The Race to the Middle of Nowhere

[Plynkes]

The similarity to the Atlantis campaign did strike me as I was planning the game, what with three powers racing in a mad dash to grab land from natives. Of course the main difference is that there was a kind of unwritten rule that the Europeans don't fight each other, only the natives. Close run thing though, Britain and France almost came to blows over whose flag would fly over "the Middle of Nowhere." Cooler heads prevailed than those currently in charge on Atlantis, though. 


Me do VSF? Well, I wouldn't rule it out altogether, but it really isn't my cup of tea. When I run out of real historical events that interest me then maybe. Even then it would be mostly gadgetless. I'm not really into the walker and steam tank genre. It would more likely be something Rider Haggard-ish. The protaganists may be in a fantastic setting such as Zu-Vendis or Kôr, but they don't arrive in an aeronef, and don't have any sci-fi contraptions or equipment. That's more my thing.

[Thunderchicken]

Excellent stuff Plynkes, quality entertainment with a touch of eye candy and wargaming thrown in.

[Red Orc]

OK Plynkes; obviously we each have our own thing (mainly VSF is about airships for me), it's just that a campaign based on 'real' armies but using a 'what if' or even straight fictional setting, is doable as VSF too. Submarines, aeronefs, Mechanical Soldiers and Aetheric Flux Bombards are optional not mandatory.

I managed to persuade Answer_is_42 to the Dark Side (he didn't take much persuading in all honesty!) by saying 'well, you could sort of stage the Fashoda Incident... but call it the Atlantis Incident; it would still involve Britain and France fighting over some bit of desert with a few huts, they'd just be in a Lost Continent, not Darkest Africa...'. His recent battle had as its forces...

French Forces:
14 Foreign Legionaries, 12 Senegalese Tirailleurs, 8 Turkish Zouaves, 4 Marines, 1 Heavy Field Piece, 1 Light Field piece.
  
British Forces:
21 line Infantry, 14 Naval Ratings, 8 Sikh Pioneers, 1 River Steamer (Nordenfelt Machine Gun), HMS Mahratta (single turret Ironclad Gunboat).

Not a Steam-powered Offensive Behemoth, Levitating Hunting Platform or Clockwork Mr Gladstone in sight. It can be done, I tells ya!

Sorry, enough wittering and being a campaign-whore from me. I'll just say (again) that I loved the write-up of what looks like a smashing game, thanks for sharing.

And if you do decide to move from alt. hist. into plain crazy waters, I promise we'll be gentle.

[Plynkes]

You know in some Islamic countries it is illegal to proselytize for other religions. Can get you into all sorts of trouble. It's the same here at Colonial Adventures.

Get the fire on boys, we've got another missionary for the pot! 


(Just kidding. I don't really see myself appearing at the head of an army on the Atlantean shores any time soon, though. It doesn't have the same appeal as true or 'nearly-true' adventure stories for me at the moment.)

[Red Orc]

I promise to say no more about it. Not because I care if I'm boiled for not knowing how many buttons a Light Infantryman should have in 1890 (I'm hard, I can take it), but becasue it's just damned rude of me. This thread is about your marvellous game and the beautiful report you did of it, not my deranged wittering.

Carry on that man!

[Plynkes]

I was only kidding, mate. I didn't see it as rude at all. I'm glad you are so passionate about the Atlantis campaign. It certainly has captured the imagination of the VSFing LAFers, and provided for some great photo reports we might not have otherwise had. 

[Malamute]

I was only kidding, mate. I didn't see it as rude at all. I'm glad you are so passionate about the Atlantis campaign. It certainly has captured the imagination of the VSFing LAFers, and provided for some great photo reports we might not have otherwise had. 

Well said that man.

And more of your wonderful Colonial eye candy with this game,  most enjoyanle especially the captions...

[Ignatieff]

Splendid!  Great looking game and a report written with wit, verve and style.  Hats off to you sir!

[Galloping Major]

Lovely stuff, straight out of Ripping Yarns 

[Gluteus Maximus]

Well said that man.

And more of your wonderful Colonial eye candy with this game,  most enjoyanle especially the captions...

Always a huge amount of fun to read - I can only imagine how enjoyable the games themselves are.

Those two pics of Leo as Blofeldt and Dick Dastardly had me in tears 

[Traveler Man]

Lovely figures and scenery, and a lively game report on a "What if" encounter! Inspiring! 

[mortimer]

Great game report and minis Mr. Plynkes... as usual...

Are you betatesting the colonial T&T??? 

[Plynkes]

I have a spy inside their organisation.

[Plynkes]

Lovely figures and scenery, and a lively game report on a "What if" encounter! Inspiring! 

Not "what if."

The back-story is all true and there was a battle such as this one, it's just that it was a lot bigger in real life. We just did a skirmish version of it, because I'm not big on painting thousands of similar figures. I guess you could think of ours as a preliminary skirmish, or merely a segment of the larger picture.

[answer_is_42]

Not "what if."

The back-story is all true and there was a battle such as this one, it's just that it was a lot bigger in real life. We just did a skirmish version of it, because I'm not big on painting thousands of similar figures. I guess you could think of ours as a preliminary skirmish, or merely a segment of the larger picture.

Really? Got any more information on this?