Gaming Great Bridge V: Alternate Rules

 “For me, it is always important that I go through all the possible options for a decision.”

— Angela Merkel

My Battle of Great Bridge set-up on site.

This past weekend I displayed and ran my Battle of Great Bridge wargame demo at a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the mustering of the Culpeper Minutemen in the very field where they assembled...before they marhced off to Williamsburg and ultimately Great Bridge. Despite cool but sunny weather (quite nice for autumn in central Virginia), the attendance and participation was less than I had hoped, but it was still a positive day. Everyone who stopped by to admire the diorama, play the game, or discuss the battle brought their intelligent curiosity and interest in history. I ran the game twice with young but extremely bright participants and spent much of the day discussing the Battle of Great Bridge with folks, some of whom had never heard of it despite attending an event commemorating a unit which played a pivotal role — and gained its fame — in the engagement. I learned a bit, too, talking with those extremely familiar with the battle and the terrain.

Event Game Repertoire

 “Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.”

— Aeschylus

German troops await a charge from
U.S. Marines at Belleau Wood.

We had a great time earlier this month attending the Call to Arms tabletop gaming convention in Williamsburg, VA. It’s a small event as cons go, but it’s a busy, friendly, and welcome weekend getaway. (And we bookended the convention with some time at our favorite sites at Colonial Williamsburg.) My son and I ran a Skirmish Kids game, “A Slice of Belleau Wood,” and I ran a D6 System Pulp Egypt roleplaying game scenario for a fantastic group of players. As we were packing, my son paged through one of the stand-up sign folios I use to promote my games at the table while I’m setting up and during play. I create a one-page promo with title, illustration, and description for each game. After a con I forget about them, leaving them in the folio until the next time. As my son paged through and recalled past games, I realized I have a fairly solid repertoire of historical and fantasy/sci-fi miniatures games I’m ready to run for events (and I’m not even touching all the roleplaying game scenarios I’ve hosted over the years).

Watch Read Play: The Battle of Britain

 “I have promised the Führer that we will clear the skies and completely destroy the RAF. I expect my orders to be obeyed!”

— Hermann Göring, Battle of Britain (1969)

Few episodes in history, let alone World War II, embody the determination and victory of the underdog quite like the Battle of Britain. Fought in the aftermath of France’s fall to Nazi armies in June 1940 and the escape of British forces at the “Miracle at Dunkirk,” the Royal Air Force’s stand against the Luftwaffe turned into a rallying point a war many thought already lost. Iconic images from the battle still resonate among history aficionados: Spitfires and Hurricanes, Stukas, the tall metal towers of the Chain Home radar stations, lines of contrails and smoke in the skies above southern England, the faces of weary pilots, the London Blitz. Immersing ourselves in the Battle of Britain can help us relate to that struggle, a small island nation standing up to a continent dominated by Nazi might, a handful of pilots and a steady stream of aircraft production against clouds of Lufwaffe bombers and fighters, the last free people of Europe holding out against cruel dictatorship. Our cultural history has mythologized much of that campaign, but on a closer look, watching films, reading books, and playing games, we can learn more about the real-life struggles people faced and better appreciate the historical events those people survived.

Historical Games

 “Your library is your paradise.”

— Erasmus

French Regency style chess pieces
and box, early 20th century.

I have among my collection several historical games; not games with historical themes, but actual games played throughout history. My library also includes a small section with books about historical games. These foundational basics of ludic entertainment, some surviving for millennia, often remained a luxury of the privileged classes, though over time many have become more accessible to the general populace to occupy and divert their occasional leisure time. Some artifacts in my collection have particular personal significance, others I’ve acquired years later as I explored my interest in this branch of gaming sometimes overlooked by the 21st century adventure gaming hobby. They’re telling artifacts from a time when games remained accessible pastimes and not niche-market products in a capitalistic society.

The Convention Game Gamble

 “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

— T. S. Eliot

Middle-earth 54mm miniatures game, with
player aid card and "burning" buildings.

I like running convention games; I’ve been hosting them for more than 30 years. These days they present one of the few opportunities I have to play games with a broader audience. Yet they usually require a great deal of investment...and risk. I’m preparing to run two events at an upcoming convention (Call to Arms in Williamsburg, VA) and I’m feeling the exhilarating excitement and anxious dread I typically experience beforehand. I love running these games, sharing my enthusiasm for a period, genre, and game system, often introducing newcomers to my particular corner of the hobby, and seeing where the combination of a given scenario and a diverse assemblage of players takes a game. But it also comes with a great deal of anxiety. Will I get many or any players? What kind of players will join? Will the game make a generally positive impression with attendees? These come on top of typical convention concerns like logistics regarding table size, hotel arrangements, scheduling accuracy, promotion (or lack thereof), and navigating an often overpacked gaming floor. It all emphasizes the gamble we take hosting games at conventions...often at our own expense.

Gaming Great Bridge IV: Playtesting Insights

 “Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals.”

— T. E. Lawrence

I’ve been spending time writing down the rules for processes discussed earlier, with an eye to producing both a rulebook for a board wargame and a streamlined player aid format of rules for the event where I expect to run the Battle of Great Bridge game demo. Once I had some firm rules down as a baseline for game play, I devised a gridded map, found some generic pieces to use, and started some self-play testing (with me taking turns running both sides), given my general lack of local players. I made a few adjustments, but overall it seems to deliver the experience I’d hoped to offer: basic rules with player choices, short play time, and all taking into account some historical considerations.

Game with Friends or Strangers?

 “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met.”

— William Butler Yeats

Friends with pizza, dice, games...
and an otherworldly stranger.

Recently someone on my social media feed asked if folks preferred gaming with friends or strangers. It’s an interesting question, with the answer often depending on our own gaming preferences, social circumstances, and personalities. I’ve been gaming more than 40 years and have done my share at tables with friends and strangers. Both experiences gave me headaches and drama...and both provided amazingly fulfilling moments. Each forced me to take a closer look at how we interact over roleplaying games as players and gamemasters, examining what worked and what didn’t, determining how best to prepare, and considering how what happens at the table — how we interact with each other — makes everyone feel.