Front Sheet - please read! :-)

General
#1

GSI Takeover:

The big news is that we’re looking to buy out GSI. The present situation
is that GSI are not able to support and improve the game. We feel that the
only way to move forward, update the game and possibly offer more scenarios
and variants is to buy them.

This will really stretch us monetarily so we’re looking for players to help
support us. We’re offering a bonus of 4 free turns if you’re able to send
us £500, or US$900 or AU$1200. If you can afford to send us more than that,
we’ll give the same bonus for each £500/US$900/AU$1200.

As always, we offer a no quibble refund policy, so you can ask for your
money back at any time, but we would then take back any free turns you had
earned!

If you want to help us to help move the game forward then get in touch,
whether or not this means financial investment and support, technical
support or even just a “best of luck”! It’s a big move for us and we’re
pretty sure we can do good things for the game with your support and input.

In the past we’ve been very successful doing deals like this, I think this
will be the 10th PBM firm we’ve bought. An example of our success is that
when we took over Allsorts, they had 17 games running - we brought that up
to 28. More games are being played and more players are presently playing
Middle Earth with us than ever played with DGE and Allsorts, and we are
close to the record number of players playing Middle Earth.

10th Anniversary - Harlequin games celebrates 10 years of gaming end of
March early April. Whew - who’d have thought it! :slight_smile:

Price Changes: Our yearly review of our pricing structure is below - we’ll
be implementing these on Monday 5th April onwards. Other prices stay the
same. (Check House rules for details - feel free to request a copy).

UK, Europe and Rest of the World prices:
AMEOW turn (ie you send in your turn using AM or MEOW with the correct
attachment): £4.40
Turn Fee Postal (Ie you receive your turn by post): £4.90
Turn Fee Email (Ie you send in your turn by email, NOT using AM or MEOW):
£4.60
Set-up in a game (base cost): £7.00

Australasia:
AMEOW turn (ie you send in your turn using AM or MEOW with the correct
attachment): AU$9.90
Turn Fee Email (Ie you send in your turn by email, NOT using AM or MEOW):
AU$10.90
Set-up in a game (base cost): AU$16.50
Reprint: AU$4.50
Map: AU$16

North America:
AMEOW turn (ie you send in your turn using AM or MEOW with the correct
attachment):US$7.60
Turn Fee Postal (Ie you receive your turn by post): US$8.30
Turn Fee Email (Ie you send in your turn by email, NOT using AM or MEOW):
US$7.90
Set-up in a game (base cost): US$12.90
Map: US$9.50

(For reference turnfees for North America have been £3.60 and this brings it
back to around £4.20 for a AMEOW turn. Also NA don’t get the 5% CCard
charge that UK based players do due to the difficulty of getting payment to
us by Cheque.)

The following new games are filling up.
2950 2wk [Game 237] Gunboat: 4 duo of nations available. [12/3/04) Clint
playing
2950 2wk [Game 236]: 5 nations available. [30/1/04) (FilledLast:2 mth 2wks )
1650 2wk [Game 50]: 15 nations available.[9/3/04] (FilledLast: 31days [14d,
19d])
1000 2wk [Game 142]: 17 nations available [29/1/04] Game format not
decided (FilledLast:2mt 9 dys)
1000 2wk [Game 141] Gunboat - Regional Set-up; 5+1 King set-ups available.
Play a Kingdom OR 2 duo of nations [29/1/03] [6 days to fill first game -
forever for this one!)

Grudge Games we need opposition for:
1650 Brad Jenison FP 12v
2950 Wotr Var Paul Sacco FP 12v12 Dun/WW FP, Cor/KE DS

Setting up in a game:

When I get all 25 nations into the game I will allocate you your choice of
nation from the list of nations that you have sent me - please send multiple
nation choices as this helps to get everyone their 1st or 2nd choices - if
too many choose only 1 nation the system falls apart. All nations are
potentially available until I set up the game.

Descriptions of the type of game follow - please check this when contacting
me with regards playing in that game. When joining with allies please tell
me so that I can help out. You cannot join 1650/2950 games as Neutral with
an aligned or Neutral ally.

Up to 2 nation game: You can play one or two Aligned nations, or one Neutral
nation.
2 nation game: You must play two nations.

Note please ask for variant games we can try to get you opposition for them
if you are interested - mostly Grudge teams though - if I get 10 players for
any single type of game then I will put it up for general availability below
and push it, always check the rules for variant games;

I have drop-outs available - don’t forget you get a free turn for taking
these up…
E [Early] = 0-10 turn, M [Midgame]= 11-20, L [Late game] = 21+ [A= Aligned
if a Neutral, N= not aligned if a Neutral, P = Postal and Email game, G=
Grudge, 1w = 1week game, 3w = 3week game]
Bofa: None
1000: None
2950: None
1650: SouGon (m)

Some GB duos available as well - ask for more information. (1650).

(Please note past turns for all these nations are available) Ask for
specifics on what is available.

Thanks
Clint

Check out our Message Board: www.halo5.net/meforums and the “mepbmlist” via
http://www.MiddleEarthGames.com

#2

Clint,

Just to clarify, I presume you mean to deposit the amounts into our accounts?

It would be very good news if you manage the ‘buy-out’ and wish you the best of luck in it.

#3

Originally posted by klub
[b]Clint,

Just to clarify, I presume you mean to deposit the amounts into our accounts?[/b]

Ha! I certainly hope so! But if “send us money” works, Ill post a similar message…I’ll even promise 5 turns!

#4

Just to clarify, I presume you mean to deposit the amounts into our accounts?

Yes - we’ll give you the extra free turns then. If that money stays in the account (ie you can spend it on turns as normal that’s fine, basically don’t take it out) then you get to keep the free turns. It’s not a big financial incentive to you guys - we know that - but it’s a small one.

Note we’re not sure we’re able to to the deal etc yet - this is very much the starting stage and from there we’ll see how it develops - promising so far.

Clint (GM)

#5

Darn, I was hoping for a share in the company!

:smiley:

#6

ok…somebody check clint’s visa status…lets make sure he isn’t going to brazil any time soon

#7

Reconsidered Steve.

#8

I don’t really think we have to worry about brazil…now costa rica maybe…

#9

Americans on the lam go to Costa Rica. Brits go to Brazil and knock up one of the local girls.

#10

well when I was in brazil I did my best to do just that too…wonder if that makes me an honorary brit lol

#11

Hope you were not extradited.

#12

Darn, I was hoping for a share in the company!

Not for £500. We’ll look again in a few weeks to see how things are going raising funds this way. Note the payment amounts are basically payment in advance for your turns. Just helps out cash flow now and we give you a small bonus for helping out.

Always fancied Greece myself… :slight_smile:

Clint (GM)

#13

I take it that its a one off lump sum and you dont have to top it up?

Vandal

#14

no I wasn’t extradited…at least…not that I’m aware of <in best mr bean voice> and hey clint…I won’t tell everyone where you ran off to but you have to fix me up with some of the local girls there later…let me correct that to say a lot of the local girls lol

#15

>Now, if you were to offer shares in ME Games, which under your enterprising
>and efficient management could realistically be expected to rise in value, I
>would be interested, but I’m afraid £500 for 4 turns doesn’t sound like a
>good deal.

It’s not - BUT it’s about what you might spend with us in a year
anyway. We’re asking that instead of you sending that money in a year’s
time you send it now. That way we can use that to pay the initial upfront
monies and reduce the (big) loan we have to take out. The more money we
have spare the more money we’ll have for development of the game or
promotion of it. The better the game and more players the less you guys
will pay for each turn. So in that way it’s a good deal.

“4 free turns in EVERY game we play with you in the future (30 games to get
back the $900)?”

Nope - just total. Note this is an advance of your normal payment (say you
play 2 games that’s around 2 years payment). Would players go for half
that amount for 2 free turns?

“What is the duration though, I.e. how long would my $900 have to be in my
account?”

As per the email - one year you have to keep it in to get the 4 free
turns. But that money can be used for turns as normal, after the 4 free
turns are used up, and if you want it refunded then that’s fine as well
(note we’ll then charge you for the 4 free turns if less than a year has
passed). We’ll keep records of who paid us - don’t worry.

“Just out of curiosity, (if it’s not a secret), how much are you looking to
raise overall?”

Sorry that’s confidential. :slight_smile:

"Wow, not every day you see a British company (or should I say Welsh?)
taking over an American one! "

Harlequin has done it 4 times so far. (Also a few other companies - I think
10 is the total companies Harlequin has taken over - that’s about 1 per
year). :slight_smile: Like I said we’re reasonably experienced at this sort of
thing. I’m pretty sure I know what we’re doing here… (gulp)

“…you get MEPBM the program. It’s now your own personal possession to
hack and nick around with at your leisure?”

Well it would belong to the company that owned it but basically yes.

"If that is the case, I’m sure you’re prepared for a few members to have
something to say about making changes to the program. "

Yes I’m prepared…

"What can the customer base expect in regards to changes to the code? "

Nothing to start with. First off we’d streamline our operations. Running
Middle Earth is very labour intensive and this would free us up to do other
development, promotional work.

"Do you have some general ideas as to how you want to handle this line of
debate? "

Yes, but as always feedback welcome. Generally I’d want to create a group
where any interested parties could discuss the bits and pieces, propose
ideas etc and then we’d take them back to the player base at large. It’s
worked very well for other projects we’ve done. Anyone welcome to join
that group as long as they are prepared to input. I’d want to create a
Wish list of things that need to be sorted out (for example I know of at
least one bug in the game that GSI haven’t addressed at present) and then
see what player feedback on that is.

