Welcome to my blog, the story of my continuing journey into the World of Zombie Wargames.

Monday 24 September 2018

Jimland - the Future

So I've just about exhausted my current enthusiasm for my "Adventures in Jimland", I added and amended to the rules in various ways but hopefully haven't detracted from the original simple game.
So here's a few of the things I've done

a) Hexes instead of squares,. Using a hex map was, I think, a simple and obvious amendment, expanded the options in the game.
b) Expeditions couldn't start from the last terrain hex they explored.  I thought this was a little too abstract and wanted my expeditions to travel to "the front line" so to speak.
c) To aid travelling over known terrain I added explored hex movement and trails, both of which speeded up travelling to "the front"
d) I've also used a table for Native encounters, rather than cards, but keeping the proportion of each type of encounter. - I'm considering reverting to using the cards though (but expanding on them to include some of my variations.
e)Load have been able to be partial loads, so no longer is a whole load of 10 rations used to feed 5 men,. This helps in the distance an expedition can make and helps with the "getting to the front" 'problem' too.
I've been writing rules for quite a few other ideas too that I've had, but always with an eye on their simplicity and whether or not they'll have major implications on the main rules.
I have rules for building hospitals, schools and trading posts (established by taking the relevant personnel into the wilds), but haven't trialled them yet  I do like to think these things over for a good while.
Villagers in Jimland appear and disappear in quick fashion, I'm considering rules for having a permanently friendly village using the premis of schools, hospitals, mission stations or traders as above. an example, a successful missionary's conversion of  a village inhabitants' flock as the basis to form a permanent mission and hence a friendly village fixture on the map.
Canoe travel has been contemplated even though model canoes  needn't be used, whereas pack animals are needed and even though I have the pack animals, I haven't finished them nor have I used them!

The mastermap!
I do have many ideas for games in Jimland, but most, if not all,  would require players, as keeping secrets from oneself is impossible!

The map or the right is my mastermap, allowing for lots of adventure variations - eg. a race from either side of the map too some maguffin in the centre and I'm sure everyone can think of similar ideas.













And the explored area - after a dozen or so adventures!
There is still a lot of life left in exploring Jimland, but despite the interest shown by fellow bloggers, I find it's really difficult getting motivated. part of our hobby is interaction with others - solo gaming leaves me cold and I want to share my ideas with other players, bouncing them around so to speak.
I feel at times that I'm re-inventing the wheel as I'm pretty sure they'll have all been considered in the do defunct Yahoo group for 'Jimland'

On a lighter note, I took the plunge and bought a set of Paleo Diet (the more observant may have seen my "What I'm currently reading" gadget thing) along with its supplement "Fireside tales".
First read through and they seem to be what I've been looking for, fun and fairly simple, but with a fair amount of choice for playing different ways and an easily option to make your own campaigns (without the supplement). This was not an impulse buy as I've been a fan of this wargame, or rather skirmish, genre for many years. 

That's it then for this week, short and probably not so sweet, but if anyone has any mammoths they don't want...or the game "Valley of the Mammoth"\ they wish to sell...

I'm sure you've guessed that this caveman thing is a new project and I reckon it's what I've needed to boost my enthusiasm for gaming.

As always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated

22 comments:

  1. Hi Joe, I had noticed the Paleo Diet at the top, I can't help you with Mammoths or Valley of the Mammoth either but perhaps I could be of some help in Jimland in some way if you'd care to enlighten me in what you like to try, while I couldn't call around & play a game with you it might be possible to do something from a far :)

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    1. Thanks Frank, I'm guessing that folk will be holding on to any mammoths they may have (the metal ones are expensive!). VotM is a very old game and very difficult to find too.
      Help for Jimland would be looking through my additions/ammendments, for clarity and practicality. A working knowledge of the Jimland rules isn;t essential I guess. If you're interested in tat aspect, then I'll email you.

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    2. Send me what you have Joe & I'll take a look, I do have a little experience of Jimland as I used it for the end of the heart stone & oddly enough after my first try were most of my food was lost on the first event card I upped each bearer to be able to carry two days worth of food.

      I've notice that your also looking at making changes to the bearers, & I've have to say I like you ideas on settlements as it make sense that as the land is explored this kind of thing would start to happen, also it would be easier if an expedition only maybe had to backtrack a bit for supplies instead of having to return to Jim's Landing.

