If my plaque was to go in the Wargaming Hall of Fame next week, the 2-sentence bio on it would say this about me:
Alan always goes the extra mile for wargaming hobby, founding game conventions, magazine, business and teaching about wargames. He has a heart of dice and likes to welcome people to this terrific pastime.
You would know me from these game designs:
Totaler Krieg!, Master of Orion 3, Modern Naval Battles Card Game, Jena 20
I'm currently working on:
Teaching college students how to make games, developing most of the games from Victory Point Games as well as managing much of the company's business affairs.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Napoleon at Waterloo or Richtoffen's War (I can't remember which was first).
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
Strategic Scale; lower complexity; WW2, Napoleonic and Ancient. I'm really appreciating small size and fast playing a lot more these days, too!
What was the first wargame you taught to someone else?
Tactics II, but it was in the early 1970s. :-)
ed note: we'll refrain from detailing what the GN staff was up to in the early '70s! hahahaha
What was your first game convention?
GLASC; the Greater Los Angeles Simulations Convention. Two years later, I would found my own new show: ORCCON, the Orange County Convention.
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
Caesar survives his assassination, 15 March 44BC -- then there would be a couple great campaigns over the next 3 years: Rome v. Parthia and then Rome v. Germany.
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?
Just about everything I can find time for. Small, simple and fast have a lot of appeal fitting in my schedule. I wish I still had time to play poker.
When did you first start to find online communities for wargaming?
On the PRODIGY, GENIE and COMPUSERVE networks back in the early-mid 1990s.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
ConsimWorld, Web Grognards, Boardgame Geek. I check those all the time!
The coolest uniforms in history belonged to…
Napoleon's Marshals. I gotta get me one of those! :-)
What's the last good military book you read?
Japan's War by Hoyte. Great WW2 story told from Japan's perspective; I learned a lot.
You can invite any 3 living people to dinner, who do you pick?
Margaret Thacher, my wife, Petra, and Sofia Loren.
By: Brant
I first became aware of Alan when he was starting MOO3. I've had his web site bookmarked for years, and have always been glad to see him doing well after MOO3. I'm using some of the information from his site to help me try and develop a game.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alan!