Old Salt of Series

[Ranse]

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I have played AoS and love it. Glad to see it updated. They were going to also issue Age of Ironclads and Age of Oars in series (even had t-shirts on sale for Age of Ironclads), but they never finished the series. I have played the old Yaquito Games boardgame Ironclads since the mid-seventies and would love to see it or Age of Ironclads developed. If you need help (as tester, etc.), let me know, for I have wanted to see these games on computer for decades (I even programed Ironclads on the old TRS Mod 80, but had to stop for lack of RAM).

[Ranse]

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Correction on last post (my memory is getting rusty):
"Victory Games" should read "Yaquinto Games" and "Age of Triemes" should read "Age of Oars."
Forgive me, I'm new at forums. I just found out about the edit feature. Should cut down on my number of posts.

[BrucePowers]

I know you keep talking about Ironclads. It was good. I played it, I liked it, and I still own it. I still want the USS Constitution to see the HMS JAVA. I have plans to put a couple of USN 74s up against some British SOLs. (My hypothesis being the ships were put on a higher priority earlier.) This is just my 2 cents worth.

"I asked you to clear the decks for action in 10 minutes. You did it in 8." Gregory peck in Captain Hornblower. The books were better.

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Ranse

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Correction on last post (my memory is getting rusty):
"Victory Games" should read "Yaquinto Games" and "Age of Triemes" should read "Age of Oars."
Forgive me, I'm new at forums. I just found out about the edit feature. Should cut down on my number of posts.

Edit capabilities come in useful!

Good old Yaquinto... thick counters (sometimes garish colors), but they were innovative for their time. Remember the original "Flat Top"? There was so much packed into that one that I couldn't close the box once the pieces were punched [:D]

And then there was their Atlanta Campaign game with the truely horrible bright orange and electric blue on the mapsheet.

Ironclads was a class production though... good artwork and copious documentation plus a generous supply of plotting sheets and other accessories.

Looking forward to a computer version someday. ACW riverine warfare would be an innovative area to explore.

Heck, while I'm dreaming.... how about incorporating such naval action into a strategic / operational ACW game? Fight out the land battles AND the riverine battles like Island #10, Farragut at New Orleans, and so forth? As we seek out new grounds to explore in computer gaming simulations, I believe that such combinations of detailed battle resolutions coupled with a strategic campaign element would be welcomed.

So far, the strategic titles that have some sort of battle resolution screen incorporated (I'm mostly thinking of RTS games like the "Total War" series)tend to be very very abstract at the strategic level and far too tactical at the battle level.

We're never going to run out of fresh ideas. This hobby is far from reaching maturity.

[BrucePowers]

You are right Yaquinto, did a great job. The quality of their product was high. I still have a large number of their games including the Ironclads expansion. All those different naval rifles, all the cards, watching your round shot bounce off of iron plate.

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn

ORIGINAL: Ranse

[font="Times New Roman"][/font]
Correction on last post (my memory is getting rusty):
"Victory Games" should read "Yaquinto Games" and "Age of Triemes" should read "Age of Oars."
Forgive me, I'm new at forums. I just found out about the edit feature. Should cut down on my number of posts.

Edit capabilities come in useful!

Good old Yaquinto... thick counters (sometimes garish colors), but they were innovative for their time. Remember the original "Flat Top"? There was so much packed into that one that I couldn't close the box once the pieces were punched [:D]

And then there was their Atlanta Campaign game with the truely horrible bright orange and electric blue on the mapsheet.

Ironclads was a class production though... good artwork and copious documentation plus a generous supply of plotting sheets and other accessories.

Looking forward to a computer version someday. ACW riverine warfare would be an innovative area to explore.

Heck, while I'm dreaming.... how about incorporating such naval action into a strategic / operational ACW game? Fight out the land battles AND the riverine battles like Island #10, Farragut at New Orleans, and so forth? As we seek out new grounds to explore in computer gaming simulations, I believe that such combinations of detailed battle resolutions coupled with a strategic campaign element would be welcomed.

So far, the strategic titles that have some sort of battle resolution screen incorporated (I'm mostly thinking of RTS games like the "Total War" series)tend to be very very abstract at the strategic level and far too tactical at the battle level.

We're never going to run out of fresh ideas. This hobby is far from reaching maturity.

Good gosh, you must have been the person in the line right behind me at the game store!!!!!!!!
C'mon Matrix.....Customers are waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bradfordkay]

While Ironclads was created by the same people as Flattop (Steve Peak and Craig Taylor), they created Flattop earlier for Battleline Games (whose lineup was later purchased by Avalon Hill). Yaquinto came a little later, under which label they released Ironclads and Wings, among others.

[Jim Falk]

I agree! I still play AOS (not AOS-2) and enjoy it very much. I'd like to see naval simulation games made available for every era right up to WW2. It will be interesting to see how well Matrix does with AOS, assuming it happens at all.[:)]

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Jim Falk

I agree! I still play AOS (not AOS-2) and enjoy it very much. I'd like to see naval simulation games made available for every era right up to WW2. It will be interesting to see how well Matrix does with AOS, assuming it happens at all.[:)]

Hmmm... think of TOANW (The Operational Art of NAVAL Warfare) with hundreds of user created scenarios for every possible naval engagement...

Wouldn't that be a dream?

[Jim Falk]

Absolutely the books "were better!" The movies, "Damn the Defiant" and "Master and Commander" are worth seeing. There are so few sailing warship-theme movies that I'll take what I can get. For information-loaded books on U.S. sailing ships, "The History of the American Sailing Navy" is hard to beat! It provides detailed info on heavy frigates, 74's and the monster 1st-rate, USS [:D]Pennsylvania.

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: Jim Falk

Absolutely the books "were better!" The movies, "Damn the Defiant" and "Master and Commander" are worth seeing. There are so few sailing warship-theme movies that I'll take what I can get. For information-loaded books on U.S. sailing ships, "The History of the American Sailing Navy" is hard to beat! It provides detailed info on heavy frigates, 74's and the monster 1st-rate, USS [:D]Pennsylvania.

I even sought out an old silent classic starring Wallace Beery called "OLD IRONSIDES"..
Good naval action for its' day,(albeit silent)..

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Jim Falk

Absolutely the books "were better!" The movies, "Damn the Defiant" and "Master and Commander" are worth seeing. There are so few sailing warship-theme movies that I'll take what I can get. For information-loaded books on U.S. sailing ships, "The History of the American Sailing Navy" is hard to beat! It provides detailed info on heavy frigates, 74's and the monster 1st-rate, USS [:D]Pennsylvania.

I was unaware of the saga of the USS Pennsylvania and how it was obsolete by the time it was launched. It's one and only voyage was from launching down to Norfolk where it became a receiving ship until burned to keep her out of Confederate hands. I went out and found a nice (fantasy) painting of this monster ship of the line leading the USS North Carolina and some lesser ships. Enjoy.

[Jim Falk]

I agree. As far as I'm concerned, the scope of the game can't be too expansive. Too this day, I continue to play the original AOS inspite of it's many limitations. One enhancement to the original AOS I did inadvertently come across is a "ship editor" that was part of the Talonsoft T-34 game. This allows me to modify ship speed, maneuverbility, cannon weight, hull tonnage, crew & marine quantity and ship's name. I've used the editor to create Civil War-era sailing warships such as the large corvette USS Cumberland, a cut-down frigate with 64-pdr. guns. I've also "built" the Santisima Trinidad influenced USS Pennsylvania of 130 guns, the largest sailing man-of-war ever laid down for the US Navy. Hopefully the Matrix AOS will provide game and ship editor ability as well as all of the features you, me and other "Old Salts" are looking for. We'll see.

[Jim Falk]

Wow! That's a wonderful painting! It fully portrays the majesty and power of a 1st-rate under sail. I've taken a liking to Chatham Historical Picture series of books that are full of ship histories and, of course-lots of beautiful artwork of sailing warships.
You're right about the USS Pennsylvania being obsolete at its launching. Another interesting fact is that she was designed and built as a coastal-defence warship, hence the overweight in cannon and the restricted capacity for stores. Also, like United States Navy frigates and 74's of that period, she was designed to outclass any other power's
1st-rate. It's too bad such a ship wasn't available during the War of 1812 or during the brief conflict with France.

[m10bob]

A nice touch for the game would be an enhanced soundtrack with sea gulls and the sound of waves and rustling sails when the ships turn.............

[Jim Falk]

creaking of the ship's timber. . .