Monday, January 24, 2022

And This Will Be The Last Day!

Well, the past 10 days are finally done and so is the game. Life is beginning to return to what passes for normal here.

The day is drawing near its end. There is no hope now of driving the Yankees from the field but the whole Reb army is on the field and their defensive perimeter is holding.  That's General Kinch, the Confederate Commander, on the big round base consulting his staff about the best way to hold on and renew the battle in the morning. 

I started out to use an off grid version of the rules I used for the last few hex games. That was working but I had an urge to inject more flavour and granularity to the regiments so tried a more detailed set based largely on my old Hearts of Tin rules. That was also working well and I was enjoying it until I realized that it was taking about an hour to play one turn. With a 15 turn scenario....... well, I don't have the stamina for that these days and the feel of the game suffered from only having one or two, occasionally three if there was not much happening, turns in a day. 

In the end, I decided that since is my only collection capable of fighting a large action, I should stick to my plan of having my acw armies being capable of being used in the largest battles I can fit on my table in a long afternoon as well as shorter one or two hour games using smaller forces in between the occasional larger game. That would also give me the availability to play some campaigns where units on the map all have their miniature version. The sort of thing where I could perhaps recruit some volunteers to play commanders for map moves and then fight the battles over video chat facilities. Lots to do before then but maybe by the fall or next winter. 

First I need to turn the 1 page and bit quick reference sheet into something close to a proper set. I apologize to those who were expecting to be able to download a set this week but it will be coming now that I have reconfirmed the approach. I just need to explain thiungs and add all the devils that are details. Could take a week or a month or two depending on how the winds blow.
   
Moments later the Yankees launched an attack all along the line, including 2 fresh brigades of the 2nd Division. It was too much for many of the tired Reb units who had been under heavy pressure all afternoon. Several regiments broke. In the centre, Caesar's Zouaves finally seized the Blue House, and captured a battery of guns to boot.  

I also have to revisit my unit base marking system to make it easier for me to be able to recognize a stand or unit quickly and easily at arms length. Sad to say but with my current markings, where complete, I often need to change glasses to be sure I am reading them right. Something easy to paint and easy to read at arms length is needed. 

I want more, and more clearly recognizable, marker figures for units status, morale status etc. I like casualty figures, buglers, sergeants, officers and so on. These can be used to mark unit status, disorder, hits, and so on, I have spare figures  to use for these so its just a bit of painting and basing some more and coming up with a batter arm's length id. 

Then there is the growing need to record more names/numbers for the units and commanders and mark their figure so I can be consistent in battle reports and start building up unit histories.

On the far right, Brigadier Standing's Brigade of fresh troops crumpled at the first Union attack. General Kinch felt that only a quick retreat over the bridge while he still had enough steady troops to hold a perimiter, was now the only way to save  his command from being trapped against the river and forced to surrender. 

Lots to do and I'll be starting this week but the next ACW game is probably at least a month away. The next game will of course be sooner but even I don't yet know what it will be.


15 comments:

  1. Everyone has different wants from a game, but I’m with you, that an hour a turn in a 15 turn game is too demanding, though I can’t see small tweaks bringing that down sufficiently enough.

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    1. No,small tweaks won't do it.

      I think this is the third time in the last 5 years that I've tried to go back to the rules I enjoyed when I only had a handful of units only to revert to a set that is less granular, essentially treating each 3 stand unit as a single stand or counter if you will, and replacing many tactical details that are the affairs of the Colonels, and to some extent the Brigadiers, with the variable that is a throw of the dice, leaving the general to think in broader terms. An approach inspired by reading Morschauser's 1962 book twenty years ago.

      In practice, it reduces hour long turns to 15-20 minute turns with most of the available units deployed. A full battle then will usually be an all day affair or perhaps two 1/2 days but I don't intend to play that big a game more than once or twice every couple of years. The smallest feasible scenarios with just a few brigades would be able to be played to a conclusion in an hour or two.

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  2. >record more names/numbers for the units and commanders and mark their figure so I can be consistent in battle reports and start building up unit histories.

    "C'est une excellente idée."
    - Lt. Cloutier, 110e Régiment d'infanterie

    (Meanwhile, I'll get on those translucent dice.)

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    1. If you're going to climb on a translucent die, best be sober and pick a big one.

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  3. The pics of this game certainly have the big game look - splendid.
    I empathize regarding the need to change glasses; it's a real pain. I tried varifocals once but they made me nauseous!

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    1. I tried several increasingly expensive multifocals with similar results until I moved and found an eye doctor who explained the physical reasons why my astigmatism doesn't work with multi or even bifocal lenses. He said he could give me a really expensive prescription that would be a slight improvement or he could prescribe new distance glasses and I could go buy a pair of cheap magnifying readers at a drug store and just swap glasses.

      I went with that and was suddenly shocked by being able to see in 3d, a novel experience to enjoy in my 2nd 1/2 century.

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  4. A 15 hour game seems more like a campaign Ross…
    Mind you I would probably spend that much time just looking at the toys 😁

    All the best. Aly

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    1. A campaign in slow motion. I have trouble getting 2 undisturbed hours!

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  5. Time consuming yes, but the pictures look good!

    Sorry, not sure what that word 'normal' means. Is it an obsolete term or something?

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    1. The habitual state of inertia perhaps, no judgement was intended.

      The next game will not lose its look, just play a little faster. The quicker rules were used for the first few turns and the last 5.

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    2. Inertia works.

      Well... OK, I mean... inertia doesn't work... I mean... inertia works... I mean - whatever it is I mean...

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  6. I think you're on to something. "How big a game in what time frame" is a solid founding principle for a rule-set, and probably an effective reference point for any decisions that come up during development.

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    1. Definitely needs consideration. Whats the smallest game thats feasible? Whats the largest?

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  7. Ross, it was wonderful to finally get out of Kuwait and arrive on this side of the Big Blue Anti-Tank Ditch and see all of this. Looks like it was a great game and I don't foresee you ever NOT tinkering with your rules. Always look forward to see what you have in mind.

    Eric

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