No Tuesday interview today. Instead I'll be trying to post some live updates from tonight's NDU/CASL roundtable on strategic wargaming.
By: Brant
Showing posts with label Tuesday Interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuesday Interview. Show all posts
07 December 2010
30 November 2010
Tuesday Interview: Jim Zabek
You thought we forgot this week, eh? Ha! Just 'cuz I'm off at IITSEC doesn't mean there isn't time to get an interview in :)
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:
They let a game critic in here? There goes the neighborhood!
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Wargamer.com, now the Senior Gaming editor at ArmchairGeneral.com.
I'm currently working on:
Increasing the focus on gaming over at ArmchairGeneral.com.
How many folks have you converted to wargaming over the years?
I have no idea. For the last decade I've been focused on writing about wargames and games in general. The numbers of unique visitors that potentially could have read some of my thoughts is staggering if I stopped to think about it. In most cases I'm preaching to the choir, so to speak, but I'd say it's fair to say that at least a few had to have been folks that never heard of the hobby before. Therefore, I'd say it's safe to say that I've converted at least three people.
Aim high, there Jay-Z!
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
Sheesh, that's a tough one. My initial reaction would be to change history so September 11th never happened.
You've been watching Fringe, haven't you?
I'm not sure how compelling that would be as a game, though.
You're probably right, but it makes a helluva TV series!
Reaching back further in time, I remember reading John Keegan's book on the role of intelligence in war. He had an interesting discussion about how the British tried to capture Napoleon in the Mediterranean. I took a related alternatve history scenario to my forums and I asked them how the world might have looked. The answer stunned me. Almost unanimously the entire group's brain melted down. “I can't imagine how things would look” is pretty much the universal answer – and no one elaborated. I'm not a student of Napoleonic history, but that single scenario apparently would rearrange history significantly for the next 300 years. If we could somehow model the dynamics of macro-history in a way that could allow it to unfold without Napoleon's influence, then we might have a completely different map on which to game, different cultures to come into conflict, and different wars with which to game. I'm not sure how that world would look, but I suspect that there would be a plethora of compelling games to emerge from that single outcome.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
World War II games are my favorite, without a doubt. That conflict has everything: clear cut good versus bad, rapid evolution of technology, equipment, and tactics. Global scale – the fate or the world really did hang in the balance. It covered land, air and sea, and the climate reached from the freezing cold of Finland and Stalingrad to a heat so hot that the Tommys could cook eggs on their tanks in North Africa. And I'll toss in that I prefer my WWII wargames on the PC, though I've enjoyed boardgames and miniatures, too.
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
Yes, and I've found them almost universally melancholy.
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
I tend to follow events in the US, Europe, and Asia fairly closely, but not on a professional level. That means I'm generally well-informed, but may miss certain areas of significance because of a lack of formal education or simple happenstance that I missed a news article on a random day. What am I vaguely aware of? Why Hugo Chavez is still in power. Where's the Old School CIA ready to knock off a banana republic when you need them?
Ginger or Mary Ann? Or, if you prefer 35, Madonna or Lady Gaga?
Since we're speaking hypothetically I'd say All of the Above.
I wonder what Mrs Z would have to say about that one! ;)
What's the last good book you read?
I'm in the middle of Best Little Short Stories of Winston Churchill by C. Brian Kelly. It's inconsistently written – almost as if each paragraph or chapter was intended to be discreet. As a result it tends to repeat small facts with annoying repetitiveness. However, it's an easy read about a man who may actually be larger than life.
By: Brant
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:
They let a game critic in here? There goes the neighborhood!
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Wargamer.com, now the Senior Gaming editor at ArmchairGeneral.com.
I'm currently working on:
Increasing the focus on gaming over at ArmchairGeneral.com.
How many folks have you converted to wargaming over the years?
I have no idea. For the last decade I've been focused on writing about wargames and games in general. The numbers of unique visitors that potentially could have read some of my thoughts is staggering if I stopped to think about it. In most cases I'm preaching to the choir, so to speak, but I'd say it's fair to say that at least a few had to have been folks that never heard of the hobby before. Therefore, I'd say it's safe to say that I've converted at least three people.
Aim high, there Jay-Z!
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
Sheesh, that's a tough one. My initial reaction would be to change history so September 11th never happened.
You've been watching Fringe, haven't you?
I'm not sure how compelling that would be as a game, though.
You're probably right, but it makes a helluva TV series!
Reaching back further in time, I remember reading John Keegan's book on the role of intelligence in war. He had an interesting discussion about how the British tried to capture Napoleon in the Mediterranean. I took a related alternatve history scenario to my forums and I asked them how the world might have looked. The answer stunned me. Almost unanimously the entire group's brain melted down. “I can't imagine how things would look” is pretty much the universal answer – and no one elaborated. I'm not a student of Napoleonic history, but that single scenario apparently would rearrange history significantly for the next 300 years. If we could somehow model the dynamics of macro-history in a way that could allow it to unfold without Napoleon's influence, then we might have a completely different map on which to game, different cultures to come into conflict, and different wars with which to game. I'm not sure how that world would look, but I suspect that there would be a plethora of compelling games to emerge from that single outcome.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
World War II games are my favorite, without a doubt. That conflict has everything: clear cut good versus bad, rapid evolution of technology, equipment, and tactics. Global scale – the fate or the world really did hang in the balance. It covered land, air and sea, and the climate reached from the freezing cold of Finland and Stalingrad to a heat so hot that the Tommys could cook eggs on their tanks in North Africa. And I'll toss in that I prefer my WWII wargames on the PC, though I've enjoyed boardgames and miniatures, too.
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
Yes, and I've found them almost universally melancholy.
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
I tend to follow events in the US, Europe, and Asia fairly closely, but not on a professional level. That means I'm generally well-informed, but may miss certain areas of significance because of a lack of formal education or simple happenstance that I missed a news article on a random day. What am I vaguely aware of? Why Hugo Chavez is still in power. Where's the Old School CIA ready to knock off a banana republic when you need them?
Ginger or Mary Ann? Or, if you prefer 35, Madonna or Lady Gaga?
Since we're speaking hypothetically I'd say All of the Above.
I wonder what Mrs Z would have to say about that one! ;)
What's the last good book you read? I'm in the middle of Best Little Short Stories of Winston Churchill by C. Brian Kelly. It's inconsistently written – almost as if each paragraph or chapter was intended to be discreet. As a result it tends to repeat small facts with annoying repetitiveness. However, it's an easy read about a man who may actually be larger than life.
By: Brant
23 November 2010
Tuesday Interview: Marc von Martial
It's running late, but at least it's up... here's this week's Tuesday Interview, with links & graphics to follow. Sorry it's not more detailed, but real life has severely intruded today.
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:
Oh, I’m not good at this selfpromo stuff :)
You don't get off that easy! OK, maybe this time you do, because we need to get this online ASAP
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Mainly from Matrix Games were I work as Art Director and Senior Artist and from Mark Walkers Lock ‘n Load Publishing, where I work on the LNL, WAW series and some other boardgames. The two are my main clients but I also work for some other publishers and developers.
I'm currently working on:
Game related, well, do you really want me to list all those projects ;)
It is a list from here to Tokyo (not sure if this german phrase works). The two most current are / were “Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris” and the new "Gary Grigsby's War in the East", both PC war-games by Matrix Games. And I work for a couple of Lock ‘n Load and World at War modules for Mark Walker. In my rare freetime I work on strengthening my photography and free hand sketching skills.
What was your first game convention?
SPIEL in Essen Germany, I forgot which year though.
Pick one game whose graphics you really dig (other than your own!), and tell us about them
I will keep this to wargaming. It is hard to pick one particular, but I generally love the style Craig Grando does, counters and maps. It is always really well designed stuff. I totally dig his creativity and sense for clear and beautiful designs.
Craig's work is quite nice... maybe we ought to pester him for an interview, huh?
Compare working on a computer game with working on a print/tabletop game for us
This is tough. I would say the computer designs are sometimes more restricted by the quality of the coders and programmers. And you need to find solutions to work around that. It is more technical in some aspects. The print designs need a lot of attention to usability. We all know how small war-game counters can sometimes be. It is very challenging to have them look good and readable at the same time. Much so because the perception of gamers seems also way more varied then in the PC wargame world. Generally I prefer the "relaxed" design work of the boardgame world over the "hectic" one of the PC game biz. In the end I love both of course.
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
Yes, often actually. The last time was Noville Belgium, I did go there for reference shooting and walkarounds cause I was also working on a wargame map (Lock ‘n Load series) of the same area. We, that's me and a group of friends, have plans to visit various WW1 Westfront battlefields in Spring 2011
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Close Combat III
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
Politics national and international, more or less on a general basis. My interests shift a lot.
People would describe my fashion sense as…
Relaxed but stylish, I love buying skate sneakers and shirts, I'm a whore for T-shirts…
You can invite any 3 living people to dinner, who do you pick?
My wife, Helmut Schmidt, Henry Rollins and Bernie Dexter, oh that’s four :)
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
Verdun
What's the last good military book you read?
I’m not full into it yet but I enjoy “Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America” currently. I always loved “Citizen Soldiers”.
What was the first music concert you ever went to?
Some Punk Rock / Rockabilly concert, I do not really recall the band(s) though, it is decades ago ;)
Decades ago? What, were you 7?!
What's your favorite sport to play? To attend live? To watch on TV?
