Editorial

It's hard to believe that it's two months since I sat and wrote
the _last_ editorial. Then we were rolling towards Christmas; now
it's a distant memory. I hope you all enjoyed the break and had a
good time. We did here, though as usual it was a quiet
celebration. Robbie was quite ill with a tummy bug before the
holiday so he spent the time looking miserable and being
uncommonly quiet - regular readers will know that Robbie is
normally a very boisterous dog. The infection came back on 8th
January and he is still quite poorly but I hope he will be better
soon.  It's amazing that he will be 3 years old by the time you
read this.

Though I was still enjoying Beasts and Bumpkins, I decided to
start a new game over Christmas and decided on King's Quest VII.
How that series has changed over the years! Graphically I would
say that Torin's Passage was superior but KQ7 is an excellent
game. My only moan would be with the main characters, Rosella and
her mother, Queen Valanice, who are just too good to be true
(especially Queen V.) Her tinkling laugh got on my nerves pretty
quickly. There are some good NPCs though and some neat puzzles
though the game itself isn't too hard.  I actually got stuck in
Beasts and Bumpkins (moral, read the manual!) but emailed someone
on the Net whose name I found in an Australian section and who had
got further than me and found out that she only lives a few miles
away. Isn't it a small world?

Alan got roped in for his usual Christmas review and I gave him
Peter Gabriel's Eve which was sold as an adventure of sorts. I am
a big PG fan and, watching over Alan's shoulder, I liked the look
of Eve though it looks a pretty strange game where you build up
tunes and construct your own versions of some of his better known
songs - among other things. Alan enjoyed it too which was a relief
after last year's Trival Pursuit which went down really badly (and
hasn't been played again since!)

There's a Net-based Magic the Gathering strategy guide in this
issue but I'd be very pleased to have any tips on the game from

SynTax readers. It seems to be the sort of game that either clicks
at once with players, or mystifies them completely.

I have changed the rate of payment for solutions as they are
getting longer, so are using more paper and the SAEs sent often
aren't big enough or have enough postage. Just to repeat what I
have said in the Solutions section, from now on, please send one
first class stamp (unlicked!) for EACH solution required plus an
extra first class stamp for every 3 solutions (ie if you order 1-3
solutions, send an extra stamp, for 4-6 solutions send 2 extra
stamps etc.) I will provide an envelope.  In a few cases, extra
long solutions will cost 2 stamps and this has been noted in the
list.  ANY solutions can be provided on PC-formatted disk if you
prefer them that way in which case the cost is 1 first class stamp
per solution plus one extra stamp for return postage. I will
provide the disk.  Refunds will be given if appropriate.

Well, see you in March, when the weather should be better!
                                                          Sue
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