Amateurs on the Potomac: Fighting the Civil War’s
Neglected Early Battle, in The Battle of Ball’s Bluff
by Jim Werbaneth
Wargaming the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95
by Emory Earl Toops
Coming Attractions: Developer's Notes for The Invincible
Armada
by Jim Werbaneth
Variety of Battle: Scenario Design Notes for Firepower
by Jim Werbaneth
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by Jim Werbaneth
At last, the new Line of Departure. Honestly, I agonized over what
date to put on the cover, but the most honest one seemed to be the simplest:
2015. Then I’ll start fresh with a Spring 2016 issue on time.
As
promised, the centerpiece of the issue is Emory Earl Toops’ treatment of games
on the First Sino-Japanese War. Originally, I planned to publish this in two
parts, but when I put this twenty-one-page magnum opus into a standard Line
of Departure format, it went to twelve pages, without columns or
illustrations. This is the upper limit of publishable articles, but it fits, and
I would far rather publish an article in one piece. From the American point of
view at least, this certainly qualifies as an obscure conflict. From that of the
combatants, it was a key step on the road to world power status for Japan, and
for China, one more stop on the road to second-class status. The Middle Kingdom
ended it with its place assured as a country that did less, than had things done
to it.
The lead review further fulfills a commitment to cover magazine
games. One can be sure that in the long run, Line of Departure will publish
articles about the usual suspects of the magazine genre, with Strategy &
Tactics, Command, and Against the Odds consistently
represented. With this issue, War Diary
makes its first appearance, with John Poniske’s game on the Battle of Ball’s
Bluff, from the Civil War. For most gamers, even the more knowledgeable on the
War Between the States, this battle is obscure, and maybe even the punchline of
the occasional joke. Yet here, the designer shows that it was a more interesting
clash than generally accepted, and a good subject for a wargame. One might
excuse the larger publishers for not risking capital on it, but Ball’s Bluff
certainly finds a niche in the magazine context.
The demands on my time
are going away, slowly. The next one to go is my commitment to getting a second
Masters in military history. I’m not quitting that, by any means, but I did sign
up for the last class that I need, and it should be finished at the end of
February. Then I intend to take three months off before starting the formal
study and review process needed to take my comprehensive exam. So classes will
be finished by the first of March, and the degree itself by the end of October,
or so I’m planning now. For the record too, I have no plans to pursue any more
degrees. I’m a bit old for the time, work and cash needed for a doctorate to be
worthwhile for any purposes but my ego. As for other Masters, the same reasoning
applies, along with that I am just burned out from this one. Besides, I had the
extra motivation that this is in military history, a subject that has fascinated
me since childhood. Quite frankly, no other topic has interested me as much as
history, and especially military history, so much and for long. That includes
political science, by way.
The last few months have remained crazy. I
finished the development work on Mark McLaughlin’s The Invincible Armada
game for Turning Point
Simulations, and completed several chapters on a book project; I’ll let you
all know more as the information becomes public, but I am excited about it now.
Unfortunately this year has had more than its share of crises. There were
more than the usual plumbing problems, car repairs, as well as day job
headaches. Unfortunately I also had some health issues; I’ll spare you all the
details, but very hopeful that unpleasant surprise will give way to getting it
all under control. I’m not about to croak or anything. I have too many books to
read, and too many games to play. Still, I absolutely the aging process, and
can’t stand talk about getting old gracefully. I’m going deeper into middle age,
and toward my silver years, with an absolutely bad attitude, and more defiance
than acceptance. Not even the prospect of being a dirty old man has any appeal.
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