By Ed Ostermeyer, Master Engineer (Grade 2) Hello, and good day to you, young Inventor. Our using the Inventor’s Vade Mecum today will work a miracle of modern industrial science. No, we will not recreate the alchemist’s dream of turning base metal into gold. Instead, we will transform paper into iron: turning your machine shop’s […]
Introduction Line of sight has always been a problematic issue with tactical games, and certainly, Great Battles of the American Civil War games are no different. Everyone has different spatial reasoning skills, and as Richard Berg said more than once, there is no rule that all will understand – whether simple or complicated. Add to
“Seeing” Into the Woods Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn this article I will explain how warfare is handled in Baltic Empires, both in terms of how the battle mechanics themselves work (which is quite simple), but also the bigger economic aspects of warfare during the period (1558-1721) and how these are represented in the game. The Powers in Baltic Empires each have access
Warfare in Baltic Empires Read Post »
Designer BlogsBy Ed Ostermeyer, Master Engineer (Grade 2) Good day again to you, young Inventor. Since our last meeting, your mind must be a-whirl with ideas and plans to make your undersea weapon of war a reality. Let’s temper that reality by understanding that, though you may indeed be the One With The Idea, it will
In past InsideGMT articles, we looked at the gameplay in Bear Trap and provided a simple combat example. Part of the asymmetry in Bear Trap emerges from the way the cards work. And so, in this InsideGMT article, I’ll explain how the how the different cards work as well as look at the force pools
Cards in Bear Trap (Part I of II): Card Types, Force Pools, & Deck Composition Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe fall of Cortona has put the Guelphs on top, putting the ball in Siena’s court in this closing episode of Volko’s test replay of Levy & Campaign Volume III. All art shown here is playtest only, and game rules featured remain provisional. Siena’s army stood by, a short march off at Asinalunga, as the Guelphs
Cavallata per Cortona – INFERNO Scenario Replay, Part 6 Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of PlayBy Ed Ostermeyer, Master Engineer (Grade 2) Good day to you, young Inventor. You are to be congratulated. You hold in your hand the Inventor’s Vade Mecum, a handbook for you to use whatever, wherever, whenever and, most important of all, why-ever you have questions or need assistance in your chosen field of endeavor. Your
Infernal Machine: The Inventor’s Vade Mecum (Nautica ed.) – Part 1: Where Do I Start? Read Post »
Designer BlogsLine of Sight rules are always a challenge for any designer. They have to be accurate, but also be easy to understand and fast to resolve. For the Rifle & Spade games (“Mons 1914, The Mad Minute” and “Gallipoli 1915, Churchill’s Greatest Gamble”) I did not want to use “rise over run” calculations because they can slow a game down. So I opted
Line of Sight Decision Tree in Mons 1914 & Gallipoli 1915 Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn Baltic Empires players can enhance their capabilities by having up to 5 Dramatis Personae cards attached to their Power’s Court. There are nearly 50 of these cards in the game, and each of them is named and inspired by a notable historical figure of the period who in one way or another left a
Dramatis Personae Cards in Baltic Empires Read Post »
Designer BlogsAs the Ghibellines manuever and ravage, the Guelph army finds itself in a tight spot beneath the walls of stubborn Cortona.Volko’s test replay of Levy & Campaign Volume III proceeds. Neither art nor game rules featured here are final. …
Cavallata per Cortona – INFERNO Scenario Replay, Part 5 Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of Play