American Revolution

[AllenOwen]

I am surprised no sourcebook covering the American Revolution was ever produced back in the days of 3rd Ed. So would one use High Tech, Age of Napoleon and maybe Swashbucklers to make a game set in the 1770s ?

[Gigermann]

Originally Posted by AllenOwen

So would one use High Tech, Age of Napoleon and maybe Swashbucklers to make a game set in the 1770s ?

Those, yes, plus Low-Tech—this is sort of the "transitional" period between High and Low Tech.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Gigermann

Those, yes, plus Low-Tech—this is sort of the "transitional" period between High and Low Tech.

Ah, no. High-Tech starts around 1715 or so. By the time the revolution starts it's been in progress for more than half a century.

[Gigermann]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Ah, no. High-Tech starts around 1715 or so. By the time the revolution starts it's been in progress for more than half a century.

Sure, but a lot of the stuff from Low-Tech is still around and in some degree of use—specifically some of the guns described. And that's neverminding the Amerindian tribes. I wouldn't leave it out.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Gigermann

Sure, but a lot of the stuff from Low-Tech is still around and in some degree of use—specifically some of the guns described. And that's neverminding the Amerindian tribes. I wouldn't leave it out.

I don't have a problem with that. I'm just pointing out that it's not a "transitional" period.

[Andrew Hackard]

Mod notes:

(1) We do not need UK/US sniping in this thread. I've issued one infraction for a particularly unnecessary comment and considered a couple of others before I decided to write a general post. Particularly right now, this is a good time to take the "no political discussion" rule as having VERY narrow definitions of what is "political."

(2) Discussing the history of GURPS Age of Napoleon is going back almost two decades and really serves no useful purpose; whatever was decided then doesn't need to be re-litigated now. If you want to discuss that book's application to an American Revolution game, that's fine, but the side discussion is off topic.

(3) Aside from the usual "don't talk down to fellow gamers" rule here, this is a subject with particularly emotional resonance to many people in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Assume good intent when you reply to someone, even if you think they are mistaken, and don't feed trolls -- if you believe someone has posted something completely outside the pale, report the post and let the mods handle it.

Thanks, all.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Including India. Just remember Wellington won a "land war in Asia."

If you include naval engagements, you can count the South China sea in as well - IIRC the French sent a fleet to engage the China convoy somewhere around there.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Good news. Oh, and books on the ACW and WWI would be wonderful. Tossing in the ARW, the English Civil Wars (17th Century) and the Thirty Years War, would be wonderful. As would a book on English colonial wars 1815-1960 and a British Raj book.

The Thirty Years war would certainly be an interesting setting … interesting times at the very least. Actually, I'd settle for someone doing a good splatbook on the HRE, which is a goldmine very rarely tapped in English...

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

If you include naval engagements, you can count the South China sea in as well - IIRC the French sent a fleet to engage the China convoy somewhere around there.


The Thirty Years war would certainly be an interesting setting … interesting times at the very least. Actually, I'd settle for someone doing a good splatbook on the HRE, which is a goldmine very rarely tapped in English...

The Holy Roman Empire (niether holy, Roman, nor an empire. Voltaire) would be wonderful.

And it's beginning to look like the Seven Years War would be massively juicy RPG territory too.

[Polydamas]

I like the idea of South Asia during the transition from the Mughals to the Raj as a game setting. Weird cultures mixing together, lots of people who switch sides several times or change careers, devious plots and mad mystics, magic and cult and piles of gold and gems. But SJ Games does not seem to be in the business of full-sized historical suppliments any more, Hotspots: Silk Road and Renaissance Florence are more booklets.

I think creating models for the type of campaign you want to run is important. Most of us learned dungeon fantasy by doing, Ken Hite uses thrillers and mystery novels to model Gumshoe campaigns, what are the models for a campaign in 1770s Pennsylvania with the necessary player agency and fantastic elements?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by AllenOwen

I am surprised no sourcebook covering the American Revolution was ever produced back in the days of 3rd Ed. So would one use High Tech, Age of Napoleon and maybe Swashbucklers to make a game set in the 1770s ?

The original manuscript for Age of Napoleon did cover the American revolution but it did so from the perspective of a Brit who thought his side had won all the important battles and yet had no good idea why they had lost the war.

I believe changes were made but the open playtest of that era caused me to believe I ddin't need that book.

Swashbucklers is definitely aimed earlier but that doesn't mean you wouldn't find something.