News: GBACW Web Site Additions

Bookmarks  to news sections:

Tactics board for GBACW Active!

Corrected Counter Scans!

Learning ASL  sessions now online including audio!!

5/17/11

Classes are set for WIT this fall. The featured subject will be Eisenhower, covering his WWII years and his Presidency over three sessions. One will focus on 1956, a pretty significant year in Ike's term as President, and an important year in U.S. and world history.

2/22/11

New game site to check out!

www.homefrontcenter.de

Nice guys! Check out their site! Lots of interesting items!

And don't forget my links page, too.

2/1/11

I have added SEVEN more parts to the ASL Training sessions, including:

Click here

ASL 101: Learning ASL

• Session 6: Advancing Fire - Assault Fire - Spraying Fire - Area Fire
• Session 7: Basic Fire Lanes
• Session 8: More Fire Lanes!
• Session 9: Using Mortars and Guns
• Session 10: MA using HE To Hit Infantry or Area Target Type

Plus, two others:

ASL 201: AFVs and Advanced Topics

• Session 1: To Hit/To Kill with Bazookas
• Session 2: To Hit/To Kill with AFVs

These are in 2nd Draft mode! (No audio yet) 

Which reminds me - here is the link to my links page!

Links

New classes for Spring semester in Iowa - April 11-15, 2011

• The Age of Reagan
• The Iran Hostage Crisis

New classes: Iowa During the American Civil War - April, 2010

Link here

12/06/09: Beginning of data warehouse for SPI errata

Link here

2/1/09: A discussion of strategic and tactical considerations for Day 1 of Terrible Swift Sword!

Link here!

1/26/09: Iowa Humanities grant awarded for my upcoming seminar at Western Iowa Tech!

Link here!

12/26/08: And, the trial version of the Wargame Magazine Database is available for download.

This is not the standalone version. Eventually, I'll have it available as an online data source. But right now, if you have Microsoft Access, you can download and run this.  (Link)

12/25/08: I've added a feedback form for the ASL sessions.

Only feedback will determine if I invest the 100 hours required to finish the next set of audio-video ASL Training Sessions. Vote now. (Link)

12/22/08: Audio versions of the Learning ASL sessions are now online!

The presentations for Learning ASL 101 are now online! Flash is required! (Link)

12/16/08: This just in...

KWIT in Sioux City just posted this from the interview before the classes. Hear my audio interview with KWIT's Eddie Dunn. (Link)

12/15/08: Back on the road...

Last week it was Rochester, NY, and this week, Erie, PA. I think I keep hearing a Crosby song in my head. "We have all been here before, we have all been here before...."

12/01/08: New classes next semester at KWIT

With this semester's classes a big success, WIT has asked for two new seminars next semester: the first will mark the 50th anniversary of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's 1959 visit to an Iowa farm, as the Cold War and the US State Department took a back seat to an Iowan 'citizen diplomat.' The next day, we'll see the Cold War become very warm, as we look at Signs and Portends: From the 1960 U2 Incident to the Cuban Missile Crisis. As always, expect lots of discussion, and vintage news clips!

(Right now, the tentative date is April 23 and 24th, 2009.)

11/4/08: Tomorrow's classes looking good!

Sioux City History Day was a great success, so I am glad that worked so well. Now, a month later, I'm back in Siouxland to do the next three classes this week. I suspect we may get more people than I expected. I've heard from a number of people that they are coming to at least one of these.

9/29/08: New seminars coming soon!

All these classes take place at WIT Community College in Sioux City, Iowa. I'll add the links soon.

October 11, 9 AM: I'll be on hand as moderator / emcee for the 5th annual Sioux City History Day! Link

November 5, Noon: What Comes Next: Looking Ahead following the Election I'll moderate a group discussion of what the results of the US Presidential election will likely mean to you! Link

November 5, 7PM: Picturing America. I will lead the trip through America's past with a look at the enduring shared memories of America. This program is funded by a grant from the Iowa Humanities Commission. Link

November 6, 6:30 PM: My Generation: A special 'reunion' of last year's series of Rock Legends classes. This time: We focus on 1970 with Crosby Stills Nash and Young! Link

9/28/08: MOVES magazine database about ready to go online!

As I originally projected, the MOVES magazine database is about ready to go - almost on schedule! I have all the listings for articles, ads and info into the system for MOVES issues 1 -60, except for a few of the early issues that I don't own.

