A trip to Greenwich Park

By lunchtime yesterday, the sun was shining, it wasn’t raining, and the air temperature was tolerable … and Sue and I decided that some fresh air might do us some good. After a look at the various places we could go for a walk, we decided to go to Greenwich Park.

It took us less than fifteen minutes to drive to the park and I was able to find a disabled parking place near the Pavilion Cafe. From there we walked past the Royal Greenwich Observatory towards the statue of General Wolfe …

… and the viewpoint from which one has a panoramic view of the National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House, the former Royal Naval College (now the University of Greenwich), the former Millennium Dome (now the O2), and - in the distance - the Shard.

Although I’ve visited Greenwich Park many times before, I never realised that the statute of General Wolfe …

… was paid for by the Canadian government and unveiled by the then Marquis of Montcalm in 1930.

Sue and I decided to eat lunch in the Pavilion Cafe …

… which turned out to be quite reasonably priced for a venue in a very touristy area.

We enjoyed our short break in Greenwich Park and there is no doubt that going out into the fresh air was better for us than sitting at home. We may have returned home tired, but we were mentally refreshed by our excursion.

Will we ever be free of this awful virus?

Back in early January, I wrote about Sue and I feeling under the weather due to a 'flu-like virus that was doing the rounds. Since then we seem to have experienced a cycle of feeling better ... and then feeling unwell again. It is probably just as well that I didn't go to Cavalier on Sunday as by that afternoon Sue and I could hardly stay awake.

After a rather disturbed night's sleep, Sue and I were feeling a bit better and went out to do some much-needed shopping on Monday morning ... but by the time were got home, we were both feeling exhausted. I did manage to do a bit of preparation for the game I am planning to put on at Dice on the Hill on Wednesday evening, but the effort left me so tired that I fell asleep in my armchair from 4.00pm until after 5.00pm.

I am determined not to miss my planned game on Wednesday, so Sue and I plan to stay indoors today, keep hydrated, and sleep as and when we feel tired. With luck this will help to break the virus's grip and we can finally look forward to a spell of better health.

Today I could have gone to Cavalier ... but I haven't

Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society's annual show – Cavalier – is taking place today, and as it marks the beginning of the wargaming year for many of us who live in this corner of England, I usually go ... but this year I haven't.

The reasons are varied, but essentially they are as follows:

• My ongoing problems with mobility. Although I can drive, once at the car park near the venue I will have to walk the rest of the way, and once inside there is nowhere on the ground floor to sit, something that I must do quite regularly. (I can walk about 100m before needing to rest.) Furthermore, walking around a crowded venue with a walking stick will not be easy and I do not want to risk tripping up and falling over.
• I have agreed to stage a World War II Portable Wargame at Dice on the Hill on Wednesday and need to get the necessary figures and terrain out of storage in Dartford. As I have several appointments on Monday and Tuesday, I will have to go to the store on today as I do not want to leave it until Wednesday ... just in case.
• My wargaming mojo is not what it should be at present (Although I should have got over the 'flu bug I caught earlier this year, I am still finding difficult to concentrate on anything for more than about ten minutes), and I lack the basic motivation to go to a wargame show.
• There are several things that I really need to do and that I cannot (or should not) put off any longer. For example, I have a detailed review of Steve Parker's DOMINION OF THE SPEAR wargame rules and DOMINION OF THE SPEAR BATTLES EXPANSION half finished, and I want to get it uploaded to my blog within the next day or two.
• I have the second play test of my simple late nineteenth century battleship vs. battleship naval wargame rules to stage and write about on my blog ... and possible make a video for my YouTube channel.

I might have made the effort to go to Cavalier if there had been anything in particular that I wanted to buy, but as my current project is currently on hold, there isn’t.

Hopefully I will make it to next year’s Cavalier … and will not regret not going today.

A local war memorial

Sue and I are always looking for interesting places to go to so that I can exercise and improve my mobility and stamina. Recently, we went about half a mile from our house to part of Plumstead Common to see a local war memorial dedicated to the 8th (City of London) Howitzer Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery.

The unit was formed in 1908, although its origins go back to the 1860s. It comprised 21st County of London (Howitzer) Battery, 22nd County of London (Howitzer) Battery, and VIII London (Howitzer) Brigade Ammunition Column and was headquartered at 'Oaklands', St Margaret's Road (now St Margaret's Grove), Plumstead, and had access to the Drill Hall in Bloomfield Road.

