"Craig Taylor passed away" Topic

From Wilbur Gray….

"Folks, this just came across my Email from the Napoleon's Battles Yahoo Group:

"Bob Coggins asked me to let everyone know that Craig Taylor passed away this week. Cause of death was undetermined at this time, but will be available later, I'm sure. Bob's computer is down at the moment so he will not be able to respond to any questions on line. We will let everyone know more details as they become available. Craig was a prolific and successful miniatures and board game historical rules writer and co-author of Napoleon's Battles. I've known him since his Avalon Hill days when I was one of the staff playtesters on Avalon Hill's version of the Australian Napoleonic game "Empires in Arms," which Craig shepherded through the redesign effort and publication. His integrity and willingness to go the extra mile in game development was well known. He was an amazing game designer and developer with a long list of titles to his credit. The hobby has lost a true professional, a true friend. He will be missed."

My sincere deepest sympathies for Craig Taylor's family and his friends and colleagues at this time. Flat Top is just one of many games but it is my favourite game and if it wasn't for Craig's superb skill in game design I would never have got into boardgames and then wargaming. A sorely missed great game designer, one if not the best.

I meet him a few times at conventions and he was most helpful with many questions on NB I had at times. I think he was on TMP at one time as well. I do recall some of his postings on Yahoo Groups as well. Very knowledgable on the era.
VR
James Mattes

He was greatness. I had the good fortune to be a playtester at Yaquinto back in the early 80's. After playtesting games all day Saturday, Craig would school us in Napoleonic Naval warfare in our Saturday night campaign….

Very sad. Another grognard of the Old Guard has left us.

My condolences to his family and to the hobby. His list of accomplishments is both long lasting and of great breadth.

Ironclads is still state of the art as far as ACW naval.

Sad news. Clay, thanks for sharing. Condolences.

I'm not good at cross-posting, so our dear Editor may want to think about what other forums should have this….

A true gentleman. RIP Mr. Taylor.

lux perpetua luceat ei, requiescat in pace.

Sorry to hear about his passing. Thanks for the background information. I just knew who this was but couldn't put a finger on it until your brief bio posting.

It is always sad when the 'Old Guard' of the hobby pass. You don't see the kind of impact and influence on the hobby as these stalwarts of gaming had in their day anymore.

Very sad, Napoleon's Battles is what got me into Napoleonics and remains my favorite game.

Very sad. Another grognard of the Old Guard has left us.

Well said pzivh43. My condolences to his family and friends.

My friends and I have played many enjoyable naval games using "Ship of the Line." Thank you Craig. RIP.

Many hours playing wonderful games and rules of Craig's
design.

Thanks, pal, and RIP.

Rest in peace Craig and thanks for the great games over the years.

I'm sorry to hear of his passing. I had the pleasure to meet him at Historicon and he was a throughly pleasant man. Our group still gets hours of enjoyment out of many games that he designed.

He came to town(Stillwater,Ok 30,000 pop) in the early 80s to show some Yaquinto wargames at our small hobby shop. I played Fall of South Vietnam(?) with him. He didn't seem disappointed that there were only about 5 people in the shop. Seemed like a really nice guy. RIP

A steadfast member of the gaming community. i met him several times. A great guy. He will be missed.

craig is the 3rd wargaming friend that I saw at conventions to die this year.

He was one of the reasons why I enjoyed going to conventions. A all around great guy.

Sorry I never got a chance to meet him. Prayers go out to his family.

I played several of his boardgames in the late 70's (including Air Force/Dauntless). Played in a Napoleon's Battles game with Craig in Lancaster many years ago.

RIP.

Another one of the pioneers of our hobby will be missed.

RIP

This Tiopic is on Faceboo, so I'm re-posting this here to join in the remembrances.
This is not ego-boo; I miss my friend.

S. Craig Taylor passed away.
I had the honor of working with Craig at Avalon Hill during the last years of the company, and the far greater honor of calling him a friend. My favorite memory of Craig is seeing him after I'd left Avalon Hill at an Historicon and learning to play his new "Sergeants!" game. Halfway through some hare-brained, off-the-wall tactic I was trying that was actually working, Craig cracked up laughing and said, "Man, I forgot how much I love playing games with you, Hawthorne!"
Praise from Caesar.
Craig encouraged me to keep writing, keep designing, and keep having fun.
He adored my wife Maria and she was thoroughly charmed by him, and he spoiled my dogs rotten whenever he saw them; one of them took to sitting by his desk at lunch time on the rare days I took them to work with me.
Craig had an awesome work ethic – everybody on the Hill did; Greenwood, McNamara, Martin, Kibler – and his designs were always literate, clear (to those who had the wit to read the rules as he wrote them and not try to "interpret" them) and more important, they were FUN.
I kept trying to catch up with Craig at the last few conventions I attended, but I always seemed to just miss him. Rarely over the years, we'd grab a quick phone call or exchange e-mails.
Craig was just a great person, and I was lucky to know him.
Gaming has lost one of the best friends it ever had.
And so have I.

Didn't know Craig Taylor, but undoubtedly another person from a generation which was taught to think for themselves has passed away…

Back online with a new computer.

I knew Craig for about 40 years and collaborated with him on NBs and the unpublished Battles of Frederick the Great.

I can safely say I do and did not know anyone with a greater knowledge of war than Craig and few with his game design ability. Indeed, very very few made their living over a period of 40 years, as Craig did, designing board and miniatures wargames.

While at Yaquinto, he developed Larry Brom's TS&TF which while it did not save historical miniatures gaming gave it a boost when it was at its low point and these are just a few rules he was involved with. Amongst his designs were the classic Ship of the Line and Rally Round the Flag. Then while at Avalon Hill he collaborated in the design of Napoleon's Battles which became the first historical miniatures wargame to be produced by a major publisher. It raised the bar for production values rivaling those in the fantasy industry,it was inducted into the Gama Hall of Fame and after 20+ years is still played by a large number of gamers.

For the boardgames; there was Fury in the West, Thin Red Line, Great Redoubt, Airforce/Dauntless and Flat Top to name a few. He also developed existing games including Empires in Arms for Avalon Hill.

Craig loved playing games and wherever he lived he played almost every week. When in Baltimore, he lived in Baltimore for 30 years, Craig and our group played almost every week and he and I had lunch on Saturday almost every week. Most notably Craig understood game design more throughly than almost anyone and he knew how to design rules which seemlessly prevented gamers from "gaming" the rules.

He is a member of the Legion of Honor and in my opinion he should have received the Scruby long ago. He knew history, he understood game design, he loved playing games and he was my friend. I will miss him.

Bob Coggins