The Games
EasyShip
Designer: Michael Fischer
Publisher: The Mad Game-Designer's Page
Type: Wargame
Status: Free
Available from:
http://www.cke1st.com/m_games1.htm
From the game's designer:
'My All the Ships project is as close as it probably will ever get to its goal: to portray every major combat ship in the world, from the late 1890's to the end of WWII, as a free downloadable counter. So far, there are over 7500 ships represented, not counting aircraft. One thing that I didn't include is a set of rules, since I figured that most naval-game buffs already have a rule set in mind, and are using my counters to beat the cost of ship miniatures. But all the rules I've seen are too complex for my taste, which means I can't play a game with my own counters. So, just for the heck of it, here are some simple rules for naval engagements.'
EasyShips assumes you have some of the designer's All the Ships counters, or a set of naval miniatures. You'll also need hex maps of open sea, like the letter-sized map that comes with the game. These rules are meant for simplicity and fast play, not for extreme realism; the emphasis is on surface combat. The intended era is the first half of the 20th century. All you provide is some 6-sided dice, a 20-sided die, and pens and paper for some simple record-keeping if you use carriers or submarines.