NOT From the Mouth of Sauron, Issue #49 From: elentirmo@mindspring.com (Brian Mason) Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 21:07:16 +0000 NOT From the Mouth of Sauron Issue: E-49 Date: 09-15-02 First Word From the December 1993 (issue #1) to August 1994 (issue #25), and then after a delay ran again from January 1995 (issue #26) to March 1997 (issue #48). I don't recall exactly what caused Tom and I to cease publication at that time --- while I'm a real packrat with regards to documentation (and here, your honor, I place into evidence the mepbm info files), I can't place my hands on that discussion, nor do I know what old GSI games in which I participated. O, some of the early bloody ones I lost are recalled (62: Cardolan, Hello Tom! and 97: Rhudaur, Hello Brian and Steve!). As far as I can tell the last game I played was in early 1997, and I suspect a lot has changed since then. I know I've had a lot of big life changes. When I decided to resume playing me-pbm, one of the things I did not want to do is come into a game and look like the return to tennis of Bjorn Borg. Anybody remember that? He was a big player of the early 80s who made a brief return and found out that the game had left him behind. Now, I'm no Bjorn Borg, but one of the things I wanted was to be happy with my own play, so somewhat naturally, I decided to bring myself up to speed by looking over old issues of "From the Mouth of Sauron." In doing this I noticed that I had compiled an index in issue #25, but did not do anything else. This then is an index of the entire "From the Mouth of Sauron" collection, issues 1-48. As before, queries, riddle, dragon, and encounter information is not included. Hope you find them as useful as I do, and if you come across an antiquated player looking older than Hallas out there, be kind. Brian SPECIFIC GAME DISCUSSIONS ========================= A Lost Cause (or how the Ice King Bit It in 7 turns in game 101) (or, Justifying the Early Demise of the Dark Servants in Game 101) (23) - Nunya B. Sness What Fun I could Have Had if I had Stayed In? (24) - Ronald C. Cudworth The "From the Mouth of Sauron" 2950 game Rogues Gallery (2950/22) (26,27,28) Grudge Games: 2950/22 (27) - Brian Mason Grudge Games, II: 2950/22 (28) - Brian Mason Game 22 - lessons learned about "grudge matches" (29) - Dave Holt Player Roster List for Game 22 (29) - Brian Mason Game 115 and Team Play in Middle-Earth (30) - Tom Walton Game 5 (UK) - The truth is told... (34) - Colin Forbes Anatomy of a Game: The First Eight Turns (42) - Tom Walton and Brian Mason Reunited Arnor: The Story Continues (43) - Brian Mason and Tom Walton On an Autralian (sic) Game: 2 (43) - Ken Lee ME 180 - An Unhappy Ending (45) - Jim Drysdale FICTION, HUMOR, ETC. ==================== The Council Debate (3) - Brian Mason The Lighter Side (3) - Jeff Holzhauer Commentary (5) - Leslie Foreman Commentary (6) - Leslie Foreman Commentary (9) - Leslie Foreman Commentary (10) - Leslie Foreman Commentary (12) - Leslie Foreman People's Midwinter Meeting (13) - Jeff Holzhauer Commentary (14) - Leslie Foreman A New Nation (14) - Brian Mason Tolkien and D & D (14) - unknown Commentary (15) - Leslie Foreman Attolma (15) - Patrick Wynne & Carl Hostetter Top Ten Rewards for Mouth Submissions (19) - Darin Fitzpatrick Capital Pun-ishment (20) - Darin Fitzpatrick Reports on Game 158 (24) - Jeff Holzhauer At Rivendell, In a Slightly Different Vein (26) - Tom Walton The Ringwraiths: A Cautionary Poem of Real Estate Values (26) - Damrod the Deft, Agent Extraordinaire of Nothern Gondor At Edoras (26) - Dave & Rochelle Eomer's Saga (27) - Dave and Rochelle On the Road Again (27) - Brian Mason Outside of Imladris (28) - Tom Walton Untitled Fiction (28) - Dave and Rochelle At Barad Perras (29) - Mark Jaede Ji Indur and Adunaphel share Bunk Bed, Story at 11! (29) - Dave Holt An Old Debate (29) - Brian Mason Zaken's Bad Day (29) - Dave and Rochelle The Die is Cast (30) - Darin Fitzpatrick King Tarondor's Ride (32) - Jon F. Zeigler On the Lighter Side (32) - Darin Fitzpatrick Erkenbrand's Rescue (33) - Dave