Russell Parkin: After several years of finding better things to do, I've finally got round to sending a letter to the SWA. My only excuse for the delay is that wargaming is not my main hobby and I find it hard enough to find time to play games, let alone write about them.
Firstly, I'd like to agree with Patrick Carroll's opinions in Lone Warrior 118 on why solo wargamers do what they do. I view wargames as interactive stories and I find my enjoyment in creating the framework for the story and then participating in its "writing". Computer games can offer a similar level of interaction but they force you to move at their pace and according to their rules. The benefit of board or paper wargames is that you can work at your own pace; you can speed things up or slow things down, focus in on an interesting area and redefine the rules as you go along. I find that having an opponent can only detract from this approach.
I find it useful to keep a diary or written commentary as I play a game. This acts as a memory jogger when I resume a game after a break. It also helps me to keep track of the main theme, which can be at a different level to the turn-by-turn play, because the commentary can be written at a strategic level even though the game's rules operate at a tactical level.
Secondly, I'd like to offer a simple set of rules [see Generic Rules] that I use to provide a background for a series of battles. I like to have a common thread that links several battles so I developed a generic set of rules to control the overall situation with minimum effort.
I use home-made cardboard counters to represent all the units involved in the big picture and I usually use commercial maps as playing boards although wargame maps or home-made sketches would be equally suitable. When an interesting situation arises, I can then leave the simple rules and play it out in detail using a more comprehensive set of rules.
I allow myself plenty of flexibility in interpreting the generic rules but they at least give the evolving story some sort of structure. I've included some simple rules for automating one or both sides. When things are looking predictable, this can introduce an element of surprise.
[Russell, thanks both for the letter and the article. Don't leave it so long next time. Kenn]
John Barnard: I was prompted to put pen to paper simply because of the two excellent articles I read shortly after joining up! They were both very simple in their approach and as a result gave me plenty of fun when using them.
[John, it is always gratifying when another new author submits articles for Lone Warrior.]
Michael Becher (Gaithersburg, Maryland) [To Rich], I am happily resubscribing to the Solo Wargamers Association. I have been really impressed with the quality of the articles in the "Lone Warrior" over the past year. I hope to participate more in the Association in the coming year - I always have lots of ideas, just little time to put them in practice! However, with the recent move to larger quarters, I hope to have a bit more time and space to put some of these ideas into practice. I look forward to another year of fine and thought-provoking articles. Thanks for helping to bring this Association to North America!
[Michael, the quality of the articles in Lone Warrior tracks nicely with the very high quality of our membership - wargamers who have original ideas and who can commit pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. We look forward to reading your contributions. Thanks for the good words of encouragement. Rich]
Bill Farley:Thank you for the commemorative pen celebrating 21 years of the Solo Wargamers Association. From experience I know what a challenge keeping such and Association "alive" and equitable can be. I do admire the way you [and the Committee] have persevered and brought the Solo Wargamers Association through its troubled times. Doubtless the current success is down to the unstinting efforts of you and your Committee colleagues. Congratulations and all the best for the future. [Bill was the Editor before Chris Constable. Good to hear he is still around and as usual gaming "independently"!]
John Stitson: Thanks for Lone Warrior 118 - eminently readable. Congratulations to you and your team yet again.
[Thanks John for your kind comments and the details of the book.]
Steve Turner: On Campaign Reports. Fundamentally, my argument is with those members who insist that ... , "(Campaign Reports are of no particular interest unless they include the system used to arrive at a particular situation." or that . . . ."Articles should be devoted to systems on solo play, all other matters should be secondary" (my italics). I'm afraid I can't agree with this narrow point of view, basically because it's an altogether blinkered attitude, and doesn't take into account other member's requirements within the society [Association]. Indeed, far from Campaign Reports being of "no particular interest unless they include the rule system", on the contrary, in my opinion Campaign Reports (and to a lesser extent Battle Reports) perform a particularly important service whether they convey a rule system or not - namely that of liberating the solo 'gamer's "imaginative juices", those sparks of enthusiasm without which the "playing solo" surely would become nothing more than a dreary, devalued, desolate pastime. Anyone who has read John Bennett's "Circumnavigation of the Inland Sea" from his "Gussie" series (LW's 70 - 74) or "The Court-Marshal of Lord French" by Ron Moore (and the resulting "verdict" articles written by other members) cannot possibly complain that these contributions were published without hardly a hint of a rule system. They simply didn't need one. They were ingenious, stimulating pieces, and a "bloody good read" into the bargain! To my mind there's nothing more soul destroying than turning the pages of Lone Warrior and running slap-bang into some huge rule-chart covered with plus' & minus' or line after line of numbers & formulae. Sure, great for all the "rule junkies" who don't want to think for themselves, but about as inspirational as dried toast! Could anyone imagine what Lone Warrior would be like if every contribution published was accompanied with a rule system? - just one grandiose solo wargaming hand-book! What a tedious, sterilised publication it would become.
I, for one, would like to see MORE campaign reports in Lone Warrior, not less. With plenty of skulduggery, back-stabbing, political chicanery and battlefield molestation (hope we're allowed to use that phrase in LW Kenn? [Seemingly so]). And I couldn't care less if they come with, or without a rule system. A well Written "knock 'em down. and drag 'em out" Campaign Report, illustrated with competently drawn maps and army lists, is far more interesting than any sequence of sterile rule charts, dice throws or rule definitions (yawn, zzzzzzz). Don't we get enough of these within the pages of LW anyway, without wanting more?
I only hope Lone Warrior keeps it's balance of contributions as it has in the past, and that there'll always be a place for a competently constructed Campaign/Battle Report somewhere within it's pages. Wargames rule books are almost "two a penny" on the shelves, roughly as many available as there are Wargamers. It would be so very easy to turn "Lone Warrior" magazine into just one more.
[Well Steve, let's see what the above brings! The "attitudes" you quote have not been prevalent in Lone Warrior for many a good year and my approach to articles is that if members have taken the time, effort and trouble to submit something then I will do my best to publish it. Steve you will probably remember when it was frowned upon to not be a "complete" soloist by which I mean that the member(s) concerned actually also engaged in face to face confrontations! Nowadays I know of dedicated Association members who not only go to clubs, but actually run them! Lone Warrior attempts to cover the wide range of wargaming activities, and will continue to do so while I am still accepted as Editor, but Lone Warrior can only be as good as the articles (with or without rules) that members submit. Ladies and Gentlemen the ball is in your court! Kenn]
Lynn Noonan (Greenfield, Wisconsin) [To Rich] I have just received your journal, the Lone Warrior, and would like to thank you for the quick service. Your magazine is all I could ask for and to my surprise a lot more. The articles are very interesting and unlike some, they are easy to understand. Your SWA library is unbelievable. I never knew there was so much material available. This is going to be very helpful. All in all, I am pleased to be a member of this Association.
[Lynn, welcome aboard! The SWA is now your organization and Lone warrior is your journal. Please avail yourself of SWA services and we will be pleased to publish your letters and articles. Thanks. Rich]
Michael Friend (Manlius, New York) [to Rich] Thanks for the "Welcome Back" into the SWA as a regular member. Whether I do much solo gaming or not, I still enjoy and want to keep receiving Lone warrior. While most of the slick hobby publications are industry-driven, the Lone warrior is game-driven. For that, I consider it to be an essential resource. With my membership renewal, I have already taken advantage of the SWA library and borrowed a couple rules booklets already. When I return them to Ken, I'll also donate a couple rules sets to the library from my own collection. There's several other items I'd like to borrow, so I'll be using the library for awhile.
[Mike, as you will recall, published Vindicator Newsletter. His note goes on to speculate on the future of Vindicator as either a hard copy or e-zine or both. We wish you well, Mike, and await the time when Vindicator regains its niche in this broad hobby of ours. Rich]
Jeff Wollersheim (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) [to Rich] Sorry it took so long to renew, but I had to decide between renewing The Courier or Lone Warrior. In the end it came down to the fact that The Courier is pretty much like the other glossies, in that they publish articles on historical battles and the like, while you guys are unique. So sign me up for another year.
[Jeff, glad you are remaining in the SWA and we hope that Lone Warrior continues to meet your needs.]
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