Chad Jensen - Combat Commander and Dominant Species.
Jim Day - Panzer series
I'm really, really hoping that the hype over Mark Simonitch's designs is true because I just dropped a chunk of change on three of his games.
To save GJK's head from exploding I purposely didn't mention any Euro/AT designers. 😇
Peter Bogdasarian - Corps Command + Tank on Tank
Brant I would have placed money on Mark Walker as your favorite designers.
Mark is excellent as well, but there's something about the clean elegance of Pete's designs that I really dig.
Thank you Bison and sorry to disappoint the fans of Agricola.
Good question with lots of good possible answers. Off the top of my head:
1. Dean Essig. Love his work and the attention to detail that he puts into his designs.
2. Don Greenwood. Classic AH. Some say he stuck his fingers in too much at times on some designs but even if so, my favorite games were from him. No need to mention them.
3. Jon Southard. I think he had some brilliant designs and my all-time fav solitaire game ("Carrier") is from him. Long list of other great titles too.
4. Eric Lee Smith. I mentioned in the other "What's on your table?" thread but the designer of VG's "Civil War", "Ambush" and "Mosby's Raiders".
5. John Hill. No Squad Leader without him. Also has some very detailed sets of ACW miniatures rules that are detailed as can be.
I know that there's probably another half dozen or so that just aren't coming to mind at the moment but honorable mention to my favorite wargame artists of all time: Charlie Kibler and Rodger MacGowan. How many box covers, maps and counters of theirs have I stared at in awe since I was a teenager? I had the honor of having Mr. Kibler over to my house one day (where we play a LAN game of CMBB by the way). Great guy with lots of great stories. I need to shoot him an email here again soon to see if he's up for another pbem game. I was also fortunate to get some autographed "printers proof's" of game box artwork from Mr. MacGowan. On my wall is framed and autographed covers from "For the People", "Paths of Glory" and 3 others that I just have run out of wall space to hang in my little man-cave. Super nice guy he is as well.
It's going to bug me all night now until I think of some more names. Well, I'm sure others will call them out.
I want to try Dean Essing's Bastongne: Screaming Eagles some day. If I ever get the intestinal fortitude to learn the rules and table space, I'd love to play out some OCS titles.
Quote from: Bison on August 23, 2016, 07:52:08 PM
I want to try Dean Essing's Bastongne: Screaming Eagles some day. If I ever get the intestinal fortitude to learn the rules and table space, I'd love to play out some OCS titles.
Origins
Quote from: bayonetbrant on August 23, 2016, 07:58:40 PM
Quote from: Bison on August 23, 2016, 07:52:08 PM
I want to try Dean Essing's Bastongne: Screaming Eagles some day. If I ever get the intestinal fortitude to learn the rules and table space, I'd love to play out some OCS titles.
Origins
I want to make it to Origins for once in my life. Maybe if I start saving now for next year I'll have enough.
Yeah I need to make it there too. Perhaps next summer, but I'm pretty sure my summer has already been planned for by other parties.
Next summer we're expecting about a dozen of the Grogs here, at least.
1. Phillipe Thibaut (EU and La Grande Guerre) - These are among my favorite games out there. Flawed, but loved.
2. Richard Berg - he can be an ass, but what he's brought to the hobby is just stupendous, in terms of major changes
3. Dean Essig - The systems he designs, and polishes, are among the very best out there.
4. Jim Dunnigan - not so much for his wargames, as his geo-political stuff. But he's got some outstanding traditional hex and counter designs too.
Now it gets tough. I definitely want to put Mark Herman on the list, but more for his input into VG designs than direct designs.
Yes, he's made a couple of games I love, but I feel guilty enough for Thibaut.
I will now surprise no one:
1. Zucker
2. Groves
3. Borg
4. Berg
5. Chadwick
Fine, fine question, I think me.
I like Borg's designs too, but haven't played them enough. Thanks for reminding me I need to get C&C Ancients to the table again soon.
Quote from: Bison on August 23, 2016, 06:53:07 PM
I'm really, really hoping that the hype over Mark Simonitch's designs is true because I just dropped a chunk of change on three of his games.
I like Simonitch's games. I own a couple and have played several others.
What are you favorites?
Quote from: Bison on September 01, 2016, 11:20:13 AM
What are you favorites?
Normandy '44 and Ardennes '44 are both excellent. Lots of fun playing those. I'd gladly play either again.
I own France '40, but haven't given it a proper play through yet. Same with US Civil War. Just bought that a little while back. Very much looking forward to digging into it.
I'll add Carl Paradis to the list of names. The No Retreat! series is excellent.
Quote from: mirth on September 01, 2016, 11:28:16 AM
Quote from: Bison on September 01, 2016, 11:20:13 AM
What are you favorites?
Normandy '44 and Ardennes '44 are both excellent. Lots of fun playing those. I'd gladly play either again.
I own France '40, but haven't given it a proper play through yet. Same with US Civil War. Just bought that a little while back. Very much looking forward to digging into it.
Cool. I'm waiting on Normandy 44 and US Civil War to be delivered hopefully in the next week or so.
Quote from: Bison on September 01, 2016, 12:03:56 PM
Cool. I'm waiting on Normandy 44 and US Civil War to be delivered hopefully in the next week or so.
O0
My top 5
Shayne Logan - Old School Tactical
John Hill - Squad Leader O0
Jim Day - Panzer games
Barry Doyle - Valor & Victory
Chad Jensen - Combat Commander
Quote from: Bison on August 23, 2016, 07:31:08 PM
Brant I would have placed money on Mark Walker as your favorite designers.
Nah - that'll be Vance you're talking about.
Jim Krohn, the man behind the Band of Brothers system.
Quote from: bob48 on September 01, 2016, 04:12:25 PM
Jim Krohn, the man behind the Band of Brothers system.
O0
Yeah Mark Walker is one of my favourites. I like his designs and him personally.
Also John Hill and Jim Day for all their work in our hobby.
And I will confess I was surprised Brant threw Frank Chadwick no love given Twilight 2k at least...
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ben Hull. Fields of Fire is just genius and his Musket & Pike series is also well regarded.
Quote from: Cyrano on September 02, 2016, 08:53:40 AM
And I will confess I was surprised Brant threw Frank Chadwick no love given Twilight 2k at least...
You know, I mention 1 -
ONE - dude that I happen to like lately. It would take me a LONG time to list the favorites, and honestly, many of them would be RPG guys mainly b/c I don't know who a lot of the wargame guys are. I just played the games growing up.
All of them.
Doug's point is well taken.
Even games that I think are substandard have something in them worth studying and knowing.
+1!
Quote from: Pinetree on September 02, 2016, 10:16:01 AM
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ben Hull. Fields of Fire is just genius and his Musket & Pike series is also well regarded.
Agreed - you're spot-on there.
Quote from: mirth on September 01, 2016, 11:28:16 AM
Quote from: Bison on September 01, 2016, 11:20:13 AM
What are you favorites?
Normandy '44 and Ardennes '44 are both excellent. Lots of fun playing those. I'd gladly play either again.
I own France '40, but haven't given it a proper play through yet. Same with US Civil War. Just bought that a little while back. Very much looking forward to digging into it.
+1 for Simonitch on the series
John Gorkowski has caught my attention lately. I think he is secretly trying to usurp Ted Racier as "Mr. WWI". IMHO, Gorkowski (followed closely by Michael Resch) is on his way to do that. I am really liking Balance of Powers and Red Poppies Campaigns: Ypres.
Quote from: mirth on September 01, 2016, 11:32:21 AM
I'll add Carl Paradis to the list of names. The No Retreat! series is excellent.
I'd second this. I was actually fairly underwhelmed by
No Retreat: The Russian Front (for reasons I can't quite put my finger on), but I'm currently soloing a full campaign of
Italian Front and am really getting into it.
Borg, Chadwick, Hill, and Luttmann- in no particular order.
Quote from: Pinetree on September 02, 2016, 10:16:01 AM
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ben Hull. Fields of Fire is just genius and his Musket & Pike series is also well regarded.
Yes! Ben Hull and Lee Brimmicombe-Wood and Terry Simo and Mike Nagel (Flying Colors) and Adam Starkweather and Dean Essig and Alan J Ray (developed Hoplite), Matthew Hinkle (designer of Fontenoy) and Frederick Bay (the Epees Souveraines series)...and probably a lot more!
In some ways this is like asking me to name my favorite movie, or game even.... I can name a hundred movies and games that I really like...but don't have a "favorite."