tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post7957514055434322463..comments2024-03-29T06:05:14.320+00:00Comments on Wargaming Miscellany: Some thoughts on imagi-nationsRobert (Bob) Corderyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-1440961175934707782022-03-11T14:55:18.257+00:002022-03-11T14:55:18.257+00:00Unknown,
I must admit that I’ve never used any pr...Unknown,<br /><br />I must admit that I’ve never used any programs to produce maps for my imagi-nations other than MS Paint and MS Publisher.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-69463269626875148622022-03-11T11:34:41.470+00:002022-03-11T11:34:41.470+00:00indeed - have gone off down rabbit hole with azgaa...indeed - have gone off down rabbit hole with azgaars world generator and now world-anvil which i'll justify as includes manuscript writing functionality ......... i suspect that will be major time thief - now back on imagi-nantion on a sort of europe type mapMillsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03094514353642498678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-65011417091268564622022-03-09T14:59:25.074+00:002022-03-09T14:59:25.074+00:00Unknown,
The problem I’ve found with imagi-nation...Unknown,<br /><br />The problem I’ve found with imagi-nations is that the process of creating them can be addictive.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-88032912946376731192022-03-09T11:31:05.682+00:002022-03-09T11:31:05.682+00:00thanks - was a journey from pure ATL/AH but having...thanks - was a journey from pure ATL/AH but having to explain why different (and getting but they'd not do that feedback) to pure imagi-nations (world creation) to just like our world but different. regards Ian Millsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03094514353642498678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-48640691478721601792022-03-08T16:00:00.567+00:002022-03-08T16:00:00.567+00:00Unknown,
Good luck with your imagi-nations. They ...Unknown,<br /><br />Good luck with your imagi-nations. They sound very interesting.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-51475164864893496922022-03-08T15:55:00.279+00:002022-03-08T15:55:00.279+00:00really interesting stuff - ive gone down the imagi...really interesting stuff - ive gone down the imagi-nation route for a embryonic AH i was trying to write - united province of burgandy (with their Albion allies) vs Franconia <br /><br />UBP being belgium/netherlands and ArtoisMillsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03094514353642498678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-8837337486971973262022-01-16T09:09:44.102+00:002022-01-16T09:09:44.102+00:00Horridperson,
Sorry for not replying sooner, but ...Horridperson,<br /><br />Sorry for not replying sooner, but I have been away from home on a cruise ... and the Wi-Fi is very expensive and very slow!<br /><br />The interwar period is a very interesting one in terms of the sort of kit and uniforms being used as well as the political nature of the forces involved.<br /><br />May I suggest that your two imagi-nations could easily be based upon the Czecho-Slovak situation, where you have a common-ish language being spoken by both national groups but very different economies and outlooks. The Czechs - who were much more industrialised and westernised - regarded the Slovaks - who were more agrarian - as rather slow and backward whereas the Slovaks thought of themselves as being more religious and truer to their eastern European origins.<br /><br />Good luck with your project.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-2941460200404414352022-01-11T15:06:41.899+00:002022-01-11T15:06:41.899+00:00Great food for thought article. Thank you for giv...Great food for thought article. Thank you for giving me much to consider. I've been think about trying to build an imaginary conflict limited to two nations during an interwar/ww2 period. I've been taking some inspiration from AVBCW, and real world conflicts both historical and contemporary. I'm not very far along and there is no rush. I'm looking at it as a solo and worldbuilding exercise. The "feel" I'm looking for is a Back of Beyond in the West. Two imaginary nations in a, "not Balkans/ Eastern Europe". The idea is that both are unimportant in the grand scheme of the world and managed to avoid much of the horror of the Grand War that swept the continent. As the greater nations have looked inward both minor powers (long time rivals in their tiny corner of the world) drink in the ideas imported from the larger world as it changes and seek to make their own mark; If only on one another. I'm hoping to get a copy of Henry Hyde's Wargaming Campaigns when it's published to help me along and I already have what seems to be a fine reference in The Solo Wargaming Guide but I'm always looking for new ideas and inspirations from "outside" my own tiny sphere. Again, thank you. As much as I like painting Napoleonics in small doses the grand scale doesn't work for me and encompasses so much of the Imagi-Nation world already. Horridpersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00089341140414053891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-70964099363845152082021-03-08T15:59:31.173+00:002021-03-08T15:59:31.173+00:00Dalethewargamer,
