Campaign Waterloo Update

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Newish update out - with enhanced graphics and some new A.I. tracking. The free demo of the " Final Struggle "game is too limited in scope to make an overall opinion. The farmhouse of La Haye Sainte looks more realistic.

Apparently there is an expansion pack available - although it is not clear whether it is totally new or refers to the older version. Graphics in 2d look a bit clearer on terrain features - will it be as good as the ACW battles enhancement - who knows ? I have seen a video of the Antietam game which is very good......I almost went cross-eyed playing the Battle of Chickamauga with the older graphics version..................o_O...

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There is also a sale of games going on at the moment - finishes on the 19th July..........:)
 

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Nice map - Huh ! - no idea what ( hexasim ) is about but it is a cute map. The expansion pack is a collection of optional scenarios. Quatre - Bras has a 91 turn game which starts at the action of Frasnes and continues to the end of the Battle of Quatre- Bras. ? .
 
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Here is a pic of the new enhanced graphics for the Russian Campaign - Battle of Borodino - Bagration Fleches. It is definitely easier on the eye.

First thing to note is that the Kamenka stream is wholly visible and does not disappear as in earlier graphics, behind higher elevation. Lower ground vegetation is slightly darker; no doubt a result of water run-down and less exposure to the elements. Trees stand out ' rather than blend in and the tracks, roads are more heightened, giving a degree of spatial awareness to the formations movement and location.

Obviously, these games are play intensive in man and eye hours ? ....constantly eating carrots ? while playing is now a redundant activity............ Gooood !. ?.
 
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( The picture thing is playing up - can only post small pictures ). This is the Eckmuhl graphics update which can be viewed at the JTS site and it is a vast improvement on the old one. The buildings will have to be modded etc.............Definitely more relaxing for the eyes when you have to move large amounts of units over a huge Campaign map. ?....
 
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Someone has just recently started a Battle of Borodino JTS play-through which shows the updated graphics for the Russian Campaign 1812. It looks Ok; especially when split screen compared. This is also true of the Campaign Leipzig new graphics. I have my reservations about the Waterloo one which seems to be less subdued than the others. The dark green vegetation seems a bit too in your face, whereas it should be more subdued as in these two games. Is the Quatre - Bras battle full of greeny stuff or yellow corn fields ???
Anyhow, it is good to see a play-through of the Borodino battle in video terms even if the play is intermittent and the player admits to being a non expert. The only expert is Napoleon who would lose if he played against me.................:giggle:


Part 1 of 3 available.

Part 2 shows the 2d counters with old style unit sprite thingys - just like in board games; check these out - brilliant idea.........................?...​
 
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Check this out Chipmunk - brainers....a new map mode for the 2D view of the John Tiller Napoleonic games series. It is a more classical view and it looks great.

Easy on the eye................I never play in close-up 2D but this might change my mind. Will it work with the older HPS games...I do not know...............Will it work well at company level.....remains to be seen. Since I generally use 2D for situational awareness.........this is really good. I like the building graphics while the terrain is not overwhelming. In fact- a good seamless blend..............................Marshal's hat off to the creator...........................Magnifique !... 🥇.

Where can you get your paws on it.............I am not saying......If you are a dedicated Napoleonic gamer ........you will know ; if not, then the search will give valuable exercise to your brain cells.

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A close-up of the Waterloo battlefield - 2D will never be the same again.....................En avants !...............:).
 
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JTS Waterloo Campaign game updated yesterday to version 1.09. 47.3 Mbs of moocher material...........not sure why this change was made.....Added to View menu, ability to toggle on / off 3D casualties, menu item "Carnage".

The whole point of displaying casualties is that you can see where the big fights were made....especially when you are dealing with a huge map; as in Campaign Eckmuhl wherein your forces can fight and then move and then fight elsewhere and then move. You have a visual display track of where the focal points were in the past. It's optional anyhow.

Rich Hamilton's meeting Campaign has been included. Maybe the Platinum version of the Waterloo game will have a larger map for the Company level treatment of Waterloo. The Imperial Guard should be on map at the start and the Dutch - Belgians at Braine l' Alleud should be displayed . The map needs to be extended further east and north-east and the icing on the cake would be to have Gerards's IV Corps arriving on the battlefield at 5.00pm..................👍...I live in hope..................
 
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Wargame Design Studio have released the 4.01 version Of Napoleonic Campaign battle updates as of 20th May 2022. Programming and graphic updates continue apace.................the unit pics are really good. Better and better all the time.

Missed this as I am heavily distracted.............can't wait to get into the new stuff. Napoleonics is becoming hotter and hotter.............:)...
 
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Flying Colors - Deluxe Edition - Fleet Actions in the Age Of Sail GMT Games.



