People Power

If 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

While 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

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

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

The New People’s Army (NPA) has its genesis in the Hukbalahap rebellion, fought by tenant farmers after World War II. By the late 1960s, the social conditions which had led the Huks to rebel remained unresolved and led to the formation of the New People’s Army by José María Sison and Bernabe Buscayno. The NPA

In People Power the Reformer faction encompasses all the liberal, nonviolent, political opposition to the Marcos regime, including politicians, Catholic leaders, and regular citizens who were willing to voice their disdain for Marcos and his cronies. However, there is little doubt that the voice of the Reformers was, for many years, one man: Benigno Aquino

The first COIN project I worked on was Bruce Mansfield’s Gandhi. Even as a relative newcomer to the COIN Series, I knew that Gandhi was a very different game. The model of nonviolent resistance presented in Gandhi sparked my imagination; where else could conflicts be modeled using these principles? As I continued to read I

Unlike other COIN games, People Power does not simply measure the Support for, or Opposition to, the Government. In most COIN games, Support and Opposition measure the willingness of a population to actively enable or hinder the operations of a faction through supplying guerillas, providing intelligence, and supporting Government operations.

Whenever I develop a game, I am always looking for ways to make the narrative shine. Usually, that involves consistent terminology, clear rules, concise player aids, and suggestions on what tweaks can be made to help the game get out of the way of the player, and allow for full immersion in the story. Occasionally