American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Gentlemen of the Union & CSA persuasion alike <salute>

I post this in the belief, as set out above, that there is a dearth of MP gaming availability within the Club. Now, whilst I am well aware of the Wolverines on the Union side, the Gator Alley on the CSA side and the periodic MP games hosted by Blake Strickler, there is, it appears to me, that on a more general basis there seems to be little to nothing available, MP gaming focused, to the wider community membership of the Club. As an avid fan of MP gaming and, in personal preference to 1 on 1 gaming, I believe this is both a shame and indeed a shortcoming within the Club.

I know nothing of the doings of the Wolverines, there having been no posts by them either recently or otherwise. I am aware the Gator Alley may be involved in a continuous cycle of MP gaming but regrettably this seems to be exclusively amongst the members of that Division or an otherwise small select invited group of members. Blake Strickler’s notable MP Double Blind games are periodic, at best, and this must be understood and appreciated having regard to the time, effort and resources dedicated by him in the running of his noteworthy MP games.

Therefore, as I noted in my opening comment, there is it appears a dearth of MP gaming available to the wider membership of the Club, and for such members with an interest in learning of it and/or being involved in it.

I therefore invite the membership of the Club, both Union & CSA members alike, to speak out here, within the MDT where the color of our uniform is of no concern, and post their views, thoughts, ideas and indeed suggestions in relation to the point I have raised above.

Do I make a valid point or am I delusional…..you decide ?

_________________
Karl McEntegart
Lieutenant General
Officer Commanding
Army of Tennessee





Make my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed.

I also enjoy playing MP games and agree that they are fairly uncommon and would only comprise a small proportion of all games played.

I suspect the reasons behind there being so few is that a number of things are desirable for a fun MP game, such as:
Fast responders (files must be passed from player to player and then from team to team so if there is any delay this can rapidly slow the game to the point where it soon becomes a tedious affair; obviously the more players in a team the longer this can take);
Suitable scenarios (it is useful if the force on both sides of the scenario can be easily divided by the number of players in each team [e.g. for two teams of three you would ideally want three Divisions or three Corps per side]);
Reliable team members (those who can who act on agreed plans and can contribute to the formation of them [I have played with some who agree on a move and then the next turn they do something completely different thereby upsetting an entire strategy. Aargh! Equally, I have played with a player who departed from a plan (we had communication limitations in the game) but I was fine with that as I knew he was reliable and knew what he was doing (and glad he did it) because the situation had changed since we last spoke and his initiative was appreciated]; and
Lack of Time (even shortish MPs require a significant time commitment from all players).

When I was relatively new to the Club I was invited to join my first MP where we each commanded a brigade and the forces on both sides were equal. Although we had five players per side, all were fast responders and the 25-turn game was completed in about a month and a half. It was very enjoyable and I got to discuss various things (not just the game) with those from my own side. Also, being a newbie, I was able to learn more about how to play better by watching and talking with more experienced hands.
I checked my record and I have played ten more since then and they've all been fun.

Recently the Club introduced medals to encourage Members to play more MP games: Brotherhood Medal for Confederates; Eagle Medal for the Union.

I highly recommend MP games.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Thank you very much for your very insightful views in response to my post. I agree with them 100% also.

I wrote an in-depth and lengthy response to yours but during the course of doing so I was interupted in the middle of it. I returned and continued and when I went to post it I had been automatically logged out of the site and lost the entire message

_________________
Karl McEntegart
Lieutenant General
Officer Commanding
Army of Tennessee





Make my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed.

I am always up for an MP game I prefer Playing with other Southern commanders running the South

_________________
COL. R.T Coyne
7th Brigade 4th Division" Coyne's Cavalry Rangers"
1st Corp Army of Northern Virginia

i'm finally back in the gaming saddle (laptop bit the dust a year or more ago and I had more pressing matters to attend to than resuming gaming).

Hope this finds all well.

I honestly enjoy the MP gaming more than the 1v1 gaming. I get frustrated with some of the solo tactics I see, as well as that I don't really have the time to invest to figure out competetive strategies for playing 1v1. I would most definitely be up for more MP gaming.

Regards,
General D. McWaters

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BG David McWaters
ANV
7/2/II Corps
18th Alabama Infantry
Sharpshooters

Gentlemen <Salute>

Further to my initial post on the subject of MP Gaming I add my further thoughts hereunder for your delectation.

