Category Archives: Designer Blogs

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Solitaire TacOps: Ortona — Edge of Town Part 1

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In the previous installment of this series we talked about some of the influences that went into the framing of the Solitaire TacOps campaign system. This connects operational planning with tactical decision making. The impacts at both scales directly affect the player’s ability to win or lose the campaign. This article will use an actual play session to show how this plays out on a single map of the campaign.

Historically the first urban map was reached on the evening of December 20, 1943, 14 days into the campaign. Solitaire TacOps as a system is less about recreating that history, and more about giving players the historical conditions to make their own decisions. As such, in the open campaign a player can arrive at the edge of Ortona earlier or later depending upon their performance through the regional maps. Those prior decisions and the results from them will determine which formation will be the first to arrive, which itself can have a huge impact on the outcome.

The campaign map shows the position of the division’s formations with the presumed positions of the Germans. Here we can see the Three Rivers Tanks (TRT) are near Casa Berardi while the Calgary Tanks (CT) are closer to San Donato, both still some distance from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment (LER) that has made it to the Edge of Town.
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The Effect of Troop Quality in Illusions of Glory 

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The second edition of Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front (“IoG”) is currently on the P-500 list. Links to prototype unit counters, player aid cards, mapboard, and playbook can be found on the IoG webpage. The following discussion includes rule references in parentheses. The rulebook can also be found on the IoG webpage. 

One big difference between IoG and the CDGs “Pursuit of Glory” or “Paths of Glory” is the operation of Troop Quality (“TQ”). This is a measure of combat effectiveness, as shown by the downward (negative) movement of Russian (“RU”), German (“GE”), Italian (“IT”), and Austro-Hungarian (“AH”) Troop Quality markers on the General Records Track. 

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How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: Britain (2024 Edition)

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Introduction by Congress of Vienna Assistant Designer & Editor, Fred Schachter: Game Designer Frank Esparrago here concludes his four parts “How to Play” treatise, one for each Congress of Vienna Major Power: France, Austria, Russia, and now Britain which readers and prospective players of the game will hopefully find edifying and enjoyable.

The goal of these expositions is to give CoV players, particularly “newbies”, insights as to how to exploit the advantages and defend against the weaknesses of each Major Power.  These articles are provided in recognition that our beloved hobby has so many titles to choose from that there’s little time to repeatedly play a given game to learn all the nuances not revealed by a rulebook.

When Frank or I host a Congress of Vienna game at a club meeting or convention, we’ll sometimes warn an inexperienced player not to do something which could impede an opportunity for success or result in potential grievous damage to that player’s pursuit of victory.  Well, Frank and I can’t be at your Congress of Vienna gaming table to provide that kind of advisory help… therefore, these articles are intended to be “the next best thing”.

For more regarding Congress of Vienna, with the referenced “Strategies” articles as well as pieces conveying Scenario Set-Ups, Optional Rules (such as the Tactical Battle Resolution Matrix and those not provided with the published game), after action reports, a compendium exploring all the game’s cards, designers notes for the Solitaire and Two Player games, as well as presentations of this fascinating Napoleonic era history in terms of the game, etc., see: GMT Games – Congress of Vienna

Incidentally, please note these “Strategies for” articles are based on a Congress of Vienna Standard Rules Full Campaign Game of potentially ten turns duration.

With that, take it away Frank!

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Solitaire TacOps: Ortona — The Campaign Game as a Roguelike OODA Loop

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In the previous series of InsideGMT articles for Solitaire TacOps: Ortona, I shared some of the inspiration for the design, discussed the role scale, effectiveness and maneuver play in the game, the structure of play from turn to turn, and what differentiates it as a hex and counter game. This article introduces the next series which aims to provide insights on what it feels like to play the game at both scales, as facilitated by the campaign system. The design goal was quite simple – players should feel like they are making impactful command decisions, over the course of a full campaign.

Players begin the campaign in command of the Canadian First Infantry Division whose mission is. Historically it took the division 23 days to push the allied line, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, from south of the Moro River to the sea town of Ortona. The open campaign challenges players to achieve this objective in 25 days or less.

The campaign explores how essential operational management is to success. Two frameworks which have had a heavy influence on how the game orients players for the campaign, are roguelike videogames and the OODA loop. Roguelike games have an operational framework that contextualizes the tactical play. OODA loops are situated tactically to sustain operational effectiveness. They do not perfectly define the TacOps experience but what they share parallels what it feels like to play the system.

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 The National Will Death Spiral in Illusions of Glory

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The second edition of Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front (“IoG”) is currently on the P-500 list. 

Links to prototype unit counters, player aid cards, mapboard, and playbook can be found on the IoG webpage. 

The following discussion includes rule references in parentheses. The rulebook can also be found on the IoG webpage. 

One big difference between IoG and the CDGs “Pursuit of Glory” or “Paths of Glory” is the operation of National Will (“NW”). This is a measure of popular support for the war effort, as shown by the upward (positive) or downward (negative) movement of Russian (“RU”), German (“GE”), and Austro-Hungarian (“AH”) National Will markers on the General Records Track. National Will is reduced by Victory Point (“VP”) space losses and by playing Event cards (23.2). 

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How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: Russia (2024 Edition)

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Introduction by Congress of Vienna Assistant Designer & Editor, Fred Schachter: Game Designer Frank Esparrago continues his InsideGMT exposition of CoV Major Power Strategy pieces, the last presented through a “Strategies for Austria” piece: How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: Austria (2024 Edition) | Inside GMT blog . This link will bring you to other material regarding this fun and exciting GMT P-500 offering.

Please note this article, as its preceding France and Austria segments, presumes a four-player standard Congress of Vienna Full Campaign game without any Optional Historical Rules.

We believe it best to follow-up the Austria article with Russia since those two Congress of Vienna Major Powers are both simultaneously partners and rivals as only one player can win the game.  Consequently,  Russia and Austria are, to use a popular reference, “frenemies”. When should Russia actively partner with Austria versus taking a more cautious approach in seeking its own game victory? That’s an intriguing and  fascinating game play challenge Frank explores.

With that, take it away Frank!

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Order & Opportunity: November 2024 Development Update

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It’s been a very exciting few weeks for the development of Order & Opportunity.

Over here in Europe, the Essen Spiel Fair 2024 took place in early October. With a little bit of help from a friend, the Estonian designer and publisher Aigar Alaveer, I was able to get some table space and demo Order & Opportunity at the fair this year. It was great to see many gamers stop by ranging from those who said they had already backed the game as well as curious folks who seemed not to have played a historical game in their lives.

Aigar accommodated me at one corner of his booth space, for which I am extremely thankful. Be sure to check out Aigar’s games at https://www.2d6.ee/. Among others, I got the game Arabella published by Aigar and 2d6, billed as an “18xx roll and write” set in Estonia, which sounds absolutely fascinating.

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Propaganda and Strategy in Hammer and Sickle

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In the previous article, we covered the Production phase of each Season and saw the differences between Summer and Winter. In this final installment, we’ll explore the Propaganda phase of the Season and conclude with some strategic thoughts for how each faction can maximize their chances of victory.

Hope is born in [the people’s] hearts, and let us remember that if exasperation often drives men to revolt, it is always hope, the hope of victory, which makes revolutions. – Peter Kropotkin

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How to Play Italy in Illusions of Glory

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The second edition of Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front (“IoG”) is currently on the P500 list.

Links to prototype unit counters, player aid cards, mapboard, rules, and playbook can be found on the IoG webpage.

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How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: Austria (2024 Edition)

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Introduction by Congress of Vienna Assistant Designer & Editor, Fred Schachter: Game Designer Frank Esparrago continues his InsideGMT exposition of CoV Major Power Strategy pieces, the last presented through Part 2 of 2 of “Strategies for France”: How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: France (2024 Edition) Part 2 of 2, Emphasis on War | Inside GMT blog. Attention is now given to Austria… whose Hapsburg players have challenges quite different from those in the role of the French emperor, Napoleon, as well as the two Allied Major Powers of Russian and Britain.  Yes, different indeed!