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May 20, 2013, 1:02am

Original D&D Discussion :: Other :: "Third Party" and Non-TSR Classics :: Modern War in Miniature

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Topic: Modern War in Miniature (Read 554 times)

Wothbora
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Modern War in Miniature
« Thread Started on Apr 1, 2008, 10:02pm »

I came across a reference the other day to Modern War in Miniature by Michael F. Korns. On a whim I did a search within our Library System Catalog and (believe it or not) the University of Wisconsin at Madison actually had it. I interlibrary borrowed it and have been reading it this evening. For an 83-paged War Game Booklet written in 1966 it sure reads like an early RPG.

Although it is written for WWII gaming, I was struck by one of the two examples how similar it was to my first experience playing D&D. Anyway, thought I’d transcribe the example and see what other’s thought.

Quote:

The Game: To Play or Not to Play

Player: I’m picking up my sub-machine gun and my grenades and running over to the ditch beside the bridge. I want to keep looking for the Americans in the houses while I’m running.

Judge: There he is again! He just stuck his head around the corner of hat white building about 30 meters in front of you. Here, he’s looking around again.

Player: Am I in the ditch now?

Judge: Yes, you’ve been here about 2 seconds now.

Player: All right, then Im firing my Schmeisser at him in a long burst.

Judge: THERE IS A SUB-MACHINE GUN FIRING ON THE BOARD.

Judge: Your schmeisser is kicking chunks out of the edge of the building all around him... It is hard to say whether you hit him or whether he pulled his head back.

Judge: An M-1 HAS FIRED ON THE BOARD.

Judge: That rifle round hit you in the side. It knocked you a little farther into the ditch; you’re bleeding from the mouth too.

Judge: You can see who did it now. The American is on your left about 12 meters away running at you with his bayonet.

Player: Can I still move?

Judge: Yes, but you are almost unconscious.

Player: I’m turning around and firing the rest of my schmeisser’s clip into him.

Judge: THERE IS A SCHMEISSER FIRING ON THE BOARD.

Judge: He’s coming up fast. Your bullets are jerking around in an arc towards him as you turn. Seven meters, four meters, one meter. I’m afraid you’re dead.

Also, the charts for weapons have been gleaned from many, many historical and reliable sources and is quite useful. I believe that I will use these charts and tables as a basis for converting "modern" weapons to an OD&D Homebrew for gaming with my son.

As a side question, is there an area of our board for Reviewing Various Games, Modules and Etc. (both D&D related and other materials that might possibly be interesting to others?)

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Wóþbora
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Finarvyn
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Re: Modern War in Miniature
« Reply #1 on Apr 2, 2008, 8:56am »

Wow.

I had no idea that such a book even existed. (Scurries off to look for a library.) I agree that this 1966 example looks a lot like role playing. How does the rest of the book look?

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Marv / Finarvyn
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coffee
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Re: Modern War in Miniature
« Reply #2 on Apr 2, 2008, 10:03am »

Jim Dunnigan of SPI designed Sniper! in 72 or so. It featured individual men as units, fighting in towns in WWII Europe.

He later said that if he had realized that he could have created the first roleplaying game, he would have done so.

Wow, we'd be on a whole different list if that had been the case.

EDIT: Hey, if you want your own copy, there's one on Amazon for only $106.50 (+3.99 shipping):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B....07148829&sr=8-2

« Last Edit: Apr 2, 2008, 10:05am by coffee »

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The Perilous Dreamer
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Re: Modern War in Miniature
« Reply #3 on Apr 22, 2012, 6:59pm »

Apr 2, 2008, 10:03am, coffee wrote:

That link now shows a price of $68.00 (+3.99 shipping).

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gronanofsimmerya
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Re: Modern War in Miniature
« Reply #4 on Apr 22, 2012, 9:44pm »

Heh. I played a BOATLOAD of Korns back in the early 70s at College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

At the time it felt more like a cross between TRACTICS and D&D than a straight RPG... remember, TRACTICS used hidden movement as well.

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