RSG News | |||
Opening StatementThis page is intended to provide short updates about our activities. You can find further information at Consimworld.com, under the following folders:
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15 May 2012 KK FilesAdded corrected At War - At Peace Chart for Kabinettskrieg. Added Missing Event Chart and Replacement Table for Kabinettskrieg. The PDFs can be found on the Support Page under KK Materials. | |||
5 May 2012 KK ScenariosAdded 4 Minor Scenarios for Kabinettskrieg. Kudos to David Hughes! The PDF can be found on the Support Page under KK Materials. | |||
1 May 2012 Production UpdateWe are now in the process of shipping. Most games are scheduled for pick up today, and the rest will move shortly. I have made some minor changes to the home page. Hopefully the instructions are clearer now. It's time to move on to the next project. As I mentioned some time ago, the next two projects will be a second game in the Sea Lords series (Caribbean 1739-48) and a game or module on the 1741-43 Russo-Swedish War - the War of the Hats. The goal is to release both at the same time, hopefully by January 2013. We'll see how that plays out. | |||
10 April 2012 Production UpdateWell, Murphy's Law reared its ugly head again. Still, there has been some progress. I had hoped the games would be ready to ship this week, but next week seems more likely now. It all depends on how quickly the die cutters can complete the job. | |||
19 March 2012 Production UpdatePrinting is well under way for a variety of games, including Kabinetskrieg. I've been told proofs will be ready this Wednesday. The longest wait will be for the counters. They were being assembled last week and should go to the cutters this week. So it looks like the 'end of March' estimate for collection and shipping will be close. Things may run into early April, though. | |||
22 February 2012 Kabinettskrieg progressYES! we have a price on Kabinetskrieg. List price is $340; discount price is $255. | |||
21 February 2012 Kabinettskrieg progressMinor alterations to KR&Os 3.75 and the following Kabinetskrieg files: Spanish, Habsburg, Sabaudian Notebooks, plus the At War/At Peace chart. Minor glitches. The corrections will appear in the published material and future digital copies. Anyone wishing the most recent material may download them from the Game Support page or write and ask for a copy. In summary: in the KR&Os, a couple of changes to the Prestige rules - taking a Prestige-fortification always scores Prestige, even if it is unoccupied, plus Veniality is now subject to a LC. If the leader fails, Veniality is successful. In the Spanish book, a typo (duplicated paragraph); in the Habsburg & Savoy books, Mirandola moved from Mantua to Modena on the Conquest charts (historically, Mirandola was ceded to Austria by Modena in a last ditch attempt to avoid invasion, but for game purposes it is easier to assign it to Modena. The AW/AP chart was duplicated but the duplicates were not identical; now there is 1 sheet. Regarding the price, I am STILL waiting for a final quote. I do have enough information to set a price, but in my experience, when I do that the shop always shafts me by giving a higher quote than expected. Soooo, we wait. If need be, production can start on the old games first while they sort things out (old titles take up about half the print run this time around). | |||
19 February 2012 Kabinettskrieg progressKabinetskrieg, and all other recent orders will start production February 23rd 2012. All requests (paid for or not) must be submitted by February 22nd at the latest. If you have made a request but have not paid, that is OK. But, we cannot add to the print run after it has started. At the same time, however, we ask that you please pay for your pre-order by the 22nd if at all possible. Regarding the final price of Kabinetskrieg, I am still waiting for a complete quote. I have confirmed the price of counter sheets, however, so the counter set is now listed as a separate item on the front page (I could make a fair estimate of the remaining costs, but I'd like confirmation from the print shop). The bad news is that the die cutters raised their prices. The good news is they have agreed to continue, so we don't have to look elsewhere, AND, the printers lowered their price - the net effect is that the counter costs have not changed (Huzzah... I guess). (As an aside, after much hemming and hawing, it turns out the new owner of the print shop hasn't handled anything as complex as a game before, and the old owner was secretive about his calculations. Hence the delay. However, they are working on it and I ought to have the numbers reasonably soon - Monday, hopefully. As you will see from the front page, the counters are not cheap, even when discounted. Add that price and the price of the maps, and add a third again, probably, for the rest of the paperwork, and my ballpark of $300-$350 seems right). | |||
