Game #800 -- A Milestone, of sorts...

Carrier Air Group by Dan Verssen Games becomes the 800th title in my game collection.

Carrier Air Group is an expansion for Hornet Leader II and adds new aircraft, including F-14 Tomcats and A-6 Intruders, new weapons (Phoenix missiles) and two new campaigns to the base game.

Carrier Air Group is the latest game in the popular "Leader" series of games that started with Hornet Leader and Thunderbolt/Apache Leader (both published by GMT Games and currently out of print). In 2005 Dan Verssen refreshed the line with Hornet Leader II, a new streamlined version of the original game. HLII was followed by Corsair Leader (bringing the "Leader" series to the Pacific in WWII) and the HLII expansion, Carrier Air Group.

The "Leader" system is a solo system in which the player simulates the operational and planning aspects of an air strike. The player, in the guise of a wing or squadron commander is given a mission and then must decided what mix of aircraft, pilots and weapons will have the best chance of success. The strike itself is carried out in a programmed series of steps complete with random events that may effect the mission outcome. As with many good solo wargames, the player soon becomes invested in the pilots in the squadron as each pilot begins to take on a personality of his own. Some pilots are lucky and get all the breaks. Some pilots can't hit the broadside of a barn with a radar guided missle and other pilots seem to attract enemy bandits and SAMs. As a campaign progresses and losses begin to mount, the tension builds as it becomes harder and harder to outfit each strike with effective aircraft and pilots.

With the latest games in the "Leader" series, starting with Hornet Leader II, Dan Verssen is also exploring new methods of game publication and distribution. The games are published by Dan Verssen Games and are available in VASSAL and PDF versions. No printed, boxed, retail version of these games currently exist. The PDF version can be printed (and counters mounted) by talented "do-it-yourselfers" to create a physical version of the game complete with cards and counters. The VASSAL version of the game allows one to play the game on a computer virtually anywhere without the need for paper maps, cards, counters or dice. For a solo game, this is an ideal situation.

The lack of a box and retail package is bound to hurt sales, but on the other hand, the price of the game is far lower than a retail version could hope to be. For folks familiar with the game system the price is hard to beat. For anyone interested in a solo game covering modern day air operations, the price is low enough to take a chance on.

BGN - The New Kid on the Block

Boardgame News is the new boardgaming kid on the block. Rick Thornquist is back with boardgame news and "Gone Cardboard." This is a good thing.

When Rick announced he was quitting GameWire and Gone Cardboard, the boardgaming community lost a valuble resource. Rick's coverage of the boardgaming scene in a professional journalistic style is unique and sorely missed when it was gone. It's wonderful that Rick is back on the job.

The new web site is very impressive. The presentation is very nice with news bits and columns mixed together in a chronological order. Sort of like a blog on steroids. I'm impressed with the line up of columnists and look forward to reading the latest column each day. I hope the columnists can keep up a regular and steady flow of columns on a week by week basis. The news factoids are welcome and interesting.

I subscribed to the site on the very first day of operation because I want to support this kind of endeavor. When Rick quit Gamefest, there was an almost spontaneous offer of support. I said I would pay for the type of content Rick offers and I've put my money where my mouth is. I hope everyone else who said they would be willing to support Rick's efforts with $$$ will do so.

After about a week of operation, I can say that I'm very pleased with the results and do not regret spending my money on a subscription.

There has been some discussion on BoardGameGeek about the new site. Some folks have fallen into the "There Can Be Only One" trap and wonder why Rick started up a new site rather than add his content to BGG. BoardGameGeek and Boardgame News are not competitors. They are complimentary sites. Boardgame News is no more a "threat" to BoardGameGeek than Gamefest's Gamewire was. In fact, Boardgame News is simply Gamewire reborn.

I blame Tom Vasel for BGG vs. BGN controversy. It was Tom's comments, both on the new site and on his podcast The Dice Tower that started off the controversy. Tom announced he was moving his "Musings On..." series of articles to Boardgame News exclusively and that he was proud and excited to be part of a "quality" boardgaming web site. In Tom's defense, he probably had no idea what a firestorm his comments would start. I don't think Tom meant to impugn the reputation of BoardGameGeek, but that was the way many readers (and listeners) took his comments.

When I say that I "blame" Tom Vasel for the controversy, I say that in the a light-hearted way. I'm not pointing a finger of blame at Tom. I'm simply pointing out where the fire started, in my opinon. As always this kind of discussion is all "sound and fury, signifying nothing."

I welcome Boardgame News, as does most of the boardgaming community.