New recruits

[daconey]

Oh and Mr. Oorthuys, love your publication, I am a life long subscriber, more roman specials please! I can't get enough about anything that happened along the rhine and danube frontiers, thanks!

[Marja]

Jasper,

I like exploring history by designing games and playing well-designed games.

Most tabletop wargames involving refighting a battle or a war on a small map-board, with units representing the forces on each side, and rules reflecting the constraints: unit capabilities, strength, and morale in tactical games, as well as logistics and sometimes politics in strategic ones. A lot of the same basic approaches work well for other types of conflict and/or competition, but they don't work as well for cooperation.

If you aren't familiar with the genre and can find Phillip Sabin's book on *Lost Battles,* that's a good example of the ways game design can explore and explain history. That said, Sabin leaves many open questions. He uses his own educated guess as to how much more effective veterans could be than levies, but it is still worth finding better estimates.

If you are familiar with the genre, I'm trying to design something, for Simple Great Battles of History, something similar to GBOA and SPQR but with simplified command rules, among other things. I'd also like to design a simpler game similar to PRESTAGS and a strategic game covering the entire conflict.

Sometimes game design can point out open questions and sometimes it can point out where certain models of history have problems that aren't immediately obvious.

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Marja
I am familiar with the genre (we also publish Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy) and I've read Phil Sabin's book, although it's been quite a few years. But I'll repeat what I said before: sounds interesting! I wonder if I need to tell our editor of WS&S to see if "There's an article in that"

[starman2012]

Welcome Eric and good luck!

[Lucas]

Hey everyone!

My names Lucas and I'm from kelowna British Columbia Canada. I have always thought roman armor was among the best looking sets around and I've now decided to create one for myself. I'm here because I need help. I have a friend who is willing to cut out the pieces of the 18ga steel for me as he works at a metal shop and can do it very easily. I am going to use the pattern provided here but, haven't decided on A or B yet, any suggestions would be great.

I also purchased a cheap helmet on eBay (I know probably a dumb idea, but it was nice and cheap).

One thing I would be really interested in finding are the brass fittings. I'm not too worried about the hinges as I think I can make those easy enough, it's all those other brass parts that concern me.

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Lucus
Welcome to RAT. I'd say there are lots of people here who can help you with brass fittings of any kind.

[agrimensor]

Lucas have you alraedy seen the site of leg xx because there are some workshops on how to make a segmentata. good luck

[Martivs]

Hi there everyone,

My name is Martin and I'm from Ontario, Canada. I have always been interested in Ancient Rome since I had opportunity to visit several sites along Hadrian's Wall when I was very young. As a collector, I have managed to put together a basic 1st century impression, yet it seems there is always that elusive last bit of kit to aquire. So far the only piece that I have made is the balteus. However, I would like to undertake a lorica segmentata next as the one that I have could fit much better. Unfortunately, my work as a Marine Engineer keeps me away from home too much to particitpate in any reenactment groups so far. I look forward the wealth of experiance that is available on this forum.

[Robert Vermaat]

Welcome Martin, I hope you'll like your time here.

[LindaGruchy]

Hello,

I live in Essex, fairly close to Colchester (Camulodunum). The reason I've joined is I need some help and suggestions.

I have written a novel about a gladiatrix early second century AD. I had a lot of interest from an agent, who then, after some constructive suggestions, sad on the manuscript for a year. We have now parted company, and I have decided to publish the novel on Kindle, having already had some success with my crime novels.

The problem is, being a self-publisher, I need to create/buy in a cover for the novels. That's been fine until now, because I've used my own photographs (see my blog or Amazon pages), but with a female retiarius, that's going to be a bit tricky!

I tried creating a mosaic in Photoshop from scratch, but frankly, it's pretty poor (take a look on my FB page if you're curious).

I'm wondering about merging several photos of things like a gladius, secutor helemt, a trident, net etc with some sort of misty female figure. Or a photograph of a female retiarius, if there is one available at reasonable cost.

So I'm wondering if anyone has any photographs of equipment which I could use at low cost, please? Or knows where I could get such photographs. Or has any ideas or suggestions, please.

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Linda, and welcome!

We do have female gladiators here, perhaps they could help out? Best post a question in the combat sports section.

[Caeso Quintilius Etruscus]

Salvete!

I've taken on the name Caeso Quintilius Etruscus, identical twin to the more prominent Praetor Gaius. Yours truly was interested in Roman reenactment in May of 2000 but only now have gotten into it. A few others and I (are starting to) represent Legio XIII Gemina in Nova Ierseum, very close to the barbaric lands known as Provincia Manhattanensis.

Primarily interested in the 1st Century BC and AD, especially Augustus. For the moment, he is my favorite emperor. Always trying to learn something new, I've been reading through this forum for a few months and have been really impressed with the wealth of knowledge here.

Best to all,

Etruscus

[Titus Manlius Verus]

Hello everyone, I'm Tyler. I am a college student who lives in Atlanta, GA. I am here because I have a passion for Roman history, and once I get out of College, I plan to become a reenactor. Until then, I am saving money where I can, and researching. It is my goal to learn all I can about Roman history, decide which impression I wish to do (I'm a college athlete, so I'm leaning towards gladiator), and create the most accurate impression possible (I'm a stitch counter). I can't wait to talk to everyone, and I'm very excited about what I am going to learn. Cheers. 8-)

[Robert Vermaat]

(I'm a stitch counter).

Welcome Tyler, and good luck with that!

[Agricola]

I've just realised I should have started here, instead of posting a thread on focale in the main forum. Sorry!

Hi everyone, I'm Dafydd and I come from Mona, the sacred island of the Druids, or Ynys Mon/Anglesey as it's now called. I've been interested in the Romans for many years now, and I've amassed a reasonable library of books on the subject. Unfortunately for me though, like the great poet Homer (Simpson) once said "Whenever I learn new stuff it pushes some old stuff out of my Brain." So I'm constantly learning new things about the Romans ; or maybe they were old things I'd forgotten...

I have a meagre and unfinished late first century AD Legionary set (sadly with inaccurate pieces which will hopefully be replaced or corrected at one point), although I'd love to create a first century BC/AD Briton impression, or even a late Roman/Romano-Briton of the c. AD 300-500 era. I'm pretty confident that everyone here could put me in the right direction!