• The listings include the main articles, tagged as article type.

 This means you can find all the listings for SPI game errata, either by specific game, or all errata listings in the database.

Or you could see every listing for your favorite game. (See Example)

• It also includes tags for scenarios and variants.

So you can find  any additional rules or additional scenarios for your favorite old SPI game! (See this example!)

One beautiful thing about this database is that many of the interesting articles are the short snippets inside the Designer's Notes column. Plus, many of the scenarios and important rules variants were inside the Footnotes column. As you saw in the above examples, this database will capture that.

Now again, I am stressing this is a LISTING of the articles so you can find the article in your collection - but I am in the process of linking a few of the articles. Some are already set up that way - but doing that on a large scale will take some time.

My first efforts to add links to PDFs will likely be for advertisements - most of the SPI ads were very informative, so I want to get those online. Plus they are fun to read - they are written as though you were opening the box, since they look at everything inside!

And the next step will be the Errata sheets for the games. Those are easier than it sounds, which is good news.

The question is, how big will this be when I get done?

Look for more on this project next month!

9/17/08: BonCon cancelled.

Well, I will not be heading to Missouri in October. Unfortunately, BonCon has cancelled. Watch out, though - I am confident that some sort of GBACW get-together will rise up in Missouri next year! More details as I get them!

7/29/08: In Progress: A database of MOVES magazine articles - with expansion potential.

I know I've been quiet lately - I've been working HEAVILY on two projects. One is done, but needs translated to the web now. It is a complete database of Moves magazine articles during the SPI years. It is cross referenced by game, by type of article, and by author.

In other words, you can find all articles published about your favorite SPI game. And all advertisements, and all mentions in the review columns and the advertisements. (Since early SPI ads were really a capsule profile. Better yet you can find out if errata for your favorite old SPI game exists.

Even better - when I put it online, I will link some of these items so you can pull up a pdf of the ad or the errata. And maybe the Moves "Works in Progress" articles.

It really is pretty cool. I have all the issues from 29 to 60 in there now, and some of the issues before that. Plus a few S&T's a few Boardgamer issues. Hope to have it online by September!

7/15/08: Made connection with the Long Island Simulation Gamers

Found a new (to me) group of wargamers based on Long Island, and they have now created a Yahoo group. It appears they meet on Friday nights in ... wish I knew the names of the towns around here. (Of course, I am usually somewhere else, so go figure!)

6/28/08: In Progress: GBACW Rules FAQ

Been fielding a lot of GBACW questions of late from all over the world. (Which is GREAT! Keep them coming!) I am collecting these so I can post them on the board as a "best practices" concept, to establish conventions on some of the rules that have potential loopholes. (You know, things that seem fine when you read it, but then during play you realize, "Hmmm. Does that mean this ... or this?"

Expect to see this file in early August.

5/28/08: Added: Opponent's Wanted  listings for GBACW.

OK, I have finally succumbed to the pressure. I have added a page of "Opponent's Wanted" listings to the website. Currently, the one of the two listings are looking for a PBEM using Greg Laubach's cyberboard. The other is looking for a traditional face to face game of Cedar Mountain. (click here)

5/9/08: Great Tactical discussions for Corinth and Pea Ridge!!

Well, the discussions have certainly been interesting! Check the link here to the tactical discussion board.  Or page two of the tactical discussion of Pea Ridge, located here. Or jump to a set of GREAT pictures showing a discussion of what to do with Bussey's opening moves in Pea Ridge, click here! 

3/9/08: Whew! Beaker Street returns!

OK, it has nothing to do with wargaming. But I am happy to report that Beaker Street with Clyde Clifford is back after a two week hiatus. After 13 years with KMPX in Little Rock, the station changed format and called him on Friday Feb. 22  to say, "Station's gone - and so's your show!" But KKPT 94 in Little Rock have picked him up, and he returned last night! (here) Same time slot - 7 pm to midnight, Sunday nights! Welcome back, Clyde!

(Don't know who I've talking about? Here's an old article I wrote about Clyde. Click here)

3/4/08: Lots of discussion plus another look back!

Well, the rule discussion is certainly generating some excitement! The Exclusive rules discussion is getting activity, (here) and Neil Wakefield from the UK is soliciting thoughts on the system in the general rules discussion page. (here)

All this, and we added another blast from the past with the original SPI 'Works in Progress' announcement 28 years ago of the pending development of the first GBACW games! (click here!)

