Training Academy
Club Philosophy and Responsibilities
ACWGC 101
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The American Civil War Gaming Club (ACWGC) has hundreds of members who are all here to have fun, meet fellow gamers, and enjoy a competitive battle. Some really appreciate the role-playing aspect of the club and the friendly banter back and forth between the sides. Others are here more for the gaming challenge of playing a human opponent on what is a complex computer board game. Nonetheless all members, you may safely assume, are your brothers-in-arms and can be counted upon to act like gentlemen both during the games and in the emails you exchange. Some members keep a dozen or more games going at all times while others simply play when they have the time. Some members may also go weeks or months between games based on real life circumstances (you may interpret that to read “when the spouse or kids allows them to play”).
The general Club meeting place is the Mason-Dixon Tavern (MDT). This is where the members spend their time asking questions, looking for opponents, and enjoying the incessant bantering between the sides. Furthermore, the Club is a very international group with members from many different countries (Sweden, New Zealand, Spain – just to name a few). It can be most enjoyable to meet different people through the club and to learn about their history, culture, and beliefs while sharing some of your own stories and ideas.
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Commentary: The Club is a great place to meet friends who share the same wargaming and/or historical interests as yourself. I do, strongly, advise all new members to wade slowly into the Club and gaming by playing just one or two games at a time until they better understand the time commitment that turns can sometimes take. In a short/small scenario a simple turn can take just a minute or two. On the other hand, a large scenario with hundreds of units to move and strategies to consider can take 30, 45, or 60 or more minutes easily. Based on your individual circumstances and preferences the time that each turn takes may, or may not, be an issue. But it is wise to start slowly and not end up a month into your career in the club with more turns than you can handle each night. This can quickly lead to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and the Club may soon feel more like a burden than a relaxing way to spend some free moments. It is best to start slow and increase your gaming in small amounts until you find a right balance for your situation. ​
Once you are a Member in the ACWGC you are allowed full use of all Club forums and websites and will have an equal say in the maintenance and direction of the Club. Your continued Club Membership is reliant on two different things. First, of course, your desire to continue gaming and having fun with your fellow Members, and second, mustering when requested to by your commanding officer.
A muster call, sent via email usually a few times a year, is simply a way for leadership to find out who is still actively gaming in the Club and who might have silently drifted away over the months. A missed mustering will not get you removed from the rolls but your army commander will attempt to reach out to you a number of times over a few months to check on your continued Membership in the Club if you are unresponsive.
There is a whole section in the official Club Rules dealing with Leaves of Absence, Discharges, and Reinstatement. Feel free to peruse it if you like but the Club’s leaders understand when real-life causes people to leave for an indefinite period of time due to unforeseen circumstances. Communicating such things to your army commander will help with the administration of the Club and also keep your email inbox from being filled with incessant questions about your location. Even if you do need to step away from the Club for a period of time, the door is always opened wide for returning members to rejoin the ranks.
In short, all you need to do to remain a Club Member is to communicate your desire to be in the Club with each muster. There is no minimum gaming requirement to hold a place in the Club.
The Club also expects its Members to treat each other respectfully and to play the games honestly. Winning and losing should be secondary to the enjoyment of the games as a whole. Because of this any cheating that takes place puts your continued Membership in the Club in jeopardy and also causes a ripple effect as the honor system that we all use is just a little weaker than before.
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