11 February 2012 Grand Lace Wars FilesAt last! The Grand Campaign module, Kabinettskrieg (KK) has been completed. The project has gone to the printers for review, and we are taking orders now (but read on). There are two 'issues' we are currently dealing with. First, the print shop is dragging its feet in presenting a bill, so I cannot give you a price on the boxed version of the module. I do believe it will be quite expensive - probably in the $300 range. The second problem, mentioned in an earlier post, ties in with the first: the die cutting company is wingeing about the job. It is not clear whether they will deal with us any more. This may mean a delay in production as we will have to find an alternative company. Meanwhile, I have taken some steps to give you cheaper options on the KK module. First, the Print and Play copy is already available for the asking. Price $90 USD. Next, you will have the option of buying ONLY the new maps (they replace the maps for COE, SOK and QG) or buying ONLY the die cut counter set, or buying both packages, sans boxes and rules. See the home page. The text files and various displays can be downloaded from the Game Support page for FREE (or we can email them to you). There is now a Baltic extension for Sport of Kings. This was developed as a part of the KK module, but is also available separately. The package includes 5 new maps and explanatory notes. Ownership of Sport of Kings is required. Another bit of good news: we finally have a shipping calculator for ALL Paypal purchases. You will see the home page has a new look to accomodate the requirements of the calculator. Shipping after payment by IMO or cheque, or (most importantly) shipping on orders of multiple games from overseas, will still have to be calculated using the charges listed at the bottom of the home page. FYI Paypal calculates shipping based on the price, not on size/weight. However, I think the costs will be comparable. If you find any errors in the process or disagree on the charges, please write and I will see what can be done. Lastly, links to Vassal mods for Turkenkrieg and Heirs of the Golden Horde have been added to the Game Support page. | |||
17 January 2012 Grand Lace Wars FilesAdded the last of the Kabinetskrieg maps (QG and SOK). See Game Support. Be warned, even though PNG, the files are large. No price on the module as yet, but the print shop is working out a quote for me. Production is still slated for some time in February. In related news, we are experiencing some 'issues' with the company that does the die cutting. Hopefully, we will be able to come to a solution soon, but just a 'heads up' that there may be a delay if we have to find an alternate source. | |||
5 December 2011 Grand Lace Wars FilesAdded yet more Kabinetkrieg files. See Game Support. Specifically a draft of the exclusive rules and the bulk of the charts and tables. Missing are the sequence of play (unchanged), TEC and counter info (dependent on final artwork), plus a few charts not yet done. | |||
23 November 2011 Grand Lace Wars FilesAdded more Kabinetkrieg files. See Game Support. Specifically a draft of the latest basic rules KR&Os 3.75 and a compilation of the KK orders of battle & player Side notes. Also posted is the Cockpit of Europe (KK Flanders Theatre) map. The SOK (German) map is underway. You are welcome to download these files for your own use, but if you come across any mistakes, or have a comment to make, please contact us. Now is the time to point out any mistakes on the map! The counter files remain 'up' but have undergone significant overhauling in the last month, thanks to a number of contributors, and are thus out of date. Hopefully, the KK special rules will be posted in the near future, along with the charts. These are more or less done, but need pruning. | |||
23 October 2011 Grand Lace Wars FilesAdded more Kabinetkrieg files. See Game Support. You are welcome to download these files for your own use, but if you come across any mistakes, or have a comment to make on the utility of the counters, please contact us. Still to come - various Leaders. | |||
18 October 2011 Grand Lace Wars FilesWe continue to make good progress with the Grand Campaign module for the War of the Austrian Succession. The working title is Kabinetkrieg. In hopes of persuading the public to help vet the counters and maps, we will be posting the draft files to the website. The first counter files are up now. Have a look under Game Support, at the top of the page (Kabinetkrieg material). You are welcome to download these files for your own use, but if you come across any mistakes, or have a comment to make on the utility of the counters, please contact us. | |||
9 October 2011 Website MaterialAdded corrected material and errata for Sea Lords (new section Sea Lords section of the Suport Page). The Mistral map has also been updated (fixed Sea Lane key and Port boxes for Gib & Port Mahon). These files are available on request. We have some hopes of securing the use of a printer large enough to reprint the map on a single sheet, so for now the map is not available as a general download. Note that DDVs purchased on or after today have been corrected. The Fighting Instructions (basic rules) have also been corrected, but this is an ongoing effort; the rules will not be made available until the next game in the series is published. We welcome questions and comments about the rules. The Grand Campaign module for the Austrian Succession is progressing well. Hopefully, the first files will be posted for review by the public later this month. | |||
