Image processing for a new gamebox

 Once Upon a time I had a plan to put the whimsical bloodaxe miniatures, painted by Jeff Hudelson, into a gamebox set for use by those who perhaps were interested in tabletop minis, yet were unable to have the space needed and could experience something of the game with Cyberboard.

Then we learned that we would have to move.

I did not know if I could even keep the minis, due to storage needs.

This spurred me on into generating a set of photos of these minis.

Then we had a location and all my photo works were put into reserve and the other plans put on hold.

Now I find I have some time to put into the process again ...

a quick image done of the two army CICs

 

The overall summary of the games, so far, can be found at The Alpian Wars.

Each unit and command is getting a full image treatment:

The Yellow Brigadier of Alpia

So far only Alpian forces have been done.

Up next will be Stagonia.

Long Distance Diversion

 So a little ACW game has cropped up and I have a chance to get a feel for another game-master's approach to the e-mail running of a campaign.

sample image from the cyberboard game

I have produced a cyberboard gamebox from the map done by another player and some flag scans of my own.

Combined with the data set from the Napoleonic Campaign of Nations game that I did in 2013 and I have a full set of pieces in a new layout.  Shared this with the campaign organizer.

Looks like a tabletop battle or two is brewing (wink-wink) and there may be a video game from the tabletop in the near future.

What have others been doing to connect during the latest variant overwhelm?

Seven Active Players

The Campaign of the Hundred Days has begun.

There are seven active players taking on the roles of Bonaparte, Wellington, Blucher and their Generals and Marshals.

I have added a new link on the side bar here to help others find the new blog that will be a support for the coming actions.

Beyond the active players are three others with table-top miniatures to support many different battlefields.  This makes for 11 participants on three continents across 18 time zones.

Expect more After Action Reports of the battles here on Murdock'S MarauderS.

Hundred Days, heating up ...

Having worked out the details a few more times, I am now able to put out this last call for prospective players in a Campaign of the Hundred Days or Waterloo Campaign.

Even if all you have to take part in the game is an email address and a computer capable of running the Cyberboard software, then please do contact me below.

If you have some French and 'other' opponent troops, best would be Anglo-Dutch and Prussian of course, yet even if all you have are Russians to take on the French and a table-top crew to game out the battle then please do contact me below.

I am planning to use similar systems and methods as I did with the Campaign of Nations game, run from 2013-2015.

To summarize, I am recruiting at least three 'Commanders' to take on the Napoleon, Wellington and Blucher roles, then I would also like to have a 'deputy' for each one also that could generate the kind of movements and 'alternate' history that makes for a more fun experience.  Yes this means I would like to have 6 players.  Even better would be 7 players, 3 for the French, 2 each for the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies.

I know that I have been musing about doing this for many months now, and given that the big ceremonies of the 200th anniversary are over now, we could get on with a re-set of a different proportion.

If this interests you please do contact me or comment below.

Campaign of Hundred Days, recruiting

With the gamebox for Cyberboard firming up in my mind the time has come to again seek those stalwart players of Napoleonic battles who wish to take part in a play-by-email campaign game.  This time the Campaign of the Hundred Days, or what most refer to as the Waterloo Campaign.

As with the Campaign of Nations game that I ran in 2012-15, the overall plan will be to have a 'sample run' for the new players to get a feel for what a turn or two will be like, then go straight on into the action.

Also similar to last time, the plan is to have at least 3 active 'commanders' for the field armies supreme command, Wellington, Blucher and Napoleon; who need not be the tabletop commanders (though really each would like to take on one another I am sure).  While also needed will be many tabletops for running the games, especially the smaller more 'skirmish' level actions at the start of the campaign.  These game players need not have any particular 'stake' in the campaign, leaving them free to 'play out' the battles with their miniatures on their own tabletop(s).

In essence I am seeking both the senior command and these 'proxy battle hosts'.

If you have a keen desire to take a command position, like Bonaparte, Ney or Grouchy for the French, Blucher, Pirch or Zeithen for the Prussians or Wellington, William of Orange or Uxbridge for the Anglo-Dutch then you do not need to have any miniatures at all - indeed the "Blucher" player in our last campaign owns no miniatures at all.

If you have no desire to command, yet would like to share your miniature collection and have 1815 era battle situations established for your game group to play out (or solo play) then please do come forward and let me know what you can support on your tabletop!

Hundred Days Campaign more mapping samples

I have been busy with replacing the missing data that got wiped out in early December.

