When did this site open up?

Opened 1 March 1999. 

What is the origin of the club?

Basically, we moved over from LeadEaters. We put together a website, recruited some of our friends and friends of friends (word of mouth) to come game with us. 

Prior to the internet, many of us slogged away in relative obscurity with cardboard units and maps, desperately looking for honorable opponents which seemed few and far between.

As the computer revolution started we thought we may be near the promised land of a new evolution in wargaming.  Those computers give us new games and a readily available foe to reinvigorate our interest.  Alas, slowly the realization dawns on us that the Computer's Artificial Intelligence just isn't as sneaky as your buddy that lived across the street years ago.

Then along comes the internet and software companies with new tools to reach out and game via e-mail and/or online.  Of course, the desperate search for honorable and quality opponents leads us to various small groups across the Web.

For many of us in the Blitz, this search started with the LeadEaters Wargaming Club. After a while, LeadEaters started to lose steam and creativity.  After several months of pain and suffering, three individuals banded together to say ENOUGH!

Our site was the creation of three members.  We referred to ourselves as the triumvirate. We made our decisions by committee.  Not always the best method to accomplish things, but it worked for a while. Over time, the triumvirate leadership model broke down over many issues and personal disagreements.  
   
Mark Higgins, aka Thor, came along later as the Triumvirate was breaking down. He was a player I was gaming with at the time and a big reason the club survived the early leadership breakdown.
 
At the time, I was working for unity of effort. Get all the war-gamers pushing in the same direction so that we could have a reliable place to hang out and maybe have some pull with the game companies.  As I couldn't control much outside my foxhole, I focused on building the CS portion of the club. I wanted to establish a club and community that would have longevity with many people contributing to it. I wanted to always have a place not commercially driven to hang out in.

Most clubs of the period would operate for a while, then close down.  Part of this was the result of everyone wanting to do their own thing.  

Did the Campaign Series start this site?

No, this site was never intended to be a one game site. We started with Steel Panthers, Campaign Series, Operational Art of War, Battleground Series, and Close Combat. We expected to evolve as time passed. Drop some ladders and add others as game came and went.

I was the original CS ladder commander and was accused many times of attempting to subvert the club into a one game site for the benefit of my ego. I always scratched my head on that one. I just focused on my foxhole and worked to improve it. It's what Soldiers do. 

I always felt that accusation was inaccurate, as the CS Community has always been the granddaddy and the most vibrant of the communities. Until the Combat Mission Community came on board and grew, the CS was the largest and most active by far. It is still active and vibrant, but the other ladders are pretty active as well and that suits me just fine.