American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

<b>News from the Front</b>

This just in, today's date, 9-26-06:<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Denny,

I asked my scenario designers to review your website and they found some ideas there they found interesting. They are in the process of compiling their list and then will let me know. I’ll pass along this idea to them as well.

John<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Denny
Sholess, CSA
Secretary of the Cabinet, Retired
(and retried many times over [:X])


<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>

Denny
I am sure you are a Terrible Swift Sword afficaendo but I heard there is a newer version-Three Days at Getteysburg, Is this an updated version, are you familier with it and if so do you reccommend it?


Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

Hi Tony,

Yes, of course, you're right as Oregon rain (that fuels the UO Ducks' fightin' n' quackin' mystique? <g>), that TSS, followed by Berg's 2nd ed., along with all the others in his GBACW series, including my last acquisition <i>River of Death</i> (Chickamauga), which offers his most challenging <i>initiative-oriented</i> command & control system to date, are both sophisticated yet elegant-designed boardgames yet equalled by current pc offerings. Not that this need nor always will be so. The untapped potential of our pc knows no bounds, to be sure. It's only the niche-market capital that holds all o' us grogs in dumbed-down bondage. [8]

But, as for 3DoG ("The Three Days of Gettysburg"), no, I never purchased the game. From what I read online some years back, those who did loved the game, while indicating it offered a somewhat more streamlined / simplified version of Berg's TSS 2nd ed.. This fact alone did not appeal as strongly to me, but it would still be worth reviewing, eh?

The last time I looked, the game was out-of-print. One might try <i>ebay</i> and/or "Decision Games" - www.decisiongames.com - where you can request their latest "catalogue" / list of all available new/used game-sets from the past as well as the present. As I recall, Decision Games was maintaining a pre-order list for a reprin[t] of 3DoG when it became [available]. ==shoeless editor

<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>

<font face="Andale Mono"><font size="4"><font color="pink">Denny,

I have been reading this with interest and now I am getting a little excited with the response from John![:D] I will say one of the advantages of computer games is you don't have to do all of the computing for all that time consuming stuff. The one area that really has me interested in is the Command and Control rules. I would like to see some of that put into the optional rules. If you are not within command range then you can only move so far. I think this one area would reshape the whole gaming arena! Just my thoughts! Keep up the fine work and thank you for sharing!

Also, I checked out the link you listed for Decision Games and unless I can't see (which is possible now days) I didn't find 3DoG listed.

<font color="beige">Tony, would really like to see that! I got so much out of <b>TSS</b> back in the early 80's! My good friend, <b>Col Ken Schneider,<font color="teal"> AoT</font id="teal"></b>, and I would get together about twice a month for a 4 hour session. We each had a game of TSS and would record the positions and strengths of each unit and <font color="red"></font id="red">then trade homes to game at next time. Can you imagine how much time was spent moving units, but you surely learned a lot of the ground you covered and the units and their commanders, did the same thing with A Gleam of Bayonets, such was the love of it! Sure am glad for the computer!
</font id="beige">
Respectfully,

</font id="pink"></font id="size4"></font id="Andale Mono">

<font color="orange"><font size="4">Nick Kunz
[img]C:\FrontPage%20Webs\Content\library\vol_1\v1p2_files\CsaGenStaffB.gif[/img]
General
Commandant
Confederate States of America</font id="orange"></font id="size4">

Denny Nick etal
Our gaming club has procurred a 3DoG and we will be starting up in the near future. Will keep y`all posted/[:)]

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

Greetings General Kunz,

Thank you for your encouraging words and thoughtful reflections. Much appreciated.

You are right about the link to Decision games not providing an online list of any of their unpunched / used wargames. These games (most of which are out-of-print, but still available for purchase) are only listed in a newsletter-style catalogue they periodically send out, especially included with any purchase of one of their products. But, no need to buy anything up front, just email a request via their "contact" link, asking for a copy of the catalogue.

Or you could simply email a request to determine whether they just possibly have a copy of "3 Days of Gettysburg" for purchase. They will get back with an immediate acknowledgement of your email along with a telephone number - in case you might prefer to place a call right away. Good luck!

Finally, I have to applaud your TSS and Gleam of Bayonet daze . . . er, days! [:D] Finding a willing partner to put in the necessary man hours, reviewing the manual of rules, etc., etc. was in itself no easy feet, er feat. But, it sounded like some seriously outstanding, great fun, to be sure!! ==Denny

Fd. Lt. Shoeless
1st Tenn Provisional Army
Secretary of the Cabinet, CSA - Retired


<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>

Just to put in another plug for Berg's regimental games. Any time I have a game clearout, those (old or new) *never* get sold. The command rules are a must, and I'm a big fan of the newer "chit draw" system of movement.

Selecting a brigade to move and then having the brigade commander decide to do something "stupid" (epsecially if he was drunk or otherwise incompetent, thereby making it more likely) just adds to the flavor - and feeling of being the army commander, not of every individual counter.



Maj Gen Sean Turner
3rd Cavalry Division, "The Bishop's Men"
I Corps
Army of Alabama

FYI General Kunz,

"Dispatches from Decision" arrived in my mailbox today.

They have an "Unpunched" <b>Three Days of Gettysburg - Reprint</b> for sale: $89 . . . a little 'rich' for my blood, but it might still prove a good re-play value. [:)]

Discision Games Phone: 661-587-9633
or contact them at www.decisiongames.com

Good Luck!