It was armed with a total of eight horse-drawn 5-inch howitzers and formed part of 2nd London Division of the Territorial Force.

The unit was mobilised at the outbreak of the Great War and in October 1914 it was deployed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). It took part in the Battles of Aubers Ridge, Festubert, Loos, and the Somme. After the end of the war the unit was reconstituted as the 65th (8th London) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (still mainly based in Plumstead, with one battery in Eltham) and became 65th (8th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in November 1938.

The unit’s memorial …

… was erected after the Great War. On its back it has a swastika engraved towards the top of the memorial …

… and it is important to note that there is nothing sinister about this as it was the unit’s sign during the Great War. (The swastika used is the reverse of the one used by the Nazi Party and has its origins in ancient Indian culture.)

Look back in wonder

I have been reorganising the books in my toy/wargame room and decided to put all the books I have written and published as well as the wargame glossy magazines that I have contributed to on the same shelf … and this is the result:

Looking at them, I am amazed and just how many books etc., there are.

(I have not included the articles I have written for THE NUGGET and several books that I have contributed to.)

A ChatGPT-generated Chaco War Matrix Game

In addition to the recent set of Portable Chaco War Wargame rules that I used ChatGPT to generate, I also asked it to create a six-player Matrix Game about the Chaco War. The end result needed a bit of tweaking by me and again, the end result is about 90% ChatGPT and 10% me.

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Chaco War Matrix Game

1. SIDES & ROLES

Each side has three players representing different aspects of their war effort. Each player has a hidden objective.

Bolivia (Better Equipped but Logistically Challenged)

• High Command (President Daniel Salamanca) – Plans offensives, logistics, overall strategy, and the country’s war economy. Must balance supply and morale.
• Field Commander (General Hans Kundt) – Directs battles, deploys reinforcements, and manages morale. Must compensate for Bolivia’s poor jungle tactics.
• Diplomat & Intelligence (Vice President Tejada Sorzano) – Conducts foreign relations, espionage, and propaganda. Must negotiate foreign support, manage internal politics, and conduct espionage.

Bolivian Hidden Objectives

• High Command: Ensure two supply routes remain open by 1934.
• Field Commander: Capture Fortín Boquerón within three months.
• Diplomat & Intelligence: Gain European arms shipments before 1935.

Paraguay (Outnumbered but Defensively Stronger)

• High Command (President Eusebio Ayala) – Plans defensive strategies and organises counterattacks. Must manage the country’s limited resources.
• Field Commander (General José Félix Estigarribia) – Directs troops, fortifies positions, and disrupts enemy supply lines. Must focus on using ambush tactics and fortifications to make up for the limited strength of the army.
• Diplomat & Intelligence (Vice President Raúl Casal Ribeiro​) – Manages propaganda, arms smuggling, and potential Argentine support. Must focus on diplomacy, morale, propaganda, smuggling arms from abroad, and sabotage operations.

Paraguayan Hidden Objectives

• High Command: Maintain fortified positions in key zones until late 1934.
• Field Commander: Destroy at least three Bolivian supply units.
• Diplomat & Intelligence: Convince Argentina to block Bolivian arms shipments.

2. EVENT CARDS

At the start of each month, draw an event card that affects both sides. The following are Examples of Event Cards

Weather & Terrain Events

• Severe Drought: Roll a D6 die for each unit. On a 1-2, it loses supply.
• Impassable Mud: All troop movements suffer -1 penalty this turn
• Hidden Water Source Found: One side regains a lost supply unit.

Political & Diplomatic Events

• International Arms Shipment: A random side gets an extra artillery unit.
• Argentine Pressure: Paraguay gets +1 morale, but Bolivia gets a diplomatic advantage.
• Revolt in Bolivia: If Bolivia is losing, they must dedicate a unit to suppress unrest.

Military & Tactical Events

• Paraguayan Guerrilla Success: Paraguay gains a free attack in a jungle hex.
• Bolivian Air Raid: Paraguay must roll D6; on 1-3, one unit is disrupted.
• Secret Tunnel Discovered: A defending fortification loses its +2 bonus.

