OSG Blog

detail of the boxcover art on OSG's Napoleon at Bay

Kevin Zucker Interview 1997

I had just designed Napoleon's Last Battles and wanted a larger scale, to show how battles got set-up. I chose 1814 as the campaign "next to" Water...

Coming to Rabaul

A graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1922, Lt. Toshikazu Ohmae stepped onto the pier at Dublon Island, at Truk Atoll. He looked aro...

Jack Greene

Jack Greene was a game designer and publisher, owner of Quarterdeck International, inducted into the Charles S. Roberts Hall of Fame in 1990. His d...

What is Victory?

Devising Victory Conditions is one of the most complex tasks faced by any game designer. This stage is usually the last step of development, well a...

vintage Talavera battle-map, 28th of July, 1809

Some Ideas About
“The Meat Grinder Revisited”

Drawing on our previous experience of TLNB, I've come across some quite interesting aspects that I'd like to discuss with you. Thank you very much ...

detail of the Chattanooga Quadrigame map by SPI

THE LIMITS OF ART

The physical system available to the wargame designer is the single greatest limiting factor on his design... But the graphic designer can help the...

central map detail of 3-map Katzbach Campaign setup

Preview: Napoleon’s Counterstrike

Five maps, three of which go together to create one 66” x 34” playing area for the Katzbach Campaign. One of our playtesters remarked: “I tell ya, ...

The Battle of Eylau — Who "Won"?

It is no exaggeration to state that without the work of Col. John R. Elting, there would be no Zucker Napoleonic wargames. In particular, his work...

About
Zones of Control

This is a misleading term that many gamers crack their heads on. Instead of trying to imagine exactly what this animal called a “Zone of Control” w...

First & Franklin Presbyterian Church with its soaring spires into a high-cloudy blue sky

DARK DAYS IN BALTIMORE

In December of 1979, I moved from New York to Baltimore to take a job at Avalon Hill. Unfortunately, though I did not realize it at the time, I was...

Kevin Zucker circa 1979 in his Navy bridge coat.

"Days of Pragma"

One day in December of 1978 I stayed home from work with a high fever. Ina intuitively knew to call me at home, though we hadn’t talked in six mont...

Think the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube is one-sided? Think again

OSG strives to balance all the battles in The Library of Napoleonic Battles series. This playtest report illustrates how the French can triumph a...