I would classify this as an impulse buy but there has always been a part of me that likes the idea and opportunity to be able to play a naval simulation game in what was the pinnacle and most interesting period of naval warfare history. I have already had prior experience with the old Avalon Hill treatment titled - ' Wooden Ships and Iron Men '. It is always a moot point to compare older games with newer ones but I think that comparisons are necessary and do not disrespect either, unless there are major flaws in concept and design execution. Both Wooden Ships and Flying Colors exhude a strong love of the period and naval gaming portrayal . Like many who played Wooden Ships - it was good and even exemplary for it's time. I remember not being a fan of the smaller hard mounted map boards - albeit functional. You could just about do the battle of Trafalgar 1805 but with little extra space for manouvre. The counters were functional but basic and did not have individually named ships and rather bare of detail. The manual record keeping could put some people off. The manouevre rules were a little bit simplistic and you always felt that it needed a bit of tweaking here and there.....and that is where Flying Colors comes along on the port side and blows , Wooden Ships out of the water. Again ; I will repeat that ,Wooden Ships is a lovely game , for it's time and I have seen that some people enjoy intermeshing both games to create their own intepretation of best gameplay function etc.



I will freely admit that I was a bit apprehensive about buyin Flying Colors on the basis that it might be a partial crock or I would not have enough interest In a Naval simulation treatment. I bought a new , sealed copy at a slightly discounted price. I had high expectations...........



At this point : I would like to point out that you should get the Deluxe Edition version , which includes the ' Ship of the Line ' Expansion set ( which apparently is a Third Printing ). I almost bought a second hand copy of the game without this - as it has the same box artwork cover and it is difficult to see the little writing on an Ebay buy, as the scurvy landlubber who was selling it- deliberately did not use a hover zoom function in the picture, so that you can see the small lettering writing which shows that it includes the expansion set - You have been warned !. ............not to make that mistake as you will get the 2nd Printing......cheaper ....Yes !.....I have learnt as a rule - that people who do this - have an ulterior motive beyond forgetting to do a hover zoom for close-up inspection.



So...... - my Flying Colors game arrives and straight off the bat - it is a heavy box - , ( always a good sign )'...The artwork on the front is great and the box is sturdy - you will not get side panel flaring for a long time to come. You get two ten sided dice, and one black counter tray. Three rules and scnariuos booklets. Nicely laid out with lots of color illustrations ;and examples of play. So far ; so good.......... We delve deeper and we come to the counter sheets. Seven of them in total.........The ships are double size, to fit over two hexes. You have British and French and Spanish and Portuguese and Dutch etc,............. really good counter quality and informational detail. There are a lot of counters - this is definitely a ' Monster Naval game '. If you did not have the Ship of the line expansion, you would only have 5 counter sheets. With 7 counter sheets ; you easily have the historical reach to replay any scenario or battle from the Seven Years War to the end of the Napoleonic Age; roughly 70 years... all in one box. Nice !...

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Enhancement:

1. The ships ae individually named...... unlike Wooden Ships. .

2. You have Admirals and major leader portrait counters unlike Wooden Ships

3. Hefty rules and scenario booklets with added stuff.



Just looking at the info marker counters alone - you can easily see the difference and tweaking compared to Wooden Ships. You have counters for starboard and port fired simulation...visual on map track record in case you forget to fire something in the heat of battle. You have Ship on fire , Ship awash, Ship taken, Ship fouled, Ship adrift, hull and rigging hit counters, Ship at anchor, Ship grappled counters and if you have them on board ; marine hits etc. counters and others. Detail definitely there............



Apart from the large number of counters - it is a Monster Naval game, as it has four large soft map section sheets, ( ala SPI ). The Wooden ships mounted maps are no more and as I remember, their coloring was not that great - here you have a pleasant mid blue with lighter blue for shallows and because of the overall size - more feasibility to do justice to the Battle of Trafalgar 1805.......



You also get some nice player aid cards........... two different for both players and an interesting time turn track , weather card with wind direction......and of course ,the chunky individual ship hull and rigging hit sheets tables with small boxes to mark them off - the same as in Wooden Ships.



Solitaire playability is in the High category and complexity at mid level.



My initial apprehensin has gone away- this is a lovely stand alone game and apparently it has further expansion sets for other countries naval actions/fleets; although that is probably for the more Naval interest enthusiast..................... I am only borderline - when my interest is peaked. I don't have anything bad to say about this game- which is good...



" Slow drum roll ........and sharp whistle ,.......... GMT Game Designer boarding...." Aye, Aye Cap'n ! "....................I will give it a 9/10. I am very pleased to have bought it.......... " throw any whingey - whiners off the starboard bow .............for the sharks "..... " Aye,... Aye.... Cap'n " !.........

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....................................................................................................................................................................👍.
 
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Apparently , there will be a new La Bataille Peninsular wargame coming out this year...Another one......Zzzzzz........I bet it will not be Vittoria. Why not re-release La Bataille de Aspern -Essling with improvements.........that is the one I would buy. :mad:.

The rumour mill has it that La Bataille de la Moskowa will be released in July with some minor improvements in a plastic bag.................Nice.



 
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" We wants it ,....... my love...........we want's it,............the ...............pre....cious !"...

Wargames Design Studio will be opening the gates of Minas Morgul and having it's Summer Sale soooooon.........time to pull up the floorboard........time to blow the dust off your wallet,...... slowly creak back the rusty zip and spill the contents out into your grubby hand..............and purchase, ( while cackling, inanely to yourself ). :)...
 
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and so it begins........................................................................................................................:p...
 
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Spielberg never puts a foot wrong ; so I can wait for the 7 part HBO series. ;)...
I have a feeling that it will outshine Ridley Scott................:p.
 
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Well.........well !.......I,.....like a lot of people was thinking that this was going to be a bit cheesy and soap drama in style................it looks more stylized and expressive of Napoleon's intensity and legendary course through history.........looks like it will stop in 1805, possibly leading to a part 2.

I hope that they have not just cobbled together the best bits for the trailer............nevertheless , it is a dvd option for me.

Napoleon is back in celluloid town.........................Spielberg is watching intently............at the box office receipts. ;).
 
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Hello,..... Hello ! .....this one slipped through the ranks........apparently published in December 2021. Will have to put it on the back burner as even in P/B format , it is a bit pricey and not a must have it or nearly so buy. Wait for the cheap copy........👍.
 
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Crossing at Landshut

Since the southern most bridge was available .......at GT.3. I try to rush the 3rd Austrian Uhlan regiment closer to take it and cross over. The French A.I. blocks the bridge with a swine skirmisher unit. I was hoping to cross quickly and destroy the rearmost French Infantry battalion along with it's accompanying troop of guns ( ? ) which seem to have disappeared from view. Always reluctant to move earlier with the Austrian cavalry in case the French guns get a lucky shot in ( the previous turn ).

Lazy play means greater loss and this is a play mindset that needs to be eradicated by cost/benefit analysis................ E.R.A.D.I.C.A.T.E.D.......... YES !...
 
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Napoleonic Battles Update 4.07 is out , ( 15th Sept ) and ongoing for the other games during the next month at Wargames Design Studio.........Waterloo and the demo being done first. Changes to A.I. and LOS and a whole pack of other improvements not to be sniffed at !.....🍷.
 
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Ends on 3rd January........................time to sell your wedding ring !......................................👍.
 
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Chipmunk Brainer Alert ! Def Nut 3. 🐿 Apparently this is currently on pre-order and should be released next month.

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The Battle of Preussisch-Eylau is a grand tactical, battalion level simulation of the battle of Preussisch-Eylau that occurred on February 7th and 8th in 1807 in West Prussia (modern day Poland and Russia). It pits the Emperor Napoleon's Grande Armee against the Army of Imperial Russia under General Count von Bennigsen. This epic winter struggle was one of the bloodiest battles of the Napoleonic era. The four map full day scenario recreates the bloody battle of the 8th, covering the entire field from the approches to the town of Eylau to the massive Russian grand batteries guarding the high ground beyond. The game also includes smaller scenarios covering Napoleon's approach to Eylau on the afternoon of the 7th, and Davout's III Corps attack against the Russian left flank. A more free form battle game links the results from the single map February 7th scenario to determine the conditions of both armies and provides for alternative starting positions and optional reinforcement entry points and arrival times.
The game system uses an asymmetric sequence of play and alternating fire combat. Most units are Infantry battalions, cavalry regiments and artillery batteries. At 15 minutes per turn and 116 yards a hex the game system allows players to make both grand tactical decisions and apply tactical techniques used by the armies of the Napoleonic period.

Infantry battalions are represented by being in either column formation on the front side of the counter and line formation on the reverse side. Artillery units are battery or half battery and separate artillery gun crews are designated for each battery. Other game features include:
  • Highly accurate and detailed order of battle
  • Brigade fatigue rules
  • Separate Artillery and Infantry Fire Combat Results Tables
  • Weather effects of wind and snow
  • Mass cavalry charge
The game comes boxed and includes four 25.5 x 33 in. colour map-sheets, over 2300 colour, 9/16 in. back printed counters, rules, playbook, charts player's aids and a 10-sided die.

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Alllied Fatigue Chart .
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Can't wait that long - you can download, ( free ) the rulebook and playbook from New England Simulations.

Did you say over 2300 counters.....boooy ? Count ( er ) me in................and this is to be part of a series. ................................................................... You Don't saaaaay !. 🥴 .

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The map is extremely evocative - difficult to see from this pic.........looks like more gradations in colour compared to the La Bataille treatment which is extremely sparse/bland.

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Counters look OK !

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My mistake - available to buy now. I will have to wait though. 28036.
 
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