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@EX 0 ram:data/farbe @SH y @TI "STEFFAN O'SULLIVAN: FAQ on rec.games.frp hierarchy" @CO 2 1 Archive-name: games/roleplay/part2 Last-Modified: 8/4/1993 * Asterisks denote new/updated items. * * Please also see the DND FAQ on rec.games.frp.dnd, the Shadowrun FAQ on .cyber and the GURPS FAQ on .misc. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON REC.GAMES.FRP HIERARCHY This posting contains some of the most common questions that get posted in the roleplaying discussion groups, at least those which have stock answers and which aren't answered by the regular postings on news.announce.newusers. Questions Answered: 1: What are the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups for? What are their charters? 2: How do I get hold of a copy of the Net.<whatever>.Book? 3: What is the address for the <whatever> mailing list? 4: How do I access the <whoever> Games BBS? 5: Are there any clubs for roleplayers besides the one run by TSR, Inc? 6: Does anybody know what E. Gary Gygax is doing these days? *7: What about Steve Jackson Games vs. the United States Secret Service? 8: What is Fluff? 9: What is this rec.games.rpg newsgroup I keep seeing mentioned? 10: What's a Cthulhu? 11: I want to sell some of my old game stuff. How should I go about it? 12: What is Munchkinism? What does the Wizard of Oz have to do with roleplaying games? 13: I've run out of adventure ideas for my game. Does anybody have ideas for new plots? 14: What game magazines are out there? 15: I've heard of the Arduin Grimoire but am unable to find it. Where is it? 16: What is MONTY HAUL? 17: I want a group dedicated to my favorite game, how do I do it? 18: What's the Facts on ICE and bankruptcy? 19: What is FUDGE? Where Do I get it? * - new or updated items 1: What are the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups for? What are their charters? NAME: rec.games.frp.advocacy CHARTER: Frequently discussion on rec.games.frp amounts to vigorously overstated disagreement about the quality or lack thereof of a particular game system or game company. This unmoderated discussion newsgroup will give readers of the rec.games.frp hierarchy an outlet for such material. This newsgroup would be expected to hold such lines of discussion as: Champions versus GURPS; AD&Dv1 versus AD&Dv2; AD&D stinks; class systems versus skill based systems; game critiques wanted; mine are bigger than yours; and so on. NAME: rec.games.frp.announce (Moderated) MODERATOR: Coyt Watters <rg-frp-announce@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> backup by Joshua Levy <joshua@veritas.com> CHARTER: This group is intended for all announcements relating to roleplaying games. This may include, but is not limited to, game release announcements, pbem announcements, convention announcements, and any other events. Discussion of material in this newsgroup should be done in the appropriate roleplaying discussion group. Please direct followup lines as appropriate. NAME: rec.games.frp.archives (Moderated) MODERATOR: Mitch Gold <frp-archives@rpi.edu> backup by Steve Mansfield <smm@uunet.uu.net> CHARTER: This newsgroup will serve as a temporary archive for postings that should be archived on one of the anonymous ftp or mail-server sites, and which do not belong in one of the other roleplaying newsgroups. Therefore only finished work such as net.books, campaign background, convention modules, the tabolport project, fiction, poetry, compilations, and so on should be posted here. This newsgroup is not for discussion purposes, and discussion of anything in this newsgroup should take place in the appropriate roleplaying discussion group. Please direct followup lines appropriately. Newsflash: Mitch Gold is stepping aside to move onward with his life, Steve Mansfield should be assuming the moderator's mantle soon. NAME: rec.games.frp.cyber CHARTER: This moderated newsgroup is for the discussion of Cyberpunk specific topics. This group replaces the moderated group rec.games.cyber. Topics of a General Interest should be directed to rec.games.frp.misc. NAME: rec.games.frp.dnd CHARTER: This unmoderated discussion newsgroup is for discussion of the official rules and settings of the D&D family of roleplaying games, produced by TSR, Inc., including Collector's Edition Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), Basic D&D, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D), and AD&D Second Edition. This proposed newsgroup would include discussion of TSR's rules and products and compatible products, such as: character classes; character races; monsters; magic spells; weapons; Greyhawk; the Forgotten Realms; the Known World; Dark Sun; Spelljammer; RavenLoft; Hollow World; City State of the Invincible Overlord; and so on. Crossposting between this group and other groups in the rec.games.frp hierarchy is discouraged, however issues of general interest that happen to involve a D&D rulebook or setting are more than welcome. NAME: rec.games.frp.marketplace CHARTER: This unmoderated newsgroup is intended to hold For Sale and Wanted postings for roleplaying game materials. NAME: rec.games.frp.misc CHARTER: This is a discussion group for all aspects of roleplaying games which are not subsumed within another rec.games.frp.