10 August 2011 Website MaterialAdded an example of play for Sea Lords (Play Aids section of the Suport Page). Added link for Vassal mod of Remember Limerick!. Added Mistral Commentary (Support Page). | |||
9 August 2011 Mistral Now Shipping | |||
6 August 2011 Mistral Production UpdateMistral is finally boxed and will begin shipping the week of August 8. Other on-demand items ordered with this print run will also ship starting next week. | |||
29 July 2011 General UpdateThe production of Mistral etc. has taken a couple of weeks longer than anticipated, but as of today the counters are being die cut. This should mean the games can be assembled next weekend and be shipping mid-August. We greatly appreciate your patience. While waiting we've begun work on a Grand Campaign module for Cockpit-Sport of Kings-Queens' Gambit. This is going to be an expensive 'vanity project' involving new maps, new, battalion-scale counters, as well as rules for linking all three games. I may post the first drafts on the website so that interested parties can examine them for errors (and pick up free, if imperfect, copies). The module will probably be sold primarily as a DDV. Die cut counters and paper maps will be available separately, by special order. It appears that there will be around 20+ counter sheets (meaning a production cost of about $100 for the counters alone, per set). I also hope to include a simple tactical game - the 'full battle system' mentioned in some of the earlier rules. The project could be completed before the end of the year. | |||
25 June 2011 General UpdateThe Mistral print run is now underway (including copies of older titles by special order). We estimate mid-July as the ship date. Thanks to all the subscribers who have already paid - that's most of you! I have requested a handful of spare games, but if you haven't yet ordered a copy, you may be in for a long wait. The digital version will be available once the boxed version begins shipping. | |||
31 May 2011 General UpdateMinor news: thanks to Miguel Angel Sanchez Galan there are now Vassal modules for Sport of Kings and Queens' Gambit! Visit the Vassal site or follow the links given on our Game Support page. Big news: we are on the point of releasing a new game and a new series. The game is called Mistral, and the series is called Sea Lords. The series' subject is operational naval warfare in the Age of Sail. The game's subject is the War of the Austrian Succession in the western Mediterranean. Apart from 8 minor scenarios and a campaign game, Mistral can be linked with Queens' Gambit to create a monster multi-player campaign. Mistral will be available in boxed and digital form. The boxed version will include wooden pieces representing the higher formations. List price for the boxed game will be $130 USD. Pre-order price $100. DDV price $25 (and no shipping, naturally). I had hoped we could keep the price under $100. Unfortunately the cost of components keeps rising and we needed a larger map and more counter sheets than originally planned. And the weak US dollar isn't helping. So, pre-order! The game will go to print at the end of June, provided we get enough orders. As usual, the printers want money up front. Also, boxed versions of the other titles will be available through this print run, at their pre-order price. | |||
23 October 2010 General UpdateIt's been a couple of months since the last post - better say something. Well, we're still busy designing games. The latest project is a naval complement to the Lace Wars series. These modules will tie in with Queens' Gambit, Cockpit of Europe, and Charlie's Year; there will also be (at minimum) a game on the West Indies, 1739-48. The paired games can be played independently of each other. The work is progressing well, and feedback from play testers has been positive, but the system still has some way to go. No glimmering of a release date yet. The test subject is the Med 1741-48. At the moment, the game consists of a single counter sheet and a single "industry standard" map (22x34) - which we will have to produce as 4 panels. Ideally, I would like to use wooden pieces (not "blocks", though). We're experimenting with the use of cards, but this will not be a card-driven game; the cards will (if they work) be used to add uncertainty about player intentions. | |||
24 August 2010 Charlie's Year Deluxe UpdateGames are shipping now. 99% have gone out the door. In a couple of days the website should show CYR (Charlie's Year Redux) and the two modules as separate products. Currently, we have no copies of the game organised in this manner (except as DDVs) but as of today we do have about 10 unclaimed copies of the Deluxe version. | |||
11 August 2010 Charlie's Year Deluxe UpdateCourtesy of the die cutting company, there will be a slight delay - I had to send three of the sheets (that is, the same three sheets from each game) back to be redone. They will be ready next week & the games ought to be packed, shrink wrapped & set to ship before the end of the month. Some good news. All the other reprints (there were quite a few) are ready to ship and will be moving out this weekend. | |||
