The PBEM campaign has hit problems faster than expected.
You may remember that I am trying to develop a set of Player Campaign Rules. These would be a sort of "fast play" set for use by the players. It would avoid them having to learn the full set of rules which would be used by the umpire.
The problem is the obvious one, the interface between the players rules and the umpires rules.
I sent a suggested set of rules to Carlos, who offered to umpire the campaign. He agreed them, with additions.
Once the campaign started it soon became obvious that the players rules bore little similarity to the umpire rules. I tried to resolve the difference, but this proved impossible. So we have agreed to continue the campaign without the player rules. Not a good solution, but the only one available short of calling an end to the campaign.
The campaign was fought as a learning experience. I have learned that the only one who can write the player rules is the one who wrote the umpire rules. Or at least have a very good understanding of them.
So I have reluctantly decided to write my own PBEM campaign rules. I am reluctant because I have a perfectly good set of rules for my solo 1813 campaign. In addition I do not want to distract too much from my solo campaign, which provides Jan and I with our regular wargame fix.
The real probem I have with a PBEM campaign is fighting the battles. It would not be possible with my current wargame rules. So as a first step I am trying to develop a system for fighting campaign battles without fighting a wargame.
I have put my first attempt on Campaigns of Napoleon Forum and asked for constructive criticism. If you would like to see them, and perhaps comment, you will find them at:
This was our first visit to Austerlitz and was also our first tour with Midas Battlefield Tours.
It was a four day visit in September 1998, and it rained most of that time. Being a group of "Brits" we were all very stoic and "soldiered on". It sounds quite miserable, but in fact was very enjoyable despite the weather.
Writing up the blog is a little like looking at old photographs albumns, its very nostalgic. Looking through the photos and reading the diaries brings it all back. Not only the damp clothes and muddy boots, but also the good company and the excitement of walking over the very ground where Napoleon fought this historic battle.
This is the sixth of the series. Previous ones have been Waterloo, Spain and Portugal with Holts, Spain and Portugal on our own, Northern Spain and The Pyrenees.
I started the blog in April 2009, and have done an entry covering one battlefield pretty well every week since then. It became such a big job that I started a seperate blog for each tour and a central blog as an index to each walk.
And there is lots still to come. Next is Walking Northern Europe, which will include Jena, Auerstadt, Dresden, Bautzen, Lutzen and Leipzig. This will be followed by walking in Italy and southern Germany.
So if you are interested in exploring Napoleonic Battlefields make a note of the central blog, which contains links to all of the walks.
Carlos and I are making excellent progress with our new PBEM project. The aim is to write and develop an easy to understand set of rules which will allow players of campaigns to perform the role of general without having to learn the often long and complicated campaign rules.
The idea is that these rules will only cover those aspects of the rules which the player must understand to carry out his tasks. The umpire can run the campaign with rules as complicated as he likes. The problem is getting the interface between the two sets of rules right.
In one week we have written the first draft of the rules and recruited five volunteers to act as corps commanders in a campaign loosely based on Jena 1806. It will be a proper campaign, but used as a play test of the Player Campaign Rules.
I have started a new Yahoo forum to exchange information about the campaign and the rules. You can find it at:
We have enough players for this stage of the campaign, but if it works well we will need more in the future. If anyone is interested have a look at the forum and if you like what yiou see drop me a line.
But of course things never go easy. Yesterday I was quite shocked to receive an email accusing me of plagiarism. It was from a wargamer I have known online for many years, and he was demanding an apology and recognition on the forum that we were using his rules.
He would not accept that I have never read his rules, let alone plagiarised them.
The story is complicated.
In our new project I am responsible for writing and developing the Player Campaign Rules. Carlos is responsible for running the campaign as umpire. He will use his own campaign rules as umpire, and they will not be distributed to the players, who will only receive my rules.
When I finished the first, rough, draft of my rules I sent them to Carlos so that he could amend them to dove tail into the campaign rules he was using as umpire. He returned a couple of pages of amendments, which I included without question and posted on the forum.
Apparently Carlos was using a set of campaign rules which this other chap had put on my other forum, Campaigns of Napoleon Forum. I started that forum about a year ago as a place where anyone interested in Napoleonic campaigns could exchange information and test ideas. You will find that forum here
Apparently Carlos had taken parts of those rules, and included them with my Campaign Player Rules. This was intended as a stop gap measure until we could get the rules play tested.
I explained to this chap that I knew nothing about his rules, and had certainly not plagarised them. I offered to remove the offending sections of the rules, but he was demanding a full apology FROM ME, plus a notice on the forum that we were using his rules.
I think you will understand that I was not prepared to apologise, as I had done nothing wrong. I told him I was sorry that he was upset, but it was between him and Carlos. He would not accept this, insisting that as it was my forum it was my responsibility.
I cant understand why someone would put a set of rules on a forum which is designed to share information, and then demand an apology when someone else uses those rules to play a campaign. Even worse why would he not accept that I was an innocent party in the whole thing - especially as we have known each other (on the web) for many years.
It really is strange how the internet seems to bring out the worse in people, and make them so much more unreasonable and demanding than they would ever be in a real life face to face situation.
Its all been a disagreeable distraction from the task in hand, but "alls well that ends well". I have removed all extracts from his rules and he has resigned from both the forums.
Now perhaps we can get down to the real issue, write a set of rules and enjoy a campaign.
