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Been meaning to get to this for a while. But I’ve been waiting for my good copy of AP4 to come in (see below).

Origins, one of the bigger gaming conventions, happened a week ago, which means that there’s also been a few new products lately.

ADB managed to get out Captain’s Log #37 while finishing off Module X1R (additional X-ships, as well as rules for ‘partial refits’) as their “Origins product”. They reported that the dealer’s room was smaller, but that they had very good sales. Next up should be Module Y2, with more early years ships for the empires in Y1, and the early ISC.

Also, several people have noted that it felt like a thinner crowd this year, but the convention ran 5 days (up from 4) and Origins reports a total increase in attendees, so they seem to have been spread out more.

MMP has had two new products recently. Action Pack 4 for ASL came out about a month ago. I’ve received my pre-ordered copy, but it was damaged in shipping, and I’m still waiting for its replacement to arrive. (Which they offered to send as soon as they heard the word “damaged”, I would have been willing to submit photographs as proof.) I haven’t really looked over the damaged copy, but what I’ve seen looks good. I have looked over the latest re-work of walls and bocage, and think they’ve done a fine job of clearing up a couple things that weren’t defined and providing some great examples (one of which came from an article in ASL Journal 3). They’ve also just released Warriors of God a fairly simple game of the 100 Years War that has been getting some glowing reviews, as well as South Mountain, the latest entry in The Gamer’s line, and part of the Regimental Sub-Series (RSS). They have also posted another game to the preorder list: Storm Over Stalingrad. They mention that it is on schedule to be released at Heat of Battle 2 in August, and will be released no matter what, the pre-orders are for those who want it early and cheap. The title would seem to be a reference to the fact that it uses a similar system the popular AH game, Storm Over Arnhem.

GMT meanwhile is reporting about 30 copies left of Blackbeard, pretty fast sales for a game that only came out a couple months ago. I imagine it has a reprint in its future. The schedule of game releases pushes on, with The Napoleonic Wars (reprint/2nd ed.) having gone out, and they’re gearing up for Successors (another AH reprint/new edition); I should get my copy late this month.

EDIT: And now that I’ve posted this anyway, my replacement copy has shown up.

Been meaning to post on happenings in the wargaming world for a little bit, but it’s hard to find the time to gather everything together.

First off, ADB, after several delays, is putting out it’s next round of products. There have been delays because their die-cutter told them they didn’t want to do it anymore, so ADB ended up shopping for a new one at the last minute. But, as of today, “Distant Kingdoms, Omega Five, Boosters 19 and 20 are on the cart.” Omega 5 and FC:DK were mentioned in Wargame News II (correction: Distant Kingdoms isn’t a boxed set, but akin to the “Attack” products—lots of stuff, but not a complete game). The Boosters are more ship cards for FC, I assume to go with FC:DK.

In all the excitement, other things have been pushed back. Captain’s Log 37 will probably come out in June, and it sounds like X1R and/or Y2 for SFB will be out for Origins (both have just had their counters done). Progress is being made on d20 Modern version of Prime Directive, with d20 and GURPS versions of the Federation sourcebook due after that. The next important FC release is Orion Attack, which is currently scheduled for August or September.

MMP is keeping busy, having quietly put another four items on their preorder page recently. Where Eagles Dare is the second half of a company-level treatment of Operation Market-Garden. No Question of Surrender is part of WED/TDC “Grand Tactical Series”, dealing with The Battle of Bir Hakeim. No Peace Without Spain is a strategic game about the War of Spanish Succession (I need to take a longer look at this one). And finally, Angola is a reprint/rework of a 1988 game on the Angolan civil war.

Meanwhile, Action Pack 4 hit its preorder number in under a week, spent a little under a month in final proofing, and now all the components have come back from the printer. It’s just waiting on the last initial shipments of South Mountain to go out, and then it starts shipping.

In the last month, GMT has shipped a reprint of Combat Commander: Europe, and a new version the Avalon Hill game, Blackbeard. SPQR Deluxe and Kutuzov will ship at the end of this month, and in June, respectively, and GMT has started charging preorders for them. And, they’ve added three new items to the P500 list: Crown of Roses, a block game of the Wars or the Roses. Nightfighter, a WWII nighttime dogfight game. And Serpents of the Seas, an age of sail naval game.