In designing Red Storm: The Air War Over Central Germany, 1987, I wanted to provide a diverse mix of scenarios in terms of content, balance, and size. To give a sense of my design process, this article will share some insights into the scenario design and testing of “Breakthrough,†one of the larger scenarios in […]
Red Storm – Scenario Design and Testing Read Post »
Designer BlogsOverview: This was my first real playtest session of the LHY game system. I had experimented with Missions 1.0 and 2.0 but it wasn’t until I played Mission 3.0 that I started to see nuances within the game and how they could be put to use tactically. I will go over the strategies and details
An After Action Report for Mission: 3.0 Bump In The Road Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn previous Inside GMT articles, the designer Brian Train has written extensively on the various game play features of Colonial Twilight. In this article he asked me –the solitaire designer for Colonial Twilight– to talk about playing the game solitaire.
Colonial Twilight: Playing the Game Solitaire Read Post »
Designer BlogsTo see the previous parts of this Example of Play, check out Part 1 (Basic Game AP Combat), Part 2 (Advanced Game AP Combat), Part 3 (Advanced Game ATGM Dodge), Part 4 (Advanced Game GP Fire), Part 5 (Advanced Game Close Assault Combat), Part 6 (Advanced Game Hand-to-Hand Combat), and Part 7 (Advanced Game Overrun Combat) on InsideGMT.
MBT Example of Play (Part 8 and Final): Optional Morale Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of PlayThe newest offering in our COIN Series—Volume IX, Gandhi—takes on the world’s most famous nonviolent resistance movement, the 20th century struggle to free India from British colonial rule. In today’s article, designer Bruce Mansfield introduces us to the ways this COIN volume treats population, support for/opposition to the colonial government, and the role of Gandhi’s
Imperialism and Protest in Gandhi: How to Shift Support (or Build Opposition) Read Post »
Designer BlogsWhen Designer Greg Ticer and I began our partnership to bring The Seven Years War: Frederick’s Gamble, henceforth referred to as 7YW:FG, into published form; we could not anticipate nor imagine the great outpouring of enthusiastic support and encouragement of so many gamers, the play test team (from West Coast to East and to the
The Seven Years War: Frederick’s Gamble “Goes Electric” (with a New VASSAL Module!) Read Post »
Designer BlogsDesigning a game that is part of an established and well-liked series such as Mike Nagel’s Flying Colors (FC) requires a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, the setting for Volume IV requires some special handling: river shoals and sand bars, the preponderance of small vessels like gunboats and schooners, and some of the
New Features in Under the Southern Cross, Part I Read Post »
Designer BlogsThis is the fourth part of the series regarding “Why we do what we do in The Last Hundred Yards.” This article deals with Armor operations.
Why We Do What We Do in LHY: Armor Operations Read Post »
Designer BlogsCarla and I are proud to announce that Apocalypse Road is in the tidying-up stage at this point. The game just went up on the P500 last month, so this is very fortunate. The idea for the game arose from the response we got from people at conventions where we demonstrated Thunder Alley. Invariably, someone
Apocalypse Road Development Update Read Post »
Designer BlogsAn American platoon has setup an outpost in and around the St. Michel Church in sector 4. Two German platoons have been tasked with capturing this outpost and driving the American’s back.
The Last Hundred Yards: Narrative of Mission 1.0 – Prayer Meeting Read Post »
Designer Blogs