everything you need to bring your first edition Compendium completely up to date. For anybody who might have missed the last issue, the article is available free, on request. Please enclose a legal-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Believe it or not, Jaron, we really do sell our games for the lowest price we can and still make a profit. Unfortunately, it's becoming more and more expensive for us to print the games. We do try to hold the line on prices, though. For instance, when our super-smart print buyer, Kerry Havas, figured out a way to dramatically cut our packaging costs, we passed the savings along to our customers, by starting a new line of complete boxed games for less than $10! Our first release in the new formal will be Car Wars (see "What 's New," on page 2), and we'll be following that up with the classic SJG board games Ogre & GEV, together at last in one box.
Sorry, but in Car Wars you fire once every turn, not once every phase.
Dropped weapons on automatic lay one counter every inch.
-- CWM
ADQ is a very enjoyable magazine, and I look forward to it. Thus, if there are any plans to make it bigger, or more regular, please go ahead. The more I read about Car Wars the better.
As for specific articles, I always enjoy the fiction, which is invariably of top quality ("Challenge Night" was just a wonderful story, I wish people would stop asking dumb questions about it, though), and things that specifically flesh out the Car Wars world. I am thinking specifically of "State of the Art" (although in my mind's eye weapon's will still be fired using a gun grip, i.e. as in the original Car Wars cover). Actually, do you realize that what you said about eye contact firing means that computer hardware decides the accuracy of the shot, and that any Gunner skill is made practically irrelevant? A skilled gunner would be faster, not more accurate), and also of the tactics articles "On the Road" (7/1) and "Convoy Tactics" (6/4).
I like rambling articles, that are easy to read, with nice tips and a "real" feel to them. For a while it's nice to lose yourself in the 2040s.
"Mutant Zone" was a very good R.P. adventure (more of these, please!). However; where can I get the "Chassis and Crossbow" rules? It says they come from Dueltrack, but I've never seen that supplement available in this country (besides, I'm not interested in the racing bits). The CWC claimed to include the rules from Dueltrack, but these were distinctly missing. I really like the "Chassis and Crossbow" idea, and would love to play a lot of it (and for you to publish articles on it), but I need the rules! Ordering direct sounds expensive, I'm quite a long way away, you know.
Please bring back Uncle Albert. I like gadgets and new weaponry, and am missing him being about. Also, I used to very much like the small, tucked away car ads, especially when they were very stylized and well drawn (which reminds me, where has Speed gone?). My favorite was probably Vengeance (6/4), that really is one hell of a good ad. So please, more small ads if possible.
"ADQ&A" is usually very informative (I like the witty answers); "Backfire" is sometimes a little predictable (X-Ray lasers -- the solution: if you don't like them say they don't exist. It's your game, and nobody's forcing you); and a very welcome return of Murphy's Rules. This was always a winner, so more please. And try having a go at some of the other games too. Oh, and do you know you've been sent up in Renegade Nuns on Wheels, by B.T.R.C.? It's very funny though, and great fun to play.
-- Warlock (AKA James Thirtle)
Norwich, Norfolk, ENGLAND
Dueltrack is our of print, but Chassis and
Crossbow will return in 1991, as a boxed supplement in the
Boat Wars and Aeroduel tradition, with
no "racing bits" this time.
-- CWM