Let's figure out a way to do campaigns with LG

[gazfun]

The only thing to do, is to do it, and see what happens !.

For what it's worth I've found you CAN get small numbers of interested people that stay the course with things like this, but it is oh so hard and someone needs to spend a massive amount of time keeping things on track, if they do that - then there is a chance.

On the "negative" side I would wager this is a subject that is a lot easier to chat about than "do", as many things in life are.

Good luck all.

Actually the opposite is true, and especially on a forum, it takes too long to get the message accross, becuase the written words becomes easier to misunderstand, and with differant empahsis with language.
Its easier to do than you realise, prospective thinking is hard to convey, people have to have an open mind.
We have realise, as I have said before over the past years, that there are people who prefer the one off battles, and they are good to a limit.
Not everyone likes to play a game for the long haul, but theres are those that do, you have to sort that out quickly and you can, its just the skill to knowing how to do it, and to be able to use both types of players, so everyone benefits.  And have a system that can take advantage of that.

[Gunner24]

I would like to suggest this site for a great computer moderated campaign game.  Clinton is very open to input and updates his software on a regular basis.  there is also a yahoo site.  I have used his system since "the days of Dos 6.22"

Which site do you mean ?.  Did I miss something here ?.

[Double Deuce]

Checking the various PC games out there I am not sure that any of them would really be suitable for managing the strategic level of a campaign. Maybe I missed something checking them out but I haven't found any that have a game editor to use for trying to help track units strengths. I really, really wish that AGEOD's Napoleon's Campaigns had an editor.

Another option might be extensive spreadsheets but that can get really time consuming and that's after the sheets are designed.

[Count von Csollich]

I really, really wish that AGEOD's Napoleon's Campaigns had an editor.

Oh yeah...you'd have the perfect OoBs already there...

[Broadsword]

Checking the various PC games out there I am not sure that any of them would really be suitable for managing the strategic level of a campaign.

Yes, and that's why I'm planning to use more traditional board wargames as campaign engines (you don't need an editor; just stop playing and note the positions and strengths at the time). I wish we had a PC solution, but until Campaigns on the Danube is fixed for Vista/Windows 7, I can't see much hope of it happening. The HPS Simulations Napoleonic campaign games for PC have a campaign and a battle editor included with them, and the OOB files can be read and printed out. Here is a sample from an OOB I exported from Campaign Eckmuhl... but the HPS games do little or nothing to simulate really important factors of weather, attrition and supply.

Order   of   Battle      
1   L'Armee   d'Allemagne      
   1.1   Emperor   Napoléon   
   1.2   Marshall   Bertier   
   1.3   II   Corps   
   1.3.1   Marshal   Oudinot   
   1.3.2   1st   Division   
   1.3.2.1   GD   Tharreau   
   1.3.2.2   1st   Brigade   
   1.3.2.2.1   GB   Conroux   
   1.3.2.2.2   4   Bn/6   Légére
   1.3.2.2.3   4   Bn/24   Légére

[HarryInk]

I have HPS Eckmuhl.  I have never played with the campaign side of it.  Do you have to move every flipping company/battalion like on the 'battlefield' or is the basic unit something like the brigade?

[Tirailleur]

Which site do you mean ?.  Did I miss something here ?.

He means the computer moderated pc game "Iron Duke" (for the napoleonic era) developed by Clinton Reilly (computerstrategies.bigpondhosting.com).

Checking the various PC games out there I am not sure that any of them would really be suitable for managing the strategic level of a campaign.

I found that for the sandbox WWII game "Advanced Tactics", napoleonic and civil war scenarios were made. I don't know how good they are, 'cause I haven't the game and I don't know how good manageable the import and export of battles is. But the game features are interesting (supply rules, fow, etc.). You can build and play scenarios on an operational and strategic scale.

[HarryInk]

Mmm... what scale operational do you reckon it could get down to?  Like, could it handle the 1809 Danube valley campaign?

[Tirailleur]

Mmm... what scale operational do you reckon it could get down to?  Like, could it handle the 1809 Danube valley campaign?

As I understand from the forum discussions, there are global scenarios and scenarios covering only one battle. So it seems the editors (map and scenario) of the game are very flexible.

You can have a look at Matrix Games. Here are some features:

Random map and scenario generator with optional shroud of darkness and mirror map functionality, infinitely replayable!
A Wargame Construction Kit-like editor allowing you to make any wargame scenario you like
Realistic Supply System that can be harassed by damaging bridges and ports or by interdicting enemy supply lanes with your navy or airpower.
Customizable Chain of Command
Excellent PBEM cheat prevention mechanism, not even re-installing the game will let you cheat.
Detailed, but fully automated mini battles, with results that show you what's happening during the battle.
Engineers can construct roads and fortifications, blow bridges and build airfields.
Excellent Fog of War, depending on your recon level you have full information, partial information or almost no information on enemy units and hexes.
You can control what all your towns and cities produce
Up to 4 research levels for almost all equipment; possible to upgrade existing equipment both in service and on production lines
Fictional USA and Europe map scenarios, as well as a Diplomacy style scenario and loads more (see the full list in the More Info section)History Screen in which you can review all moves the enemy made in his turn
Not just limited to 2 players, scenario for up to 9 players are included
Very customizable units; you decide the weapon mix of your divisions!
Command forces on land, sea and in the air

As I said I don't own the game, so I don't know how good this game handles napoleonic campaigns.