31 July 2010 HGH AAR & RL! DDVJust added David Hughes' comprehensive after action report on an Heirs of the Golden Horde scenario. An earlier version of this file was posted on Consimworld. This version includes maps and illustrations. Also, Remember Limerick! is now available in digital form. Price $25 USD. | |||
20 July 2010 CY Deluxe Goes to Print!At long last Charlie's Year Deluxe (CYD) - using version 3.5 rules and including new maps, new counters, and three bonus campaign scenarios - is ready for the printers! The game also includes The Highland Quorum module. I originally intended to include a 1708 scenario, but the subject is quite complex and requires more research. I do not want to rush the project. It will be made available as a separate module. This is a limited edition item (either you ordered it or you didn't) although I've ordered a handful of extra copies to be safe. For this reason, the game will not be listed on the front page just yet. List price is $210 USD. I want to emphasize that no one will be paying that. Pre-order price is $160 USD. Shipping costs have not changed. We are accepting payment now (and I need money or the printers won't start work). Also, some time over the next couple of weeks I will be making Remember Limerick! and CYD available in DDV format. Prices will be roughly 1/3 of the boxed edition. | |||
14 May 2010 CY Deluxe New, plus Added corrected HGH CRT to the available downloadsThe original CRT had certain columns partially reversed. Very confusing. Regarding the remake of Charlie's Year, we now have over 60 copies requested. Production is still scheduled for Summer 2010. The printers have our requirements, but we're still waiting for the estimate. | |||
21 February 2010 Posted List of Rules AcronymsCheck the Support Page (Misc) for a list of acronyms used in the rules. This list is open to additions; please write if you have any. | |||
22 January 2010 RL! GE Images upPosted Google Earth images for Remember Limerick! Also, the Commentary & Annex are available online. | |||
15 January 2010 Website News & Future ProjectsThe website homepage has been updated. Ordering is now possible through the use of the Paypal buttons beside each listed game. This process uses the familiar "shopping cart". Please be aware the page is still being developed. The cart should work properly, but shipping charges have not been automated - you will have to check the shipping rates on the table below the list of games and add the appropriate amount to your order. Hopefully this part of the process can be automated in the near future Regarding future projects, we have two underway at present. The first is the development of a naval system as a complement to the Lace Wars series. The games will be small and relatively inexpensive, playable on their own or in combination with affiliated "land" games. The second project is a reissue of Charlie's Year using the version 3.5 rules. In addition to simply posting the new rules and charts, we plan on printing a small number of boxed deluxe editions, which will include reworked maps, all counter errata, the complete Highland Quorum module (also updated to 3.5), plus scenarios for the planned 1744 and 1708 invasions (both with additional sets of counters). If you would like a copy of this deluxe edition, please let us know, as we will only print sufficient to fulfill existing requests. No price as yet. It will be published in 2010. Assuming the above projects are completed in time, an additional project will be the issue of a Grand Campaign scenario for the War of the Austrian Succession, linking SOK, COE, and QG, and possibly CY2. | |||
23 December 2009 RL! Production NewsAll games are back from the printers, and we will begin shipping immediately after New Years. There are about 20 copies of Remember Limerick! left. | |||
10 December 2009 RL! Production NewsLast components of Remember Limerick! submitted to the printers; release date looks good for New Years. If you've preordered and not paid yet, or are still on the fence, better hurry. We only have about 30 copies left! | |||
10 November 2009 New Charts & RL! Production NewsAdded Unit/Auxiliary Class Summary charts to the Game Support page. There is a file for 3.0 and a file for 3.5. These sheets were missing from a number of copies of COE and CY2. They are for use with volumes 1 through 4 of the Lace Wars series (the War of the Austrian Succession). Remember Limerick! is still on track for a New Years release. Through pre-orders we have already sold over 60% of the production run, so get your order in soon! | |||
