PANZER GENERAL (DOS) PBEM RESEARCH CENTRE
ARTICLE 007

PANZER GENERAL (DOS).......LEGACY DOCUMENTATION

There can be no PBEM classic game education without some organised body of knowledge. An organised body of knowledge consists of well thought out and responsibly compiled information sources and documents. Here are the standard bearers of.......yesteryear:

1) SSI's PG (DOS) User Guide

This is the standard booklet (released as a Windows HLP file as well) that comes with the game title package when commercially purchased. As an INTRODUCTORY information source, it is not bad at all ! There are A FEW inaccuracies here and there but, by and large, it IS a good introduction to the game....

2) SSI's PG (DOS) ReadMe File

The contents of this file that comes with the game title package when commercially purchased and installed, are primarily oriented towards someone playing against the AI module (programmed opponent). To the extent that such play can be viewed as reasonable TACTICS TRAINING GROUNDS for someone who eventually intends to become a serious PBEM hobbyist, the ReadMe file CAN serve a useful function. By the same token, if a player were to keep on consulting this information source while being active as a PBEM hobbyist, he would be inviting DISASTER more often than not. For serious PBEM play, this information source packs so much DISORIENTING DISINFORMATION that it is best that it be..........FORGOTTEN ABOUT,

3) Prima Publishing's PG -- The Official Strategy Guide

This is NOT an SSI publication ! The publisher is Prima Publishing which is well known for its "Official Strategy Guide" series covering such games as PG and DOOM. The authors are Ed Dille and Alan Emrich. How did these gentlemen come to possess all this technical knowledge regarding PG ? By TALKING to Rick Martinez and Paul Murray of SSI about the "intricacies of their game design", and, by TALKING some more to Joel Billings, Caryn Mical and April Souza of SSI about "strategising".

Notice that if something were to go wrong with this book (and it did !), SSI could disarmingly say to the readers: "Look gentlemen, our company went out of its way to TALK to the authors of this guide. If these people just cannot get down anything right, well, you may want to complain to Prima Publishing. And by the way, our company does not REALLY want to get its technical support people to answer questions raised by this Guide, ok ?"

Having said all this, the Guide IS IMPORTANT AS AN ISSUES AGENDA ! It is the only information source that I know of that covers a series of advanced "mechanics" topics that are VERY important to a serious PBEM hobbyist. However, there is a catch ! In practical terms, one should be thinking of this book as a MASTERFUL DISINFORMATION DOCUMENT released by a very smart enemy intelligence service...... Now, I am NOT saying that this was intentional on the part of anybody. Most probably, the Guide is chock full of inaccuracies because, BOTH SSI and Prima Publishing hold serious PBEM PG (DOS) hobbyists in such a low esteem that they simply could not care less about the accuracy of disseminated information, period ! The effect of this gross negligence is fascinating though. Everything in the book looks just about right but, in fact, is very seldom 100% right ! So, unless someone were to independently and methodically verify EVERY LITTLE DETAIL GIVEN AND ASSERTION MADE in the book (some cannot be conclusively verified, ouch !), its contents could easily turn out to be a double edged sword in actual PBEM play !

4) The LeadEaters' Unofficial PG Strategy Guide

As most serious PBEM PG (DOS) hobbyists have known for some time now, many scenaria tend to be inherently (a priori) imbalanced when played without any experience/prestige handicaps/boosters. In the past, a member of the LeadEaters PBEM Wargaming Club has taken it upon himself to provide the PG (DOS) hobbyist community at large with suggestions as to how one could go about balancing things out. At the same time, this individual attempted to deflect hobbyists' attentions from the GROSSLY IRRELEVANT scenario analyses found in SSI's ReadMe file and Prima Publishing's Official PG Guide.... His efforts are definitely COMMENDABLE. So is his decision to put his work in the PUBLIC DOMAIN. However, in my very humble opinion, this work should be viewed as rather tentative. Most probably, the contents of this guide were compiled in haste and the unevenness shows....To boot, many balancing suggestions are highly questionable......

Bottom line: you have been forewarned !

The author, Panos Stoucas, is a long time Panzer General (DOS) PBEM enthusiast and is currently the "Facilitator" of the PG (DOS) PBEM RESEARCH CENTRE. He can be reached at pstoucas@istar.ca