I mountainbike, which I love to do. I do regular gym and home workouts too. Watching on TV and live, well football of course. And no, not that kind of football were grown up men wear tight leggings ;) *
One in a while I visit hockey games of the local team in Cologne.
*Methinks he's making fun of us American football-types. C'est la vie. Someone point out where Köln are in the Bundesliga standings...
The coolest uniforms in history belonged to…
That’s tough, I would say the Nazis had some pretty mean and stylish uniforms but then again german uniforms always had quite some style ;), except for after WW2. But actually I always digged the british “red coats”.
Flecktarn doesn't do it for you, huh?
By: Brant
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:
Oh, I’m not good at this selfpromo stuff :)
You don't get off that easy! OK, maybe this time you do, because we need to get this online ASAP
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Mainly from Matrix Games were I work as Art Director and Senior Artist and from Mark Walkers Lock ‘n Load Publishing, where I work on the LNL, WAW series and some other boardgames. The two are my main clients but I also work for some other publishers and developers.
I'm currently working on:
Game related, well, do you really want me to list all those projects ;)
It is a list from here to Tokyo (not sure if this german phrase works). The two most current are / were “Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris” and the new "Gary Grigsby's War in the East", both PC war-games by Matrix Games. And I work for a couple of Lock ‘n Load and World at War modules for Mark Walker. In my rare freetime I work on strengthening my photography and free hand sketching skills.
What was your first game convention?
SPIEL in Essen Germany, I forgot which year though.
Pick one game whose graphics you really dig (other than your own!), and tell us about them
I will keep this to wargaming. It is hard to pick one particular, but I generally love the style Craig Grando does, counters and maps. It is always really well designed stuff. I totally dig his creativity and sense for clear and beautiful designs.
Craig's work is quite nice... maybe we ought to pester him for an interview, huh?
Compare working on a computer game with working on a print/tabletop game for us
This is tough. I would say the computer designs are sometimes more restricted by the quality of the coders and programmers. And you need to find solutions to work around that. It is more technical in some aspects. The print designs need a lot of attention to usability. We all know how small war-game counters can sometimes be. It is very challenging to have them look good and readable at the same time. Much so because the perception of gamers seems also way more varied then in the PC wargame world. Generally I prefer the "relaxed" design work of the boardgame world over the "hectic" one of the PC game biz. In the end I love both of course.
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
Yes, often actually. The last time was Noville Belgium, I did go there for reference shooting and walkarounds cause I was also working on a wargame map (Lock ‘n Load series) of the same area. We, that's me and a group of friends, have plans to visit various WW1 Westfront battlefields in Spring 2011
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Close Combat III
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
Politics national and international, more or less on a general basis. My interests shift a lot.
People would describe my fashion sense as…
Relaxed but stylish, I love buying skate sneakers and shirts, I'm a whore for T-shirts…
You can invite any 3 living people to dinner, who do you pick?
My wife, Helmut Schmidt, Henry Rollins and Bernie Dexter, oh that’s four :)
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
Verdun
What's the last good military book you read?
I’m not full into it yet but I enjoy “Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America” currently. I always loved “Citizen Soldiers”.
What was the first music concert you ever went to?
Some Punk Rock / Rockabilly concert, I do not really recall the band(s) though, it is decades ago ;)
Decades ago? What, were you 7?!
What's your favorite sport to play? To attend live? To watch on TV?
I mountainbike, which I love to do. I do regular gym and home workouts too. Watching on TV and live, well football of course. And no, not that kind of football were grown up men wear tight leggings ;) *
One in a while I visit hockey games of the local team in Cologne.
*Methinks he's making fun of us American football-types. C'est la vie. Someone point out where Köln are in the Bundesliga standings...
The coolest uniforms in history belonged to…
That’s tough, I would say the Nazis had some pretty mean and stylish uniforms but then again german uniforms always had quite some style ;), except for after WW2. But actually I always digged the british “red coats”.
Flecktarn doesn't do it for you, huh?
By: Brant
16 November 2010
Tuesday Interview: Merle Robinson
One of the driving forces behind the NSDM at the Origins War College every year during Origins, Merle took a few minutes to answer our interrogations...
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:
His work with the National Security Decision Making Game helped advance our understanding of the world by exposing us to the possibilities in other ways of thinking.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
The National Security Decision Making Game (NSDMG) since 1996. Real old timers might also remember me as one of the operators of two Cincinnati Ohio gaming conventions (Tri-con and Fall-Con) from 1976-1984.
I'm currently working on:
Updating the NSDMG model to simulate modern Iran.
What was the first wargame you designed? Did it ever see the light of day?
A variant game of Diplomacy for Medieval Europe. Got some local play.
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
I follow most international news with an emphasis on third world states that can significantly impact events (India, Pakistan, Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia).
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
French Revolutionary General Louis Lazare Hoche survived to become a rival of Napoleon’s (see http://www.virtualarc.com/officers/hoche/). The game would cover the revolution and directory periods and be over control of France and defeat of the coalition.
Tell us about your first game convention…
Xavier University Armory - 1974. They had 1/76 scale re-creation of the 1973 war in the Golan. A Seven Days in May micro-armor game (attempted military Coup in Washington) and a prototype game on the development/growth of ancient civilizations.
What's the craziest thing someone ever tried to pull in the NSDM? How'd it turn out?
A liberal democratic player assigned control by the government of Pakistani of the national media, blew up his own broadcasting stations. He then ran public and international fund-raisers to finance a private army of thugs to oppose the government. Mind you this was the liberal democrat!
What's a major world event that seemed like it would be in the NSDM for a long time, but ended up fizzling out?
The possibility of a third World War in Europe.
Pick one game whose graphics you really dig, and tell us about them
Arkam Horror by Fantasy Flight Games. Gorgeous board that supports the theme and tenor of the game. Lots of attention to detail on a tremendous number of pieces (but don’t dare lose one!).
What kind of wargame do you never see yourself playing?
Dystopian RPGs with no humor.
Favorite current TV show? All-time favorite TV show?
Burn Notice (USA); Babylon Five
What's on your car stereo right now?
WEB Griffin’s book “Under Fire”
The coolest uniforms in history belonged to…
The Zoaves.
What actor would you like to see play you in a movie?
Drew Carey
What's the last good history book you read?
Hitler’s Willing Executioners by Daniel Jonah Goldagen
What military award through history would you most like to have been awarded?
The one provided Publius Horatius Cocles for bravery - having defended Rome at the Sublician bridge. One man against an Army is pretty impressive.
By: Brant
02 November 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Robert Crandall
This week we're visited by Robert Crandall, computer game designer extraordinaire...
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:
He was a journeyman game developer who loved every minute of what he was doing. The pinnacle of his success came when he finally cadged a free coffee mug out of his publisher.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
A few might know me as the developer and programmer of the computer wargame Flashpoint Germany for Matrix Games, and a very, very few might remember my three text-based computer wargames for Simulations Canada in the 1980s. I did the Apple 2 and Amiga versions and SimCan did the Atari and IBM versions. The games, as I recall, were Malta Storm, Pacific Storm: Midway and Pacific Storm: Guadalcanal and I actually saw some copies at Origins a couple of years ago.
I'm currently working on:
I have been a student of grand tactical ground combat from WW2 right on up to now. I rather incautiously expressed an interest in maybe doing something on those lines to David Heath in 2002 and I haven’t had a free moment since. I took a Simulations Canada design called “Main Battle Tank” and married it to the UI I had developed for a North African game and released it as Flashpoint Germany in 2005. The same engine has been rewritten and then rewritten again and will be out before too much longer (ha!) as Flashpoint Middle East. From there on I will make far fewer changes to the engine and work on getting more maps and scenarios out for the various conflicts around the world since 1940 or so.
What was the first wargame you designed? Did it ever see the light of day?
My first computer wargame was a battalion level game of the battle of Normandy in 1944 on the Apple 2. The whole thing had to fit into 32k plus another 8k for graphics plus another 8k of unused memory that could be peeked and poked into. That was in 1980 or so. Some of the core ideas from it are still in what I am doing today. Sadly, it did not actually see the light of day but hey, there is still time.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Panzerblitz. I loved that game and had multiple copies so I could really go to town on the scenarios. I would read a chapter from one of Paul Carell’s books on the eastern front and then mock up a scenario based on it. They were all bloodbaths of course but what well adjusted teenage boy wouldn’t like that?
Pick one game whose graphics you really dig, and tell us about them.
To tell the truth I am still looking for that game. For board wargames I was a big fan of the old 1970’s SPI look and still use it myself. There is far more innovation now of course and I love to go to Origins each year to check it all out but I still haven’t seen THE style that really captures my heart. As for computer games I prefer an uncluttered design with muted colours. I definitely prefer functional to ornate. The whole point of course is to convey information to the user quickly and concisely and no one has quite got it down yet. I study books on graphic design and web design sometimes to get ideas. It is astonishingly hard to get right!
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
I bought a lot (all?) of Gary Grigsby wargames back in the day and without a doubt it was Guadalcanal Campaign that made we want to be a designer. By then I had studied a lot of naval history and wanted to tweak the AI and algorithms in the game, but the only way to do that was to write my own game from scratch. I got fairly far along with that project but never actually finished it.... The precedent had been set though.
Are there any wargaming magazines you read regularly? Military-focused magazines? History magazines?
I used to read a ton of magazines but then this Internet thing came along. I look at Strategy & Tactics still and had a sub to Against The Odds until the recession bit. I also get the Canadian Military Journal because I want to support the local effort and it has surprisingly in-depth articles on important but obscure topics. I like it rather a lot actually.