Rossell True of Heart (33) - Tom Walton Fiction (35) - Dave Rossell Saruman's Diary (36) - unknown A Soldiers Tale (36) - Gary Drebit The Second Battle of Osgiliath (37) - James Vigil The Gift (37) - Gary Drebit Untitled (37) - Dave Rossell The Burning of Angmar (38) - Tom Walton The Shadow (38) - Gary Drebit The Star Maiden (38) - James Vigil Tales of the Great War: The Second Battle of Eldanar (39) - Tom Walton In the Midst of the War (41) - Brian Mason Poetry (41) - Geoffrey Allbutt Tales of the Great War: At the Prince's Court in Metriath (42) - Tom Walton Untitled Fiction (44) - Dave Rossell Unnamed Fiction (48) - Tony Zbaraschuk GENERAL STRATEGY ================ Economics in Middle-earth (2) - Tom Walton Population Center Development (2) - Brian Mason NPC skill ratings (2) - Tom Walton Allegiance Comparison Tables (3) - Tom Walton The Problem with Army and Troop Training (4) - Brian Mason The Problem with Army and Troop Training, II (5) - Brian Mason Arriving at an Equation to Represent Skill Rank Increases (5) - Brian Mason Looking for Statistical Trends in Data (5) - Brian Mason Food and Army Movement (8) - Jeremy Richman Winners & Losers in Middle-earth (8) - Tom Walton The Problems with Dragons (14) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Building a Framework for your Team/Nation's Success (16) - Wes Fortin Diplomacy in Middle-earth (19) - William "Rock" Chasko Drops, bankruptcies, and other defeats (19) - William "Rock" Chasko Team Play by the Dark Side (19) - Patrick McGehearty The Role of the Neutrals (19) - William "Rock" Chasko The One Ring (22) - Tom Walton Army Movement in MePBM (29) - Paul Erik Lundstroem It's a Team Game...... (29) - Colin Forbes A Sort-Of Neutral Rebuttal to Colin's Article (29) - Tom Walton More On Encounters (29) - Darin Fitzpatrick Some Encounter Myths (29) - Tom Walton The Bribe/Recruit Order: A Call to Arms! (30) - Brian Mason Thoughts on Climate in Middle-Earth (30) - Sam Freeman Database of Climates (30) - Sam Freeman and Brian Mason Revising the Middle-Earth Combat System (30) - Tom Walton Comments Regarding "Revising the Middle-Earth Combat System" (31) - Brian Mason Middle-Earth Movement (31) - John Mason Unknown Powers of Artifacts (31) - Paul Erik Lundstroem Database on Climates, a Growing List (32) - Brian Mason Population Center Combat (32) - Brian Mason Recons for Major Towns and Cities (32) - Brian Mason Comments Concerning Men-at-Arms (33) - Darren Beyer Allegiance Comparison Tables (35) - Brian Mason The Database on Climate (35) - Brian Mason Navies (37) - Bob Tweedy On Population Center Improvement (or as Chris Evans prefers, the UpYours Order) (37) - Brian Mason On Dragons (38) - Brian Lowery Neutrals and Allegiance Changes (39) - Keith Petersen Population Center Combat, II (39) - Brian Mason Forced March Movement (46) - John Cain NATION STRATEGIES ================= Strategy & Tactics: The Woodmen (3) - Brian Mason The Woodmen (4) - Wes Fortin Strategy & Tactics: Cardolan (5) - Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Blind Sorcerer (8) - Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Dragon Lord (8) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: The Eothraim (8) - Brian Mason How Many Woodmen Could a Dragon Lord Chuck if a Dragon Lord Could Chuck Woodmen...? (9) - Dan DeYoung Strategy & Tactics: The Dwarves (9) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: The Quiet Avenger (11) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Noldo Elves (12) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: Arthedain (13) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Northmen and Other Comments (13) - Dave Rossell Strategy & Tactics: The Witch-King (14) - Wei Wang Strategy & Tactics: The Corsairs (14) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: The Cloud Lord (15) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Long Rider (16) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: The Dunlendings (17) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Dark Lieutenants (18) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton N. Gondor Strategy (or how game 101 was won in 20 turns) (19) - Dave Holt Strategy & Tactics: The Sinda Elves (19) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Comments on the Sinda S&T, Issue 19 (20) - Dave Holt Strategy & Tactics: The Easterlings (20) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy and Tactics: North Gondor (20) - Dan DeYoung Strategy & Tactics: The Easterlings (21) - William "Rock" Chasko Strategy & Tactics: The Fire King (21) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Witch King (22) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton On the Witch King S&T Article (23) - Paul Comber Strategy & Tactics: The Northmen (23) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: South Gondor (24) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: The Dog Lord (24) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: The Haradwaith (24) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: The Ice King (25) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Strategy & Tactics: Northern Gondor (25) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Strategy & Tactics: Rhudaur (25) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Agents and the Cloud Lord Revisited An admittely (sic) DS biased article (34) - "Amarthlinde" OTHER NON-FICTION ================= Place Names (8) - Brian Mason Of GAD games and Middle-earth in Europe (16) - Darin Fitzpatrick Proper Usage of Nation Titles in Middle-earth (16) - Darin Fitzpatrick My Experience with GSI, Or "Customer Service in a Monopoly" (19) - David Foreman What Would J.R.R. Have Thought? (19) - William "Rock" Chasko Customer Service (20) - From Bill at GSI Tabs, Spaces, and Screwed up Tables (21) - David Foreman The All Email Game (21) - David Foreman How I got Screwed by GSI (24) - Tom L. News from the GSI Seminar at Origins (24) - Willam "Rock" Chasko Questions and Answers with GSI (24) - Jeremy Richman My Experiences and Opinions about ME-PBM, c.1650 and c.2950 (31) - Greg Reid My Thoughts on Middle Earth (32) - Jeff Holzhauer Editorial Response to the Previous Article (32) - Brian Mason Another Editorial Response (32) - Tom Walton The War of the Ring: A Proposal (32) Tom Walton My Thoughts on Various Subjects (33) - Kevin McGee MePBM as a Military Simulation (33) - James Vigil Questions for Bill Feild (33) - Brian Mason Top 10 Middle Earth Blunders (UK) (34) - Colin Forbes On Customer Service (38) - Brian Lowery Pointless Silliness In The Face Of Abject Despair (38) - Dan DeYoung Pondering the Hall of Heroes of Middle-earth Play-By-Mail, c.1650, or The Art of Losing in the Winning Position (39) - Greg Reid Team Dynamics (39) - Wes Fortin Special Abilities in Middle Earth...One Man's Opinion (41) - Marc Parker More on Marc Parker's Article (43) - Ken Lee Miscellaneous Items (42) - Dennis DeYoung On Troops in Middle-Earth From Martin Read (43) - Brian Mason Contemplations of a New Guy (43) - Darrell Shimel More on Team Dynamics (43) - Quico Gil Beating a Dead Horse, or Team Dynamics - Yet Again (43) - Tom Walton Writing Turn Reports, Part 1 (43) - Sheldon Campbell Interesting and Confusing Occurrence (44) - Darrell Shimel Influencing Game Winners (44) - Anonymous More on Game Winners (44) - Tom Walton Dragon Encounters versus Dragons in Personal Challenge (44) - Mark Jaede Rookie Mistakes to be Avoided in MePBM (47) - Darrell Shimel CHARACTER STRATEGIES ==================== Emissaries in Middle-earth (9) - Tom Walton Mages in Battle (10) - Tom Walton More Character and Skill Improvement (3) - Tom Walton Naming Less than Ideal Characters (23) - Darin Fitzpatrick Personal Challenge Combat Results (4) - David Foreman Train Your Characters! (2) - David Foreman Character Movement (27) - Shawn Glass On the Bribing and Recruiting of Characters (32) - Brian Mason On the Bribing and Recruiting of Characters, II (38) - Brian Mason Agent Action Calculations (39) - Keith Petersen On the Bribing and Recruiting of Characters, III (42) - Brian Mason Challenge Ranks of 1650 Starting Characters (46) - Tony Zbaraschuk THE 2950 GAME ============= Speculations: The New Game (16) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Speculations: Encounters in the New Game (18) - Tom Walton Speculations: More Comments on the New Game (18) - Tom Walton, Eric Schnurr, & Brian Mason On the New Information about ME-PBM 2950 (19) - Darin Fitzpatrick Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: Lothlorien (19) - Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: Mirkwood Elves (20) - Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: The Rohirrim (20) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: Rangers of the North (21) - Brian Mason Speculations: Dark Servant Pop Centers in the New Game (21) - Tom Walton Speculations for Middle Earth PBM 2940 (22) - Lucas T. Cuccia II Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: Imladris/Mithlond Elves (22) - Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: The Rhovanion Free Positions: Woodmen, Northmen, and Dwarves (23) - Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: North and South Gondor (24) - Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: Further Comments on the Dark Servants (25) - Tom Walton & Brian Mason Speculations on player positions in the 2950 game: The Neutrals (25) - Brian Mason & Tom Walton Rules and Syntax Changes (26) - Brian Mason 2950 Disappointments (29) - author anonymous upon request Commentary on the Previous Article (29) - Tom Walton Commentary on the 2950 Game (29) - Ben Diebold Commentary on the 2950 Game (29) - Ben Pappas More Commentary on the 2950 Game (29) - Adam Waters A new player's perspective on the 2950 game (30) - Mark Jaede Tactics for the New Game (30) - Wes Fortin Thoughts on 2950 (31) - Patrick McGehearty Comments on the Previous Article (31) - Tom Walton Learning to "Think 2950": Some observations for 1650 players (31) - David Rossell and Mark Jaede Me-PBM 2950 (32) - Jeff Holzhauer The 2950 Scenario (34) - Colin Forbes Newbie Thoughts on Me-PBM 2950 (36) - John Amenta Comments on the 2950 Game (39) - Mike Hunnersen THE FA GAME =========== The Fourth Age Game (46) - Tony Zbaraschuk The Cost of Nations in the 1650/2950 Scenarios (46) - Brian Mason and Tom Walton Perceived Problems with the 4th age scenario (47) - Darrell Shimel Last Word As I said in line one of this document, this is NOT "From the Mouth of Sauron" issue #49. Tom Walton was the exclusive editor of the ezine for issues 1-10. I nudged my way on with issue #11, so he was and will always be senior editor. The whole history of "From the Mouth of Sauron" was given completely in Tom's Last Word of issue #25. In summary, it was started by him, first in paper, later electronically, to help new players. The "old hands" of the game had a tremendous advantage. The "Majiq Mafia" (Brian Lowery, Steve Latham, et al.) continued to have a tremendous advantage thanks to their fabulous dragon encounter tables (which I STILL don't have; I don't remember a lot about my games but i DO remember how much I hate dragons) allowing them, as DS players, to always have one of the slimy wurms at their beck and call. Other players (Mike Hostetter, Wes Fortin, etc.) had advantages because they were just better than the rest of us. "From the Mouth of Sauron" was designed to help level the playing field. Since I still see it available on many me-pbm websites I think it did a pretty good job. "From the Mouth of Sauron" is not resuming. Without Tom it could never resume. Also, "NOT From the Mouth of Sauron" is not resuming either. I've been out of the game for five years and I can't imagine that I actually have something interesting or informative to say. I WILL continue to update the me-pbm info files (1650, 2950, FA, and 5 Armies, I suppose) and if there are updates to them or you want to get them, please email me at home : elentirmo@mindspring.com . So, we'll end this experiment with #49. For a while I considered the idea of sending out the updated me-pbm info files as #50 and end on a nice round number, but in retrospect (and to those who know me) #49 is much better. It is after all, a perfect square. Brian Up