Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

I surfed last days over net and I found a new game. I looks very interesting:
http://battlefront.com/products/les_grog/index.html


<center><font color="orange"><h4> Marechal Zbyszek Pietras
1er Regiment de Chasseurs a Cheval, Vieille Garde
16th Division V Corps Armee du Rhin</font id="orange">
<font color="orange">Duc de Danzig, Comte de Bourges</font id="orange"></h4></center>

No release date yet but its probably going to be out by the Summer is my guess. Its going to be interesting to see the reviews of the game. Is it up to the level of Total War:Rome? Do the units do things that are correct? Etc.

I will wait on the reviews and a patch before I buy it. I am hoping that its a good game. I like what I see so far.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bill Peters</i>
<br />No release date yet but its probably going to be out by the Summer is my guess. Its going to be interesting to see the reviews of the game. Is it up to the level of Total War:Rome? Do the units do things that are correct? Etc.

I will wait on the reviews and a patch before I buy it. I am hoping that its a good game. I like what I see so far.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Have you ever played Napoleanic Total War? It is a rework of the Medieval Total War engine. Very interesting.

Lt. Don Golen 7/2 Artillerie a` Cheval 2e`me Brigade 2e`me Division de Dragons

It is very interesting indeed. [:)]

I LOVE Napoleonics. Besides Combat Mission, its all I wargame. I have been <font color="orange"><b>closely</b></font id="orange"> following this game for nearly 5 years now. <b><font color="red">Like I promised in months past,</font id="red"></b> I will be giving it a comprehensive and honest assessment of it here in this forum. I will be pulling no punches when I go over it and compare it to the HPS titles. If it is a dog, I will be.

There is a VERY excellent chance that Les Grognards will simply become the state of the art of Napoleonic wargaming. <b>--Just like John Tiller's games were 11 years ago.</b>

Think of a truly immersive 3D Napoleonic experience. (They've even brought in drummers from reenactor groups for the game.) Then think of a complete map editor, Doctrine editor and a comprehensive Napoleonic OOB editor, and you will feel you have died and gone to heaven. Napoleonic wargaming will have come a long way.

The Brits and post 1808 Prussians will be covered in a later release.

Will it be up to Total War: Rome? That, IMO is like trying to compare apples and oranges. I think that it will be better. One reason is that it will not be a clickfest like TW is. Another reason is that the game developer is a strict Napoleonics fan. He doesn't have his hands in other eras or wars at the same time. He loves Napoleonics. This game is not only a lifelong dream, it is a labor of love.

Jean-Michel Mathe (JMM) is extremely approachable and he sincerely answers your questions when they are asked in the discussion forum. LG is NOT just a commercial effort for him.

For PBEM, LG will be like Combat Mission's we-go format with a set amount of time for each turn. -Otherwise, the game will be in real (clock) time. One minute of game time will be the same as one minute of game time with the opportunity to speed it up 10x.

I've always felt that to each, their own, but if anyone waits until this game is perfect before they get it, they will most likely be missing the boat bigtime.

But hey, don't spend any money it you're still on the fence. Wait for my review. Wait for what others say at Battlefront.com's discussion forum. Be smart and check it out first.

Lastly, what I've said about Les Grognards only scratches the surface. Go here for more information : http://www.battlefront.com/products/les_grog/index.html

Check out the movies and screenshots. Read the postings in their discussion forum and decide for yourself.

If its still not your cup of tea, no big deal.

Have a nice day. [:)]

Cheers,
Rick

Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by HomerS</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bill Peters</i>
<br />No release date yet but its probably going to be out by the Summer is my guess. Its going to be interesting to see the reviews of the game. Is it up to the level of Total War:Rome? Do the units do things that are correct? Etc.

I will wait on the reviews and a patch before I buy it. I am hoping that its a good game. I like what I see so far.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Have you ever played Napoleanic Total War? It is a rework of the Medieval Total War engine. Very interesting.

