Bibliography Validation

 “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”

— Rene Descartes

Every so often I feel inspired (compelled?) to revisit topics I’ve explored in the past. My latest? Bibliographies, which I last featured in July 2024 in “Inspiring Citations.” That piece mostly focused on sources listed in bibliographies sending readers off to learn more about a game subject, whether for their own edification or incorporation in their hobby activities...a process that perpetuates itself as readers look at the bibliographies in those subsequent resources. And I’ll touch on that again here. But lately I’ve been finding bibliographies also give my frail self-esteem a sense that my past intellectual explorations have merit when I find sources I’ve read in the past listed in more current, relevant work. Bibliographies can send us off in new, exciting directions of personal and professional research as well as validate our past readings to remind us we’re on the right course.

The Language of Games

“Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”

— Genesis 11:9

Language is a very dodgy code, even among those who purportedly understand the same one. Each word is paired with a corresponding meaning...often more than one nuanced meaning, depending on context. Humans “fluent” in a particular language don’t always have the same or a very precise sense of meaning for some words; dialects further confuse our understanding of the language code. I love hearing British slang terms, variations on the English language that only prove the adage “Two peoples separated by a common language.” We constantly use words that don’t mean what we think they mean. We garble our communications using words that impart imprecise concepts and attitude, whether on the phone, in texts and e-mails, even in person. The speaker and recipient frequently have different concepts of how words carry meaning and tone, especially in rushed, spontaneous conversations we fire off in our impatient, relentlessly rapid-paced society. Specialized fields often create and use their own jargon within the common language, further complicating communication, especially with outsiders. This frequently leads to a great deal of misunderstanding and emotional friction. I can only speak for those “fluent” in English, but the way we talk about the myriad diversions under the heading of “games” leads us to struggle as we constantly adapt to new perspectives and developments in the vast, ever-expanding universe of adventure gaming.

Lately I’ve noticed various gamers commenting online about the difficulty of talking about games and the ways we classify them. Such discussions become more frustrating and heated when crossing the unseen boundaries between disciplines using games of various forms: game aficionados; academics and educators; wargame professionals; internet influencers; game designers and publishers; informed generalists of a variety of game-related subjects (all representing a sampling of my own limited understanding of such seemingly innumerable gaming “tribes” in which some people maintain multiple memberships). Finding consensus isn’t always possible, even within any of those spheres.

Look at those in the serious wargaming sphere for an example. As an informed generalist observing the serious game field from the outside I’ve noticed many experts — in papers, articles, presentations, and books — discuss briefly or in depth the question of what constitutes a wargame and what terms we use when we discuss the subject. The words “war” and “game” come with many connotations, few of which reflect positively on the activity. Do we call it a wargame? Serious game? Rigid or free Kriegsspiel? Conflict simulation? Chart maneuvers? How do we characterize its specific execution: matrix game, miniature wargame, board game, tabletop exercise? (And I’m not even touching the editorial issues of whether we print it as “war game,” “wargame,” or “war-game.”) Many authors offer a concise overview of the conundrum in relation to wargaming in general and their own work in particular, often with a brief summary of their own definitions used in the presentation in question. And many times the consensus remains to learn and adapt to new terms within disciplines, and sometimes across them.

I have in the past opined on the lamentable reality that, to many uninitiated observers, “roleplaying games” remains primarily synonymous with “Dungeons & Dragons” despite the amazing diversity of theme and form that evolved in the past 50 years. Roleplaying games remain infamous for incorporating “What Is A Roleplaying Game?” sections in the early parts of rulebooks. Many include the suggestion to skip this portion if readers know about roleplaying games. While I appreciate assuming most readers do not have a familiarity with your subject — a practice hammered into me in countless high-school writing assignments — these explanatory sections don’t always seem necessary. Or do they? In their more than half-century of existence, roleplaying games have evolved greatly and expanded exponentially in the internet age as personal publishing and online distribution channels allowed everyone to produce their own “roleplaying game” across numerous genres and forms. This opened the Pandora’s Box of what constitutes a roleplaying game in the 21st century. Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons, Traveller, Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, and other 20th-century fare offer very different, arguably “traditional” takes on roleplaying games than more recent fare like Fate-driven games introducing more player agency through stunts and aspects, Powered by the Apocalypse games with moves, “playbook” classes, and collaborationist settings, and current “indie” games which sometimes seem more like cooperative storytelling exercises. James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service and A Cool and Lonely Courage may be espionage-themed “roleplaying games,” but the experiences they inspire at the table seem very different.