The last day of our visit was always going to be a long one, but it seemed even longer suffering from the after effects of a visit to a local wine cellar the preivous evening. It was a very quiet group, with obvious sore heads, who met for breakfast.
The timetable included a visit to Brunn Castle, drive to Vienna and visit the famous military musuem there before catching a late afternoon flight back to London. It was a dry and clear morning and we all agreed to give up an hour or so in Vienna in return for a return visit to Zurlan Hill.
On our previous visit we could see little due to heavy rain and low clouds. What a difference today was. It was obvious why Napoleon had chosed this hill as the site of his command post, as it offers excellent views of the whole battlefield.
--> It was ideal for panoramic photographs of the battle field. My camera was not really up to the task, but you can see what I achieved at:
I have just completed the first phase, which is the Magdeburg campaign. I am really pleased with the new maps and I think it makes the diary look a lot better and easier to read.
I have just started on the Tarragona campaign, which is phase two of the 1813 campaign.
But most of this week has been devoted to preparing for the PBEM play test campaign with Carlos.
He lives in Manilla and I live in Spain, a difference in time zone of 8 hours. There is a lot to agree, and that means a lot of emails. Unfortunately both of us are asleep at different times during the 24 hour day. And whilst I have little to distract me during my waking hours, I expect he may well " have a life".
Its proving quite a challenge to get agreement on all of the details. I am learning not to put more than one point in each email. If I try to cover two or three, quite often one gets answered and the others overlooked.
We have produced drafts of the orders of battle, campaign brief and campaign rules for the play test campaign. There are only a few points left to be agreed, and I have high hopes that we may be able to start the campaign soon.
Once the campaign starts I intend to start a Yahoo forum to exchange ideas and suggestions on the campaign rules and how the campaign system is working. This will be open to anyone, not just the players. I will post a link once it is up and running.
Well I certainly spoke too soon when I expressed my pleasure with how well the PBEM 1814 campaign was going.
The next day I received the campaign update. The "fog of war" cleared and I could see that my army was outnumbered everywhere. My victory over the Prussians of the previous (campaign) day was overshadowed by the sudden appearance of large allied armies all within one days march of my scattered army.
I had planned to follow (my understanding of) Napoleon's tactics for the 1814 Campaign. I would attack and try to destroy the heads of the Prussian and Austrian columns as they came within marching distance. My understanding is that the Prussians were rash and rushed ahead, but became worried when Napoleon put in an appearance. The Austrians moved very slowly, and did not coordinate their movements with the Prussians.
Our campaign started off in some confusion, with a lot of difficulty comparing the size of the French armies with what was known of the allied armies. Then suddenly the "day of decision".
As soon as I got a clear picture, it seemed obvious to me that the French could not possibly win. Not only that, but the longer the campaign went on, the worse it would get for them. The two allied armies which were within one days march both outnumbered my whole army by almost two to one. And there were large allied reserves close, but not yet identified.
We agreed an immediate French surrender. There seemed little point in wasting more time on a campaign which could only end in a massive French defeat.
However the good news is that Carlos and I have agreed to create a new campaign. Or rather we have agreed to work together on formulating rules which would provide an enjoyable and fast moving campaign.
From the two PBEM campaigns which I ran last year it became obvious that my solo 1813 campaign was just not suitable for a multi player PBEM campaign. However I did enjoy running it, and it gave me a lot of ideas for a future campaign.
The problem is that I just do not have time to run two campaigns at once. And my 1813 campaign provides our daily wargames, so that must have priority.
Carlos has agreed to run the campaign and resolve the battles. I will set up the campaign rules and objectives. I will also play in the campaign, as that is the only way to see whether the rules are working or not.
The aim is to end up with a campaign which is very user friendly. There will be a simple set of rules for each player, which will require the minimum of work to comprehend. The complicated rules for running the campaign, and resolving the battles, will only be known and understood by the umpire.
Clearly the most important part will be the interface between the player and the umpire. This is why we have to run a test campaign to see what works and what does not.
I have asked for volunteers on the Campaign of Napoleon Forum. I am looking for about four players who will not only play test the rules, but also let me have their reactions and suggestions.
If the whole thing gets off the ground I will start a new Forum for everyone taking part in the campaign, and anyone else who might be interested.
Now this is a project that I am really excited about. But I know from previous experience that good intentions don't always result in good results.
The 1814 PBEM campaign has got off to a flying start.
The campaign started with elements of both sides within one days march. I had not really grasped the rules, and my first days orders were required within a few hours of receiving the brief, so I ordered the nearest French to attack the nearest allies.
The aim is to have a campaign move each day, but the next morning I received an email that there would be one days delay to allow for "combat resolution". I had not really expected this, and was more than a little concerned that I might have lost the campaign for the French on the first day.
It was a long 24 hours before I received the result of the combat. And it was a French victory! So an extra glass of wine that night to celebrate.
But I have not deceived myself that this is the first of many such victories. I have still not mastered the combat and points system. My own formations are measured in points, the enemy referred to in intelligence reports in terms of numbers. So I am quite unable to work out the odds before I commit to a battle. So it is only a matter of time before I get a good whipping.
Meanwhile it is good to be involved in a PBEM again. Trying to understand new combat and campaign rules, master a new map and try to sort out a campaign strategy is quite a challenge, and very enjoyable.
I hope that the Gods of War continue to smile on me, and that I am not in deep depression by this time next week.
