I have started setting up my second mini campaign for 2025. This one is for my ACW figures.
Charles Grant's book of Programmed Scenarios has a chapter covering two styles of mini campaigns. One is a ladder system, which I am using for the WWII campaign and the other is grid based, which I am using for the ACW.
Rather than compromise his copyright here by detailing his map and system, I have made up my own campaign map, but the total inspiration for doing this is down to the Grant book and I will be using all of his ideas to manage the campaign and using the programmed element to it, which supports solo play.
As an example, Grant's map has two main roads, an east and a west road. At the start of play a dice is rolled to determine whether the attacker will drive down the east and screen the west or drive down the west and screen the east or do 40 / 40 down each road with 20% of the force given other tasks, including a reserve etc.
By also randomising to a degree the defenders 'deployments' and 'responses', the campaign should start to get a character of its own and feel fresh to my eyes despite all of the planning.
The map has some made up names, plus a few borrowed from various boardgame maps that I own, so it is typical rather than actual.
Next up I need an Order-of-Battle. I see the campaign being based around a division per side, with the attacker having a 3:2 benefit in numbers. The defender will be dispersed around the map, so the immediate effect will be greater than 3:2 as the attackers meet various outposts and blocking forces etc.
I will likely choose a division each from a historical campaign such as the Shenandoah in 1862 or 1864 or I might mix that up a bit as you also roll for leader character traits, such as whether a commander is bold or cautious etc as this plays into some of the programmed responses in the game.
Anyway, little steps, but with two campaigns now planned, the ambition that I set at Christmas to get some big picture stuff going, but using smaller games along the way is starting to take shape.
Both the WWII and the ACW campaigns will be supported over at my COMMANDERS site (link below), where once ready, I will open up a subject tab for each in the menu there. As always, thanks for looking.
LINK;
https://commanders.simdif.com/
