The WarGame Processor The Battle of the Bulge (1981) December, 1999 Text format Table of Contents 1. General. 2. Changes to the Map board. 3. Changes to the Counters. 4. Hints on Using the Module. 5. Other Information and Web Links.6. Legal Stuff.1. General Overview This is a WarGame Processor Module for Avalon Hill's Battle of the Bulge game released in 1981. The module recreates every aspect of the original game, albeit with some changes and modifications as noted below. This module is a player-aid only and can only be used by players who own a copy of the game. Significant changes were made to the original game that resulted in the release of the second edition rules. The 2nd edition changed nearly every aspect of the game, including the counters. 2. Changes to the Map board To the extent possible, the WGP map board is an exact representation of the original map. The only change required in order to translate the game into the digital realm is the German corps staging areas are now color-coded to correspond to the coding on the counters themselves (see below). For esthetics, I have chosen not to plaster the town names across the map board. If you click on the hex you will get the name of the town next to the hex coordinates. I have provided a gazetteer of town names to the left of the map board. 3. Changes to the CountersThe counter values are as follows: ATK: attack strength; DEF: defense strength (usually the same as the attack strength); Move: movement points; OFS: offensive support strength (artillery units only); FPF: final protective fire strength (artillery units only). There were three changes to the counters in order to facilitate game play on WGP. Each of these is explained below. The original counters are included in the game, as are the updated second edition counters. By default, the second edition counters are placed on the map board. Those original counters that were changed in the second edition are placed in one of the force pools for those players desiring to use them. The first change in the counters is the use of color bars on the left side of the counters to denote the German corps affiliations. If you are not using the optional corps integrity rules this color-coding can be ignored. Also along these lines, the 2nd edition rules changed the corps affiliation and setup locations of two units. These changes are reflected in the initial setup. Counters representing the original corps affiliations for these units are placed in one of the force pools for player who choose not to make this optional change. The second change involves using color-coding for corps artillery units and their support markers to aid in locating them on the map board. As a note of warning, depending upon your color depth, monitor setting and graphics card, it may be hard to distinguish some of the individual colors. The third change is to the some of the counters themselves. Many information counters had different front and backs in the paper version (e.g. attacker engaged on the front and defender engaged on the back). The WGP counters either do not have a reverse side or it is the same as the front. As a result there are different counters to show engagements, entrenchments, etc. The reason for doing this is explained below. The game designer published a scenario that uses the originally intended start date of 10 December 1944. This scenario required additional counters not included with the published game. These counters can be found in one of the force pools.Hints on Using the Module FORCE POOLS: I have designed the module to use the force pools as holding areas for information counters and eliminated units. The force pools are readily accessible from the main display and units can be moved to and from them as needed.MOVING UNITS: Although WGP has a movement flag, players have to physicallyclick on each hex to see which units moved. Each combat unit has its unitsymbol printed on the back of the counter, along with a general color-coding. I find it easier to flip the unit when it is done moving then use the menu option to flip all units face up prior to declaring combats. With this in mind, certain information counters have the same front and back sides to avoid potential problems when flipping units in this manner.5. Other Information and Web Links I welcome any comments about this module, including suggestions for improvements and the existence of errors or omissions. My Email address is merlak@compuserve.com. More information about the WarGame Processor can be found at the WGP Web page. The URL is http://www.wargamesbymail.com. For those players who do not want to use the die-rolling feature of WGP there are Internet dice servers available. The Shadow Island Games server allows you to send a regular Email message to request die rolls. The Irony server requires a visit to the web page to request die rolls. Information on these servers is available at the following URLs: Irony: http://www.irony.com/mailroll.html Shadow Island Games: http://www.pbm.com/dice/6. Legal Stuff The module is being released into the public domain without restriction for the use of those who have purchased the right to use The WarGame Processor. This module is a player-aid only. It is intended solely to promote the play of the game through Email. If you intend to use the module, please purchase the right to use The WarGame Processor and please purchase a copy of Battle of the Bulge, 1981. The Avalon Hill Game Company released Battle of the Bulge in 1981. TAHGC holds the copyright to this game, and by extension, to the likeness of the map and counters used in this module. I would guess Hasbro Inc. is now the owner of these copyrights. This game is no longer in print but second-hand copies are available. I have found on-line auctions to be good sources of used games.The WarGame Processor is protected by a copyright owned by Sean Emerson.This copyright may extend to portions of this module. To the extent it does, those portions of the module are not considered public domain.