Update on Naval Rules

So the method outlined in December sucks igneous rocks while still hot! It is too cumbersome. I will use General Quarters 2 until I find something satisfactory.

On that note I did run into a set of rules pulled off of the web and that I've been playtesting. They are definitely for pre-dreadnoughts, and the sheer fun of them is kind of refreshing. Fires are a real menace. And ships have to get close.

Gunnery is handled by dice. Roll the dice, hit, then figure out what happened. Flotation values are such that you can wreck a ship from stem to stern and unless you got lucky the ship will still float. None of this knocking 21.35% of the ship away.

Torepodes are handled by dice. It is hard to hit with them, but they massively effect Flotation Values. And when you let all of the water in, the ship sinks.

And they're fun to play (at least so far).

More later after another few games.

Look For Upcoming Changes

...not the least of which is a migration away from MSN to another ISP. We're paying for access AND an ISP, and we should only have to be paying for one of them.

Now on to the meat/potatoes of things. Time for an update.

I have four active projects: Different World, Firestar, Devlin's Story, and Three Valleys - Sammi. I also have a hit-or-miss project, Kalliste's Storytime. Let's see where we are.

Different World - I am in chapter three. I have completely rewritten it twice, and have trimmed about half out of it each time. Now the chapter will show how Gina has made a comfortable life for herself. She has a date with John, and they discuss...what else...but work and the murders. This sets things up for the revelation at the end of the chapter - another murder, and this time the victim is from Gina's world.

Firestar - still stuck on Chapter 16, but I've updated everything around it, including Chapter 7 to show Corey winning on the Tactics Table as she is at Command & Staff. I have also tied up some loose ends. Chapter 16 has to have the big fight, and then Robbie Sinclair's observation and fight. I may end up rewriting Chapter 3 to help set up Chapter 16. I have been dissatisfied with the way I did chapter 3, and by focusing more on Corey may help set up the whole story better.

Devlin's Story - Evan has shown up unexpectedly and whisks Devlin off to the US Virgin Islands. He is about to propose, and she is faced with the dilemma of whether to sleep with him or not, or offer and see what happens. I'm inclining (a little) toward the latter, but not so much. We'll see. Chapter 59 started.

Three Valleys - Sammi - I just posted Chapter 23 with all of the preparations of the Big Night at the Formal. Sammi has her dress, and her friend Jeannette has had a life-changing experience. The next chapter focuses on the Formal, and the one after that on the aftermath. I'm nearly done with this story.

Kalliste's Storytime - I put out a version of "Helen" that I am unhappy with. I'm thinking of changing it to emphasize Helen's courage, not her beauty. I've also got yet another story from Kassandra. This is on getting away with a crime. Ironic because Kassandra/Kit is a cop.

On other subjects - I just read (Half-Price Books) a book that does a time-motion study of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and takes into account almost all of the archaeological evidence recovered from the battlefield. It seeks to pin down where Custer was and at what time, and what he could see when he was there. This, and Lakota Noon are invaluable books on the subject.

I finally read an account of the British battlecruisers lost at Jutland based upon diving upon the wrecks. Changed my views of some of the events. The British Battlecruier Force did some bad ammunition handling and paid the price. Plus they were unlucky.



That's about it for now. I've spent some time on a non-fiction piece, and expect to update it some more before sending it out.