Scourge of War - Napoleon, A Peninsular Campaign

Mr. Digby wrote:try not to lose battles... or if you do lose them try to find someone else to blame

Anyone who's played with me before knows I excel at this

Seriously - I can't wait for this to begin - I have some funny role-play ideas in mind already.

Blackstreet wrote:Seriously - I can't wait for this to begin - I have some funny role-play ideas in mind already.

I am hoping the RP will transition to the battlefield as well

Question - does anyone know of a piece of software that will perform the following functions for me?

I want to load into it an image - for example our campaign map, and the program needs to allow me to put push-pins or markers of some kind on a layer over the base map. The markers should have text boxes attached (that can be expanded out and closed again with a mouse-click) that allow a description of the marker to be added.

Ideally the markers could be moved on the layer above the map and each new position saved.

Given the internet and wargamers and maps and campaigns I am pretty sure someone has developed something like this but after almost a week of hunting about I haven't found anything. It doesn't have to be freeware, if it does what I want I'll happily use payware.

EDIT: I finally found a little app called SMAZ, here. It looks to be part way towards what I want but the old Win95 help files don't work under Win7 (Grrr).

Mr. Digby wrote:Question - does anyone know of a piece of software that will perform the following functions for me?

I want to load into it an image - for example our campaign map, and the program needs to allow me to put push-pins or markers of some kind on a layer over the base map. The markers should have text boxes attached (that can be expanded out and closed again with a mouse-click) that allow a description of the marker to be added.

Ideally the markers could be moved on the layer above the map and each new position saved.

Given the internet and wargamers and maps and campaigns I am pretty sure someone has developed something like this but after almost a week of hunting about I haven't found anything. It doesn't have to be freeware, if it does what I want I'll happily use payware.

EDIT: I finally found a little app called SMAZ, here. It looks to be part way towards what I want but the old Win95 help files don't work under Win7 (Grrr).

I used Photoshop for mine, and drew on the "town relations" as a cross-brush in different colors, respective to their factions.

Obviously Photoshop is extremely pricey ($300+) so unless you have it already, I wouldn't recommend purchasing it just for this.

I've used Photoshop in the past (very pricey, $1600+ in Australia) and rumor has it GIMP is similar in its functionality while being free.

Another options is MappingBoard which seems to do much the same thing, provided it allows you to upload the base map. At least, it talks about 'freely moving and adjusting objects' once they're created.

What I'm not certain of is expandable text-boxes. I've had text boxes grouped to the map-pins when using Fireworks and dragged them about on a 'map layer' but they're still physical enough that they can get in the way of my clicking.

Actually, thinking about it if you don't mind the text-boxes not expanding and retracting then I can definitely recommend Fireworks - any version of it. I use CS3 at the moment, but if you can find an earlier one in Abandonware it may do the trick as well.

Thanks guys, I shall explore the options. I use Paint Shop Pro which uses layers as well but I wanted something more 'wargamey' for this.

Gimp 2.8 has nearly all the same functionality as photoshop and it is free. Create a layer for each text box and you can move them around the map as often as you wish.

GIMP 2.8 is good and what I use.

If you want to open or mod .dds files use this plug in:

http://registry.gimp.org/node/70

Well I have found some nice flag and pin graphics and using Paint Shop Pro and layering things I should be good to go.

Hi there,

New to the forum, I think you are doing a great job, thanks a lot indeed.

I would like to join the Peninsular campaign both as a strategic player and to play MP battles.
Please let me know how to proceed...

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards.

Hello Iberaic, we very definitely need more players, I never turn anyone away!

The map command side of the game needs at most about 1 to 2 hours of your time per week, though often less, and in weeks where we are waiting for an MP battle to be played, very little time at all. You can create your own level of involvement and amount of role-playing, by writing as many or as few letters to other commanders on your side as you want.

Had you a preference for Allied (Spanish) or French command? I have presently 1 command free on each side and both quite urgently need a player.

You can contact me by e-mail to arrange things. Please mail me at



Also what is your real first name please? We tend to use those mainly in game chats and on TS.

Then I'll be on the Allied side and help defend my country from the "franchutes".

I already sent you an email Martin, My name is José (not Bonaparte as you can guess) , but in Spain most people with that name are known as Pepe by their family and friends and that's my case. So you can call me Pepe.

Is that you Tiopepe??

No it's not me. But I know that guy we are fellow members in a spanish wargame forum and we have played SOWGB and Combat Mission a couple of times.

Nice to meet you anyway.

Welcome to the forum Pepe. I look forward to meeting you on TS later today.

Yes, Pepe, we have a campaign game today at 19:30 UK time (I think that's the same as Lisbon time), you are very welcome to join us.

There are a few Portuguese troops in this battle, if you feel that a division command is too much for you, you can always take the Portuguese brigade of Colonel Trant

Do you have Teamspeak installed and a microphone?

es bueno conocerte a Pepe

Lo mismo digo Morsey.

I would have loved to play today's battle, but I've never used teamspeaker and I don't have time today to settle everything.

Next time I'll be on the rollcall.