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  • in reply to: Are you in sync with new product releases? #81641
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Hmmm, so too much micro-managing in what is supposed to be an operational set? Thanks for that, it’s saved me some cash at least.

    in reply to: Megagames #81603
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    I was a bit confused there Tim, but I think you’ve found the event pages on Facebook. Yes, the games themselves are in-person. There’s been some questions (particularly from groups setting up in the US) about the possibility of online games, but that physical interaction with people is a key element, particularly when the game turns are on a strict timetable. It’s £30 per player for the day, which goes to the designer to cover costs.

    I have been involved in a number of planning games in advance, but they’ve usually been by email. When we put on a game by Megagame Makers deigner Rob Cooper (Cold War Gone Hot, 1983) I decided to try using Facebook groups. We started with the high command, then created groups for lower commands, issuing their briefings and asking them to submit pictures of initial deployments. It snowballed massively and needs watching, but did mean players were very engaged and also knew one another before we started.

    It also helped that for the game itself I’d managed to get access to a former country house that is now an Army Reserve centre, Endcliffe Hall in Sheffield. We’ve also got it for our Case Blue WW2 game this summer and I want to run a German-Czech 1938 game there in the autumn. https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjnpo_ajdHYAhVqKMAKHSpnDKcQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F30120216%40N07%2F15286758198&psig=AOvVaw1FKz8bBViZoO8CISVPSg80&ust=1515801211744625

    The operational games can be less popular than the political-conflict games so we’ve been running taster sessions at wargames shows and I thought I’d come here too.

    in reply to: Are you in sync with new product releases? #81599
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Martin, on a tangent. What are your issues with Rommel please? I had been initially unsure after issues with the Blucher pdf, but would appreciate your thoughts.

    in reply to: Megagames #81597
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Thanks for the endorsement Guy. I started when MM began operational games at Leeds Armouries 5-6 years ago and then started to go to London.

    3 years ago I met with Jim to see about getting more games going up north and started PM in the summer. Originally I envisaged a couple of games per year but we had drawn up a full calendar almost immediately. There are changes afoot in London at the moment, with Jim stepping back from MM and a new group (Horizon) running non-historical games. We’ve managed to get a good number of players to transition from different genres to others and have most games designed to cater for different roles so we’ll stick with a mixture.

    in reply to: Megagames #81594
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Do you have a blow-by-blow of one of these games anywhere? From a read, it reminds me of a matrix game, but it seems there’s a little bit more structure involved here.

    AAR are quite common – we have a bunch spread amongst the game archive pages, e.g. http://www.penninemegagames.co.uk/a-very-british-civil-war.html but blow by blow is very difficult as there are so many perceptions. You usually finish a game with a debrief to try and make sense of the bigger picture and what people’s objectives were.

    I wouldn’t compare them to a matrix game. Due the sheer number of players, there’s far more confusion and need to focus on your small area rather than getting the whole picture. Whilst you have a control team, there are usually mechanics to deal with resolving situations.

    in reply to: Megagames #81580
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Indeed they are Guy, although Pickles is actually on our calendar this year with a Mexican revolution game. We try to aim for a mix of genres, so cater for a range of players. The MM calendar tends to be more historical, although I am running my VBCW game down there in May.

    in reply to: Megagames #81578
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    That’s probably a good summary Mike – there’s a page  I wrote here http://www.penninemegagames.co.uk/a-guide-to-megagaming.html

    I gave up trying to write a full definition as different people value different elements. They started as operational wargames under Paddy Griffith and Andy Callan, but the political side of most games is very popular. In my Justinian-era game, there was a resource management element on a board for governors, a simple campaign system on open maps for the generals (allocating unit cards to three zones, plus combat cards and reserves if necesarry) which resolved battles in 5 minutes or so and a political support/impressively blinged buildings game in Constantinople, all the while Justinian was trying (and failing) to manage things and the Sassanids made deals with people. Standard wargames rules take too long, but even in a military game you want (ideally) at least three layers of command to build in friction and fog of war.

    in reply to: Variable objectives #81564
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    It all falls apart after turn one and a half. After that all players want to do is push lead, roll dice, and kill things, preferably the closest enemy unit. everyone believes they have attained their objectives– which they have– roll dice, push lead, kill things, and have a good time with their buddies.

