Dennis Matheson wrote in message <3a969ac0.2971603219@news.earthlink.net>... On the assumption that some people are interested in information on the new Risk 2210, I am relaying the following from the About.com message boards. Rob has been posting on there. He is having some problems accessing r.g.b since Deja went away. I hope he will not mind my relaying his posts here... >I know that a lot of people will be disappointed to find out that our >Secret Project X is a RISK extension. Others will be excited. The >issue is: how did the hype build so much? Back a few months, I >listed this game as Secret Project X. When pushed, I said that my >boss wanted something to reveal at GAMA (or Toy Fair) and there >was no real reason for keeping it hidden other than that. However, >that seemed to fan the flames into something much bigger, much >more secretive, and much grander than I ever meant it to be. Once >the genie was out of the bottle, though, it was hard to put back in. >As reality overtakes personal wishes, I hope that people see the >game for what it is: a way to satisfy our new audience, a way to get >kids into hobby gaming, and a chance to satisfy (although slightly less >so) the wargamer who was AH's original roots. The game is fun, looks >great, and plays well. I would say it has a definite German game feel >though still has its wargame lite roots. > >I'm available for questions (though having trouble getting to rgb now >that deja shut down). > >-Rob >Avalon Hill And more info on the game itself... >>Can you tell us anything else about Risk 2210 AD? "Underwater >>cities, moon territories, commanders, cardplay and other goodies >>all await in July" sounds cool, but inquiring minds want to know... >Sure, I'd be glad to. The theming, as mentioned, is the world at war in >2210 AD (400 years after the original RISK is set). Mechanical armies >fight for control of the earth, its underwater cities, and the near-side of >the moon. > >WHAT IS THE SAME AS RISK: You can play the standard game of >Risk on the board. The land territories, although renamed, are the >same. We have also included the rules to standard Risk in the game. >You use the same combat system (basically), where the attack rolls >up to three dice and the defender rolls up to two. Compare, with the >defender winning ties. Continent bonuses and how you get armies >works largely the same. > >WHAT IS DIFFERENT THAN RISK: The addition of moon territories, >underwater cities, energy, commanders, command cards, space >stations, turn order, and the win conditions (explained below). > >There are 13 or so underwater territories in the game. These start >out empty. The territories are divided into five zones that function >the same as continents in terms of bonuses. If you control a whole >zone, you get bonus armies at the start of your turn. > >There are also 14 moon territories. These also start out empty. >They are divided into three zones that give bonuses like >continents. The moon has three landing site (one in each >zone). You can attack the moon from any space station you >control to any landing site on the moon. The moon is easy to >take but hard to hold. > >Energy works like money in the game. At the start of your turn you >get energy equal to the number of armies you get. So if you get 5 >armies, you also get 5 energy; 7 armies and 7 energy, etc. Energy >is used to hire commanders, build space stations, buy command >cards, play command cards, bid for turn order, and as the tie-breaker >at the end of the game. Managing your energy is vital. > >There are five commanders (per player) in the game: Land Commander, >Naval Commander, Space Commander, Diplomat Commander, and >Nuclear Commander. Commanders are the only human units in your >army and have many different functions (I'll summarize). You need to >have a Commander on the board to buy and play Command cards of >that type. So if you want to buy a Nuclear Command Card (or play one >in your hand), you need to have your Nuclear Commander in play. If >one of your commanders is killed, you can hire his replacement (ie. bring >him back). Commanders also allow your armies to move into the sea or >the moon. You need a Space commander to move your armies to or on >the moon. You need a naval commander to move your armies into or >under the ocean. Commanders also use 8-sided dice at key times. All >commanders defend with an 8-sider. The nuclear commander always >attacks with one. The diplomat never does. The other three attack with >one if they are attacking from or into their specialty (if you are attacking >from or into an underwater city, then your naval commander uses an >8-sider). Those are their big specialties. > >There are five Command card decks -- one for each commander. You >can use energy to buy cards. Some also require energy to play them. >These cards offer defensive and offensive advantages, extra free >moves, extra energy, cease fire situations and, yes, nukes. Each >deck has its strengths. There are also cards in the deck that give >extra points at the end of the game. > >Space stations (each player starts with one) allow you to go to the >moon. Also, all defensive units in space station territories roll 8-siders. > >Turn order each turn is determined by an energy bid. Turn order is >another tricky thing to do well. > >Win condtion: the game is five-turns long and takes about 2 hours to >play. At the end of five turns, the player who controls the most territories >(plus continent bonuses and points found on command cards), wins. In >the 100+ games I've seen played, there have only been three games >where one person was eliminated before turn 5. This is not an elimination >game. > >>Can you tell us who's on the design team, and what other AH games >>they've worked on? > >Craig Van Ness and Rob Daviau (me). Craig is the designer on a lot of >games, including Star Wars: The Queen's Gambit, Stratego Legends, >all the Powerpuff Girls games, Clash of the Lightsabers, NASCAR >Champions, and Goosebumps games (back a few years). I've worked >on Axis & Allies: Europe, Axis & Allies: Pacific, Stratego Legends, Cosmic >Encounter, and (the upcoming) History of the World remake. > >Hope people like it. > >-Rob >Avalon Hill Again, I hope Rob doesn't mind my repeating him here but I thought people here might be interested in the info. -- "I am the master of my own imaginary world." Dennis Matheson -- dennis@gamepile.com -- www.gamepile.com