Re: PBM Magazines?

From: hack@arabia.uucp (Edmund Hack)

Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 21:26:35 +0000

In article <1992Nov10.155729.21299@news.acns.nwu.edu>
    skrenta@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Rich Skrenta) writes:
>desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins) writes:
>> On this subject (at least I think it is this subject, although I didn't
>> get the whole posting), does anyone know if there is any problem with
>> Flagship magazine?
>
>My subscription is fine.  Just got the latest one last week.

Me too.  There was a changeover in the US business office this year,
however.  It may have caused a few things to fall through the cracks.
>
>Here's subscription info for the two major PBM magazines:
>
>        Paper Mayhem                    Consistent quality, game ratings,
>        1518 Adams Street               reviews, and player surveys, lots
>        Ottawa, IL 61350-4770           of ads for neat pbm's.
>
>        US: $24/year Canada/Mexico: $31
>        Europe: $51  Australia: $57

I have a somewhat different view of Paper Mayhem.  I find the articles
very superficial, badly edited, poorly laid out and barely a step above
a fanzine.  I found, at most, one or two meaty articles per issue.  A
lot of very obscure, very small games get covered quite a bit, with
major releases by the bigger PBM companies slighted.  What the magazine
needs is a more professional editorial staff.  However, it does have a
lot of coverage of obscure games.  I also dislike the fiction (if I want
fiction, I'll buy Asimov's or Analog which is much better in quality
than they have), I have little interest in the GM supplied game blurbs
("The Snarf Alliance is making big gains in SuperFantasy HeadStomp game
5, but the BigBig Federation is slowing them") and the letters section
has bordered on libelous at times.
>
>        Flagship                        Similar to Paper Mayhem.  Reviews,
>        Alan Tabor                      their own PBM rating system.  Big
>        3860 14th Ave.                  in the UK, separate US edition.
>        Oakland, CA 94602
>
>I don't know how much a Flagship subscription costs.
>
Flagship will send you a free issue if you write to them at that
address.  The magazine is well edited and professionally typeset and
laid out.  I find the articles to be meatier and easy to read than Paper
Mayhem.  The industry happenings columns are very current and have
analysis in them, as opposed to the "print the GMs press release" that I
find in PM.  There is also a good column of player input and comments of
what is good and bad in the games they are in.
--
Edmund Hack - Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co. - Houston, TX
hack@aio.jsc.nasa.gov - I speak only for myself, unless blah, blah..
NAR 12256 TRA 2004 (dang, 3 too late, Hal.....)

References

Re: PBM Magazines?
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Tue, 10 Nov 1992 04:26:29 +0000
Re: PBM Magazines?
skrenta@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Rich Skrenta)
Tue, 10 Nov 1992 15:57:29 +0000

Referenced By

Re: PBM Magazines?
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Tue, 10 Nov 1992 04:26:29 +0000
Re: PBM Magazines?
skrenta@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Rich Skrenta)
Tue, 10 Nov 1992 15:57:29 +0000