1stly: Get the program to work on PC. Reasons: It’s a clunker using Macs
and we can’t get any program support. Should be a simple conversion
program. (Simple in the broadest meaning of the word). Also we’d then be
able to do FTF events in other locations and demos at conventions. (Last
year we invested a bunch of money going to conventions bringing in new
blood, getting the GWCs sorted, programs [MEOW etc] and other bits like that).

2ndly: The bit you guys are interested in.
A) Pretty up the game - the report and all the rest if very old fashioned
nowadays. Say you want a portrait of your beloved in full colour then we’d
be able to provide that…
B) I’d see what you want to do with the program. For example players claim
to want 1650 artefacts randomised - is this actually the case? - we’d need
to investigate and run some dummy games to test out if this is an
improvement and if so then offer it as a variant game. I’ve got a list in
my head of stuff that could be improved, and other players have other
ideas, but that would very much depend on what you lot want here and I’ll
be bugging you lot for this information. We also want to keep the game as
it stands - why fix what’s broken? But for the players that are jaded we’d
like to offer something there as well. Also I’d like to offer you cheaper
games - without us losing money - that’s something to be investigated as well.

Eg “Everyone” knows that no-one recruits Light Infantry and Light Cavalry -
there’s been some good ideas bandied about them so that’s something to look
into for example, get a group together and test out potential modifications.

For those that want major changes I’d certainly want to discuss that as
well as for those that don’t want any changes and work out what points are
valid and worthy of further investigation. What I don’t expect at all is a
lot of changes to the game or any dramatic changes.

3rdly: Let’s not count any chickens - we need cash to do this and player
support. So if you do want to invest - maybe shares/dividends etc then get
in touch. I KNOW you want to discuss 2ndly most but that’s a lot of work
to sort out - some several hundred hours work I reckon and there’s no quick
answers.

No-ones yet asked me why we want to do this!? :slight_smile: Short answer, we’re
pretty sure we can do better than GSI (they’ve done a good job in many ways
so it’s actually harder than you might think) and provide a better game and
service. It also will make the game more secure over the next 10
years. Long answer - well it’s too long for this - chat to me at a
pubmeet… :slight_smile:

“Solid assurances given that the core game will be untouched, etc?”

Short answer: Yes. We might develop additional variants - and that’s one
I’d like to be able to do is create variants for players more cheaply for
you guys. At present we have to cover our costs for setting up, say the
Wotr Variant game, and that makes it expensive for you (as a player) to
set-up in it. You’re our future income so we have to look after you. (If
any indication is needed the sort of development that we’ve done so far
might be a yardstick - I don’t know yet).

We do need your financial support and mostly it’s the sort of payment that
you’d give us over the coming year we’d just like it earlier. Cash flow
forecasts are good for us regaining our investment in time, and development
of the game (see above) and looking after the players.

For further reference Harlequin bought the Legends Licence last year. The
major difference between the two programs is that Legends is buggy - very
out-dated so Harlequin has been spending a lot of time fixing those bugs
and with lots of player feedback fixing balance. Legends strengths are
many as well and with Sam’s mutual assistance we’ve learnt a lot .

Thanks for all the positive feedback (that’s not a call to get negative
feedback I’m pretty aware of the potential pitfalls thanks partially to
warnings from players!) and thanks for all the offer of help… now about
your bank balance… :slight_smile:

Clint

#16

actually it’s really not a bad deal…for 900 dollars americans get a little over 30 dollars worth of turns…assume you play that 900 dollars in a year so over the year you average an investment of 450 dollars…that makes it about a 6% return…that’s a lot better then I can get from a bank savings account here right now…I’m sure someone more inclined to take the time can give you an exact return valuation

#17

Clint,

I can’t afford to have £500 paid up front but I like your idea anyway. If you can get the code it can only be good for the game.

So for my part I will try to make game payments of £100 (to help your capital a little) and don’t care about free turns.

Good luck and I hope you can make it come off

John S

#18

when people say they want to randomize artifacts I’m assuming they only want to randomize the secondary powers of artifacts…if it’s a randomization of more then this then I’m all against it

#19

Murphy always works overtime. If you want reform you will get the reform you don’t want.

For over a year I have been predicting that Harley wanted the source codes and intended to make changes to same. As if this was not obvious to any thoughtful individual. Never the less, some players have accused me of being paranoid. Harley used terms like libel and issued threats. Some perople have difficulty coping with disagreement, I guess.

#20

Yes, you’ve been rpedicting that they wanted the source code. Of course they do! any sensible business would!

Now they have a chance to do so I hope they will be successful.

Making changes? Well it’s perefctly obvious that the vast majority of people would like some modifications, though I doubtr Harlequin are thinking about more than new variants (which you are in no way obligated to play).

Without the code the game will die. With it there is a chance we can all be playing this in eyars to come.

If you think that is a bad thing then I am sure you will say so :wink:

Colin