(Adding to the confusion across the board is the difference between “analog” or “tabletop” games and “electronic” or “computer” games; intensified by the general public’s perception of 21st century games as ubiquitous electronic games and not the niche, sometimes inaccessible seeming tabletop games.)

Some folks try standardizing the language we use to categorize games no matter what gaming spheres we inhabit. I applaud their work, even if they’re not so broad as to cover all of the adventure gaming hobby. They offer a language framework — and often a model of thinking — that works best for their particular field and their specific objective at the time. For instance, Dr. Jeremiah McCall offers a good example in his article “The Historical Problem Space Framework for Game Analysis and Design,” where an admittedly developing glossary of terms helps readers navigate and understand his ideas on developing engaging, meaningful games within a historical context.

As an advocate and admirer of such end-matter as bibliographies in articles and books, I also seek out glossaries to define and clarify terms used in the text. I don’t often see them in shorter articles and papers, but I find such a reference a necessary and helpful guide to following the author’s ideas and putting them in context. Sometimes they might seem redundant, much like those infamous “What Is A Roleplaying Game?” pieces. But a quick list of key terms and definitions up front can prepare readers for the coming ideas by giving them a sense of how the author uses language to view game issues. I wish we could find a common linguistic framework so the many people working across the gaming landscape can share a language and understanding. It may seem like a solution looking for a problem. Does the broad gaming community suffer from a lack of a common language to even just categorize game types? Surely this is just a manifestation of my own obsession to find/impose some sense of order on a world otherwise governed by the Lord of Chaos. I admit I often succumb into the very human urge to simplify things. The world remains so infinitely complex, with few issues without a host of complicated contributing factors. We like simplicity: this or that, hot or cold, black or white, good or bad. In many cases it seems a harmless way of categorizing things so we don’t have to think too much about them...which sometimes leads to problems when complexity really requires some understanding and consideration.

Yet for those involved in various forms of gaming — even simple dabbling by informed generalists — communicating clearly with people in different spheres takes time and understanding before we get to the heady work of discussing and advancing new ideas. But standardizing our language across the tribal fiefdoms the broad gaming community has established over the years, and continues to establish, remains a seemingly unattainable goal. Common lexicons can help us talk about games in certain carefully defined contexts, but games and the communities formed around them constantly shift and evolve. Humans and languages being what they are in an extremely imperfect world, few efforts at universally codifying the gaming taxonomy would even approach effectiveness. Often we are too tribally contentious to accept someone else’s definitions for categorizing games suits our particular and extremely specialized niche of the adventure gaming hobby. Combine that with gamers’ seemingly stereotypical urge to modify rules or simply re-write or re-design them to our own tastes. I’ve seen some folks struggle in online interactions, hoping to foster a higher-order discussion of some adventure gaming issue but spending time and effort explaining their particular definitions of concepts to suit the specific context.

I suppose the best I can offer to this complex and very human problem remains to encourage those writing about games — of all subjects, not just how to categorize them — to provide clear definitions, in text and in a glossary, to help readers understand how individuals relate to game terms. To have patience with those of us who might prove slow to adapt to new lexicons, or even resistant to doing so. I think, in the end, in the absence of a generally accepted taxonomy for adventure games, we simply have to settle for remaining receptive, patient, and open-minded when communicating with each other. Being aware of our own perspectives and those of others in different gaming spheres. Being willing to concisely explain our linguistic shorthand so we make sure everyone’s on the same page as we move forward to discuss deeper topics...and willing to adapt to the definitions others use to speak from their particular perspectives.

“Here’s an example: chapeau means hat. Œuf means egg. It’s like those French have a different word for everything.”

— Steve Martin

Morschauser’s Wargame Rules

 “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

— Henry David Thoreau

I’ve enjoyed many of John Curry’s volumes in his History of Wargames Project, from republication of early wargame rules and historical wargames used for training and analysis to treatises on matrix games and other serious wargaming. I recently acquired one that had previously eluded me, Joseph Morschauser’s How to Play War Games in Miniature: A Forgotten Wargaming Pioneer: Early Wargames Vol. 3. I was initially lured to it by the claim it included an introduction of a gridded play surface into miniature wargaming, but I pleasantly found it filled with intuitive, concise rules, options for basing, and overall solid advice for miniature wargaming newcomers just as relevant and inspiring as when it was first published more than 50 years ago. It was a refreshing affirmation of many miniature wargaming elements I’ve come to enjoy over the years: concise simplicity; based units; flexibility between open battlefield and gridded surface; flexibility between eliminating units or keeping a roster for a multiple hit system; and an overall informative and welcoming approach to hobby.

Sharing Our Toys

 “A toy is seen both as a bauble and as an intellectual machine.”

