The Congress of Vienna (CoV) Design and Development Team is ever so appreciative of the fine support and enthusiasm being shown this upcoming P500 “Great Statesmen” GMT game. To those who placed orders for CoV and helped it “make the cut” to an ever-increasing extent; thanks so much!

We continue holding VASSAL play test games with USA, Europe, and Australia participants, with plays now numbering in the hundreds since CoV’s inception. This confirms how well the multi-player version of the game works.  It is quick to learn for experienced gamers, including many Eurogamers, as well as seasoned Grognards. Play is swiftly conducted, fun, exciting, and each game’s narrative different from another’s (although the overall game balance, as it should, is a challenge for Napoleon if his enemies effectively ally with stalwart purpose).

At this point, the effort to edit and “professionalize” Congress of Vienna‘s Rulebook is well underway (with the Playbook to follow). It is an approximately 25,000 word manuscript whose compositional challenge is to convert player aid supported oral explanations of how to play, which take minutes to do with experienced gamers in a convention, SKYPE, or game club setting, so a reader can learn CoV in as easy a manner possible through well-organized, comprehensible, written documentation. In pursuing this, the team realized a multi-media approach could help so we’re planning a short “How to Play” video for the multi-player version of the game (watch InsideGMT for the link when this video is ready).  

We’ve been, and shall continue, using InsideGMT articles to share how Congress of Vienna is being refined. The Team will not stop seeking to improve the game until the happy day GMT advises that it is time to commence production planning.  To access CoV pieces issued to date, see: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-850-congress-of-vienna.aspx

However, here’s a recapitulation and highlights of those and forthcoming InsideGMT pieces’ contents.

1. The Map: Below is an image of the latest play test map. Changes from the original CoV board include:

* Several Tables on the board have been “tweaked”

–The Future Government of France Track: from the initial design and during the first years of game development, we maintained that won and lost VPs by the players for this Issue were only taken into account at the end of the game; during final scoring. This timing made this game feature unattractive to many play testers and unfortunately allowed some “unaware” newbie players to lose the game having forgotten this important Issue. Now, when the Future Government of France Status changes, the consequences (measured in VP) are immediate!

–The “Pax Britannica” Track: since many players of Britain did not seem motivated to invest at the game’s early going a valuable resource marker to obtain only a 1/3 VP (which seems an ahistoric attitude and a long path forward to reaping larger rewards), play testers proposed that the below pictured “Pax Britannica” track be shortened from the original eight boxes to six. 

* Map Tracks for Military Operations:

– In Italy, track E, the Rome space was eliminated and Naples made non-mountainous (since the British, were they to invade, would have constrained their amphibious operation to the coast and would have been satisfied with seizing the port and environs of Naples. This would not have been a kind bloody dragged out “up the boot” military advance akin to what the Allies did during WWII).

– Mountain Symbols were added to highlight Mountain/Rough Terrain spaces.

– Miscellaneous text boxes as “rule reminders” are now included.

– The green and red octagon “stoplights” regulating coordination of dual Battlefronts have been removed. (There are two of these fronts/tracks involved: 1. The Central and Northern Europe tracks and 2. The Portugal and Mediterranean tracks.)  New rules were introduced which regulate Army movements and battles on these tracks. This game mechanic was greatly simplified and improved.  This change received very favorable play tester feedback.

Congress of Vienna July 2020 Playtest Map (double click to expand below image)

2. The Battle DRM “Calculator” Track:  This bears highlighting and the latest track is duplicated below: The change here was to alter DRM needed to inflict certain loss levels, which remain at a maximum of five military units. The new spacing results in larger battles being capable of inflicting higher losses than smaller ones, which was the case historically… although with battle cards, other DRM modifiers, and die rolling luck a very bloody small-scale battle remains possible.

In addition, this new DRM track design encourages players to take advantage of defensive tactics rather than indulge in “crazy” and bloody all-out attacks as was the case with the previous design.

3. The Cards: To add to player decision-making options, battle cards have been modified to allow a given general to either add a positive die roll modifier (DRM) to determining his side’s final battle result or subtract from the enemy’s DRM. We also provided Major Nation color coding for the different labels and texts to facilitate the use of cards during different Phases of the game to enable inexperienced players’ swift reference: green labels are applicable to Russian cards; blue to French ones; white to Austrian ones; and dark or light red to identify British card capabilities.

We also believe the new bonuses and penalties from cards are easier to understand and remember.  Now, battle cards are better distinguished from normal cards with a bold red “M” enclosed banner on their upper right. Finally, we added a rating (A, B, C, D) to help the guide use of the solitaire game’s BOTS.  These codes are placed at the bottom of each card.

The team’s Grognards love this enhancement and the additional “angst” it adds to the game’s battle calculation tension. Our Eurogamers tend to like simplicity and use the option of only considering a battle card’s positive (plus +) DRM. We’re pleased to offer both alternatives with Congress of Vienna! 

4. The CoV Solitaire Game System: We continue to refine and confirm each Major Power’s solitaire methodology and that it results in historically justified actions. The system plays as the board situation, and each Power’s VP circumstances change. We’ve kept the initial BOTS for 2 and 3 player games as well as for full solitaire gaming.

However, we improved all AI routines (chart flows) through an intensive playtesting program. In addition, since CoV is a vibrant multiplayer game; during the final game turns, important changes occur to the objectives and strategies of the players (humans as well as BOTS).

Therefore, we are expanding the game’s AI to include this circumstance. Finally, we are testing friendlier “interfaces” to facilitate, speed up, and simplify the game’s BOTS.

That’s the latest from the Congress of Vienna Design and Development Team.  Watch InsideGMT for more information!  Thanks again for your interest and patronage!

---