1. Hal Thinglum's Midwest Wargamers Association Newsletter (MWAN) is going great guns... Hal's March/April issue had 140-count 'em-140 pages. This was a "special", focusing on colonial wargaming. The usual bimonthly output runs to 60 pages... still a lot of stuff to put together.
Each issue, Hal features an interview with a notable in the wargaming field, and this month, I thought I'd go Hal one better; the REVIEW would interview several wargamers, in particular, Pat Condray, Bob Coggins, Dick Bryant and Wally Simon, all of whom we managed to corner at the Historical Miniatures Wargaming Society (HMGS) convention (see the report further on in this issue), and all of whom push HMGS in different directions.
REVIEW Reporter: Let's start with you, Bob Coggins. Do you feel HMGS has had an impact on the hobby?
Coggins: Well... I... uh... that is ... uh... well...
REVIEW Reporter: Really great, Bob. And you, Pat Condray, do you support Bob's position?
Condray: Uh... when you... I'm almost... he... but...
REVIEW Reporter: Well put, Pat. Now, Wally Simon, both Pat and Bob have expressed themselves quite well... at least for HMGS members; where do you stand?
Simon: Hey,.man... if I... like... well... uh... uh...
REVIEW Reporter: And that leaves you, Dick Bryant, to sum up for everyone.
Bryant: Ahem... you see... I... well... h-m-m-m... uh...
REVIEW Reporter: That's just super, you guys... a particularly articulate bunch of wargaming enthusiasts. I'm sure HMGS will go far under your guidance.
2. Bruce McFarlane, way out on the edge of the world in Alberta, Canada, queried us concerning a title for our PW Seven Years War Rules, heretofore known as PWSYWR.
Bruce had an excellent point; PWSYWR is unpronouncable in itself... it has oft been referred to as "Pussy Wars". Indeed, it is a given in the hobby that all rules sets have to have catchy names to win the approbation of the public.
After some research effort, Messrs W Simon and Fred Hubig dug up what looks like an acceptable title. We discovered that Frederick the Great, in the year 1740, established the battle honor Pour Le Merite to replace another medal which had been somewhat "devalued".
Henceforth, gentlemen, take your pens in hand, cross out PWSYWR, and print in large capital letters: POUR LE MERITE, an exciting and fanciful game of 18th century warfare.
3. Hank Martin informs us that his SOLDIER OF THE QUEEN will be published by Frontier Miniatures in Texas. Hank's one page rules set has been expanded into a 17 page booklet containing 5 short sets: one each for colonial warfare with Zulus, Pathans/Afghans, Egyptians/Sudan, Boers, and Chinese.
I am absolutely, unequivocally, and irrefragably fascinated by the instant success of SOLDIER OF THF QUEEN. As registrar of participants in the recent HMGS convention, I was called several times at night: "Is there still room in the SOLDIER OF THE QUEEN game?"
Each time, I queried the long distance caller: "Have you ever played SOLDIER OF THE QUEEN?"
"No."
"Do you know anyone who has played SOLDIER OF THE QUEEN?"
"No."
Not even THE SWORD AND THE FLAME evoked such a sudden, blind devotion. Oh, but that I could come across such a crowd catcher.
4. And now, for a bit of philosophy. After much thought, our small but elitist PW group has determined that the rules generated in the wargaming community are not as quite as "realistic" as the authors would have their audiences believe. Nor can they truly portray combat in accurate fashion. Nor can they truly simulate an armed conflict. Nor can they truly model the battlefield.
With that said, our group has decided to lead the way and admit that our rules are less than perfect. Less than perfect, that is, in the sense of a simulation; they are still pretty good in a "gaming" sense, i.e., if you want to play an enjoyable game while pushing toy soldiers around on the ping-pong table, there are no "rules more highly recommended than those published in the pages of the REVIEW.
We hope other rules authors will follow our lead. We go even further, however. We define a new term. We state that our rules are in the realm of Creative History... no one really knows what went on way back when... and what we're doing, therefore, is portraying History As It Should Have Been, history as we want it.
Forget about History As It Was.., a lost cause, hampered by never to be disclosed facts, undermined by never to be disclosed information, and haunted by never to be revealed data, which no finite number of combat charts and dice throws can overcome.
Join the cause, men. Phil Barker, admit that WRG 7th is History As It Should Have Been; it's just a game. Bowden, admit that EMPIRE III is History As It Should Have Been; it's just a game. John Hill, admit that JOHNNY REB is just a game.
Fat chance.
A lack of followers, however, will not stop us. You've heard of the Radical Right? and the Radical Left? Well, we're forming a group in the Radical Center... plop in the middle... while you can ignore the right, and you can ignore the left, you can't ignore the center... you trip over it.
And so we introduce our Creative History Rules... rules to game by in the manner in which things should have occurred.
Stand by for more news from the front line of battle.
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© Copyright 1987 Wally Simon
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