Grid Game: "Control to Catastrophe"

 My new game is developing very nicely and I am feeling like it has largely arrived at a place where it is 'stable.'  Small things will change and I am constantly looking for ways to further simplify the game, but the core rules and special rules for period specific doctrines and units have been well tested and work really well.  I am also really aware of the need to not only inject tension into the game, but also fun.  Since this is definitely NOT a tournament set of rules, I can add rules that reflect history and can turn the game in new directions dramatically.  This would not fly in a tournament set and might annoy those that prefer a controlled competitive set, but reflect history quite well.

A big issue for any game designer is how prescriptive one can be regarding unit organization and basing. Initially the game was actually driven by a particular approach to unit organization. Since those early days the game has changed to make unit representation completely up to the player.  That said, game play is facilitated by having units organized to reflect the 3 basic unit sizes -- however you want to do that.

Here are a couple of pictures of the same units in three different forms of representations.  We have played games using both of these approaches and one half way in between (I have three different gridded cloths to accommodate the different unit sizes.  Of course, I always prefer the 'grand manner' approach and so most of the games are played with the big battalions!  Note that in grid games unit size (which measures its ability to absorb hits) varies by depth since all units are assumed to have the same width (the grid box width).

Much too long!

 It has been much too long since my last post.  Since then much has been going on.  The ACW rules are written and in proof reading.  The ancient-renaissance (early-modern) grid game has developed really well and is with several groups for play testing; I am very excited about this game.  A 3rd edition of BFE is well under way with some interesting changes that partly stemmed from the ACW game.  In addition, the dice-based movement and morale system (that replaces the tables) was recently play tested and worked really well.  In fact, so well I am inclined to use it more than the tables especially for games using Zulu or Mahdist armies.

So lots of developments.  The big challenge now will be to layout and publish.  I am planning on hiring someone to do the layout.  Selling with be handled by Amazon for print copies and I will set up a web page for PDFs.  

Playing with Speed Paint

 There was a lot of fuss made when the Citadel Contrast Paints were released.  They were expensive and so I didn’t bother.  But the Army Painter Speed Paints were even more enthusiastically embraced and were cheaper.  So I got the starter set.   Initially I tested them on a unit of Celts Sloshing the Speed Paint straight onto the white undercoat. It worked well but I find any kind of wash technique on white a bitty messy and muddy.  I definitely feel that one has to frame the washes with solid paint on things like belts and other accoutrements.  I also found that they did not work on the shields which made sense; lacking crevices to flow into the whole purpose of the product was lost.  So, the shields got solid colour, painted designs and conventional highlights.  Overall I was quite pleased and it went quickly.  

I tried another technique on a small unit of cavalry.  This time I did a zenithal primer, starting with black and dry brushing the whole figure (horse and rider; I always glue everything together before painting) with white.   Once dry I used a brown Speed Paint on the horse and in one coat got a very pleasing effect.  Score!

Overall I like these paints.  I will continue painting my Napoleonics, Renaissance and SYW collections with a black undercoat and deliberate highlighting in 3 layers.  But for some ancients and colonials this set of paints works well, especially those with simple tunics.