Designer Blogs

Infernal Machine: Commissions, Purchase Orders and Promotions – Their Use and Benefits

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While a Confederate privateer can use his Letter of Marque to, so to speak, “play pirate,” the United States Navy takes a dim view of civilians captaining an armed vessel during war time, or any time for that matter. In the game “Infernal Machine: Dawn of Submarine Warfare,” the “Navy Way” begins with the vessel’s […]

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Designer Blogs

Posts from the Dark #1: A shifting population.

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This series of articles will discuss different gameplay aspects of Echo from the Dark, including an introduction to how they work and what makes them unique from previous COIN/ICS games. Each article will also include a short scenario illustrating the concept. Over on BoardGameGeek, @Konstantin asked a great question: Usually, in space empire building games

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Designer Blogs

Infernal Machine: The Inventor’s Vade Mecum (Nautica ed.) Part 13: On Outcomes and Their Legacy

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by Ed Ostermeyer (Master Engineer – Grade 2) Oh, there you are, my young Inventor friend.  What brings you to this tavern, at this hour of the evening? You are wondering if your fishboat idea will ultimately be successful. You are also wondering if what you are building will perhaps “change the rules” of naval

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Designer Blogs

Solitaire TacOps: Ortona — Contact Contests Control

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As discussed in the first part of this series, the framing for play in Solitaire TacOps: Ortona, both for standard scenarios and the open campaign, revolves around expanding allied control to clear the individual maps. In the last part of the series we saw this play out through an example using elements of the Loyal

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Designer Blogs

Infernal Machine: The Inventor’s Vade Mecum (Nautica ed.) Part 12: “…Should you decide to accept it…!” – Missions and the Reason for Going

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by Ed Ostermeyer (Master Engineer – Grade 2) Hello, my young friend, it is good to see you once again. I note that you have a bandage on your left arm. Is something amiss at your machine shop?  I see, so your associate purchased a lower grade of bituminous coal for your forge. And some

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Designer Blogs

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

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Designer Blogs

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

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Designer Blogs

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

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Designer Blogs, Strategy Articles

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

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Designer Blogs

 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

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Designer Blogs
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