B.P. Glazebrook
I wonder if any member can give me any information reference the Naval Wargamers/Wargames/Wargaming Society which I would like to join and its magazine Battlefleet.
Andrew Freeman
I have been dutifully wearing my SWA badge to the local conventions over the past months but have yet to spot any other members. Is there anyone else out there? Comparison of Wargames figures [see LW 102 page 5]: ScaleFirm HeightPose Notes.5/6mmIrregular Miniatures (address in QMs Stores)6mm 3Cast as groups not individual figures. Larger (and more robust!) than Heroic/Ros but I mix them happily. Wide range, fast friendly mail order
Michael Bishop
In response to Neil Pritchard's letter in LW 103, page 6. Computer software appears to be an expensive solution to a relatively simple problem. I have been playing multiplayer boardgames solo for many years, admittedly with an acknowledged bias for particular sides. To actually run many of them I have to have some idea what every card and counter is irrespective as to whether it is open or hidden. This often results in having to assume that "A" does not know what "B" knows or is planning. If a plan is not considered to be obvious or conversely there are clues to hidden activity then I decide by dice, often with weighed odds, as to whether the stratagem is predicted or suspected. If it is ruled at "A" does not know then I try to work out what he would do in his ignorance. The whole system may seem to be a little schizophrenic, but works very well in practice. It is also very flexible in that it can be applied to a wide variety of situations. In more than one game I have been defeated by the "opposition". At the end of the day the only person I can cheat is myself.
Billy Brand
The Forum in LW 104 was especially good with all the members letters having something helpful or positive to say. I only hope that this is the way of things to come. So keep up the good work.
Henry McLaughlan
I have just returned from my yearly visit to Scotlands premiere wargaming event of "CLAYMORE", which took place on 31 July 93 in Edinburgh. There were several hundred wargamers and other members of the public were there. I would my way through this crowd with a SWA Badge stuck on a prominent position on my manly chest in the hope that I might come into contact with another Association member. Unfortunately, it was not to be, and to date I have never yet met another member! (Do they exist?) However, two other hobby societies namely "The Lance & Longbow Society" and the "Pike and Shot Society" had tables at the event. Both were public participation games and were actively encouraging people to join their respective societies, pushing their Rules etc. It struck me that if our own SWA is to prosper and survive, it must adopt a similar policy as the others. That is by letting the wargaming public know of the SWAs existence. I would suggest that it would be a good idea if such a public display could be organised at some of the major wargaming events up and down the country. [Shame. Usually the P&S guys wear their SWA badges when doing games at shows and the two running the L&L game were noted SWA members! Members have put on games at shows in the north of England during 1993, and details reported in LW but we need volunteers from down south and north of the border in the UK plus members worldwide].
Geoff Barker
Can any member help me with tracking down the only two copies of Lone Warrior I need to complete my collection. The back issues I require are No 7 (seven) and No 11 (eleven). I'd accept either originals or photocopies and will willing pay any costs. Thanks for your help, cheers.
Marvin Scott
Here is a short article on air wargaming, I have mailed a copy to Mark Booth. We have been writing for some time so it is no surprise. LW 104 was fun. David Barnes did some fine cartoons. I enjoyed the articles as well. I'll try to count on my fingers and figure out what my subscription should cost. It may take a while. Thanks for stepping in as Editor.
[Marvin, thanks for the article. Nice to hear members with similar interests correspond. Still trying to figure how Chris did Editor plus all the other jobs!]
Paul Burnell
The smoker at SKELP in Kirriemuir will be on Friday 29 Oct 93. Details from Paul. "El Dorado", magazine about the military history of South and Central America. Full details from Terry Hooker, 27 Hallgate, Cottingham, North Humberside, HU16 4DN. The David Barnes cartoons are good.
[Paul, thanks for the 2 sheets of blank writing paper, makes a change from a SAE. I have been incorrectly credited with a DB cartoon in MWAN No 64, plus I used all 6 cartoons in LW 104, got a wee slapped wrist from DB and it will cost me a drink at SKELP].
John Henderson
Thought I would write to say how much I enjoyed LW 104, it was quite like the old times to see the SWA Forum, readers' letters back again. I missed them and I think they really are important to LW, reflecting the members points of view and opinions. Of course I realize that you have to have letters to publish first. I expect that is a problem too! Being of advanced age, 78 years, I have been trying to find games systems that shorten my games and for some time have been using rules by Don Featherstone taken from MWAN, and they were enjoyable, easy to play and cut my game down to 2 hours. Also in MWAN I discovered DBA, which I soon purchased and then moved onto DBM. Then in LW 104 was a DBA game described by none other than yourself. I enjoyed your article Kenn.
My problem at the moment is this. I don't play Ancients. I play Napoleonics! I am busy convert DBA to Napoleonics and it is absorbing. I have played 4 games up to now and they are getting better. Regards to Chris and I hope he has recovered from his illness.
[John, Thanks for your generous remarks. How about letting other members in on your DBA "conversions"? Any other member have thoughts on this topic?]
Howard Mair
LW 104 page 36. A correction: Wedge & Talon started in the Air to Air zone whilst Lightening and Panther drew the "Iron Hand" mission of Flak suppression. The F14's remained in the Air to Air zone throughout the mission. [Sorry. Hope this did not spoil the article.] I am currently working on a solo method for Anti Submarine Warfare, set in the modern era. One, submarine side, being randomly controlled. The thoughts I have had is to split the attack into a number of phases and the submarine changes from one to the other as the situation dictates (this idea came from playing the board game "Ambush"). The phases are: steaming; patrol; approach; attack; evade. The submarine can be operating aggressively i.e. actively hunting the other side or passively trying to evade the opponent and close on an imaginary convoy. Each phase would have a set of decision table which would be consulted to give a random course and speed, this would be held for a length of time determined by the function:
T = 1n(1-rand)
where: rand = a random number - I 1/ = mean time to next event & would vary.
This formulae is for an exponential function (come back Zac all is forgiven!) and gives an approximation of the times between events. Additional information required to make a decision is the last known bearing to target, it's course and speed. The set of rules I intend to use is Harpoon and as can probably be guessed I will try to computerise the actions of at least one side. To keep myself guessing I intend to have a number of contacts on the playing surface each behaving like a real sub. Only finding out the truth when a positive contact is made or a fire order is given. On loosing contact I intend to immediately place two counters on the surface, thereby creating the uncertainty factor. If any members have experience of this sort of game and can offer suggestions for the decision tables or other points then |I would be most interested in hearing from them. Regards.
[Sorry to hear of your gremlins. I once had a S&T boardgame called "Wolf Pack" and it was the best solo naval game I have ever played - just die and counters but excellent]
Dan Verrcammen
As far as the articles for LW are concerned I would like to see more on rules and solo-mechanisms with some examples of how they work in practise. Local battlefields; I might be able to do something on Waterloo, Ligny, Quatre-Bras, Wavre etc, if I can find the time to write. Another kind of article I'd like to see more, is articles on skirmishes (historical, because a fiction scenario we can develop ourselves). Best of luck to the SWA and LW. Keep up the good work.
[Dan, Thanks for the "change". Charles Nurse came up with the idea on local battlefields and personally I would like to know what they are like now, are they looked after, advertised etc. Take Culloden and Bannockburn in Scotland, well worth a visit and caters for the tourist, whereas Marston Moor (the possible turning point of the ECW) does not even have a place to park and only a very striking monument erected by enthusiasts guides the visitor to a fairly unchanged terrain - if you mentally blot out the electric pylons! Also see Andrew Freeman's "Battle of Shrewsbury"].
