When I began developing Bear Trap, it was already a tight and competitive two-player game, much like its spiritual ancestor Sekigahara. However, the designer P.R. Daniels had ambitions to go beyond this and include a solitaire mode that would allow a single player to enjoy the game by themself. Bear Trap is a block game […]
Resolving Combat in Bear Trap’s Solitaire System Read Post »
Developer Notes, Examples of Play, Solitaire SystemsThis coming August will mark the third anniversary of Death Valley’s publication. During the GMT Seminar at CSW-Expo 2019, six weeks or so before the game shipped to customers, I announced that designer Greg Laubach was working on a follow-up battle, Piedmont. As time went on, those listening that evening might have wondered what had
Battles for the Shenandoah: Developer’s Notes for the Death Valley Expansion Pack Read Post »
Developer NotesIn his 2018 release Fort Sumter, Mark Herman laid the foundations for what has now come to be known informally as the Final Crisis ‘system’ (although there is as-yet no official Final Crisis series). At the heart of the system is a mechanical and thematic emphasis on the escalation and build-up to a historic conflict,
Introduction Each game in the GBACW series comes with a “Battle Book” featuring, among other things, special rules that seek to reflect the unique aspects of the battle(s) treated. No one familiar with the Battle of Shiloh will be surprised to learn that Into the Woods’s Battle Book is chock-full of such rules. In this
Diving Into the Woods: A Survey of the Battle Book Read Post »
Developer NotesIf you’re a regular reader of this series, by now you know that People Power covers the political history of the Philippines post-Martial Law until the beginning of the Corazon Aquino administration. This 5-year period was full of activity and many pivotal moments, which are the focus of the scenarios in People Power. The main
Laban! Chapter 9: The Scenarios in People Power Read Post »
Developer NotesWhile every culture has its own methods of nonverbal communication, in the 1980s it was common to see Filipinos raise their hands to communicate their allegiance to one of the Presidential candidates: a “V” for Marcos, or an “L” for Corazon Acquino. While the Communist Party of the Philippines (the political arm of the New
Laban! Chapter 8: Hand Gestures in the People Power Revolution Read Post »
Developer NotesThe development process for Fall of Saigon’s bots began way back with the development of the Trưng Bot Update Kit. Much of what Bruce Mansfield designed for Trưng eventually made its way into the Fall of Saigon bots, which we call Tây Sơn. The three Tây Sơn brothers united Vietnam in the 18th Century after
Inside GMT One: Evolving Trưng into Tây Sơn Read Post »
Developer Notes, Solitaire SystemsWhile the dramatic events of the People Power Revolution are familiar to many people, far fewer know the events that led to the mass protests and to Marcos’ deposition. The event deck in People Power covers these lesser known events – the events of February 1986 are simulated via a different method – and they
Laban! Chapter 7: The Events in People Power Read Post »
Developer NotesAs I mentioned in Chapter 1 of this series, getting the Government faction right in People Power was a big challenge. The main reason for that challenge was the narrative around the Marcos government. To some, Ferdinand Marcos was a hero, a champion of stability and democracy, and a strong leader fighting against those who
Laban! Chapter 6: The Government in People Power Read Post »
Developer NotesIn part 1 of this series of articles, we looked at the components of this GMT Edition of a game often referred to as “brilliant” in terms of its ability to capture the essence of the Vietnam War. To follow that up, we’ll start looking at some of the systems in the game which make
This is the Vietnam Game You’re Looking For, Part 2 Read Post »
Developer Notes