American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

<center><font size="5"><font color="brown"><b>ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢</b></font id="brown"></font id="size5">
S.K. Hendley / R.D. Richard

www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhrules.html</center>


<font color="red"><div align="left"><u>Update</u> (3-12-07)</font id="red">

<b>Kudos!</b> to the <i>Shiloh 1.03c</i> update that includes Mr. Tiller's <i>new</i> "captured" artillery patch. Section XIII Artillery Capture house rules have been sent to the <i>oblivion</i> netherworld if only for safekeeping as historical reference.

[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVB"]IV.B.[/url] Dismounted Skirmishers (see [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVB3x"]3. Exception[/url] & [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVB6"]6. Exceptions[/url])
[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVC"]IV.C.[/url] Dismounted "Retreat Before Melee" (see [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVC1aX"]1.a. Exception[/url])
[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIID"]XII.D.[/url] Skirmisher Fire/Melee Qualifiers (see [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIID3x"]D.3. Exception.[/url], [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIID5x"]D.5. Exception[/url], & [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIID7"]D.7[/url])
[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIE"]XII.E.[/url] Skirmisher "Retreat Before Melee" (see [url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIE1aX"]E.1.a. Exception[/url])

<font color="white"><u>Additions</u> (1-15-07)</font id="white">

[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIII"]XIII. Formation Combat Effectiveness[/url]
<ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIIA"]Brigade[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIIB"]Division[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIIC"]CE Recovery[/url]</li></ol id="a">[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Appiv"]Appendix iv - A "Fair Exchange"[/url] <font color="orange">(10-23 to 10-24-06)</font id="orange"><blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><font size="4"><font color="yellow">"I have reviewed your proposed hexside fire limitation rules and will consider them as an optional rule in a future release." --John Tiller (2-26-03)</font id="yellow"></font id="size4"><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"><blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><font size="4"><font color="yellow">"But as stated below, I have no problem telling my designers to include your rules in the set they have under consideration and then with priority order established in that set, work towards implementation." John (10-23-06)</font id="yellow"></font id="size4"><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"><hr noshade size="1">
<font color="red"><u>Table of Contents</u></font id="red">

[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Intro"]Introduction[/url]
<ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#I"]Stacking[/url]</li>
<ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IA"]Terrain / Melee / FTH Limits[/url]</li>
<ul><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Table"]Table[/url]</li></ul><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IB"]Stacking Order[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IC"]Road Column Formation Stacking[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#ID"]Leader Stacking[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IE"]Unit Facing[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IF"]Reserve Status[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li></ol id="a">
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#II"]Command & Control: 'Friendly' FOG[/url] <font color="yellow">(Advanced)</font id="yellow"></li>
<ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA"]Brigade Officers</li>[/url]
<ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA1"]Base Brigade Command Range[/url]</li>
<ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA1_a"]In Command[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA1_b"]Out-of-Command[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA_1x"]Exceptions[/url]</li></ol id="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA2"]Leadership Quality & Enhanced Command Range[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIA3"]Road Column Chain-of-Command[/url]</li></ol id="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIB"]Division Commanders[/url]</li>
<ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIB1"]Base Division Command Range[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIB2"]Leadership Quality & Enhanced Command Range[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIB3"]Command Points (CP's)[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIB4"]Detachment / Attachment of Subordinate Brigades[/url]</li>
</ol id="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIC"]Corps / District / Army Commanders[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IID"]Detached / "Independent" Command</li>[/url]
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIE"]"Separated" / Leaderless Reinforcements</li>[/url]
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIF"]Provost Troops / Leader Escorts</li>[/url]</ol id="a">
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#III"]Offensive Melee Qualifiers[/url] <font color="yellow">(Advanced)</font id="yellow"></li>
<ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIA"]Coordinated Melee[/url]</li>
<ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIA_1"]Single Hex Coordinated Melee</li>[/url]
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIA_2"]Multiple Hex Coordinated Melee[/url]</li></ol id="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIB"]Miscellaneous Melee Qualifiers[/url]</li>
<ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIB_1"]Road Column vs "Shock" Column Formation[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIB_2"]Isolated Units[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIB_3"]Dismounted Cavalry[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IIIB_4"]Mounted "Reconnaissance" vs Mounted "Line"[/url]</li></ol id="1"></ol id="a">
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IV"]Dismounted Cavalry Qualifiers[/url]</li><ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVA"]Restrictions[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVB"]Skirmishers[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVC"]"Retreat Before Melee"[/url]</li><ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVC_1"]Eligibility and Melee Qualifiers[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IVC_2"]Dismounted / SS Skirmishers[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li></ol id="1"></ol id="a">
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#V"]Mounted Cavalry Qualifiers[/url] <font color="yellow">(Advanced)</font id="yellow"></li><ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VA"]Reconnaissance Formation - V. 2[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VB"]Mounted "Line" (Melee) Formation[/url]</li><ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VB1"]Mounted Line Eligibility[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VB2"]Mounted Line Restrictions[/url]</li></ol id="1"></ol id="a">
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VI"]Phase-based Combat "Friction"[/url]</li><ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VIA"]The Pin[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VIB"]Field of Fire Influence[/url]</li></ol id="a">
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VII"]Turn-based Qualifiers[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#VIII"]Artillery Capture[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#IX"]Wagons[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#X"]Breastworks[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XI"]Surrender![/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XII"]Skirmishers[/url] <font color="yellow">(Advanced)</font id="yellow"><ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIA"]Skirmisher Formation[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIB"]Facing / Movement / Stacking[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIC"]"Skirmish" Command Range[/url]</li>
<li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIID"]Fire / Melee Qualifiers[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIE"]"Retreat Before Melee"[/url]</li>
<ol type="1"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIE_1"]Eligibility[/url]</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIE_2"]Dismounted / SS Skirmishers[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li></ol id="1">
</ol id="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIII"]Formation Combat Efficiency[/url]</li> <font color="yellow">(Advanced)</font id="yellow"><ol type="a"><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIIA"]Brigade[/url]
</li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIIB"]Division[/url]</li></li><li>[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#XIIIC"]CE Recovery[/url] <font color="red">(Optional)</font id="red"></li></ol id="a"></ol id="1">[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Appi"]Appendix i -- Setup Options (Recommended)[/url]
[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Appii"]Appendix ii -- "Show Don't Tell" Wish List[/url]
[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Appiii"]Appendix iii -- Open Letter to John Tiller, 3-24-03[/url]
[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Appiv"]Appendix iv -- A Fair Exchange[/url] <font color="orange">(10-23-06 / 10-24-06)</font id="orange">[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhr_mainframe2.html#Appv"]
Appendix v -- Reference Source Materials[/url]</div id="left"> 
<hr noshade size="1">
<center><font face="Trebuchet MS"><font size="3"><font color="beige">In Memory of a determined fellow warrior and creative friend, John Tristan Schuler</font id="beige"></font id="size3"></font id="Trebuchet MS"></center>
<div align="right">[url="http://www.shoelessbivouac.net/acwhrules.html"]ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢[/url]
R.D. Richard / S.K. Hendley (3-13-07)</div id="right">

This is very detailed and makes for some interesting reading

<center>
Lieutenant General John Corbin
Commanding officer
Army of The James
USA</center>

Most have personal beefs major or minor, Mine were always about command control, These command and control rules are excellant!![:)][:D][8D]

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

Thank you, Colonel Best, suh, and Lt. General Corbin <salute>.

This is the 3rd draft of our ACW Campaign House Rules. All the rules to date have been successfully playtested. All House Rules, of course, require the honor code and <i>manual</i> observance to make them successfully override an otherwise [stubbornly <g>] pre-determined computer AI code. But <i>honor</i> and your <b>ACW Game Club</b> have always been synonymous (and Pierre's indefatigable spirit) with how the club's philosophy materialized in the first place.

Preparing and playtesting the house rules have proven fun and a satisfying diversion from standard fare. [:)]

Again, I duly appreciate your comments.

Warm Regards

Field Lt. Shoeless (Denny)
(Retired) Secretary of the Cabinent, CSA



<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka

Congratulations on a disciplined effort. Just what the doctor ordered. I recall a few PBEM games against one opponent who blithely & brashly conducted a series of melee en column efforts through Gettysburg. When chastised I next encountered mega-stacks of infantry & artillery using a combined arms doctrine of which I was not familiar. It went downhill from there. Thank goodness for opponents who have some historical consciousness & thank goodness for those who try to codify the historical-gaming connection.

How many (approximately (remember I do my counting with my socks off too)) were involved in playtesting these rules?

Are there any boardgame or miniature game rules that served as a model or were all derived from experience playing Tiller's HPS Campaign ACW series?

Is 'grumpier grognard' an oxymoron?

'Confederate pontoons' was one of the funniest play on words in recent memory!

Great illustrations! Source, please.

Col. Dale Henken
2/ 1/ XVI AoT

A fascinating read and very well thought out and presented[8D]. It makes the regular gaming experience look rather simplistic and fairly unhistorical in some areas. I just wish that some of those ideas were actually coded into the game as many gamers have a limit to how much added complexity/work they are prepared to accept in the form of house rules. But reading that certainly has me wanting more from my gaming experience. Thanks for sharing this with us[:)]

[url="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.r.barlow/acw/acw.htm"]General Antony Barlow[/url]
[url="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.r.barlow/aoc/XXAoC.htm"]Army of the Cumberland[/url]

Thanks, Bill. Acknowledging uncertain advances in "real time" wargaming prospects, I have never given up on finding a satisfactory pair of phase-based and/or simultaneous turn-based summer-cool shoes. May we stay cool at home this summer even if America can hardly contain the 'global-warming' abroad, eh?! --Denny

<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Dale H</i>
<br />Congratulations on a disciplined effort. Just what the doctor ordered. I recall a few PBEM games against one opponent who blithely & brashly conducted a series of melee en column efforts through Gettysburg. When chastised I next encountered mega-stacks of infantry & artillery using a combined arms doctrine of which I was not familiar. It went downhill from there. Thank goodness for opponents who have some historical consciousness & thank goodness for those who try to codify the historical-gaming connection.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Thank you, Col. Henken. Excellent observations as well -- I too applaud your attention to a more historically-based (reverent) style of wargaming.<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">How many (approximately (remember I do my counting with my socks off too)) were involved in playtesting these rules?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Actually, all playtesting has been conducted by Mr. S.K. Hendley and myself, coupled to encouraging early reviews at www.consim.com and from fellow cohort, Tris Schuler, and last but not least my own two older brothers (Ellis and Steve). ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ have evolved as a "work in progress" ever since Mr. Tiller's "Campaign Corinth" was released back in 2000-2001. Although, our "detachment/attachment" rules and suggested (optional) Division Command Point routine is brand new for this year.<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Are there any boardgame or miniature game rules that served as a model or were all derived from experience playing Tiller's HPS Campaign ACW series?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">As noted, Dale, under the <u>Introduction</u> section, all ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ owe the greater measure to Mr. Richard Berg's "Great Battles of the American Civil War" regimental / grand-tactical series of wargames. All additional source material has been cited either within the closing Introduction remarks or the house rules, themselves.<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">is 'grumpier grognard' an oxymoron?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">I belie you make an irrefutable observation, suh. [8D]<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Great illustrations! Source, please.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Thanks, again, for your good cheer. Virtually all my scanned-to-jpg sources have been modified and at the same time accompanyied by qualifying text. Of all the picture books on the ACW that I own, the ACW Time-Life Series of books has some of the more agreeable pics to scan and modify (i.e., add "diffusion," "vignette," "layered" border effects, etc.).

Thanks again for your thoughtful, grumpier-less (cheerful) observations. Acknowledgin' the almost incalculable battlefield casualties to our officer corps, Colonel, I believe you are on your way post haste to becoming a venerable brigadier. --Denny

Fld. Lt. shoeless
Secretary of the Cabinet, Retired

<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Antony Barlow</i>
<br />I just wish that some of those ideas were actually coded into the game as many gamers have a limit to how much added complexity/work they are prepared to accept in the form of house rules.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"><salute> My sentiments, exactly, General Barlow. --Denny

Fld Lt. shoeless
Secretary of the Cabinet, retired

<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka

I agree with others, it makes good reading and you should be
commeneded for the effort you've put in this exercise.

On the other hand, the games in which we engage are abstracts of
real life. Many of the rules built into the game would never be
observed in a real life encounter. An example: As the game enters
a player's melee phase, a victory hex, determining the scenario's
outcome is occupied by a single mounted cavalryman. Six regiments
surround him, yet they cannot melee him. He'd be dead meat in real
life, if he didn't surrender. But it's an abstract designed to
prevent infantrymen from meleeing on foot, against a mounted
cavalry regiment that could ride right through them.

