Future Projects

So, what's next?

The Lace Wars

The Lace Wars Series has spun off two strands so far. The first is the series of Cabinet Wars lasting from the late 17th Century until the Seven Years War (the War of the Bavarian Succession was a Cabinet War, but at this point does not seem feasible as a game). The second strand can be called the Jacobite Wars. Our next few projects will pursue both these lines.

To date (early 2010) we have released a 4-volume set on the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), and a 2-volume set on the Russo-Austro-Turkish War of 1735-1739. The first set comprises the games Cockpit of Europe, Charlie's Year, Sport of Kings, and Queens' Gambit, and the second comprises Türkenkrieg and Heirs of the Golden Horde.

The War of the Austrian Succession leads to a few peripheral subjects, such as the Russo-Swedish War of 1741-43. We will also be developing a Grand Campaign module for the Austrian Succession games, linking Cockpit of Europe, Sport of Kings, and Queens' Gambit; Charlie's Year will be an optional addition for the players (assuming the event occurs). This module will use as much material as possible from the already-published games, but there will be some counters and additional rules/charts. We are also working to bring these four games up to the same edition of the series rules (version 3.5).

Pursuing the Jacobite strand after The Highland Quorum module for the Rising of the '15, we have just released Remember Limerick!, which deals with the War of the Two Kings in Ireland, 1689-91. This subject may be expanded to cover Scotland and England, and may perhaps lead to games on the War of the League of Augsburg. However, for this year we will be reissuing Charlie's Year with the 3.5 version rules. There will be a deluxe boxed edition including 1708 and 1744 alternate history modules, plus The Highland Quorum version 3.5. And, as a parting shot, there may 1685 and 1719 games/modules: in 1719 small body of Spaniards landed in Scotland, but they were supposed to be a diversion from a much larger landing in England in support of the Jacobites. The main force was wrecked in a storm in the Bay of Biscay. This will probably take the form of a tactical game unless we can come up with the full Spanish OB. Similarly, we may do an operational study of Monmouth's Rebellion (1685), which was an abortive attempt to get rid of King James II immediately after his accession.

A third strand that became evident during the design of Queens' Gambit, is the naval dimension. The War of the Austrian Succession saw the rise of the Royal Navy to a psychological domination of the waves, but at the outset she was intimidated by the Bourbon powers, and thus this war is a good starting point. It was already clear that sea power was critical to the success or failure of the Jacobite Rising, and is treated abstractly in Charlie's Year, but it was equally important at an operational level in the Mediterranean, and at a strategic level, globally. Therefore we will be working on a naval system. At the moment the goal is a system separate from the previous games, yet capable of being integrated with them. The Western Med will be the focus of the first of these games.

As you can see we have quite a lot on our plate, and things are never completed as soon as we (or you) would like. However, we remain committed to our goals. Remember, we're always open to comments and suggestions. If you have any input, or a question, or if you would like to participate by playtesting a game, please do not hesitate to contact us.