I've been interested in playing out a late 20's/early 30's alternative timeline America for some time. Inspired in part or should that be parts by WW1 Americans, Hemingway, American literarture from the Spanish Civil War, Depression era b/w movies plus the juxtaposition between the US Cavalry and early mechanisation of the US Army.
A straightforward refight of the American Civil War never crossed my mind. There's plenty of potential in early C20th America for a convincing background set in any one of several potential timelines. But there you have it. Which one? Each background was a compromise.
All this has prevented me from doing something and I was itching to just 'do something'. Made worse when Maff, my regular gaming companion sent me some 20mm Sgt Majors Miniatures Wake Island Marines together with a Lledo diecast vehicle Pearl Harbour 50th Anniversary Commemoration set.
So, I decided, absolutely No set background. I need no rationale other than the conflict happens. With no background, I don't have to worry about factions, alliegences or back story. Leaving me to concentrate on just getting on and wargaming. I can simply mix and match forces as required by each game. America is large and diverse enough that different things could easily have happened in different states/seaboards.
For once, and hopefully this is the start of a new trend, I'm not going to sweat the detail. This is meant to be a fun mini project where the overall look and feel is far more important!
And of course there will be volunteers, advisors and military missions from other countries, just to add spice to the pot
Cheers
Mark
A straightforward refight of the American Civil War never crossed my mind. There's plenty of potential in early C20th America for a convincing background set in any one of several potential timelines. But there you have it. Which one? Each background was a compromise.
All this has prevented me from doing something and I was itching to just 'do something'. Made worse when Maff, my regular gaming companion sent me some 20mm Sgt Majors Miniatures Wake Island Marines together with a Lledo diecast vehicle Pearl Harbour 50th Anniversary Commemoration set.
So, I decided, absolutely No set background. I need no rationale other than the conflict happens. With no background, I don't have to worry about factions, alliegences or back story. Leaving me to concentrate on just getting on and wargaming. I can simply mix and match forces as required by each game. America is large and diverse enough that different things could easily have happened in different states/seaboards.
For once, and hopefully this is the start of a new trend, I'm not going to sweat the detail. This is meant to be a fun mini project where the overall look and feel is far more important!
And of course there will be volunteers, advisors and military missions from other countries, just to add spice to the pot
Cheers
Mark
Harry Turtledove did a whole series of books on an alternative America, which ran from the North losing the Civil War, right through to the end of the Second World War. By far the best of his books imo.
ReplyDeleteThe series was based on the traditional North/South divide and he makes good use of some very famous and not so famous people within the plot. I wasn't impressed with his other books, but these are something else.
http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/greatwar.html
Sounds interesting - I look forward to reading more.
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