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    3. I'llsort stuff out and send you what Ihave

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  2. Thanks very much indeed for all your postings on "Jimland" Joe, and I for one am looking forward to your next project. If its half as good as this one, it's going to be awesome :-)

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    1. Thanks Blaxx, you can thank Vagabond and C6 for me eventually plumping for Paleo.
      Jimland is merely having some well earned (imho)R&R,

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  3. It's funny you should show your main map along with the small area explored. Many, many ,many years ago I used something similar and I've been wondering about revisiting the idea.
    It was based on Bill Lammings medieval rules, they had quite a large proportion of them given over to campaign rules. The premises was that around half a dozen lords would take their retinues, farmers and tradesmen to an island and colonise it.
    It was an ideal club campaign that I ran for a time but we basically ran out of steam, and it got shelved. Towns, villages and small castles were built, sheep and cattle farming provided much of the income, raiding and rustling provided more.
    Would doing something similar with Jimland revitalise your interest. Players could give directions and instructions for their columns, conflict would occur between rival explorers, the only problem would be that you would have a myriad of small games to play, unless you could delegate a fight between two rival groups to a third participant and just receiving their feed back to incorporate into the master plan.
    It's not face to face gaming which it sounds like you desire but it would be interaction.

    Palaeo Diet seems to be amassing a following for a quick simple and fun game. C6's recent ones were a fun read. Look forward to see what you do with it.
    Cheers

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    1. Thanks Vagabond, I tooo have played in the ond Lamming campaign and like so many other campaigns in a group of people, none have the same enthusiasm as the originator of the campaign. I see most games as being a portal to playing a campaign, even my own Jimland adventures were in the hope that I oculd get three or four other expeditions looking for the same objective .
      Paeo, looks far more suitable from my pov for solo play as unlike Jimland the animal reactions have no decisions to be made by the player, whilst thenative opposition in Jimland really should be player lead.
      There are still a good few rulebook around for Prehistoric game, I now have three sets and there are at least another three that I can think of off the top of my head.
      Choosing to go with Paleo has been a long time coming, but it's got most everything I want from the game, but I'm already thinking of rule additions and amendments and considering whether to go 15mm or 28mm!

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    2. I don't know if you've looked at nics blog the writer of the Palaeo rules http://irregularwars.blogspot.com/search/label/Palaeo%20Diet

      He uses 15mm figures that are quite cute and maybe not to everyone's taste but they are a lot cheaper for the animals.
      If you go back to August 17 there is a science fiction hunt to illustrate the versatility of the rules.
      Also someone else did a Viking bear hunt which is posted In amongst all the stuff I've just seen a picture from one of my games!
      I'll be interested in your take on activation, the animals always get the drop on the hunters by reacting first, anyway I'm looking forward to see how your games turn out.

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    3. Thansk for the info Vagabond,'ll ceryainly be taking at look at Nicks blog. I'd already thought the game rules wee quite versatile and easily changed or amended for other scenarios, though I doubt I'll be looking to that end anytime soon.
      I reckon, the slow but steady approach (lots of skulking) may be the answer to prevent the hunters becoming the unted. I do like the risk v reward of the action dice mechanism. My games will be a long time in coming, there;s quite a lot of new figures to get ready.

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  4. Far better living there than my little flyspeck.....Franonia!

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    1. Thanksfor that AL, but I can't recollect anything more violent than a handbag fight in Franconia. - fre survive venturing into Jimland.

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  5. Well I have to say I've been enjoying your jimland campaign but then again I'm not doing any of the work! Your prehistoric game looks interesting, perhaps you'll return refreshed to jimland or the Caribbean in a time of strife!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain, Jimlans is not retired more like it's ready for some R&R for a while and yes, it is quite a lot of work getting it together in format for a post. The purpose of the new project will keep me occupoed for some time to come and maybe when my enthusiasm is on the up I will return to JImland, however the Oirates really need an opponent!

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  6. Thanks a lot for a nest piece of cake of this history ;-)
    Looking very good.

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    1. Thanks Michal, Jimland won't completely disappear, I'm merely having a rest from it.

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  7. That’s a big empty map to explore! Hexes was the right choice I think and obviously your home brew rules have worked. Sometimes I like solo games but constantly can be a drain on the enthusiasm so I get where you’re coming from

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    1. Yep, a big map so any player could have his own starting place well away from others was the original idea (but that of course would require other players). I don't mind playing solo games where the 'opposition'choices are almost "set in stone", but still random enough to be interesting. Playing solo has been quite a challenge for me to keep my interest.

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  8. Can recommend PD as a solo exercise especially, Happy to volunteer my services in Jimland in any way. Multi player campaigns do suffer from the people involved but that could actually work out well within the set up.
    No orders equals lost expedition etc

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  9. Thanks Douglas, I'm quite taken by PD and especially for solo play, it does seem ideal.
    As for Jimland help, it's always welcomed. Please send me an email and I'll tell you want I'm particularly after. )my email can be found on my profile page.
    (I've also joined your blog, so I'll also have some extra reading)
    Next week's post will probably be about my first thoughts on PD and prehistoric gameing generally.

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  10. Enjoyed reading your cranial ruminations, Zab.

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    1. Thanks Jay, it's not a good read from the inside looking out.

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