— Brian Sutton-Smith

Sharing my Star Wars Mos Eisley
toys at a convention back in the
20th century.

I have a lot of gaming toys (some would argue too many) and I don’t share them enough. Roleplaying game books. Boxed wargames. Board games. Piles of material for miniature wargames of numerous kinds. Even a few card games. Having a much smaller circle of acquaintances than in my youth — and hence fewer possibilities to gather folks around the table for a game — I’m always seeking new opportunities where I can share my “toys” with others. I also find taking advantage of playing with other people’s shared toys can expose us to new experiences and help evaluate if they’re something we’d pursue on our own.

Remembering Jean Rabe

 “Virtues are acquired through endeavor, Which rests wholly upon yourself. So, to praise others for their virtues can but encourage one’s own efforts.”

— Thomas Paine

Jean Rabe, 1957–2026

Beloved author and game industry luminary Jean Rabe passed away on January 19, 2026. She was among what I’d consider the “old guard” in the tabletop roleplaying game industry, a veteran of early TSR, head of the Roleplaying Gamer Association (RPGA), host of numerous writers symposiums, and prolific author of fantasy and science fiction literature. She was also a staunch advocate for many who sought opportunities in writing and publishing. Her friendship and efforts helped me during one of the most difficult times of my life: my “Desperate Freelancing Years” after West End Games went bankrupt and dismissed its creative staff.

WEG Memoirs: Galaxywide NewsNets

 “The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.”

— Edward R. Murrow

West End Games Star Wars Adventure Journal offered many opportunities to publish new material exploring and expanding the wider Star Wars galaxy. New short fiction featured new characters and beloved standards. Source material provided fresh setting elements to enhance games. And adventures offered ready-made action to drop into a game night or mine for inspiration. I’ll be the first to admit that — as a quarterly periodical with deadlines and a limited pool of approved authors — not every article provided stellar-quality material. All passed Lucasfilm standards at the time, but a few really stood out. “Galaxywide NewsNets” was an early example, one that established a previously unexplored aspect of the setting that continued providing inspiration in subsequent Journal issues...and even well into the new era of continuity.

Coping Strategies with Game Hobbies

 “It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness, and a mood of helplessness prevail.”

— Lech Walesa

I am resisting retreating from the world for a while, as I occasionally have when everything seems overwhelming; my usual euphemism for doing so is going to the “Hermitage on the Edge of Oblivion.” Much as I’d like to temporarily remove myself from social media and the madness of the world at large, I cannot. In the absence of actual day-to-day friends I see in person, online interaction remains my primary engagement with other relatively friendly humans (such as it is). So while maintaining awareness of the horrors unfolding in the news, I take the time to indulge in “self care” activities to maintain my ability to function daily and prevent my further descent into madness. Most of these relate to my activities in the adventure gaming hobby and peripheral interests. In outlining them here, I hope readers might find helpful strategies; if not an exact match, then some inspiration for similar pursuits offering temporary respite and renewal before braving the monstrous indifference and active misery our current reality forces upon us.

The Year Behind & the Year Ahead

 “Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

— Charles Dickens

I’m not a fan of year-end summaries of top 10 this and top 10 that, the numerous people we admired who passed away, and a look back on a few positive highlights that never quite illuminate the darkness of what seems like a 10,000-day year of constant awfulness at various levels. I don’t care to innumerate my past achievements (usually because they don’t amount to much) or state my resolutions or other expectations for the coming year. But our society places meaning on year-end reflection on past and future, so I’ll indulge a little in looking back and forward on the few promising game-related bits that shone like bright pinpricks against the vast canvas of darkness.

Wargame Calendar Challenge

“Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.”

— H.G. Wells

One of the perks of my time working at West End Games was going along with the sales director to the GAMA trade shows to promote our game lines, notably the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. The trade show has changed a great deal over the years, but way back then exhibitors often chummed around with each other (also promoting their games) and traded product or gave away promotional items. Much of the “loot” I brought back I shared with colleagues (primarily dice), but a few I kept. On one trip to the GAMA trade show Osprey Publishing was celebrating its 25th anniversary; the promotional item staff gave out was a gorgeous, hardcover Osprey Illustrated Military Diary 1997. I never wrote in it. But it inspired me to explore historical periods and conflicts beyond what interested me at the time...and, as my wargaming hobby has expanded over the years, it’s tempted me with a historical game challenge: to run a game every week associated with a timely event.I have long admired the amazing graphic design behind the Osprey military history books. They often rely on primary photographs and original maps, but the highlight for me comes from the amazing original artwork depicting combatants, their equipment and uniforms, and the actions they fought. They’ve informed several of my historically based roleplaying game projects and have helped me research numerous elements for miniature wargames.

