A Sailing Adventure
Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 8:14 am
A few months ago, I acquired a tabletop game titled 'War by Sail,' a miniature ruleset designed to evoke the strategic nuances of the Age of Sail. My intent in selecting this game was to find a set of rules that balanced ease of learning with quick play, while still providing a satisfactory level of immersion. Many rule sets I had previously reviewed either overly simplified the experience or bogged gameplay down with cumbersome realism, represented by an excess of charts and tables.
The opportunity to game 'War by Sail' arose shortly after discussing its merits with a newfound acquaintance (previously, we had played a WW2 game). His immediate and enthusiastic response was, "Let's do it!" Despite a deficiency in appropriate miniatures for a balanced match—my collection included only one French ship and several British & American vessels— I had supplanted the fleets with paper ships downloaded from various online sources a couple of weeks previously.
After discussing the game, he suggested we convene at his residence in an hour. When I arrived, I found three of his friends there and ready to play. Assembling around his dining table, which we draped with a blue cloth to simulate the oceanic battlefield, we readied our respective forces. The participants were divided into two teams, each representing either the British or the French forces, with myself serving as the game's referee.
Although the session began with some uncertainty and numerous inquiries regarding the rules, it rapidly progressed to more fluid gameplay.
The gaming session lasted approximately four hours, concluding with accolades from the participants, despite minor criticisms regarding certain rules. Noteworthy was the engagement of two players who had primarily been video gamers; they expressed particular appreciation for the return to tabletop gaming.
Motivated by the success of this initial session, and to enhance whatever future engagements, I am now in the process of acquiring additional miniature ships. I think I may have found a set of Age of Sail miniature rules that will satisfy most of us. Because in my estimation, the main aim here is to find a good balance between playability and realism in all our games.
The opportunity to game 'War by Sail' arose shortly after discussing its merits with a newfound acquaintance (previously, we had played a WW2 game). His immediate and enthusiastic response was, "Let's do it!" Despite a deficiency in appropriate miniatures for a balanced match—my collection included only one French ship and several British & American vessels— I had supplanted the fleets with paper ships downloaded from various online sources a couple of weeks previously.
After discussing the game, he suggested we convene at his residence in an hour. When I arrived, I found three of his friends there and ready to play. Assembling around his dining table, which we draped with a blue cloth to simulate the oceanic battlefield, we readied our respective forces. The participants were divided into two teams, each representing either the British or the French forces, with myself serving as the game's referee.
Although the session began with some uncertainty and numerous inquiries regarding the rules, it rapidly progressed to more fluid gameplay.
The gaming session lasted approximately four hours, concluding with accolades from the participants, despite minor criticisms regarding certain rules. Noteworthy was the engagement of two players who had primarily been video gamers; they expressed particular appreciation for the return to tabletop gaming.
Motivated by the success of this initial session, and to enhance whatever future engagements, I am now in the process of acquiring additional miniature ships. I think I may have found a set of Age of Sail miniature rules that will satisfy most of us. Because in my estimation, the main aim here is to find a good balance between playability and realism in all our games.