Guns, Dice, Butter

Welcome Guns, Dice, Butter Episode XXX NOV 11, 2020 On this episode, game designer Kim Kanger and a panel (Roberto’s The Good, The Best, The Glorious game club) discussing GCACW (Great Campaigns of the American Civil War) from Avalon Hill and MMP and Ed Beach and I do our final die roll in our final of the GCACW BPA tourney: the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. 0:06 Kim Kanger intro...point of origin 0:17 Becoming a designer; design philosophy 0:35: Why these conflicts; Dien Bien Phu 0:47: What’s next on the design plate? Kyiv, Russia and elsewhere, Heart of Darkness and Barbarossa. 1:14 Ed Beach and I toss the final dice in GCACW BPA Online Tourney 1:44 The dice are tossed! 1:49 Roberto and The Good, The Best, The Glorious game club talk GCACW 2:03 Volko Ruhnke takes good and bad regarding GCACW 2:23 Challenge of the game…commander mindset 2:44 Battle resolution…the call for more multiplayer versions of our beloved 2 player wargames 3:08 Wrap, on my gaming plate, shout outs and god bless the repub

Welcome Guns, Dice, Butter Episode XXIX SEP 16, 2020 On this episode, game designer Ben Madison and a panel (JR, Mr Herman and WBC Curdis) discussing OCS (Operational Combat Series) from the Gamers and MMP. 0:05 Ben Madison intro...point of origin 0:22 White Tribe and Absolute Victory 0:36: THE MISSION and christianity's struggle to become a world religion 0:49 Death in the Trenches and a unique combat resolution system 1:02: What's on Ben's design plate and "delicate" topics in wargaming 1:22 OCS Panel discussion...does Herman know OCS? 1:37 Why play OCS 1:53 Charcoal fueled trucks, op tempo and Herman tells a story about meeting a few Rommel staff officers  2:09 Fog of War and the great OCS artillery dust up 2:29 Successors to OCS? Logistics in wargames 2:59 Wrap, on my gaming plate, shout outs, go Beloved Minnesota TWINS!

  Guns, Dice, Butter continues in the summer of 2020. 0:05 Conversation with Ed Beach: game designs published (Here I Stand, Great Campaigns of the American Civil War, etc.)...point of origin...current GCACW WBC BPA tourney finals match 1:29 Swampcon crew resumes panel discussion of "Which wargames published 2016 > 2020 should we be playing?"...discussion resumes with Between the Wars...WW2...modern. 2:30 Wrap up, shout outs and "what's on my gaming plate"

  Guns, Dice, Butter continues it return after a four year break in the conversation. 0:04 Gareth and Curtis: The Napoleonic Wars: Gareth point of gaming origin, The fantastic WBC Nappy Wars tourney 0:17 Data, a dog and opening moves 0:33 Gaming personalities and player countries, the dick move and the attack of the Rohan 0:47 Gaming the system, Nappy Wars vs Empires in Arms 1:05 We lost Curtis. Gareth wraps it up with a thoughts on Nappy Wars v3 1:21 Jeff Lester point of gaming origin, Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 1:40 Wargame design 1:52 Jeff’s game, The Manchurian War, Der Weltkrieg, WWI East front, other games on the Russo – Japanese conflict 2:02 Swampcon crew (JR, Young Chris and Roberto) resume the panel discussion of “Which wargames published 2016 > 2020 should we be playing?”…we resume with the American Civil War 2:22 We continue with the Imperial Age 2:40 We conclude with WWI 2:53 Wrap up: shoutouts, gaming thoughts, June 6, 1944, anger, the republic, positivity, Harry Caray, the CLASH!

Guns, Dice, Butter returns after a four year break in the conversation. 0:00 Conversation with Mark Herman regarding Richard Berg 1:12 Herman and Berg Redux 1:30 Panel discussion (Swampcon gang: JR, Chris and Roberto) regarding "So, what wargames published 2016 - 2020 should we be playing?" (given that GDB missed the last four years). 2:42 Remembering a few our gaming mates (R.Coffey, R.Moyers, R.Berg). Other bits and bobs.  Great to be back. Related data: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/254976 https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/198680/welcome-gaga-zone-wargames-high-fanboy-bases-and-l