It sounds as if you have a very ...Dalethewargamer,<br /><br />It sounds as if you have a very workable plan, and look forward to seeing how your imagi-world evolves.<br /><br />I have added your blog to the list of blogs that I follow using Readly, and look forward to reading your blog posts later today.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-19172769988705563752021-03-08T15:30:26.261+00:002021-03-08T15:30:26.261+00:00Imagi-nations is great inspiration, and the detail...Imagi-nations is great inspiration, and the details will come later. For now I'm looking for something (I think) like described in Kev Robertson's Feb. 22 post about VSF 1880 project). A "world" of nations where their characteristics may change over time (need for fuel, need for food, aggressiveness of erratic king, sickness in population .. stuff like that) and may result in need to take action which could result in conflicts, possibly war. But I, as overseer of this world, will not know where or when. When it happens though, I put on my "political" hat as ruler of nations involved, and my "general" hat as military leader, and work out the wars, campaigns, battles, etc. Variability and unpredictably are the key. I am started at a high level, sketching out basic outlines, filling in greater detail as I go along. <br /><br />Your Portable Colonial Wargame has given me a lot of the building blocks for the war part of this "world".<br /><br />I created a blog (dalethewargamer) awhile ago which nobody reads :( and will post progress on this as I go along. dalethewargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11880250994936688330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-3152976958076815172021-03-07T17:25:04.000+00:002021-03-07T17:25:04.000+00:00Dalethewargamer,
I think that it makes sense to s...Dalethewargamer,<br /><br />I think that it makes sense to start with two opposing imagi-nations, and to expand your figure collection as and when you can. Trying to do too much too early can easily lead to project fatigue.<br /><br />However, if you’ve started with the RISK world map, then you’ve got a good model to work with ... and you can still develop the imagi-nations as and when the opportunity arises.<br /><br />Using variants of existing place names is a good place to start. For example, European countries often had Roman names that are worth looking at. Britannia, Gallic, and Iberia are good examples of such Roman country names, some of which are still in use today.<br /><br />Good luck with your project,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-81652477670890234862021-03-07T15:59:38.042+00:002021-03-07T15:59:38.042+00:00I see this discussion thread has slowed down a bit...I see this discussion thread has slowed down a bit, but to me it is very useful since I am just getting started with the concept of Imagi-nations and armies/navies and such. Bob's Portable Colonial Wargame has given me great ideas for armies, battle mechanics/terrain, campaign movement, etc.<br /><br />It seems that many (most?) Imagi-nations campaigns I've read about involve 2 nations, with or without reasons to go to war. I was thinking about not only why 2 nations may be at war, but how other nations can or wish to be drawn into the conflict. I'm starting out using the old boardgame RISK. It has the world territories, with geography and history already there. I will modify it a lot, but it's a start. Also, I will have multiple nations scattered about. Initially war is not a given, but as life goes on in these nations, and as some are threatened because some are getting aggressive, war will start somewhere. I just don't know where. And that's the fun of the campaign. Let the dice decide from several possibilities.<br /><br />Also, I'll start with existing names for nations since I have so much else to work out, but I know I'll get the itch for the funny names soon enough. I guess you have to be sort of slightly nuts to play it this. Nuts of a feather ... so to speak.dalethewargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11880250994936688330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-81204726851919250082019-02-24T08:35:32.193+00:002019-02-24T08:35:32.193+00:00MIN ManofTin,
