Issue 4 Contents

Editorial

1994 has been a good year for Trax. There has been significant growth in the playing of Trax, particularly internationally via an electronic mail server. Several new distributors are considering marketing Trax starting some time next year.

The 1994 World Trax Championship was a great success, with a strong contingent challenging the dominance of Trax by New Zealanders. The title this year was won by Dan Pless from USA. I can see this becoming a future source of friendly rivalry as NZ tries to regain the title. 1996 promises to be a hot year!

The 2nd annual Internet tournament is well under way. Again, there have been several new faces. Preliminary results are given in this newsletter - the final results will be published in the next issue. At this stage, it looks like there is a hot battle between David Smith and Dan Pless for top place.

This newsletter also features a new column - Trax Tips. It is planned that this column will become a regular (or at least semi-regular) feature of On Trax. This column will be split into three parts: Bits for Beginners, which will cover the basic concept; Trax Tips will extend the concept to players who may have been playing the game for some time, and are looking at improving their game; and Extras for Experts will hopefully provide valuable techniques to players who may have been playing for a while.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Don't let your Trax sets go rusty over the holiday break!

News

Trax Distributors

Several things are happening as far as the distribution of Trax worldwide are concerned. In the United States of America, a major game manufacturer Pressman (of Othello fame) is considering taking over the distribution of Trax from the US Playing Card Company in the second half of 1995. One of the options they have been considering is green tiles to match their company colours. In the meantime, sets (with the standard red tiles) are available from Mel Nicholson - mel@csua.berkeley.edu.

In Europe, a French distributor Lauren Bergin is looking at marketing Trax throughout Europe in several languages from early 1995. Further north, Martin Pederson is negotiating with a publisher in Scandinavia, while in the UK, Waddingtons are considering the possibility of adding Trax to their range of games.

Back home in New Zealand, Thomas Holdsworth have renewed their contract to market Trax in NZ for a further 3 years.

Sponsorship

A NZ company is considering sponsoring future Trax tournaments. Watch this spot in future newsletters for more details.

Trax Clubs

There has been steady growth of the popularity of Trax throughout the world this year. Much of this is due to the establishment of the pbem-server (play by electronic mail) by Richard Rognlie. As a result of their e-mail games, several people are trying to establish local clubs for playing across the table.

In the middle of 1994, the Bay Area Trax Club was formed in the San Francisco region by Mel Nicholson. Others trying to establish local clubs are Thierry Grellier in France, Dave Lunn in England, and Martin Pederson in Denmark.

People News

Those of you who have been playing Donald Bailey on the server recently (user id dgb) may have noticed that his playing has been a little distracted at times. At the end of September, he and Robyn Nixon announced their engagement.

They are planning on getting married at 3 pm on Saturday, February 11 at the Central Baptist Church, Church Street, Palmerston North, NZ. There will be an informal picnic lunch (bring your own lunch) on Sunday, February 12 in the Esplanade.

You are all welcome to attend!