This is now complete. We have published it (or will publish it) as successive issues of our Quarterly Newletter "Saxe N' Violets." We have set aside the whole of 2013 and 2014 for this, with so far one bonus issue. We expect to have more, and over the two years expect to get another year of content. Each issue is 8 pages long, tabloid (11 x 17) size. Some pages in full color with lots of illustrations.
Because of the larger size of the issue and increased costs for postage, we are asking, if anyone wants them for the next two years $20 USD just for postage and mailing costs.
Here is the index of stories in the newsletter.
Vol 7 #4 Dec 2012
"The Management Style of the Whole Damn World! "A humorous send off of the Magic School of Thaumaturgy from the Old "Divine Right Game.
"Small Stories and the Game," by Jerry Lannigan, A plea for short bios and bits of color in Imagi-nations.
"How I Handled the Fog of War" by Eric Turner- Methodology for a difficult topic.
"Gonfalonier of the Church in Germany" An Almost Imagination.
"Why There were no Small Wars between Small states in Europe in the 18th Century.
Vol 8 No.1 March 2013
"THE SEETHAS!: The down and dirty fast way to design an Imagi-Nation." Working on the principle of "Life is short, eat desert first," This article focus on choosing the sensational (and salacious) elements of Imagi-nations before you get into dull as dishwater stuff like modifiers and troop types!.
"The Importance of Being Earnest- And Human: " By Jerry Lannigan. Keeping the back-story up front and emphasizing the human element which makes much better stories.
"Mapping the Imagi-Nation" by Ben Trovato. The first of a multi-part disquisition on how to make maps for your imagination from the cartoonish and very simple to the highly complex.
"A Plan! A Plan!: My Kingdom for a Plan." What to do after you've named the SEETHA'S!
"Union Real De Scandalusia" by Ken Hall, A real life Imagi-Nation (well, it's real to us) .
"The Punderful Punderful Names of Imagi-Nations"- How to do this without pain.
Vol 8 No.2 June 2013
"Economics in Imagi-Nations" by Ben Trovato. In a word- Don't do it.
"A Short Biography of Frederick William I" The perfect model for an Imagi-nation King, and he was all real.
"Mapping the Imagi-Nation: Part 2, The Worlds of Pieland and AIRG."
"Economic System #1: The most simple of all."
"Economic System #2: A bit more complex.
"A Disquistion on Economics in War Games: What's REALLY going on when you hook up economics to an otherwise wonderful game.
Vol 8 No.4 September 2013
"Mapping the Imagi-Nation Part 3: More Artful methods.
"What went ye into the Wilderness to See: Concepts and categories in Imagi-Nations and how they can work out– sometimes– badly.
"Fleshing out your Imagination: Constructing it beyond the basics and the role of central casting in all this.
"The Levitzer Rabbinate" by Hal Lotman, an edgy imagination which shows how you can handle some rather delicate and possibly invidious topics- with humor and fun.
"Kings and Things:" by Otto Schmidt. A romp through real royal monikers through the ages and showing you there really isn't anything you can think of that's too absurd when compared with reality.
"Economic Scheme #3 for Imagi-Nations: An even more complex one for those who haven't already been scared off. Actually it's the closest to reality which alone should forewarn you.
"The Principalities of Zweiback, Zweibrucken, Zweiback-Zweibrucken, Zweiback-Zweibrucken (no not the same one) Zweibrucken-Zweiback, Zweiback- Zweiback, and Zweibrucken-Zweibrucken." Another tiny Imagi-nation proving that greatness can come in a name that is longer than the country is wide.
Vol 8 #4, December 2013
"Planning a Complete Imagi-Nation: A Tale of Two Turkeys." by Jerry Lannigan and Otto Schmidt. A side-by side comparisons of two plans to make the armies of the Empire of Ikea, a pseudo-Turkish inspired Imagi-Nation. Comparative plans and cross comments of the two authors on each others plan.