* newsgroup. It fully replaces rec.games.frp within the roleplaying newsgroup hierarchy. The acronym "frp" refers to Fantasy Role-Playing, but this does not mean that the scope of the group is restricted to pseudo medieval settings where magic is common and powerful. The common misuse of the word "fantasy" comes from the marketing distinction between the literary genres of science fiction and fantasy. Fantasy actually means anything that is set in a time or place that is **in some essential way** unlike our own. Science Fiction fits this definition of fantasy, as do other genres including Horror, Tolkeinesque High Fantasy, and Westerns. Lines of discussion in this newsgroup can be expected to include, among other topics: roleplaying advice; gamemastering advice; reviews of roleplaying products; scenario ideas; rules; errata; gaming anecdotes; and many peripherally connected subjects. Crossposting between this group and other roleplaying discussion groups is to be discouraged. In addition, there are a few groups which, while not part of the actual hierarchy of rec.games.frp.*, are close cousins of the core groups: alt.games.frp.live-action is an alternative group (and thus has a more restricted distribution than the core groups) for the discussion of issues related specifically to live action roleplay. Discussion of live action is also welcome on the .misc group. rec.games.design is a "multicultural" group which is used to discuss issues of game design. This group is visited by designers of both computer and traditional games. FUDGE (q.v.) was designed, in part, on this newsgroup. rec.games.miniature, while primarily a discussion group for wargaming, often has discussion of scenery building, miniature painting and other topics of interest to "traditional" role gamers. See also rec.games.board, alt.torg and many others for related topics. 2: How do I get hold of a copy of the Net.<whatever>.Book? A: First off, thanks for reading the administrative articles before posting. One of the administrative articles is entitled "Net.*.Books" and contains details of how to get at the Net Books, suprisingly enough. Please check in there before posting a request to rec.games.frp.misc. 3: What is the address for the <whatever> mailing list? A: Once again you'll find the answer in another of the administrative articles, in this case the two part "FRP Mailing Lists and Digests" posting. If the answer isn't in there, go ahead and ask the net at large - if you get results, please let us know so we can update the postings. 4: How do I access the <whoever> Games BBS? A: First off, look in the "BBS's of interest to gamers" posting, where a number of games companies' BBS's are listed. 5: Are there any clubs for roleplayers besides the one run by TSR, Inc? A: Yes. There are several. The National Association for the Advancement of Role Playing (NAARP) is nominally an association for the USA only, but accepts members from other countries. CARpg, which is associated with the NAARP, is the Committee for the Advancement of Roleplaying games, and is a strong pro-gaming voice in the fight against BADD and other groups that think that roleplaying is evil. The following is some info for the NAARP. The National Association for the Advancement of Role-Playing, Inc is a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the hobby of role-playing. NAARP provides its members with an annual membership directory, so game players can contact each other. NAARP publishes a quarterly newsletter featuring information on upcoming releases from the industry, and news about conventions. NAARP is also dedicated to educating the public about the hobby through tournaments and public discussions. If you'd like a membership form and more information, send an SASE to NAARP, Inc P.O.Box 2752 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2752 or if you have specific questions E-Mail to USENET chatham!rcarden@duke.cs.duke.edu WWIV Net 94@9955 6: Does anybody know what E. Gary Gygax is doing these days? A: As of May 17, 1992 EGG has completed a multi-genre fantasy roleplaying game for Game Designer's Workshop to be called Dangerous Dimensions. June 5: The name was changed to Dangerous Journeys, rumors were that TSR had some problems with the "D&D" abbreviation. It has been released and is now on the market. 7: Wasn't there a lawsuit between Steve Jackson Games and the Secret Service? A: You bet, and without further ado, here's email from SJ himself: PRESS RELEASE March 15, 1993 - For Immediate Release STEVE JACKSON GAMES WINS SUIT AGAINST SECRET SERVICE Steve Jackson Games and its co-plaintiffs - Steve Jackson himself and three users of the Illuminati Bulletin Board - have won their lawsuit against the US Secret Service. The decision was announced late Friday, March 12. Federal judge Sam Sparks ruled for SJ Games on the PPA (Privacy Protection Act), saying that the publisher's work product was unlawfully seized and held. Under the ECPA (Electronic Communications Privacy Act), he ruled that the Secret Service had unlawfully read, disclosed and erased the messages - despite their repeated denials that they had done any such thing. On a separate ECPA count, he ruled for the defendants, saying that taking the computer out the door was not an "interception" of the messages on it within the meaning of the law. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which sponsored the suit, hailed the decision as "groundbreaking." According to Mike Godwin, legal services counsel for the EFF, "This case should send a message to law- enforcement groups everywhere that they can't ignore the rights of those who communicate by computer." The judge awarded damages of $1,000 per plaintiff under the ECPA, for a total of $5,000. Under the PPA, he awarded SJ Games $42,259 for lost profits in 1990, and out-of-pocket costs of $8,781. The plaintiff's attorneys are also entitled to costs, an amount which will be well in excess of $200,000. The Justice Department has not stated whether it will appeal. Sparks' opinion was quite critical of the Secret Service's behavior, before, during and after their raid, calling the affidavit and warrant preparation "simply sloppy and not carefully done." Commented Steve Jackson: "I'm overjoyed, and a little numb. We stood up to them and we won. It was never a sure thing . . . legally, this is all new ground. We won because what the Secret Service did to us was totally outrageous, and because our lawyers did a great job of penetrating their cover-up and bringing out all the facts. "I'm more grateful than I can say to the Electronic Frontier Foundation for making the suit possible. And since the government will have to pay our legal costs, the EFF will get their money back, to fight the next case! "And if I've gained any notoriety from all this mess, I want to use it to work for changes in the law, to stop this kind of abuse forever." And, another note: NEWSFLASH! STEVE JACKSON GAMES WINS LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. SECRET SERVICE A games publisher has won a lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service and the federal government in a groundbreaking case involving computer publications and electronic-mail privacy. In a decision announced Friday, March 12, Judge Sparks of the federal district court for the Western District of Texas announced that the case of Steve Jackson Games et al. versus the U.S. Secret Service and the United States Government has been decided for the plaintiffs. Judge Sparks awarded more than $50,000 in damages to the plaintiffs, citing lost profits for Steve Jackson Games, violations of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and violations of the Privacy Protection Act of 1980. The judge also stated that plaintiffs would be reimbursed for their attorneys' fees. The judge did not find that Secret Service agents had "intercepted" the electronic communications that were captured when agents seized the Illuminati BBS in an early-morning raid in spring of 1990 as part of a computer-crime investigation. The judge did find, however, that the ECPA had been violated by the agents' seizure of stored electronic communications on the system. Judge Sparks also found that the Secret Service had violated Steve Jackson Games's rights as a publisher under the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, a federal law designed to limit the ability of law-enforcement agents to engage in searches and seizures of publishers. Mike Godwin, legal services counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has underwritten and supported the case since it was filed in 1991, said he is pleased with the decision. "This case is a major step forward in protecting the rights of those who use computers to send private mail to each other or who use computers to create and disseminate publications." "Judge Sparks has made it eminently clear that the Secret Service acted irresponsibly," Godwin said. "This case should send a message to law-enforcement groups everywhere that they can't ignore the rights of those who communicate by computer." Press can contact Mike Godwin at 617-576-4510, or by pager at 1-800-SKYPAGE, 595-0535. Update: The government has agreed to a cost figure in excess of a quarter-million dollars - this goes to the EFF and the lawyers, not us. However, they still have a month in which to turn around and appeal . . . 