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alg posted:
 Full Large regiment...pretty happy with how they turned out. Let's see how they fare at Mill Springs tomorrow
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Aug 25, 2023 20:48
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From my local historicals group regarding the WSS Survey WHY CAN'T WE GET YOUNG PEOPLE INTO OUR HOBBY????
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Aug 26, 2023 00:28
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Springfield Fatts posted:From my local historicals group regarding the WSS Survey if trans people want to wargame the war of the spanish succession... well i guess our hobby deserves to die then 
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Aug 26, 2023 00:33
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Springfield Fatts posted:From my local historicals group regarding the WSS Survey gently caress me, what a huge baby
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Aug 26, 2023 02:49
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Springfield Fatts posted:From my local historicals group regarding the WSS Survey Lol I meant to post about it at some point when it happened, but the other week we were doing historicals night at my lgs and a new guy showed up who was almost the stock mythical Bad Historical Guy. SS force, themed SS dice, etc. He got halfway through a game and then the owner whose a pretty imposing ex-navy-nco turned up and banned his rear end. Idk what you expect really at a store with prominent pride and BLM flags and a framed printout of the GW Nazi Hams gently caress Off message from 2020 when you go in with your themed Tötenkopf dice but i ain’t sad Edgar Allen Ho fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Aug 26, 2023 |
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Aug 26, 2023 02:52
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Edgar Allen Ho posted:Idk what you expect really at a store with prominent pride and BLM flags and a framed printout of the GW Nazi Hams gently caress Off message from 2020 when you go in with your themed Tötenkopf dice but i ain’t sad Which store? I'm not ever going to be any where near it, but I would support it.
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Aug 26, 2023 05:21
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I used to play with some folks that had a "no confederates and no nazis" rule, you could not bring either to a game. At first I found it a bit odd, sometimes we'd have some pretty contrived ww2 games, but they were some of the chillest drama free wargamers I've known.
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Aug 27, 2023 04:10
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There are a great many more conflicts beyond just WW2 and the American Civil War, so I can see a rule like that really fostering a diversity of wargames. Well, unless everyone just gets stuck in Napoleonic hell 
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Aug 27, 2023 05:14
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Endman posted:There are a great many more conflicts beyond just WW2 and the American Civil War, so I can see a rule like that really fostering a diversity of wargames. Sounds like my idea for a club, Davout’s Devotees. We’ll just replay Auerstedt again and again while making increasingly suggestive humms and groans.
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Aug 27, 2023 07:10
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lilljonas posted:Sounds like my idea for a club, Davout’s Devotees. We’ll just replay Auerstedt again and again while making increasingly suggestive humms and groans. 
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Aug 27, 2023 09:19
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1814: Following failed talks at the Treaty of Vienna, the CZAR OF RUSSIA, ALEXENDER I has sent his land armies into WESTERN EUROPE. Prussian and Austrian armies have been defeated, and with the French suing for peace, nothing stands in the Russian way to the Rhine. The DUKE OF WELLINGTON, fresh from his victories against the French in the Peninsula and France, has been sent towards the Rhine in a desperate attempt to stop the Russian onslaught. His trained and veteran British troops are joined by Portuguese and untrained and conscripted Spanish units. As the Allied army approaches a town to their North, the sound of Russian drums beating to quarters and the shouts of Cossack cavalry can be heard. However, the allied army is walking into a TRAP, with two Russian divisions approaching on their flanks. However, the Duke is a very experienced commander, and commits only one division to probe the enemy defenses, and has already been alerted to the Russian plans.... I played a game a few weeks ago against Dave - one of the top 5(?) ranked players of FOGN/Glory is Fleeting in the world. We were once again playing the Draft 2023 July rules for Glory is Fleeting, which should, come out this year, a standard 1000 