"Mapping the Imagi-Natio Part 4: More artistic and abstract methods including some used in self-published games from the Society of Daisy.
"Economics in War Games" An economic system used in the International Wargame of 2011.
"Hereditary Saxe Burlap and the Free-House of Hohenleben" How to do this whole thing as a complete burlesque.
Vol9 #1 March 2014
"Building Your Imagi-Nation Vocabulary:" Wild, Wonderful, and Whacky terms for use with your Imagi-Nation.
"Managing Characters in the Imagi-Nation." A simple system to keep track of factions, feuds, who's who, what's what, who hates who, and what's their favorite color.
"The Black Hand," Another send up of one of the powers from the Old Divine Right Game which you can use for your own set up.
"Mapping the Imagi-Nation, Part 5. More out there and more artsy methods, but ones that also can be modularized and changed.
"Herr Otto Flick" by Trevor Wheeble, An Imagi-nation biography.
"Mars and Venus, Mars or Venus" by Otto Schmidt- The advantages and usage of the gender of the sovereign of your Imagi-Nation.
Vol 9 # 2 June 2014
"A Military system for the Imagi-nation:" A plan for creating the armies and the control of them to make sure you can accommodate your battles comfortably and make realistic scenarios, and still have a lot of fun and not a lot of extra work.
"Mapping the Imagin- Nation- Without Maps." Other means of keep track of the geography of your Imagi-Nation.
"More Vocabulary for your Imagination:" More odd and wonderful terms to use.
"Erich Von Smallhausan and Others- More minor Imagi-Nation Characters.
Vol 9 #3 September 2014
"Using Other Games for an Imagi-Nation Set up!" Wanna see a Monopoly Board converted for an 1880 ironclad game?
"Things to avoid in Imagi-Nations." What not to do and what to look out for that can make a great Imagi-Nation a stinker.
"Battle of Hochswasser" by Bruce Bretthauer A model of battle reporting for Imagi-Nations.
"Table Top Rules for Imagi-Nation Battles:" A disquisiton on the type of rules to use, not really a set for use. What to use and what to avoid.
"Sigismundo Malatesticle" by Trevor Wheble. Another Imagi-nation minor character.
"The Strange and Curious Structure of the Army of Saxe-Burlap und Schleswig Beerstein:" Think a simple list of ranks and pay grades is boring? Think again, you can make the most boring material a lot of fun.
Vol 9 #4 December 2014
Another Military System for Imagi Nations: The point and force pool approach."
"Fahrvergnugen Special Secret Weapons:" R&D in the modern Imagi-Nation Game.
"Religion in Imaginations"" How to tread around this subject lightly.
"Dynastic Arrangement in your Imagi-Nation." Do not forget geneologies and the fun and confusion they can bring. Always remember that most of the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas and quite a few grand operas involve switched babies, people who are about to be married suddenly realizing they are related, and mis-matched couples, all of which proves that you can do anything you want in Grand Opera so long as you sing it.
"The Imagi-Nation on Holiday." Probably the most fun you will ever have is planning the time off your subjects get.
"A third Military System for Imagi-nations- The Fractional Reduction method."
VOL 9 Bonus Issue.
This will be mailed off in January 2015 if not sooner. It consists of many articles that appeared in prior Saxe N' Violets issues, and will be reprinted here.
"Sex in Imagi Nations." (Come on, you KNEW this one was coming some time!
"Even the Orcs Must be beautiful." Fantasy creatures and races in Imagi-Nations.
"Magic in Imagi-nations:" How to do it in the context of the 18th century.
"The Troll Letters." Disquistion on a magical race in the 18th century.
"Interfacing the real world with the Imagi-Nation: No reason my Bad Zu Wurstians can't fight your Prussians."
"The Battle of Stollen-" A battle report showing the use of different styles to set the scene.
"The Foreigner and "the other" in Imagi-Nations.
