A new book, and some ideas/questions for scenarios!

[Hancock the Superb]

I just got a new Gettysburg book - Gettysburg a Testing of Courage, by Noah Andre Trudeau. It has very detailed maps and information about the 1st day, then sort of peeters off for the 2nd and third days. However, I'm asking for scenario designers to probably look at this book carefully, because only 5 of the 6 of Cutler's regiments fought on the first day - the last was guard duty at Emitsburg (I'll get the regiment name in a bit), Cutler's brigade rested for some 5 minutes at the Peach Orchard before they started off to the ridges, Brockenbrough's and Pettigrew's brigades were behind Herr's ridge while Archer and Davis were mauled. Only 3 of Davis's regiment fought, etc.

To shorten this up, will our scenarios be historically accurate, or will they be like TC2M (sorry Norb, but some of them aren't historical, even though they say they are. Eg. Cedar Mountain - the Stonewall brigade was in 1/2 mile in the rear, not on the flank of Winder's line.

[Jim]

Scenarios are in two classes, historical and speculative. Both types of scenarios are written with multiple options and random events. These many variations add greatly to the replay value of a scenario.

In a historical scenario the actual historical paths and timing are among the variations. A scenario with only one fixed set of actions would be easily mastered as you would know when and where the enemy units would be appearing.

A speculative scenario is a what-if that did not occur in history. "What-if General Bob had attacked with his whole brigade at once?". These also include many variations, but allow the player to game out some of the questions that historians of the battles have asked over the years.

-Jim

[Chamberlain]

Hancock the Superb wrote:

I just got a new Gettysburg book - Gettysburg a Testing of Courage, by Noah Andre Trudeau. It has very detailed maps and information about the 1st day, then sort of peeters off for the 2nd and third days. However, I'm asking for scenario designers to probably look at this book carefully, because only 5 of the 6 of Cutler's regiments fought on the first day - the last was guard duty at Emitsburg (I'll get the regiment name in a bit), Cutler's brigade rested for some 5 minutes at the Peach Orchard before they started off to the ridges, Brockenbrough's and Pettigrew's brigades were behind Herr's ridge while Archer and Davis were mauled. Only 3 of Davis's regiment fought, etc.

To shorten this up, will our scenarios be historically accurate, or will they be like TC2M (sorry Norb, but some of them aren't historical, even though they say they are. Eg. Cedar Mountain - the Stonewall brigade was in 1/2 mile in the rear, not on the flank of Winder's line.

Hey Hancock,

I also read this book, and enjoyed it.

I agree, the maps are very detailed !!

Chamberlain

[estabu2]

I too read the book. Liked it better than Stephen Sears account and Sears is my favorite CW author.