tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post7977225532622296737..comments2024-01-18T08:49:58.743-06:00Comments on Giant Battling Robots: The Origin of BattletechDan Eastwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-64382028227315235762020-08-12T20:43:59.313-05:002020-08-12T20:43:59.313-05:00Yes indeed, Mr. Pavone! I have a post about Little...Yes indeed, Mr. Pavone! I have a post about Little Warstoo. :-)<br /><br />https://giantbattlingrobots.blogspot.com/2010/07/range-testing-for-little-wars.html<br />Dan Eastwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-80516887321474759832020-07-13T15:40:43.935-05:002020-07-13T15:40:43.935-05:00I know this is late to the party but...
Naval war...I know this is late to the party but...<br /><br />Naval wargaming has been a thing since at least 1906 and H.G. Wells (yes THAT H.G. Wells) had written a system of wargame rules using toy soldiers in 1913. Wargames like Kriegspiel and some others have been around since that time as well.<br /><br />Google Little Wars and Fred Jane and you'll see just how far back the hobby reaches.Mr. Pavonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13286558267156792637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-36106052267605342632012-02-21T18:18:39.902-06:002012-02-21T18:18:39.902-06:00I checked my copy of Jutland and found no designer...I checked my copy of Jutland and found no designer's notes. :( However, it came out in 1967 according to the copyright on the manual. Avalon Hill's 1966 Guadalcanal used check-boxes for step reduction of unit strengths (somewhere I've seen a claim it was the first) -- possibly the designer, Jim Dunnigan, got the idea from Guadalcanal? Equally, it may have simply been a clever solution to the problem of doing incremental damage to the ships, with or without prompting.(Somewhere, I've read a discussion of the design process for Jutland, but cannot find it now.)James Sterretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17382552161682219244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-3187538355608427892012-02-20T15:08:18.345-06:002012-02-20T15:08:18.345-06:00Historical comments appreciated! I agree that is f...Historical comments appreciated! I agree that is far from proof, and perhaps I should be more cautious in my wording. However, FPNWG is the oldest game I know of that has anything resembling the SSD mechanic. Curry's book mentions one older game (name escapes me), and I don't know it it has that same mechanic.<br /><br />Interesting: This link mentions that Steve Cole had been playing Jutland immediately prior to getting the idea for SFB. And Jutland might have that direct connection to FPNWG.<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fleet_Battles<br /><br />Suddenly, I feel another blog post coming on ...Dan Eastwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-44795576388766554222012-02-20T13:09:18.374-06:002012-02-20T13:09:18.374-06:00The historian side of me coming out: The problem w...The historian side of me coming out: The problem with Lance McMillan's posting is that - based on what is posted - he assumes the connection, but provides zero proof (such as a reliable source indicating that Weisman had read the rules to the Naval Game). Sometimes very similar systems arise independently.James Sterretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17382552161682219244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-50764911764100449792009-05-22T18:59:46.713-05:002009-05-22T18:59:46.713-05:00I think maybe the innovation here is representing ...I think maybe the innovation here is representing the ship "on paper" and accumulating damage until it is destroyed. Earlier games may have just removed the figure from play when it was hit and its armor penetrated, rather like toy soldiers (or Warhammer figures). <br />Maybe I can dig up a copy of the Kriegspiel rules (an older game) and compare.Dan Eastwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055805266991720601.post-81632511372135870262009-05-22T18:07:52.969-05:002009-05-22T18:07:52.969-05:00Of course! One of the ex-military types I grew up ...Of course! One of the ex-military types I grew up playing Battletech with made numerous references to naval combat games and would occasionally spend convention time moving ships around a 'ballroom floor'. I'm really surprised that a rule for simulating naval combat is that young. I would've imagined games like this to have a history spanning centuries, not decades.Ianhttp://blog.flechs.netnoreply@blogger.com