Step #1: Determine Your Primary Objective......

...... and stick to it!............But it's sooooo easy to get distracted. 

I want a game where the usual sort of scenario that I like can be played on my 5'x5' table in about 2 hours, more or less, not counting breaks or set up and take down.

About 4 turns in with MacDuff.

Some stray bit of nostalgia, crossed with coming across the quick reference sheet I had done for a slightly streamlined version of the original, 1997, Colonial, version of With MacDuff To The Frontier (GA Henty fans  will doubtless figure out where the inspiration for the title came from.). The turns I played with that went well but it was obvious that this small, simple, game was probably going to take at least 4 hours to play, have a lot of repetition, and constant minor decisions to distract. The interactive nature is good when there are two or more players because both sides are always engaged, but when playing solo, it just makes the game slower.

1 turn later with the new rules.

So I poked and  tweaked and finally dug through my archive of alternative draft rules, until I found a set that was more along the lines that I want. I worked at them today and am ready to resume the game.