8: What is Fluff? A: Fluff is the polite net.word for stories based on roleplaying campaigns. Net roleplayers are violently divided on the quality and utility of stories on the network. If you post your stories to rec.games.frp.misc please put STORY: at the beginning of the subject line so that those who hate fluff can avoid it and those who love it can find it, and use a consistent title so that those who like or dislike your stories can identify them quickly. 9: What is this rec.games.rpg newsgroup I keep seeing mentioned? A: rec.games.rpg is a defunct newsgroup that was created (amongst some controversy) a few years ago and then promptly deleted from most of the news sites in the world. However, some sites still carry it. It only propagates to 20% or so of the net.world. If you want to discuss roleplaying games but are not interested in the "fantasy" genre your best bet is to participate on rec.games.frp.misc instead of trying to use rec.games.rpg, which reaches only a fraction of the readership of the official groups. 10: What's a Cthulhu? A: H.P.Lovecraft wrote a number of scary science fiction stories in the early twentieth century. These stories, along with others written in conscious imitation of Lovecraft by like minded writers, have come to be known as the "Cthulhu Mythos" of stories after Cthulhu, who is an awful, terrible being from the stars who sleeps in his temple in a sunken island much like Atlantis in the seas of the Earth. 11: I want to sell some of my old game stuff. How should I go about it? A11: Post to rec.games.frp.marketplace. There are several things that you should do if you are selling items through news: (1) describe each item you have for sale, including complete, accurate name and publication information (2) if you have firm prices or minimum bids for items, put them in your posting. (3) supply a valid internet return address. 12: What is Munchkinism? What does the Wizard of Oz have to do with roleplaying games? A12: Munchkinism is similar to "Monty Haul" gaming; however it involves playing at incredible power levels purely for the sake of watching the terrain get blown away by player characters who are unstoppable. Munchkinism also involves "rules rape," wherein players milk every advantage out of the rules. Often a munchkin will carry a favorite character from game to game, usually with the maximum allowable ability scores, skill ratings, etc - and enough hardware/magic to destroy the planet four times over. 13: I've run out of adventure ideas for my game. Does anybody have ideas for new plots? A13: There are only so many times you can use the same plot pattern before it grows tiresome. So use different plot patterns. This is condensed from Georges Polti's _The 36 Dramatic Plots_. Each short plot description starts with the title of the plot pattern. After a hyphen the main characters to be found in the plot are given, separated by commas. Supplication - Persecutor, Suppliant, a Power in Authority Deliverance - Unfortunates, Threatener, Rescuer Revenge - Avenger, Criminal Vengeance by Family upon Family - Avenging Kinsman, Guilty Kinsman, Relative Pursuit - Fugitive from Punishment, Pursuer Victim of Cruelty or Misfortune - Unfortunates, Master or Unlucky Person Disaster - Vanquished Power, Victorious Power or Messenger Revolt - Tyrant, Conspirator(s) Daring Enterprise - Bold Leader, Goal, Adversary Abduction - Abductor, Abducted, Guardian Enigma - Interrogator, Seeker, Problem Obtaining - Two or more Opposing Parties, Object, maybe an Arbitrator Familial Hatred - Two Family Members who hate each other Familial Rivalry - Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kinsman, Object Murderous Adultery - Two Adulterers, the Betrayed Madness - Madman, Victim Fatal Imprudence - Imprudent person, Victim o lost ect Involuntary Crimes of Love - Lover,eloveRevea Kinsman Kills Unrecognized Kinsman - Killer, Unrecognized Victim, Revealer Self Sacrifice for an Ideal - Hero, Ideal, Person or Thing Sacrificed Self Sacrifice for Kindred - Hero, Kinsman, Person or Thing Sacrificed All Sacrificed for Passion - Lover, Object of Passion, Person or Thing Sacrificed Sacrifice of Loved Ones - Hero, Beloved Victim, Need for Sacrifice Rivalry Between Superior and Inferior - Superior, Inferior, Object Adultery - Deceived Spouse, Two Adulterers Crimes of Love - Lover, Beloved, theme of Dissolution Discovery of Dishonor of a Loved One - Discoverer, Guilty One Obstacles to Love - Two Lovers, Obstacle An Enemy Loved - Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater Ambition - An Ambitious Person, Coveted Thing, Adversary Conflict with a God - Mortal, Immortal Mistaken