"Carnage and Glory Game at West Point " Topic

FYI, Nigel Marsh, designer of the Carnage and Glory computer assisted rules system, is scheduled to host a Napoleonics game this Saturday, April 14, at West Point. For details, please go to pointcon.org

That sounds like fun, it's a great system- perfect for people who don't know the rules, just want to play Napoleonics. Great convention game, only draw back is that one person has to sit and enter number the whole game-not much fun for them.

Someone get us pics! Gotta see that beaut terrain if Nigel's again.
C&G has great gameplay, and the after battle reports add so much depth to the experience.

Anyone know if Nigel is doing an 'app' version of C&G?

Cheers,
Bob

"only draw back is that one person has to sit and enter number the whole game-not much fun for them."…not really…I've been doing it for almost 20 years and enjoy it everytime I do it…nothing different from any other gamemaster of any other game…

db

Great set of rules, great GM and always a stunning terrain board.

only draw back is that one person has to sit and enter number the whole game-not much fun for them.

eeeks !

Thats a shame. I hope they get around to addressing that in future releases. Everything else about the system sounds very good.

I heard one person comment that the game moves along very slowly, maybe only finishing 4 turns in 4 hours?

only finishing 4 turns in 4 hours

And sometimes four turns per hour – it all depends on the size of the game, and the experience of the players and GM.

The game at Pointcon will feature 55 units, representing about 26,000 men, British and French, and is scheduled to run four hours – I guarantee we'll play more than four turns, and achieve a realistic result. We did at Havoc, two weeks ago, playing a similar scenario, which featured French and Austrians.

The game, sets elements of three French divisions from Marmont's Army of Portugal, 1812, against elements of the British 3rd and Light Divisions. It is a fictional encounter, but based on an historical action, the battle of St. Michael, fought in 1809, between Austrians, commanded by Jellacic, and French, commanded by Grenier, under Eugene. In the Pointcon game, the Austrian role will be taken by the British. The overall strengths will be equal to the historical counterparts, but the British will be in two-ranks, and so will be capable of occupying more frontage than the three-ranked Austrians. Historically, the Austrians were stretched thin, and it will be interesting to see the difference in how it plays out. I'm really looking forward to moderating the game for the players.

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AHH PointCon. My father was in the Army and we were stationed at West Point for 5 years. PointCon was our first dad and lad con. Great to see it's still going on.

C&G is my favorite wargame. I encourage anyone even remotely tempted to give it a try.

The game does have to be run by a GM who does enter #'s into the computer. But most wargames I have played the GM does not actually play. When my father and I play a two man game we simply alternate turns while the other moves.

I love G&G, it makes things a lot easier to play. The group of guys I play with regularly know the system well enough that anyone of us can run the computer while we play. I did Chapultepec last weekend and played the Mexican army. One of the American commanders ran the computer while I palyed. We had a new guy playing so the first few turns went slowly while we taught him the rules. We were able to play 8 turns in 3 hours and fought to a historical conclusion- complete Mexican rout!

Guy

In regards to operating the computer and entering the data during the game, we usually alternate entry of information here with at least two (sometimes more), handling entry with everyone playing. This allows us to move and enter fire and then swtich off to man the computer to let the other side "play". This process also helps us teach newer players how to operate or input into the computer during games.

We are usually able to complete a 8-10 turn game in an evening of gaming within 3 or 3.5 hours of play.

We love the system!

"I heard one person comment that the game moves along very slowly, maybe only finishing 4 turns in 4 hours?"

They really should be able to take as long as they want. I really just don't get the "This game must be finished in 4 hours cause we need your spot" or "I must then go to the next 4 hour game" or "visit the concession stand" or "we must attend this lecture" or "whatever".

What's the point of attending a relaxing weekend or even day long convention if you've got to rush to finish every game in a 4 hr time slot? They should be set up so that a table, especially for more granular rules, can sit for a while… say "game starts at 9am, played until resolution or until the building has to close whichever comes first". People are trying to squeeze a game of Risk into miniatures war gaming. I actually don't know if that's how it's done, but I don't understand why people are so concerned with how long a game takes, when you should have practically the whole weekend or at least the whole day. After 4 hours if it ain't finished, agree to take a break, gets some lunch, whatever.. then go back to it ! Anyway, the apparent rush to finish in 4 hours is part of the reason I've been reluctant to attempt convention play, not to mention the expense. My two cents.

Well said BD!

I agree with BD to a point..first problem is that unlike your basement, conventions schedule games on a set timeframe, but then again there is nothing magic about four hours…it could just as easily be five or six. On the other side of the coin you have player, who for whatever reason, seem to get very antsy at anything beyond the four hour timeframe…some of it might be conditioning…"I must eat at 1pm and 6pm" so any game that violates those arbitrary deadlines becomes a problem…I also know some gamers who judge whether they had an enjoybable convention by how many games they can play in over the course of a weekend, rather than the absolute quality of the game…its not how I approach conventions but there you have it…

db

I was thinking conventions should have "day long" tables on reserve kind of a thing. You've got from 8am or thereabouts until an hour before they shut the lights off.

For anyone interested, the game at Pointcon yesterday was tremendous fun. The result was a major French victory. We played for 3.5 hours, with the Anglo-Portuguese army morale collapsing at the beginning of turn 9. There were ten players involved during the course of the game – with only two, or three, having prior experience of the system.

The French concentrated their main attack upon the allied left flank, which threatened the two bridge crossings, and the main allied line of retreat through the town of San Miguel. As this assault was in progress, the French pinned and contained the allied troops in the center and right. The allied position essentially collapsed with the destruction of Wallace's British brigade, who assailed in flank and front, and following the severe wounding of their commanding general BG Wallace, the complete brigade broke towards San Miguel. Portuguese from Manley Power's brigade in the center, were directed to contain the French flanking attack, but they too were ultimately overwhelmed. Meanwhile, on the allied far right, the two British Rifle battalions proved more than a match for their French counterparts fighting within the disruptive terrain within the woods. This emboldened the allies in this sector and BG Campbell's brigade pressed their assault against the outnumbered French forces opposed to them. This success, however, ultimately sealed the fate of these Anglo-Portuguese troops, who following the loss of the bridge and line of communication through San Miguel, were unable to join the main army in the neighborhood of Salamanca. In effect, only the remnants of Wallace's brigade, perhaps 1,500 men, would join the main army, the remainder of the allied force, retreating towards Burgos, or being taken captive on the battlefield.

More photos and a detailed after action of battle losses etc., can be found here:

link

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I'd say that looks and sounds awesome.

HOWEVER, if the game only took 3.5 hrs, a shame you didn't run it TWICE :)

LOL…. actually in a way I will be, but that's in two weeks time, when I return to West Point for an invitation only game….

The upcoming game will be a little different, as I plan to keep the terrain and victory conditions the same, but will substitute the French with Russians, and the British with Austrians, to fictionalize an engagement between Tormassov and Schwarzenberg in September 1812.

And thank you for the comments.

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