3. TURN STRUCTURE (ONE TURN = ONE MONTH)

Propose Actions

• Each player declares an action (e.g., "Launch an attack on Fort Nanawa" or "Negotiate for Argentine arms shipments"), its result, and three reasons why it should happen.
• Other players may argue for or against the action’s effectiveness.

Resolve Arguments (Dice Roll)

• The strongest argument gets a +2 bonus, a weak one gets a -2 penalty
• Roll a D6 to determine success:
• 1 or 2: Failure
• 3 or 4: Partial success
• 5 or 6: Full success

Update the Game State

• Adjust troop positions, supply levels, morale, and political situation.
• If key objectives are met, declare victory conditions.

4. KEY GAME ELEMENTS

Logistics & Supply

• The Chaco terrain is harsh – supply chains must be maintained to keep forces combat-ready.
• Players can target enemy supply lines, build forts and airstrips, or negotiate for foreign aid.

Battles & Fortifications

• Players can launch assaults or build forts/trenches.
• Forts give +2 defence, while jungle ambushes give +1 attack.

Foreign Relations

• Paraguay seeks aid from Argentina and Brazil.
• Bolivia seeks support from Peru and European suppliers.
• Diplomacy can shift the balance of arms.

5. VICTORY CONDITIONS

• Bolivia wins if it captures Fortín Boquerón and Asunción before 1935.
• Paraguay wins if it holds the Chaco and destroys three Bolivian supply lines.
• If neither wins by 1935, the game enters negotiation mode – the side with better morale, supply, and territory forces favourable peace terms.

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All that is needed to play the game is a map and some counters to represent military units etc.

Some Portable 3 x 3 Chaco War Wargame rules produced by ChatGPT

As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I have been using ChatGPT to create a set of Portable 3 x 3 Chaco War wargame rules. They needed a minor amount of tweaking to improve the clarity of the rules but what follows is probably 90% ChatGPT and 10% me.

A 1933 map of Paraguay. The disputed area - the Gran Chaco - is shown shaded in pink.

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Portable Chaco War Wargame

A fast-play grid-based wargame representing the difficult jungle and desert warfare of the conflict.

1. Game Setup

• Map: A 3 x 3 (or larger) grid, covered with a mix of open areas, dense jungle, dry scrub, and fortifications.
• Units: Infantry, Machine Guns, Mortars, Cavalry, Artillery, Air Support, and Commanders.
• Command & Control: Each side has a Commander with randomly-generated number of unit activations per turn.
• Fog of War: Hidden movement represents surprise attacks in difficult terrain.

2. Turn Sequence

• Command Phase: Each side rolls a D6 die to determine the number of units that can be activated this turn (each side activates that many units).
• Movement Phase: Activated units move one or two grid area, unless slowed by terrain.
• Combat Phase: Activated units may fire or assault enemy units in adjacent grid areas. (Defending units can fight back.)
• Morale Phase: Units check morale if they have been hit twice or more.
• Supply Phase: Check supply lines (units without supply suffer penalties).

3. Units & Special Rules

Unit	Move (in grid areas)	Weapon Range (in grid areas)	Attack Value	Defence Value	Special Rules
Bolivian Infantry	1	2	2	3	Well equipped, but suffers if moving through jungle. D6 die sore of 3, 4, 5, or 6 needed to move through jungle.
Paraguayan Infantry	1	2	2	3	Better adapted to the terrain; gains +1 Defence in jungle.
Machine Guns	1	3	4	3	May not move and fire in the same turn.
Mortars	1	3	4	3	May not move and fire in the same turn. Can fire over obstacles, but have limited ammunition (D6 die mortar rounds per gun).
Cavalry	2	1	2	2	Can move after attacking (this represents their ability to hit-and-run),
Artillery	1	4	3	2	May not move and fire in the same turn. Can fire over obstacles, but have limited ammunition (D6 die artillery rounds per gun).
Air Support	-	-	3	-	May be used once per battle. May only target non-jungle grid areas.
Fortifications	-	-	-	+2	Provides cover bonus.
Commanders	2	-	1	1	Boosts morale by adding +1 to morale of any unit in an adjacent grid area..

4. Combat

• Both players roll a D6 die and add and subtract their attack/defence values and any modifiers.
• Higher roll wins; loser is hit.
• If the result is a tie, both units are hit.

