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        Rick Loomis the founder of Flying Buffalo and the Play By
        Mail(PBM) industry

Rick Loomis was the founder of the (PBM) industry. "Games for the Intensive Gamer"


  • PBM &/or E-Mail Games

    • Battleplan

      Type: Military Strategy - World Domination
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Lots
      Difficulty: Difficult (a first-time player should play a "practice game" first.)
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 4 to 8

    • Starweb

      Type: SciFi - stellar empires clashing over 255 worlds
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Lots
      Difficulty: Moderate
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 15

    • Heroic Fantasy

      Type: Dungeon Diving, Fantasy
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Some
      Difficulty: Easy
      Game Length: Indefinite
      Number of Players: Varies

    • Covert Operations

      Type: World Domination as CEO of a mega-corporation
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Moderate
      Difficulty: Easy
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 5 or more.

    • Feudal Lords

      Type: Beat the rest, become King
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Lots
      Difficulty: Easy
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 8 - 17

    • Galactic Conflict

      Type: SciFi - a strategic space game
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Some
      Difficulty: Easy
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 6 - 15

    • Mobius

      Type: SciFi - A combination of science fiction, grand strategy, diplomacy, exploration, and role-playing
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Some
      Difficulty: Hard
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 6 - 15

    • Nuclear Destruction

      Type: Diplomacy - a strategic missile game
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Some
      Difficulty: Easy
      Game Length: Fixed
      Number of Players: 6 - 15

    • Rift Lords

      Type: SciFi - a space trading game
      Diplomacy/Interaction: Lots
      Difficulty: Easy
      Game Length: Indefinite
      Number of Players: Hundreds

 In Memory of Richard (Rick) F. Loomis
1947-2019
Founder of the Flying Buffalo and Play By Mail Gaming


  In the beginning: Rick Loomis was a wargamer as
 Rick Loomis - The Father
                  of Play by Mail Gaming
a teen and ended up in the army in 1969. His job was to send and translate top secret messages using one of these new things called a 'computer'.

 During his time in the Army, Rick came up with the idea of using a computer to run play-by-mail games. In 1970 he started Flying Buffalo Games which used a Raytheon computer to run his games for paying customers. Rick was the first person to own a computer for the sole use of running games. The Ratheon had 16k of memory.

  To promote his Play-by-Mail games (Starweb, Battle Plan and Nuclear Destruction) Rick started going to wargame conventions. These later evolved into the larger scale more mainstream conventions like GenCon and The Origins Game Fair, that we recognize today. Rick used to go to conventions all over the US just about every weekend, only slowing down in his mid 60's. Most of us were amazed at how he could go to so many conventions week after week and not be completely exhausted, but he made it look easy.

  To help pay for his booth, Rick started selling ... Read More






 Buffalo Rick The Father of Play
                  by Mail Gaming

Flying Buffalo Has Been Sold



But the nine of the most popular Play By Mail (or more often, email) Games will continue to be run by Rick's heirs. The rules, phone # and PO Box will remain the same. The rest of the fine products have been sold to Webbed Sphere Inc. (they operate the Flying Buffalo website, now.) and so that website may soon be elevated into this century. 







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Be a
                            General and rule the world
Rule the World
                            as a CEO
Win
                            England after King Authur's death
Space
                            Battles-Win many worlds
Dungeon
                            Diving Game of Heroic proportions
Galactic
                            Exploration, Diplomacy, battles and More.
Is
                              it possible to win an Atomic War?

InterStellar
                            Exploration and Trade
Who owns the
                            most worlds when the game ends




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Rick Loomis has been honored by the Game Manufacturing Association (GAMA) as a notable person in the Gaming Industry.

This website has been established so that the many games Rick invented and those He made so popular will not be lost and the many gamers who play them will be able to continue enjoying them.

Please be patient with us as we continue to update and renew this website. Last updated September, 2021


*** Webmaster's note: Rick Loomis PBM has been separated from Flying Buffalo, which is now property of Webbed Sphere Inc. any references to Flying Buffalo are incidental holdovers in the text and will eventually be straightened out as I find and can change them. Since the physical location remains the same, the phone number and mailing addresses are unchanged only the e-mail is different.***
HOW TO ORDER
For a complete list of current products and their prices download the Product Price List PDF then e-mail or call us and tell us what you want.
US Customers: Just add up the total of the items you wish to order and add $7 to your total order for shipping and handling.
Foreign Customers: Just add up the total of the items you wish to order and add $35 to your total order for shipping and handling. If it costs more than that, we will let you know, make sure you have included a current email address with your order.
You can email your orders to games[at]rickloomispbm[dot]com  Always be sure to include your name, mailing address and the items you are ordering to assure that you get what you paid for.

Payment Methods: you can Paypal your order total to: games@rickloomispbm.com. Or Call us with your credit card during business hours at 480-945-6917.  You can also mail a check or money order to "Rick Loomis PBM" - PO Box 8467, Scottsdale, AZ 85252.  In the near future your will be able to order directly from our website, but we are still working on that as the site is being upgraded. No matter how you order, always be sure to include your name, mailing address, e-mail, and the items you are ordering to avoid any miscommunications.