What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself?
Easy. An operational WW2 East Front game that you can play in an evening. It would have incredibly wide setup parameters so that you could play the historical game and then say repeat with twice the Lend Lease and Turkey entering the war on the Axis side. Then you could play it without the Soviet officer purge versus Hitler handing back operational control to his generals in 1943 so that they had freedom of movement. I can think of a million variations to explore. I would also like to see a decent economic model and a diplomatic model to go along with the military model.
You ought to check out Victory Point Games' The Barbarossa Campaign, which includes some hypotheticals.
What was your favorite subject in school?
Girls, French, History. Regarding the latter, I was the only one who learned the entire sequence of major battles in the Civil War and could write them out on my exam.
Oy vey! Geek alert! Hahahaha
I liked science and math too and I actually find myself using it after all this time in the game implementations. Amazing!
What actor would you like to see play you in a movie?
Well, most IT guys are the spitting image of any number of Hollywood heart throbs out there, but my fav would have to be Mel Gibson still. In fact, when I first signed up with Matrix I tried to get them to put the picture of Mel up on the Who’s Who page instead of me. I particularly fancied the one where he is playing that Scots hero and has his face painted blue while hollering at the English. Matrix allowed that yes, the resemblance was unmistakable, but had a problem with the IP or something and my own mug ended up there instead. Yes, definitely Mel.
Favorite piece of furniture in your house?
Without a doubt it is my green leather La-Z-Boy couch. I have a glorious 42” flat screen positioned directly in front and I keep my laptop handy right beside it. A table to the right holds a cold refreshing beverage (currently ice water – stupid recession!) and to the left my cat and/or girlfriend can sit. I put on the Military Channel and then fire up my laptop to remote into my main development machine upstairs. After opening and compiling the game source I can set it to AI vs AI and let it run. The back of the couch then goes down and my feet go up and when something blows up on the TV I just have to raise my eyes a fraction to see it, and when something blows up on my laptop I just have to glance down a fraction. It is heaven! I wish I could debug like that at my day job too....
By: Brant
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:
He was a journeyman game developer who loved every minute of what he was doing. The pinnacle of his success came when he finally cadged a free coffee mug out of his publisher.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:A few might know me as the developer and programmer of the computer wargame Flashpoint Germany for Matrix Games, and a very, very few might remember my three text-based computer wargames for Simulations Canada in the 1980s. I did the Apple 2 and Amiga versions and SimCan did the Atari and IBM versions. The games, as I recall, were Malta Storm, Pacific Storm: Midway and Pacific Storm: Guadalcanal and I actually saw some copies at Origins a couple of years ago.
I'm currently working on:
I have been a student of grand tactical ground combat from WW2 right on up to now. I rather incautiously expressed an interest in maybe doing something on those lines to David Heath in 2002 and I haven’t had a free moment since. I took a Simulations Canada design called “Main Battle Tank” and married it to the UI I had developed for a North African game and released it as Flashpoint Germany in 2005. The same engine has been rewritten and then rewritten again and will be out before too much longer (ha!) as Flashpoint Middle East. From there on I will make far fewer changes to the engine and work on getting more maps and scenarios out for the various conflicts around the world since 1940 or so.
What was the first wargame you designed? Did it ever see the light of day?
My first computer wargame was a battalion level game of the battle of Normandy in 1944 on the Apple 2. The whole thing had to fit into 32k plus another 8k for graphics plus another 8k of unused memory that could be peeked and poked into. That was in 1980 or so. Some of the core ideas from it are still in what I am doing today. Sadly, it did not actually see the light of day but hey, there is still time.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Panzerblitz. I loved that game and had multiple copies so I could really go to town on the scenarios. I would read a chapter from one of Paul Carell’s books on the eastern front and then mock up a scenario based on it. They were all bloodbaths of course but what well adjusted teenage boy wouldn’t like that?Pick one game whose graphics you really dig, and tell us about them.
To tell the truth I am still looking for that game. For board wargames I was a big fan of the old 1970’s SPI look and still use it myself. There is far more innovation now of course and I love to go to Origins each year to check it all out but I still haven’t seen THE style that really captures my heart. As for computer games I prefer an uncluttered design with muted colours. I definitely prefer functional to ornate. The whole point of course is to convey information to the user quickly and concisely and no one has quite got it down yet. I study books on graphic design and web design sometimes to get ideas. It is astonishingly hard to get right!
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
I bought a lot (all?) of Gary Grigsby wargames back in the day and without a doubt it was Guadalcanal Campaign that made we want to be a designer. By then I had studied a lot of naval history and wanted to tweak the AI and algorithms in the game, but the only way to do that was to write my own game from scratch. I got fairly far along with that project but never actually finished it.... The precedent had been set though.
Are there any wargaming magazines you read regularly? Military-focused magazines? History magazines?
I used to read a ton of magazines but then this Internet thing came along. I look at Strategy & Tactics still and had a sub to Against The Odds until the recession bit. I also get the Canadian Military Journal because I want to support the local effort and it has surprisingly in-depth articles on important but obscure topics. I like it rather a lot actually.What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself?
Easy. An operational WW2 East Front game that you can play in an evening. It would have incredibly wide setup parameters so that you could play the historical game and then say repeat with twice the Lend Lease and Turkey entering the war on the Axis side. Then you could play it without the Soviet officer purge versus Hitler handing back operational control to his generals in 1943 so that they had freedom of movement. I can think of a million variations to explore. I would also like to see a decent economic model and a diplomatic model to go along with the military model.
You ought to check out Victory Point Games' The Barbarossa Campaign, which includes some hypotheticals.
What was your favorite subject in school?
Girls, French, History. Regarding the latter, I was the only one who learned the entire sequence of major battles in the Civil War and could write them out on my exam.
Oy vey! Geek alert! Hahahaha
I liked science and math too and I actually find myself using it after all this time in the game implementations. Amazing!
What actor would you like to see play you in a movie?
Well, most IT guys are the spitting image of any number of Hollywood heart throbs out there, but my fav would have to be Mel Gibson still. In fact, when I first signed up with Matrix I tried to get them to put the picture of Mel up on the Who’s Who page instead of me. I particularly fancied the one where he is playing that Scots hero and has his face painted blue while hollering at the English. Matrix allowed that yes, the resemblance was unmistakable, but had a problem with the IP or something and my own mug ended up there instead. Yes, definitely Mel.Favorite piece of furniture in your house?
Without a doubt it is my green leather La-Z-Boy couch. I have a glorious 42” flat screen positioned directly in front and I keep my laptop handy right beside it. A table to the right holds a cold refreshing beverage (currently ice water – stupid recession!) and to the left my cat and/or girlfriend can sit. I put on the Military Channel and then fire up my laptop to remote into my main development machine upstairs. After opening and compiling the game source I can set it to AI vs AI and let it run. The back of the couch then goes down and my feet go up and when something blows up on the TV I just have to raise my eyes a fraction to see it, and when something blows up on my laptop I just have to glance down a fraction. It is heaven! I wish I could debug like that at my day job too....
By: Brant
26 October 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Rick Young
This week's Q&A subject is Mr Rick Young, a tabletop designer primarily associated with GMT.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:
He only designed games that he himself wanted to play and loved to play, hoping others would love them too. For many of us, his hopes rang true.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Primary block game designer for GMT Games.
I'm currently working on:
FAB Sicily, a block and counter game on the Allied conquest of Sicily in 1943.
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
World in Flames, it was amazingly fun, but took sooooo long to play. I wanted to design games that were just as fun, but playable in a faster time period.
What was your first game convention?The Origins that took place in San Francisco, fairly early in their history. It was the year SPI released SPIES, and they had a huge tournament with a large cash prize. I won in the first round as Italy, and then in the second round drew Germany and thought I had a great chance of making the final, until somebody working for SPI announced "Germany won 80% of the games in the first round - so watch out for Germany" - I looked around the table and knew I was toast (sigh).
What kind of wargame do you never see yourself playing?
One with more than 48 pages of rules. In fact, if it has more than 24 pages, then it better come highly reccomended by a fellow gamer I know and trust.
If you could be in one general's command post the night before a battle, which one would you choose, and which battle?
Julius Caesar, [at] Alesia, I would love to see him poised and confident, being the donut with donut-hungry enemy forces outnumbering him significantly and being both inside the donut-hole and outside the donut.
When did you first start to find online communities for wargaming?
November of 2000, when I discovered Consimworld.com. That was amazing. I had thought the hobby that I loved was long dead, what an eye-opener to find it not only alive, but vibrant.
Favorite current TV show?
I haven't watched TV in over a year.
All-time favorite TV show?
The first season of Eli Stone, it was amazing! The second season they went in the wrong direction and wrecked the show.
And promptly got it canceled, too...
First music cassette, LP, 8-track, or CD you bought yourself?Uriah Heep, Demons & Wizards.
Rock on!
What was your favorite subject in school?
Math
images mostly from Boardgamegeek, GMT Games, and Wikimedia
By: Brant
19 October 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Byron Collins
This week, we're catching up with Byron Collins!
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:
Byron spent many unpaid hours doing what he loved- game design and publishing. At one point he realized that the real dividend was not financial at all- it was meeting his many industry friends and customers in the process.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
The Frontline General Series of games including two currently available titles-
-Frontline General: Italian Campaign Introduction (a boardgame that sets up and drives miniatures battles as a campaign system),
-Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943 (a fast-playing 30-minute card wargame that is streamlined, fun, and easy to learn).
