In Memoriam: John Tiller
By Mitch Reed
Last week the wargame community was saddened by the news that John Tiller passed away after his fight with cancer. I started to realize how much of an impact he had on our community and how much his games meant to me over the last 26 years. I want to go over the many titles John has brought us and how he really transformed PC wargaming. I was a long-time hex and counter wargamer when I was growing up. As I moved into adulthood, I started to miss the hobby. I realized I did not have the time or space to start up again.
All that changed by a chance encounter with a PC wargame in 1995 called Battleground Ardennes. The game had the look and feel of the board games of my youth. The fact that a PC game can be stopped and started on my schedule meant that I would once again be able to enjoy wargaming.
Battleground Ardennes was the first of many titles that John did for Talonsoft. Soon after getting the first game, I got a copy of Battleground Gettysburg. I must have played that game for hours on end. I even remember playing it all night and heading right back to work. These first two titles were followed by another six games that covered the American Civil War and the Napoleonic wars of the 19th Century.
These games for their time had amazing graphics, sound and those little movie clips added to the fun of the game. At the time I never really thought to much about why these games held my attention so well. However, years later I began to sense the magic behind these great games.
For old time hex and counter wargamers who hated change, like myself, these titles really replicated the board games I grew up playing. They used a hex based map and while the units were 3d back then, they had all the attributes a game counter would have on it. The Battleground games also did not require an opponent and I did not need to dedicate a table in my small apartment for the map to sit for a few weeks.
I do not know if emulating board games was John Tiller’s plan. But he ended up pulling in both old time wargamers, as well as new wargamers with this series. Accomplishing both feats are nothing short of brilliant. Each of the Battleground games were instant classics in my opinion. They sucked you in for hours and you could play some of the scenarios over and over again.
The Battleground series was followed by John’s work on the Campaign Series at Talonsoft. This series featured three games that covered the entire Second World War with titles such as East Front, West Front and Rising Sun. These games covered the tactical end of fighting and also had that board game feel that made these titles very popular. These were later released in a bundle by in 2007 and are still available for purchase.
Soon after the demise of Talonsoft, John moved to in 1999 where his impact on the gaming community started to take shape. While at HPS he produced over 60 titles in the Panzer Campaigns, Modern Campaigns, Squad Battles, Naval Campaigns and the Early American Battles series just to name a few.
These titles improved upon and widened the scope of gaming John had started at Talonsoft. Over the years I bought many of his games and played them for hours upon hours. The games under the HPS banner also showed me that while the games were simple to play, the mechanics under the hood of the game engine were very deep and had a level of detail that drew even more gamers into PC gaming.
It was around this time John also created games for the US Air Force and this is where I become even more involved with John Tiller’s work. While on the Air Staff I was able to communicate with John’s company and obtain a copy of “Point of Attack” for use in my work with game-based training. I also played a version of his Modern Air Power game while I was in Air Command and Staff College, which was one of the most popular parts of the course.
After a while with HPS, John started to self-publish his games via and created yet more popular tiles and updated many of his games first designed under HPS. The one game that JTS published was the Panzer Battles series which was a game focused on the battalion and company level of warfare. I think these are some of the best games ever put out by John Tiller.
Once again, these easy to play games had deep mechanics, I recommend that people who have his games read the rules that come with them. You will appreciate the detail John put into his games along with large and accurate maps and an order of battle that any researcher would be proud of.
I could write a book extolling the greatness of the titles that John Tiller produced. However, I wanted to focus on what these games meant to the wargaming community. John’s games changed the landscape of PC games. His work made computer games a real thing and captured the feel of board wargames on a new medium.
This is an important point, many gamers hate change, and moving from hex and counter games to PC games is just a bridge too far for many of them. John Tiller made this transition easy and even desirable for gamers.
Another thing he did was usher in a new generation of gamers that never played board games before. I know many gamers who first broke into wargames via the many titles John produced and then moved on to playing board and even miniatures gaming.
I cannot see any history of PC wargames not having John Tiller feature as the one transformative force that helped create and grow the hobby, we all now enjoy. I have seen that his team will carry on developing games for JTS and the that will ensure that John Tiller’s legacy will live on well into the future.
From the staff at NoDiceNoGlory we wish to offer our condolences to all of the family, friends and fans of John Tiller and state that he will be missed but never forgotten.
RIP John
A past review we did of
Pictures from the JTS,HPS and Matrix Games websites linked above.
I used to love playing these games back in the day. Very sad to hear of John Tiller’s passing. This was a wonderful tribute to the man and his work. Thanks Mitch. Rest in Peace, John.
