Editing Play-by-mail game (section)

==Cost and turn processing time==
Loth noted that, in 1986, $3–5 per turn was the most prevalent cost.<ref name=Loth43>[[#Lot86a|John Kevin Loth III 1986]]. p. 43.</ref> At the time, some games were free, while others cost as much as $100 per turn.<ref name=Loth43/>

PBM magazine ''Paper Mayhem'' stated that the average turn processing time in 1987 was two weeks, and Loth noted that this was also the most common.<ref>[[#Pap87d|Paper Mayhem Sep/Oct 1987]]. p. 1.</ref><ref name=Loth43/> Some companies offered longer turnaround times for overseas players or other reasons. In 1985, the publisher for ''Angrelmar: The Court of Kings'' scheduled three month turn processing times after a break in operations.<ref>[[#Edi17|Editors 1985]] p. 47.</ref> 

In 1986, play-by-email was a nascent service only being offered by the largest PBM companies.<ref name=Loth43/> By the 1990s, players had more options for online play-by-mail games. For example, in 1995, [[World Conquest (play-by-mail game)|''World Conquest'']] was available to play with hourly turns.<ref>[[#Bro95|Browning 1995]] p. 6.</ref> In the 21st century, many games of this genre are called ''turn-based games'' and are played via the [[Internet]].<ref>[[#Fla05|Flagship 2005]] p. 5.</ref>

Game turns can be processed simultaneously or serially.<ref>[[#McD14|McDowell 2014]]. p. 5.</ref> In simultaneously processed games, the publisher processes turns from all players together according to an established sequence. In serial-processed games, turns are processed when received within the determined turn processing window.<ref>[[#McD14|McDowell 2014]]. pp. 4–5.</ref>