Lt. Don Golen 7/2 Artillerie a` Cheval 2e`me Brigade 2e`me Division de Dragons
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Homer - a good friend of mine tried it out but he says it just doesnt do it for the Napoleonic era. Much better for Roman legions than Napoleon's legions.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

"I will be pulling no punches when I go over it and compare it to the HPS titles."

But then ...

"Will it be up to Total War: Rome? That, IMO is like trying to compare apples and oranges."

The mark in gaming in the industry is not the HPS games. While good games there are issues. Thus to compare it to something that could still need improvement is not the way to grade a game.

You ALWAYS grade a game on how it compares with history Rick.

Thus in the HPS games you have the Hollywood saber fencing for cavalry and squares. I hold up the blade and you strike it. In other words no self squaring function.

Thus when you go to write your review dont use the HPS products as the mark. Use the real thing - history. That is how I grade ANY product.

For instance: GMT put out Three Days at Gettysburg by Rich Berg. His earlier work Terrible Swift Sword was a classic in its time but the newer game is a much different simulation. Much more accurate.

So trying to compare TDG to TSS is not the way to go. You pull out Coddington's work on Gettysburg and go that route.

Or how about comparing Grognards to the Frank Hunter game? Hunter's game promises to be more accruate than the HPS game.

I know you are not saying this to knock HPS but why stop with EC/WC/Waterloo/NRC when you can look to real history?

So ... will infantry properly react to a cavarly charge? Will artillery turn out to be a machine gun or will they fire with proper intervals to reload? How will weather affect the game. Do the units slow down to a crawl or do they move historically? Etc.

That is how you rate a game.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bill Peters</i>
<br />

........You ALWAYS grade a game on how it compares with history Rick........

..........That is how you rate a game.

Bill Peters

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

And the <font color="orange">history</font id="orange"> of Napoleonic computer wargaming <font color="orange">worth speaking about</font id="orange"> has been the John Tiller titles -period. That is all we really have had. It is inevitable that everyone will compare something new to the current standard. I believe that is called human nature.

Then there is the <font color="orange">history</font id="orange"> that we read in the books that line our book shelves. That comparison is very well planned for. Consider it "a given".

Will troops be able to march for days and nights without any rest in Les Grognards and not develop <b><font color="red">any</font id="red"></b> fatigue? We will have to wait and see.

What will the casualty rates be like?

Will <b><font color="red">every</font id="red"></b> attempt to melee two opposing infantry battalions <font color="red"><b>always</b></font id="red"> be successful? -Or will some troops run away instead?

Can a withdrawing rear guard be successfully accomplished?

Does the game favor offensive or defensive strategies?

Will you really be able to have a successful strong-point defense like the French were able to have at Haslach-Jungingen in 1809?

Will the drumming really be able to tell you what is going on during a battle with very low visibility like they say it will?

Will the game really be as immersive as they say it will?

<font color="orange">We will have to look and see, won't we?</font id="orange">

As a service to my club, I will weigh the pros and cons and I will honestly share what I see so folks won't have waste their money if they don't want to. (I can't imagine asking for more.) Lastly, I have no affiliations with any gaming company. I just LOVE Napoleonics. [:)]

I however will be looking.



Cheers,
Rick [:)]


Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

I'll be looking forward to your evaluation Rick.

Brigadier General Ed Blackburn
Commanding 6th Div, II Corps, AAA
3rd Bn / 1st Regiment of Foot Guards

It does sound very promising. I Just hope that my pc will run it.

<center>[url="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.r.barlow/Napoleonic/nap.htm"]Lieutenant Colonel Antony Barlow[/url]
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/anglo_allied_army_stats/Anglo_Allied_Army_Cavalry_Corps.htm"]2nd British (Union) Brigade, Anglo-Allied Cavalry Corps[/url] ~
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/militaireacademie/dragoons.html"]4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards[/url] ~
</center>

"As a service to my club, I will weigh the pros and cons and I will honestly share what I see so folks won't have waste their money if they don't want to. (I can't imagine asking for more.) Lastly, I have no affiliations with any gaming company. I just LOVE Napoleonics."

