"Tactical Rules for A Journey to the End of the Earth?" Topic

The question is pretty straightforward, and targeted primarily at only "A Journey to the End of the Earth" owners/players, e.g. which tactical rules do you use with the game (feel free to respond to options 7 and 8, if you must, but your responses will be ignored)?

1. The ones included with the game
2. General Quarters 1 and 2
3. General Quarters 3
4. Command at Sea
5. Seekrieg
6. Other – please identify in the comments section
7. A Journey to the End of the Earth!!!??? Why would anyone want to go there? Did they learn nothing from Cap'n Jack Sparrow's harrowing experience???!!!
8. I don't own, and haven't played "A Journey to the End of the Earth"

Just out of idle curiosity (I'm prepared to risk the grisly fate of being ignored), could you explain what you are referring to?

Journey is a game of WW2 convoys using operational movement between convoy and hunter.

Arctic Convoys to Russia, like the Murmansk run.

Journey to the End of the Earth is an "expansion" module for Mal Wrights' CONVOY system…and virtually nobody is playing it because the tactical rules have not been properly sorted out yet. This is a terrible pity because it very close to being a fantastic finished piece of work…but Mal stopped just short of the goal line I'm afraid.

See the one user review of the paragraph on Amazon here:
link

The Amazon review pretty much says it all. As written, the tactical rules are nearly unplayable and badly in need of some heavy editing. The operational rules could also stand some editing and further development as well. Sad, as both have some interesting ideas, but definitely need polishing. As for my group, we consigned 'Journey' to the 'nice idea, but unplayable' pile. And not for lack of trying; all of us have been playing naval games for over 30 years.

coastal2,
Agreed. The author is taking some time off from working on it and may return to try again later. In the mean time another module is coming out, believe it or not. If he gets around to finishing, it will be a terrific system, I think, but that's a big "if" at this point.

"RISING STORM" has been with the publisher for a few months and is due out soon. The tactical rules included are extensive and it is very much 'stand alone'. It also includes data on ship paint schemes, merchant ship types and so forth. It was edited by play testers and the tactical rules can be used with other periods.

Indeed the grumbles about the Arctic version have not only been addressed, but even more player information added. Nimble books have not altered it to their own line of thought or changed the author's ideas for those of others. It is my work altered only by play tester suggestions and errors they spotted.

Sales of 'Journey to the end of the Earth' continue to be very steady and in actuality, there have been very few people who have said they could not play it. Considering sales have been so steady and I've received so much 'happy' correspondence about it from readers it would seem those who are dissatisfied must be quite few. Otherwise I would expect to have been deluged in complaints.

In addition the review mentions the need to go to a site to get downloads. Of course. That was how I kept the price to something the wargamers would afford! Other readers have praised the huge amount of material made freely available via the downloads and seem to understand that it would have been impossible to include that in the book/s without making the products un-affordable to all but a few people.

It should also be remembered that the 'free download' material returns nothing to myself or the publisher despite it having taken hundreds of man hours to write and prepare. Rather than making it hard on the reader, it was an honest attempt to give them extra benefits….for free. I've given 75% of the thing away for free! So I am somewhat bemused and disappointed if the review feels that places the purchaser at a disadvantage.

Its true that I have had to take time off from writing. The situation with Clash of Arms not paying royalties is distressing. But having five decades of research plus three of playtesting & development; hacked about by Larry Bond and Chris Carlson, was downright traumatic. I'm still finding it difficult to write even now. But I'm now well toward completing the painting of USS TEXAS I am donating toward raising funds for restoring that ship, and when that is done I've promised myself I will sit down and make a huge effort to get rid of this writers block.

It is encouraging…even if it produces some indecision….that so many readers are urging me to complete other titles that were promised. I'm torn between a couple of quite diverse titles and it seems there are people waiting, which ever I choose to write next.

Quite true Mal, and I'm looking forward to the releases of your North Atlantic Convoy Battles, for the height of the struggle, e.g. 1942 and 1943, as well as your Camo. Guide for Naval Vessels too.