Honour

Sam is Away until July 1

Sam — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:32:08 +0000

As I write this, I’m packing for my annual research trip in Germany. I’ll be working in the Prussian archives in Berlin and the Hessian archives in Marburg (Hallo, Brüder Grimm!). June is a slow month at HONOUR, but when I return, events will start to move rapidly as we prepare for the release of Longstreet.

The HONOUR store is still open, however, and staffed by our thousands of loyal minions, and of course I can still be reached by email.

Sam

Longstreet is Off to the Printers!

Sam — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:43:01 +0000

Now the most nerve-racking part of game development ensues: The Long Wait. Longstreet is done and the proofs have been approved for both books and cards. So it’s at the printers and will be probably another 2-3 months before I can see the final results. The books are being printed in the USA, and will thus be faster to arrive, but the cards are coming from overseas and will take longer. As for when you will see it for sale on this site… well, “late Summer” is still probably the best guess.

In the coming months we will make the final changes on this site to accommodate orders, we’ll post the pricing details, and our overseas dealers will let you know about price and availability in your country.

Sam

Longstreet Will be a Book

Sam — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:00:37 +0000

I’ve kept quiet for the past month or so, as I needed time to explore all options, but I’ve decided that Longstreet will be released as a book. The complete game will therefore be like Maurice: a book and a boxed set of 108 cards.

I’ve been in discussion with a few printers, and have come up with a solution that I think will be perfect for wargaming needs. The Longstreet book will be “half-sized” pages, and thus smaller and thicker (more pages) than the previous HONOUR books.

Don’t worry, the text is not tiny! I’ll be using a single column on each page, with the same sort of type, colors, and style of images that you’ve come to expect in all HONOUR games.

Why the smaller size? Because the smaller but thicker book will be more compact and thus less-expensive to ship, and less susceptible to damage in the post. And… because it comes with a wonderful innovation. Longstreet will be the first HONOUR game to use LayFlat Binding.

You may have seen this sort of binder on technical manuals, such as those for cars. It means that the book has, effectively, two bindings: a stiff outside binding that looks like any other perfect-bound book, and a flexible interior binding to which the pages are attached. It means that the book can be opened and lie flat, without damage. It looks like this:

http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/03/Layflat-Binding.jpg

I think this is just perfect for wargaming: the smaller size means that the rulebook can be handy right on the table, without taking up too much space. And the LayFlat binding enables it to be left open to pages without damage.

As you can see, I’m very excited about it.

To see some examples of pages from the forthcoming Longstreet book, click here:

http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/03/Longstreet-Sample-Page-1.pdf

http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/03/Longstreet-Sample-2.pdf

(I’ll post more as the layout and photography progresses.)

Is there a release date yet?

No, we’re still on schedule, though, so it’s looking like late Summer or early Autumn.

Is there a price yet?

Soon, friends, soon.

What about PDF?

A “dumb” PDF (i.e., for printing and viewing, but not specialized for touch-screens or tablets) will be available, shortly after the book is released.

What about that gawd-awful shipping cost from the USA to overseas?

I’m happy to report that we’re well on the way to getting that solved, as well have distributors in all the English-speaking countries, and for the EU. You’ll be able to buy it domestically, as soon as it’s available.

More on Longstreet, and Maurice PDFs on sale!

Sam — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:31:13 +0000

If you’re curious about how Longstreet is coming along, be sure to check out the new flyer for him, with examples of game play and cards.

In the meantime, for anybody who hasn’t yet purchased Maurice, you no longer have any excuse! The Maurice PDF is on sale for a mere $20! You can thus get the complete game in PDF format. If you only want to play the basic rules, you can use the FREE action cards from our downloads page. But surely all gentlemen of quality will prefer to purchase the full boxed 108-card set, to play the complete game with all advanced rules and the Succession Wars campaign.

Christmas Break

Sam — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:10:52 +0000

Greetings All: Mark Severin, who does all the HONOUR store shipping, will be taking his annual holiday break starting tomorrow, 21 Dec, and will return on Sat, 29 Dec. That means that any orders placed in the online store during that week, will be delayed by a few days.

Thanks for your understanding, and I hope everybody has a great holiday.

Sam

Introducing LONGSTREET

Sam — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 19:52:29 +0000

Coming in the second half of 2013, the third HONOUR game will take a unique perspective on the American Civil War. Rather than refighting the same dozen famous battles for the umpteenth time, Longstreet will ask you to create a “character” – historical or fictional. He begins the war in 1861 commanding a small brigade of volunteers.

You will create his personality from a variety of characteristics. For example: does he have prior military experience in Mexico, or against the Indians? Does he have a background in engineering or one of the other branches of the service? Is he politically well-connected, and thus likely to have the ear of a state governor who might be in a position to send replacements? Is he wealthy, with friends in the media who can inflate his exploits on the battlefield, thus putting pressure on the War Department to promote him?

The war grows in intensity. Your responsibilities increase, as does the number of men under your command. Changes over which you have no control – sometimes good and sometimes bad – affect your force. A Federal officer in the early war might despair at the departure of his 90-day volunteers, but patiently awaits the great industrial superiority of the northern economy. A Confederate officer might enjoy many early advantages, to see them gradually slip away as shortages and attrition strangle the southern war effort.

Like its predecessor, Maurice, the new game will include a full, boxed set of 108 playing cards, which are used not only for game action, but also to keep track of morale and fatigue, to manage the game’s system of objectives and the fate of personalities like officers and regimental heroes. The cards are also used to represent scouting and to set up the battlefield.

Longstreet can be played as a small 1-vs-1 game for two players. But it is infinitely expandable. The game keeps track of the ranks of players (even the seniority of officers at the same rank). When you gather your friends for a big game, each player brings his force, his pack of cards, and his “character.” If you have enough people, figures, and space, you can easily recreate large battles (or invent your own.) The most senior player will command on each side.

For more information, go to the Downloads page and read the Introducing Longstreet flyer.

Sam is Back

Sam — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:43:24 +0000

Greetings all. I have returned from my research trip in Germany. I’m working on a book on the Kingdom of Westphalia, which I hope to complete in 2013 or 2014.

While I shake off the jet lag, I thought I’d mention that Maurice is being featured in another pair of wargaming magazines: the current issue of Wargames, Soldiers, and Strategy, and the upcoming issue of Battlegames.

best,

Sam

Sam will be away in late July / early August

Sam — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:52:57 +0000

I’ll be leaving for my annual research trip in Germany in mid/late July, and won’t be back until mid August, so you’ll see less of me on the Forums, and I’ll be less speedy responding to emails. The Online Store will keep chugging along fine, though, now that Mark has completed his relocation to Chicago.

I’m excited to be visiting two cities I’ve never seen before: Marburg (where I’ll be working in the Hessian State Archive), and Göttingen (which, as a historian, I’m a bit ashamed to admit I haven’t gotten to until now, but better late than never.) I’m looking forward to the beautiful Hessian countryside in Summertime, lots of beer, und natürlich die Gelegenheit, mein Deutsch zu üben.

Sam

MAURICE Sale Ends on Sunday 13 May

Sam — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:54:51 +0000

Huzzah! Huzzah! All gentlemen of quality are reminded that the marvelous Maurice early order sale bundle deals will soon expire.

For those whose friends are still unsure whether or not to order, now is the time to tell them to step up!

The “Aristocrat” special is still only $49 USD, and you get the full color book and full 108-card set for a seven dollar discount PLUS a free complete PDF.

The “Bourgeois” special is still only $39 USD, and includes the PDF and the card set; also a $7 USD discount off the individual items.

These specials will last only through the end of Sunday, 13 May, after which the discounts will disappear.

Maurice Gallops Out This Week!

Sam — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:18:00 +0000

Huzzah! Huzzah! The wait is over, and Maurice is heading off to conquer the (gaming) world and impress the ladies. As many of you know, the printer who supplied our cards delayed the shipment and then SNAFU’d the transit, but at last the cards have arrived, safe and sound, and they’re lovely!

My thanks to all of our patient fans and customers, who will soon have their copies in hand.

In the meantime, if anybody is still thinking of ordering with the pre-order specials (the discounted “Aristocrat” and “Bourgeois” bundle deals), please do so soon. These deals will end in early May and pricing will return to normal.