Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

When the HPS games were introduced, the campaign format for a while created a major inconsistency in game scoring. Whole campaigns of 5-7 battles (which is not unusual in Eckmuhl) were scored as a single game, with VPs awarded only once. When playing the same number of games outside the campaign format, every battle scored separatedly.

Now that has meanwhile been resolved and campaign battles all count just the same as standalone battles. (I think a medal for campaign victories was also promised, but for all I know no army actually introduced it.) But here is a new (minor) inconsistency ...

If you play the all-in-one-battle monsters that Eckmuhl and Waterloo provide, instead of the linked campaign, you probably get more points for turns, as you will invariably play several hundred of them. But again, you get VPs only once. The same campaign played with linked scenarios will get you VPs for every single battle.

Now after a comparatively small number of games played, points for turns no longer hold any interest, because you have reached the highest rank possible--in the French armies, even more rapidly than in all others (a mere 1000 points = turns make you a Maréchal). So VPs are really the only incentive that remains for senior officers.

Does anyone find that discourages him from playing the huge all-in-one campaigns and prefer the linked campaigns, because they offer more chances for earning VPs?

With standalone battles, linked campaign battles and all-in-one campaign battles, there is probably no consistent way of scoring all them. Either linked battles count the same as standalone battles, which makes in-one-battle campaigns comparatively unattractive, or they count the same as in-one-battle campaigns, which makes the linked ones unattractive compared with standalone battles. I have no solution to offer. But the observation struck me today with a certain force, when I was about to offer an opponent a Waterloo campaign and was wondering if I shouldn't ask for a linked one rather than the big map because of the comparatively better chance to get some VP. [:I]

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D.S. "Green Horse" Walter, Maréchal d'Empire
Duc des Pyramides, Comte de Normandie
Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/EdM_start.htm"]L'Ecole de Mars[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>

<i>Mon cher Comte de Normandie</i>,

The pleasure of playing the "monster" games, IMO, is their own reward[8D].

Seriously, it has long been noted that the quickest way to compile a large number of VPs is to simply play lots of short scenarios. Happily, as has been noted elsewhere, the ethos of the club is that it is not simply a "ladder". At least for me, the focus has always been in the camaraderie and joy of the games themselves. The points and VPs, although nice to accumulate, have always been a secondary consideration.

Regards,

Paco

<i>Maréchal</i> M. Francisco Palomo
<i>Prince d'Essling, Grande Duc d'Abrantes et
Comte de Marseille
Commandant - Division de Cavalerie de la Vieille Garde </i>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by paco</i>
The pleasure of playing the "monster" games, IMO, is their own reward[8D].
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Bien sûr, I couldn't agree more. That's why I play them.

And of course, scoring can never be even nearly fair, seeing how a turn of Borodino counts the same as one of Placenoit.

It just occurred to me that in solving one inconsistency we seem to have stumbled head-on into another.

<center>
D.S. "Green Horse" Walter, Maréchal d'Empire
Duc des Pyramides, Comte de Normandie
Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/EdM_start.htm"]L'Ecole de Mars[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>

I think it is an issue I would assume more for each respective armies based on how they use VP's within their structure. Prussia has medals for completed campigns etc, but we only use VP's for the GardeKorps and at that they are rather high and lofty for each spot but designed that way to make it a real honor to be there.

Stefan recently ordered me to cut back on the bi-monthly points I issued people and then we did away with it opting for a system in which they were issued now only a couple times a year. Needless to say it cut down on my work and also on the amount of people being promoted with little gameplay. Our ceiling level on points are lower than other armies, but we also function differently.

Also point are only issued at battles. None for medals, graduations etc.

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I think it is undoubtably true that VP points DO affect game play. While always maintaining that we only play for fun and comraderary, like Dierk, it does occur to me that VP point allocation is unfair, Many times I have been chewed out for pointing this out but dad gum it its a fact.Perhaps because I almost exclusively play very large battles such as Gettysburg and Borodino I am a bit more sensative to this. If points are so unimportant why is so much based on them?What if we did away with them entirely? Now, that hits a nerve-how did you feel when you read that????[?][:I]

<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>
If points are so unimportant why is so much based on them?What if we did away with them entirely?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Over at the Naval Campaigns Club, we tried something like that. Only promotions in the subaltern ranks came automatically with points; captains and flag ranks needed points as well, but service to the club was the pertinent criterium. Basically each six months of administrative service earned a new rank. (It was later refined to account for the nature of the contribution.) But then you know that theory. [;)]

<center>
D.S. "Green Horse" Walter, Maréchal d'Empire
Duc des Pyramides, Comte de Normandie
Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/EdM_start.htm"]L'Ecole de Mars[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>

<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 />What if we did away with them entirely? Now, that hits a nerve-how did you feel when you read that????[?][:I]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Oh Tony, you scoundrel you! [:D]

(nerve shockwaves all up and down body)

OUCH [:0]

(takes sip of lemonade)

AH! Feels much better! [;)]

I havent played for points for over over 3 months. Who needs 'em? [8D]

Rank? Yeah, I smell a bit cause I havent showered yet. Got a cold today and it will probably stay with me for a few days. (kerCHEW!!) [xx(]

Bill Peters
Former NWC President, Club Founder, Prussian and Austrian Army Founder, Stefan Reuter's hunting buddy. HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]