The single most important goal of the new COIN bot designs is usability. There are many places where small changes have been made to enhance usability, but the primary change (and a large one!) is the division of the operation selection and space selection priorities into different charts. Trưng divides these using the same principles […]
Fire in the Lake Tru’ng Bot Example of Play: NVA March Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of PlayFor the first time in my 40+ years of game design I was invited to a convention as an Industry Guest – all expenses paid (they even gave me food and beer). I had never been to TotalCon, even though I live in New England and it is 90 minutes from home. Thanks to podcaster Jonathan Reinhart,
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (& Mark McLaughlin) at TotalCon Read Post »
Convention ReportTurns 8, 9, and 10 of the campaign game make up Scenario 3 of Seas of Thunder. The scenario’s name is Drumbeat and the rhythm of the game does seem to be reaching a steady and predictable pace. The German U-Boats are overtaking the Atlantic. Italy and Great Britain are engaged in a death spiral
Allied Concerns in Seas of Thunder Scenario 3: Awakening the Bear Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Strategy ArticlesBelow is the fourteenth in a series of articles from Mark McLaughlin showcasing the 16 civilizations in Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East. You can find the first thirteen articles in the series here.
Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Chaldeans Read Post »
Designer BlogsAs some aficionadoes already know, Conquest and Consequence (CnC), the Asia/Pacific follow-up game to Triumph and Tragedy, preserves the 3-sided nature of the system by adding the Soviet Faction to the more typical US/Japan confrontation.
The Extended Example of Play for Imperial Struggle is up! You can read it here. The example consists of the first Peace Turn and the War of the Spanish Succession; when it ends, the players would move on to the final turn of the Succession Era.
Imperial Struggle: Extended Example of Play Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of PlayBelow is the thirteenth in a series of articles from Mark McLaughlin showcasing the 16 civilizations in Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East. You can find the first twelve articles in the series here.
Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Medes & Persians Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn Seas of Thunder, the Auxiliary Cruisers and Armed Merchantmen serve as long range commerce disruptors. They were designed to be invisible through disguise or hidden armament and to be ignored by enemy warships. Auxiliary Cruisers and Armed Merchantmen can be incredibly effective in any sea zone on the map in Seas of Thunder. They
Seas of Thunder: The Deadliest Penguin Read Post »
Designer BlogsTo mirror the last COS post regarding the French sub-game of The ’45, let’s look at a larger scale, and arguably much more important sub-game for the Austrians, pitting them against the French to Regain the Crown of the Holy Roman Empire (See the Track below). The French gain the Crown by taking cities in the
Regaining That Crown! — Austrian Strategy in Clash of Sovereigns (Part 2 of ?) Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Strategy ArticlesThis article is a written version of a YouTube video about the design of Red Flag Over Paris. In Part 1 I wrote about Political and Military Spaces, Victory Conditions, and Strategy Cards.