I'm currently working on:
-Two expansions for Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943- one is an Eastern Front addition. The other is a two-sided tactical Village/Defensive Line map expansion with terrain tiles and new Situations (Scenarios).
-Frontline General: San Pietro Infine, which is a historical wargame covering the 1943 battle of San Pietro with a gorgeous Mark Mahaffey mounted map and euro-style components.
-A Sci-Fi euro-style game.
-Branching out the Spearpoint card game system into other periods (Spearpoint has proven to be very popular).
Tell us about your first game convention...
Gen Con 2008. I went as an exhibitor not knowing a thing about sales, conventions, or the logistics of getting to or from a show, how to approach demos, or who my audience was at the show. All mistakes that I worked through with some great assistance from my loving wife who helped at the show (and sold more games than I did). I only had one product and had just launched it at the time- Frontline General: Italian Campaign Introduction. Sales were good enough for us to break even at Gen Con, which was exceptional considering all of the mistakes I believe I made there. One mistake was choosing the largest gaming convention as my first show. Another big mistake was not realizing that Gen Con does not have a large wargamer presence. Still, a great learning experience and my first sales as a publisher made the experience worthwhile.
For what it's worth, BayonetGames made all those mistakes (and probably more) at our first Origins, too!
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
A wargame didn’t really make me want to be a designer- I kind of fell into it. My friend and I started collecting Micromachines Military vehicles for fun. We thought, “Why don’t we design some rules for these cool toys?” So we did, and it all started from there.
My parents thought my future in designing games was…
Great, as long as I didn’t quit my day job :) They’re very supportive and proud and can’t believe these games “I do” are sent all over the world to customers.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
For this question, I’m assuming that the game has already been designed- so it’s not my design process. The mock-up can be made from anything- I generally use scrap paper for cards, hand-written stats, and rough barebones maps. For testing, I generally solo-test as much as I can internally, then run an extensive external playtest using multiple game groups I’ve come to know all over the world and also get some help from my local gaming group/club, ODMS (Old Dominion Military Society). Internal testing continues with feedback from the external teams- we all communicate via e-mail and forums throughout the process to iron out any bugs.
What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself?
A game covering the recent Georgia / Russia conflict.
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
I’ve been to some civil war battlefields like Gettysburg, PA and Petersburg, VA, but really don’t play many civil war games. I’d love to visit the ruins of the village of San Pietro in Italy, which is at the center of a game I’m designing around the actual battle that occurred in ’43.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
Boardgamegeek.com and Consimworld.com. Primarily, I’m a BGG user (frontlinegeneral) and I’m constantly on there supporting my games and hanging out in the wargaming forum (the thirteenth floor). I’m also a fan of Tabletopgamingnews.com and Theminiaturespage.com.
What's the last good history book you read?
The Day of Battle by Atkinson
By: Brant
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:
Byron spent many unpaid hours doing what he loved- game design and publishing. At one point he realized that the real dividend was not financial at all- it was meeting his many industry friends and customers in the process.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
The Frontline General Series of games including two currently available titles-
-Frontline General: Italian Campaign Introduction (a boardgame that sets up and drives miniatures battles as a campaign system),
-Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943 (a fast-playing 30-minute card wargame that is streamlined, fun, and easy to learn).
I'm currently working on:
-Two expansions for Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943- one is an Eastern Front addition. The other is a two-sided tactical Village/Defensive Line map expansion with terrain tiles and new Situations (Scenarios).
-Frontline General: San Pietro Infine, which is a historical wargame covering the 1943 battle of San Pietro with a gorgeous Mark Mahaffey mounted map and euro-style components.
-A Sci-Fi euro-style game.
-Branching out the Spearpoint card game system into other periods (Spearpoint has proven to be very popular).
Tell us about your first game convention...
Gen Con 2008. I went as an exhibitor not knowing a thing about sales, conventions, or the logistics of getting to or from a show, how to approach demos, or who my audience was at the show. All mistakes that I worked through with some great assistance from my loving wife who helped at the show (and sold more games than I did). I only had one product and had just launched it at the time- Frontline General: Italian Campaign Introduction. Sales were good enough for us to break even at Gen Con, which was exceptional considering all of the mistakes I believe I made there. One mistake was choosing the largest gaming convention as my first show. Another big mistake was not realizing that Gen Con does not have a large wargamer presence. Still, a great learning experience and my first sales as a publisher made the experience worthwhile.
For what it's worth, BayonetGames made all those mistakes (and probably more) at our first Origins, too!
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
A wargame didn’t really make me want to be a designer- I kind of fell into it. My friend and I started collecting Micromachines Military vehicles for fun. We thought, “Why don’t we design some rules for these cool toys?” So we did, and it all started from there.
My parents thought my future in designing games was…
Great, as long as I didn’t quit my day job :) They’re very supportive and proud and can’t believe these games “I do” are sent all over the world to customers.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
For this question, I’m assuming that the game has already been designed- so it’s not my design process. The mock-up can be made from anything- I generally use scrap paper for cards, hand-written stats, and rough barebones maps. For testing, I generally solo-test as much as I can internally, then run an extensive external playtest using multiple game groups I’ve come to know all over the world and also get some help from my local gaming group/club, ODMS (Old Dominion Military Society). Internal testing continues with feedback from the external teams- we all communicate via e-mail and forums throughout the process to iron out any bugs.
What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself?
A game covering the recent Georgia / Russia conflict.
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
I’ve been to some civil war battlefields like Gettysburg, PA and Petersburg, VA, but really don’t play many civil war games. I’d love to visit the ruins of the village of San Pietro in Italy, which is at the center of a game I’m designing around the actual battle that occurred in ’43.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
Boardgamegeek.com and Consimworld.com. Primarily, I’m a BGG user (frontlinegeneral) and I’m constantly on there supporting my games and hanging out in the wargaming forum (the thirteenth floor). I’m also a fan of Tabletopgamingnews.com and Theminiaturespage.com.
What's the last good history book you read?
The Day of Battle by Atkinson
By: Brant
12 October 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Mike Benninghof, PhD
This week's interview is with the boss over at Avalanche Press, Dr Mike Benninghof.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:
That's not going to happen, but if it did, I'd have to go with: "Actually made his living designing wargames," since "bestrode the hobby like a colossus" was already taken.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Panzer Grenadier, Great War at Sea, Second World War at Sea. Since I don't like to post on message boards, there might not be many who recognize my name. I've never quite understood the "game designer" label; I want to make stuff that people like and will give them enjoyment.
I'm currently working on:
Army of Lappland. It's a pretty traditional wargame, unusual for us these days, and that makes it fun to work on. Well, as fun as the pressure to produce and sell will allow.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
I don't think I have three. I like to play multi-player games because I like the social interaction and, should I win, there are witnesses to my genius. Should I lose, there are scapegoats to blame. I like to design games on quirky subjects no one else has ever touched, mostly to show off the research involved. But I take little interest in similar games done by others, since having a game on the topic isn't really my goal. I like to research the topic and use the game format to construct a model of what I think happened, and try it out. I'm not particularly interested in discovering new and innovative game design techniques, other than those that help build that model. So other people's models don't really do much for me, though I look them over in hopes of stealing their ideas.
What wargame made you want to be a designer?Panzerblitz. So much unrealized potential.
What was your first game convention as an exhibitor?
Origins 1986, in Baltimore. Roomed with Jon Southard. I have few memories of the convention itself, but many of the after-hours parties on Kevin Zucker's patio with John Prados, Ed Wimble, Mark Herman, Jack Radey and many others.
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?
I rarely play wargames. I enjoy Monopoly and Risk with my wife and children.
Are there any wargaming magazines you read regularly? Military-focused magazines? History magazines?
Nope. I think the day of the magazine has passed, at least for specialty subjects like wargames. Game reviews in magazines by necessity are many months old by the time they appear, and we have had game reviews appear for products that were already sold out when the magazine arrived - I'm sure that's not unique to Avalanche Press. And then the quality is, to be charitable, uneven.
What's on your car stereo right now?
Better than Ezra, "Deluxe." It's actually jammed in the CD player and nothing else will play now. Since I make my living making wargames, I can't afford to fix the damned thing.
People would describe my fashion sense as…
1980's. Not retro. I wear the same clothes now that I did then. And they fit.
You can invite any 3 historical figures to dinner, who do you pick?
I met a number of historical figures (or they will be when they kick off) in my journalist and academic days. History anoints those with the arrogance to seize the moment, and that makes for an unpleasant dinner companion. I'd prefer to dine with three people I actually like. I'll be dead someday, even if the crazies don't catch up with me, and have no wish to waste my time with nasty people.
Ginger or Mary Ann? Or, if you prefer, Madonna or Lady Gaga?
I dated a lot of Gingers, but I married Mary Ann. I just attended my high school reunion, and it was one of the finest evenings of my life: filled with healing and redemption, and all from unexpected quarters. My ex-girlfriend and I won the "Bad Romance" dance-off for couples who'd had, well, bad high school romances, and it was as though a couple decades of hurt and shame were melted away. So Lady Gaga will always have to be part of my life's soundtrack. Martin Luther King said that you should "never succumb to the temptation of becoming bitter," and I've tried to live by that the past few years and saw actual results last week. So Lady Gaga will always remind me, personally, of that better way to live. I don't blame others for having a gag reflex instead though.