Jealousy - Jealous One, Object of Jealousy, Supposed Accomplice, Author of Mistake Faulty Judgement - Mistaken One, Victim of Mistake, Author of Mistake, Guilty Person Remorse - Culprit, Victim, Interrogator Recovery of a Lost One - Seeker, One Found Loss of Loved Ones - Kinsman Slain, Kinsman Witness, Executioner 14: What game magazines are out there? A14: Here is a limited list. I know there are more, but these are all available at the addresses given. White Wolf Magazine 4153 Indian Manor Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Bi-monthly, $25/yr US, $40/yr Canada, $52/yr Overseas 404/292-1819; FAX: 404/292-9426 Alarums and Excursions Attn: Lee Gold 2965 Alla Road Los Angeles, CA 90066 Monthly, Postage + $1.50 per issue 310/306-7456 Polyhedron Newszine RPGA Network Headquarters POB 515 Lake Geneva, WI 53147 Silver Griffin Attn: Devlin Janax POB 1751 Saint Paul, MN 55101 The Gamer 127 N. Madison St, Suite 202 Pasadena, CA 91101 818/795-8130 Bi-monthly, $15/yr; $25/yr Canada or Mexico; $40/yr elsewhere Dragon (US) POB 756 Lake Geneva, WI 53147 Monthly, $30/yr; $50/yr anywhere other than US, Canada, or Europe Ph: 414/248-3625; Fax: 414/248-0389 Dragon (Europe) 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom Monthly, 16 pounds/yr UK, 24 pounds/yr Non-UK Europe Ph: (0223) 212517 The Unspeakable Oath Pagan Publishing 1409 Wilson Ave. Columbia, MO 65201 Quarterly, $4 per issue Inet: C521832@umcvmb.missouri.edu Tales of the Reaching Moon: THE RuneQuest(tm) Magazine/Fanzine Quarterly, price varies by country UK: David Hall, 21 Stephenson Court, Osborne St, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 1TN, #1.75 per issue, or #5 for three Au: Michael O'Brien, 2/33 Carween Ave., Mitcham 3132, Victoria $5 (AU) per issue US & Canada: David Gadbois, PO Box 49475, Austin, TX 78765, USA, gadbois@cs.utexas.edu, $3 (US) per issue Germany: Dr. Lutz Reimers-Rawcliffe, Theodor-Heuss-Ring 1, D-5000 Koln 1 Norway: Lars-Roger Moe, Hans Hagerupsgt. 1, 7012, Trondheim Sweden: Jussi Hyvonen, Henniksdalsringen 65, S-131 32, Nacka Finland: Lauri Tudeer, Fantasiapelit Tudeer Oy, Laulurastaantie 1, 01450 Vantaa Vortext Vortext Publishing 5506 Beaudry St #C EmeryVille CA 94608 USA Quarterly, US$2.75 per issue, $10 subs. ( 4 issues ) Abyss Ragnarok Enterprises POB 140333, Austin TX 78714 USA Quarterly(?), US$2 per iss, $10/6, $18/12, $25/18 iss Ph: 1-(512)-472-6535 Dungeon Dungeon Adventures TSR, Inc. POB 5695 Boston MA 02206 Bimonthly, US$3.75 per iss, $18/yr subs Interface R. Talsorian Games P.O.Box 7356 Berkeley, CA 94707 One year subscription is $16 USA in USA and Canada, $26 elsewhere. The Eternal Soldier Newsletter Tom Harris 1837 Paddington Naperville, IL 60563 Internet: zonker@ihlpf.att.com The Eternal Soldier Newsletter is a Twilight 2000 /Merc 2000 based amateur newsletter published with the help of GDW. The editor Tom Harris has a net address and will accept submissions for publication via e-mail Articles regarding Dark Conspiracy and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs will be accepted as well. S-mail address is 1837 Paddington, Naperville, IL 60563. Space Gamer P.O. Box 11424 Burbank, CA 91510-1424 (818) 845-4201 15: I've heard of the Arduin Grimoire but am unable to find it. W here is it? A15: When Dave Hargrave passed away the rights to the Arduin line were split between two companies. The two companies' addresses are as follows: Dragon Tree Press 118 Sayles Blvd Abilene, TX 79605 Has rights to Arduin Grimoires IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII (or 5-8) Grimoire Games POB 4363 Berkeley, CA 94704 Has rights to the original Arduin Trilogy, and the Arduin Adventure, which turns Arduin from a D&D supplement (WHICH IT REALLY IS, down to reproducing the typos in the original D&D monster listings) to a free-standing game. 16: What (or who) is Monty Haul? A16: Monty Hall was the host of an American game show called _Let's Make a Deal_, which was on in the 60s and 70s. People would dress up in stupid costumes and come onto the show and Monty would hand them money then talk them into trading it for whatever's behind curtain number one, number two, or number three, or you can keep the money, or you can take this box right here. He would keep on getting them to trade, some times letting them see what they had so far and sometimes not, until they declined to trade any more. Sometimes they would win a car, a hawaiian vacation, an airstream mobile home, and other times they would win a goat, a bucket of rubber monkeys, or a year's supply of automotive wax. The prizes were random, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Gary Gygax dubbed a style of play of D&D where the gamemaster hides treasures behind some doors and monsters behind others Monty Haul style, punning on the game show's host. 17: I want a group dedicated to my favorite game, how do I do it? A17a: The simple answer is not to do it at all, you'll save yourself a lot of grief and pain if you learn to use a KILLFILE to limit the volume of information you receive. The current hierarchy was forged after a long discussion and massive flaming. If you insist on trying, please read the guidelines for group creation over on news.answers. In a nutshell, you have to start a request for discussion on news.groups, which must be at least two weeks long. In the rec.games.frp.