Your suggested house rules alter a number of important facets of
our abstract scenarios.

A regiment using road or trail bonuses reaches a specific hex
by using what the game allows. Preventing it from initiating
melee in that turn forces it to under go not one, but two rounds
of defensive fire. The game engine allots casualties based upon
the predictability of what would happen in real life, in that
situation. The two "alternate" rules do enough in that regard,
by levelling off all the potential results. The fact is, no regiment
on the run would stand in place to absorb a second round of defensive
fire. And since his movement points are determined by how far he can
move, as a cohesive unit, in the given time, that's exactly what
it is, making the regiment stand in place. The carnage was bad
enough, but imagine if this rule had been in place at Burnside
Bridge.

By the same token, a unit moving adjacent to an unlmbered artillery
battery is forced to undergo a second volley of canister. Well
placed 2 gun batteries along a defended line would almost have
the effect of abatis, even though none was provided in the scenario.
An attacking general, faced with the prospect of leaving his regiments
out in the open to be butchered by artillery and supporting infantry,
...just wouldn't attack.

I've mentioned just two, but in my eyes, there are many others.
The games are designed, for the most part, to be playable, as is.
Many of these suggested house rules hinder a player from using
the mechanics of the game to succeed.

I would suggest some heavy play testing before we agree to incorporate
any of these rules as club house rules.

-Salute

Gen. J. Cuneo, CSA
Army of Alabama, Commanding


"I have seen the faces of men, who had dared death so often, it lost its' terror." -J.S. Mosby

I'm a touch concerned by any mention of "club house rules"... I'm not sure if that is the intention of this post. I'd originally taken it as a "suggestion", rather than saying that this style of play should be mandated upon the club members. As a suggestion, I have no issue with it (not my thing, but as a voluntary set of house rules, my opinion is minor). As a developed set of voluntary house rules, I'm sure there are those who wish to use them. On the other hand, they should never be endorsed by the club as "the official way to play the game."

Major General Gary McClellan
1st Division, XXIII Corps
AoO,USA

I defer to you, General McClellan, perhaps I'd misunderstood
the title of the above volume.



Gen. J. Cuneo, CSA
Army of Alabama, Commanding


"I have seen the faces of men, who had dared death so often, it lost its' terror." -J.S. Mosby

Denny
Have you sent these rules to John Tiller or to HPS? I think this is is the next level in our games but it needs to be encoded.

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tony best</i>
<br />Denny
Have you sent these rules to John Tiller or to HPS? I think this is is the next level in our games but it needs to be encoded.

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Greetings Colonel Best, AoG,

I'm sorry to get back so late in the day . . . I do my best, in any case given the current state of the 'union'.

As to your query, no, I haven't sent JT our set of House Rule Essentials directly, but given your thoughtful suggestion, I will git him a copy asap -- by tomorrow (Friday). Thanks for the encouragement.

Field Lt. Shoeless,
Secretary of the Cabinet, Retired.

<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Gary McClellan</i>
<br />I'm a touch concerned by any mention of "club house rules"... I'm not sure if that is the intention of this post. I'd originally taken it as a "suggestion", rather than saying that this style of play should be mandated upon the club members. As a suggestion, I have no issue with it (not my thing, but as a voluntary set of house rules, my opinion is minor). As a developed set of voluntary house rules, I'm sure there are those who wish to use them. On the other hand, they should never be endorsed by the club as "the official way to play the game."

Major General Gary McClellan
1st Division, XXIII Corps
AoO,USA
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">To Maj. Gen. McClellan, USA,

Yes, <i>voluntary</i>, to be sure. Indeed, to quote the Introduction: "ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ offers a challenging manual override for the more determined intermediate to grumpier grognard player alike, who seek increased historical color and realism within the fixed code and scope of John Tiller's "Civil War Battles" [HPS] series of games." The key herein is the term "offers" . . . as opposed to "demands"? or "dictates"?

In any case, our ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ remains a living, breathing work in progress. Shannon and I chose to go in a slightly independent direction from playing the pc game as provided under a simplified and regrettably fixed, proprietary code, which is not to say ACW Club Members can't simply continue to play the game as is (i.e. without house rule mods, etc.)

warm regards, Denny

Field Lt. Shoeless, CSA
1st Tenn Provisional Army
Secretary of the Cabinet,Retired

<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka