We take many things for granted. Things that have been around for so long that it feels like they have always been here - and always will be. But, my friends, all good things must come to an end.
If you follow any of the popular wargames forums, it probably hasn't escaped your notice that The Perfect Captain's website is set to close sometime this month (October 2020). We can only hope that all the files will be available in another format, but that isn't very certain right now. TPC do have a Facebook group, (I will refrain from expressing my views on FB for fear of upsetting someone) but I shall miss the webpage.
I can't remember now how I first stumbled across The Perfect Captain, but it was the discovery of their Red Actions! rules that first kindled my continuing interest in the Russian Civil War.
What I do remember is being struck by the quality of presentation, with graphics that would not look out of place in a commercial rule set.
And here's the thing. These are not commercial products. Everything on the Perfect Captain's website is available 100% free, gratis and for nothing. Their only request is that if you download the rules you make a donation (or give up some time) in support of a charity of your choice. Undoubtedly some will have ignored this request, but I like to think most wargamers are basically decent and willing to give something back. I can't help wondering how much all those donations have amounted to over the years. So apart from providing us with a wonderful and inspirational wargaming resource, perhaps The Perfect Captain's enduring legacy is also a humanitarian one. It's a heartwarming thought.
Thanks and farewell, TPC.
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| Love this artwork |
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| Unit cards for Ironbow - perfectly capturing that period feel |
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| The Perfect Captain channels Blue Peter. Make your own sanides-style tablet for the Hoplomachia rulebook |
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| Red Actions! cards and counters. Where have I seen that face before comrade? |
I hated to see Perfect Captain stop creating rules, and eventually go. I don’t game, exactly — my interest is more in the rules themselves, and how they simulate conflict. The Captain’s games have given me a lot of enjoyment over the years, experimenting with them and tweaking them to see how they might model my own personal ideas of what’s important in combat modeling. I do believe I have everything they ever made downloaded.
ReplyDeleteThe Perfect Captain lives on, at least on Facebook - not that I go there. I'm one of those curmudgeonly souls who want nothing to do with FB.
ReplyDeleteI have most of the Captain's rules anyway - like you I have read them more than played them; something I return to every so often as a source of inspiration and enjoyment.