Post by leman on Oct 14, 2016 15:11:57 GMT
Tabletop Wargames: A Designers' and Writers' Handbook - by Rick Priestly and John Lambshead
I have written a not particularly favourable comment/review of this book on the Pendraken site's forum. I do not believe this book does what it says on the tin. I think a more apt subtitle might well have been 'a justification of why I write rules the way I do.' I certainly do not believe this book would help the general wargamer to write a set of rules. Just a couple of points to illustrate my frustration with this book (the only one in 64 years I can remember actually hurling at the wall). Firstly:
Too much randomness de-skills the gaming experience.One reaction to this issue was the development of the average dice ........... but these are pretty much obsolete. No doubt somewhere there is an extant rule set utilising them but offhand we can't think of one. A more elegant solution is simply to roll more dice.
Give me strength - despite his 'research', he did not come across Honours of War, the Lardies' If the Lord Spares Us or the various guises of Piquet?
Here's another little pearl of wisdom:
In reality it is only occasionally that wargamers will get together and attempt a refight of an actual historic battle.
I don't know about you, but about 50-60% of my gaming is refighting actual battles. There are just too many of these offhand remarks to enable me to take this book seriously as a guide to writing rules.
Verdict - don't line this man's pockets.
I have written a not particularly favourable comment/review of this book on the Pendraken site's forum. I do not believe this book does what it says on the tin. I think a more apt subtitle might well have been 'a justification of why I write rules the way I do.' I certainly do not believe this book would help the general wargamer to write a set of rules. Just a couple of points to illustrate my frustration with this book (the only one in 64 years I can remember actually hurling at the wall). Firstly:
Too much randomness de-skills the gaming experience.One reaction to this issue was the development of the average dice ........... but these are pretty much obsolete. No doubt somewhere there is an extant rule set utilising them but offhand we can't think of one. A more elegant solution is simply to roll more dice.
Give me strength - despite his 'research', he did not come across Honours of War, the Lardies' If the Lord Spares Us or the various guises of Piquet?
Here's another little pearl of wisdom:
In reality it is only occasionally that wargamers will get together and attempt a refight of an actual historic battle.
I don't know about you, but about 50-60% of my gaming is refighting actual battles. There are just too many of these offhand remarks to enable me to take this book seriously as a guide to writing rules.
Verdict - don't line this man's pockets.