What's the last good military book you read?
A Soldier of the Great War, by Mark Helprin. Beautiful prose, fantastic story, memorable characters. The vignette of the prisoner who "abuses" the horses in the Imperial stables is one of the funniest scenes in all of literature, I guess because I knew "that guy." It is one of the very few books I will read more than once.
My parents thought my future in designing games was…
They still don't understand just what it is that I do for a living, and are disappointed that I did not stick as a history professor. I pretty much have to agree. I've done a lot of very good work of which I'm very proud, but I've managed to balance most of that with poor business decisions.
By: Brant
05 October 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Ugh!
D'oh! We forgot to get the Tuesday interview in for today. Man, we suck. Look for it in the next few days. Sigh. Sorry, y'all!
By: Brant
By: Brant
28 September 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Jim Snyder
A true wargaming double-threat, Jim Snyder has worked on both computer-based games and on the tabletop. He is a rocket scientist by day (no, really!) and a game designer by, well, any other time
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:
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” I guess a one sentence bio.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
From working with Mark Walker on modules for his awesome World at War series and testing/reviewing/suggesting on other systems like White Star Rising. I’m also working with Rob Crandall on a Matrix Games follow up to Flashpoint Germany.
I'm currently working on:
Flashpoint Middle-East for Matrix Games. It is slow moving beast but we see a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. I’m also helping on the latest WaW module “The Untold Stories” and also scribbling notes on a few other game ideas of my own. I’m also looking over this game called “Orange Crush” for another very handsome, manly, high profile game designer.
(ed note: I did not pay him to say any of those things.... yet.)
What was the first wargame you taught to someone else?
I would have to go with teaching my brother how to play a Star Wars trench battle game I designed on the back of some PanzerBlitz counters back in 76-77 time frame. Basically the first game I put together.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
Wargamer, Matrix Games, Lock n’Load, GrogNews, CSW sites related to the games I support, and The Escapist for Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw reviews.
OK, OK... you're sucking up now. But that doesn't mean we want you to stop!
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
Simple steps. Maps. Units and OOBs. Counters. Rules. Test. Then rinse and repeat.
What's one wargame rule you've given up on as hopelessly broken?
I think is more a general wargaming theory that more detail and granular resolution provides a more accurate result. Wargame design, whether it is board or computer, requires a level of abstraction to make the system playable without dragging a truckload of super-computers around to analyze every minute and quasi-insignificant factor of a particular action. Some games I feel get lost in trying to account for everything to get to a result just as good from an abstracted system. Plus more rules and tables and time can really take away from having a good game experience.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
I’m definitely a tactical/grand tactical modern themed wargamer. Any thing 1939 plus with tanks, planes and/or ships works for me. That’s not to say I haven’t hit other eras or genres. A touch of Sci-fi/Horror/Fantasy works too.
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
I’d say having a NATO and Warsaw Pact throw down in the late 80s. At least we would be able to answer all of the questions of whose toys where better. Assuming we just wouldn’t nuke the world back to the Stone Age.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Mark Walkers “Death of the 1st Panzer”. I got started working with him after Origins a few years back doing the scenarios for that expansion.
Coolest thing you've ever done on a computer?
I have to go with being part of the development team for “Full Canvas Jacket” about 8 years or so ago. It was an add-on for Red Baron 3d, made good reviews in several game mags and was runner up for Flight sim of the year to boot. We lost to MS flight sim. Their game had NO guns and was bank-rolled by a giant. I sensed shenanigans, but there was no way to prove it.
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
There are a ton of good selections, but I think the Battle of Midway. Such a pivotal point in the war and just a series of right place right time moments for the USN.
What actor would you like to see play you in a movie?
I would like to say Brad Pitt or possibly Robert Downey Jr, but the reality is more along the line of Kevin Smith. We both have the same build, beard, quiet genius, and mad Batman/Jedi/Ninja skills.
Ginger or Mary Ann?
No contest. Mary Ann.
People would describe my fashion sense as…
just short of tragic…
I think we can all agree on that one...
By: Brant
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:
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” I guess a one sentence bio.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
From working with Mark Walker on modules for his awesome World at War series and testing/reviewing/suggesting on other systems like White Star Rising. I’m also working with Rob Crandall on a Matrix Games follow up to Flashpoint Germany.
I'm currently working on:
Flashpoint Middle-East for Matrix Games. It is slow moving beast but we see a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. I’m also helping on the latest WaW module “The Untold Stories” and also scribbling notes on a few other game ideas of my own. I’m also looking over this game called “Orange Crush” for another very handsome, manly, high profile game designer.
(ed note: I did not pay him to say any of those things.... yet.)
What was the first wargame you taught to someone else?
I would have to go with teaching my brother how to play a Star Wars trench battle game I designed on the back of some PanzerBlitz counters back in 76-77 time frame. Basically the first game I put together.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
Wargamer, Matrix Games, Lock n’Load, GrogNews, CSW sites related to the games I support, and The Escapist for Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw reviews.
OK, OK... you're sucking up now. But that doesn't mean we want you to stop!
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
Simple steps. Maps. Units and OOBs. Counters. Rules. Test. Then rinse and repeat.
What's one wargame rule you've given up on as hopelessly broken?
I think is more a general wargaming theory that more detail and granular resolution provides a more accurate result. Wargame design, whether it is board or computer, requires a level of abstraction to make the system playable without dragging a truckload of super-computers around to analyze every minute and quasi-insignificant factor of a particular action. Some games I feel get lost in trying to account for everything to get to a result just as good from an abstracted system. Plus more rules and tables and time can really take away from having a good game experience.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
I’m definitely a tactical/grand tactical modern themed wargamer. Any thing 1939 plus with tanks, planes and/or ships works for me. That’s not to say I haven’t hit other eras or genres. A touch of Sci-fi/Horror/Fantasy works too.
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
I’d say having a NATO and Warsaw Pact throw down in the late 80s. At least we would be able to answer all of the questions of whose toys where better. Assuming we just wouldn’t nuke the world back to the Stone Age.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Mark Walkers “Death of the 1st Panzer”. I got started working with him after Origins a few years back doing the scenarios for that expansion.
Coolest thing you've ever done on a computer?
I have to go with being part of the development team for “Full Canvas Jacket” about 8 years or so ago. It was an add-on for Red Baron 3d, made good reviews in several game mags and was runner up for Flight sim of the year to boot. We lost to MS flight sim. Their game had NO guns and was bank-rolled by a giant. I sensed shenanigans, but there was no way to prove it.If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
There are a ton of good selections, but I think the Battle of Midway. Such a pivotal point in the war and just a series of right place right time moments for the USN.
What actor would you like to see play you in a movie?
I would like to say Brad Pitt or possibly Robert Downey Jr, but the reality is more along the line of Kevin Smith. We both have the same build, beard, quiet genius, and mad Batman/Jedi/Ninja skills.
Ginger or Mary Ann?
No contest. Mary Ann.
People would describe my fashion sense as…
just short of tragic…
I think we can all agree on that one...
By: Brant
22 September 2010
Poll: Favorite New GN Feature?
So we want to know - now that we've shuffled a few features around, what's your favorite of the new ones? Yeah, yeah, we know that the maps have been running for a while, but not since our last poll on what you like / don't like. So give us some feedback, please!
By: Brant
By: Brant
21 September 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Andy Nunez
Today's interview is with Andy Nunez, the editor of Against the Odds Magazine.
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:
Wargamer since 1975, Andy Nunez worked his way up from occasional article writer and playtester to editor of Against the Odds Magazine before having several games of his own design published, starting with Cactus Throne with issue 15. He also did work for KPG and L2 game companies.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Magazine games, primarily, since I edit Against the Odds and have had two games published by them.
I'm currently working on:
Besides writing local history, I am currently designing a game on Mortier's stand at Durenstein in 1805 and developing War at Sea: Pacific Theater.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
SPI's Dixie
How many folks have you converted to wargaming over the years?
A few, the last being my youngest stepson.
Yay! We love it when you corral them young. :)
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
Yes, I visited Gettysburg, along with a number of other Eastern Theater Civil War sites. I played Gettysburg 77 and War for the Union, the latter at Gettysburg at the last Civil War Retreat that Volunteers Magazine put on.
What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself?
I would like a version of Europa that didn't take more than an hour per turn, like the old DNO/UNT, divisional level, big but dumb, but fun!
What was the first wargame you taught to someone else?
Avalon Hill's Kriegspiel. I taught it to my cousin.
Are there any wargaming magazines you read regularly? Military-focused magazines? History magazines?
Besides Against the Odds, I borrow Panzer Digest from a friend.
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?Risk, Monopoly and Cossacks Art of War
When did you first start to find online communities for wargaming?
Around 2004, I guess, with Consimworld.
What kind of wargame do you never see yourself playing?
Advanced Squad Leader. Too many rules. Also, Europa in its current form.
What was the first wargame you designed? Did it ever see the light of day?
A Splendid Little War. I designed it in 1980, it was published in 2009 by KPG.
The coolest uniforms in history belonged to…The cavalry, either Polish Winged Hussars or French Cuirassiers.
What's the last good book you read?
Gettysburg, by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. Reading the whole trilogy at the moment.
My first car was…
You're kidding? It was a 65 Pontiac Bonneville.
Favorite current TV show? All-time favorite TV show?
I was watching V unless they cancel it. All Time? Probably classic Star Trek. Hogan's Heroes is my all time guilty pleasure, though....