17 October 2009 Remember Limerick! Going into ProductionThe following is a copy of a letter sent to our customers and retailers. If you did not receive the letter (there were a certain number of returned mails), please contact us (rsgmail@shaw.ca). Hello Everyone, This newsletter is going out to all Red Sash Games customers and retailers. This is my first attempt at using bulk mailing software, and while I think I've organised the mailing list correctly, there could be errors. So, if you do not understand why you are receiving this letter, or you received half a dozen copies, please contact me so I can correct the problem! (I hate spam just as much as the rest of you). Eventually I'll figure out how to set up an automated subscription group. For now, just email me. I would also like to remind you that we now have a News page on our website, which is why my infrequent flyers have become more infrequent. New Products RSG is pleased to announce we are starting production of our 7th game in the Lace Wars series, Remember Limerick! (The exclamation point is part of the title). RL! deals with the war of 1689-91 in Ireland, between James II and William of Orange. You can find the historical details on our website (look under the list of games on the left side bar). The boxed game, with die cut counters, will retail for $100 USD. We are accepting money for pre-orders, and the pre-order price is $70 USD.RL! also has a set of bonus maps which change the scale by 200% (9 maps instead of 2), which we are selling separately to reduce the cost of the game. The cost of the bonus map set is $40, or $30 as a pre-order. A DTP version of the game will also be available, for $77. We do plan to release a DDV (digital download version) of the game, but not until our shelves are cleared! You can expect the price of the DDV to be about 1/3 of the DTP price. Retailers, please contact me for pricing. A lot of (married?) people are finding it harder to justify buying games these days; if the funding is not there just now, you should still ask for a copy. That way we can ensure the printers produce enough. Pre-order prices will remain in effect until shortly after the game's release. You can also check our website for a list of retailers. The release date is scheduled for just after the year end holidays. Old Titles Now is the time to request boxed copies of our older titles. We were pretty well sold out of all our games, but the new print run gives us an opportunity to produce some more at an affordable cost. These games will only be printed by special order, and will be discounted to their own pre-order prices. They will be available at the same time as RL! is released. By the way, copies of COE, SOK, and QG will be the upgraded (3.5) versions (only Charlie's Year remains to be upgraded). Other News In addition to RL! a number of other projects have been completed this year: 1) Upgrading the rules for Cockpit, Sport of Kings, and Queens' Gambit to the new series standard (version 3.5). 2) A comprehensive example of play for version 3.5. 3) A Cyberboard mod for Turkenkrieg, designed by David L. Jones. 4) A Vassal mod for Cockpit (thanks to Joel Toppen). Hopefully he will have the time to create other mods for the series. 5) As I mentioned above, we now offer DDV versions of all of our games. These are essentially the DTP version of the game, available electronically - that is, you have to print and assemble the components yourself. That's all for now, except I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over the last few years. We greatly appreciate it! Best Regards, Ian Weir |
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1 October 2009 Heirs of the Golden Horde Now Available in DDVHGH is now available in digital download format. Price $45. Also, on request, we are making available the TK/HGH combined game as a DDV. Price $50 (you save $25). This offer has no time limit. In other news, we hope to have a price on our latest title, Remember Limerick! shortly. We are taking names for pre-orders on an unofficial basis. Release date is projected to be year end, as usual. | |||
3 September 2009 Latest Title Remember Limerick!Remember Limerick! is Volume VII in the Lace Wars series. The subject is the War of the Two Kings: Jamie & Billy head to head, in Ireland, 1689-91. You can find more information through the left side bar. | |||
2 August 2009 Missing ChartsSome copies of COE version 3.5 may be missing the updated Campaign Plan charts (especially the DDV copies). Our apologies, but the missing charts are now available on the Support page. | |||
26 July 2009 Revised Example of PlayAdded the latest (3.5) version of the Comprehensive Example of Play to the Support Page. Please write if you find any ambiguities or outright errors! | |||
25 July 2009: Added Updates for Queens' Gambit 3.5 (see Support page) | |||
20 June 2009 SUMMER SPECIAL!For a limited time only, RSG is offering a two-for-one special: buy a copy of Heirs of the Golden Horde and receive the additional components needed to play Turkenkrieg for FREE.The HGH box contains everything necessary to play TK except for the counters and maps. For $200 you will receive a boxed copy of HGH plus a set of TK maps and die cut counters. This saves you $159 off the cost of buying both games complete. This offer is good for any of the remaining 8 copies of HGH on our shelves. | |||