Welcome to episode XXV of Guns, Dice, Butter: a series of conversations with members of the wargaming tribe. 0:00: Opening and episode preview 0:07: Fran Diaz, Game Designer, Polis 0:58: Esteemed historian, author and storyteller Adrian Goldsworthy and game designer extraordinaire Mark Herman discuss Rome and what not 2:08: Mark Herman and Pericles 2:49: Episode wrap up Episode references: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/151903/ancients-wargames-glory-was-greece-and-grandeur-wa  https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1545400/prancing-peloponnese-1st-mn-gives-polis-punt-some  New to wargaming? Consult this: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/206813/wargame-grasshopper-noob-rookie-padawan-list  Guns, Dice, Butter, with now over 80,000 downloads, is available on iTunes, Boardgamegeek, Consimworld and many other places that gamers hang on the web. GDB website: http://gunsdicebutter.libsyn.com   

Welcome to episode XXIV of Guns, Dice, Butter 0:00 Intro: Guns Returns! 0:04: Richard Berg and Mark Herman   1st segment: Point of SPI orgin, Tiny Tim, Herman’s career as a roadie for Lover, Berg’s singing career 2nd segment: Design and game components 3rd segment: What makes a good multiplayer wargame? Herman & Berg works in progress. 4th segment: Depth of historical knowledge drives designs: Ancients: battles, operational dynamics, logistics   1:07: GaGa Panel: Marty Sample, Wendell Albright, John Alsen   1st segment: Background on GaGa list (game lust & fanboys): Games discussed: Enemy Action Ardennes, Liberty/Victory Roads, Napoleon’s Triumph, Fire in the Lake, COIN (Falling Sky and Liberty or Death)  2nd segment: Roll playing wargames: Here I Stand/Virgin Queen, Sekigahara, Amateurs to Arms, Kingdom of Heaven, Genesis 3rd segment: Card Driven Wargames and others: No Retreat series, Command & Colors, Empire of the Sun, Pursuit of Glory, Unhappy King Charles, Triumph of Chaos, Carthage: 1st Pun

Welcome to Episode XXIII of Guns, Dice, Butter: Feb 17 2015, Fat Tuesday Special! 0:00 Intro: It’s Mardi Gras! Spring is near! 0:05 Curtis Baer: WBC stories:  Point of Origin, Matt & Joe’s Devil Cauldron, Pitch Car, THE BIG GAME, François’  wild NAP WARs game, Red Neck Life, WBC food, Being the coach of the RANGERS!, the Honorary Fez 0:41 John Butterfield: Point of Origin, Early days at SPI, the playtest room for Campaign in North Africa, John’s great designs: Freedom of the Galaxy, Ambush, Hell’s Highway, RAF, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Enemy Action Ardennes, SPI Strato-matic League, The Beloved 1987 Minnesota Twins 1:40 Bryan Collars: Point of Origin, Greenville Mafia, WBC: The Boardgame (preorder on GMT Games) 2:23 Mark Herman, Wendell Albright, Herr Dr: Logistics & Supply in Wargames: “The Spectrum”, Victory Games’ elegant & unique The Korean War, Dunnigan’s Breakout & Pursuit, 1776, Empire of the Sun, importance of logistics in ancients campaign & the GREAT book on Macedonian logistics

Welcome to Episode XXII of Guns, Dice, Butter; a series of conversations (238+ minutes in this case, given, our 238th Fourth of July) with members of the wargaming tribe. O:05 Joe Balkoski: intro to gaming, SPI stories, Minuteman, War in the Ice, City Fight & Wacht Am Rhein, Operation Typhoon 0:33 Joe: Cover art to Patton’s Third Army, Redmon Simonsen, SPI Peak, Transition to Avalon Hill Classic, end day at SPI, 0:54 Joe: AH days, Victory Games, The Korean War 1:09 Joe: Great Campaigns of the American Civil War, Computer Gaming, post gaming, 29th Division, returning to the tribe   1:40 Nick Karp, Discussion of Desert Fox, games in the pipeline for Shenandoah Studio   2: 00 Mark Herman, Enrico Viglino, Marty Sample: “Perspective” overview, the game the Bermuda Triangle (and a discussion about the ability to control weather in the true spirit of what Richard Berg calls “playing a game from the god perspective”), Sim City, Integrated Poly/Mil Leadership, WiF/DoD, Kevin Zucker’s Napoleonic series of games, Be

Welcome to episode XXI of Guns, Dice, Butter.   0:00 Episode Preview   0:06 Don Greenwood: Don provides a preview of WBC (World Boardgaming Championships) 2014   0:36 Ted Raicer: Ted discusses his point of origin in the hobby/game design, Paths of Glory, Dark Valley, his recent iPad game collaboration with Shenandoah Studio, Drive on Moscow and his game pipeline.   1:41 John Alsen: John gives us an after action report for Consimworld Expo 2014 and tells us about the upcoming wargames demo’d at Monstercon.   2:23 Episode Wrap-up: Shout-outs, what’s on our gaming plate and other odds & ends.

Welcome to Guns, Dice, Butter: Episode XX April 16, 2014 On this episode of GDB: 0:00 Episode Intro and Preview 0:13 Eklund: Conversation with Phil Eklund, designer of High Frontier, Pax Porfiriana , Greenland ,  Luftschiff (Zeppelins!) and 26 other games covering the human (and pre-human) experience. 1:22 War by Other Means: Panel discussion with Jim Doughan, Mark Herman and Brian Train regarding the other “7 M’s”  of warcraft {besides the 3 traditional "M's" of combat - machetes (irregular), machine guns (conventional) and missles(strategic)} that support the BIG “M” (morale) in making and waging war: message (casus belli – manufacturing it and maintaining it) , media, money, mercenaries (mercs/brownshirts/proxies/little green men), mayhem (attacks on opponents fabric of society), Mi5/Mi6 (spycraft) and Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (Clausewitz's “have a good pen” – diplomacy – internal/external). 2:12 Conversation with Brian Train, regarding his recent DTP design  Ukrainian Crisis game and other bit

Welcome to Episode XIX: APR 4, 2014 of Guns, Dice, Butter: a series of conversations with members of the wargaming tribe 0:00 Introduction: Episode Preview 0:05 Discussion with Ben Hull, designer of the incredible Musket & Pike Series. Additionally, we talk about his series Fields of Fire and his soon to be published operational series titled Won by the Sword 1:35 Discussion First Minnesota Historical Wargaming Society (BGG guild 875) sparkplugs Lt. Jason and Gordo. We discuss the club and expanding the hobby. 2:43 Wrap up: On our wargaming desk,  shout outs and Guns, Dice, Butter news.

Welcome to Episode XVIII: JAN 13, 2014 of Guns, Dice, Butter: a series of conversations with members of the wargaming tribe 0:00 Introduction: Episode Preview 0:05 Discussion with Harry Rowland, designer of Empires in Arms and World in Flames, grand poobah of Australian Design Group 1:20 Discussion with J.R.Tracy and Jim Doughan regarding games published in 2013, wargaming experiences and various multi-player wargames 2:28 Wrap up: On our wargaming desk,  shout outs and Guns, Dice, Butter news.

Welcome to Episode XVII: SEP 11, 2013 of Guns, Dice, Butter: a series of conversations with members of the wargaming tribe 0:00 Introduction: Episode Preview 0:06 Panel discussion with Mark Herman, Eric Lee Smith, Ed Beach and Ed Wimble (and his parrot) regarding the American Civil War and Wargames 1:05 Discussion with Eric Lee Smith (Shenandoah Studio) and Ed Wimble (Clash of Arms regarding their collaboration on a new game on Gettysburg 1:42 Wrap up: On our wargaming desk,  shout outs and Guns, Dice, Butter news.

Welcome to Episode XVI: July 31, 2013 of Guns, Dice, Butter: a series of conversations with members of the wargaming tribe 0:02 Introduction: Episode Preview 0:07 Panel discussion with Maymi Hayakawa (FushigiTerebi youtube channel) and Gesine Staniend (kallisto73 youtube channel) on their journey as new and relatively new wargamers; very interesting perspectives. 1:05 Panel discussion with Mark Herman, Brian Train and Volko Ruhnke regarding Games of the WWIII: The Cold War Goes Hot. We survey 3WW and discuss our favorites (Third World War {GDW}, The Next War {SPI} and a few others). We also examine how the subject was covered in media (movies, tv, etc), why WWIII didn't happen (yet!) and WWIII games today. 2:56 Wrap up: On our wargaming desk,  shout outs and Guns, Dice, Butter news.   Survey of third world war games and media available on http://gunsdicebutter.libsyn.com/