    I can’t say I’ve ever seen this personally. I’m probably the most frivolous of our group & even I realise that to win a game, you need to achieve the stated objectives. Indeed, in our 6 person group, we have 2 ex-British army officers, 2 ex-Australian army officers & an engineer (!!!) & I can tell you that the discussion & planning is pretty focussed. Not to say we don’t have fun (why would you wargame if it isn’t fun?!?) but it’s a game with rules for us. donald

    I’ve occasionally seen it from a handful of gamers, but that seems to be an awfully large brush being used there, reflecting limited or very unfortunate experience. Funny, that. I like historical objectives but it’s also nice playing a game with a bit of backstory that encourages you to come up with your own objectives sometimes too. The original post seems a handy suggestion for pick-up games too.

    in reply to: Boardgame Mindset vs Wargame Mindset #81560
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Another thing popped into my noggin’ I was looking at the models that come with the Conan game and was struck by the poses. The Picts have melee and missile troops. However there is only one pose of each. Now, whilst this is a nice model in a cool pose, is that normal for boardgames to have just the one pose of a model? I could not conceive of playing a skirmish game with an entire force of bad guys all in the same pose…

    I suspect, other than saving sculpting costs, it also helps differentiate figures which aren’t usually painted, whilst also limiting the types than players have to remember. Risk isn’t exactly bulging with figure variants either.

    I think there are a number of reasons why boardgamers are less likely to houserule. There is an expectation that rules have been playtested thoroughly (true or not) and there is a more of a culture of pick-up games where new people can dive in and start playing within a few minutes. That’s much harder with wargaming unless you’re playing a very simple homebrew and the expectations are different for that. I’m not a big eurogamer myself but a lot of friends are and games seem to be very much flavour of the month. If a game gets played to death in a matter of weeks, it doesn’t matter as something else will come along. The decisions you make in the game and the preparations (figures, terrain, etc.) are so much more than most boardgames, you’re far more invested in that particular wargame. As a result of that (and the shortage of wargamers playing the set you want) you’ll stick at it and try to make it work. One of the big advantages that many GW players tout is the availability of players. The rules might have holes, but by accepting them you greatly increase your chance of regular games.

    in reply to: Some thoughts on the turn sequence #81554
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    I hadn’t realised this blog was up and running Phil. I will have a bit of a delve as there are things I’m interested in for some of my megagames. Cheers.

    in reply to: I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. #81553
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Hmmm. You might want to try and help yourself, Otto. Whilst caricatures of a few privileged monarchs might fly, I’m not sure stereotyping an entire people is the way forward.

    in reply to: 28mm+ Chariots #63048
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Many thanks chaps. I saw the Italeri ones thanks Fredd – I’m after 8 though so at that price a little steep. I’ll check out the Essex line too Rod, although Mike, you may have solved my problem. I have a load of spare horses lying around.

    in reply to: Panzergrenadier… #13267
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Thanks Dave, I’ll keep an eye out at a show. I did chat to you about themat Salute I think. I’ll definitely want to play them at some point.

    in reply to: Fury #12832
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    I enjoyed most of the first half. I rolled my eyes at the FNG arriving without a clue what to do, as well as the young lieutenant in spotless fatigues, whilst he’s briefing the middle-aged tank commanders. Could they have got a more eclectic platoon of Shermans? I thought the portrayal of the state of Germany at this point was well done. The brutalising of the FNG was par for the course and I’d rather have seen them trying to outflank the Tiger rather than drive in circles. I found it hard to accept that having promised his crew that he would keep them alive, Brad Pitt’s character condemned them to death with a selfish action, right at the end of the war. As for the last stand with day to night in twenty minutes, the disappearing panzerfausts and good German peeking under the tank for no real reason, well… I definitely preferred it to Inglorious Bastards though.

    in reply to: Panzergrenadier… #12829
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    Thanks very much for the information chaps. I’d looked on the General de Brigade site, but it had been down. I like the idea of streamlining things and not having to roll for everything , but I’ll hang fire until it comes down in price I think as I’ve just picked up 2nd Edition Rapid Fire after a couple of recent big games. I spent a fair amount of time working out some QRS and prompt sheets for 2nd edition BPG and have still got IABSM to try out. I do find that having one table to resolve hits and morale made it quite easy to work out what’s going on and that aspect of the game is very appealing. I’ll have a flip through at a show and see.

    in reply to: Fury #11537
    Avatar photoPaul Howarth
    Participant

    I’m probably going to see it before Friday, to make the most of some time to myself. My expectations aren’t massively high and it can’t be another Battle of the Bulge.

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)