2 June 2009 Consimworld Expo ResultsFrom May 25th to May 31st RSG participated in the annual CSWX held in Tempe, AZ. This year we made an attempt to play the Grand Campaign combined scenario for Türkenkrieg and Heirs of the Golden Horde. Five players participated over the course of the event, in what is optimally a four-player scenario: Imperials: Ian Schofield, John Curran; Muscovites: Mark Kramer; Turks: David Ells; Tatars: Ian Weir. I was very pleased with the outcome. Apart from the propaganda effect (the game took up more table space than any other game present, including MMP's Case Blue), the game proved itself to be playable. With the exception of myself and Ian Schofield, all the players were novices, if not entirely new to the system. Nevertheless, they picked up the basic mechanics quickly, and we were not only able to play several turns before packing it in (as is usually the case with a "monster game"), but were actually able to finish the scenario! The Imperials won, with the Russians a close second. We used the 1737 start. This scenario can last up to 48 monthly turns (16 per game year), with each month comprising 4 "impulses" in which each player conducts "operations" once per impulse, followed by a simultaneous "admin" phase. Those unfamiliar with the system can reckon each impulse as equivalent to a round of play, so 48 turns comes out at 192 rounds. In this particular game, the independent timing mechanism ended play after about 30 turns (120 impulses or "rounds"). The minimum length is 20 turns (assuming the timer achieves maximum effect). Once players were up to speed, a turn featuring minimal activity took perhaps 10 minutes or even less, while a turn with many battles lasted no longer than an hour. The average length was about 1/2 hour per turn. | |||
18 April 2009 COE Version 3.5Added version 3.5 update to Cockpit of Europe on the Support page. These files replace COE 3.0/3.1. Includes Exclusive Rules, all C&T, and display sheets. Next up, Queens' Gambit. | |||
16 April 2009 Cyberboard for Türkenkrieg ModificationDavid provided me with revised Read Me files for the TK cyberboard. In consequence the game box has been repackaged as a zip file. Please write if you have any difficulty accessing or using the files. | |||
7 April 2009 SOK Version 3.5Added version 3.5 update to Sport of Kings on the Support page. These files replace SOK 3.0/3.1. Includes Exclusive Rules, all C&T, and display sheets. Cockpit of Europe 3.5 is in the pipeline. | |||
4 April 2009 Cyberboard for TürkenkriegAdded Cyberboard gamebox for Türkenkrieg to Support page. This gamebox was created with a great deal of effort by David L Jones. Many thanks, Dave! Important. To avoid "screening" issues, the file extension for this item is given as ".123". Once you have downloaded it, convert the extension to the usual ".exe" before opening. | |||
26 February 2009 CSWX Discussion on TK-HGHOpened up a thread on the Consimworld Expo discussion board regarding the Turkenkrieg-Heirs monster game we will be playing that week. | |||
3 February 2009 Posted PDF of Google Earth® images for Heirs of the Golden HordeIf anyone has more precise information about the Battle of Stavutchany, or the remains of the fortress of Oczakov, your input is welcome. | |||
31 January 2009 HGH Files AddedAdded to the Support page: updated HGH charts and tables, exclusive rules for HGH. (A player discovered the Ottoman Op Points schedule had been omitted). Also, the second print run should be ready for us to pick up by February 6. | |||
20 January 2009 Added to the Support PageCopy of the 3.5 KR&Os Copy of the HGH Commentary. Copies of alternate Garrison counters for SOK, provided by A. Raith. | |||
18 January 2009 HGH Sold OutThe first print run of HGH has sold out. Thanks for your support everyone! Shipping of the first batch should be completed this week. A second run to fulfill additional orders received is already underway and the games should be ready for shipping by month end. There will be a handful of spares left for latecomers. Also, for those who are attending Consimworld Expo at the end of May, I plan on setting up the combined TK-HGH campaign scenario. A minimum of 4 players are required. We have 2 (3 including myself) so far, but additional players are welcome. Please write (rsgmail@shaw.ca) and let me know if you wish to participate. | |||
6 January 2009 Heirs of the Golden Horde near release!HGH should begin shipping around January 14. Thanks for your patience, everyone! Pre-paid orders will be shipped first. For those who are interested, the work schedule will be as follows: a) last components produced by Friday 9, b) boxing games on weekend, c) shrinkwrapping on Monday 12, pick up from shop on Tuesday 13. If there is any delay at the printing end, the schedule will be pushed back 1 week, because boxing the games can only be done on a weekend. But that is a worst case scenario. | |||
1 November 2008 Heirs of the Golden Horde & Digital DownloadsWe have finally fixed a price for HGH! See the home page. Pre-order prices are in effect for all the games, even those in stock. The release date for HGH has been pushed back to early January 2009. There are two reasons for this. First, I am waiting on some artwork by a third party (he is producing some excellent little maps for the Commentary). Second, since I have to wait anyway, I would rather begin shipping after the holiday crush. (Wheeling a dolly stacked with boxes into a line filled with elderly people holding small bundles of Christmas cards can earn you some ugly looks). Most of the components are either done or in the process, however, so there will be no further postponement. We have some more exciting news. We are now offering our older titles in digital form, at a fraction of the regular price! The process is described on the home page. At present, the files will be distributed on request, rather than automatically, which may mean a few days delay, but at least there will be no shipping costs. To clarify, these are not electronic versions of the games, just downloadable files that you can print yourself. Boxed and DTP formats for all titles will continue to be offered. | |||
