WHAT IS PLAY-BY-MAIL?

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The Origins of Play-By-Mail
Play-By-Mail games have been around for many years. Probably the first PBM game took the form of playing chess by mail. One player would send a letter containing his opening move, and the other would reply with his next move, and so on. This game was often tacked onto the end of other correspondence and gave people, who could not afford the time and expense to meet one another, to gain experience against a wide variety of opponents of a similar standard.

When multi-player board games like Monopoly and Diplomacy were released, they introduced a revolutionary concept in gaming. Players could interract and make deals with one another. The winner needed not only sound tactics, luck and knowledge of the rules, but also the ability to negotiate effectively.



Play-By-Mail games combine these concepts and take them further. Some PBM games can accomodate up to 100 or more players in the same game. Most of them are considerably more complicated than chess or diplomacy, and players are often not aware of the state of the game beyond their immediate position in the game. Information becomes a crucial asset and mis-information a powerful tool.
Why play Games By Mail?
Play-By-Mail games are played by people from a wide range of age, background and occupation. There are many opportunities that PBM can provide which other games cannot:

Meeting People

Dealing with people you have just contacted is one of the most important aspects of modern life. PBM games provide an opportunity to develop and test communication and negotiation skills, to reconcile conflicting interests and build strategic alliances. Contact may be by phone, mail, or face-to-face. We encourage players to meet face-to-face when possible.

Real Competition

For competitive people, PBMs provide the opportunity to match wits with some of the best strategic minds in the country. If you are tired of playing strategy games against the computer, this may be the challenge you've been looking for.

A Penny for your Thoughts

PBMs can occupy as much or as little of your time as you like. Normally a turn takes a few hours of thought and half an hour to fill in the turn sheet, but some players like to spend hours planning their moves many turns ahead, or talking to every player in the game. PBM players have always got something to think about, especially just before and after that critical turn arrives. It could be just the thing to fill in the time while commuting to and from work.


THE FUTURE OF PLAY-BY-MAIL
Transfer of moves is now possible by fax, phone and modems, as well as paper mail. Players can also interract with the game through computer mapping programs and data entry programs. These make the game mechanics easier and reduce the chance of errors, without reducing the essential challenges that PBMs provide.

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