Showing posts with label template. Show all posts
Showing posts with label template. Show all posts

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: ‘JENA-AUERSTADT’ PBeM PLAY AID

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MOVEMENT & COMBAT TURN RECORD TEMPLATE FOR SPI’S ‘JENA-AUERSTADT’ (1975)


Back on 27 January of this year, I published a set of PBeM (spreadsheet-style) Turn Record Templates for SPI’s MARENGO and WAGRAM; at the time, I didn’t include similar templates for the other two titles (BATTLE OF NATIONS and JENA-AUERSTADT) that make up the NAPOLEON AT WAR Quadri-game because, frankly, I couldn’t remember where I had stored their files. A few days ago, and quite by accident, I finally stumbled across the turn record spreadsheet for JENA-AUERSTADT. Given the fact that there are still no internet game platforms for this batch of older SPI titles, I have decided to publish this PBeM player aid as a favor to those gamers who continue to enjoy these early Napoleonic games, but who nonetheless have a difficult time finding face-to-face opponents when it comes to these titles. Needless-to-say, if I ever figure out where I hid the template for BATTLE OF NATIONS then I will immediately publish it, as well.

For those players who are unfamiliar with this title, JENA-AUERSTADT offers the Prussian commander the choice of dividing his army and fighting two simultaneous battles: one engagement at Jena against the bulk of the French army under Napoleon, and the other against Marshal Davout’s out-numbered IIIrd Corps at Auerstadt (the historical scenario); alternatively, the Prussian player can choose to mass all of his forces at Jena in an effort to defeat the advancing Grande Armée before it can complete its concentration. The Prussians and their allies are outnumbered and less mobile than the more nimble French, but an all-or-nothing fight at Jena — because the bulk of Napoleon’s forces begin the game off-map and enter play a few units at a time — gives the Prussian player an excellent opportunity to defeat the French army in detail. In view of this unusual design feature, I believe that JENA-AUERSTADT offers players a fascinating set of operational problems and although it is a relatively simple “beer and pretzels” sort of game, it nonetheless is still one of my personal favorites.

The Excel ‘spreadsheet’ file offered here is for the original SPI version of JENA-AUERSTADT (1975). This file has been set up to permit competing players to exchange new game moves via email attachments and, at the same time, to keep an accurate and detailed, ongoing record of all of the various game operations that can potentially occur in the course of a complete twelve turn match of this simple, but elegant game of Napoleonic warfare.

JENA-AUERSTADT Excel spreadsheet link








Additional useful game-related Internet links








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TRICKS OF THE TRADE: ‘STALINGRAD’ PBeM PLAY AID

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MOVEMENT & COMBAT TURN RECORD TEMPLATE FOR THE TAHGC GAME, ‘STALINGRAD’ (1963/1974)


When everything is said and done, there is really nothing like face-to-face competition when it comes to playing wargames. Unfortunately, most players will find — particularly, as time goes on — that local face-to-face opponents can sometimes be hard to find. Happily, the ‘internet revolution’, besides its many other contributions to modern life, has also led to the development of a number of easy-to-use gaming software applications such as VASSAL, Cyberboard, and Zun Tzu, all of which have made ‘electronic’ wargaming both much faster and much more convenient than its play-by-mail (PBM) predecessor. In most cases, these gaming support sites will offer players all of the software tools they need to play online. However, there may still be times when reliance on one of these internet software applications is neither practical nor even preferable. In some cases, players will find that platforms for their favorite older games are not yet available on line. Or, if their favorite title is available on line, players may still occasionally find that existing internet gaming software — programmers being human — will have map or ‘Order of Battle’ mistakes that could detract from the playability of the game.

In addition, there also seem to be a few modern Luddites remaining in the hobby who, for one reason or another, just don’t care for the ‘point and drag’ method of moving counters on a screen; gamers (like me) who, given their ‘druthers’, still prefer to have the game’s real map and counters spread out in front of them when they sit down to make their moves. Experience has shown me that, for this type of tradition-minded player, switching to a ‘spreadsheet’ format for internet gaming can be a handy, easy-to-use alternative to online, downloadable ‘game boxes’. That being said, the attached play aid is for them.

