Alan Snider - Apr 29, 2008 9:37 pm (#22722 Total: 23182) Stalag 17 Wargames re-launch!! http://www.stalag17wargames.com I met a new gamer at the local game store in Maple Ridge and got into my first session with I met a new gamer at the local game store in Maple Ridge and got into my first session with Victory Point Games' "Crisis 2020" (Joe Miranda design). I was the rebel player, and we tried the first scenario (5 turns). As one might expect with the ability to set up first the government player set up in the areas of high political value, leaving the midwest to the rebels. Since there are 2 separate CRT's (one for data attacks,one for armed combat) as well as quite varied results form the typical wargame CRT; it took some time to figure out how to make the combat work for you (the most valued results being flip or recruit on the data table). In some ways, armed combat was simply a sideshow to mop up etc. On the first few turns, the rebel player struggled to make good on combats with a limited card draw (often 2 cards) and a very risky armed combat which allows only one battle on the "less than lethal" table,as the armed max. table requires one to double your combat factors and have greater risk to counterattack and collateral damage (lose cards, or have your opponent gain cards). On turn 3, a favorable armed combat resulted in all the government units being eliminated in the Capitol district (worth 5 political pts), although the collateral damage drained the rebel player of his last 5 cards leaving him with zero. The hope was that during the final 2 turns that somehow the rebels could hold Washington DC. For the most part, those forces with armed capability (but not clandestine units) tended to be ground up very quickly,leaving most of the units left were mostly of data strength. Admittedly, it took us much to far into the game to figure out the art of causing defection and recruiting to get insurgent units. I know that our next game will be much more advanced and intense with this employed more regularly. One can tell that things can really snowball once the tide starts to turn with defecting units. The government player did have a bit of the upper hand somehwhat, as he is able to fight on the nonlethal table every armed combat, while the rebel player can only do this once per turn. I can tell you. It just might be wise to do many small attacks to reduce the risk on the max. table.or potentially limit ones attacks in order to reduce the overall negative effects of counterattacks and collateral damage. Even though we were really just trying to get a feel for the game, we really started to catch on to some critical strategy ideas and there were smiles all around as we laughed to ourselves at the possibilities we might unleash on each other in subsequent turns. We are really looking forward to our next playthrough, possibly on Saturday... Alan Snider - May 2, 2008 5:09 pm (#22744 Total: 23182) Stalag 17 Wargames re-launch!! http://www.stalag17wargames.com Victory Point Games' "Crisis 2020" GAMENIGHT: May 1/2008: I sat down with new wargame player Kurtis Y. last night to try a full scenario of Victory Point Games' "Crisis 2020", which is a Joe Miranda design. This game posits a near future conflict within the USA in which the U.S.government faces off against various percieved threats/ insurgent groups. There are 10 different scenarios included and both a basic and advanced game (where Canada, Mexico and NATO/UN forces can become involved). We chose scenario #4 The War Against Terror, in which the goverment takes on forces which it perceives as a threat to freedom which include cybernauts, and unwed mothers. WE rolled for sides with Kutis getting to direct the gov't forces while I strategized for those fearsome unwed mothers. Typically in the game, the government forces go second, but in this scenario they get the only moves/battles in the first turn (of 7). The turn sequence goes as follows: 1. Draw Conflict cards 2. Data Attacks 3. Movement 4. Armed Combat 5. Neutralization Recovery The first part of the game entails counting up your areas controlled (containing infrastructure units) and their political oint value, then checking the chart (on map) to see how many cards you get to draw (usually 1-5). The governmant player started the game with 5 cards in his hand and got a couple more prior to starting his turn. It turned out to be quite the good start for the gov't forces as they managed to do a lot of recruiting, even on low odds data attacks. I guess those "government girls gone wild" websites paid off.... Kurtis followed up with some deft movement and attacked heavy-handed in all attacks and started to eliminate rebel forces that were not clandestine ones. At times these suffered collateral damage, in which conflict cards must be given up (or if not able, the enemy player draws cards). For the most part, this is not catastrophic as most regions are of 1-2 political vaue and the sma e number of cards are lost/given due to collateral damage. The government forces were also lucky enough on dierolls to effect 2 defections of rebel units and this allows a player to flip and enemy unit, which now becomes ones' own unit. Things did not look very good after the first turn ended (gov't only half turn) Fortunately, the rebel forces were able to do similarly and recruited enmasse where they were able to. The initial conflict card draw was larger due to 9 areas controlled to start the game. On the second turn, the rebels managed to send Washigton DC into chaos, but were not able to claim control of it. There seemed to be a bit of a power shift after that first rebel turn. As the rebel player is only permitted to roll on the limited damage armed combat table once per turn (less bloody/no collateral damage), the heavy bloodletting and media fallout continued as the rebel player ran out of cards. On the following 2 turns, the goverment struggled to contain the massive recruited forces of the rebel forces, and continued on the path of utilizing the max damage table pretty much exclusively, and suffered the occasional bit of collateral damage. A few times they were awful lucky on rolling pacification (all killed except clandestine units) without suffering collateral damage. It was pretty much turning into a bloodbath, as we kept reloading each others hands with cards while being quite succesful in our ecruiting efforts. It did not take long unitl most non military units were exhausted from the recruitment pool. Real military unit can only be recruited when an infrastructure unit is part of a data attack (and infrstructure units have no movement value). By turn 5, it was noted that things had become so bloody,that the entire nation had essential descended into roving militia/warlord groups; since 9 (of 15) infrastructure in units had been destroyed and were now in the recruitment pool.Since only area where you have a friendly infrastructure unit is counted for victory points (with their political value), it was clear that the final 2 turns would be all about wiping out the other players infrastructure units and attempting to recruit in areas with no infrastructure in order to place an infrastructure unit. Afer quite the mad scramble, and the rebel player deftly recruiting strongly with cybernauts/sopac units rather than military units; they got the upper hand and started to place most of the infrastructure units available. The government would not lie down and die however, and couterattacked using the max table and eliminated a couple infrastructure units on the final turn. At the final tally, there was a 7 point VP differential (17-10) with Northern California unclaimed. This was not even enough for a minor victory, so the country erupted into chaos and anarchy and both players lost. This is a very well thought out game, with lots of different things to think about, but at the same time simple enough to learn some of the deeper strategies of the game within a few plays. The decisions are fairly easy and it plays pretty quickly (we took 3 hours). One thing we'd like to see in a future expansion would be naval units with some capability to transport units down either coast, and a card or 2 to counter this of course.