HTK GETS IT RIGHT, I THINK

From: Dave

I just picked up Highway to the Kremlin and so far (haven't played it yet), I'm glad I did. The game looks good in two ways.

1. It literally looks good. The map is eye-pleasing and the symbology is clear and easy to read. I also like the distinction of various town/city types, especially since the differences matter in combat and forage. Thank you for putting river names on the map. So a big hooah to you and Joe for the map. The counters pull their weight too: good colors, good readability. I'm quite happy that Masahiro has stopped drawing horizontal lines through the important numbers.

2. It looks as though you've successfully scaled-up the system. I had some misgivings when I read the description of this game because I wasn't sure how well the system would work through a wide-angle lens (so to speak). But it looks as though you've adjusted to this ground/time scale without distorting the system (which we players have come to know and like). Adjusting the cavalry movement rates seems right, with the larger formations slowing relative to their counterparts in the other games in the series, while the vedettes and Cossacks stay fast. Also, your ZOC rules look like an elegant way to keep the definition of what a ZOC means constant through the series. They seem simple and intuitive.

Summing up: I was concerned that HtK would have to depart too much from the established system, but that's not the case. I've yet to see how the game plays, but the system is clearly the same old friend. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; if you could make straightforward changes (like increments for attrition) to adapt the system to fairly small armies in Bonaparte in Italy, you should be able to make the system work with very large armies and great distances. I suppose we should expect as much from a system with more longevity than most game companies.

Dan Raspler

I just want to say (and I think I speak for Chris here, too), that Saturday's game of La Guerre might well have been the finest game experience I ever had in my life, and I've been a gamer for 35 years.

You coming in and checking up on us really added a lot to the procedings.

Kenrick Fearn

Is there an errata and FAQ page for the Highway to the Kremlin ?? [see http://Grognard.com.] Very good game and excellent production standard. Thanks for your hard work in bringing such pleasure to me and my gaming group again.

Udo Grebe

Just to let you know that our retailers appreciate our new OSG service. You once quoted me that "OSG does not sell." [Oct. 2000 enews] You now can quote me that I was wrong. I do not know if this helps your project 250 but you can count me in for 24 copies of each new OSG game.

Tom Lenzer

I wanted to thank you for the prompt reply to my e-mail and to let you know that Highway to the Kremlin was delivered Saturday. C'est magnifique!

I have been waiting for you to design this game since I first played the original Napoleon at Bay many, many years ago. It was well worth the wait.

Napoleonic Spain Information
Carlos Fuentes

I expect you pick up a dispatch from me next days. It contains a lot of information extracted directly from the Spain National Military Service plus several maps about the Peninsular War.

I'm having a lot of problems to obtain a Spanish Road Map about the age (1800's). At the SNMS, they gave me 2 Spanish Maps: the first shows a railroads net enough developed, so is impossible to date it about 1800 but 1900 instead. The second, seems to belong 1830 period, but its darkness impedes me to work with it normally.

I have be able appreciate the HttK scale (16 Km hex - 5 day turns - 5.000 men). I think the map scale is perfect for the Peninsular War. That scale would confortably comprise all Peninsula territory using two standar maps. Likewise, the time scale is perfect for the extense duration of the Peninsula Campaigns.

But, (sorry, you are the master, I'm a simple gameplayer) in Spain and Portugal usually the battles involved a relative small number of troops.

For example, in the deccisive Battle of Vimeiro the French Army of Junot amounted to no more than 11.000 men, and the British Army of Wellesley was about 18.800 men. That is, in scale terms of HttK, 2 SP versus 4 SP.

The war was plenty of small battles like Vimeiro, the first strike between Britsh and French, due to the great territory which the French troops intended dominate. Have you thought about this ?

I have seen with hope that HttK 5X rules speaks finally about Peninsular War and I am very happy.