You can invite any 3 historical figures to dinner, who do you pick?
Jesus, Napoleon and King Arthur. I want to ask them all where things went wrong.
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
I follow all current military conflicts and try to keep up with military trends. I also follow energy news and hope for a cheap breakthrough some time.
By: Brant
14 September 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Eric Grenier
For this week's interview, we go north of the border and check in with Eric Grenier.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
Owner of Jeux Grenier Games and designer of Quelques Arpents de Neige, The Pursuit of von Spee, Distant Foreign Fields, among others. Beloved by some.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world
Designing – primarily for games like Quelques Arpents de Neige and The Pursuit of von Spee, games that cover topics that have not gotten a lot of attention. Also for publishing, as I published the three games of the In the Trenches series, designed by John Gorkowski, as well as my own designs.I'm currently working on
An adaptation of The Pursuit of von Spee for the Mediterranean theatre in the First World War and a global-scale Seven Years’ War game. I have another dozen or so topics in the back of my mind but who knows if I will ever have the time.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Axis & Allies. I wasn’t even aware of the wider world of wargaming at the time. Axis & Allies was too small and ahistorical for my tastes, so I designed some variations of it. Those variations evolved over time into World War II in the West, which was released in 2004 but has since gone out of print. I intend to release a new edition of the game eventually.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
The scale has to be strategic or operational. Currently my favourite time period is the First World War but if the game looks good I can be interested in anything,
What was the first wargame you taught to someone else?If we define “wargame” widely, that would have to be Axis & Allies. If we’re being a little more snobbish, it would be WWII: ETO. I taught it to my father, but he didn’t take to it as he preferred my own designs.
What wargame made you want to be a designer?Probably WWII: ETO. Before that game, I didn’t know how sophisticated wargames could get. After that game, I wanted to adapt my own Axis & Allies designs to be more historically accurate.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
I always start with research. I read as much as I can about a topic and during that period I jot down some rough notes for a game system. I then put those together into a workable system, do the OOB research, and put together something resembling a game. Lately I’ve started with Cyberboard versions before going to paper and cardboard, as it is easier to do. The first playtests are always solitaired by me.
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, 13 September 1759. This was the battle that decided the fate of New France, the French colony in North America. It might be too depressing to watch, though.
How many folks have you converted to wargaming over the years?
None, though I have put a few through a game or two. As someone who has come to the hobby recently, rather than during its heyday, I’m the convert.
You can invite any 3 historical figures to dinner, who do you pick?
Samuel de Champlain, to find out what he thought about what he was founding on the banks of the St. Lawrence. Julius Caesar, to get some insight into a time that feels so distant from us – but also relatable. And Ian Fleming, because I think he’d have some good stories to tell.
What's the last good book you read?
The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman. I can’t believe it took me this long to read it, but it is definitely a great book.
If your best friend let you pick anywhere in town to go eat, what would you choose?
Some place with a good poutine.
What's your favorite sport to play? To attend live? To watch on TV?
Hockey. I live in Ottawa so I see a lot of Ottawa Senators games, but I’m a Montreal Canadiens fan at heart. I never learned to skate very well, so I didn’t play a lot of it when I was younger – on ice at least. I’d like to get back into ball hockey in the future.
By: Brant
07 September 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Peter Bogdasarian
Peter Bogdasarian joins us for this week's Q&A
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:
His games combined fast play with tactical depth and always had more going on than the length of the rules would indicate. A contributor to the "games should be played" renaissance, which brought wargames back to a more general audience than they enjoyed in the nineties.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
I'm probably best known for my work with Mark Walker. I served as a playtester on the original Lock'n Load release and several of the follow on modules and then as a developer on World at War: Eisenbach Gap. Mark's Lock'n Load Publishing is the also publisher for my Corps Command and Tank on Tank series.
Besides my work for Lock'n Load, I've playtested for Columbia Games (Crusader Rex, some early testing on Richard III) and helped out MMP with a few of its projects - see my Sgt. Bogdas counter in ASLSK2 and the upcoming King Philip's War.
I'm currently working on:
Drafting and testing new scenarios for Dawn's Early Light and Tank on Tank for Line of Fire, the in-house magazine of Lock'n Load Publishing. Both games lend themselves to this sort of small expansion and I'm looking forward to giving fans of the line some new material in less time than it typically takes me to design a game.
Either of those scenarios going to include any new counters? Are we going to start seeing some other countries in Tank on Tank? The Brits? The French? I know half the wargaming world is going to clamor for the East Front, but give me more of Patton's 3d Army chasing across Europe :)
The DEL scenarios should come with about forty new counters, which will add a US National Guard division, a Panzergrenadier brigade, a Soviet Tank Division equipped with some T-80s and two Motor Rifle brigades.
The Tank on Tank expansion will be a new map & scenarios, though I might stick in a counter or two if I have room and a reason to use them. I'd like to do the Commonwealth next, which would pit Fireflies & Cromwells against Panthers.
Hmmm.... the LNLP website has an image of a few new Tank on Tank toys to play with!
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?
Everything I play has some sort of conflict-related theme. If I can't wage some sort of direct conflict, it's not the game for me. Popular titles in 2010 have included Neuroshima Hex, which I just can't play enough of, Incursion and Runewars. I love the niche genre of Science Fiction indoor combat - your Space Hulks, Legions of Steel and the like - and chase down every title I hear of...
What do you think of the upcoming WH40K Ultramarines movie?
Probably the best hope for it comes from the fact that Dan Abnett wrote the screenplay. Movies rarely manage to capture the richness of the universe behind games (see Mutant Chronicles for a particularly noxious example), but having the Black Library's best author working on it gives it a fighting chance to at least resemble 40K. I would rather have too much lore than too little.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
Lock'n Load was the first game to get me fired up on the process of doing research and then turning the final product into something playable. My first published scenario ("Skysoldiers") made its way into the original Forgotten Heroes boxed set. It's got a great narrative hook, with the outnumbered US soldiers of the B Troop Rifles platoon deploying airstrikes and gunships to hold off a larger NVA force in one of the smaller firefights from the Ia Drang campaign.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
Obviously, the research and writing gets done up front. Once I have a vision for the game, I draft the rulebook first and then make the counters. Then, if the project still has promise, I do the map. Maps are the hardest part for me, because they're the most graphically intensive part of the project and many a design has foundered here. If/when I overcome the map barrier, I then play the game fifteen or twenty times solitaire to make sure the mechanics make sense from a historical perspective and flow smoothly from a player perspective. During this stage, I make frequent changes, up to and including complete redesigns of segments, until I am comfortable with the underlying system. I only involve other people in the playtesting once I'm confident the game can be played without the system breaking down.
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
I have a keen interest in the Dark Ages, so I'd probably go with the Battle of Brunanburh (937 AD). Athelstan's defeat of the Celtic-Norse army helped define the boundaries of the various nations of Britain and we have only a smattering of information about how the battle was fought. As an added bonus, filming Brunanburh would give the opportunity to observe Egill Skallagrimsson, the protagonist of one of the best known Icelandic sagas (Egill's Saga).
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
I follow the Middle East, US business and America's various armed conflicts most closely, though I try to read as much as possible about global events. Google Reader has been a godsend as it offers a great way to aggregate lots of news data from disparate sources into a digestible format.
Just make sure GrogNews is part of the regular rotation!
First music cassette, LP, 8-track, or CD you bought yourself?
First CD was a upgrade of Bolt Thrower's ...For Victory from cassette tape. Music should be loud!
Ginger or Mary Ann? Or, if you prefer, Madonna or Lady Gaga?
Give me Angela Gossow (lead singer for Arch Enemy) any day.
Yowza!
Favorite current TV show? All-time favorite TV show?
Either Castle or Community, both of which are pretty damn funny. Firefly's the only tv show I've ever bought, so I guess I'd have to pick it for an all-time favorite. If only the movie had been better...
I'm detecting some Nate Fillion love here...
By: Brant
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:
His games combined fast play with tactical depth and always had more going on than the length of the rules would indicate. A contributor to the "games should be played" renaissance, which brought wargames back to a more general audience than they enjoyed in the nineties.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
I'm probably best known for my work with Mark Walker. I served as a playtester on the original Lock'n Load release and several of the follow on modules and then as a developer on World at War: Eisenbach Gap. Mark's Lock'n Load Publishing is the also publisher for my Corps Command and Tank on Tank series.
Besides my work for Lock'n Load, I've playtested for Columbia Games (Crusader Rex, some early testing on Richard III) and helped out MMP with a few of its projects - see my Sgt. Bogdas counter in ASLSK2 and the upcoming King Philip's War.
I'm currently working on:
Drafting and testing new scenarios for Dawn's Early Light and Tank on Tank for Line of Fire, the in-house magazine of Lock'n Load Publishing. Both games lend themselves to this sort of small expansion and I'm looking forward to giving fans of the line some new material in less time than it typically takes me to design a game.
Either of those scenarios going to include any new counters? Are we going to start seeing some other countries in Tank on Tank? The Brits? The French? I know half the wargaming world is going to clamor for the East Front, but give me more of Patton's 3d Army chasing across Europe :)
The DEL scenarios should come with about forty new counters, which will add a US National Guard division, a Panzergrenadier brigade, a Soviet Tank Division equipped with some T-80s and two Motor Rifle brigades.