September 17 2008 Offices Closed Sept 20th ? October 15thWe are closed while I go on holiday. But you can still place orders via email. The maps, counters, and box art for Heirs have gone to the printers. These are the components that take the longest to produce. Text will be submitted shortly before publication, which is still scheduled for late November 2008. After we reopen I will assess whether the date needs to be put back to January. Estimated price for Heirs (HGH) will be around $200 full retail for the boxed version, and 30% off that price for pre-orders. DTP versions should be about half price (the same as the other games). HGH is the most expensive, but also the largest game we have produced so far; the next game in the line up will be Ireland 1688-1692. It should be the smallest (and cheapest) so far (!). | |||
19 August 2008 Website UpdateDue to a rise in spam, I have opened a new email address: rsgmail@shaw.ca which must be manually typed in. I will monitor the old address for some time yet. If you encounter any hyperlinks to the old email address (icweir@shaw.ca) please let me know. Nothing to report on the Heirs project, except that it is on schedule. Oh, and there are now 14 map sheets and 1500 counters. | |||
2 August 2008 Reprint DoneThanks to a quick public response we were able to get the reprint done very quickly. All purchasers have been notified and shipping will begin this week. There are a few extra games available, listed on the home page. For the month of August, these are available at the pre-order price. Also, we have a number of spare TK counter sheets, particularly the notorious #6. Anyone who would like replacements but has not already contacted us, please do so and we will be happy to provide copies at no charge. Heirs of the Golden Horde is progressing well. No price as yet, but with 12 map panels and 11 counter sheets, it will probably be in the SOK ballpark. | |||
28 June 2008: Reprint InitiatedWe are a little shy of 50 orders, but close enough to do a reprint. These will be boxed games with die cut counters, a mix of the old titles. Our printer says they should have the components ready by the end of July. If you were thinking about picking up one of the games, now would be a good time, since they will be discounted 30%. We have a few days before production starts. For those of you who placed an order expecting production to start in September, you have the choice of picking up your games early, or waiting for shipment with Heirs of the Golden Horde. The reprint also includes replacement sheets for Turkenkrieg, primarily #6, with a few #4. If you have a copy with misaligned sheets other than these, we would appreciate you letting us know, so we can include them in the print run. | |||
11 June: 2008: Added house rules to the Support pageThese refinements are courtesy of Andreas Raith and his group. Some at least will be incorporated into version 3.2. | |||
11 June: 2008: AAR on Sport of Kings scenarios, by A. RaithHello, | |||
7 June 08: New CY countersAdded 3 new Jacobite leader counters for Charlie's Year, missing from the OOB. These will not be officially added until the release of the War of the Austrian Succession Grand Campaign module (no release date), as they were in fact pulled from the mix. However, they are available as a DTP download direct from RSG upon email request. The counters represent men who were prominent in the Rising, but who only held colonel's rank. Therefore, they should only be used to replace killed or captured leaders, being added to the pool on a 1-for-1 basis. | |||
7 June 08: Bulletin, dated May 2008Consimworld Expo attended by Ian Weir and Michael Junkin. Demo of Sport of Kings played with Ian Schofield. We managed 20+ turns of the full campaign game in about 3 days of play (with many interruptions). The other Ian won handily. SOK is currently at version 2.0 of the rules. From our game play, it will be possible to officially upgrade to 3.0 (3.2) in the near future. Meanwhile, unofficial 3.1 material is available for all games on our Support page. Also, we sold off our remaining stock of die cut and boxed games. Next scheduled printing will be in September, though if we receive enough orders (50) it may happen sooner. Watch the Bean Counter. | |||
