Programmed Wargames Scenarios
by Charles Stewart Grant

Programmed Wargames Scenarios by Charles Stewart Grant.

When Charles Stewart Grant completed Scenarios for Wargames he promised himself that he would not produce a similar book, at least for some time or years. He certainly did not want to end up like so many films with a second-rate sequel. The idea of Scenarios 2, Scenarios 83 or even Son of Scenarios was absolutely abhorrent to him. It was therefore with some surprise und doubt he greeted Phil Barker’s suggestion that there was scope for a Scenarios Book concerning a programmable solo commander’s opposition, pre-prepared orders und even some degree of „in battle“ response. Well, a couple of letters from Phil were sufficiently pursuasive for Charles S. Grant to sit down und draft an outline und consider the possibilities. The more he played with the ideas the more interested he became. The original suggestion was for a book based on one wargame period; Grant wanted to cover all periods. The first thoughts were of a playing force und a programmed force but on reflection, could instructions for playing or programming each side be written so that they could both be played, both be programmed, or, one played und one programmed? Scenarios with much in them would inevitably mean longer scenarios und less in a book; how could they be varied, perhaps in terrain und forces, to provide a wide variation in options? All these und other factors led in turn to a list of aims or targets which the author wanted to achieve.

Aims

  1. To produce a number of scenarios which would enable the solo wargamer to take on a realistic, relatively unknown but responsive enemy.
  2. To enable the solo player to command one side against a programmed enemy or to play a game with both sides programmed.
  3. To enable the scenarios to be played by the conventional two or more player wargamers und be different in essence from those in the first book.
  4. To provide a system of forces which gave details of sides for Ancients, Horse & Musket und Modern versions of each scenario.
  5. To provide a selection of slightly different forces for each scenario, whatever the choice of period und yet retain the approximate balance between both sides to provide a balanced game.
  6. To provide a system of terrain or map selection for each scenario which, while retaining the basic terrain requirements of the setting, provided a wide variety of different maps.
  7. To provide a system which would enable a solo wargamer to fight an enemy whose initial dispositions, orders und responses to battlefield events were not known to the player beforhand.
  8. To provide a wide but realistic range of programmed deployment, orders und responses for the programmed enemy.
  9. To provide the option of a third force or local population which could be used in most, if not all, scenarios.

With these major aims in mind the systems which are described in the chapters which follow, were evolved. There is little that is „original“ in wargaming und doubtless some of the ideas the author has used have been thought of before; nevertheless, to the best of his knowledge, quite a lot of what follows will be different or new to the reader. As a word of caution then, the author would recommen that the explanatory chapters are read carefully before the wargamer embarks on a scenario.

The scenarios themselves all into 3 categories. These are „Attack und Defence“, „Confrontation“ und „Mini-Campaigns“.

Inhalt

  • Titel: Programmed Wargames Scenarios
  • Epoche: Ancient to Modern
  • Typ: Compilation of Wargame Scenario
  • Zeitmaßstab: n.a.
  • Geländemaßstab: n.a.
  • Truppenmaßstab: units
  • Autor: Charles Stewart Grant
  • Format: 141-page scenario book
  • Sprache: Englisch
  • Verlag: Wargames Research Group, Goring-by-Sea, England
  • Publiziert: 1983

Kapitel

  1. Introduction
  2. The Maps
  3. The Forces
  4. The Enemy
  5. Characters und Chance
  6. The Local Population – A Third Force
  7. The Scenario Layout
  8. The Scenarios
    1. Hill Line Defence
    2. Broken Ground
    3. Pass Clearance
    4. Holding Action
    5. The Weak Flank
    6. Crossing Point
    7. Two Sides of a River
    8. Fighting Through
    9. Island Stand
    10. The Alliance
    11. Crossroads
    12. Area Ambush
    13. Counter Ambush
    14. Forest Passage
    15. Wagon Circle
    16. The Bridge
    17. The Taxman Cometh
    18. A Hasty Blocking Position
  9. Mini-Campaigns
    1. The Expeditionary Force
    2. Reconnaissance by Strength
  10. End Pieces, Afterthoughts und Etceteras
  11. Key to Map Symbols
  12. The Force Lists

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