The Velvet Glove

There are times when you just can’t get away from real life. It jumps up out of the foliage and grabs your ass between its talons and shakes violently. The beginning of 2015 has been a case in point.

 

The year started fine. I was putting The Velvet Glove together and everything seemed to be moving along nicely. I was getting promises of articles, I’d got three volunteers to act as my editors and I had lots of ideas.

 

Enter pneumonia.

 

Now, I’ve had this before. In fact my health over the last few years has been patchy to say the least, but this pneumonia was not good. The thing with it was that it wasn’t responding to treatment.

 

I never really found out why it didn’t respond to treatment – it just didn’t, as far as I can tell. And then, finally, it did… or my body decided it had had enough and kicked it out itself. And life got back to normal, eventually.

 

But, by then, I had to make a choice. What would my priorities be?

 

TVG took a back step. I knew this would possibly frustrate my editors but I had higher priorities, including to the website Playdiplomacy.com, where I am an administrator.

 

Eventually, though, things settled down again. And now, a full 3 months late, it’s time to get back to putting TVG out there.

 

So, this issue I haven’t really got everything I’d like. There are parts missing and so I’ve gone along with what I have.

What you’re getting this issue, then, the first issue – not a great start – is a little bit of a cut down issue.

 

I’m missing a number of items that will be regular features. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get them in for issue 2.

 

Hopefully, also, I’ll be able to get more contributions. But that’s up to you lot!

 

Anyway, I wanted to explain something about The Velvet Glove.

 

If you hadn’t worked it out already, the title is from the quote on Diplomacy being like a steel fist in a velvet glove. It’s got nothing to do with condoms, as someone commented to me. (I must be too innocent for my own good.)

 

The main aspect of the Dip Hobby TVG will concentrate on is internet play. There are a number of differences between internet play and other media, and differences between play on websites and PBEM. These differences will be explored in more depth in a later issue; for now it is probably enough to focus on the main difference: opportunities to communicate. You’ll notice that a lot of the articles, mainly written by players from websites this issue, will mention the amount of communications needed to succeed.

 

Each issue, we will look to bring you a number of set features:

• The feature article will be on something other than strategy, a wider aspect of Dip.

• We will also bring you articles in a series. The first series is based on strategy for each power (what self-respecting Dip zine doesn’t do this?)

• We’ll bring you articles from New Talent, writers who have not had work published in Dip zines before.

• We’ll have an article on a different variant each issue (or as long as we get them).

• We’ll feature an article an article strategy discussion from the archives of a website.

• We’ll give a site spotlight on a different website linked to the Hobby each issue.

 

And, of course, a Letters Column (assuming we get some feedback, of course).

 

How much we can feature each issue will depend upon what we receive.  In other words, get writing as well as reading! No Dip zine can survive on the contributions of a small number of regulars.

 

We hope you’ll enjoy this first issue of TVG.

 

Happy stabbing.

 

Rick.