Projects: revisited, revised and rehabilitated

Years ago I wrote up a list of planned projects for my gaming. For many reasons, foremost of which procrastination, none of these came to fruition. With a move into more spacious and conducive surroundings, albeit somewhat less financially able, I feel I can at least make an attempt at bringing some of these projects to a state of being outside theory.

Boardgaming:
Currently I’m in the process of rationalising my collection. I can’t justify holding onto games that I’ll never see on the tabletop again, particularly when they represent potential funds for items that will get used.

Of the games I have now, there are only a few keepers:

• Storm Over Arnhem

Over the years I’ve written up a few game reports but never got around to adding the graphical element. With more experience at graphic editing and the tools to do so, I’m now able to set out illustrated after action reports of the various games. This is a priority project.

• Thunder at Cassino
• Turning Point Stalingrad
• Breakout Normandy

I want to tweak the OB of this and some of the unit data needs revision. There’s also a hypothetical scenario eating away in my head that I’d like to set down and work away at.

• War at Sea

A keeper in terms of PbEM.

• Victory in the Pacific

See War at Sea

• Schettler’s Eastern Front series

There’s a very good system here, I just have to incorporate all the various fixes and suggestions that others have made over the years.

• Schettler’s Italian Campaign series

See above

• Schettler’s Western front series

even more than BKN, this has real potential as a basis for trying out a hypothetical.

• Operation Typhoon/Victory in the West etc

Familiarity, sytemic familiarity and ease of understanding all make these games keepers. Added to that there’s a real opportunity to have PBeM games using Cyberboard and VASSAL.

Advanced Squad Leader:
A separate category all of its own and deservedly so. My interest these days is keeping up with my VASL PbeM and live play in the themes and areas I want to, not getting sidetracked by latest and greatest. There are some areas of design, playtesting I’d like to get involved in but playing against a cadre of regular opponents is more important.

Miniatures
The 900lb gorilla in the corner. There’s so much to accomplish, plan and do. Breaking it down by period is no easy solution either as there are areas within the various genres that draw specific attention. For now I’ll work my way through the secondary interests of Ancients, Medieval and 19th Century wargaming at a pace that doesn’t resuult in burnout while allowing me to continue with the dominant interest WWII.

I’ll break this down into periods in the next post.

P-J