Welcome to Episode XV: June 14, 2013 of Guns, Dice, Butter: a series of conversations with members of the wargaming tribe O:00 Intro; overview of the episode  0:07 Al Nofi discusses SPI and S&T, researching games with Dunnigan & gang, wargaming connection to sci-fi, John Boardman, Issac Assinov, Sprague de Camp..Friday nite follies, bouncing checks to an Israeli general, West Point and a pretty face at SPI. 0:45 Al Nofi discusses his design Imperium Romanum and seven centuries of associated Roman history. 1:11 John Alsen reviews Consimworld Expo (Monster Con) 2013, It Never Snows, Racier’s new design Dark Valley, Herman’s Churchill, War of the Suns, new designs in the pipe from Decision Games (a 3rd world war beast, a BIG ACW game...and, hold on to your hats, an update of Campaign for North Africa), The War from Compass Games 1: 53 John Alsen taunts me and all with his brand new game, War of the Suns; discusses what’s in the  HUGE box. 2:17 Wrap up…a gift from Chris Bailey, playing Carthage, a new lis

Welcome to Episode XIV of Guns, Dice, Butter: (Season 2: #4) 0:00 Intro: Back podcasting after 5 months of real life, work and gaming. 0:10 Shenandoah Studio: Eric Lee Smith, CEO and Brad Cummings, Marketing Director. Eric and Brad give us an update of what's in the pipe at Shenandoah, following on the tremendous success of their iPad game, Battle of the Bulge. Additionally, Eric shares with us his plan to create a guild - a creative studio in Philly - to bring us high quality games. 0.45  Survey of WW2 Tactical Wargames: Dan Dolan Sr, J R Tracy. JR and Dan take us thru a whirlwind tour of WW2 Tactical (and the beloved Grand Tactical scale) wargames. Some great stories and insight regarding these games. Also see website for link to analysis of 43 WW2 Tactical Wargames.  1:54  Wrap up & Shout Outs

Welcome to Episode XIII of Guns, Dice, Butter: (Season 2: #3) 0:00: Episode Intro 0:08 Greenwood: Intro to gaming 0.17 The jump to Avalon Hill 0:30 D&D, SL, ASL and peak at AH 0:44 Nappy Wars, start of Avaloncon/WBC 1:02 WBC Survey 1:10 What is Don playing? 1:27 Thompson: Niagara Broadgame Weekend: Ardennes 44, It Never Snows 1:40 Eclipse 1:43 Playing Greenwood in BKN 1:53 All hail Pax Porfiriana 2:08 Solomons Campaign/Operation Shoestring 2:14 Wrap: Shout outs, on the table/on the plate, the call for ideas/volunteers/support regarding a  world wide wargamer recruitment weekend. Www.gunsdicebutter.com 

Welcome to Episode XII of Guns, Dice, Butter: (Season 2: #2) 0:01 Intro 0:11 Jim Dunnigan, a co-founder of modern wargaming and SPI 1:20 Wrap up 1:25 SPI Commercial (the first ever commercial on Guns, Dice, Butter) Survey of Dunnigan games ("top" 100) available on www.gunsdicebutter.com, www.consimworld.com GDB discussion board or GDB Guild on www.boardgamegeek.com  Jim Dunnigan's website www.strategypage.com 

Welcome to Episode XI of Guns, Dice, Butter: (Season 2: #1) 0:01 Intro: Wargamer recruitment, mini wargame cons in Jan/Feb and other odds and ends. 0:07 Conversation with Fred Schachter, designer of Siege of Jerusalem (SoJ). Fred tells about his early days in the hobby at SPI, designer SoJ, his work on The Napoleonic Wars series of games and few games in development (Rebel Raiders, Mussolini. 1:07 Conversation with Enrico Viglino (game reviewer {video BGG} extraordinaire) regarding wargames covering the ancients period: Rome and Greece. We discuss 30+ games in this space. See website for two data files regarding these games. 2:37  Wrap up, shout outs, more industry news, a bit on Triumph of Fascism, next episode previews and other bits and bobs. For more info: www.gunsdicebutter.com , discussion board on consimworld.com and a guild on boardgamegeek.com