Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

One Question (When I was in Baltimore ten years ago we played table top every Tuesday team games one leader per side and we played what ever year that was agreed by all we had three or more players per side. The judge would be the commander of each side and he could give only writen down orders at the beginning of each hour,these orders were given to the nearest ME to him real orders such as attack to the NW of Waterloo or attack to the wood line south so an so town or village not attack to hex 350. If a ME was out of his range of command they were still on the same order the hour before till he was in range of that ME (moving element). Why do we not have Mul- player Mul- nations team battles such as the allies vs the French in 1806 or what ever year the commander can get a team to play the rules we use were Empire rules.

General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN

Monsieur it would move faster if you an others would push this on to your commanders the old school who still control this !

General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN

Over in the American Civil War Game Club I've played several multi-player games with orders rules similar to what you describe. I agree, it makes for a great experience.

<center>[url="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.r.barlow/nwc/nwc_personal_record.htm"]Brigadier General Antony Barlow[/url]
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/anglo_allied_army_stats/Anglo_Allied_Army_Cavalry_Corps.htm"]2nd British (Union) Brigade, Anglo-Allied Cavalry Corps[/url] ~
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/militaireacademie/dragoons.html"]4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards[/url] ~
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Clifton...

There is nothing stopping you from organizing such a game yourself.

Just ensure you have clear rules and proceedures from the outset and taht all are aware of them..

I am also invloved in such games at the ACWGC.. Great fun to especially if there is some role playing with charcters etc...

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<center>Monsieur le Marechal Baron John Corbin
Commanding L'Armee du Rhin
Grande Duc de Piave et Comte de Beauvais
Commanding the Division de Cavalerie de la Moyenne Garde
NWC President</center>

I think the point here, as in all endeavors, is that it takes someone to organize, plan and execute it. There in nothing in the club rules that would prevent such an endeavor. Actually the club rules encourage it. It has to do with the members who want to make it happen. A lot of work, time, and effort is needed to make such a thing happen as it did with the table top effort you experienced. It did not happen by itself someone had to get it going. Itonly takes one person with the willingness......

General de Brigade Pierre D.
Armee du Rhin
VII Corps, 22eme Division, 1ere Brigade

Quite" (I always like the idea of a multiplayer game with an umpire - or even one umpire each side - moving all the units in accordance with player instructions and the players themselves only seeing screenshots of the troops under their immediate command and in command radius, plus other units in LOS.)Rich
"Mon ami I will say it over an over the only bon contest to me is team play weather two or more Allied vs French then there will be no more master of Europe contest. Put a allied team togather to vs a French team in a 28 turn contact battle. the winning team faces another team till there one man standing. "
Marbot"That is so easy to do each player sends the game to the Corps commander who can act as empire and forwards all moves to the other empire much like our mul-player game but the empire can not change or make play much like the real Corp commanders but he can give orders weather the players do what he orders is the fun part because the other player would not know what the others moves were. This could be more then two players per team then this would be a club not a collection of players much like what table top is. But as it stands (NWC) now its the Big Doggs as we say here in the USA. Oh he the empire can not give orders like move your Cav to hex 304 he can only give real orders like move your Div to the east of Waterloo and so on . "
Marbot

General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN

Here are MHO on the Rules for this kind of play useing the HP Hypothetical battles 400 turns.
Historical rules
1. All Army commanders will police their own army all files go to him he will forward them on to the other commander who will return them back to him after review for infractions to the rules all problems of rules will be police by said Army commanders he will make the encode for his army as well .He will only move his Army commander to an ME to chance orders no other movement of ME’s or commanders (Div or Brig) will be allowed by Army commanders. Only when the Army commander gets within 20 hex can a ME active its orders. Once the orders are given to a Corps all Corps on the same road are active no written order is needed. Once the ADC is within 80hex of a corps or div ME the whole unit is active. In a Mul national Army the command is split between the allied commanders commanding their own Armies. Prussian Command will be Field Maréchal to 1 wing commander and one ADC British will have 2wing commanders 1ADC plus a Cavalry commander. The French will have One Army Commander and two wing commander two ADC. Note: only the AC or a WC can active a Corps or Div or Brig or Regt that are not on a road. Orders most be written and most have a percept location of defend or attack exmp: The Wing Commander writes to I Corps commander that his Corps is to Attack the enemy to his front, all of I Corps will be attacking to their front . The Corps commander can without writing to his Div commanders that they are to Attack. Examp: Prussian Army Commander to III Corps Commander your are to withdraw to Ligny. III Corps commander to Artillery unit blow all bridges south of your position before leaving. Army commander can call for new officers to join the battle from the Club placing them under the Wing commanders if one of the wing commanders leave the game these new commanders will tack over as new wing commanders the officer who left will be considered wounded in action an will get the legion of honor medal Chevalier. Wing commanders will know that they are active when they receive the file from their Army commander can not move till they get the file then they will move to their nearest Corps commander to move their ME.
2. Cavalry can not at no times charge into towns or cities or villages but can fight in same.
(a).cannot hold ground (blocking streets or Roads)
(b). Cavalry can move in Div or Brigade but can not attack in Div or Brig or regiment
. Cavalry can not fight in woods but can finish a charge in the woods and towns and cities.
©. Cavalry can stake up in Div or Bri or Reg in a hex to charge but all charges are done in Sq.
3. Sk Skirmishers can not be no more then 3hexs from parent unit in battle can be in woods and villages plus
(a) Special rule Prussian and Austrian light’s who come on the map with out parents are considered ME same as a Batt may move as other ME.
(b) Sk can not attack Art but may fire on them
© Only SK can fight in woods no form Infantry can fight in woods
4. Artillery cannot fire over friendly unites can not stack more then one unit per hex (only if the computer does in counter fire)
5.. Infantry most be in the same ME cannot interpretative another ME most be from the same regiment you can not stack different Brigade together.
6, A ME is a moving element any unit in a Corps


General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN

There were several moderated games run at the ACWGC, I understand the idea actully came from a napoleonic game system developed by Jean Tessier. Jess Norris ran one based on Gettysburg that I played in and I put together a game based on the Stone's River battle so he would have a chance to play in one. Later I ran a second game based on a what if scenario. Here are some links with information on the ACW games and the rules used. Unfortunately I no longer have a link to the original Tessier website and am not sure if it is still available.

http://brettschulte.net/Multi%20play.htm
http://home.comcast.net/~krmiller8/srmp/
http://home.comcast.net/~krmiller8/mp2/

As noted by several members the biggest problem is the person who moderates the game must be committed to it as it involves a lot of work and commits you to a long term project. The two games I ran lasted over 18 months each and were done over a period of about 4 years. They involved a lot of emails and a couple hours once a week doing the actual turn.

Some suggestions from one who has done it
1. If two people could be found with each one handling the orders/turn for one side it would make it easier.
2. During the approach march and night turns do several turns at once. In the games I ran I did an hour's worth of turns when there was little action during the day and three hours at a time during the night turns. Players were kept aware of whether the next week would be single or multiple turns and wrote their orders accordingly.
3. Keep the number of players down, if a player only has two brigades and they get wrecked early he will quickly lose interest. It also reduces the email you have to handle between players.


Captain Ken Miller
Armee du Rhin
VI Corps
19ème Division
1ère Brigade
1ère Leichte Infanterie Battalion - Haberman

Usually something like this gets started and then soon after folks drop and others are left holding the bag. Moves are slow, etc.

It takes dedicated members to finish these kinds of games.

I would much prefer to play a 2 on 2 MP game than to get into some large battle with 3 on 3. Its just that much more difficult to get the game file back to the other side.

Colonel Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, Cavalerie du V Corps, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

Monsieur Peters that is true but what I think will work is what I put in the rules #1 the type of game HP Hypothetical battles 400 turns. With this long game time is not important so long as the Team commanders hold their place#2. If a player leaves he still receives a reward the legion of honor medal Chevalier class if the club would so reward just for playing#3.the number of players per team is three but more may join Army commander can call for new officers to join the battle from the Club placing them under the Wing commanders if one of the wing commanders leave the game these new commanders will tack over as new wing commanders the officer who left will be considered wounded in action an will get the legion of honor medal Chevalier the equal award for the Allies.#4 If the files are not sent then the Army commander can consider that unit fighting on a defend and its up to him to hold that position.#5 Orders come only from one person to the wing commanders the ADC are control by the Army commander who can replace the missing officer with him self till a replacement is found. No more then a week will be given to all wing commanders to get their move in then their ME will be considered on a defend after a week the ADC moves their unit till they return if they leave their command will be open to any one who wants to join but till then the Army commander moves that ME under his ADC who most move to that ME. #6 Actually there's only two players playing on a side at any given time the two wing commanders the Army commander just moves one person and his ADC. Army commander can call for new officers to join the battle from the Club placing them under the Wing commanders if one of the wing commanders leave the game these new commanders will tack over as new wing commanders the officer who left will be considered wounded in action an will get the legion of honor medal Chevalier the equal award for the Allies #7 You would only move an send the file when the Wing commanders know that they are active when they receive the file from their Army commander can not move till they get the file then they will move to their nearest Corps commander to move their ME.#8. Then there’s the 400 points to the winner and the respect he would get if his Army wins I hope that the club can give the winning commander some kind of reward. All winning member will get the 400 points the loser would get 200 for just playing.

General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN

Hey Cliff, please use paragraphs..Man that post makes me dizzy! But not to busy to let you surround my russians, um, er, maybe that is why I am surrounded...

Feldmarschall Jim 'Prinz' Pfluecke
Commander, Austrian Cavalry Reserve
3 Graf O'Reilly Chevauxleger Rgt
Hahn Grenadier Bn

Monsieur Peters that is true but what I think will work is what I put in the rules:

#1 the type of game HP Hypothetical battles 400 turns. With this long game time is not important so long as the Team commanders hold their place

#2. If a player leaves he still receives a reward the Legion of Honor medal Chevalier class if the club would so reward just for playing

#3.the number of players per team is three but more may join Army commander can call for new officers to join the battle from the Club placing them under the Wing commanders if one of the wing commanders leave the game these new commanders will tack over as new wing commanders the officer who left will be considered wounded in action an will get the legion of honor medal Chevalier the equal award for the Allies.

#4 If the files are not sent then the Army commander can consider that unit fighting on a defend and its up to him to hold that position.

#5 Orders come only from one person to the wing commanders the ADC are control by the Army commander who can replace the missing officer with him self till a replacement is found. No more then a week will be given to all wing commanders to get their move in then their ME will be considered on a defend after a week the ADC moves their unit till they return if they leave their command will be open to any one who wants to join but till then the Army commander moves that ME under his ADC who most move to that ME.

#6 Actually there's only two players playing on a side at any given time the two wing commanders the Army commander just moves one person and his ADC. Army commander can call for new officers to join the battle from the Club placing them under the Wing commanders if one of the wing commanders leave the game these new commanders will tack over as new wing commanders the officer who left will be considered wounded in action an will get the legion of honor medal Chevalier the equal award for the Allies

#7 You would only move an send the file when the Wing commanders know that they are active when they receive the file from their Army commander can not move till they get the file then they will move to their nearest Corps commander to move their ME

.#8. Then there’s the 400 points to the winner and the respect he would get if his Army wins I hope that the club can give the winning commander some kind of reward. All winning member will get the 400 points the loser would get 200 for just playing.


General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN