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.

Currently under development is a two-volume set on the Russo-Austro-Turkish War of 1735-39. At the time of writing (June 2008), the first volume, Türkenkrieg, has been published. The second volume, Heirs of the Golden Horde (HGH), should go into production this September, and be released in late November or early December of 2008. You can find information on Türkenkrieg by clicking on its title under our logo. HGH will cover the fighting between the Turks and the Russians in the Ukraine. Information on this game will be posted at a future date.

The War of the Austrian Succession has now been covered, but there are 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.

Pursuing the Jacobite strand after The Highland Quorum module for the Rising of the '15, we will be doing a game on the Irish War of 1689-92 (William & James & the Battle of the Boyne). In 1689 the forces of William of Orange met those of James II at the Battle of the Boyne, but although the Jacobite cause was lost on that day, the Irish then went on to wage a desperate struggle for independence. This subject may be expanded to cover Scotland and England, and may perhaps lead to games on the War of the League of Augsburg. At some point, probably as part of the Grand Campaign module mentioned above, we will make a 1744 alternate module for Charlie's Year. 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. Some preliminary work has been done with the Med, but a lot of tinkering is still required.

1812

Tom Klubi is currently working on a tactical game on the War of 1812 focusing on the Niagara campaign. There will be three battles: Chippawa (July 5, 1814), Lundy's Lane (July 25), and Cook's Mill (October 19). Later there may be an expansion module on Chrysler's Farm.

The statement above was written some time ago, but although the project is still not completed, quite a bit has been done. I have been assigned the task of map and counter art. The Chippewa map is done, and the Lundy's Lane map is underway; also many of the counters have been drawn up. Tom has asked me especially not to comment on what he's doing. Tactical games are tricky to get right, and Napoleonic tactics are the subject (apparently) of a great deal of heated debate. Tom's come up with an intriguing take on the interaction between the counters and the map, too, which gives a good tactical feel.

As a game, it should be quite challenging, as both sides were of comparable skill. The battles were actions involving at most a brigade or two per side. The challenge will be overcome a number of knotty problems involving the terrain, the limitations of command & control, and time.

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.