The specific Excel ‘spreadsheet’ attachment offered with this post is for the 2nd Edition version (1974) of the Avalon Hill classic game, STALINGRAD (1963). This multi-page file has been set up to permit competing players to exchange game moves via email attachments and, at the same time, to keep an accurate and detailed, ongoing record of all of the various game operations that could potentially occur in the course of a complete twenty-four turn match.


Excel spreadsheet: Stalingrad PBem Play Aid Template





  
Finally, for those players who are relatively new to wargaming, or for those experienced gamers who have only recently decided to become more actively involved with the large and growing ‘internet’ gaming community, I recommend the following (small) sampling of sites highly:


A Few Online Gaming Sites

Some of my Favorite Online Support Sites

  

Related Stalingrad Map and Counters Blog Posts:

  1. TAHGC STALINGRAD (1963, 1974)
  2. Tricks of the Trade: Some Suggestions for Balancing STALINGRAD
  3. Tricks of the Trade: A Recommended Russian Set-up for STALINGRAD
  4. Tricks of the Trade: The General Looks at STALINGRAD
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE: ‘WATERLOO’ PBeM PLAY AID

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MOVEMENT & COMBAT TURN RECORD TEMPLATE FOR THE ‘TOURNAMENT’ (28 Game Turn) VERSION OF TAHGC GAME, ‘WATERLOO’ (1962)

One of the great and unanticipated benefits of the internet age — speaking as an aging wargamer — has been the extraordinary proliferation of home computers and laptops, and the now almost universal ability of modern players to substitute ‘Play by Electronic Mail’ (PBeM) for its tiresome precursor, traditional ‘Play by Mail’ (PBM). This has meant that most games between geographically separated opponents can now — if both players are conscientious in their move-making — be completed in a matter of months or even weeks, instead of the year or more that postal play used to require.

Happily, the ‘internet revolution’ has also led to the appearance of subscription (pay-as-you-go) wargame sites such as ‘Hexwars,’and also to the development of easy-to-use gaming software applications such as ‘Vassal’ which has made ‘electronic’ wargaming even faster (no set-up time) and more convenient. In fact, in the case of ‘Vassal,’ players who are familiar with a game system no longer even have to have physical access to a copy of a favorite title in order to play it. Of course, reliance on software applications like ‘Vassal’ or ‘Cyberboard by Dale Larson’ is not always either practical or even preferable. In many cases, players will find that platforms for their favorite older games are not yet available on line. This, by the way, is currently the case with WATERLOO. Thus, for those old line grognards who still enjoy this game, there really isn’t a good alternative to the type of PBeM template offered here. Moreover, even when their favorite title is available on line, players will occasionally find that existing internet gaming software — programmers being human — will have map or order of battle mistakes that seriously detract from the actual playability of the game.

Finally, there are the modern ‘Luddites’ like me who just don’t much care for the ‘point and drag’ mode of moving counters on a screen; gamers who, instead, would actually rather have the real map and counters in front of them when they play. For this type of player, using a ‘spreadsheet’ format for internet gaming is a convenient alternative. And it is also, not surprisingly, the online gaming format that I personally prefer.

The Excel ‘spreadsheet’ file offered with this post is for the Avalon Hill classic game, WATERLOO (1962). This particular file is set up for the Tournament version of the game; that is: the version used in tournament competition at the WBC Convention in Lancaster. For those players who are unfamiliar with this version of the game: unlike the Standard Game, the Tournament Game adds one extra 7:00 pm daylight turn on each day, but allows the game to run for only four rather than five days. This turn record change has the effect of postponing Prussian Anglo-Allied reinforcements, starting on June 17th, while, at the same time, shortening the overall game by two turns.

Finally, although it actually has no bearing on play, the units of both the French and Prussian armies have been listed according to their parent (corps) organizations. Also, it should noted that because these counters are never used in Tournament play, the various French and Prussian Anglo-Allied commanders have been left off of this template.


Excel spreadsheet link: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AqCInXkTQsAadGlCVFVqRE13NnpnOV9QN3VaaG5UZXc&hl=en
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