Download maps from the VASSAL online board game engine

[King_Rufus]

Some nice commercial board game maps, many suitable for Kriegsspiel use as we know, can be downloaded from the modules for the VASSAL online board game engine. There are usually keys at the top of the module for (a) hiding the units on the map (b) saving the map in .png format. HINT: toggle the preferences to permit yourself 1024 memory since some of the maps are pretty big downloads. U can download the maps for example from many of the ACW modules, also the Waterloo game. 

[Martin]

That's a good idea. I'm going to have a look.

As well as printing off maps for use in a normal game, could we run an entire email game through VASSAL do you think?

Martin

[hammurabi70]

That's a good idea. I'm going to have a look.

As well as printing off maps for use in a normal game, could we run an entire email game through VASSAL do you think?

Martin

I think you should try!

[MJ1]

I use Vassal to play C&C Ancients and will be using it to play the Nappy version of the game after I read the rules. Just bought box set at the weekend.

I can recommend it for interactive play but never used it for e-mail games.... I would think that might take a lot longer...

[Lugnakh]

I've contemplated making a Kriegsspiel module for VASSAL off and on but never got round to doing so.
I think it could work, for an email game, or even a live session over tcp/ip, though it would be slower than the real thing and perhaps difficult for multiple umpires to coordinate things. I was thinking you would need a good multi-channel voice commo program to really make it work.
You can set things up so that units are hidden from specific, pre-defined "sides", so you could have an umpire side, and multiple "sides" for the two teams I think. So the umpires could have a map with everything on it, and the players would have a map with only those units the umpires made visible to them on it.
Shouldn't be too hard to get a rough version together, VASSAL mods aren't all that hard to put together, the biggest chore is assembling all the necessary graphics files for your project. If I get the spring brush clearing under control soon I'll see if I can't take a stab at making a mod. Or if anyone else wants to give it a shot I'd be glad to help if you get stuck with anything.

[MJ1]

I can see there will be some problems with it for really large player games but for maybe 2 a side it might work. Depending on time / work I would be willing to give it a try to see if it has legs....

[Lugnakh]

I can see there will be some problems with it for really large player games but for maybe 2 a side it might work. Depending on time / work I would be willing to give it a try to see if it has legs....

Well, that's the nice thing about doing it on computer, you don't need more space than usual for really large players...
Thanks folks, I'll be here all week.

On a slightly more serious note, I have also looked at some of the roleplaying tools out there with Kriegsspiel in mind.
They tend to have good multiplayer capability and most I've seen have very good "fog of war" features for their maps where the umpire can simply draw on the map to reveal areas etc. Something like the Map Tool here: http://www.rptools.net/ for free, or Klooge or Screen Monkey or Battlegrounds or Fantasy Grounds if you want to lay out some $$$.

Also recently came across this program, which might be useful as well, though I've not done more than mess about with the demo version, which is pretty limiting. Probably more suited for miniatures style games than proper KS, but you never know.
http://www.universalbattle.com/