What a great tribute.
Thanks Mitch for posting this wonderful article!! John Tiller is and always will be a giant in the development of PC games! In fact I got started with his East Front design from Talonsoft back in the day, late 1990’s I believe. At that point I laid down my ASL and Panzerblitz and never looked back. I have many of his game and in fact a couple of days ago I just purchased his Modern Campaigns Korea ’85. I have been immersed in that the last few days and it is a superb design. Finally, Thank You John Tiller for the many hours and years of enjoyment with your games. RIP John.
EF/WF/Pacific ruined ASL for me…
Mitch. Thanks for the great article about my brother. The family has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the gaming community thru this difficult time. And thank you for your kind words. I always said John was the smartest person I ever knew. And I’ll never forget him sitting around the dining room table playing the old board games with their stack of pieces. Thank you again and all your readers for your kind words.
Tommy, first of all my deepest condolences. In a way all the comments have been uplifting to many and myself, I hope they do the same for you. He is an icon in the community and will always be. Please let us know if we can do anything for you and the Tiller family, today or anytime in the future.
This is very sad news. John Tiller needs to be ranked as one of America’s all time greats. His work speaks volumes. Whatever his influence was in the AI programming world will speak tremendously of his great accomplishments. He will be sorely missed.
Thank you for the hours of enjoyment from your creations. Last week I was looking for an old laptop that I could load these games on and found that they had been upgraded to work on my laptop with Microsoft 10. At 69 I will be have many more hours to enjoy these games once more. Thank you John Tiller and we will miss you!
Thank you for the hours of enjoyment from your creations. Last week I was looking for an old laptop that I could load these games on and found that they had been upgraded to work on my laptop with Microsoft 10. At 69 I will be have many more hours to enjoy these games once more. Thank you John Tiller and we will miss you!
I have been a long time gamer dating back to 1971. I am 62. And have acquired nearly or over a hundred games over those years plus a Second World War home library that could rival several univerisities and colleges. I got into Campaign Series about 13 years ago and thoroughly enjoy the series and have met some great folks on line and we play regularly. We also send gifts and cards for birthdays and holidays and correspond always. The last couple of years I delved into Panzer Campaigns and Naval Campaigns last year. Truly enjoyable.
Around the New Year of this year it was discovered I have cancer. I bide my time in chemo here in Grand Forks ND and on trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota on a laptop with many of these games and I believe it is also helping me as I am kicking cancer butt. I am getting very encouraging news about treatments. I truly believe these games keep me in a positive frame of mind. Thus the success that showing in tests results.
So in closing I wish to thank John Tiller and team for helping me through this difficult period and the success on keeping cancer at bay and soon to be routed. I owe my life to all of you.
Thanks,
Marc Schanilec (Schani)
or my newest A.k.a. I gave myself – Chemosabi
You’re heartfelt tribute is moving. Prayers for you and I hope you find comfort in that fabulous collection. Be well, my friend!
I used to play Talonsoft games back in the day and loved them, especially since one of my major historical interests is 19th century warfare. To play a John Tiller-designed American Civil War or Napoleonic wargame was immersive, like being transported back to another era. So I was thrilled to learn about a year ago that these classic game designs could be bought and played again via John Tiller Software – and am now saddened to learn of the passing, much too soon, of the creative genius behind them. Ave atque vale, John Tiller!
So sad. I am busy launching a video History project that simply would be inconceivable without John’s Games and influence. Prayers for this Gaming giant.
So sad to hear this news. I have purchased many JTS games and have avidly played and enjoyed them with friends here in the UK. It is sad that someone who has given such pleasure has sadly passed away. I send my deepest condolences to his family and all in the JTS family.
This is a sad day for the wargamming community.
I offer my condolences to his familly and friends.
Cheers from the Bastogne area, Belgium
Sad news.A man that with his wargames has given me many hours of entertainment in the last years.I particularly enjoyed the series Campaign(now Matrix Games) and Panzer Campaign.
What a hard Day…Thanks for so very good historical Games…Rest in Peace John Tiller,
Ralph Maneval, Germany
What a hard Day….Thanks for so good historical Games…Rest in Peace John Tiller,
Ralph Maneval, Germay
I would just like to say Thank You to John Tiller.
I started playing Your war games many years ago (around 1999) and I found a group of different people with similar hobby and historical interest. We played your games many different ways and had fun (and a lot of used time sure) … and some of these players have become my lifelong friends.
John I can say You changed our lives in positive way … so again, THANK YOU :o)
For all my friends who know the name John Tiller …
Matto