point game. I tried something new- an 1813 Allied army in Spain and France. This is the combined British, Portuguese and Spanish army that went to defeat the French in Spain, enter France and defeat every French army it came across. There's going to be an 1813-15 1 day tournament next month I plan on going to. The army is very expensive - with 18 battalions of Superior Veteran British troops are required and 4 battalions of Portuguese. However, I had acquired some Spanish troops during COVID and with the vastly easier allied division rules in Glory is Fleeting, I wanted to try them out too. You can choose from the better 1813 Spanish, or the...bad (poor) 1808 Spanish army list. The poor ones only need 10 battalions of conscripts or poor line troops, and you can get lancers (which are just so cool). The (poorly) trained Spanish are very cheap and help fill out the army. I didn't know anything about the Russian-Finnish army Dave was commanding, but I could see it was very large - I estimated it outnumbered my army 2 or 3 to 1. I would have to put my faith in superior British shooting and excellent light troops, with a brigade of Super Heavy Shock Cavalry with a brilliant commander to act on one flank. I expected to be also outnumbered by the feared Russian Artillery.  The British 1st Division commander, looks towards the Russian lines to the north. Can the Allied army stop the oncoming Russian army? Will Superior British musketry win the day, or will Finnish Conscripts overwhelm the thin red line? All that can be found on my blogs Battle report Comstar fucked around with this message at 14:46 on Aug 27, 2023 |
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Aug 27, 2023 14:33
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Comstar posted:Can the Allied army stop the oncoming Russian army? Will Superior British musketry win the day, or will Finnish Conscripts overwhelm the thin red line? All that can be found on my blogs Battle report Well played!
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Aug 28, 2023 08:10
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I couldn’t be bothered with farting around with basing material, so I printed my batteries as one piece: Regular 6pdrs, but a cheeky 24pdr naval gun because I feel like we need a point of comparison…
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Aug 28, 2023 08:28
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I put in my last battle report into Chat GPT and asked it to convert to a screenplay for YouTube. Gentlemen, I present: The Future is here today. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Opening Scene: Visuals of historic maps and battle reenactment footage] Narrator (Voiceover): In the year 1814, following failed talks at the Treaty of Vienna, the Czar of Russia, Alexander I, unleashed his land armies into Western Europe. The Prussian and Austrian forces fell to defeat, while the French sought peace. Nothing stood in the way of the Russian onslaught to the Rhine. [Cut to Visuals of Battlefield and Historical Paintings] Narrator: Amidst this chaos, the Duke of Wellington, renowned for his victories against the French, was sent to halt the Russian advance. His seasoned British troops, joined by Portuguese and Spanish units, faced a treacherous task. [Scene Transition: Footage of Wargaming Miniatures on a Tabletop] Narrator: Now, let's dive into a recreation of this pivotal battle through the eyes of a wargamer. [Cut to Visuals of Wargaming Table with Miniatures] Narrator: The Allied army, with its mixed troops, approached a town in the north. The sound of Russian drums and Cossack cavalry echoed in the air. Little did they know, they were walking into a trap set by the Russian forces. [Cut to Animated Graphics Showing Troop Movements] Narrator: But the Duke of Wellington was no novice in the art of war. With only one division, he probed the enemy's defenses, already aware of their plans. [Transition to Interview with the Wargamer] Wargamer (Excitedly): So, I played this epic battle with Dave, one of the top-ranked players in Glory is Fleeting. We were using the July 2023 rules for the game, making it a standard 1000-point match. [Cut to Footage of the Wargaming Miniatures] Wargamer: My strategy? I decided to recreate the 1813 Allied army in Spain and France, combining British, Portuguese, and Spanish forces. It was an expensive army with veteran troops and even Spanish units I had acquired during COVID lockdowns. [Cut to Close-up of Miniatures] Wargamer: I had a tricky moment with an inert general, realizing too late that they couldn't react effectively. Despite the hiccup, I was up for the challenge. [Transition to Footage of the Game in Progress] Narrator: As the battle unfolded, the odds seemed stacked against the Allied forces. But the Duke's skilled maneuvering and disciplined troops turned the tide. [Cut to Animated Map Showing Key Moments] Narrator: The Allied cavalry division arrived just in time to counter the enemy's flanking maneuver. The Guard and the British 1st Division put up a fierce resistance against the Russian onslaught. [Cut to Close-up of Miniatures in Action] Narrator: The battle swayed back and forth, with the Spanish Lancers arriving dramatically to delay an entire enemy division. [Transition to Interview with the Wargamer] Wargamer (Grinning): It was tense, I'll tell you that. The Russians attempted a double envelopment, but my units held their ground. The Dragoon Guards charging the conscripts—now that was a sight! [Cut to Exciting Clips of Miniature Combat] Narrator: Amidst the chaos, a moment of brilliance arose. The Dragoon Guards seized the enemy line of communication, dealing a critical blow to the Russian morale. [Cut to Wargaming Table as the Battle Intensifies] Narrator: As the battle raged on, the momentum shifted in favor of the Allies. Despite wavering units and strategic setbacks, the Duke's seasoned tactics paid off. [Transition to Animated Graphics Summarizing the Outcome] Narrator: Ultimately, the Russian general ordered a retreat. The Allied forces emerged victorious, their line of communication secured, and the Russian advance halted. [Closing Scene: Footage of Historical Reenactment and Miniature Showcase] Narrator: The Battle of 1814 remains a testament to the art of strategy and tactical brilliance on the tabletop. Through the eyes of dedicated wargamers, history comes alive in this immersive recreation of past conflicts. [Fade Out with the Sound of Drums and Battle Calls] Narrator: Join us next time as we explore more epic battles and recreate history, one miniature at a time. [End Screen: "Subscribe for More Wargaming Adventures"] ------------------- And of course, I can keep rerolling the screenplay for different versions on the same topic. Now all I need is an appropriate AI voice over for "Narrator" and "Wargamer". Any suggestions? Comstar fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Aug 28, 2023 |
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Aug 28, 2023 15:33
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https://voca.ro/1fIcakQbPJXX Dall-E requires credits and I'm a cheapskate, so audio will have to do  I have shamelessly used ChatGPT to generate a bunch of busywork names/etc. for my theoretical next campaign where I simply lack the knowledge to fill the gaps. I'm sure the answers aren't perfect but enough for me as a fan of history: "What are the main cassus belli of wars during the 18th Century? Generate me the names of ten provinces and their relative population densities, etc." EDIT: Speaking of my campaign I'm still wading through 'The War Game' by CS Grant and the Wargaming Campaigns book. One thing which I am definitely going to nick is the idea of an 'atlas' scale and a 'map' scale. Each hex on the atlas is equivalent to a much greater number of hexes in the map scale - but you don't need to figure out the detail until it becomes neccesary, so you're only making as much as is neccesary when it is needed (i.e. additive, positive interaction) rather than potentially missing loads of things you never see or use (i.e. negative interaction with your campaign materials). In my first pass at this, I did a very quick map that was 8mi per hex:  This then zooms into 2mi hexes:  And finally into a single hex map with individual buildings, farms, roads, etc. all marked on it. Incidentally, my board size is noted on the r/h of the final map:  The idea is of course that you can plot most of the campaign on the atlas map until forces come within scouting distance of each other - let's say, on adjacent+1 atlas hexes. Another thing I'm going to crib is the idea that a campaign is a sequence of operations IN a war, not the war itself. I had never really made that distinction and so I always felt my campaigns were a bit lacklustre - but in the context of them being a particular component makes more sense. Southern Heel fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Aug 28, 2023 |
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Aug 28, 2023 19:02
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Southern Heel posted:https://voca.ro/1fIcakQbPJXX chatgpt is incredible for generating campaigns and the like hella fast. i alwasy do a rewrite/touch up of the generated content but it's invaluable for doing the heavy lifting in the imagining department, and i can dial in on the nitty gritty details i like and the inspiration i get from what it comes up with. and yeah "gimme the names of 50 important figures, their rank and their relationship to each other and their state" is too good to not use, even if you want to do story writing stuff yourself
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Aug 28, 2023 19:09
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Southern Heel posted:
Thank you for this write up. I'm also reading the wargaming campaigns book by Hyde at the moment but the formatting on Kindle is a mess so I couldn't understand what he was talking about with the maps-within-maps so your illustration is very helpful! The maps look great as well, hopefully they work well for gaming.