[Broadsword]

I have HPS Eckmuhl.  I have never played with the campaign side of it.  Do you have to move every flipping company/battalion like on the 'battlefield' or is the basic unit something like the brigade?

Yes, that's the other big problem with those games.

[Double Deuce]

He means the computer moderated pc game "Iron Duke" (for the napoleonic era) developed by Clinton Reilly (computerstrategies.bigpondhosting.com).

Interesting. All my years of gaming I never ran across this thing. Not really much information on the site (I just joined their forum and am awaiting Moderator approval). Access to more detailed information and some more screenshots would be nice but from reading it looks like it might be something worth looking into, if not for Napoleonics, for some other games out there. I'll post more when that information is available.

If someone has this game/rules set and can post more information that would be great. Might even need to start a  new thread for it.

[HarryInk]

@ Broadsword.  *sigh* I remember looking at those games years ago wondering what computers offered for napoleonic gaming and thinking YUK!!! and forgetting about it for years.  Then, hanging out for LG, I bought Eckmuhl & picked up some of the other games from a friend.  Tried a few PBEMs and decided my first impression was spot on.  Kinda just like a cyberboard version but without the physical boardgame and with an entirely forgettable AI (ie. it's often unlikely to attack you when you set up a defensive position but just fusses over the position of its troops, so it's just one step up from the straw dummy troops in the LG demo, really).  Nor were they really designed for PBEMs (apparently their customer base is 2/3rds+ solo gamers!) I was so unimpressed that the developers hadn't really moved beyond the bare basics necessary to market the game.  Still, to be fair, there's a swag of gamers who've played them for years so they must bring joy somewhere, but not to moi.

The advanced tactics looks a bit like a souped up cyberboard, but I haven't had good experience with Matrix, so I'm loath to part with anther $50-60 for something so out of date that it won't work.  I'll be more rewarded buying a second copy of LG to extend my MP potential.

[Broadsword]

Trying to pass the time until LG makes its debut, I started checking Google Earth for the present-day locations of the Napoleonic battles around the Berezina. I found Borisov (now in Belarus), but I couldn't find any of the 19th century villages in the area that appear on my "Napoleon at the Berezina" map. Most of these must have been just little hamlets at the time. Place names on maps of the area are hard to come by, and it looks like a very rural area to this day. Also, the spelling of these place names varies considerably, depending on whether the mapmaker was French, Russian, etc. This might make it harder than I expected to create LG maps "on the fly" for my anticipated solo campaign using LG and the boardgame. In the past, I've always found it pretty easy to pinpoint Google Earth locations of WWII battles for maps I've made in other games. Does anybody know GPS coordinates for places like:

Weselowo (?)
Studianka (?)
Zastenok (?)
Bytczi (?)

Doubena (?)

[CBR]

Interesting. All my years of gaming I never ran across this thing. Not really much information on the site (I just joined their forum and am awaiting Moderator approval). Access to more detailed information and some more screenshots would be nice but from reading it looks like it might be something worth looking into, if not for Napoleonics, for some other games out there. I'll post more when that information is available.

If someone has this game/rules set and can post more information that would be great. Might even need to start a  new thread for it.

yeah I'd like more info too. It looks rather interesting indeed.

[Tirailleur]

The advanced tactics looks a bit like a souped up cyberboard, but I haven't had good experience with Matrix, so I'm loath to part with anther $50-60 for something so out of date that it won't work.  I'll be more rewarded buying a second copy of LG to extend my MP potential.

It's a pity, that there is no demo for advanced tactics so you can try it. There are also some graphical improvements mods, but as you said it's not worth the try to spend $50 and see it won't work.
It would be interesting if someone has some experience with the game.

I think you mean with "out of date that it won't work" - the Campaigns on the Danube - game. But I must say, I have no problems with this game to run it on my vista laptop. My settings with the compatibility for the exe are: Win98, no visual designs, no desktop configuration, no scaling of high dpi-values (don't know if that are the right english translations - I mean the last three settings). I have at the beginning of the game three error messages, but if you ignore them (don't klick ok or so on the message boxes), you can play the game without additional errors - also the battles.
If you know the code, you can build any campaign that you want. The scenarios are two hexcode-files, one for the map and the second for the oobs, etc. It's a little bit of work to go through it, but not so difficult. You can also change the counters for more different armies.

yeah I'd like more info too. It looks rather interesting indeed.

There is an alternativ program called "Follow the eagle", look at (eagle-software.co.uk). It seems also interesting.