JJ,
After reading your WAB tombstone notes I agree on many of your points. Pity you have no (limited) interest in CoE. Being a veteran WAB 1.0 to WAB1.5 player I grew up on those rules for my ancient gaming after schooling in WRG 3.0 to 5.0 (never played 6.0 or higher). That last sentence sort of dates me (you played WRG3.0?). Played a few games of WAB2.0 with Harold H. and company but with the "written on the wall downgrading" of WAB in recent years I switched to the known WABlike successor aka CoE.
CoE is different to WAB2.0 in the small points as you mentioned. Players could come and go between those rules if they kept a mini-crossover chart handy.
CoE has a more restricted army list formatting so the power gamers as you mentioned will never show up (as you know). The army list just don't allow it. But, just like WAB2.0, any player can create historical scenarios or battles... so with a historical OB or at least some information on the army makeup, a scenario can be played.
For example, we just used your Granicus 334 BC scenario for a recent game formatting in CoE. David K. had no problem formatting to CoE from your WAB designed notes. I thank you for your Granicus scenario thoughts. Blog link if interested about the AAR: http://wargamerabbit.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/coe-battle-of-granicus-334-bc/
I view the future of ancient gaming as a bright star. With the slow disappearance of WAB during the next few years (only players with the rules will continue to play)
the WAB successor may still yet be written. I prefer CoE to be that ruleset, and with the rapid expansion of the free .pdfs and their supplement books, they may become a larger part of the ancient gaming world.
HC I have played two games, both of which I enjoyed. My only issue is the "free form army lists and setup". Power gamers will like HC as too many of the rules have a "open ended" feel. For friend on friend games, no problems. A handshake and cold beer solves all. Placed into a tourney situation, the field judges better wear some armor, especially if two Alpha A's are facing off.
W&C I have never seen a game so I must withhold comment. Gamer grapevine seems to like the rules... do you like grapes?
One day I hope to met you in person for a handshake. Till that day, enjoy your gaming. I too have a original copy of Chainmail.
Michael aka WR
P.S. You have a open invite to join us for CoE game in the future.
I am aware this is very short notice... for this month (Sunday 27th) the game is 28mm Ancient Indians vs. Ancient Indians. I guess 4-5k points per side.
________________________________
From: "Jonas, Jeff" <jjonas@soe.sony.com>
To: "WABlist@yahoogroups.com" <WABlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 11:15 AM
Subject: [WABlist] WAB... tournaments... the future.. the wake
WAB is the past. There's no reason why players can't continue to play it.... after all Avalon Hill's Alesia game is still fun and the company has been dead for eons.....
Tournament players are about growth, and adding new players in abundances so it seems that it must be a 'living' system to feed the organism.... oh well...
Now that WAB is a dead organism it will become dust in the wind no doubt.
My take is that the WAB crowd will be happier with a WAB like instrument, CoE or WaC..... I do not play either. CoE kind of put me off since it was WAB with a whole bunch of things to make it harder to remember how to play ,and mostly made my brain hurt*. For example it could have just been WAB with new character rules variant-- by simply printing out those pages. Changing how hits and wounds and saves work-- without changing the probabilities is humorous and one can simply play CoE with any WAB army book...(*whereas WAB2 had fewer bunches of things to remember).
WaC I don't know...
HC is not really a game more a pastime....
But I'm somewhat put off by the whole scene nowadays.. it's all been a big flop. Rules book, then wait for supplements formula..... every system is points related, every system can be gamed by people who don't give a damn about historical orders of battle. WAB was nice because the points bring and play system folded in well with the WFB world, it was a similar cousin... now that it is dead and WFB goes off the cliff in its new goofball variations the points based bring and play motif is not appealing. After years of putting up with can my war machine crews charge that enemy in the flank, or can I throw my Naffatun bombs at nothing so they cause Terror, I've decided that it's better to just have an army that has the right number of velites- the right number of hastati and the right number of triarii vs. the right number of phalangites, than to have to always field a force that will have to be prepared for any player's goofy idea as to what an army
is... how about Carthage with no cavalry!!! How about Alexander with no Companions just Skythians!! How about all Spartan elite hoplites in one unbreakable unit.... or the dude who could never figure out why his German fanatics could not have heavy throwing spears after Fall of the West came out (so he sold his army)...or the dude who keeps winning every year with the same stacked army....it was all tragically fun wasn't it???
But it's not all bad... great times... great armies in 28mm , great new friends.... being part of great projects.... it's all been a positive experience. HC, CoE, Impetus, FoG, aint gonna inspire me to drive to HCon anymore... but that's also because I personally have less time and focus. The next great game has yet to be written for 28mm ancients... but I don't want it to be WABlike anymore....I hope it comes along soon. In the meantime I want to get out my old copy of Chainmail and have a few good games....
JJ
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