Help Wanted

Dear PTGPTB,
I just wondered if you know some rpg-players in or near Bruxell because I can't find any (I just came from Hungary. I speak English and German). Could (or would) you please help me?

Best wishes,
Boldizsár Németh

Sorry, we're not sure, but we will publish your letter to see if there are any other readers near to you. (If you are such a reader, please get in touch with us so we can link you up with Boldizsár.)

AD&D

Dear PTGPTB,
Thank you so very much for reportng the first recorded USENET message stating that "AD&D Sucks". I was delighted to see it gave the concise and helpful advice that pretty much every similar post has had in the past: "Game X or Y is better because I say so!!". Yeah baby, Traveller does a great job for dungeon crawling in a fantasy universe!

Actually I have tried that myself; I really wouldn't recomend it.

Of further note I checked occurences of "AD&D Sucks", "D&D Sucks" , "GURPS sucks" and "Runequest sucks" and so on:

• AD&D sucks — 3230 hits by 2002, 3210 hits in 1999 or earlier, only 36 hits in 1996 or earlier
• D&D sucks — 259 hits by 2002, 58 hits in 1999 or earlier, only 18 hits by 1996 or earlier
• Gurps Sucks — 507 hits by 2002,164 hits by 1999 or earlier, only 28 hits in 1996 or earlier
• Traveller sucks — 4 hits
• Runequest sucks — 0 hits

Now, which one would be better for my 1920's paranormal investigators campaign??
James Jarvis

Dear PTGPTB,
I is a inttelijernt player of D&D3E and you all SUCK for dissing it..........Nah, just kidding. Actually, I just wrote to say HOORAY!!! I have just finished reading all 22 fine issues of your magazine, and what a time I had; there were tears of nostalgia, there was much laughter, even the occasional wise and intelligent nodding of my head. Almost every article has had at least some small piece of content that I have found valuable to my own roleplaying and GMing. So good on yer, mates. If the fiancee allows me into my roleplaying kennel often enough, and it's the sort of thing you want to print, I might even send in a piece on the teaching aid potentials of RPGs.
Jonathan Carryer

Bouquets

Dear PTGPTB,
Just like to say that Steve's Star Wars article was very informative. I myself am slowly creating several campaigns and I am going to try and use Steve's advice as much as I can. Not only with Starwars but with D&D and Shadowrun as well.

Cheers,
Richard 'Dwarfman' Smith

Dear PTGPTB,
It's quite wonderful to find this page. I hope to gain much from this subscription, for myself and for our roleplaying group, and maybe I'll bring something back as well. Let's bring this glorious entertainment form forward in a world that may well be revolutionized by it!
Danio

Dear PTGPTB,
I'm stunned — I accidently came across your e-zine whilst searching for other gaming related stuff. I read the current issue from start to finish and am about to go back and start reading through your archives. This is the most fantastic role playing magazine that I've ever read (and I've read a lot). At last — really intelligent articles which actually have something useful to say.

And bizarrest of all — every article seemed spookily relevant — for example, I've just finished running a Vampire/Changeling game I created around the poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' — and even more appropriate was your Pete Tong article for a friend of mine who's game is going horribly pear-shaped at the moment.

I work in a Publishing department (so I also understand the ink-sniffing fixation) and we are constantly at war with the Design department — believe me when I say that I am a firm believer in content over style and I really think that you guys have got it exactly right.

I am so impressed — to the point of bouncing up and down with excitement cos I found something new and cool to tell all my friends about! I can only end by saying 'thank you'.
Claire

Thank you for your praise! We try to fight the good fight to provide great, free content. (And thank you for providing some of that for this issue) -- Ed.

Dear PTGPTB,
I came upon your site searching for counter-propaganda websites who combat the "Roleplaying Games are of Satan" mentality. I really have a strong interest in finding a way to spread around some real understanding to counter this really poisonous, thoughtless bigotry against gamers. I'm subscribing to your magazine to see if you folks have similar thoughts on the subject.
Anna McDermott

We certainly don't subscribe to the rpg=satanism mentality. The best site about this lind of thing is Bill Walton's Escapist site. He's got a very funny Harry Potter article too. The French Roleplaying Federation is also good for this but you have to read French. In the UK and Australia we don't really get much of this kind of propaganda. It's more along the lines of roleplayer=nerd, but then that's not necessarily untrue. -- Ed.

Dear PTGPTB,
Please, make a new chapter of A History of Role-Playing.
Lars Konzack

We would very much like the author to do so but he's on an extended sabbatical at the moment. He might have time to do so when he gets back to Australia but that might not be until next year. However, we will add your letter to the chorus asking for more and pass it on to Steve Darlington. -- Ed.

Dear PTGPTB,
Nice job! You are the only ones who took time to write an article about the history of roleplaying. This series of articles was wery useful for me, because I started roleplaying just 7 years ago. And these articles gave me the sense as if I was there from the begining. Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen!
Kota Csaba

Alex Loke Responds

The following is Alex Loke's response to Gary Pate's letter featured in Issue 22's forum

Dear Gary,
I own many fine "CRPGs". Planescape: Torment. Fallout 1 & 2. Even the ubiquitous Neverwinter Nights. I enjoy them all. I even enjoy some of the other similar games, including Vampire: TMR and Baldur's Gate. I enjoy hacking and slashing. Occasionally I play them and eat Doritos.

However, this is not the exact purpose of this reply. Today, I would dearly like to introduce you to this peculiar genre that I and many others like to call comedy.

Now, before you go flipping through the big book of words (Dictionary), I do have a definition of the term which may help.

'\Com"e*dy\ A dramatic composition, or representation of a bright and amusing character, based upon the foibles of individuals or the manners of society.'

One of the devices of such a genre is 'hyperbole'. I would normally provide a definition of the term, but since you have such a sincere distrust of my research skills, I wont insult your intelligence.

Also associated, though rarely, is the term "rant". Negative connotation aside, occasionally it is used for comedic value.

How this all relates to my 'so offensive article', I will leave to your interpretation.

Lastly, I fully endorse the term "DnD Weenie", however, hold no responsibility for any self-assumption of the term. If you find yourself so incensed by the term, that I had clearly not addressed to 'Gary Pate and Family' or any other specific role-player (though my genderfication of the term is specific, I am sure there are members of your family that are indeed, not male) then I suggest some form of anger management.

I also look forward to reading some of your product for the RPG industry, though I fear I find my preferred search engine inadequate as there appears to be no reference to your work.

Dearest Regards,
Alex Loke

Gary — Alex has asked that any futher correspondence be sent on to him directly. Unfortunately we have lost your original email so we could not forward this message to you. -- Ed.

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