Muir family collection on play-by-mail games
Finding aid prepared by Serena Rodholm, Student Processing Assistant.
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© 2018
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Muir family collection on play-by-mail games
Date (inclusive): circa 1991-2007
Collection Number: MS 414
Creator:
Broden, Shannon Elise-Muir
Creator:
Muir, John C.
Extent:
2.08 linear feet
(5 boxes)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Abstract: The collection consists of materials related to various play-by-mail games collected and developed by John C. Muir and his
daughter Shannon Elise-Muir Broden, including rulebooks, specification sheets, forms, newsletters, team rosters, turn results,
reference manuals and play-by-mail publications.
Languages: The collection is in English.
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the University of California, Riverside Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives.
Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission
of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable
rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Muir family collection on play-by-mail games (MS 414). Special Collections &
University Archives, University of California, Riverside.
Acquisition Information
Gifts of John C. Muir and Shannon Elise-Muir Broden, 2016.
Processing History
Processed by Serena Rodholm, Student Processing Assistant, 2018.
Processing of the Muir family collection on play-by-mail games was completed by undergraduate students from the University
of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015.
This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian.
Collection Scope and Contents
The collection consists of materials related to various play-by-mail games collected and developed by John C. Muir and his
daughter Shannon Elise-Muir Broden (represented as Shannon Muir in the collection), with Broden often playing as a beta tester
for the games. Items in the collection include basic and advanced rulebooks, specification sheets of Gunfighter technology,
blank forms to add to player's characters and locations, newsletters about game progress and player interaction, team rosters,
turn results for specific characters played by Broden, reference manuals, and play-by-mail publications of game reviews.
Collection Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series as follows:
- Series 1.
CTF2187, 1991-2007
- Series 2. Other play-by-mail games, circa 1989-1990
- Series 3. Periodicals, 1983-2007
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Fantasy games
Play-by-mail games
Genres and Forms of Materials
Correspondence
Notes
Publications
Series 1.
CTF2187
1991-2007
Series Scope and Contents
The series contains rulebooks, turn sheets, blank forms, character statistics, correspondence, and terrain maps from the game
CTF2187, a play-by-mail game from Advanced Gaming Enterprises. Also included in the series are turn results from various characters
played by Shannon Muir (Broden) in the game.
John C. Muir created various aspects of the content for the game, including the Gunfighter bot and terrain maps. Also included
is a shot tracker created by player Rob Fackler.
Series Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically.
Box 1, Folder 2
Basic Rulebook
circa 1995
Box 1, Folder 3
Battle Bot Specifications
undated
Box 1, Folder 4
Blank Forms - Arena Forms
undated
Box 1, Folder 5
Blank Forms - Payment Forms
undated
Box 1, Folder 6
Blank Forms - Pilot Forms
undated
Box 1, Folder 7
Blank Forms - Pilot/Arena Forms
undated
Box 1, Folder 8
Blank Forms - Standing Order Forms
undated
Box 1, Folders 10-12
Newsletter -
Command Post, Issues 87-241 (non-consecutive)
1995-2007
Box 1, Folder 13
Origins Awards Ballot
1998-1999
Box 1, Folder 14
Pilot Listing- Team Roster
2001-2004
Box 1, Folder 15
Pilot Status Report
1994-2005
Box 1, Folder 18
Turn Results - Alias
1994-1996
Box 1, Folder 19
Turn Results - Damian Blackheart
1994-2003
Box 2, Folder 1
Turn Results - Derrick Deathex
1993-2002
Box 2, Folder 2
Turn Results - Dorian Blackheart
1994-1997
Box 2, Folder 3
Turn Results - E.C. Vileslayer
2002-2003
Box 2, Folder 4
Turn Results - Elora Danan
2002
Box 2, Folders 5-6
Turn Results - Femme Fatale
1991-2006
Box 2, Folder 7
Turn Results - Gorrik Vileslayer
1997-2004
Box 2, Folder 8, Box 3, Folders 1-2
Turn Results- H.A.L. Mayne
1991-2006
Box 3, Folder 3
Turn Results - Indigo Girl
2002-2006
Box 3, Folder 4
Turn Results - Kibitz
2002-2003
Box 3, Folder 5
Turn Results - K.S. 'Speedy' Wright
2002-2003
Box 3, Folder 6
Turn Results - Lauraic Vileslayer
1992-2002
Box 3, Folder 7
Turn Results - Lela
2002-2004
Box 3, Folder 8
Turn Results - Petruchio
2004
Box 3, Folder 9
Turn Results - Racubus Sterling
1993-2006
Box 3, Folder 10
Turn Results - Ragin' John Blaze
2002-2006
Box 4, Folder 1
Turn Results - Red Hot Lover
1997-2007
Box 4, Folders 2-3
Turn Results - Richard Shadowhand
1995-2004
Box 4, Folder 4
Turn Results - Shield Maiden
2002-2007
Box 4, Folder 5
Turn Result - Soulshaker
2002-2007
Box 4, Folder 6
Turn Result - Ssella Doomstalker
2002
Box 4, Folder 7
Turn Results - Tatiana Romanov
2002-2007
Series 2. Other play-by-mail games
circa 1989-1990
Series Scope and Contents
This series contains materials from two play-by-mail games,
Tribes of Crane and
Warp Force Empires.
Tribes of Crane was one of the earliest play-by-mail games with a large fan base. The player's manual was quite short and the players needed
to write "special actions" to obtain additional information about aspects of the game. Items in the series related to the
game include special information handouts, and miscellaneous sheets created by players to expand game options.
Warp Force Empires was notable because it was designed to be completely anonymous and any indication that players were communicating outside
the game system resulted in expulsion from the game. It also sought players who would pick up abandoned positions in a running
game as "standbys," who would be rated on a different system than the regular players. Players requested specific classes
of races with very different goals and scoring actions. The one who gained the most points during a game was the winner. Games
had a minimum and maximum length, and a complex set of rules that would determine the end-term once past the minimum. Items
in the series include all documentation and results of a game of
Warp Force Empires.
Series Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically.
Box 5, Folder 1
Warp Force Empires - Game #17
1989-1990
Series 3. Periodicals
1983-1999
Series Scope and Contents
The series contains magazines and game reviews of play-by-mail games, including articles on game statuses as well as art pertaining
to various games.
Series Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically.
Box 5, Folder 4
Flagship's 1991-1992 Who's Who Among Play By Mail Gamers
1991-1992
Box 5, Folder 6
The New Gaming Universal - Issues 1987 #2, 6, 7
1987
Box 5, Folder 7
Paper Mayhem- Issues 55, 58, 65, 68, 73, 81-84
1992-1997
