VaS Expansion: Age of Dreadnoughts?

[Michael Hopcroft]

Have you had any thoughts of extending the Victory at Sea game backwards in time to the Age of Dreadnoughts? This would cover the period from 1898 (the Spanish-American War -- and it would be really cool if the USS Maine were included!) through the 1900's (Russo-Japanese War), World War I up through the early 1930's when the VaS game currently begins.

The rules additions themselves would probably be seamless, if not completely unnecessary; you'd just need to find someone to do the ship data and counters. The tactical differences would be dictated by the technology, and intelligent players should have little trouble discerning them.

 

[Mr Evil]

id like to see it also go in the direction of victorian fantacy space 1889 style, with steam space ships and the such

 

[captainsmirk]

Ummm...

Age of the Dreadnoughts?


The HMS Dreadnought (the first ship of the type classed as Dreadnoughts, although the Japanese Satsuma was first but was sucupered because the Brits didn't give them enough 12" guns...) was launched in 1906...

Therefore that is the beginning of the Age of Dreadnoughts...

Though the Maine would be interesting (if explosive... :shock: )


Nick

 

[Nerroth]

HMS Thunder Child versus Martian tripod perhaps?


Gary

 

[Michael Hopcroft]

HMS Thunder Child versus Martian tripod perhaps?

I'm not sure I'd want to play the HMS Thunderchild in that scenario....

There are several things about the era I can't fathom; like how the Spanish got caught so bloody flat-footed in Manila Bay that Dewey was able to sink the lot before the crews even woke up, much less got their guns into action.

Of course, pre-wireless command and control must have been a real challenge for those fleets; I'm not sure if any of the major engagements of either the Spanish-American war or the Russo-Japanese War were fought on the open sea. Although it is beyond the scope of VaS, just having even a clue where the enemy is on the strategic scale must have been horrendously difficult.

Maybe someone with a better grasp of history could inform me on whether there were actually any engagements involved in the 1905 Potemkin mutiny (where the crew of a Russian battle cruiser took over the ship, slaughtered the officers, ad ran around the Black Sea before finally being forced to take refuge in Bucharest and hand the ship over to the Romanians because it was the only Black Sea port that wouldn't shoot the lot).

 

[DM]

There are several things about the era I can't fathom; like how the Spanish got caught so bloody flat-footed in Manila Bay that Dewey was able to sink the lot before the crews even woke up, much less got their guns into action.

The fact that Spain was totally unprepared for a war that was artificially thrust upon them through a false causus belli was probably a contributory factor

Of course, pre-wireless command and control must have been a real challenge for those fleets; I'm not sure if any of the major engagements of either the Spanish-American war or the Russo-Japanese War were fought on the open sea. Although it is beyond the scope of VaS, just having even a clue where the enemy is on the strategic scale must have been horrendously difficult.

Several actions in the RJW were fought in open ocean (or at last as "open" as one could get in the area of operations). And of course the RJW wasn't "pre-wireless, since both sides had it and used it effectively. Finally, the "strategic" scale issues (at least at an operational level) are being addressed in a set of operational evel campaign rules for VAS. I also have a set of campaign rules for the RJW that could easily be adapted to VAS come the happy day when a pre-dreadnought version hits the streets (after the WW1 version).

 

[The Greek]

There are several things about the era I can't fathom; like how the Spanish got caught so bloody flat-footed in Manila Bay that Dewey was able to sink the lot before the crews even woke up, much less got their guns into action.

The fact that Spain was totally unprepared for a war that was artificially thrust upon them through a false causus belli was probably a contributory factor

See also Pearl Harbour.......

 

[Happy_Wanderer]

Yes,

Please give us the supplement for The Era for the First World War and back to pre dreadnought activites in the Russ Jap War, Sp/Am war, etc.

This is the main reason I bought the system and I think the game lends itself very well to this 'gun dominated' era.

Consideration to any special attributes of this era will make it different to WW2 and further enhance the difference of the periods of play.

Cheers
HappyW

 

[seldon]

I add one vote in the same line as Happy_w !!

 

[hodgski]

Me too please.

 

[Ostmann]

VAS - Age of Dreadnoughts

Would be excelent, I personly think VAS is more suited for this era, less Aircraft!!! more battleship combat

 

[klingsor]

I would like to see the Great War and particularly the pre-Dreadnought eras covered, for the latter say from Lissa to Tsushima though the pace of evolution might make it tricky to cover even those forty odd years in one volume. I must admit a great deal of affection for Steampunk as well though this latter one would require design rules.

 

[DM]

Lissa to Tsushima would be tricky. I've written rules for these periods before and the characteristics of the ships, weapons and tactics makes then very different and difficult to accommodate efefctively in a single set. As aresult I'd be more inclined to split the periods from say 1850 to 1880 in one set, 1880 to 1905 as another.

 

[Mr Evil]

what would be clever is if some one worked out rules to convert priates ships to VAS from their little stat cards you know the ones them little card ships you build

 

[DM]

I did some thinking about an age of sail version but it quickly morphed into something completely different from VAS. Back to the drawing board I think.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Hi guys,

Just to let you know, this project is being worked on - expect to see something later this year. . .

 

[DM]

LOl, age of sail or dreadnoughts? That statement could be taken both ways

 

[MongooseMatt]

It could indeed

 

[DM]

Mongoose's very own International Man of Mystery

 

[Mr Evil]

gues you didnt make it to swindon then DM ?