I must admit that I don't think...MIN ManofTin,<br /><br />I must admit that I don't think that I have the persistence to plough through the stuff produced by the Brontes to turn their imaginings into something I could use, and I have great admiration for you doing so.<br /><br />I like the idea of the America = Genrica swap, and the Yorkshire = Gondal concept is very clever.<br /><br />By creating (or borrowing and modifying) earlier imagi-nations, we are carrying on a great literary tradition ... and long may it remain so!<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Bob Robert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-68213013644757412272019-02-24T08:23:49.560+00:002019-02-24T08:23:49.560+00:00Many interesting points about the light and deep v...Many interesting points about the light and deep version of ImagiNations. <br /><br />Slowly working through the complexities of the Bronte sister and brother juvenilia 1830s fictional ImagiNations of Gondal, Glasstown and Angria. Mainly their ImagiNations are inspired by early Empire / Napoleonic / post Napoleonic. Branwell did one map based on West Africa.<br /> America does not largely feature in the Bronte fictions feature so I have renamed these continents South Generica, Central and North Generica. <br />The Bronte imaginations sections of their ‘paracosm’ that have survived are Most confusing and very patchy but this leaves space for input and creative mapping. Any problems in the complex chronology are ironed out by jumping forwards a few decades to late 19th century or early 20th century, past the complex web of family stories the Brontes created. <br />Most of the exotic countries the Brontes created are based on what they knew (Yorkshire) made exotic, so essentialy mainly all their landscapes are Byronic Romantic Gothic ‘Tropical Yorkshire’ which they set somewhere in the North and South Pacific. <br />I have hacked about a map of the Four Ridings to become Gondal for future campaigns https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/bronte-imagi-nations-maps/Mark, Man of TINhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10485063133593455522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-70108784514438185022019-02-23T15:33:19.344+00:002019-02-23T15:33:19.344+00:00Arthur1815 (Arthur),
I can see where you are comi...Arthur1815 (Arthur),<br /><br />I can see where you are coming from, and why creating imagi-nations isn't quite your cup of tea ... although Ruritania (Red) and Bosrovia (Blue) do sound remarkably like imagi-nations to me, even if they don't exist other than as names.<br /><br />I could just about recreate the infantry and artillery of H G Wells' Red and Blue armies from my collection Britains figures, but sadly lack any cavalry.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-51718877184772462102019-02-23T15:23:26.393+00:002019-02-23T15:23:26.393+00:00Neil Patterson,
There was a famous ACW campaign s...Neil Patterson,<br /><br />There was a famous ACW campaign set in Ireland that was published in instalments in the old MINIATURE WARFARE magazine. I have some of them in storage in my toy/wargame room.<br /><br />Over recent years I've tended to use existing maps as the basis of the geography of my imagi-nations ... but distorted them in order to disguise their origin. For example, the map of Zubia (an Egyptian-like country) started off as an outline of part of the coast of Estonia turned right through ninety degrees.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-38803345136291665262019-02-23T15:14:27.411+00:002019-02-23T15:14:27.411+00:00Archduke Piccolo,
I have a map of Sodor somewhere...Archduke Piccolo,<br /><br />I have a map of Sodor somewhere. (I loved the THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE stories when I was a child.)<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-153224405979420592019-02-23T15:12:37.061+00:002019-02-23T15:12:37.061+00:00Fitz-Badger,
Worldbuilding seems to have been aro...Fitz-Badger,<br /><br />Worldbuilding seems to have been around for a very long time, and you are spot-on when you write that even if not they are not used for wargaming purposes, the mental exercise of creating imagi-nations is great fun.<br /><br />You are also right that internal consistency is essential when constructing an imagi-nation.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-81083992502100050792019-02-23T15:02:26.191+00:002019-02-23T15:02:26.191+00:00Archduke Piccolo,
I think that you really ought t...Archduke Piccolo,<br /><br />I think that you really ought to publish your comment on your blog. I'm sure that it will entertain your regular blog readers ... and it would reach a much wider audience.<br /><br />I'm particularly taken with your South American Latin Wars, especially as I have been reading a book about the South American pre-First World War naval race. Something more for me to think about.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-51012600765683707752019-02-23T14:53:37.619+00:002019-02-23T14:53:37.619+00:00Neil Patterson,
You have made a very interesting ...Neil Patterson,<br /><br />You have made a very interesting contribution to the discussion.<br /><br />I have created and used a couple of nineteenth century South American imagi-nations, but until now I've never thought of using them for twentieth century conflicts ... but it is a possibility that I must seriously consider.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-32326777437682239492019-02-23T14:37:15.629+00:002019-02-23T14:37:15.629+00:00Dick Bryant,
I love the choice on names used in y...Dick Bryant,<br /><br />I love the choice on names used in your Old West games! Likewise your choice of email name and the name of your naval officer.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-36461004215611668532019-02-23T14:27:50.551+00:002019-02-23T14:27:50.551+00:00Kev Robertson (Kev),
I think that we both have si...Kev Robertson (Kev),<br /><br />I think that we both have similar outlooks regarding imagi-nations. Whereas it is simple to set two armies from imagi-nations at each other's throats for a one-off battle, fighting a campaign or a war requires a much more fully-rounded understanding of what makes each side tick.<br /><br />Your VSF set-up sounds very interesting, and should give you a lot of useful background for you to use in your forthcoming games.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-26161995848672380232019-02-23T12:18:53.556+00:002019-02-23T12:18:53.556+00:00Perhaps because of the years I spent playing Krieg...Perhaps because of the years I spent playing Kriegsspiel with Bill Leeson's group, in which vaguely Prussian Red and Blue armies fought each other, often with no detailed national background or strategic context, I've so far not created any ImagiNations, despite having acquired the armies. I often just name them as Ruritania (Red) and Bosrovia (Blue) - names we used in Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group when fighting imaginary battles or testing rules for a megagame.<br />Personally, I'm not too bothered about detailed backgrounds for one-off battles or mini-campaigns, but am happy to create something ad hoc to suit the scenario, sometimes a parody or clone of an historical precedent. <br />I can see the appeal of creating imaginary countries, but am possibly just too lazy to put all that effort in for a game of toy soldiers - and HG Wells never provided much explanation why the Red and Blue armies clashed at Hook's Farm... arthur1815https://www.blogger.com/profile/12333670394529977263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-62511477250477451862019-02-23T08:27:59.344+00:002019-02-23T08:27:59.344+00:00Ion,
Way back in wargames history, I understand th...Ion,<br />Way back in wargames history, I understand there was an ACW campaign which used Ireland as the geographical basis.<br />I guess that falls into the category of using historical armies in a fictional or "factional" setting (derived from literature where you use real people or events in different ways as opposed to creating invented characters).<br />If you were so inclined, you could analyse and categorize imagi-Nations thus; do you base it on a "faction" with elements of real armies, people and uniforms but in a different setting OR go completely fictional and invent the lot?<br />Mapping is an interesting point; some do without or work on a very vague sketchy outline. Once you set it in a real world location I think you are entering "faction" territory (if you forgive the pun) as you may need to create a backstory to explain that country's existence (because a real world one exists in that location).<br />Entirely fictional creations have no such constraints and it's a positive advantage to keep the geography vague.<br />Conversely, the former has a more inherent link towards grounding the imagi-nation in the real world, while the latter needs to work harder to maintain plausibility.<br />All approaches have benefits and problems; however I think if you are going to abandon reality you may as well go the whole hog as this allows you complete freedom in your creativity. For me, using a German army as Graustark would just present me with the intellectual hurdle that I thought of it as a German army, not the army of Graustark. However, it becomes easy where you use equipment that was widely exported. So an army using Vickers tanks in the 1930s or Shermans post war allows suspension of belief more easy.<br />But that may be just me.<br />NeilNeil Pattersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13565511145163341782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-88357673338047502082019-02-23T07:35:50.830+00:002019-02-23T07:35:50.830+00:00I have just recalled to mind a friend's propos...I have just recalled to mind a friend's proposal for an American Civil War campaign on the Island of Sodor, you know the one - west of the Lake District of England, and just off the coast of South Carolina... Never did get off the ground, though he did have a good map.<br />Archduke Piccolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533325665451889661noreply@blogger.com