I. Within the occupied territories, the adequate punishment for offences committed against the German State or the occupying power which endanger their security or a state of readiness is on principle the death penalty.” the first directive of Hitler’s Nacht und Nebel decree While 100,000 German troops were garrisoning Occupied France during World War Two, […]
In The Shadows: Playing the Occupation Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe changes made to the Feb. 2021 Congress of Vienna (CoV) Production Gameboard, which replaces the Nov. 2020 edition previously posted on GMT’s site for the game, are based on Vassal play tests conducted by gamers (both veteran grognards and Eurogamers) located in both Europe and the United States. Their diligent contributions while enjoying play
Congress of Vienna Feb. 2021 Gameboard Update Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Development UpdatesWe look to Earth and see the climate catastrophe unfolding. The droughts and storms, fires and floods that plague that world are the result of one thing and one thing only. The base human drive to take more than we need. We could have solved this problem centuries ago, but it was too hard. Too
Factions in Red Dust Rebellion: Church of the Reclaimer Read Post »
Designer BlogsWritten by Kevin Shewfelt Edited by Bruno Sinigaglio A Time for Trumpets is a very big game. It’s a tour de force from the designer and certainly wins the award for diligence of research and accuracy. You get a lot of bang for your buck when you see how much is packed into this 3”
Learning A Time for Trumpets One Korps at a Time! Read Post »
Examples of PlayEarly in the design process for In the Shadows, we (Chris, Joe and I) had used dice to determine success or failure for most of the player actions. This allowed us to tailor probability and test quickly within the time constraints of the Consim Game Jam. Our contest entry offered tight play, albeit with a
Why Cards? Resolving Outcomes for In the Shadows Read Post »
Designer BlogsDisclaimer: 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 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.
A Hop, Skip, and an Amphibious Assault — Playing Next War: Taiwan (Part 4) Read Post »
After Action Report, Designer BlogsWhen Gene Billingsley first accepted my Prime Minister prototype as a GMT project, he wanted a solitaire system in our development goals. I was intrigued, but wary. For me, player interaction is a key part of Prime Minister. I also knew the game involved some complex decision-making, especially on the Government side. But I thought
Solitaire Play in Prime Minister: The “Clockwork” System Read Post »
Designer BlogsIntroduction by Congress of Vienna (CoV)’s Assistant Designer & Editor, Fred Schachter: The below is an After-Action-Report (AAR) of a CoV Campaign VASSAL game whose core players were located in the USA and Europe. It is a compilation of emails I provided the team between gaming sessions. I served as the game’s chronicler as well
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 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.
A Hop, Skip, and an Amphibious Assault — Playing Next War: Taiwan (Part 3) Read Post »
After Action ReportFrom the very start of the Consim Game Jam we (Chris, Dan, and I) wanted to make sure that our design offered both an excellent two player and solo gaming experience. In the Shadows is a card-driven game about the desperate struggle of the French Resistance against the occupying Nazi and collaborating French forces between
Designing a Narrative Solitaire Experience for In the Shadows Read Post »
Designer Blogs