аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ  ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РFР‚ЧSхМ€WordDocumentџџџџџџџџ #CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџ^џџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџames' success, lest suspicious minds wander). It's escapist, it's exhilerating and it convinces all the senses. (Except taste. And smell... usually.) Even those whose lack of stamina and hand-eye co-ordination makes them poor players at other sports - and I speak as a member of this class - stands a good chance, with a little practice. It's also as much fun to play when you're learning and losing (as you can blunder around and enjoy the fantasy of it) as to when you're expert and proving it. The future is bright; the game is only as good as the computers that are controlling it, and the advances in technology lead to wider capabilities. Some arenas have secret sections whose access is a privilege, not a right, which must be earned during the game; some arenas have special targets with large point bonuses for experienced players to attack and defend; these targets no longer need be stationary and defenceless - a modern arena can shoot back giving players more things to bear in mind! The hardware, software and, most importantly, control interfaces are improving, so peoples' imaginations are the limit as to how far the sport can be taken. And while people still idolise and revere hunters, fighters and marksmen, they'll want to play with guns and shoot each other, and this will always be the wisest way of doing it. Regrettably, there will be no issue of the sub-sub-zine TRAIN within GIT this time. The Monopoly game will start within the next issue. Three people have sent their orders (oh, look, it's the sad Dipsoc mathmo contingent!) but there's still time to join. James Pinnion, Jonathan Gooding, Iain Lovejoy and Tom Lancaster have all indicated interest in participating in the past - please pick the name of a random entity that you wish to be your avatar traversing the streets of London and a gratuitously silly special power attached thereto, and get the details to Simon Hornby (possibly via me). You'll be joining Andrew Huddleston, Phil Hannay and myself in the game and it promises to be ever so much fun. Technically this makes the description of the players as the Dipsoc mathmo contingent incorrect on the grounds that Phil Hannay is a computationist and Andrew Huddleston isn't that sad but don't let that put you off. Go on, it'll be a giggle. I shall make it so even if I have to do it the hard way. And... don't forget that TRAIN has its own outside GM, Dan Lester, who will be running Sea of Despair. Why shouldn't sub-sub-zines have outside GMs, eh? Eh? Do you want to make something of that? Do you want my five points, eh? Orders to Dan. Or Simon. Or me. Or Mark. Hopefully they'll get passed on in time. я№ё~  € л м   -./ёђ‚ƒ„6789:­В()*+ћ§`abћїѓяычуплзгЯЫЧУПЛЗГЏЋЇЃŸš•Œ‡‚}xsmhc_]a U]a U]a  U]^a U]a V]a V]a V]a V]a ]a V]a V]a V]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a %мЅe#Р b#],"l,"l"" " Њ[("ь"˜"Tю"[ MS Sans Serif SymbolTimes New Roman ArialTimes New Romanas to what to play, merely the one game within reasonable distance. People get very attuned to playing the game one way and in one particular place (they only know one arena, and soon become familiar with what the differences within play are of the various locations within the arena) and so build up loyalty not just to the brand of equipment but to the centre itself. Most people tend to favour the equipment they learned to play the game with first; for me, the quality of the overall experience is more dictated by the quality of the centre you play it at rather than the type of equipment you play it with. I'd rather play at a clean, interesting arena run by efficient, friendly, personable people using well-maintained but primitive equipment than at a place with nothing in its favour apart from the latest, greatest versions of pack, gun and controlling software. The value you get is most strongly dictated by how well a centre is run rather than by just what brand of equipment you're using. So, what does the future hold for the world of laser games? Ouch. Ask a consultant. It is estimated that millions, possibly tens of millions, of people have played at least once, and that such games are available in at least thirty different countries. The technology has improved dramatically over the last fifteen years, but the basic problem has always been to convert people who have tried it once or a couple of times and quite liked it into regular customers willing to pay another two or three pounds for their fifth, fiftieth, five hundredth or, in some cases, five thousandth game. In this way a fad becomes a craze and a craze becomes a sport. How a game redefines itself as a sport is an interesting topic, and one quite a few activities are pursuing at the moment. I dare say that the Diplomacy hobby might, at times, think along similar lines, too. Worldwide tournaments are all very well, but they don't get the media coverage needed to catch Jane Public's attention. Your local free-ads paper's hack writer may well be able to knock something hackneyed up when someone plays a hundred games in a row for charity, or whatever, but there's still the stigma of kids playing Cowboys-and-Indians with guns. Enterprising managers can make publicity opportunities appear from thin air; while the kids are inside, a good salesman can convert the parent who brought them there into having a try and talking them into playing against their adult friends. The players on the tournament circuit are, largely, of student and young professional age. Particularly when played at a high level, the game has degrees of beauty and athleticism to it, but most arenas don't lend themselves to spectators and so only the high-level players get to see high-level players play. Some arenas have observation decks, and I think they're going to become more common. The next big step is television coverage; American sports television covers more or less everything else, but hasn't tried reporting on laser games yet. The problems are that there is no ball to focus attention on, and all the action may be taking place between players yards away from each other. Even so, the most realistic hopes are MTV and the "X-games" series of modern, alternative sports on ESPN that highlights (roller) blades, (mountain) bikes and (skate) boards. You'll not be at all surprised to read that I'm a big fan. The readership of OMR is, apparently, relatively young as zine audiences go; more than that I cannot say. More to the point, the readership of GIT can, by all accounts, be counted on the thumbs of one hand. I know quite a few readers who'll have some experience of the game and why I like it, and I imagine a lot more will be aware of their existence without ever having tried. Here comes the sales pitch (not that I have any stake in laser g№ м .ђƒ789:)*+abњѕ№ыцсмзвЭШУОЙДЏЊ№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№bb]џџџџџџџџ#K@ёџNormala "A@ђџЁ"Default Paragraph Fontаџ@ўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Word 6.0 Document MSWordDocє9Вq