Chris Grice: OK, I assume from the non-appearance of Tournament 3 in LW135 that you were right and no-one has lifted their head above the parapet to run it. Fair enough, looks like I've got the job again then! I've enclosed the details of my latest idea plus the associated map, which looks terribly angular. One thing - NO CHINESE ALLOWED! [Didn't say anything about Mongols!] At the moment, my AD69 Roman campaign is just about reaching a climax, with some help from ADCs and others. I'll perhaps write up some details for LW at some future date, when a conclusion has been reached. I've recently got interested in the War of Spanish Succession and have bought a few (!) 6mm armies. (I feel another campaign coming on when these are all finished.) I'd like to thank Stephen Ede-Borrett, the SWA adviser on this period, for his help on tracking down some painting details for the less well documented armies. Now my Bavarians are finished and the Danes about 50% complete. Other armies undercoated and ready. Thanks very much for the info. I found Ian Duncan's comments in Forum interesting. Is there really such a thing as a passive, unbiased wargamer though? Most of my wargaming centres around small campaigns, usually set within a (fairly) historical framework. The game tends to begin with me, god-like, towering over the whole and regulating the actions of all sides by dice throw or whatever, and building up a narrative (getting a computer with 'Publisher' program means that the campaign diary of old has given way to regular campaign 'newspapers') and preliminary manoeuvres tend to show only a little bias - I have been known to let troops force-march to ensure they reached a battlefield in time. However, it is difficult not to have one's favourites. Once battle is joined, I do tend to find I play it from the point of view of one side or the other. (not necessarily the same side in every battle in a campaign.) I think I would find it more difficult to play a game on the table completely from an impartial point of view and, to be honest, it does tend to happen that the side I favour ends up with the more difficult task - of course, that also means that their opposition is easier to programme. Anyway, I'll bang this off now, hopefully to catch LW136. Off to the Highlands for my hols in a couple of weeks - sure to come back loaded with wargaming inspiration. All the best. Steve Turner: Just finished reading LW 135 for the third time and came across one of Ian Duncan's letters in the "Forum'~ (last letter on page 55). He requests a (simple) system to generate scenarios, with terrain, objectives & forces for quick 'one~off' games. Well, I have access to just such a system, probably the best system I've ever come across in over 25 years of solo wargaming. One which covers all the essential details Ian asks for, can be as easy or as complicated as you wish and can (and most probably will) throw up no end of surprises to test the military abilities of any wargamer. And it can be used over and over again, whenever it's needed, So what is this 'brilliant' system? Well, I'm surprised anyone needs to ask, seeing that it's been advertised in the pages of Lone Warrior for over a year now (or have I been shouting in the wilderness all this time?) It is of course our own, SWA "Aide De Camp" facility. All right, so I know it's not strictly what Ian is looking for, but the "ADC" facility was set up precisely for requests such as Ian's. It can provide a solo wargamer with as many 'one-off' (or campaign generated) scenarios as he wants, set objectives, provide maps, list forces and assist in writing orders wherever needed. The "ADC's" can even throw unanticipated surprises into the game (flank marches, blown bridges, surprise attacks etc. the list is endless and limited only by the imagination) something which no set of paper & dice rules can perform satisfactorily no matter how well written. And there's no regulation which says that the ADC facility need be utilised by just "solo" wargamers. To be completely honest, I was rather disillusioned by Ian Duncan's letter, in that it proves that SWA members simply haven't grasped the main principles underlining the ADC facility. The ADC's will do almost anything (as long as it isn't illegal or too "smutty") to help members run or set up their wargames (and campaigns) wherever they are needed. All they require is an outline of what the member wants to achieve, plus any details needed to complete their task. It's all basically very simple. So, next time you decide to set up a game, why not let an ADC help? (See ADC adverts in Lone Warrior back issues). Here's an example of how the ADC's helped me. At the start of my l8th Century campaign "With Fife & Drum" I wanted to know the general outline of political predisposition throughout the main land mass put simply, who liked who, and who hated who?) I contacted an ADC, gave him a summary of the campaign and it's history, and asked him to provide a run down on the political dispositions of each of the main countries at the start of the campaign. I needed to write no special rules system, I threw no dice percentage or otherwise) and dealt out no playing cards. I simply waited for a reply. About a week later I received a detailed run down on the politics of my imaginary continent, and it was as simple as that. Of course, if I'd had access to email then the week I waited for a reply could have been cut down to a matter of perhaps hours, who knows? By the way Kenn, I think I recall you using the ADC service earlier this year don't I? [Guilty as charged. However, I am using it purely for assistance with a long running campaign and not just a one-off battle. To date have found response for assistance very good and I must get on with the campaign, so until next time...Kenn]. John Ruddick [Part of a letter to the Secretary] As I am a complete novice to wargaming, I was wondering if you could recommend any good rule sets for solo play together with publishers addresses so that I may purchase them. As the Ancient and Medieval periods appeal to me, Martin Hogg's review of "Warrior Kings" in Lone Warrior 133 was of particular interest to me. If you know the address of Breakthrough Games could you please pass it on to me? Any information you can provide me with would be very much appreciated as I am eager to get started in this intriguing hobby. [Guys it is obvious assistance is needed here, so if you can help please feel free to do so. Kenn] John Barnard The June issue of Lone Warrior [135], like March's issue, has been a good read. I especially enjoyed "Civilised Campaign Rules" by Will Johnson. I enclose a short article as a result! If I get a move on you may get a campaign report as well. If you think the attached article needs a map or anything else let me know. On the subject of no Forum letters, could it be just a blip or is the end of paper correspondence (with 3 month intervals between exchanges) in sight. I don't game with computers at all but I am quite sure I am the exception. Will there come a time when Lone Warrior goes all electric? If it does, something most enjoyable will be lost - the anticipation of the next edition. Having read issue 135 within 5 days, the September issue seems a long way away - but that is part of the fun and anyway it leaves me plenty of time to eradicate Will Johnson's rules from my ancient imaginary Campaign world. Now where is that article by Aaron Thorne on D&D solitaire - there must be a spell to undo invading rule sets.... P.S. I will get a computer eventually and then Kenn Ian Duncan will not have to slog through my scrawl - [Thanks Ian for your efforts, which are very much appreciated. Kenn]. [There is no need to send items in typed, although that does make my workload easier, just send them in, in a legible manner and we will get them published. Seems that Lone Warrior is doing its job by promoting thoughts and ideas on solo gaming. Letters for Forum did dry up and it would appear that writing to the Editor, on any solo matter, is a dying art form and I do so like to receive them. I am sure I can speak for the rest of the Committee when I can state that Lone Warrior will never go completely 'electrical', the mainstay will always be the copy you receive through your letterboxes, guys. We are very aware not everyone is on the end of a computer but everyone can use a pen! It could be that the apathy of the non-computerised members will allow only the computerised ones to dominate the pages of Lone Warrior and that would be a sad loss to us all.] Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #136 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com