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.

A set of Portable Wargame rules written by ChatGPT

As part of my investigation into the use of ChatGPT in wargaming …

… I asked it to design me a set of PORTABLE WARGAME rules for the period 1880 to 1910, and what follows is the result.

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Portable Wargame Rules: Colonial & Early 20th Century Warfare (1880 to 1910)

A simple, fast-playing, and portable wargame system for small-scale battles.

1. GAME OVERVIEW

This set of rules is designed for quick and engaging wargames set between 1880 and 1910, covering conflicts like the Anglo-Zulu War, Mahdist War, Spanish-American War, Russo-Japanese War, and early colonial skirmishes.

The rules prioritize playability while maintaining historical flavour.

Scale & Setup

• Map/Grid: Hexagonal or square grid (8 x 8, 10 x 10, or larger)
• Unit Representation: One unit represents a small detachment, platoon, or company.
• Dice: D6-based mechanics for simplicity.

2. UNIT TYPES & STATS

Each unit has the following attributes:

• Strength Points (SP): Represents combat f fectiveness.
• Units are eliminated at 0 SP.
• Firepower: Maximum range and fire dice roll.
• Movement: How many spaces the unit moves.
• Morale: Affects retreat and combat resilience.

Unit Type	SP	Firepower	Range	Movement	Notes
Regular Infantry	4 SPs	1D6	2 grid areas	2 grid areas	Core unit, steady fire.
Native Infantry	3 SPs	1D6-1	1 grid area	3 grid areas	Fast but less powerful.
Cavalry	3 SPs	1D6-1	1 grid area	4 grid areas	Charge bonus.
Artillery	3 SPs	1D6+1	4 grid areas	1 grid area	Indirect fire, powerful at range.
Machine Guns	3 SPs	2D6	3 grid areas	1 grid area	Devastating firepower but immobile.
Commanders	-	-	-	2 grid areas	Boosts morale & activation.

3. TURN SEQUENCE

Each turn consists of the following phases:

A. Initiative Phase

• Both sides roll 1D6. The higher roll decides who goes first. Re-roll ties.

B. Activation Phase

• Players alternate activating units (move/fire or fire/move).
• A unit may either:
• Move & Fire
• Fire & Move
• Charge into Melee (Cavalry & Native Infantry only)

C. Movement Rules

• Terrain affects movement (e.g., hills cost +1 movement, rivers require a bridge or crossing).
• No diagonal movement on squares; hex grids allow full movement.
• Cavalry may retreat 1 space after melee combat.

4. COMBAT RULES

A. Shooting

• Roll 1D6 (or more based on unit type) to determine hits.
• Target hit on 4+ (unless modified).
• Cover reduces hit chance (-1 to dice rolls).
• Condition Modifier:
• Target in cover -1
• Long-range fire -1
• Command nearby +1
• Example: British Regular Infantry fires at Native Infantry in cover. Rolls 1D6, but applies a -1 penalty.

B. Melee Combat

• Both players roll 1D6.
• Higher roll wins; loser retreats or loses 1 SP.
• If the result is a tie, both lose 1 SP.
• Cavalry gets +1 when charging.

C. Morale Checks

• A unit reduced to 1 SP rolls 1D6. On 1-2, it retreats; on 3+, it holds.
• Commanders nearby add +1 to morale rolls.

5. VICTORY CONDITIONS

• Control the battlefield: Hold key objectives for X turns.
• Break the Enemy: Reduce the enemy's force to below 50%.
• Survival: Defend a position until a set turn.

6. OPTIONAL RULES

A. Command & Control

• Commanders can activate 1 additional adjacent unit per turn.
• Without a commander, units require 1D6 roll of 3+ to activate.

B. Special Weapons

• Gatling Guns: Roll 3D6 but jam on a double 1 (misses next turn).
• Bayonet Charges: Infantry get +1 in melee when charging from 2 spaces away.

7. EXAMPLE SCENARIO

Colonial Defence Situation: A British column is ambushed by a large force of native warriors. The British must hold their ground until reinforcements arrive.

• Map: Village in the centre, river on one side, hills on the other.
• British Forces: 3 Regular Infantry (4 SP), 1 Artillery (3 SP), 1 Machine Gun (3 SP), 1 Commander.
• Native Forces: 6 Native Infantry (3 SP each), 2 Cavalry (3 SP each).
• Objective: British must survive 8 turns without losing 50% of their force.

8. FINAL NOTES

• This system is easy to expand with more unit types (early tanks, armoured trains, etc.).
• Designed for solo, two-player, or small group play.
• Play on a small board (8 x 8 grid), making it portable and quick.

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I find it interesting that ChatGPT has not just copied the text and mechanisms from the published versions of the PORTABLE WARGAME. For example, it has added Morale rules, and the Melee rules are very different from those I have written. It has also included ideas for Victory Conditions (something that I know some wargamer like) as well as some Optional Rules that have rather piqued my interest.

I was intending to play test Joseph Morschauser's FRONTIER rules in the near future, but I am now giving serious consideration to shelving that idea and play testing these rules instead.

Some thoughts about VCOW

Over the weekend I took part in several VCOW (Virtual Conference of Wargamers) sessions. These included:

Wake Island: A virtual battlefield tour of the Alamo of the Pacific

This presentation made extensive use of Google Earth images as well as contemporary and modern maps to tell the background to the United States occupation and defence of Wake Island. It was a fascinating insight to the little known event surrounding the Japanese attack and capture of the island group in the early days of the Pacific War.

Midway

The presenter of this session was injured in a car accident earlier that day (luckily, not seriously) but another attendee – who had seen the original presentation – stepped in and gave what turned out to be an excellent description of the Battle of Midway. There were lots of extremely interesting contributions in the subsequent discussion from the very knowledgeable attendees.

Matrix Game Simulation

This session looked at the way in which advances in Large Language Models (AI) – and ChatGPT in particular – is having an impact upon Matrix Games. After a short introduction, the presenter took the attendees through a Matrix Game about the growing US interest in acquiring Greenland. The results were very believable and went some way to convincing me that this technology has much to recommend it.

The presenter then used a Matrix Game about the Spanish Civil War (Viva la Muerta!) that I designed many years ago as an example of how quickly the text of a Matrix Game can be adapted for use with ChatGPT. This took a matter of minutes, and the presenter then ran through the first few turns of the game before asking the program to complete it. I was most impressed with the result ... and I became a firm convert to the concept of using such programs to enhance my tabletop wargaming.

As far as I am concerned, this was the standout session of VCOW, and it has convinced me to investigate the wargaming potential of such computer programs.

Article 5

Article 5 of the Treaty that set up NATO states:

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

This session saw the participants take on the roles of leading politicians in NATO member countries. They were told that an armed attack had been made on a NATO member on Christmas Eve, and were tasked with identifying what NATO’s response would be.

After a short briefing, the participants were split into four groups, and each group was asked to come up with four or five responses to the attack. These were then summarised by each group’s chair during a plenary session … and it was interesting to see the range of answers the participants came up with.

An Introduction To Cyberwarfare

Much has been written about the threat (or non-threat!) of cyberwarfare, and this lecture looked at several examples of this form of warfare. For example, the fact that the Ukrainians lost nearly 90% of their artillery in the fighting that took place in 2014 because the artillery observers were using a smartphone app to control their guns … and were unaware that the Russians had infected the app with malware that transmitted the GPS location of the observer and their guns to the Russians!

Other examples included the cyber attacks made by China on the Philippines after a confrontation in the South China Sea. Most of these involved DDoS (Distribute Denial-of-Service) attacks on Filipino government networks by groups based in China to which the Filipinos responded with the help of hacker groups and software companies.

Although my participation in VCOW was somewhat limited by it taking place over the same weekend as my birthday, those sessions I did take part in were all excellent, and I’ve come way with lots of ideas that I want to develop.

VCOW2025

During the COVID pandemic, it was not possible for Wargame Developments to run its annual conference, COW (Conference of Wargamers). As this is a central element to what the group does, it was decided to stage a virtual conference (hereinafter known as VCOW or the Virtual Conference of Wargamers). This was done using Zoom … and it has now become part of the group’s annual calendar of events.

VCOW2025 took place over the last weekend, and the programme looked like this:

Friday 7th February

• 16.30 to 17.30: Wake Island: A virtual battlefield tour of the Alamo of the Pacific.
• 19.00 to 19.15: Welcome & Introduction
• 1915 to 20.15: Midway: A presentation about World War II aircraft carrier operations and tactics in the Pacific.
• 20.30 to 22.30:
• 1 Hour Hex & Counter: This session featured a simple hex and counter wargame of modern brigade/divisional level combat.
• A Government For Syria: This was a quick-play matrix game about forming the Syrian Government which will take over from the transitional government in March 2025.
• A Nip In The Air: A card-driven game about Japanese bomber crews taking part in attacks on Wake Island.

Saturday 8th February

• 10.00 to 11.00:
• Lessons From Gaming WMD: This was a talk/discussion about the ways in which WMDs have been wargamed since the development and deployment of the first WMDs many decades ago..
• Two Cruiser Engagements: This session looked at two professional computer simulations of two cruiser actions.
• 11.15 to 13.15:
• Matrix Game Simulation: A session that looked at the way in which advances in Large Language Models (AI) will impact upon matrix games.
• Casualty Clearing Station/Medevac: This session examined the treatment of contemporary battlefield casualties.
• Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, I'm So Keen To Fight Tojo: A session about the planning of the USN's first offensive operation against Japan.
• 14.30 to 16.00: Drones And How To Wargame Them: This was a workshop/discussion session on how drones are transforming warfare, and ways in which they can be incorporated into wargames.
• 16.15 to 18.15:
• Vertical Urban Wargame: A game that examined fighting in a modern city environment.
• Paris, May 1968: A matrix game that looked at the events in Paris in 1968 that almost toppled President Charles DeGaulle
• 20.00 to 22.00: Ne Obliviscaris: This was a game about the experiences of young officers in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during World War II.

Sunday 9th February

• 10.00 to 11.00: Article 5: This was a committee game about NATO dealing with a crisis.
• 11.00 to 12.00: An Introduction To Cyberwarfare: A lecture that considered historical case studies, current practice, and the future of cyberwarfare.
• 12.00 to 12.15: Conference Closes

It was an excellent conference, and generated lots of interesting discussions and game design ideas.

Please note that this event was only open to members of Wargame Developments ... so if you want to take part in VCOW2026, you will need to join!

Thanks for your best wishes

I would like to thank everyone who sent me best wishes on my seventy-fifth birthday.

Sue and I had a quiet day. We went out for breakfast in the local branch of Costa Coffee and then went on to IKEA on the Greenwich Peninsula, where I bought a new armchair to replace the one I have been using. The latter was provided via the local Adult Social Service Department, and although it is very useful, it is rather hideous to look at. As I still need an armchair but do not need this particular one, we decided to return it to the provider and to buy a replacement ... which will be delivered on Monday.

Rather than have lunch, we had afternoon tea in the M&S cafe in Charlton before returning home. By the time that we got back we were both feeling very cold and decided that rather than go out again to a restaurant for dinner, we had a takeaway from a local Turkish restaurant and watched TV instead.

As I wrote, it was a quiet day, but a very enjoyable one nonetheless.

Seventy-Five ... and still here!

Today is my birthday ... and I have reached the ripe old age of seventy-five!

The hospital where I was born on Tuesday 7th February, 1950 ... the General Lying-In Hospital, Lambeth.

© Ethan Doyle White

I am not sure what I am going to do today, although I do know that Sue and I are going out for a meal at some point. As for the rest of the day, I am not sure what else I shall be doing but I might just spend the day chilling out watching a DVD or two ... or even fighting a wargame!

And here – for the historically mined among my regular blog readers – are some 'interesting' facts:

Some of the famous events that took place on 7th February include:

• 457: Leo I became Eastern Roman Emperor.
• 1301: Edward of Caernarvon (later King Edward II of England) became the first English Prince of Wales.
• 1793: The French and Spanish forces lifted the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
• 1807: The Battle of Eylau was fought.
• 1898: Émile Zola was brought to trial for libel for publishing J'Accuse.
• 1900: British troops fail to relieve the siege of Ladysmith for the third time.
• 1933: The board game Monopoly was published.

Some of the famous people who share the 7th February as a birthday are:

• 1478: Sir Thomas More, lawyer, politician, and writer.
• 1812: Charles Dickens, novelist.
• 1873: Thomas Andrews, designer of RMS Titanic.
• 1946: Pete Postlethwaite, actor who portrayed Obadiah Hakeswill in the Sharpe TV series..
• 1962: Eddie Izzard, comedian, actor, and producer.

Dice on the Hill

During a recent visit to Shrewsbury House - our local community centre - Sue pointed out that a gaming group met there every Wednesday evening. She suggested that I ought to pay it a visit … so yesterday, I did.

The group - Dice on the Hill - started in 2018 and has a membership of over 150, although not all of them turn up every week. It also has a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and X as well as an active Discord group. According to its website:

The majority of our members are playing role-playing games, mostly that is D&D 5e where there is always a space to play. But we also run many other systems, such as Call of Cthulhu, WFRP, Star Wars, Free League RPGS, and more. We host multiple D&D 5e campaigns and welcome newcomers for both short-term and long-term adventures.

We offer a welcoming environment for both experienced players and newcomers to explore popular games like Blood Bowl, Kill Team, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40k, Zombicide, and more.

I had a reasonable idea as to what would be on offer when I visited the group … and it lived up to my expectations. I was made very welcome, and had the opportunity to see loads of RPG games in progress ...

… as well as two games of FROSTGRAVE.

I spent most of the time watching the latter, and joining in the banter around the tables.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and will certainly be going back again … hopefully next week!