5. Special Features

• Hidden Movement & Ambushes
• Each side may place dummy counters in jungle/scrub grid areas.
• Units are revealed only when spotted by a unit entering an adjacent grid area and rolling a D6 die score of 4, 5, or 6.
• If an enemy unit moves into a grid area occupied by an enemy unit they have not spotted, they suffer -1 from their defence value.
• Supply & Attrition
• Each unit must be able to trace an unimpeded path to a supply base.
• If cut off for two turns, units suffer -1 on attack values and movement distance.
• Capturing enemy supply base restores half a D6 die score (rounded down) of lost units.
• Morale
• If a unit has taken two or more hits, roll a D6 die:
• 1, 2 or 3: Unit retreats a grid area.
• 4, 5, or 6: Unit holds position.
• Commander in adjacent grid area +1 to any D6 die score.
• Weather Effects
• At the start of each game, roll a D6 die for weather:
• 1 or 2: Extreme Heat: Reduce all movement by 1 grid area.
• 3 or 4: Fog: Ranged attacks suffer -1 attack value.
• 5 or 6: Normal Conditions: No effect.

6. Campaign & Scenarios

• Scenario 1: The Battle of Nanawa (1933)
• Bolivian Objective: Capture Paraguayan defences within 6 turns.
• Paraguayan Objective: Hold the position or repel attackers.
• Special Rule: Paraguayan defenders are fortified and get +1 defence value.
• Scenario 2: Guerrilla Warfare in the Jungle
• Bolivian Objective: Escort a convoy across the jungle to supply a fort.
• Paraguayan Objective: Ambush and destroy at least 2 Bolivian units.
• Special Rule: Paraguayan forces start hidden, Bolivians must scout carefully.
• Scenario 3: The Fall of Fort Boquerón (1932)
• Bolivian Objective: Break through Paraguayan lines before turn 5.
• Paraguayan Objective: Defend the fort; if it falls, retreat to fight another day.
• Special Rule: Mortars and artillery have limited ammunition (D6 rounds per gun).

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It is interesting to note that ChatGPT has taken into account the terrain found in ther Gran Chaco and the differences between that Bolivian and Paraguayan infantry. The former were mainly drawn from the Bolivian Altiplano (which is a high semi-arid and arid plateau with a cool and humid climate) and the latter were mainly Guarani who were used to living in the semi-arid, broadleaf jungle and scrub-covered lowland terrain found in the Gran Chaco.

You are never too old to learn something new

I haven’t blogged for the past few days for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I’ve been suffering from a general lassitude that seems to have crept up on me. I have no idea why, other than it’s the last hurrah of the flu-like bug I caught after Christmas, coupled with rather over indulging myself on my birthday.

Secondly, I’ve been learning how to use two new-to-me apps, ChatGPT and Discord. I’ve already mentioned ChatGPT on my blog, but what I’ve been doing is experimenting with its use as a means to create period specific versions of the PORTABLE WARGAME rules (e.g. the Chaco War), potential scenarios, and related campaign Matrix Games. So far, the results have been variable because I’ve had to learn how much and what type of information I need to input in order for it to generate meaningful results.

Discord is used by the local gaming group I have joined to organise its activities and as a means for players of particular games to communicate with one another. Having begun to explore its potential, I have begun to realise that so far that represents only a fraction of what it can do, and that it can be a viable alternative means of playing wargames online … something that I’ve tended to use Zoom and FaceTime to do in the past.

I may be old and worn out, but I hope that I’m not too old and knackered to learn - and use - new things.

Battle of Cape Spatha YouTube video

Yesterday I uploaded an new YouTube video about the Battle of Cape Spatha to the Wargaming Miscellany channel.

The video can be seen here.

A new laptop: Hopefully the answer to my computer problem

After a lot of attempts to solve my computer problems, I finally decided to buy a refurbished Acer laptop that was fitted with a more powerful processor and more solid-state memory than my existing HP one. It arrived on Tuesday, and since then I have been slowly setting it up.

I now have a working laptop that can save files to OneDrive and that has the latest version of Microsoft 365. I am currently transferring all my files over to OneDrive and – as a backup – to the hard drive on my old desktop computer.

This may seem to be a bit of a 'belt and braces' approach to solving the problem I had, but I'd rather have multiple locations on which my files are stored than to risk losing some of them in the future.

Now that has been done, I can start working on a number of projects that have been in a state of suspension since the middle of January.