Simmons' Game Design Blog
mike robel
🖼️ 15 images Surveyor
On Board Game Geek, there was a reference to an article from the game designer Rachel Simmons, about cleaning up the map for the old Avalon Hill game Stalingrad. Essentially she doesn't change much about the map, but uses graphics principles to help make it show things rather than having to figure them out so much in the rulebook.
I have never played one of her games, but she is the author of the well received Guns of Gettysburg.
Here's the address for the article: [http://www.simmonsgames.com/news/ (I don't know how to make it into a URL here.) I found it very interesting.
While exploring her site, I also came across these interesting articles, which may not be of much interest to some of you, but still they have some interesting points. The first is about Line of Sight, which is always vexing to Wargamers, as well as people trying to sight their weapons on real terrain. Map are just an approximation, mind you, like most models. (All models are wrong, some are useful). Anyway, I digress.
http://www.simmonsgames.com/design/LineOfSight/
Loopy Sue will be glad to see the colors are arranged to depict height in a way pleasing to her, but it hurts my eyes and head to change my view in order to see hills rather than valleys.
Then there is this one on Probability. Its actually called Chance and Wargames. Not specifically of use to cartographers, but if one plays or designs games, it is of interest.
http://www.simmonsgames.com/design/Chance.html
Ane her main site is: http://www.simmonsgames.com/
Edit: I corrected the link ot the Probability article and tried to make them hot, but it didn't work. Will try again later.
I have never played one of her games, but she is the author of the well received Guns of Gettysburg.
Here's the address for the article: [http://www.simmonsgames.com/news/ (I don't know how to make it into a URL here.) I found it very interesting.
While exploring her site, I also came across these interesting articles, which may not be of much interest to some of you, but still they have some interesting points. The first is about Line of Sight, which is always vexing to Wargamers, as well as people trying to sight their weapons on real terrain. Map are just an approximation, mind you, like most models. (All models are wrong, some are useful). Anyway, I digress.
http://www.simmonsgames.com/design/LineOfSight/
Loopy Sue will be glad to see the colors are arranged to depict height in a way pleasing to her, but it hurts my eyes and head to change my view in order to see hills rather than valleys.
Then there is this one on Probability. Its actually called Chance and Wargames. Not specifically of use to cartographers, but if one plays or designs games, it is of interest.
http://www.simmonsgames.com/design/Chance.html
Ane her main site is: http://www.simmonsgames.com/
Edit: I corrected the link ot the Probability article and tried to make them hot, but it didn't work. Will try again later.
Comments
Thanks for sharing - an interesting read.
The "Probability" link is the same as the LOS one in your post though. I couldn't quickly find anything obvious on probability, though there is this item on chance in wargames, though of course I can't be sure that was the one you intended.