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Aug 28, 2023 22:11
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Southern Heel posted:Another thing I'm going to crib is the idea that a campaign is a sequence of operations IN a war, not the war itself. I had never really made that distinction and so I always felt my campaigns were a bit lacklustre - but in the context of them being a particular component makes more sense.
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Aug 29, 2023 10:36
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Well yeah - Barbarossa was one campaign, but so was the invasion of England in the Jacobite rebellion. I think my mistake was trying to encompass the entire build-up to war, the war itself and some meaningful aftermath in a single narrative strand. Again, Mr. Hyde does suggest to start small: small armies, clear short and mid-term objectives, etc. and get one under your belt. He also makes a point about map scale which I didn't get to before I drew the above maps - the intermediate sized map is not always neccesary particularly if you use a 5mi hex. The idea being that a move of 2-4 hexes per turn (a turn being roughly a week) is a decent estimate for a pre-Gunpowder army, plus or minus depending on roads, weather and the composition of the force. Henry's argument is that you shouldn't look at exceptional forced marches (i.e. Harald Godwinson from Stamford Bridge to Battle without a wagon train, supplies, the need to cover his lines of communication, etc.) as the norm. He also suggests that the tooth-to-tail ratio of forces fighting on the major battles versus those involved in securing lines of supply, guarding camps and generally malingering would have varied greatly, up to about 30% in a given force. So if you have an army of 20k, not only may you have 7k combatants in pitched battles, but they may be split into multiple forces to ease congestion and local supply issues: and you only need enough figures for ONE of those forces! Speaking of figures, though - I'm grinding to a halt with my 7YW stuff, the costumes are just SO fiddly and I haven't found a good sequence to paint them without having to go back multiple times 
Southern Heel fucked around with this message at 11:34 on Aug 29, 2023 |
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Aug 29, 2023 11:18
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See there's a point I'd disagree with Henry Hyde on with regards to campaign timescale. I wouldn't give a crap what the campaign turn is and then start working out the hex size from that end, I'd decide what the duration of a game is and design a hex so that movement in some way corresponds to moving a unit a single hex during a game. Allow reinforcements mid-game from any unit which started the turn in a hex adjacent to a contested hex, but any unit moving into those hexen mid-game would be unable to help as they're too far away/in march column/need a tea break or whatever. Ninja: basically building around the game itself being a campaign turn, and working up from there, rather than trying to work out realistic speeds and maps and working down from that.
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Aug 29, 2023 14:16
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I tried to get my friends to play Flames of War a few years ago and it didn't take, but now they're dabbling in 40k, so there's room there to try a 28mm platoon scale game. What are my choices for game systems that encourage fairly realistic tactics and outcomes? I'm familiar with Chain of Command. Does Cross fire work at the scale of "several squads and one vehicle"? What are my cold war and modern choices?
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Aug 29, 2023 16:11
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For WWII Bolt Action is probably the closest to 40K in tone and you can slide from there to Chain of Command for the cost of a rulebook. For modern and cold war stuff I love Force on Force but it's a bit janky in places, not the best explained, and it's very "gentleman's agreement" wargaming in a way that makes it difficult to predict what toys you need for any given game. It's also out of print last I checked, so getting hold of it would be less than trivial.
