My name isHoward Shirley, and I'm the creator of G.O.B.S.! This is myopportunity to ramble on a bit, so bear with me.
No, I'm not anEvil Galactic Overlord. Sometimes I have delusions of being a VeryNice and Agreeable Galactic Overlord, but I eat a brownie or play agood game of Risk or Battle Cry or G.O.B.S.! andthe delusion subsides.
When I'm nothaving those delusions, I live in Franklin, Tennessee, where I makemy living as a writer.In my spare time I play games (some), paint miniatures (rarely), read(a lot), and enjoy time with my family (my favoritechoice).
Yes, that meansI am married. (Sorry, all you nubile young galactic princesses.You'll just have to settle for Flash Gordon.) Of course, if youhappen to be green, have three eyes and two antennae, and are a cutelittle yeoman on an interstellar starship, Sparky is eager to pointout that he is available. (If for some reason you believe any of theabove description actually applies to you, please don't contact me. Idon't want to know. Sparky will get in touch with you himself.Really.)
If you likegames, you can get to know me at TheMiniatures Page.I'm the one and only Parzival. Look for my astute and cogent commentsin the message boards there. They will be mixed in among my far morenumerous pointless ramblings. Prepare to mine for diamonds in ashaft-load of coal. :-)
G.O.B.S.!is not my first game, but it is the first game I've offered up forfree on the Web. (If you don't count my alternative rules for theStar Wars Monopoly (original classic edition), which I put up on AOLyears ago and have long since misplaced.) My other games are invarious states of not-being-published or still-in-development. If youlike G.O.B.S.! and happen to work for a gaming company, dropme a line. There's more where it came from, and they're all great.Sparky likes 'em! Just ask him! (Okay, that was lame, wasn't it?Worth a shot, though.) Seriously, publishing these games is a longterm goal, albeit very long term at this point.
As youhopefully can tell from the irreverent tone of G.O.B.S.! Ihave a taste for less-than-serious gaming. Advanced SquadLeader simply isn't in my sphere of interest. But I'll play a TomWham game any day of the week. (Who's TomWham?Only the greatest game designer ever! Get a copy of The AwfulGreen Things from Outer Space and see if you don'tagree!)
My favoritegames (other than my own) are (in no particular order):
TheAwful Green Things from Outer Space
Search forthe Emperor's Treasure
ElefantHunt
Risk(and the excellent variants: Risk:Godstorm, Risk:The Lord of theRings, Risk:2210 A.D. They're not just fancy repackaging; give'em a try!)
Battle Cry(Hasbro's "Avalon Hill" edition game released in the last fewyears, not the original Milton Bradley game)
BattleMasters
SpaceHulk
Dungeons andDragons(the "Basic" edition system as revised by Frank Mentzer.The modern version is a monstrosity compared to it.)
Survive(aParker Brothers game long OOP.)
Yes, some ofthese are undeservedly out of print. No, I won't sell you mycopies.
By the way, Icannot stand Monopoly in any form, and refuse to play it. Sodon't ask me to. No, I don't need it defended; it's a matter oftaste.
My game designmentors (from afar, that is; I've never met them, but would love too)are: Tom Wham, Steve Jackson, Frank Chadwick, Marc Miller, FrankMentzer, Gary Gygax, and the guy who invented Risk in thefirst place.
Games I'd liketo try, but haven't found:
Man o'War
Broadsides& Boarding Parties (or whatever that pirate-themed MiltonBradley game from the '80s was called.)
Conquest ofthe Empire (or whatever that Roman-themed Milton Bradley gamefrom the '80s was called.) NewsFlash... CotEhas just been re-released by Eagle Games! Here goes the Christmasmoney...NewsFlash...EagleGames is defunct. Boo. Hiss. Somebody buy the rights again,please!
I havecompleted my first novel (a young adult fantasy) and am in theprocess of finding an agent and publisher. (Bragging time&emdash; thenovel was awarded a Letter of Merit for a Work-In-Progress by theSocietyof Children's Book Writers and Illustrators,the world's largest organization of professional children'sauthors.)
Check out myprofessionalwriter's web site!
I have alsocreated a novelty golf game being considered by a major publishinghouse (cross your fingers), and am working on a series of children'sgames for another publisher. Woohoo!
And I'mplanning some BIG changes for this site and the future ofG.O.B.S.!
And I'mstill trying to gather big honkin' spacefleets forG.O.B.S.! for little or no money. Want to send me a fleet inthanks? Be my guest! I like these and these.
So, that's mypointless ramble about myself. Hope you enjoyed it. If not, at leastyou can enjoy G.O.B.S.!
Thanks forreading all the way to the end!
--- HowardShirley