* is was considerably longer, because of all the bugs which were ironed out. After getting an acceptable charter and namespace figured out, then a VOTE must be run. This vote has to meet certain criteria to fulfill the guidelines for group creation. If, and only when the vote is considered VALID, i.e. there are no legitimate complaints about the voting, the new group is created. ALT groups are easier to start, because there is no network control over ALT groups, however ALT is only carried on about 10% of the net. A17b: Check the fourth and fifth parts of this informational bulletin, ROLEPLAYING MAILING LISTS AND DIGESTS, there is a good chance the system you want to discuss already has a mailing list dedicated to it. Mailing lists send the postings directly to your mailer, rather than reading them through netnets. 18: What's the Facts on ICE and bankruptcy? * A18: John Nephew jnephew@carleton.edu: Someone raised the question of ICE's solvency. I asked Bruce Harlick of Hero Games (BruceHH@aol.com) about these rumors, and he responded: >ICE is NOT in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, or Chapter 13. They were in a >voluntary-type of receivership, but it wasn't a formal one. They are >out of that now. They are even starting to pay off their back author >debt! Or so I've heard. ICE should be in fine financial shape. So that should settle the rumors. :) 19: What is FUDGE? Where do I get it? A19: Here's an extraction from: "FUDGE Frequently Asked Questions, (answers by Steffan O'Sullivan):" Q1. What is FUDGE? =================== A1. FUDGE is a free role-playing game (face-to-face table gaming, that is - not a computer game or Live Roleplaying Game). It is just a gaming "engine" - each GM must provide the "body" of the RPG in order to make it work. A certain amount of customization work is necessary in order to use FUDGE, and many things are left unstated: the GM will have to fudge a lot. However, it provides a simple, word-based mechanism for creating characters and resolving actions that is very easy to use in almost any given situation. FUDGE stands for: Freeform (simple, laid-back, not rules-heavy. Customizable to taste.) Universal (usable with any genre.) Donated (it costs nothing, and may be reproduced and given to players legally.) Gaming (role-playing gaming, that is.) Engine (it's just the basic mechanism for character creation and development, as well as action resolution. No world details are provided.) FUDGE was written by, and is copyright by, Steffan O'Sullivan. Much valuable aid was received from many people on rec.games.design, most of whom are credited in the actual FUDGE manuscript. Q2. Who is the target audience? ================================ A2. FUDGE is for experienced GMs, though it can be used with novice players. You must enjoy making decisions on the fly in order to run FUDGE. It's also not for those who want extreme detail. You must enjoy either creating or adapting your own world background, as none is provided (but sample characters from a number of genres are included). Q4. Where can I get it? ======================== A4. FUDGE is available via anonymous ftp from: Site: oz.plymouth.edu Directory: pub/fudge It is in a single, compressed, tarred file called fudge.tar.Z. Ask your sys admin if you don't know how to ftp or extract files from a tarred, compressed file. Basically, after you get the file via ftp (be sure to enter "binary" before getting the file), you first uncompress it then untar it: uncompress fudge.tar.Z tar xf fudge.tar Q5. Can I contribute? ====================== A5. Yes, you can. I am acting as "editor" (or "filter" if you prefer) for suggestions and feedback. This is very subjective, however, so don't be offended if your suggestions don't make it into the main text. My main criteria for including rules are simplicity and necessity. At this point, new suggestions won't make it in the main text for a few months, at best. It is easier to contribute to the Addenda that is attached to FUDGE. I still filter things, but am more tolerant. Simply write a clear, concise rules addition, in ASCII, using existing Addenda sections as guidelines. E-mail any submissions to: sos@oz.plymouth.edu. (MS-DOS ASCII or XyWrite format submissions may be sent to: Steffan O'Sullivan, P.O. Box 465, Plymouth, NH 03264 USA.)