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Laban! Chapter 7: The Events in People Power

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While 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 are no less dramatic. These events range from assassinations to nonviolent protests; from corrupt bargains to public works projects; from public trials of military figures to private paranoia that almost destroyed the NPA. This article looks at a few examples of events from People Power – note that all cards shown in this article are prototype art.

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Faster Assault Resolution for Mons 1914 and Gallipoli 1915

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Mons, 1914: The Mad Minute will include the 2.0 version of the Rifle and Spade series rules; the 1.0 version shipped with Gallipoli, 1915: Churchill’s Greatest Gamble. 

In the last chapter I described the new fire resolution method. In this chapter I will describe the streamlined charts used for assault resolution.

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Elite vs. Regular Units in the Last Hundred Yards

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The introduction of airborne units to the LHY series raised an interesting question: What was important to model Airborne units during WWII? Essentially, the challenge was how to model the difference between these elite units and the regular units depicted in LHY. We asked some military experts and they cited that an important distinction is that the elite unit selection process identifies people with a high appetite for risk and a penchant for action. That makes them more likely to get up and do something (for example: have initiative, recover under stress, provide the flanking effort, provide squad and platoon leadership, etc.). Elite unit training is therefore more demanding of such people and intentionally designed to produce esprit de corps and to reinforce their risk-tolerance and penchant for action.

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Never Tell Me the Odds: Strength-Dependent Risk Mitigation and the Combat System in Vijayanagara

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Introduction

In the previous articles we introduced some of the main modeling choices in Vijayanagara, and presented the central features representing each Faction’s goals and their means of attaining them. In this article we turn to the game’s combat system.
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Full-Court Press Double Teaming – Ancient Civ (of the Middle East) Style or… Kadesh Tomorrow, Ninevah Tonight!

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Egyptian and Hittite armies clashed in one of the first, great, recorded battles of ancient history- the epic clash of chariots at Kadesh. That is what is supposed to happen in the “Balance of Power” scenario of the now P-500 listed Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East GMT Games – Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East. And it would have if the Assyrians hadn’t showed up to the party.

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GMT Goes to SDHistCon 2021!

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The past year saw many physical boardgaming events cancelled out of necessity (including GMT’s Weekends at the Warehouse). Ever-resilient, the boardgaming community poured its energy into online/virtual events. The popular San Diego Historical Games Convention (SDHistCon) is doing exactly that and GMT Games will support it in a big way.

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Laban! Chapter 6: The Government in People Power

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As 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 would tear his country apart. To others, Marcos was a corrupt dictator, stealing from the people, denying free elections, and sparking the violence that characterized the First Quarter Storm and NPA insurgency.

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Congress of Vienna April 2021 Gameboard Update

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Introduction by Congress of Vienna Assistant Designer & Editor – Fred Schachter: First to our InsideGMT readers… the CoV team is flattered, thrilled, and more than a bit bemused at the outpouring of support this addition to GMT’s “Great Statesmen Series” has garnered since its initial P-500 announcement. We appreciate all the patronage Congress of Vienna has received to date through those who’ve placed orders for the game.

This April 2021 update conveys designer Frank Esparrago’s latest modifications to the game’s map, an image of which accompanies this narrative. As play testing continues, and it will continue until the happy day GMT advises production efforts may commence, the team will make adjustments based on the feedback of our international playtest teams, who consist of both Eurogamers and hard core grognard wargamers. What fun it is to be participating in these efforts!

For more regarding Congress of Vienna, there’s a host of material available from GMT’s site for the game: GMT Games – Congress of Vienna. With that, take it away Frank!

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This is the Vietnam Game You’re Looking For, Part 2

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In 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 it both unique and help it evoke that feeling in its players. Then you can decide if this is the Vietnam game you’re looking for.

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“All Along The Demilitarized Zone”: Playing Next War: Korea (Part 2)

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Ian M. Sullivan is the Special Advisor for Analysis and ISR at the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this post are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or Army Training and Doctrine Command