7 June 08: Bulletin, dated May 2008Hello everyone, hope you have had a good year so far. I felt I had accumulated enough news to warrant a letter - so here it is. First, a thank you to everyone who supported our latest project, "Türkenkrieg". Despite the problems we had with the counters we have sold 100+ copies! This week (May 27 - June 1) Red Sash Games will be attending its first-ever gaming convention - Consimworld Expo in Tempe, AZ. I hope we have a chance to meet some of you there. For those who may not know, CSWX includes MonsterGame.CON, so we will be indulging in the campaign scenario to Sport of Kings. I also expect to bring the remainder of our stock on hand to sell. Anyone who is interested can now download a detailed Example of Play from the Support page of our website; this example is for the 3.1 rules. The scenario used is the first scenario of SOK, Frederick the Great's invasion of Silesia in 1741. Currently I will not be packaging this example with any games, since it is in colour and thus expensive to produce. Other downloads you may not be aware of include rules and charts for version 3.1 of the Lace Wars system, including game-specific rules, and all the historical commentaries. Thanks to your input, Cockpit of Europe has officially moved from version 1.0 to version 3.0; SOK will also be upgraded from 2.0 to 3.0 in the near future, leaving only Charlie's Year II at 1.0 (I should explain that although the 3.1 rule sets are available for all of the games, we have only received sufficient feedback for COE and SOK to officially upgrade them - that is, have them produced with the 3.0 rules and charts). Of course we are upgrading the basic system to 3.2 (no self-respecting game company should ever give its customers a completely finished system). Most of the changes are minor, but based on player feedback we are tweaking the siege and "simple battle" rules. When it is all done, the 3.2 rules, example, and charts will be posted on our website. I expect they should be up before the end of June. The main project for this year will be the companion volume to Türkenkrieg. Since I have not yet written up a webpage to support this item, here is a little information: The game is called Heirs of the Golden Horde and deals with the same war, on the Russian Front. The Russian Front looks a little different in the 1730s. Most of it is not Russian. Although the project is technically only a module for Türkenkrieg, it is a rather large one. There are 12 maps (the usual 12"x18") making a 6'x3' board that joins with the TK maps around the mouth of the Danube. The board extends as far north as a line Kiev-Kharkov, and east to the Don-Donets confluence. The counter mix is still under production but will include the entire Russian OOB at the battalion/regimental scale (except that the Garrison Army forces are rendered as brigades); extra Turks and allied contingents from the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire, including Egyptians; Tartar forces belonging to the various Hordes (ordas) situated around the Black Sea (Krim, Black, Kuban, Nogai, Yedisan, Prekop); the Cossack Hosts residing in the Ukraine (Don, Sloboda, Little Russian, Ukrainian Hetmanate, "tame" Zaporozhian, Zaporozhians of the Sich) plus elements of the Yaik (Ural) and Terek Cossacks; Moldavians, Poles (including Winged Hussars); Bashkir tribesmen from Siberia, and the fearsome cow-riding Buddhist Kalmyks (the only tribe the Tatars were afraid of). For players with wives, or who are otherwise short on space, the large theatre of operations should actually allow manageable scenarios, because each army column essentially operated in isolation from all the others. Only the truly driven need play the combined TK-HGH campaign game. A publishing date of late Fall 2008 is anticipated. I have already arranged with our printers to begin production in September. No price as yet. Beyond this major project we are still creeping towards a grand campaign scenario for the first four volumes (the War of the Austrian Succession), plus an independent naval system that can be integrated with and of the land games. And in October I will be taking a trip to Ireland to gather material for an operational game on William of Orange's 1689-90 campaigns (and to do a little fishing). A few points before I sign off. Some of you have asked whether we could sell complete downloadable games. We are considering it, but any trial will be with a smaller game. If anyone wishes to pre-order Heirs of the Golden Horde I will certainly take your name, although I cannot quote a price as yet. Pre-orders will be 30% off, as usual, and the pre-order price will be in force until the game's release. Since we are virtually out of stock, I am also taking pre-orders for any of the other titles, which will be produced either when we have a total of 50 games on order, or when HGH is produced in September. These also will be 30% off. I am aware that even after we fixed the image quality of the TK counters, some of the die cut sheets continued to be poorly registered - the image was printed at a slight angle. That problem has been fixed, but there are a lot of games out there with badly registered #6 counter sheets. When HGH is produced, I intend to add copies of the #6 TK counter sheet to the HGH package, and will have spares on hand for anyone who wants them. If your copy of TK has other counter sheets like that, please write and let me know sometime before September so that I can have replacements produced. Last, please be aware that by the time you have read this rather long letter, I will be in Arizona and out of touch until next week. Ian Weir | |||