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History

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:13 am
by shunwick
The BBC are currently reporting on the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and I suddenly have this urge to revisit all of The Great War scenarios. This is why I love TOAW.

Best wishes,
Steve

RE: History

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 6:35 am
by Sensei.Tokugawa
Hey dude, you're not only a hundred years late alike BBC, but the three at least - those I have spent campaigning since summer 2011 when I saw the BBC's the Great War iconic documentary and became hooked upon ever since. I even managed to complete a run of Falotti's TGW 1914 - 1918 as Entente Cordiale and am soon to finish another as the Central Powers to commemorate the centennial properly [&o], everything in the PBEM mode and reported at my wargaming club, the Blitz namely, on top of some smaller scenarios from AH early offensive in Serbia to St Mihel 1918.

RE: History

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:04 am
by r6kunz
I hope to have ready The Guns of August, 1914 by, well, August.

There is certainly no lack of WWI scenarios:

There are several good scenarios out there that cover the opening period of the war- France 1914 (Tom Klemme, 15 km/one week), as well as his Mons and The Marne (excellent), The Great War 2.0 (DR McBride, 15 km/one week/ 260 turns) , The Great War 1914-1918 (Pierro Falotti 15 km. one week, PBEM only), Home Before the Leaves Fall (Tom Porto, 5 km/one day). As well as one of my favorite board games from back in the day- Avalon-Hill's 1914

The Guns of August, 1914 is designed to fill the gap in scale, 10 km/hex, one week turns, division level, into Nov 1914, as well as incorporate the design features of TOAW 3.4, and especially the Beta version which addresses the issue of attacking entrenched ignore-losses units.
It is a modest 15 turn scenario that simulates the mobile phase of the war.

Although I have been inspired by all of the above designers (especially Todd Klemme's France 14) as well a reread of Barbara Tuchman, I have reworked the map, corrected some of the distances, revised the TOE using several sources.

Last, but not least, I used an excellent French web site that gives an animated (!) day-by-day flow of the war, at division level on a period topo-like map!

http://www.carto1418.fr/

I used this extensively to develop the OB and set the PO objectives.

(if any one has Todd Klemme's email, I would appreciate it you could forward it to me...)

RE: History

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:12 am
by shunwick
Looking forward to trying The Guns of August 1914.

I have a couple of Email addresses for Todd but neither of them work anymore. He hasn't been seen for quite a few years - long before TOAW III.

Best wishes,
Steve

RE: History

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 9:09 pm
by r6kunz
thanks for the reply. I did get a reply back from Pierro- nice! I will pass on your comments.

His is an epic, if not intimidating, replay of The Great War. In every sense of the word. Just looking through his OB and Map and Notes are alone worth the price of the game. I only regret it is PBEM only. I actually started off using a truncated section of his map, as well as OB for a quick and dirty mod. I ended up redoing everything but it was a start.


Anthem for Doomed Youth

BY WILFRED OWEN (KIA 1918)
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blind