Ian Duncan
I must say how much I enjoyed your article in LW 104 on the DBA siege system and scenario. I'm first and foremost an "ancients" man myself (I've been fascinated by the Greeks and Persians since I was about ten years old) so I look forward to trying them out soon. I'll probably have Alexander assaulting a Persian town; the sort of thing I've read so much about but never attempted on the wargames table. The DBA rules were certainly a great boost to the hobby. I daren't leave a wargame set up over night as, next morning, entire regiments could be wiped out in a single stroke by my young daughter! So DBA lets me set up the table, play the game and get cleared up all in one evening. Speaking of DBA, have you tried the DBM rules yet? I bought them when they came out but, for reasons mentioned above, I've never had a chance to have a full blown set to. If you haven't seen them, they are a sort of "advanced DBA" intended for battles with a few hundred figures on each side. There are also two volumes of Army Lists available for use with these rules but when I tried to get them last week at Macs Models in Edinburgh they weren't in stock yet.
In your review of 15mm Samurai figures from Two Dragon Productions, you mentioned the "Samurai" rules by London Wargames Section. I too have these rules and can remember painting up lots of 25mm MiniFig samurai for games using them. Hopefully I'll be able to get to SKELP. Apart from being great day out, it would be a great chance to meet other members and put faces to names. Thanks for your encouragement. All the best for now.
Lance Westlake
I am one of those people who is very unhappy to think that previously published information [in LW] is no longer freely available to those who want it now and also to future solo wargamers. I assume that the office of Editor does not have a complete set [correct]. May I therefore make a few suggestions to rectify this information shortfall, these are:
1. Those with nearly continuous membership be approached for the editor/librarian to borrow their copies and these be photocopied for the library and a charge made to cover copying expenses.
2. Those copies be borrowed but the editor/librarian contact those members with computer and word processing facilities (such as me) to copy type out the magazines onto disk and then these could be printed on demand using a normal printer or Warrior Press could print a number. These could then either be used as library copies or offered for sale to members.
3. A compendium of articles is produced of what someone considers the best ideas, using one of the first two methods.
I think No 2 would be the cheapest and most profitable in the long term. If any of the above ideas find favour then it would be a golden opportunity to produce a comprehensive index which the editor/librarian could then update with each issue. As a newcomer to the Association I hope you do not find my ideas presumptuous but I have learnt more on wargaming in these few copies [of LW] than I have in the all the glossies put together. I would like to hear what other members think of my ideas.
[Thanks Lance. Since Chris took over as Editor all LW is saved on disk but before that we only have hard copy and only a few members, I believe, have complete lists. I am fully in favour of Method No 2 which would allow me, as Editor, to select items previously published and incorporate them in the latest LW with very little effort. If any member(s) is interested in Operation Archives then please get in touch and don't forget a SAE!]
David Kilburn
I would like to suggest that the formula for paying subscriptions is given insufficient prominence in LW. If it's not too difficult a box containing LARGE LETTERS pointing out that, IF YOU HAVEN'T PAID SINCE 1 JUNE 1993, YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS NOW OVERDUE, is likely to attract more payments than the present modest statement on the inside front cover. Just trying to be helpful. My kind thanks to you and the Committee for giving up so much of their time to keep the SWA going.
[David, thanks you're right! No more subtle approach I'll blast it out! See inside page. Cheers.]
Victor Waldorff
(Ref methods of paying subscriptions by overseas members). Have you considered accepting payment by the more common credit cards? This would probably ease the situation for many overseas members like me.
[Victor, I believe this was looked into years ago but was ruled out because of the % we would have to pay etc. Although we sympathise with you the methods of payment we ask overseas members to undergo are the most economical from the point of view of bank charges, exchange rates etc for the SWA.]
John Curry
I have written a set of rules similar in style to the excellent solo Zulu war rules by Will McNally. They are being play-tested at this very moment. I will write them up and send them to you in the next 4 weeks. A query - Many years ago I bought a set of rules called 'Metamorphosis Alpha' published by TSR. In essence it was a science fiction role playing game in a derelict spaceship. I have started to develop a solo system for it. When the rules were published, there were also supplements and articles in White Dwarf. Does anyone out there have any copies? I will pay for them or pay to borrow them. I would be very grateful if anyone could help me.
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