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The thought process
in designing scenarios for almost all wargames is the same. For the inexperienced designer
it can be frustrating just getting started, this tutorial should get you going in the
right direction. If your are a seasoned designer please read on, who knows you may find
some helpful hints here or better yet share with us some of your own tips and suggestions.
The basic steps used in designing
scenarios are to research the battle, create an order of battle, input your map, deploy
the forces, and balance the scenario. Sounds simple enough, lets begin.
Research
A word of caution on researching
your first battle. Let me bore you with recollections of my first attempt at scenario
designing. I had played Steel Panthers to death and seeing all of the scenarios on the web
I decided it was time to design a scenario. About this same time I had watched an
excellent World War II flick on TV, A Bridge to Far. Seeing the desperate struggle
of the British Paratroopers at the bridge was exactly what I wanted to portray. I was
pumped. My own personal library was rather dismal, so to say. A trip to my local library
and bookstore resulted in not finding any material. I was desperate.
Just so happened that NovaStar
Game Company was looking for scenario designers and I decided to give them a call. After
talking with David Landrey and asking him for some pointers on getting started. He
suggested that rather than limiting your quest to an individual battle to instead keep an
open mind. Take a trip down to your local library, hey its free, and look at what they
have to offer. Look for sources in the theater that your interested in. After finding some
then look for an interesting battle to design your scenario around.
With this in mind I would first go
to the library and do a category (subject/keyword) search on a topic, for example Kursk.
Make sure to try different key words, if all else fails try World War II. Many libraries
now have their card catalogs on computer, if so then this will make your investigation
easier. The library systems computer for the county that I live in can even be accessed
via modem.
Grab the general books on the topic
and remember that most libraries generally don't buy detailed military history books as
these are expen$ive, rare, and or out of print.
Read and focus on specific aspects
(Model's Northern Army vs the Soviet 13th, or Manstein vs the 5th Guards Tank Army).
Familiarize yourself with generalities. Then pick an aspect that appeals to you, one that
would be fun to recreate. While not necessary, try to pick one where the odds or situation
seemed roughly even and it was skill or luck that brought about the outcome. Most
wargamers don't like to play one-sided battles, though many battles were in reality that
way.
This step is VERY important for
detailed scenarios, and trust me, when you post a scenario someone will nitpick your
details: look at footnotes and bibliography. Often these will list those books the library
won't have, but are more indepth for your field of study. Granted some may be in languages
you can't read or may be just manuscripts or documents stored in far away places, but
there are always references to very detailed studies that are available, just hard to
find. Don't forget that many libraries can obtain books via inner library transfers. Ask
your Librarian.
If you live close to a University
don't forget to checkout the selection there, especially those with ROTC programs. You
will have to ask the Librarian if the public can checkout books, if not you may have to do
your research in the Universities Library. The university near me did have an ROTC program
and I was amazed at how many books and articles I was able to find there.
Another source of material is used
book stores. A couple of used book stores near me even specialize in military books and
have a good selection. Who knows you may even find a good deal on an out of print book.
What information to look for? A
good source will have a detailed order of battle describing the combatants for both sides
involved. Either a map or else an aerial photograph of the battle field will be needed if
your going to create a historical map. Typically a book covering a single battle will have
more detail than say a book covering the entire war. A word of caution, usually a single
book will not have all of the information that you need. Especially if your wanting to
design the scenario using a historically accurate map. This is one of the reasons why
scenario designing can be an expensive hobby.
The internet can also provide the
scenario designer with a vast amount of "free" information. The biggest problem
is finding sites with information at the level of detail required for creating scenarios.
Help! The
Scenario Design Library has several books, magazines, and on line resources
recommended by contributing authors to the Wargamer's Scenario Archives. All of the books
in the library have the title, author, and ISBN number (everything needed to order a
book). You can either click on the title and order directly from Amazon.com or take this
information and order from another source. The online resources section of the library has
orders of battle that we have here at The Wargamer and links to sites that have orders of
battle, maps, and online books.
You can also go directly to Amazon.com or Barnes
& Noble Online and purchase books. Try there first because they'll have the best
prices. Then look for them at your favorite WWII book dealer (Aberdeen is mine--tell Tom Rory sent
ya!). Failing that I go to Stone and Stone
book search or thru Advanced Book Exchange for a
used copy. Usually these turn them up for very good prices, though they may be used or
very old.
Next week we will discuss creating
an order of battle, I hope to see you back.
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