Part of that data was a set of pieces and parts put into cyberboard for a Hundred Days Campaign.

This has put me behind where I had hoped to be in the Campaign process at this point.

I had posted about the maps yesterday, now that I have been able to rebuild the pieces sets I want to share them and get feed back.

Again the question is which would work better?

the black and white map with pieces sample

the color map with pieces sample

The strength of the black and white map is that I can cover a larger area of the Belgium frontier and permit players to better simulate the conditions of 1815.  Whereas the color map has been better researched and contains more specific detail to assist in battlefield preparations.

What are your thoughts, please comment?

Waterloo Campaigning - map thoughts

Color Map, from Napoleon game - with hex grid

Map of Belgium and borders in black and white

I am seeking to start a Hundred Days Campaign and looking to get some feedback on best map vision.

Keep in mind that the 'pieces' moving on the board will be military symbols in color like these:

French Cavalry Brigade

Prussian Infantry Division

Napoleon Bonaparte

I like the idea of the color map, yet the ground is not as fully covered.
The black and white map is easier to read with all the markers on it.

Campaign Mappe for "The Kings War"

The Kings War image from Cyberboard set

A set of comments has prompted me to share the map image from "The Kings War" gamebox for Cyberboard.

Cyberboard is a board game system for use over cyberspace.

For God, King and Country - a cyberboard campaign system

I have been experimenting again with Cyberboard, an electronic board-game system, this time with an aim to create the "For God, King and Country" campaign system.  This way the tabletop games will have a meaning beyond the battle of the moment and we will have an ongoing record-keeping system to manage the forces and to generate future combats.

a fairly simple map

I wanted the map simple, so as to allow for the fast transition to action on the tabletop.

Since the For God, King and Country system has its own map generation and overall control mechanisms this makes leaving the map simple much easier.

Now to play a few more battles and see what stage the other players want to take with the forces....

Thinking out loud ...

Napoleon at work

I have been examining the game play options going forward at the local and nearby regional conventions.

None of them include strategic or what I would call campaign level games.  Plenty of single battlefields, from Hausen-Teugen to Waterloo in the Napoleonic era and others. 

There are some that have boardgames, and while this does include the strategic element, the miniatures 'feel' of the tabletop is completely lacking.

My first thought was to put out a call to those whom I knew had the minis to support multiple games and see if they would be willing to stage a 'campaign' or perhaps a 'mini-campaign' to try it all out at the coming year's Salute convention.

Then an even bigger idea came ... what about reaching out to the Napoleonic tabletop community that I have contact with world-wide, via this blog, and see what the appetite was for an online version of a campaign style game?  Where they could take command of troops in hand, with their local players or via such remote means as Skype or old fashioned e-mail?  Though the Skype options allows for near real-time battlefield adjustments.

The idea being to re-create the convention-like game experience without having to travel, or haul all our minis and terrain?

There you have it dear reader ... tell me what you feel you could do? - or what pitfalls you see this having?

Campaign of Nations, captured my imagination

Today marked a milestone in the Campaign of Nations game.

A conference call was arranged with five players in four time zones on three continents, thank you Skype.

Primarily the purpose of the call was to lay out the situation for the Noble Monarchs and to decide the next major task in the campaign, while doing so 'in character', if you will for the particular monarch (Alexander, Fredrick William or Francis) or field commander: Schwartzenberg and Blucher all present at the same space at the same time in the campaign. 

I shall not give away any details, only say that the 'alliance' is not as unified as might have been hoped and that a new strategic set of goals has been decided upon ...

Have any of my readers done such a 'wide-range' of campaign?  What were the results?  What would you have done differently?

RECRUITING ... 100 Days Campaign

Again my thoughts turn to a campaign game of the 100 days, starting during the 'build up' phase, early in May or June of the 1815 era.

First class armies and still plenty of variety in the troops.

Opportunity for players to take on the top roles of Wellington, Blucher and Bonaparte, with space for more such as Uxbridge, Gneisenau and Ney.  Or even possibly down to the Corps commanders.

Consider this the opportunity call out, recruiting for those players keen to take on a command.   We play out the battles on tabletops all over the world and handle the strategic movements on digital maps that are emailed.  All you need is a PC computer capable of reading this blog, email and running the cyberboard software (free download at the link) to become a command player in the campaign.

