Re: Babylon 5 Wars (LONG)

On Mon, 17 Mar 1997, David Brewer wrote:

> At the risk of starting (me, again, yes, I know) the trans-atlantic
> slanging match (and for reference, I'm referring to your continent,
> not your nation) there seems something very American about hex-grids.
> 
> Battletech, Heavy Gear, Silent Death, SFB, Ogre, Star Warriors (what 
> have I missed?)... It seems like no confident SF wargame can emerge 
> that isn't hex-gridded. 

Most board wargames below strategic level are hex gridded. American SF
games usually start life as boardgames. Even if they have "chrome" minis
in the box, they were designed as boardgames. And hexes do have their
benefits -- they're the best way to judge distances without a ruler (and
no arguments too!), and judge turns and heading if 60-degree increments
are enough. 

But you have to give SJG some credit: Ogre minis is a full-blooded
miniatures games with no hexes in sight (except an optional rule :-)

> But the expansions... the expansions...

Would you rather sell one "Ship Design System" book, or "Minbari Data 
Book", "Centauri Data Book", "Earth Forces Data Book", "Narn Data Book",

"Vorlon Databook"...?

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