The Tank on Tank expansion will be a new map & scenarios, though I might stick in a counter or two if I have room and a reason to use them. I'd like to do the Commonwealth next, which would pit Fireflies & Cromwells against Panthers.
Hmmm.... the LNLP website has an image of a few new Tank on Tank toys to play with!
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?
Everything I play has some sort of conflict-related theme. If I can't wage some sort of direct conflict, it's not the game for me. Popular titles in 2010 have included Neuroshima Hex, which I just can't play enough of, Incursion and Runewars. I love the niche genre of Science Fiction indoor combat - your Space Hulks, Legions of Steel and the like - and chase down every title I hear of...
What do you think of the upcoming WH40K Ultramarines movie?
Probably the best hope for it comes from the fact that Dan Abnett wrote the screenplay. Movies rarely manage to capture the richness of the universe behind games (see Mutant Chronicles for a particularly noxious example), but having the Black Library's best author working on it gives it a fighting chance to at least resemble 40K. I would rather have too much lore than too little.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?Lock'n Load was the first game to get me fired up on the process of doing research and then turning the final product into something playable. My first published scenario ("Skysoldiers") made its way into the original Forgotten Heroes boxed set. It's got a great narrative hook, with the outnumbered US soldiers of the B Troop Rifles platoon deploying airstrikes and gunships to hold off a larger NVA force in one of the smaller firefights from the Ia Drang campaign.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
Obviously, the research and writing gets done up front. Once I have a vision for the game, I draft the rulebook first and then make the counters. Then, if the project still has promise, I do the map. Maps are the hardest part for me, because they're the most graphically intensive part of the project and many a design has foundered here. If/when I overcome the map barrier, I then play the game fifteen or twenty times solitaire to make sure the mechanics make sense from a historical perspective and flow smoothly from a player perspective. During this stage, I make frequent changes, up to and including complete redesigns of segments, until I am comfortable with the underlying system. I only involve other people in the playtesting once I'm confident the game can be played without the system breaking down.
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
I have a keen interest in the Dark Ages, so I'd probably go with the Battle of Brunanburh (937 AD). Athelstan's defeat of the Celtic-Norse army helped define the boundaries of the various nations of Britain and we have only a smattering of information about how the battle was fought. As an added bonus, filming Brunanburh would give the opportunity to observe Egill Skallagrimsson, the protagonist of one of the best known Icelandic sagas (Egill's Saga).
What current events are you following closely? Which ones are you just vaguely aware of?
I follow the Middle East, US business and America's various armed conflicts most closely, though I try to read as much as possible about global events. Google Reader has been a godsend as it offers a great way to aggregate lots of news data from disparate sources into a digestible format.
Just make sure GrogNews is part of the regular rotation!
First music cassette, LP, 8-track, or CD you bought yourself?
First CD was a upgrade of Bolt Thrower's ...For Victory from cassette tape. Music should be loud!
Ginger or Mary Ann? Or, if you prefer, Madonna or Lady Gaga?Give me Angela Gossow (lead singer for Arch Enemy) any day.
Yowza!
Favorite current TV show? All-time favorite TV show?
Either Castle or Community, both of which are pretty damn funny. Firefly's the only tv show I've ever bought, so I guess I'd have to pick it for an all-time favorite. If only the movie had been better...
I'm detecting some Nate Fillion love here...
By: Brant
31 August 2010
Tuesday Q&A: John Tiller
This week's Tuesday Q&A is the prolific John Tiller, computer game designer extraordinaire.
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:
John Tiller has been a computer wargame designer and developer since 1995. During that time he published over 70 computer wargames ranging from the Renaissance and American Revolution to the Vietnam War and modern topics.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Since 2000, I have published wargames with HPS Simulations in several series notably Panzer Campaigns and Squad Battles as well as the American Civil War and Napoleonics.
I'm currently working on:
I have about 10 games series currently and in each one, I have at least one wargame under development. I also am working on two wargame contracts for the US Air Force on UAVs and Directed Energy.
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
I got hooked on board wargames starting with Avalon Hill D-Day and Panzer Leader, but definitely the game that made me want to develop computer wargames was SPI War in Europe. I realized that the only way that I could play this game was to put it on the computer and so started doing that. The First Blitzkrieg game series is the result of that years later.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
My process is to establish the basis for the game such as scale and scope, if it is the first game in a series, the game setting, and the game infrastructure using artwork by my artists Joe Amoral and Mark Adams. Then I turn it over to one of my scenario designers to start scenario development and playtesting. Glenn Saunders, together with Dave Blackburn, are my main Panzer Campaigns designers, Rich Hamilton leads several teams in Squad Battles and Musket and Pike as well as Naval Campaigns, Gary Morgan does the Modern Air Power series, Rich Walker is my main Civil War designer these days, Bill Peters does most Napoleonic design, and Ed Williams has started a new series on World War I.
What's the last good book you read?
Associated with wargaming, I would have to say it's the Wayne Hughes book "Fleet Tactics". I know of no other book that does such a great job of describing modern naval combat.
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
I think we tend to have a romanticized view of most battles and one reason I like wargaming is that it allows you to view the battle in time and space so that you can see the sequence of events and how they interacted. My idea of a film about a battle wouldn't just focus on the key events, it would actually run continuously for the entire duration of the battle (which might not make it that popular to be honest). But I think watching a battle from the American Revolution would be fascinating since they took place in such small areas with small numbers of men. Something like Guilford Court House would be astounding to view I think.
Thanks to John, and all our participants so far... much more to come!
By: Brant
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:
John Tiller has been a computer wargame designer and developer since 1995. During that time he published over 70 computer wargames ranging from the Renaissance and American Revolution to the Vietnam War and modern topics.
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:Since 2000, I have published wargames with HPS Simulations in several series notably Panzer Campaigns and Squad Battles as well as the American Civil War and Napoleonics.
I'm currently working on:
I have about 10 games series currently and in each one, I have at least one wargame under development. I also am working on two wargame contracts for the US Air Force on UAVs and Directed Energy.
What wargame made you want to be a designer?
I got hooked on board wargames starting with Avalon Hill D-Day and Panzer Leader, but definitely the game that made me want to develop computer wargames was SPI War in Europe. I realized that the only way that I could play this game was to put it on the computer and so started doing that. The First Blitzkrieg game series is the result of that years later.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is…
My process is to establish the basis for the game such as scale and scope, if it is the first game in a series, the game setting, and the game infrastructure using artwork by my artists Joe Amoral and Mark Adams. Then I turn it over to one of my scenario designers to start scenario development and playtesting. Glenn Saunders, together with Dave Blackburn, are my main Panzer Campaigns designers, Rich Hamilton leads several teams in Squad Battles and Musket and Pike as well as Naval Campaigns, Gary Morgan does the Modern Air Power series, Rich Walker is my main Civil War designer these days, Bill Peters does most Napoleonic design, and Ed Williams has started a new series on World War I.
What's the last good book you read?
Associated with wargaming, I would have to say it's the Wayne Hughes book "Fleet Tactics". I know of no other book that does such a great job of describing modern naval combat.
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
I think we tend to have a romanticized view of most battles and one reason I like wargaming is that it allows you to view the battle in time and space so that you can see the sequence of events and how they interacted. My idea of a film about a battle wouldn't just focus on the key events, it would actually run continuously for the entire duration of the battle (which might not make it that popular to be honest). But I think watching a battle from the American Revolution would be fascinating since they took place in such small areas with small numbers of men. Something like Guilford Court House would be astounding to view I think.
Thanks to John, and all our participants so far... much more to come!
By: Brant
24 August 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Lee Brimmicombe-Wood
This week's Tuesday Q&A is Lee Brimmicombe-Wood, who lives for aerial battles. One of our first respondents from overseas, Lee's wit and passion for historical accuracy are well-known in the wargaming world.
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:
"Lee was a raging arsehole with a hard-on for history. He was contemptuous of wargame designers who did a shoddy job on the history."
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Air combat gaming, in particular raid-scale games.
I'm currently working on:
Nightfighter, a tactical game about WW2 air combat at night, and Bomber Command, a raid-scale game of the RAF raids on the Reich. Both are currently in pre-order with GMT Games.
ed note: According to GMT's page, Nightfighter has made the cut. Everyone go order Bomber Command (illo at right) and get it over the threshold!
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
I was brought up on one. I grew up in London, where my parents had been blitzed decades before. So I went on to design my own Battle of Britain game.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
Air combat games; modern operational combat; games on COIN/low intensity warfare.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
SPI's Air War.
When did you first start to find online communities for wargaming?
In the mid-1990s in the pioneering days of e-mail lists, before web forums came along.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
Consimworld and Boardgamegeek. However, I'm increasingly restricting my exposure to websites and fora these days as I'm not fond of some of the people on them.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is...
I storyboard the historical events I want to depict. Build databases of my historical findings. Decide upon the scale and the extent of the player decision-making. Construct the initial model.
Validate and verify the model against history. At all test iterations continue the V&V process, ensuring inputs generate plausible outputs. As I have become more experienced at design, I find I must be prepared to cut detail.
Are there any wargaming magazines you read regularly? Military-focused magazines? History magazines?
I hardly read any gaming magazines. Popular military-focussed magazines are invariably inferior to books.
I used to buy S&T and Command back in the day, but the quality of games in modern mags (I'm looking at you, S&T and ATO!) is too often medicore or worse, while the magazine writing is the worst kind of amateur history. And that includes my writing for S&T, too!
You can invite any 3 historical figures to dinner, who do you pick?
Nye Bevan, Tommy Cooper, Elizabeth Siddal.
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?
Role-playing games, first person shooters, massively multiplayer online games and console RPGs. Right now I'm making my way through the console horse-opera Red Dead Redemption...
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
The battles for Mt. Longdon, Two Sisters and Mt. Harriet. I have an outline for a game I'd like to make on those.
What's the last good book you read?
Admiral Togo: The Nelson of the East by Jonathan Clements.
My first car was…
An Austin Maxi 1750cc that only ran on three cylinders.
It's 5am and you can't sleep. What are you doing?
Surfing the internet and being an insufferable troll.
First music cassette, LP, 8-track, or CD you bought yourself?
A lame late Genesis album (possibly Abacab) in the days before I discovered the more interesting early Genesis (Selling England by the Pound).
By: Brant
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:
"Lee was a raging arsehole with a hard-on for history. He was contemptuous of wargame designers who did a shoddy job on the history."
You would know me from my work in this corner of the wargaming world:
Air combat gaming, in particular raid-scale games.
I'm currently working on:
Nightfighter, a tactical game about WW2 air combat at night, and Bomber Command, a raid-scale game of the RAF raids on the Reich. Both are currently in pre-order with GMT Games.
ed note: According to GMT's page, Nightfighter has made the cut. Everyone go order Bomber Command (illo at right) and get it over the threshold!
Have you ever visited a battlefield for a wargame you've played?
I was brought up on one. I grew up in London, where my parents had been blitzed decades before. So I went on to design my own Battle of Britain game.
What are your three favorite types/genres of wargames?
Air combat games; modern operational combat; games on COIN/low intensity warfare.
What was the first wargame you designed your own scenario for?
SPI's Air War.
When did you first start to find online communities for wargaming?
In the mid-1990s in the pioneering days of e-mail lists, before web forums came along.
Favorite gaming website(s)?
Consimworld and Boardgamegeek. However, I'm increasingly restricting my exposure to websites and fora these days as I'm not fond of some of the people on them.
When I mock up a game for playtesting, my general process is...
I storyboard the historical events I want to depict. Build databases of my historical findings. Decide upon the scale and the extent of the player decision-making. Construct the initial model.
Validate and verify the model against history. At all test iterations continue the V&V process, ensuring inputs generate plausible outputs. As I have become more experienced at design, I find I must be prepared to cut detail.
Are there any wargaming magazines you read regularly? Military-focused magazines? History magazines?
I hardly read any gaming magazines. Popular military-focussed magazines are invariably inferior to books.
I used to buy S&T and Command back in the day, but the quality of games in modern mags (I'm looking at you, S&T and ATO!) is too often medicore or worse, while the magazine writing is the worst kind of amateur history. And that includes my writing for S&T, too!
You can invite any 3 historical figures to dinner, who do you pick?
Nye Bevan, Tommy Cooper, Elizabeth Siddal.
When you're not wargaming, what are some other games you enjoy playing?
Role-playing games, first person shooters, massively multiplayer online games and console RPGs. Right now I'm making my way through the console horse-opera Red Dead Redemption...
If you could be the filmographer at any one battle in history, which one would you view?
The battles for Mt. Longdon, Two Sisters and Mt. Harriet. I have an outline for a game I'd like to make on those.
What's the last good book you read?
Admiral Togo: The Nelson of the East by Jonathan Clements.
My first car was…
An Austin Maxi 1750cc that only ran on three cylinders.
It's 5am and you can't sleep. What are you doing?
Surfing the internet and being an insufferable troll.
First music cassette, LP, 8-track, or CD you bought yourself?
A lame late Genesis album (possibly Abacab) in the days before I discovered the more interesting early Genesis (Selling England by the Pound).
By: Brant
17 August 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Alan Emrich
Continuing our new weekly series from us here at GrogNews, this week's Tuesday Q&A subject is Alan Emrich, of Victory Point Games, and many other projects. Alan and Jim had an unofficial race to see who could respond to our request for the interview fastest. Who says gamers have nothing to do on Friday nights!
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
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
10 August 2010
Tuesday Q&A: Jim Werbaneth
Starting a new weekly series from us here at GrogNews, our first Tuesday Q&A subject is Jim Werbaneth, the publisher of the excellent Line of Departure magazine. Jim not only responded to our request for the interview within about 45 seconds, but he actually responded to the questions within about 10 minutes. And who says gamers have nothing to do on Friday nights!
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:
My life is full of contradictions. But no one knows me well enough to spot even the biggest ones.
You would know me from these game designs:
Inchon (Command Magazine), Britain Stands Alone (GMT), Rommel at Gazala (Self-Published).
I'm currently working on:
I'm developing games more than designing them at the moment. Right now the big project is Saratoga, for TPS.
What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself
A really detailed, historically accurate, comprehensive and playable game of the Dutch Wars of Independence from Spain. I'd have to leave it to someone who can read Dutch sources, and perhaps with better command of Spanish than me.
Pick one game whose graphics you really dig, and tell us about them
There is one that comes to mind immediately: Pacific War, from Victory Games. The graphics aren't that flashy by today's standards, but every component really supports the game system admirably. In my opinion, it is one of the best examples of a post-SPI game following Redmond Simonsen's approach to providing an integrated graphic system. On this level as well as many others, it is one of the games that I respect the most.
What was the first wargame you designed? Did it ever see the light of day?
Inchon was my first attempt at designing. It was published in Command's ninth issue, and was the co-winner of the Charles S. Roberts Award as the best post-World War II game of 1991. So I guess I was pretty good coming out the gate!
What was your first game convention?
I attended some local conventions at Butler County Community College, and Slippery Rock University, in the late eighties. My first was at BC3, as the former is sometimes called, around 1987. When it comes to the big ones, I attended Origins for the first time in 2010.
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
There are so many. Though it would be a nightmare for the real world, an Axis victory in World War II is a fascinating scenario, and maybe someday I'll design a game on the Nazi Civil War that follows. Wehrmacht versus SS, Himmler versus Goering, uprising by the victims, the possibilities are really interesting.
What kind of wargame do you never see yourself playing?
I'll play almost any wargame, but I have zero interest in collectible card games.
Coolest thing you've ever done on a computer?
Acquiring and conducting a career in education is pretty damned cool; I love to teach, and it's the best career that I've ever had, all made possible by the PC. Meeting women is right up there of course too!
What was your favorite subject in school?
History, almost always. People might be surprised to learn that I also really liked English and almost majored in it, plus I wrote a lot of short stories and poetry when I was in high school and college.
If your best friend let you pick anywhere in town to go eat, what would you choose?
In Pittsburgh, it would be Mallorca, a really excellent Spanish restaurant in South Side.
What's the last good book you read?
Now that one is easy; The Campaigns of Napoleon by David Chandler. Demonstrating her good taste, it was a Christmas gift from my girlfriend.
By: Brant
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:
My life is full of contradictions. But no one knows me well enough to spot even the biggest ones.
You would know me from these game designs:
Inchon (Command Magazine), Britain Stands Alone (GMT), Rommel at Gazala (Self-Published).I'm currently working on:
I'm developing games more than designing them at the moment. Right now the big project is Saratoga, for TPS.
What's one game that you'd like to see produced, but wouldn't want to do it yourself
A really detailed, historically accurate, comprehensive and playable game of the Dutch Wars of Independence from Spain. I'd have to leave it to someone who can read Dutch sources, and perhaps with better command of Spanish than me.
Pick one game whose graphics you really dig, and tell us about them
There is one that comes to mind immediately: Pacific War, from Victory Games. The graphics aren't that flashy by today's standards, but every component really supports the game system admirably. In my opinion, it is one of the best examples of a post-SPI game following Redmond Simonsen's approach to providing an integrated graphic system. On this level as well as many others, it is one of the games that I respect the most.
What was the first wargame you designed? Did it ever see the light of day?
Inchon was my first attempt at designing. It was published in Command's ninth issue, and was the co-winner of the Charles S. Roberts Award as the best post-World War II game of 1991. So I guess I was pretty good coming out the gate!
What was your first game convention?
I attended some local conventions at Butler County Community College, and Slippery Rock University, in the late eighties. My first was at BC3, as the former is sometimes called, around 1987. When it comes to the big ones, I attended Origins for the first time in 2010.
What is one historical outcome you'd change to make a compelling alt-history game/scenario?
There are so many. Though it would be a nightmare for the real world, an Axis victory in World War II is a fascinating scenario, and maybe someday I'll design a game on the Nazi Civil War that follows. Wehrmacht versus SS, Himmler versus Goering, uprising by the victims, the possibilities are really interesting.
What kind of wargame do you never see yourself playing?
I'll play almost any wargame, but I have zero interest in collectible card games.
Coolest thing you've ever done on a computer?
Acquiring and conducting a career in education is pretty damned cool; I love to teach, and it's the best career that I've ever had, all made possible by the PC. Meeting women is right up there of course too!
What was your favorite subject in school?
History, almost always. People might be surprised to learn that I also really liked English and almost majored in it, plus I wrote a lot of short stories and poetry when I was in high school and college.
If your best friend let you pick anywhere in town to go eat, what would you choose?
In Pittsburgh, it would be Mallorca, a really excellent Spanish restaurant in South Side.
What's the last good book you read?
Now that one is easy; The Campaigns of Napoleon by David Chandler. Demonstrating her good taste, it was a Christmas gift from my girlfriend.
By: Brant
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