Imagination Sourcebooks

 “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

— Albert Einstein

Early efforts at creating my own
roleplaying game material.

I recently culled a few roleplaying books from my collection to trade for credit with Noble Knight Games. Some were predictable titles I once desired but have since decided just didn’t interest me anymore for a variety of reasons: my attitudes toward genres changing, noting I’d not played them, or realizing I’d never really put them to use either as inspiration or at the game table. Better to trade them for other game items that engage me at this moment. Reflecting on what to release from my library reminded me how roleplaying games ultimately rely on our imaginations. Beyond a core rule book and perhaps a few remarkable sourcebooks for a game line, we could ostensibly run a lifetime of campaigns based off our own creativity within the scope of a familiar game world...devising in one form or another a kind of “imagination sourcebook” for our version of a particular game. And while it’s sometimes nice to have “official” source material or a scenario to guide us, ultimately what plays out at the game table relies on our own imaginations to bring the setting to life.

Nouns & Scenario Design

 “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

I’m enjoying a spate of adventure design and writing as I prepare a Pulp Egypt scenario for an upcoming convention game. I haven’t run a roleplaying game session in a while; it’s been a few years since I penned one (and that’s still not seen publication). But I’ve wanted to run a new Pulp Egypt adventure for a while and this idea had been percolating in the back of my head for a while. I’d thought of writing it as a D6 System solitaire adventure (much like Trapped in the Museum, but a bit longer), with the character pursuing a mystery around notable locations in Cairo, but I wasn’t ready for another fully involved programmed adventure. So when friends asked me to run something at this upcoming convention, I started putting ideas on the page. It all proved an opportunity to try something different with my scenario design and writing process.

Remembering Al Leonardi

 “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.”

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Al Leonardi, from his interview
in Adventure Gaming #4, Oct. 1981,
a few years before I met him.

Last week we learned Alfred Leonardi passed away on July 12, 2025. He was a history teacher who used games to engage his students, yet among gamers is perhaps best known for his innovative “combat picture book games” like Ace of Aces and the Lost Worlds series. Leonardi’s obituary celebrates a man who loved teaching, loved games, and loved bringing history to life through games. He reminds me how a passion for teaching and learning can manifest itself through games to both entertain and educate. I met him back in 1985 at my first-ever game convention. Leonardi took the time to talk with a socially awkward teenager who exhibited near-uncontained exuberance for the adventure gaming hobby at the time. I only met him that once, far too briefly, yet in his own way Leonardi’s enthusiasm lurked in the back of my years of hobby activity. His dedication to games and education has been lurking in my subconscious ever since, quietly reminding me that using games remains an entertaining and effective method for learning.

Revisiting the Battle of Ridgefield

 “On the 27th in the morning the troops quitted Danbury, and met with little opposition until they came near to Ridgefield, which was occupied by Gen. Arnold.”

— General William Howe

James Sharp's "A Skirmish
in America" (1780).

It’s summertime, which means I give myself a little indulgence to miss a week’s posting or two, or three (as evidenced by my blog archive in the sidebar). Sometimes I just need time to recharge, as many of us do in the summer months. Other times we’re so busy with various activities I don’t have time for thoughtful reflection and writing about adventure game hobby issues. Yet I still manage to find some inspiration, whether through rest or exploration, I can channel into Hobby Games Recce. We recently returned from a trip visiting family and friends in New England, including a stop at my favorite independent bookshop, Books on the Common in Ridgefield, CT, where I picked up the most recent book about my hometown’s RevolutionaryWar battle; inspiration for my wargaming exploration of this small yet influential engagement.

Advice & Inspiration for Gaming Andor

“There will be times when the struggle seems impossible.”

— Nemik’s Manifesto

Watching the Star Wars series Andor has me thinking about running a D6 Star Wars Roleplaying Game campaign again (assuming I had any interested players...). Back in my younger years, toward the end of the 20th century, I would have hoped to see a specific roleplaying game sourcebook covering all elements we saw in Andor: planets, weapons, characters, locations, vehicles, starships, organizations, character templates, and gamemaster advice But after 30 years, multiple versions of an official Star Wars roleplaying game, and a flood of Star Wars media I’m encouraged I — and maybe the hobby overall — have grown from focusing on formally published game supplements to embracing the wealth of media resources available in today’s information landscape so fans can create their own do-it-yourself roleplaying game experiences in their favorite settings. So I’m re-watching the media, browsing through relevant sources (and eyeing new ones), and, in reflecting on the kinds of stories in a resistance-driven “Dawn of Rebellion” era, looking to similar, adjacent resources for knowledge and inspiration.

WEG Memoirs: Rejection Letters

 “Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”

— Goethe

West End Games headquarters, a warehouse
in the middle of nowhere, around 1993.

These days I’m thinking more about my time as the Star Wars Adventure Journal editor at West End Games back in the mid 1990s, before the company went bankrupt in the summer of 1998. Right now I’m still stumbling through a job search in various fields, rather unsuccessfully, and managing the discouragement one feels in today’s impersonal job market dominated by algorithms and artificial intelligence reviewing applicant qualifications. Maybe I’m too sensitive, having applied a more personal touch in my former editorial duties and having focused on customer service in various part-time, face-to-face office support jobs since. I’m sure many folks seeking jobs could have benefited from having an actual human offering guidance, advice, and encouragement. Personal interaction seems secondary to displacing whatever tasks we can onto computers...a trajectory I don’t see improving as we careen carelessly further into the 21st century. But I take some small solace remembering some of the care I took back at West End Games, working with potential authors, reviewing and critiquing their work, all with the ultimate goal of publishing good Star Wars Roleplaying Game source material.

Emulation as Inspiration Strategy

 “Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.”

— Voltaire

We find inspiration in many forms, whether for our game endeavors or other aspects in our lives. Emulating things we admire is one step along the path we take creating something new. We often look to similar sources for inspiration on our immediate projects. How does one game handle this kind of mechanic? How does another simulate a particular situation or dynamic? I’ve encountered emulation as inspiration strategy throughout my creative life, even as a teenager newly immersed in roleplaying games...and inspired to create my own fanzine based on the industry publication, Dragon magazine, I admired. This strategy works for our developing games in both form and function. We look to other games to see what graphic and component elements we might adapt to our own designs. We also draw on our exposure to mechanics when developing our own games, whether roleplaying games, board games, or wargames. Having a familiarity with numerous game systems can help us in designing our own, offering inspiration from a wide field of experience to create a more accurate game simulation experience.

“Write What You Know”

 “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

— Vincent Van Gogh

On those rare occasions people ask me for writing advice, I tell them “Write what you know”...and it’s just as valid for game design. It’s one of those trite maxims we parrot as “advice” that, without reflection, means little beyond its superficial simplicity. Yet it’s not an axiom on which to sit complacently, to limit one to writing or designing only based on what they know at that moment. It is a challenge. Write and design what you know...and if you want to work with something you don’t know, strive to know it. Research. The concept is related to another saying worthy of reflection, from Socrates: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing” (expressed in other times and cultures by various people). And if we know nothing, we must go out and learn something, experience something, so we can draw on that knowledge in our future endeavors...especially activities we do for fun.

My Favorite RPGs

 “In our leisure we reveal what kind of people we are.”

— Ovid

Goodness knows I’ve played a good number of roleplaying games over the years. Sometimes I dabbled by reading rule- and sourcebooks, drafting some characters, jotting down adventure notes, even writing entire scenarios. Other times, after all the preparatory play activities, I brought a game to the table with friends or even strangers at a convention. I’ve played one-shots and lengthy campaigns. Along the way I tried numerous rules systems in various genres, with varying degrees of success and satisfaction. Although I’ve enjoyed it all — and some stand out as pleasant memories of my gaming past — I’ve come to admire a few games, both systems and settings, I’d default to if I had more chances to run roleplaying games.

Finding Joy in the Past Year

 “Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.”

— Jane Austen

I’m slow in my New Year’s appreciations, given how numerous holiday preparations and celebrations in November and December consume my life. That said, I wanted to look back at 2024 to remind myself of the highlights that brought joy to me amid occasional heartache and disappointment...and in the face of the anxieties, hardships, and challenges I — and the world — face in 2025. The Jane Austen quote I used in my last blog post encouraged my usually pessimistic self to reflect on positive events that uplifted us throughout 2024. It comes as no surprise they’re mostly related to games, books, and history. I’m hoping these memories sustain and inspire me through the difficult times ahead.

So Long 2024

 “Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.”

— Jane Austen

I dislike the year-end cacophony of click-bait news stories looking back on the old year. A recap of top 10 news stories, cultural fads, and other vapid remembrances. A retrospective on celebrities and notables we lost. How various aspects of our lives have changed (rarely for the good). I also dislike looking back on my own experience of the past year. Sure, it was punctuated with high points, sometimes exceedingly positive events. But these stand out as pinpricks on the vast dark canvas of everyday life. I shouldn’t complain; I have much for which I should be thankful. Still, I can’t help but look back on even Hobby Games Recce and try to find some positive signiificance in it all.