3/3/08: Optional Rules from GBACW

In Moves magazine, Eric Lee Smith suggested that the Exclusive Rules from the various games in the GBACW 1.0 system could also be used as optional rules in the other games in the system. Which ones would you include? Why?

Also - let's cast the net a little wider - what rules from the other games in the system 1.0 do you think should be part of the "basic" rules?

Join the discussion now! (Click here!)

3/1/08: Pea Ridge Review, After Action Report!

John Leggat, editor of the long-running Lines of Communication newsletter, has shared his Pea Ridge survey / review, which includes his thoughts on the SPI game, as well as Eric Lee Smith's Across Five Aprils and FGA's version of the battle. (Many thanks, John!) (click here)

He also sent a blow by blow description of the opening turns of a Pea Ridge battle! (click here)

2/25/08: Melee under the microscope....

Greg Laubach and I dissect the Retreat Before Melee / Melee sequence of events, looking for clarity. (click here)

2/18/08: Discussion on leadership tactics in TSS/GBACW started....

Started a new discussion thread this week. Weigh in on leadership lessons in TSS/GBACW. (click here) And see all the discussion threads here! (click here)
 

2/12/08: Snow, snow, and more snow....

Starting my fifth week in the Rochester, NY region. I'm in my hotel room, and it is snowing like crazy.

In other words, nothing new here. How are things with you?

Actually, I added a snippet on early development of Bloody April from issue 40 of MOVES magazine. (click here)

2/6/08: Just found Crazy Igor's store in little Hilton, NY.

Obviously, I actually died last night and didn't know it, because I just stumbled into heaven.

Seriously, this place has every kind of game, from AH to Yaquinto, and everything in between.

SPI games looking like they came out of the SPI warehouse last week, not 25 or 30 years ago. All sorts of wargames, magazines, role playing and all the rest. Stacks of the stuff. Every wall and all the free space is taken up with shelves and racks.

Big games. Little games. Campaign for North Africa. War in the Pacific (the original, of course.) Two copies of Bloody April. Two copies of Corinth/Jackson at the Crossroads. Everything. Anything.

I'll add his address and phone to the Gaming Links page.

I'm still in shock.  I have to lay down for a while....

2/1/08: Added a discussion page for GBACW gaming tactics. (Click here)

The idea of the RussGifford.net site was to support wargaming in general, and GBACW games specifically. The CD-Rom training disc has been very popular, and it helps people learn how to play the game. But the constant follow-up question is "what about playing the game well?"

So - trying this concept out: the new discussion board is a place to share your experiences or learn about tactics in GBACW/TSS2!  Click here to read GBACW Tactics!

I currently have three subjects listed, (Maneuver, Artillery, Cavalry) but feel free to go beyond that. You pick the subject, and I'll do the posts.

Post your ideas to me, (here) and I'll put them in a page at the GBACW Tactics page.

(And feel free to post me YOUR ideas. I don't have to agree with it - just realize, they are coming to me in a letter first, to prevent spam and cross talk. This is to be a spot for and exchange of ideas on play of the games.)

Again, click here and send me ideas to share with the rest of the gaming public!

2/1/08: Corrected counter scans added!

Greg Laubach, GBACW gamer extraordinaire,  has been very busy of late. He has done a GREAT job on correcting the errors on that cropped up on a few of the GBACW series. This means thanks to Greg, the leader counters in Wilson's Creek are correct. He also made the suggested optional counters for the Drive on Washington scenario  in Moves.

And just this week, Greg made the counter errata changes for Battle of Corinth as well. I've posted them in the free download page, here. Thanks, Greg!

(Greg also has posted some of his gaming thoughts on the Tactics discussion board, as well!)

1/1/08: Bon Con Announced! TSS2 and GBACW featured!

Lewis Goldberg, a GBACW gamer Missouri, has finalized the date for Bon-Con, a small wargaming gathering in Bonnots Mill, MO. The centerpiece of the convention is to be TSS 2nd edition! He has a discussion board at ComsimWorld Forums - click here. (If you are not registered with CSW, use the register here link so you can get reading privileges.)

This should be a fun time. I've already sent my registration money, so I'm looking forward to meeting all of you in Missouri!

From Lewis: