Games like Aurora

[boggo2300]

Their agreement or lack thereof is irrelevant. Even dictionary definitions update with time, and this one isn't even that, its a cute reactionary esoteric title that got watered down with time. Especially in regard to computer games e.g. having an old computer that can't run games from the least 20years, has nothing todo with being a Grognard, only that you have limited options.

Well since they all would have been dead by the mid 1800's doesn't matter a whole hell of a lot.

you do realise that the only people who would even have known the term when it was first applied to wargamers would have been the people it applied to...

First time I was called a Grognard was in 1983 (and I was only 15) I suspect I'm one of the very last of the no choice but to start in Napoleonic (or Ancients) miniatures gaming because there was no other option (in 1978 I played my first game, and my Prussians were crushed by the Empire,  though since I was only 10ish not a real surprise, the guy who taught me (and beat the tar out of me for years) was a REAL Grognard,  he despised hex maps as a new fangled limitation that took away too much from reality,  and had nothing but contempt for WW2 gaming, I once got a 3 hour lecture when he saw a copy of AH's Panzer Leader rules in my stuff, and trust me,  he REVELLED in being a Grognard)

[Erik L]

When it comes to flight games, I prefer WW1. For ground type games, WWII +

[Mor]

when it was first applied[/b] to wargamers would have been the people it applied to..

Exactly my point, time change and with it its use. I wouldn't define myself with such esoteric title, because much like private jokes its only works if you tell it to someone in the know..

For you its your experience with Napoleonic miniatures and reaction to new rulebooks, later on it was adopted by veteran RPGs players vs the new rulebooks (every age repeats).... there is also a site by the same name and I assume some readers may take to the title like redditors.... and there is also how it used in PC games etc etc

I once got a 3 hour lecture when he saw a copy of AH's Panzer Leader rules in my stuff

Sounds familiar and in my experience the main reason for the negative association. Its like watching a tv-show with some who read the book and can't stop ranting how they did it all wrong through out the whole episode i.e it is great that we are passionate, but its important not let that suck out the fun for everyone else.

[boggo2300]

during those three hours though he was kicking my poor Prussians from the field of battle (and he may have actually been using the Grognards to do it, they were pretty much hell on wheels in Napoleonics)

[boggo2300]

When it comes to flight games, I prefer WW1. For ground type games, WWII +

WOOHOO  Blue Max FTW!!

horribly simple game but MAN was it fun

[Erik L]

WOOHOO  Blue Max FTW!!

horribly simple game but MAN was it fun

And Richthofen's War.

[boggo2300]

making FUN games was out of scope for AH surely

[83athom]

I can't believe no one said this one yet. Rule the Waves. It is a Naval game about 1900 on. Its turnbased for its main gameplay (where you design, research, build, etc) and has "realtime" (stop, slow, and speed up options available) tactical battles. When designing ships, you chose the main armaments, secondary and tertiary weapons, engine power, armor levels, tonnage, torpedoes, etc etc.

[boggo2300]

ooh haven't heard of that one,  considering it's time frame does it have ways to simulate the Protected to Armoured cruiser, and the Dreadnought revolutions?

[Bughunter]

ooh haven't heard of that one,  considering it's time frame does it have ways to simulate the Protected to Armoured cruiser, and the Dreadnought revolutions?

Yes it does by scientific development allowing more battleship-like designs with centerline turrets etc as things progress.  Looks like it models ship building during the period about as well as you could do it in a game.  Actually didn't start playing it yet, but it is on my todo-list.

[Vandermeer]

I had mentioned that in another thread one year ago, but "Solar War"

It is very much like Aurora where some trans-newtonian elements make fast travel possible, however it is restricted for Sol for now. (the guy making this announced plans to extend the game to more systems, but given how long this has been in development, it may not happen)
You can design your ships, have to balance the Earth's allocated budget (which you have to win via some diplomacy), then fend of various attempts of the aliens to strike you down as you build up larger fleets and eventually start pushing back through Sol into higher orbits.

The best part about this then is the officer mechanic, where you have to man every larger ship with a set of bridge officers that influence performance in various ways (despite focus lying more on fleet battles than individual ship personality), and then you also have to appoint (Rear/Vice/Normal/Fleet-)Admirals to each fleet, or the headquarters.

Off-Topic: show

Interesting, but also still basic at this time.

[boggo2300]

ok looks interesting, gotta ask though,  if you're restricted to Sol,  which is actually fine by me (Triplanetary FTW!) what is a warp array?

and is there a way to play it without aliens,  just human factions?

[boggo2300]

Yes it does by scientific development allowing more battleship-like designs with centerline turrets etc as things progress.  Looks like it models ship building during the period about as well as you could do it in a game.  Actually didn't start playing it yet, but it is on my todo-list.

Dammit I have to get it now

[Vandermeer]

ok looks interesting, gotta ask though,  if you're restricted to Sol,  which is actually fine by me (Triplanetary FTW!) what is a warp array?

and is there a way to play it without aliens,  just human factions?

The thrusters are only combat maneuvering, and not good enough to get you do other places short of the nearby moon of a body. Ships with warp engines are needed to go to the rest of Sol, and that means that you actually cannot leave Earth for a while since you have to research all technology that leads to light cruisers, which are similar to Aurora in that they can take some other ships with their "jump engines".(Alternative: Board an alien light cruiser)

There is only the story mode, and you cannot setup anything short of difficulty. That means one alien invader and a human faction, which is you, representing a chosen corpus of council member countries/ or the incarnation of a single country/ or I think there was also option to try doing it yourself, but that may be really stupid.

[boggo2300]

still sounds interesting, if not ideal,  whats the game development speed like?