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Aug 29, 2023 16:57
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I'd be looking for something that models fire and maneuver, unreliable information, and the uncertainty of battle, much more than 40k does, so I think Bolt Action is the opposite direction I want to go in. My standard would be something that plays a lot more like Close Combat than Company of Heroes.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:06
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Good news! That's chain of command
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Aug 29, 2023 17:10
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spectralent posted:Good news! That's chain of command Great! I came to this same conclusion years ago and bought the PDF, didn't know if something new had come along or what, thank you.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:13
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You may need a gateway game to get them to have the figures to try other stuff first, which is why I suggested Bolt Action. It's very easy to grasp for a 40k player, so the transition will be smoother than going direct to Chain of Command. I've been told that Force on Force breaks down at WWII tech level but not really had anyone explain the how and why of it to me. It's possible to have way more fog of war than CoC will allow for later era games though, since you have no idea what could end up on the table. This is either a feature or a bug depending on your collection of vehicles.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:56
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I'll supply the figure  but seriously, I enjoy the hobbying aspect, it's more that my friends are now much more open to the idea of playing miniatures games, Kill Team was a godsend for that.I may also home brew a 40k Chain of Command, I think that'd be a hoot.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:36
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Mechanically, WW2 FoF is just a little more lethal with worse first aid. From a gaming perspective though, the game's biases can lead to some very unsatisfying scenarios mapped to WW2. Flipping the irregulars to "good guys" highlights how weird the game is about them, and it's easy to get a scenario where Maquis guerrillas can't actually kill the SS convoy they've ambushed. Or veteran Red Army soldiers in Berlin are nearly immune to volkstrum bullets.
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Aug 29, 2023 19:10
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Force on Force is really intended to cover games about "uber-elite Navy SEALs" vs. "hapless insurgents." It doesn't work as well for WWII style warfare where the sides are roughly even.
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Aug 29, 2023 19:43
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It should be about C3 differences rather than raw skill. I've played multiple games where all sides involved were D8s for everything and the only real difference was the activation rolls.
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Aug 29, 2023 19:46
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Jack B Nimble posted:I'll supply the figure The main caveat of luring people into coc is that the stock scenarios are pretty meh, and the ”beginner scenario” (patrol?) is the worst one. It gives a bad first taste for no reason at all.
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Aug 29, 2023 19:49
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if nothing else it gives you barely any support points to play with so everyone just takes an adjutant or medic, which doesn't give you much tactical consideration. There's a lot of stuff that only really shines when you have to consider things which are just different, like flamethrowers, tanks, snipers, or entrenchments.
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Aug 29, 2023 19:59
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Bolt Action is just 3rd edition 40k with the numbers filed off anyway We played ACW with Blood and Steel last night. Getting the hang of it finally. Really gives the feel of some brutal close-in skirmishing.
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Aug 29, 2023 20:14
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Beerdeer posted:Bolt Action is just 3rd edition 40k with the numbers filed off anyway 40k did the asynchronous turn thing first? i didnt know that
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Aug 29, 2023 20:15
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Large parts of Bolt Action are just 3rd Edition 40k with the numbers filed off anyway
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Aug 29, 2023 20:21
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lol i havent played 40k in a long time so i looked up what ed that actually was. 3rd and 4th were the last editions i played i guess, which i didnt realize. thought maybe 40k did some new cool poo poo in the intervening years maybe is what you were referring to
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Aug 29, 2023 20:27
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Nope, just that a lot of it runs on the same bones. Priestley wrote both, so they are similar siblings.
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Aug 29, 2023 20:33
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GW did mix things up with 2e Kill Team. That's a skirmish game for about 10 models a side (4-14 depending) with alternating actions and a reasonably sophisticated objectives system.
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Aug 29, 2023 20:54
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Beerdeer posted:Large parts of Bolt Action are just 3rd Edition 40k with the numbers filed off anyway Trafalgar was to a certain degree 40K in the age of sail and it was pretty fun. :P
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Aug 29, 2023 21:58
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| # ? May 11, 2024 16:57 |
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lilljonas posted:Trafalgar was to a certain degree 40K in the age of sail and it was pretty fun. :P Waterloo was LOTR with shakos and it's a good game.
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Aug 29, 2023 22:06
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