Yesterday I took part in the Wargame Developments Autumn Virtual Gathering.
This started - along with the annual Virtual Conference of Wargamers (VCOW) - as a result of the COVID pandemic and is a combination of Zoom presentations and online discussions, This year’s programme was as follows:
- 14.00: Welcome.
- 14.02: The Military History of Cyprus, Part Two: 1572 to 2024, a presentation.
- 15.00: Break.
- 15.10: The Future of Designer’s Notes in Wargames, a moderated forum.
- 16.25: Break.
- 16.35: Combat Photography 1914-1975: Control and Revolution, a presentation.
- 17.50: Break.
- 18.00: Tetrarchs, Barbarians, Heretics and Eunuchs: Wargaming the Later Roman Empire 284-641 AD, a discussion.
- 19.00: Break.
- 20.15: WATU, the real story, a presentation that might challenge the existing orthodoxy about the success of the WATU games.
- 21.15: Formal close of AVG 2024.
- 21.30: From Kaiserschlacht to Khe Sanh, an after-hours historical lecture and singalong on 1918 and 1968.
This was probably the best of these events I have attended ... and I have been an attendee at the previous three.
The mixture of presentations and discussions meant that attendees were able to take an active part, and I must admit that I learned a great deal from the three presentations. I knew very little about the military history of Cyprus, almost nothing about the history of combat photography, and although I knew about the role of WATU, I had not realised that it was only one of several such training establishments across the world.
I found the discussion about designer's notes extremely interesting (I happen to be a great fan of them!) and I am already drafting a short article about this topic for possible publication in a future issue of THE NUGGET.
The session about wargaming the end of the Roman Empire was very interesting for me in view of Archduke Piccolo's article in the latest PORTABLE WARGAME COMPENDIUM entitled 'Constantinople Beleaguered'. Having taken part, I understood much more about the events leading to the split into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.
This event was only open to members of Wargame Developments and is one of the major benefits of being a member of the organisation.
Bob -
ReplyDeleteTwo of those items would have made me sit up and take notice. Wargaming the end of the Roman Empire offers a huge topic beginning about 350AD and ending 1453AD or maybe a little later with the fall of Mistras and Trebizond. The wars of Aetius, Maurice, Justinian and Heraclius are probably more well known among war gamers than those of Basil II or George Maniaces. I would have been interested in such a discussion!
The other topic of interest would have been the 'Future of Designer's Notes in Wargames'. I've always liked to see what the designer had in mind - and, I daresay, that writing up such notes clarifies the designer's mind.
A case in point: DBM. An early incarnation had a special rule for the troops classified Bw(X) - the same as my Skoutatoi: the stands being front rank spears, second rank bows. These represented 7 ranks: 3 of bows sandwiched between ranks of spears (usually 2 and 2). Now, the special rule stated that at first contact, any spears or pikes could count just one rank. The problem with this rule was that the combat results meant it was impossible for most enemy spears and pikes to remain in contact. So, despite being classed as Sp(I) (inferior), Bw(X) were super troops.
Naturally, there were complaints. So the 'one rank only at first contact' rule was dropped. NO OTHER CHANGE! I had two questions - no one to answer them of course:
1. Why was the rule there in the first place? There had to be a reason, but the reason was, as far as I know, never divulged.
2. To 'compensate' (as it were) for the huge loss of 'status' of the Bw(X), why was their close combat designation against most opponents not upgraded from Sp(I) to Sp(O) (ordinary)? There must have been some reason for that, bearing in mind that these guys count but one rank against the usual 2 or more ranks of enemy spears and pikes.
I was immediately impressed by the DBM game system when I first saw it. For a while the battles were fun. But I always had a problem with the plethora of emendments - mostly ill thought out, and partly the result of the kind of rules lawyerism that Ancients wargaming seems to attract.
I'm beginning to think I might have to reconfigure my IT in order more easily to communicate with the outside world. Those VCOW conferences sound very interesting events!
Cheers,
Ion