11 replies to this topic

[W. Clark]

I just finished writing up rules for the Japanese campaign against the ABDA, 8 January through March 1942. I used TSC format as closely as I could but I had to make a few changes. The foremost was making the game turns bi-weekly instead of monthly and I tacked all of March on to get the possibility of 6 game turns.

 

Right now, I intend to play test it a few times to find the obvious bugs. I would then like to offer it in total to ODGW for possible development. I don't want anything for it, except to possibly see it in print. Personally, I'd play TSC until the cows come home, but not everyone I game with finds that prospect as alluring as I do and they want something different.

 

I love playing the ABDA in Java Sea in just about any flavor of the scenario I've seen, so the Malay Barrier Campaign seemed a no-brainer  when I started casting about for something different. I allowed for significant What-If ships on the ABDA side to allow the ABDA a somewhat better chance and to keep the campaign from becoming immediately stale after the first attempt at it.

 

I've never done this before, and I am open to any advice and/or constructive criticism.   

[Dave Franklin]

I am very keen to see what you came up with.  I did a 1-turn "Decision at Sea" structured game for the Relief of Wake Island that I thought worked pretty well.

 

I also started looking at the ABDA campaign, and one of the decisions I made was the same as yours - 2 week turns.  I wasn't looking at adding what-if ships like the Dutch Scharnhorst-like BCs, or the former HMS Tiger, like were in the GQ3 Royal Netherlands Navy supplement, but I had ABDA able to get/keep ships - e.g. USS Boise doesn't automatically hit a reef.  I made it a Theater Event that ABDA loses a (random) ship to striking a reef.  IIRC, there was a way for ABDA to get another Brooklyn class CL from some convoy that was escorted to the area, but I don't recall the specifics.

 

When I was doing my research, I found some references to an ABDA campaign that was in a old [naval?] wargaming magazine - including IIRC some references on TMP.  I believe the author was Nathan Forney - the author of TSC.  I have never been able to run down a copy, and as I wrote this, I was unable to run down any links referencing it with a couple of quick searches.  I certainly would love to get a copy of it, or of what comes from your efforts.

 

Dave

[W. Clark]

Give me an email address and I'll send you what I've done. I written the rules, including the engagement card, OOB, Theater events, and intelligence reports. I simply used the weather forecast from TSC. The Japanese actually get to generate land based air strikes against the ABDA Naval forces by die roll. The rest of land based air comes from the theater events for both sides. I would not expect much from the Allied air. The Japanese air from the theater events will probably have more impact than then their straight out air strikes on naval targets.  I've not done ship cards as I only have the ability to provide ships cards if I mix regular and deluxe ships at the moment. I intend to give what I've done so far to ODGW outright and hope they will publish it along side TSC and SS; but that is out of my control.

[Dave Franklin]

One of the things I was looking at, was equating ABDA victories to delays in the IJN advancing their land-based air support - i.e. less chance for the IJN to get land-based air the next turn.

 

My email: franklin_d at comcast.net.

 

Thanks!

Dave

[W. Clark]

I didn't do that as I thought of the campaign as a one off, but I see no reason that could not be explored.

[W. Clark]

Members of the Forum. I've lost my play testers due to our pesky economy. My email is wmc2424@yahoo.com if any of you are interested. You will find that I'm quite open to suggestion as far making changes that improve the rules and this is your chance to get in on the ground floor so to speak.

 

At the moment there are two versions. The original (and shorter) version starts on 8 January 1942 and runs through March for a maximum of six bi-weekly turns. The second (and longer version per Dave Franklin's suggestion) starts on 8 December 1941 and adds two bi-weekly turns to the original version. In both versions the format follows TSC system (except the turns are bi-weekly rather than monthly). I've run one complete campaign of the shorter version that went fairly historically in that it the Japanese won by the end of turn five. There is an after action report of the first daylight surface engagement (The Battle of Karimata Strait) from the play test listed in the AAR section of this forum if you are interested.

 

In any case I need help play testing the rules, so please contact me if you are interested.

[W. Clark]

I've suspended development on either version of "Breaking the Malay Barrier". I do so so I can get behind Dave Franklin's "ABDA Campaign". IMHO, it simply a far superior product. So much so, that IMHO if you were to break the ABDA Campaign and Breaking the Malay Barrier concepts down into groups of ten, I would prefer Dave's treatment outright in 8 out of 10 with the ninth a toss up and the tenth somewhat in my favor. I have a copy and if the campaign was in ODGW's store I would purchase it as is. Its in play testing now and hope we will see a great deal more of it here in the future.

[pvt64]

Where can these campaigns be found?

[Cpt M]

The campaign is currently under final development.  A definite release date has not been determined, but it will be this year.

[pvt64]

CPT. M that is fantastic need!

[W. Clark]

I ran the campaign several times to help play test it and IMHO it is a real gem. The game might appear to be totally in the Japanese favor at first glance, but to say that is deceptive might just be the greatest understatement I've made all year. The randomness of the engagement set ups can allow for a smaller force to ambush a large one. You just don't know what curves theater events and luck are going to throw you from one turn to the next. This one goes down to the wire, game after game.

 

I can hardly wait to purchase the finished product and ODGW will have produced another quality product.

[pvt64]

Cannot wait for it!