by Armchair Dragoons PAO, 27 May 2026
The early years of Origins are actually more well-documented that many people realize. However, the folks that don’t realize it are the ones that wouldn’t have been reading older wargaming magazines to find it.
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In an older issue of The General, Don Greenwood was reminiscing on his time as the editor of the the magazine, but also had some thoughts about Origins, as well.
The Courier Dispatch report on Origins 1980 by Dick Bryant focused heavily on minis wargaming, but also included some discussion of the seminar & panel discussions that continue on today at the Origins War College.
One highlight was Getz’s presentation of “history” of miniature wargames in USA, especially has presentation of games as analogies, not “realism”, since “realism” is impossible. Iim said one can claim his game is better analogy, but more “realistic”.
“Napoleon’s System of Maneuver” by Avalon Hill was Highway Robbery! A total contrast to the Getz presentations. First, the subject was changed since one presenter “was in Okinawa”. Therefore we got a disjointed Q & A session, combined with some reading from Sun Tzu. The panel was made up of 5 of the top boardgame designers; John Prados, Kevin Zucker, Nelson, Davis and one other.
Not well prepared (I think it was an ad hoc grouping, so not their fault).
The disturbing thing about this seminar was the apparent contrast between miniatures people (as in Getz’s presentations) and boardgames as embodied in this panel. The miniatures approach seems to be an interest in HISTORY, which translates into looking up facts, then making a game interpretation from that.
The boardgame approach seems to be an interest in GAMES AND GAME MECHANICS, which translates into having pre-conceived notions of, or theories of, history that are applied to all historical eras, more or less independent of facts or differences between those eras.
Thus, my own (miniatures-biased) opinion is that miniatures designers would tend to take facts and build a game system from that; the boardgame designer takes a game system and adapts the facts to the system. I would quote one item from Kevin Zucker made at the seminar as support for my idea – he (supported by other panelists – the creme of boardgame design) said that Chandler was really “working backwards” in his attempt to interpret Napoleonic history! From my point of view, Zucker is backwards, which explains why, from HIS point of view, Chandler is backwards!
When Mr. Davis was asked a question from the audience questioning one of the concepts, he replied “I can’t relate to that question”; the panel snickered, and went on. Some of the “choice” ideas presented there were: Bertheir actually handled the orders to the troops, since Napoleon had to concentrate on his 1813 supply lines etc.; Napoleon, being a “man of action”, was INCAPABLE of explaining his system, even if he had wanted to! All generals of that era were “out of their depth” and didn’t really know what they were doing; Clausewitz concentrated on the “material” aspect of warfare, and not on the “humanism” or personal aspect of command.
The report on Origins 1980 put paid adult attendance at 4652, and the under-10s another 350. That doesn’t include the dealers, volunteers & staff, etc.
This is the latest article in our series of articles covering Origins 2026 and you can find a carousel linking all of them across the bottom
The Courier Dispatch report on Origins 1982 including some information about the attendance for the year it returned to Baltimore (OK, OK, College Park, but still)
Official paid attendance came out at 3,826. This figure is not inflated by double or triple counting attendees who came to the convention for the whole weekend. 600 plus dealers and staff are not included in this total nor are those who received free admission by putting on several events. There is an unofficial estimate that the non-appearance of S.P.I. and T.S.R. hobbies may have cost the convention as many as 1500 attendees. This rather inexplicable decision by one of the hobby’s leading game companies and their newly purchased subsidiary may have hurt them more than Origins. Both ‘Avalon Hill’ and the newly formed ‘Victory Games’ were there and they seemed to be doing a fairly decent business.
Here’s AH Philosophy Part 108, from The General v21i6 in 1985
The pace quickens as ORIGINS, the annual National Adventure Gaming Convention, draws nigh. This year’s event, ORIGINS XI, will be held on the campus of Towson State University (nearby Baltimore, Maryland) during the last weekend of June (June 27-30 to be exact). Without exception, every major wargame publisher world-wide will be present or represented. Seminars and gaming tour- naments fill nearly every hour of the weekend. Indeed, it is virtually impossible for a gamer to participate in all he’d wish.
To those few of the readership who are new to the hobby, a brief history of the convention might be in order. ORIGINS began in Baltimore in 1975 under the direction of a group of local enthusiasts known as Interest Group Baltimore, supported by The Avalon Hill Game Company. It was their ambition to create a gaming convention which was national in scope, one that would cater to all interests in the adult gaming hobby. The initial show, held on the Johns Hopkins University with 24 events, 25 manufacturers and 1500 registered visitors has since grown into a travelling extravaganza-the showplace of the wargaming industry. Past conventions have been held in New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Dallas as well as Baltimore; next year the convention will be held in Los Angeles. ORIGINS XI is expected to have 200 manufacturers’ booths, several hundred tournaments and seminars, and over 5000 devotees in attendance. In 1980, GAMA (Game Manufacturing Association) assumed control of ORIGINS and now licenses the franchise for The Convention to qualified sponsors around the nation to maintain it as a truly national show committed to encouraging the gaming hobby in all its manifestations.
More so than usual, The Avalon Hill Game Company- its staff and wares-will be much in evidence since this year’s convention is on our “home turf’: A large number of tournaments utilizing our titles will be sponsored, and several seminars will give you a chance to talk back. A number of new releases are planned. Stop by our booth and look them over. And, should there be something you’d like to have-back issues of our magazines, game components, software, mapboards, player’s aids or even out-of-print games-the nearby AH Parts Booth will be taking orders on Friday and Saturday for Sunday pick-up, thus saving the buyer the time and expense of mail-ordering those items which are little-called for and not stocked by our main booth. A number of promotions will be occurring throughout the weekend, so drop by to check them out. And perhaps meet some of the designers/developers.
Further in the column, we also see
ORIGINS has, in the past few years, become a date for many game manufacturers to target for their new releases. This year’s con sees a full crop from The Avalon Hill Game Company. Of most interest to the many SL fanatics will be the long-awaited revealing of the ADVANCED SQUAD LEADER Rulebook and the first module, BEYOND VALOR, bringing in the new counters for the German and Russian military. As Don Greenwood and Jon Mishcon explained in the last issue of The GENERAL, this is nothing less than the ultimate development of the most popular tactical gaming system ever in the hobby. Utilizing a loose-leaf binder format, lavishly illustrated, and meticulously “de-bugged”, the rulebook of ASL should prove to be much in evidence around the halls of Towson State by Friday evening. And, of course, the scenarios enclosed in BEYOND VALOR and the Deluxe ASL modules will provide the medium for the fanatics’ delight . . . and their groans.
Huh, GAMA taking over the convention, new products launched & announced at the convention, tournaments everywhere, and 5000 attendees!
Things have certainly changed, haven’t they?
All of the Origins 2026 Articles
Origins Details ~ Wargame HQ Events ~ War College Events ~ Wargaming at Origins ~ Exhibitor Spotlights ~ Origins History ~ Q&A ~ Final Countdown
Opening Day ~ The Game Hall ~ More Gameplay ~ Above the Convention ~ Minis Wargaming ~ Wargame HQ Partners ~ Wargame HQ Spotlights
Exhibit Hall ~ Cosplay ~ Everything Else ~ AAR ~ Forum Thread
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