From: "Hayes.Mark" It was interesting to read the latest letters in OSG News regarding modeling logistics in your operational level series games. As you pointed out that one Sunday when we met, we don't have much information on Napoleonic logistics other than van Creveld's chapter. Van Creveld is a bit of an iconoclast, and I think each of his chapters over-emphasizes a contrary point of view. I've done some primary source research on operational logistics in the American Revolution and American Civil War, and I believe it is both easy and wrong to think that armies supplied themselves consistently through one system. Everybody, even the Brits in America, would requisition supplies from the locals when the need arose. Fresh fruits and vegetables were important for a soldiers diet, but not always available from a depot. Staples, like salt pork, salt beef, bread, and spirits were regularly accumulated and dispersed from depots. Forage is also important to keep horses healthy. Grazing will do for a while, but commanders who valued their horses would try to keep them supplied with forage as much as possible. An army could operate a short time apart from its depots, but attrition could become a real problem if they tried to do it for very long. It seems to me that your current rules on lines of communication and foraging do a good job of simulating the reality operational logistics. From: Chris Moeller Got my issue of WD. The design symposium is O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G! It's worth the price of the magazine alone. Get some of your designer buddies to discuss what they do for future issues. Really great stuff. The price is steep. Maybe spring for a color cover? CoA's Art of War is around $3, isn't it? That's reasonable for a b&w house magazine. As I said, I think the Symposium is worth the price, but I wouldn't have probably gotten past the price tag and rather humble cover to find that out. From: john bowman Hi Mr. Z...I am one of your greatest admirers from long ago, and I remain so to this day...Your game designs have brought me many long hours of joy and instruction! I write you directly to urge you to produce the 1813 quadrigame that is being discussed at OSG...I am raving mad with the idea of having Napoleon at Leipzig translated to other battles of that campaign....I am not a shop-keeper, as Bonaparte would say, just a gamer whose favorite game of all time, big or small, good or bad, strategic or tactical, simple or complex, is none other than your own Napoleon at Leipzig... so...that said...do be a sport and go ahead with your plans to produce the 1813 game...I will buy two, if that helps any! From: Karel van Schoor, Dear Kevin, I've just received "Bonaparte in Italy." I never saw the 1st ed., so the game is new for me. It looks _very_ promising. I subscribe for the Expansion set. Less pleasant was the tax I had to pay at the door: almost $25.00* This is really frustrating. All your former gamers were underpriced to avoid (excessive) customs charges. That is also the standard practice of The Gamers, GMT, Av. Press (back in time: AH). Not so COA. In fact, that's why I _never_ order directly from COA _any_more_! In my country, packages valued at _less_ than $30 are almost never taxed. Valuing at $36, as was done, has cost me $25! With an expensive dollar, in Europe we really cannot afford paying excessive taxes. I hope you can find a solution. I don't mind paying much for a game, or sometimes ordering a game twice (as I did for the Moscou game), but paying much for taxes is really frustrating. Currently I have so much new activities that I am unfortunately unable to contribute to Wargame Design. I promise I'll do my utmost to contribute later upon reception of the Moscou game. Kindest regards, Karel *Taxes are non-linear. Fixed administrative costs make taxes for small amounts proportionally very expensive. Why is it that COA can not do what _all_ other companies can?! [Editors Note: In the future the price of all OSG games going to Europe will be declared at the _manufacturing_ cost, about 20% of retail. I regret the frustration caused by our mistake in declaration of the full retail value.] Back to OSG News July 2000 Table of Contents Back to OSG News List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Operational Studies Group. 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