I think I will resign from politics Richard.

"The ASL comment came from something udner one of your comments. ..."

Oh, I see it now, it was a comment from Don L a few months ago.

"but folks who play one game to the exclusion of all others are not my "cup of tea" ."

I agree. I play mostly ASL becasue that is what my group exists to play. But we have non-ASL gaming weekend now and then and i also play a lot of the other stuff out there. heck my basement is full of games; they need to get played. Now that I have a few years of ASL under my belt and I play it enough to keep it fresh in my head I find more time to play other games.

They're now full-sized cats . . .and even nicer. They're more socialized than a $9 hooker . . . The ASL comment came from something udner one of your comments. I enjoy an occasional ASL scenario - I even designed something similar of TIDE OF IRON - but folks who play one game to the exclusion of all others are not my "cup of tea" . . . and they are missing out on a lot of fun. Like eating only steak when you go out.

Nice Kitters Richard.

<"ASL the universal languages of war gamers, right, no?">

Where is that from? I don't think ASL is THE universal language for wargamers. But there is certainly an ASL sub-culture in the hobby... and a part of it is very dysfunctional.

Yep I was asking about the cat!!! sorry my wife has me trained....

What's your little friends name?

Looking for playtesters for HOUDINI, this Euro-style game for 2-6 players (4 is probably best, but who knows?). Some dierolling (not much), auction mechanics, uses historical magicians and tricks, but only as chrome. (Not a historical simulation.)


Players win the game by amassing the most Victory Points. Players gain Victory Points for Fame and Wealth, and they gain those by playing Tricks Cards - that they buy, often by Auction - that enable them to perform Escapes and Illusions, announce/answer Challenges, gain ownership of theaters, and survive the demands and dangers of doing all of this. Each “trick” will require differing levels of skill, and many will sap the stamina and strength of the Magician. Performance of tricks earns Money and Fame. The winner is the player with the most Fame and Money at game’s end.

Rules are 4000 words. Fairly simple stuff.

Components: 1 and 1/2 decks, one 11X17 gameboard, 5 Magician Displays, 25 counters, Fake Money. You get all of these by email (you have to print them up . . . lots of neato graphics, by the way . . . compliments of Bob Wilson . . .i think), except for play money and dice.

Playing Time, under 2 hours . . . we hope . . . that's why we playtest. And playtesting is at 2nd level now . . . game has changed more than a tad since the original level (2007)

Wanna give it a shot? Playtesting IS work . . . but it can be fun, and we appreciate it immensely.

If interested, email me at BergBROG@Comcast.net

Thanx

RHB

I thought you were out of town...say hi to Karen. If you noticed, I sent you the first draft for the Kadesh scenario. I am going to make counters and playtest it a few times this week before my next business trip.

Have fun...

Mark

This is not about gam,ing, but this is supposed to be a basically social network. So, I thought it would be a good place to note that, after lo these many years, I have started to have someone do publicity for my novel, "The Dutchman's Gold". The first positive news is the review it got from Kirkus, the professional review people:

"When secret information emerges about where a mobster’s fortune may be hidden, a lovely heiress
and a journeyman actor running a summer theater troupe become the focus of mafia groups, the FBI and
criminals-for-hire.

At times echoing the laugh-out-loud observational and dialogue skills of Jimmy Breslin or Dan
Jenkins, Berg pushes several on-target buttons in this modestly structured thriller. Career New Orleans bad
guys Hippo LaZell and Creed Molyneux stumble across a mafia historical archive that gives clues as to
where mobster Dutch Schultz hid $7 million. They decide it might as well be theirs. The hunt leads them
to a sleepy upstate New York town when Manhattan actor Travis Ford directs productions for the
Adirondack Lake Festival, a summer stock outfit headed by the beautiful and wealthy Rene Sharon, who
has no idea her recently purchased estate might be where the gangsters are hiding the money. Travis and Rene would seem destined for romance
if there weren’t distractions within the company—and from New York mobsters who send hit men to ferret out the treasure. Seductive-but-morals-
deficient theater starlet Lyz Greko presents further complications as she will use anyone to further her career and/or lifestyle. Berg does an effi-
cient job developing these characters without reverting to stereotypes, and the situations with dueling mob groups and law enforcement agencies
stay consistently funny without falling prey to cheap slapstick. While the plot is fairly thin, the premise is engaging enough to hold it together.

Aworthy first comic thriller from a funny and confident writer.

Berg, Richard H.
THE DUTCHMAN’S GOLD
Xlibris (302 pp.)
$29.69, $19.54 paperback
December 2001
ISBN: 978-1-4010-1652-4
Paper: 978-1-4010-1651-7

Happy belated Birthday!

I said I'd include foodie info . . .well had my 65th birthday dinner last nite, a major meal at a major Charleston eatery, Tristan. Foie gras [sp?] with onion strudel, grilled snapper with fennel and a corn and pumpkin seed salsa, a deadly maple breadpudding with carmelized pears, topped with a very nice, reasonable, Aussie syrah. And that's just what I had . . .

Hello RHB! How is the monster ACW game coming along?

Hi Richard:

Nice to meet you (at least electronically), and have enjoyed your games. I've gotten to be good friends with an old SPIer by the name of Ken Hoffman- ring a bell?

:) Just thought as you were fellow musical South Carolinians.

Random question: you happen to be related to Mr. Christopher Berg, the eminent guitarist?

Hi Richard,

any news about the redoing of your War of the Ring? As a Tolkienist I long for a LOTR consim :-)

"(You expected different?)"

not really :)