Battle Chronicler ... some thoughts

Full field of battle from recent Garden Wars game

I have had some time to experiment with the Battle Chronicler system.

The software was designed for use by Warhammer 40K fans, with some tools brought in for role-playing.  It is certainly dominated by the Warhammer concepts.

My first impressions were of how good this might be for detailing ongoing tabletop games and possibly for use in running such games over the web via email and such-like.

The potential for the email games is still valid, however I have pushed the software out to some rather large limits.

In chronicling the recent Garden Wars game, I was using a map 30 feet by 24 feet, this would be about 8 times larger surface area than was intended for use by this software.

Once I figured out how to enter the troops, which was a bit of a learning curve, then I was able to see what a good tool this program could be.  Most certainly as a PBEM system support there is merit for the program.

Difficulties that I encountered:

1) system hog, the program demanded massive amounts of my system's active memory.  So much so that I found I could only get it to work properly by shutting down my computer first, then disconnecting it from the internet and once restarting keeping all other programs off.  This may be a by-product of the massive map, though even in the smaller early tests I did see a significant 'lag' in the re-draw of the map when moving about it using the scroll function.

2)  terrain generation limitations - again this is likely from the WH40K issue that the program was meant for.  I will either have to design or find a geo-hex system for the program in order to use it for the tabletops that I like to set up

3) only simple data for the units with no way to update the units - technical information like morale status or other notes that are specific to a game system - again simply not part of WH40K - but I could see the value for RPG use.

In the end, my normal, smaller tabletop games I can get pictures of the whole table and have no critical need to use the program to 'tell the tale' of those battles.  I do have need for it in such large things as the Garden Wars, yet found the lag, and other program difficulties frustrating my efforts rather then helping them.

For the purpose the program was meant for I suppose it is good.

For my use in generating more battle reports for the minis games?  Not so much.

Garden Wars - The Field of Battle

One aspect of the Battle Chronicler experiment that I am doing is that I have had to actually measure the battlefield area and accurately place the 'un-mowed' sections of the lawn (that we use as 'woods' and 'forest') relative to the somewhat 'fuzzy' borders to the game 'table' area.

For the meeting engagement I did on the 3rd of September, I found that the 'table' was 30 feet by 24 feet.

The full Garden Wars 'field of battle'

Now I get to show why I like being able to use the Battle Chronicler system, for when you look at the 'overview' of the field from the 'top down' perspective given in the software you can appreciate the whole of the situation.  Whereas from the 'best' photographic vantage point I could get, you have much more limited information.

Full field of action as seen from beyond the forest behind the Russian lines.

You can easily see the town, the line of the river and the forests ... the Russians outside the town are visible and the Cossacks to the right flank.  The French light cavalry (left in the shadows) and the heavy cavalry (right beyond the river) are somewhat visible, while the others are more difficult to see.  Note that even this information is well beyond what an Army Corps commander of the period might see or know of what exactly is going on in the field that they are commanding.

Now that I have all the data assembled I shall prepare a full account of the days actions.

Battle Chronicler FOUND!

I read about this neat little piece of soft ware called Battle Chronicler.

I found it and have downloaded the soft ware and this evening been experimenting with the controls - to see what could be done with it.

Once the interface is understood, this map and game only took me 20 minutes to set up and run two turns

WOW

There are many potentials for this software tool, though meant for warhammer 40K, or games like D&D skirmishing, I have been able to make it work, in a rudimentary way, for simulating a Napoleonic battle.

The mapping function has challenges in dealing with larger hills (at least as much as I have been able to determine) than the little hillocks that are put out on the warhammer tables or with slopes.

In any case I can see where this tool could be very effectively used to both report on the details of a tabletop battle - or indeed with some good players, even PLAY OUT THE GAME in cyberspace.

Now to get some sleep before a Garden Wars game tomorrow.