Playing an MP game is not just a matter of jumping in and getting on with it, there is somewhat more involved I believe. There are several prerequisites to an MP game that may very well determine whether it will be a success or a flop/disaster. These requirements focus more upon the organiser/s and players themselves than the actual gameplay itself. I will set out a list hereunder which I believe may be relevant factors. Whilst by no means exhaustive or even entirely correct perhaps, ( I am open to correction) I have deduced these from my involvement in a number of MP games organised and run by two members with notable credentials in this field, specifically Blake Strickler & Tim Reneau. There are doubtless many others within the Club with equally notable credentials and I mean no disrespect to them, I merely do not know of them and of their encounters.

My points below refer to an organiser, and this point is crucial, I suggest. There needs to be someone to organise a game, set out the structure & commands and generally keep the game on track throughout. Someone in overall command who calls the shots. This individual may or may not be a player.

Good Organisation, Good Communication and Good Outlook & Approach are key skills by all involved, I contend, to a successful MP Game. MP games can, and do periodically, dissolve into bickering, petty squabbling and chaos, and therefore I believe that the points noted hereunder should provide potential players the opportunity to consider whether MP Gaming may be a suitable option for them.

Organiser/s:-
Set Up & Explain Game Structure
Clear & Unambiguous Communications (Prior & Throughout)
Ability & Willingness to Control and Moderate Game Play & Possible Friction

Players:-
Understanding & Appreciation of MP Game Role
Co-operation & Compliance with Command Structure
Willingness to Engage & Flexibility of Approach
Humour & Respect
Game Flow & Timeliness (Orders/Turns/Comms)
Acceptance of Organiser as Final Arbiter

The ‘Bottom Line’ to successful MP gaming lies very much with each player involved, as I have attempted to outline above. It is a team effort, and meant to be so, and will only work when the team works/plays as a ‘Team’ and with that outlook and approach firmly and foremost in a players mind.
Another point worthy of note in MP Gaming is that these are, by their very nature, usually bigger games and of longer duration, often taking many months to complete. This is, I propose, a further consideration for prospective players.

I have not mentioned the optimum number of players in an MP Game, the matter is subjective perhaps. I suspect it sufficient to note however that the greater the numbers the greater the likelihood of friction/disruption, burnout, loss of interest etc. On a purely personal note I suggest that 3 or 4 players a side is a good and manageable number for which to aim.
In conclusion, I present these, my thoughts and views, on MP Gaming.

These are purely my personal opinions and I invite any and all members to respond with their thoughts, views etc as desired, either positive or otherwise. I will not be upset or otherwise bothered by contrary views, and indeed I may learn something.

_________________
Karl McEntegart
Lieutenant General
Officer Commanding
Army of Tennessee





Make my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed.

I don't like MP gaming but ... there has always appeared to be a sizable percentage of the membership that do/would like to indulge in MP games. What is missing is organization. Someone needs to maintain a list of scenarios that would be suited for MP gaming. That list needs to include short scenarios for those wanting to be introduced to it or don't have the time for longer scenarios. If there are members who would be willing to be organizers of a game, then they should be made known in a running list on a forum. I'm guessing that most MP games are started among 'friends' and not advertised in the opponent forums. That makes it difficult for someone new to the club to get a game. There could even be MP tournaments where your team stays together throughout the tournament. There is a lot of potential for fun out there. Somebody just has to take the reins and get 'er done.

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Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

A good first step might be the creation of a database of names/email addresses of people who a) would like to participate in a MP game or b) would like to organise a MP game. Maybe a pinned post on a forum. It would also not be too hard to create a set of scenarios specifically for MP, designed for 2-4 seperate commands on each side, focussing on balance and scale.

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COL. Dave Spencer
5th Brigade, 4th Division, II Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Sir,

Whilst accepting you do not like MP gaming, your point about organisation is excellent and indeed very much what I was attempting to convey in my posts. The additional points you raised are all very much on target also, I believe. An MP Tournament indeed, now there is an idea I had not even considered ! Thank you for very much for sharing your valuable insights and I shall note them carefully.

_________________
Karl McEntegart
Lieutenant General
Officer Commanding
Army of Tennessee





Make my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed.

Col. Spencer <salute>

Those are splendid ideas you propose and would be a very good first step. Indeed sir, in keeping with Gen. Simms contributions, the whole matter initially revolves around good organisation & set-up. I have noted and taken onboard both of your comments and ideas and shall set upon them without delay.

Thank you for your wonderful contribution, sir.

_________________
Karl McEntegart
Lieutenant General
Officer Commanding
Army of Tennessee





Make my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed.