Excerpted from GEnie Messages

Walter Hard

I'm very interested in seeing the Czech 1938 game. I don't really know much about Europe's 1938 armies, but researchers seem to be impressed with how weak the Germans were at that time. The Germany we see in First to Fight a year later is anything but weak, and I have to wonder: if the poop hit the fan in 1938, how much could the Germans have accelerated their buildup to create the big army they have in 1939?

On another subject, when I see discussions of Grand Europa and the steps necessary to get there I don't usually see mention of the single largest theater still to be covered. I'm referring to the guerrilla-transitioning-to-regular campaign in Yugoslavia. Why doesn't this major campaign get more interest?

Jason Long

The Germans would have real trouble getting to the FtF OB without Czech resources. They might collapse economically, particularly if they actually had to fight a major war.

Actually, my two chief researchers for Peace in our Time are about the only two people I know who are interested in doing a game on the Yugoslav campaign. Personally, I don't believe that the subject lends itself to a Europa-style treatment, which could explain why we've never seen much about it.

Rick Gayler

GR/D has in hand (and has had for some time now) a playtest version of a game on the Balkan Partisan Campaign titled "Under No Flag." The designer is Russ Wynne, a well-known Australian Europa player. It has been kept on the back burner due to a lack of company resources.

Perhaps we can give the project serious consideration one of these days, but it is quite large and involved. We are not even sure what form of publication to use: game, magazine, or what.

Jason Long

Rick, you might send copies of "Under No Flag" to Michael Parker and Roger Clewley, as they are both hot to trot on the topic. And since Roger actually reads Serbo-Croat...

Mark Pitcavage

As someone who has (extensively) looked over the rules, I can say that "Under No Flag" is not a bad first attempt at all.

Jason, here's a project I have been considering for some time, but have neither the time nor the resources to finish: a 1938 First to Fight, where the Germans go after Danzig and the Corridor instead of the Sudetenland first, and Poland decides to fight. It sounds like we would have no problems with the 1938 Germans, and if we could back up the Poles a little bit, we might have a very interesting scenario on our hands.

Jason Long

Mark, hold that thought. I'll know more when Charles Sharp sends me the 1938 Soviet order of battle in a couple of weeks. At the very least it would make a great scenario to add to PioT, since you'll need First to Fight to do the "Great Eastern War" scenario of that game any way. My only concern is the number of counters that the Soviet forces would require, as the counters in FtF aren't really applicable for the 1938 Soviet Union.

I also want to do an "Anschluss" scenario. Don't laugh, the German occupation was on a shoe-string and could have been dealt a nasty surprise if the Austrians had resisted (not to mention the fact that Mussolini nearly intervened on the Austrian side). Michael Parker's already worked up the Italian OB for such a contingency. Hmm... I don't believe that the Brits and French had yet given Poland guarantees. I'll have to check that, though.

The permutations seem endless, as this period is rife with possibilities for Weird Europa.

Walter Hard

As far as the suitability of the Yugoslav Partisan campaign for Europa treatment goes, here's two points to consider. If Europa can make worthwhile games out of such "popular and balanced" situations as Case White and Marita, the Partisan melee ought to be do-able. Secondly, one of Europa's hallmarks is the concept of inclusion, so far as scale and playability allow. We don't get off easy in this game system-if it played a part in determining the course of WWII in Europe, it should be covered.

Mark Pitcavage

Having seen the Partisan treatment, and having mulled over alternative possibilities myself for some time, I think it would be better if there was no Partisan game, but rather a detailed set of garrison rules, and rules for the conversion over to conventional warfare in the Balkans at the appropriate time.

Jim Douglas

I seriously doubt that trying to come up with a complex Partisan game for Yugoslavia would be a worthwhile project. Garrison rules with a well thought-out series of results for not keeping enough Axis forces present should do admirably. Later on, when the field forces become active you might add real "counter-worthy" Partisan units. The same applies for France.

Gary Dickson

The Partisan war seems like a big yawn to me.

Alan Tibbetts

Make that Partisan "ant" war! Yawn, yawn.