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Issue 106 Flagship THE MAGAZINE FOR GAMERS Supernova III Austerlitz Boardgames for Fun Clix Miniatures Horizons Imperial Expansion Princes of the Renaissance Superstition in Roleplaying A Tale in the Desert Conventions, Roleplaying Games, Board & Card Games, Computer Games, Play-by-Email ... ... and all the gaming news, views & reviews! SPECIAL OFFER FOR FLAGSHIP READERS! £10.00 free credit to new players. This special offer is only open to Flagship readers who should quote "Special Flagship Introduction Offer" when joining. Report from FLAGSHIP the Bridge #106, Feb/Mar '04 Into 2004 ... IN THIS ISSUE ... WE HOPE THAT you had a fun time over the recent festive season, and found time to play a FEATURES few games. We did: can you imagine your News editor trying to convey the acronym ‘DNA’ in Newsdesk ........................................................................................................................... 4 crumbly blue plasticine? This task formed part Meets & Conventions ....................................................................................................... 48 of the family quiz game Cranium, ulp, and yes, Reviews it was too difficult for editorial success, but SuperNova III ................................................................................................................... 10 otherwise the game was easy enough to keep a Horizons ........................................................................................................................... 12 dozen family members happily entertained for Lord of the Rings: Trivial Pursuit .................................................................................... 15 hours. Imperial Expansion .......................................................................................................... 16 We should all play more games, because Princes of the Renaissance ............................................................................................... 20 they give us a chance to fail harmlessly or, Clix Miniatures................................................................................................................. 24 better still, to shine. Real life needs improving, Batman: Gotham City Mystery ........................................................................................ 25 after all: it’s a little too unforgiving. FaitH ................................................................................................................................ 26 2003 was a busy year for Flagship. We A Tale in the Desert .......................................................................................................... 27 Strategy continued to cover lots of different games, new Austerlitz Nations: Confederation of the Rhine ............................................................... 14 and old, and we’re glad to have featured some Game Diaries vivid guest columnists. Because we’re an Lords of the Earth 1: Part 1 ............................................................................................. 18 independent magazine, we can reflect the views StarFleet Warlord: Part 2.................................................................................................. 22 of our readers: your views. Not that we expect Featured Articles you to agree with each other, oh no... On Screen: Computer Game Releases .............................................................................. 28 Here’s another game-packed issue as your Red Emperor: An Internet Games Site ............................................................................. 30 first Flagship of 2004. We’ve a varied range of Boardgames for Fun ......................................................................................................... 32 material here, with many different types of Land Creation in RPG ...................................................................................................... 34 game and lots of different game settings. Our Roleplaying Answers ........................................................................................................ 35 contributors describe turnbased games, Superstition in Roleplaying .............................................................................................. 37 boardgames, roleplaying and web games, which A Day in the Life .... ......................................................................................................... 40 between them offer you experiences springing from fantasy, science fiction and near-history. You can consider roleplaying or strategy. REGULAR DEPARTMENTS There’s a range of playing styles on display, Report from the Bridge (Editorial) .......................................................................................... 3 too, from the tentative to the provocative. Subscription details .................................................................................................................. 8 We’ve also new stuff here, and not just in Advertisers Index ................................................................................................................... 17 The Mighty Pen (Letters) ....................................................................................................... 42 our news columns. One of its beta-testers Feedback (Your views on Flagship) ...................................................................................... 43 describes the MMORPG Horizons; we’ve a Rumours from the Front (Your opinions on games) .............................................................. 44 review of the miniatures system Clix, which is Games Shop listings ............................................................................................................... 47 the first time we’ve reviewed miniatures, even Galactic View (PBM/PBeMgame listings) .............................................................................. 48 though plenty of you use them; we’ve an interview about setting up Red Emperor, the new internet game site; we’ve new boardgames being discussed. Founding Editors Contributors We don’t neglect established favourites, of Nicholas Palmer MP & Chris Harvey House Artist: Larry Deyell course. As ever, too, we’ve plenty of description, Cover Art: ©Steve Radzi / GSI Inc Editorial Team Illustrations: Jason Stowe (p11), Larry Deyell (p22), discussion and controversy. There’s plenty to Editor: Carol Mulholland [email protected] Simon Williams (p34). All other artwork copyright think about here in these pages. If there’s Consultant Editors: Nick Palmer, Mo Holkar free, © Larry Deyell or © the proprietors of the game anything about games which you think we leave Assistant Editor: Colin Forbes [email protected] or games mentioned in the accompanying article. out, do let us know. We think that above all, the Regular Correspondents: Paul Evans, Lisa Fordham, Articles & Reviews: Frank Bakker, Jason Brown, 'Globetrotter', Eric Ridley Martin Burlingame, Colin Forbes, John Keeler, Ben total impression which Flagship conveys - with Webmaster: Tom Fyfe [email protected] Lynch, Robin Orman, Dave Panchyk, Robert Rees, the help of all our contributors - is one of Advertising Manager: Colin Forbes [email protected] Nick Roseby, Robert Shapiro, Joerg Titz, Sven enjoyment. We are proud about this. It’s a Tommasen, Chris Tompkins, Simon Williams ... Printed by: Excel Printing: 351 Lichfield Road, Aston, ... plus our regular correspondents. shame that there isn’t as much evidence of Birmingham, B6 7ST sheer enjoyment in other forms of entertainment Copyright © 2004 TimePatterns PBM Games. Articles SUBS, QUERIES & CONTRIBUTIONS submitted to Flagship will be assumed to grant copyright as there is here in Flagship. Flagship, 14 The Hollows, Exmouth, for first publication and non-exclusive republication by Have a good 2004. Do we have any sage Devon, EX8 1QT Flagship, unless otherwise agreed. The views expressed predictions to make about the Future of Gaming? (01395) 276632 (9am-6pm) by contributors do not necessarily represent the views of - nah, just let’s make sure that it has a Future. [email protected] www.pbmgames.com Flagship, TimePatterns PBM Games or any of the Oh, and remember to watch out for the crumbly ADVERTISING: 2A Guinea St, Exeter, EX1 1BS editorial staff. blue plasticine! Tel: 01392 420582 [email protected] Contributions welcomed for Flagship 107. By March 9th, please. 4 NEWSDESK PBM Australian GM Peter Rzechorzek is starting Tribal a third continent in his popular Tribe Net Wargames game. This open-ended game with an Iron Age setting has been running since 1997 and Supersonic Games Games now has ninety five players. Details in report that 2003 was a Galactic View or contact Peter at: busy year for The chance to play a [email protected] themselves and their leader exploring and Napoleonic-period settling an unknown world We reviewed Mark Palin’s tribal game wargame, Austerlitz. Following the launch is one that’s particularly suited Clansmen in issue 103, but anyone who’s of their website last August, they’re planning to open-ended games; it’s good to tried to join the game may have been further software development and updates see that the tribal games which were frustrated by Mark’s change of address. He into 2004. Features so far include sample one of the earliest kind of PBM games are assures readers that he is still running game turns, downloadable rulebooks and still flourishing, by email now as well as by Clansmen, and if you sent correspondence