One of the symptoms that has persisted since my recent brush with COVID is 'brain fog'. In other words, until yesterday I found it difficult to concentrate on even the simplest of tasks for more than a few minutes ... but when I awoke on Saturday morning, I discovered that my 'brain fog' had begun to clear.
I am still not back to 100% effectiveness, but I was able to spend several hours working on the PORTABLE WARGAME COMPENDIUM ... and at present the Contents page looks like this:
I still have several things to add, including at least two battle reports and a short set of ideas for a set of Portable Sci-Fi Wargame rules. If my improvement continues, I think that my self-set deadline of publishing the Compendium by the end of April is still achievable.
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Hi BOB,
ReplyDeleteGlad that your 'Brain Fog' has lifted sufficiently for you to enjoy the hours working away at your latest book. I haven't had Covid - though I do have days of being tired without any particular reason- usually requiring an hours sleep to recover- touch wood -it has passed and I can put in a full day from here on in. Best Wishes. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteWhen it was at its worse, I couldn’t even concentrate enough to watch a TV programme and remember what I had watched once it had ended. At least I can now do that … although I now realise that much of what is being transmitted is rubbishy!
Keep safe and keep well … and avoid catching COVID if you can!
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteWhat a feast of PW and FP3x3PW material! I look forward to having this book on my shelves very much, but please don't overtax yourself by rushing to meet publishing deadlines.
It's sixty years since Featherstone's War Games was published and your books continue to promote the same 'do it yourself' ethos of simplicity and playability.
Best wishes, Arthur
Arthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteThe Compendium does seem to be developing into a very useful PW resource, with many of the ideas etc., covered in the FP3x3PW being transferable to the larger game, and vice versa. I certainly won’t be rushing work on it to get it finished, but I need to set a deadline, otherwise I’ll be tempted to keep adding stuff!
I had not realised that it was sixty years since WAR GAMES was published, but even today it still stands out as a ‘go to’ book for me. I consciously based my approach to writing wargame books on Donald Featherstone’s because I enjoyed reading his, and hoped that I could engender that same feeling amongst my readers.
All the best,
Bob
And you do, Bob!
DeleteArthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteThanks! I take that as a great compliment!
All the best,
Bob
I'm glad the fog is lifting. I was fortunate in that the first time I had Covid (when it first arrived) I had a mild case, and the second time (this January) I was asymptomatic. No brain fog. The compendium looks to be chock full of good stuff. What about a 3x3 terrain generator? Looking forward to the release.
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteIt sounds as if you were lucky. I know someone who has now had COVID three times, and has been ill for some time afterwards.
The Compendium is coming together nicely, and I am hoping to include Mike Taber’s 3 x 3 terrain cards in the book.
All the best,
Bob
I was very lucky, and for me the shoots and booster did the trick. I got my booster just two weeks before I got in January. I'm looking forward to the book.
DeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteI have had two vaccinations and a booster jab as well as a flu jab and a pneumonic vaccination. I had the latter just before I came down with COVID and my GP thinks that my reaction to catching COVID might have been linked to having had the pneumonia jab just a week or so beforehand.
I hope that you won't be disappointed by the book.
All the best,
Bob
Great to see that you are better, and that you haven't forgotten Horse and Musket period.
ReplyDeleteLoving get it!
Slorm,
DeleteI still have some way to go before I’m fully fit … but I’m gradually getting there!
The Horse and Musket period has always been one of my favourites, and I was always going to include rules for the period when the opportunity arose.
All the best,
Bob
Good to hear the brain fog is going. We’ve had a touch of that here at the Schloß. Fortunately very mild. At times I’ve struggled to find the right word, e.g. ‘mowing’ became ‘vacuuming’. Close but not close enough 😆
ReplyDeleteNundanket,
DeleteI'm gradually feeling better, but like you, I still stumble over the right word to use at times. I'm getting there ... but there is still some way to go.
All the best,
Bob
The contents suggest an interesting mix of topics with lots of gaming ideas no doubt.
ReplyDeletePeter,
DeleteI am hoping that the Compendium will have something that will interest a lot of people.
All the best,
Bob
Your projected contents looks great! You already know my interest in all things 3x3; other sections I'm excited about are 18th century (my all time favorite period) and the the fantasy rules (and science fiction if it makes the cut).
ReplyDeletePace yourself, we will all still be here and eager to buy a copy when the compendium comes out.
Mike Taber,
DeleteIt is rather an eclectic mixture of stuff, but I hope that there will be something to interest most readers ... and lots of ideas from one set of rules etc., that can be used in another set.
I hope to include your ideas for pre-designed 3 x 3 battlefields, either in this Compendium or even the next. (I am already planning a follow up!)
In the meantime, I'm not rushing things because the way I am at the moment, it is likely that I'll make mistakes that will take me longer to correct than if I just take things at a steady pace.
All the best,
Bob
Glad to hear that you're on the mend. If I may offer an observation, the table of contents seems to suggest that this is shaping up, in practice, to be a compendium of "Fast Play" (3x3) variants. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I wonder if you might actually have two volumes on your hands here: one for fast play and one for "other"? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteEd M,
DeleteI am slowly recovering, but it is taking longer than I expected ... or hoped!
You are right about the Compendium containing a lot of FP3x3PW stuff, but if I split the book into two - which is an option that I have thought about - I am worried that the link between the original PW and FP3x3PW will be lost ... and as ideas from one can be used with the other, potential buyers and users might lose out.
There are also the production costs and sales price to be taken into consideration. If I split the Compendium into two, the production cost will not be twice as much but it is cheaper to publish one long book rather than two shorter books ... and this will be reflected in the price.
Its an option that is still under consideration, but I think that it is likely that I'll just produce the one volume.
All the best,
Bob
Great to see you're getting back to your normal self, Bob. Looks as though your Compendium will be be full of meat and potatoes with gravy!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteCheers! I am slowly getting there ... but I don't want to rush work on the Compendium, just in case!
I'm pleased that you think that the contents will have a lot to offer the potential buyer and user. I am hoping that it will be the first of several such PW Compendia that will appear over the next few years.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteGood to hear the fog is lifting!!! (yes, that brain-fog is insidious, and a nasty effect…the previous comment on mowing = vacuuming rings a large bell with me from my ‘Christmas present from Santa’ covid).
The Compendium looks extremely appealing, and I’ll add my name to the long list of those who are very much looking forward to it.
Cheers!
Martin
Martin S (Martin),
DeleteThe 'brain fog' is beginning to lift ... but I still seem to struggle with it at times. It usually gets worse as the day goes on, so I try to work on things that need my full concentration during the morning.
It sounds a if quite a few people will want a copy of the Compendium when it is published, which is very encouraging.
All the best,
Bob
Fantastic Bob
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to grabbing a copy. Unfortunately my skirmish rules are not quite there. Fingers crossed for compendium part 2.
Steve
Stephen Smith (Steve),
DeleteI hope you enjoy it when you get a copy.
I would love to publish your skirmish rules in the next Compendium.
All the best,
Bob
Where does the quote you used for the section starting on page 63 come from?
ReplyDeleteBy context it would appear to be something about the New Model Army in the ECW?
Mr. Pavone,
DeleteLord Eythin said it about Prince Rupert’s plan for Royalist deployment at Marston Moor. Arthur Harman supplied the quote.
All the best,
Bob