Winning friends isn’t the motive; getting the point across is (Carthage must be destroyed!). While I too mourn the passing of the Old School game, I also realize that there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle. The evolution of MEPBM to its current state seems to be the product that the mass market wants to consume. For instance, I strongly dislike having my name given to all my “allies” on the front sheet and whether I “processed” or not; but I also understand ME Games’ rationale for doing so, namely, to save them having to send dozens of diplos each game in the first instance, and to get drops replaced faster in the second. The first item lowers their costs, and the second item increases their revenue. Don’t blame them one darn bit. But I only have two choices: like it or not like it. It’s obviously not enough to keep me from playing.
Couldn’t agree more! I also played (briefly) a dozen years or so ago, and when I started playing again three years ago, I noticed the change. It’s the nature of the beast, changing from snail-mail to the Internet that’s changed this game. For better or worse, I doubt it would be possible or viable to go back to the “old school” way of things anyway.
Let’s just accept it for what it is, and move on.
Chris Guerra
Sorry Clint - didn’t know that one.
I’ll ask again then. Is Kin Strife going to use the same MEPBM game engine or will it be a completely new set of orders?
Gavin
Kin Strife looks good, I’d certainly be interested.
Hithlum is a bit of a throw back though, any thoughts on a First Age variant ? Not too much to ask for surely ( ho ho ! ). 
Seriously I’ve tried the idea in my head a few times but the problem being that there is only one ( although BIG ) enemy.
Could run to more Neutrals but the problem then is if they all declare the same way.
Thinking out loud now.
Comments anyone ?
Same engine. Besides the “flavour of the era” it has various additions TO the existing orders. It’s a new Module, not a new Game.
This is most interesting. So, the individual players are not responsible for their own security, The Company aims to assist them. Why learn a lesson the hard way when you don’t have to learn the lesson at all?
It is understood that espionage is controversal. A form of non-British cheating, perhaps. Never mind the greatest spies in modern history were English–Sir Francis Walsingham, Riley “Ace of Spies”, the Cambridge Five.
Sun Tzu devotes an entire chapter on espionage and covert operations but The Company does not like it. Not cricket, I think. The more this game comes to resemble the ‘also rans’, the less ‘realistic’ it becomes.
It’s Friday afternoon and since the thread is new game titles I thought I’d come up with some silly game titles. How about
Hungry, Hungry, hobbit
Nine go mad in Mordor
Where my ring?
Gavin
Hmm. The last time I saw it mentioned, you and I were the only two who indicated interest, and a week or so later, Clint said that wasn’t enough interest to start a game.
Perhaps you speak of a different incident.
Tell you what, Ed. You and I, being the only two who want to play the blind game, I’ll take the FP and you take the DS. I promise not to talk to myself and you promise not to talk to yourself.
Oh, wait. I don’t have enough money to play a whole side myself. Oh, well. Maybe next time.
A prior incident Steve. It was being rehashed when you got involved.
You are proposing a variant. I don’t object to variants. My objection is that everything is a variant. The ‘classical’ game no longer exists, nor the driving ideas behind it. Harley bought the licsense and never bothered to debrief the games’ designers it seems. I mean, when you know everything you don’t have to ask, right?
Another incident, Steve, It was being rehashed when you got involved.
You are proposing a variant. I have no problems with variants. My objection is that everything is a variant. The ‘classical’ game no longer exists.
A potted history goes like this. The Harley game and GSI game are different. This is obvious to anyone who has played both. A couple of years ago I pointed this out and predicted that The Company would want the source codes to make even further changes. Well, you might think I had accused someone of child abuse from the reaction I received. The company denied they had made changes to the game, or that they wanted the source codes or that they were going to make further changes in the game. I received private communications saying I was slanderous and received threats of veiled and unveiled sorts.
I respond to threats much like the next man. As it turns out things proceeded as predicted. The Company got the source codes and at least some changes are being planned, although I am not privy to the discussions. Somewhere along the way it looks like The Company debriefed the game’s designers and they no longer insist they have made no changes to the game.
Isn’t it human to rub the business (being right) in the noses of people who loyally toed the ‘party line’?