Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
In this episode, Seamus MacShamus joins LaFondiose for a deep dive into his experience as a new and ambitious umpire in the International Kriegsspiel Society. From first contact through Little Wars TV to planning an original Zulu War campaign, Seamus shares lessons learned, systems designed, and pitfalls avoided—or not. We explore his custom rules for asymmetric colonial warfare, the logistics challenges of ox-drawn supply trains, and how he models suppression, cohesion, and morale in tactical engagements. He walks us through his creative use of tools like Krita and TTS to deliver immersive screenshots with arrows and fog-of-war blurring. We also hear about his earlier struggles running a large sci-fi space game (Vacuum Wars), the importance of assistant umpires, and his plans for a future WWI air and artillery game. This is a detailed look at how thoughtful game design, careful historical research, and a few missteps can build a better umpire.
In this episode, Seamus MacShamus joins LaFondiose for a deep dive into his experience as a new and ambitious umpire in the International Kriegsspiel Society. From first contact through Little Wars TV to planning an original Zulu War campaign, Seamus shares lessons learned, systems designed, and pitfalls avoided—or not. We explore his custom rules for asymmetric colonial warfare, the logistics challenges of ox-drawn supply trains, and how he models suppression, cohesion, and morale in tactical engagements. He walks us through his creative use of tools like Krita and TTS to deliver immersive screenshots with arrows and fog-of-war blurring. We also hear about his earlier struggles running a large sci-fi space game (Vacuum Wars), the importance of assistant umpires, and his plans for a future WWI air and artillery game. This is a detailed look at how thoughtful game design, careful historical research, and a few missteps can build a better umpire.