But LG and Matrix would be doing you a disservice if they didnt send you some sort of check for the PR work you have been doing for their games! [:D]

I also love Napoleonics and any new game that comes out that is good is just another shot in the arm for this fine era of gaming.

Fight on guys!

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

Send me a check? I'd return it ripped up. Heck, I wouldn't even accept a free game. I've been following this project for a very long time and really I believe in it.



Everyone, [this line added later]

I just read on their discussion forum that Jomini's "Art of War" was one of then many sources used for it. That info came as an answer to a question about how the formations of divisions will be arranged within a corps.

Les Grognards is an ambitious project indeed. The developer is getting LOTS of help this time when you consider his previous effort of "La Grande Armee at Austerlitz" was basicly a solo effort. For Napoleonics, this event may be as important for us as the fall of the Berlin Wall was for Berliners. I can surmise that everyone is chaffing at the bit and the amount of scenario creation will be phenomenal.

One reason why I know so much is the developer's accessability. He is working on the game every day (15 hours a day, he says) and still he finds time to answer people's questions and put out movies and screenshots.

As for system requirements, my present computer will also not be able to run LG in all of its glory.

(I have a computer with an AMD 950mhz Thunderbird processor and an NVIDIA GeForce 4 video card, so its not the highest or the best one can have.) So until then, I will have to be content to play the game using the 2D based Strategic Overview map or the 3D Symbolic Unit map --until I save up a few more dollars and get a new computer.

That won't stop me from making some great scenarios though. For scenario creation, LG will not allow you to make an army of 100,000 French Imperial Guard Grenadiers and Carabiniers. For "purchasing" your army, you will be allowed to only pick so much of a percentage of say Guard troops, or light and heavy cavalry. All the categories are represented and you only can have as many specific regiments as those that existed historically. Within those constraints, you will be able to create quite a Napoleonic army.

Replayablility is enormous.

Lastly, I will say that the initial release is not considered to be the last statement the developer will make. Additional armies like the Spanish, English, and post 1808 Prussians (amongst others) are planned for a later release. Improvements to the game are already planned in updates.

I say that because this game has taken some time to get on the radar. The idea is to get it out even though it is limited to the current list of beligerants. (Primarily the French, Russians and Austrian and various secondary states. Around 15 of them are in game as well as some legion armies like the Irish, Portuguese, Wurtenmberg, Saxony, Poland, Italy and Naples.) All that during 1805-1814.

Then there is the operational level Napoleonic game he is planning that may (or may not) fit in with LG.

I don't know about you, but I really like getting excited about and anticipating the arrival something that promises to be real good.

Cheers,
Rick

PS. For more information, please check out this location :

http://www.battlefront.com/products/les ... rview.html

and their Discussion Forum as well.


Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

I was speaking in jest Rick about the free game. Lighten up and get off of the podium. You are preaching to the choir here.

And JMM spending 15 hours on his PC is not so noble. I have spent tons of hours on the PC. If anything its idiotic. The work takes too long to produce. It borders on insanity at times. Trying to impress me with 15 hour days is getting you nowhere.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

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

Bill,

LOL! I wasn't trying to impress you. I wasn't even talking to you beyond the first paragraph of my post. (Oh darn, I simply forgot to add "Everyone," on the next like.)



Everyone, (There. I did it.) [:)]

Any information about<b><font color="orange">Histwar: Les Grognards</font id="orange"></b> that I bring here, I bring to you because I know how interested you are about this game. I know and honor your interest in Napoleonics.

Believe me the wait is almost over.

LG looks very promising so far and it still is only weeks away. Beyond that I cannot say, but rest assured that the moment I know, I will race back here and let you know. [:)]

IIRC, a Demo will be released as soon as it goes Gold, so you will be able to get a good taste of it before you make any purchases.

Cheers,
Rick
[:)]




Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!