For tabletop players, all you will need is the troops of the era (1815 French, Anglo-Allies and Prussians would be superior - though troops of similar nations and earlier eras will also 'make do' in a pinch), email and be willing to run the game within 10 days of accepting the battle posting.  Minis and rules etc are all your own choice as what we are looking for are the results, though it is even better if you could post pictures and after action reports on your own blog(s).

The Campaign of Nations has shown that we can do this via such a forum, and have a good time along the way. 

Post in comments what your thoughts are and if you are in any way inclined to participate in such a wide-ranging campaign game.

Campaign of Nations playtest moving

French Attack Potsdam to force the Spree River

The Campaign of Nations that I have set up with tabletop and cyberboard players from Australia through North America to the UK has started in motion.

We are doing the playtest section now and the first move from the French that looks to generate a battle is at Potsdam.

To see more about the Campaign visit the blog.

To take part in the full game yourself - we are still seeking internet - email - based players to take on the active commands of the Allied armies (and possibly the French), send an email to viperbbb"at" gmail.com to get your interest lodged with the GM.

Playtest Preparations

Seeking Game Playing Lads

The 1813 Campaign is warming up, we had a great international planning call today, with Campaign participants from UK to Canada to Australia, conversing around the world!  Skype is fun.

You can see the up to date material on the blog Campaign of Nations.

We are now gearing up for a playtest start in the coming week.

This leaves a potential for any new players who had been interested in what we are doing to step forward and join in the mix.

Simply send your interest in an email to: viperbbb"at"gmail.com and you will have the Cyberboard material link set up and you can get into the playtest.

Campaign of Nations

Leipzig, this is the big one ...

I have started the blog and process for the 1813 campaign plan that has been percolating in the background for some time.

You will find the blog at:

CAMPAIGN OF NATIONS

In the blog I have the Order of Battle for all the principle armies and have set out their Troop Strengths as will be used in GURPS Mass Combat as a relative strength comparison tool, as well as the combat system to 'abstract' those battles that we do not have proxy tabletop players to run the battle for.

To date I have three local (Courtenay, BC) area players, one more in Canada, one in USA, one in Spain, one in United Kingdom and three in Australia.  The playtest is still planned for starting in mid November and there is still plenty of room for any tabletops or players to join in.

Detailed sample map

Further mapping and tools work for the proposed Leipzig Campaign game.

bitmap of the LEIPZIG proposed map with sample units on the map

This time I have tightened up the fortress symbols and switched the 'hidden' or back side logos for the troop formations to the 'eagles' that I have for such use on the tabletop.

This image is a bitmap, so it may take a bit longer to load, with the advantage of more detail so that the map can be clearly read and the symbols seen better.

Zoom in of the map section from Hamburg to Schwerin without grid

Feedback is appreciated.

Another Sample Map

The Cyberboard tools working continues for the Leipzig Campaign.

Sample Map for a starting position - Liepzig Campaign concept

This time I have tightened up on the classical map symbols and filled them in - ending up with something more akin to Tactics II I am figuring.

I still wanted to have something from the minis games so as a nod to them I have done the 'unknown' sections as 'eagles' and 'lions' that I use in games.

Once again the technical data about the troops would only appear to the players in Cyberboard, I plan on doing a screen shot of what that might look like soon.

GURPS Mass Combat tool

For the planned Leipzig campaign game, I plan to use the Generic Universal Role Playing System (GURPS) Mass Combat system for dealing with any of the combat engagements that are *not* otherwise being dealt with.  Such as via active player tabletop games or such proxy games as there are tabletop players (groups or solo) that wish to take the game(s) on.

The GURPS MASS COMBAT Spreadsheet tool has a number of great potential uses and I am glad to have found it.

Larger Mapping sample

More progress on the Cyberboard tools for Leipzig.

A sample Map for Leipzig campaign, standard symbols in the center with 'alternate' versions to the southeast

This time I have put out the full map from Hamburg and Wurtzburg in the west to Graudenz and Blansko in the east.

On the map are a mix of the French units (as troops and 'eagle' markers - used when there is limited information about the forces present), as octagons and standard military symbols with some other 'flag' markers (as possible other notes or HQ or supply information) and also national flags for similar purposes.

These are for examination and I would like to get some feedback on what folks might like to see in the 'game data' area.

Sample Mapping

I have been experimenting with some mapping issues for use in Cyberboard for the proposed LEIPZIG campaign.

Map symbols Classic on the left - minis as tiles on the right

I have both the traditional map symbols and some pictures of minis as units or skirmishers etc ...

Which sort of strategic visuals would you prefer to see?