Napoleonic Rules

[Stewart.gibson]

Hi Stu

If you email the author of the blog - he is also the author of the rules - he is very happy to send you a personal copy of M&M (for free). You just need to 'flatter' him a bit    He took down the download link for the rules as it was being abused by somebody who was selling the rules commercially! If that doesn't work - message me personally & I'll ping you a copy. But by getting them directly from the author you'll be on his list so he can also send you any updates.
The rules are very simple and you might need a bit of 'coaching' to get used to them - but I really like the combat mechanism. I've thought about 'borrowing' it for some of my other rules. I'm a great 'collector' of gaming mechanisms.

Cheers
Mark

Thanks for the info Mark.  As you may have surmised from this thread I too collect rule systems, and I am never happy.  As hinted in my introductory post, I believe that I know more than any other rule writer, ever.    I am a gamer after all.  It comes with the territory.

I will butter the author up seeking a copy of the rules.

Many thanks,
Stu

[Ithoriel]

I guess the best thing for me to do would be to explain the ultimate goal.

I am looking to find/create a set of rules, closer to a simulation without the baggage typically perceived to accompany that goal. I'm not interested in maneuvering companies through complex drill movements on a table top.  Did enough of that in uniform to understand that is is a boring way to spend time. How will that approach get to the core realities of battles?  Subordinate leaders can and do manage that minutae without interference from above.

I have a set of goals in mind and I'll list them here.

That's quite a list!

I suspect that what you need is a computer game.

I can't think of anything that meets even most of those criteria but I wouldn't dissuade you from trying to find/ create a set.

The closest I can think of was a game at Joy of Six a few years back where a public participation game modelled a French attack on a British battalion in line at the top of a slope. There was a brief fight between the skirmishers which gave an advantage to the winner in the ensuing attack. Then the French player had to decide when or whether to shake out into line and whether to stop and fire or keep moving. The guys running the game controlled the British. Played 3, won 1. Lots of fun!

[T13A]

Hi Stu

You might want to take a look at these computer based rules :http://carnageandgloryii.com/index.htm

And the forum: https://groups.io/g/carnageandgloryii/topics (but you have to join groups.io)

Cheers Paul

[Stewart.gibson]

That's quite a list!
The guys running the game controlled the British. Played 3, won 1. Lots of fun!

I regret to say I added to that list when I copied it to a word document.  Your experience is heartening.  If nothing else it indicates that it is possible to find a play level somewhere between Sharp's Practice and Empire V.  Yes Ive been around for a while.

I don't think a computer game would cut it because too much is hidden behind the scenes in the software.  That in my view takes away the need for a player to analyze the situation and use the tools available.  Asking the computer where all the grenadier companies are would taint the game. ymmv

I'm in the early stages of exploring this. While I have spend perhaps 15 years thinking about it I have never really done anything to develop the ideas. I need to spend a significant amount of time studying organizations, tactical evolutions and command structures so I can create a model and then find evidence from detailed campaign narratives to validate the model.  Then...comes massaging to make it elegant and playable.  All the while avoiding the temptation to reduce it to a series of die modifiers.

Thanks for the input

Stu

[Stewart.gibson]

Hi Stu

You might want to take a look at these computer based rules :http://carnageandgloryii.com/index.htm

And the forum: https://groups.io/g/carnageandgloryii/topics (but you have to join groups.io)

Cheers Paul

Hi Paul,

I have had a quick look at Carnage and Glory in the past and I wondered about setup and time spend with the interface while playing.  That does not mean that the game is devoid of usable ideas.  Call me old school but having professional bean counters assisting the Army/Corps/Division (pick one) commander just does not work for me. 

I will have to work at keeping the scope under control.  Too many units and the idea would rapidly become unmanageable.

Stu