Field Lt. Shoeless
1st Tenn Provisional Army
Secretary of the Cabinet, CSA (Retired)


<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Sean Turner</i>
<br />Selecting a brigade to move and then having the brigade commander decide to do something "stupid" (epsecially if he was drunk or otherwise incompetent, thereby making it more likely) just adds to the flavor - and feeling of being the army commander, not of every individual counter.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">lol . . . I whole-heartedly agree! We live in the 21st century, but we (or at least I) almost obsessively strive to catch a bit o' the genuine flavor, color, <i>feel</i> and period tactical <i>realism</i> of an American Civil War battle . . . including, your observation of the tippling consequences of too much quaffing of 'the Irish', also apparently rumored to be stashed behind Gen. Meagher's personal supply wagon not far from the Antietam . . . I also see the fun factor in Berg's provisions for random events like "the loose cannon," "weather," etc..

At the pc end of ACW and NAP wargaming, I still have to look back to the SSI series of "demi-brigade" ACW and NAP games for Landrey and Kroegel's perfectly beautiful Activity Point System, complementing both movement (including forced marching, etc.) and combat, along with the cool ability of ACW units to break-down and reform, not to mention an ever increasingly annoying "Smoke" routine as the day wore on [:)] ==Denny

Secretary of the Cabinet, CSA (Retired)
1st Tenn Provisional Army



<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>

Denny
Quite some time ago you mentioned trying out some of these rules in actual games. Have you done so and what was the results?

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

Tony (and to whom hrules may concern),

A specific reference of one or maybe two house rule sections might have proven helpful, herein. No matter, <b>ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢</b> is a continuing, living, breathing pbem gaming reference for all of my - albeit somewhat circumscribed (limited!) - gaming interests within the HPS series of ACW games context.

The earliest house rules date back to the fall of 2002. They contained only the current sections on: Stacking (less I.F. "Reserve Status), Mounted-Line Charge / Melee, Artillery Capture, and the still current Wagon (mis-use) [:0] disqualifier rule.

Speaking of "Reserve Status", this rule is on the face of it more concept/idea based, but was added to provide us with the option to stack more units into rear hexes (hence, "reserve status") than [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Table"]Table I.[/url] would allow. Admittedly, Shannon nor I have yet to use "Reserve Status" for such a purpose, but, when I came up with the [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIF"]Provost Troops / Leader Escorts[/url] rules section, the Reserve Status rules were tapped to regulate the way provost troops could be historically managed and placed more to the rear of our army's main front.

Today, our current Shiloh Campaign pbem game is still in the early going, but includes <u>all</u> current house rules as posted on the website, <i>except</i> for

<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIE_2"]XII.E._2. Dismounted / SS Skirmishers[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li> <li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVC_2"]IV.C._2. Dismounted / SS Skirmishers[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li>

While [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#II"]II. Command & Control (Friendly FOG)[/url] proved itself to be the most challenging/demanding for me to personally organize, they have functioned almost transparently in play. But, one must keep in mind how extending one's command range - in order to prove more capable to <i>maneuver</i>, it directly contests Mr. Tiller's very fixed / generic / limited command-range routines. As the hour of battle approaches, it will be necessary to close one's ranks - in order to bring your regiments and officers back within the pc's fixed command ranges. Even so, after a little in game practice, we now <i>both</i> manage this section without a hitch.

Meanwhile, the newer [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XII"]XII. Skirmishers[/url] rules have also demanded considerable 'slave labor' to reorganize and whip them into shape. Shannon most recently, during play, suggested a desire to make skirmishers more <i>offensive-capable</i> [}:)]; and while I'm not exactly sure what he's talkin' about <g>, we remain 100% on board with the current version of house rules . . . and, yet, are always open to temporarily suspend play if necessary - and have done so on more than one occasion - in order to add to, tweak, or even wholy revise a house rule.

Finally, The [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIII"]XIII. Formation Combat Efficiency[/url] rules appear tedious to impossible on the face of it. But, one may review his current OrderOfBattle "Strength" status for each brigade via the "Info" menu (see "Strength Dialog") option. Calculated percentages can be scrawled onto a sheet of paper for reference during play; even so, I feel this rule, like "Reserve Status", fits more into the concept/idea based category. Perhaps it only remains to be seen if Mr. Tiller can yet see a <i>why</i>, er, I mean, way to implement this into the game - just as soon as he first finds a six-foot-four-inch way to downsize the 200 Foot overlord of the battlefield. ==Denny

Secretary of the Cabinet, CSA (Retired)
1st Tenn Provisional Army


<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>

BCE!! I had forgotton but in one or two of my games with General Adams and Thayer we had implimented B.C.E> We based it on fatigue not casualties. In Talonsoft it was fairly easy. Just keep a note of each Brigade and when ever the average fatigue level reaches a certain point they BCE. Could also be implemented in HPS but only by keeping the first diget ie. fatigue 427 is just "4". Record keeing would be much easier and I think fatigue m ight even be a better indicator than casualies. Toughts?

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tony best</i>
<br />BCE!! I had forgotton but in one or two of my games with General Adams and Thayer we had implimented B.C.E> We based it on fatigue not casualties. In Talonsoft it was fairly easy. Just keep a note of each Brigade and when ever the average fatigue level reaches a certain point they BCE. Could also be implemented in HPS but only by keeping the first diget ie. fatigue 427 is just "4". Record keeing would be much easier and I think fatigue m ight even be a better indicator than casualies. Toughts?

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Tony,

I like it! If nothing else, it proves most intuitive and work-able within the context of a house rule manual override. Look for an update / revision / option to this end, sooner; and please, consider taking us to task if we leave any <i>essential</i> item/qualifier out. Again, thanks for the suggestion (Muchas Gracias!) ==Denny

Secretary of the Cabinet, CSA (Retired)
1st Tenn Provisional Army

<center><i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka</center>