Red October v.2.0 playtest

[fairline]

Originally posted by techumseh
The trade off is allowing workers to build double-track rail or making them buildable.

IIRC I cheated when playing v1 and made the workers buildable and retained their ability to build double-track RR. Off to the gulags with me!

It's a good bet that fairly sophisticated equipment was needed to maintain the Trans-Siberian and other long distance lines far from built-up areas.

Good point. Steam-powered thingy it is then. Got any pics anyone?

[Cyrion]

pre-report

I'll post a more detailed report once I have tested it more, but up to now I am having a great time and I haven't spotted any error!

I am now at the end of 1918, and have been suffering a lot from the Germans, Czech, Entente and Japanese attacks! (Yes, those events work well! )

But I think I now know how to turn them on my next game (but first I need to finish that one! )

[AGRICOLA]

Re: Your next game.

Suggest you do your best to knock out the Whites in early 1918. Makes the rest of the game much, much, much easier . . . . . . but do it quick before Brian closes off that line of play.

[techumseh]

How are my playtesters doing? AGGIE says it might be too hard. Of course that didn't stop him from destroying the Whites by the end of 1918!

Are there changes that would increase the fun of playing it? Would more randomization of starting forces and events enhance the replayability?

Gareth, do you still need pics of steam cranes? I found this one, which is a 1909 American crane, so it's the right age anyway.

[techumseh]

Here's a historical pic of a similar machine.

[techumseh]

Here's a model of a more modern version, but from a more useful angle.

[Cyrion]

Originally posted by techumseh
How are my playtesters doing? AGGIE says it might be too hard. Of course that didn't stop him from destroying the Whites by the end of 1918!

I stopped my first game, and started the 2nd one where I'll try to use what I learned in the 1st (without using Agri's naughty tactics!)!

From what I've seen in the 1st game, it's hard, but I don't think it's too hard! That is, if my new "tactical" ideas work in the 2nd run...

I've planned a rather long gaming/testing session tonight!

[Cyrion]

Intermediary comments

First of all: your scen is very, very nice and tons of fun to play!

I haven't played it to the end yet, concentrating instead on the 1st third of it, but up to now it seems at the same time really balanced and entertaining!

I'll write a more detailed report once I have finished it, but I can already say that the events work really well, give an excellent feeling and are at times really scary!

In my new game, I am now reaching the end of the german offensive (which is, again, really scary but not too overwhelming), which I am weathering quite well, and preparing for the counter-attack and after that the Czech Legions onslaught!

Can't wait to get back to it tonight!

BTW: until when can you wait for my full report? I would quite like to play until the end of next week (being quite busy right now), but if you want it sooner please tell so that I can limit my report to the point I have reached at that time!

[techumseh]

Cyrion, I'm glad you like it. Sooner is better, but why don't you report as you go?

[Boco]

Originally posted by techumseh
How are my playtesters doing? AGGIE says it might be too hard. Of course that didn't stop him from destroying the Whites by the end of 1918!

Sigh! You need to make a special Rules.txt for Aggie in addition to the one for regular players!

Originally posted by fairline
Steam-powered thingy it is then. Got any pics anyone?

Must resist...

[fairline]

Originally posted by techumseh
How are my playtesters doing? AGGIE says it might be too hard. Of course that didn't stop him from destroying the Whites by the end of 1918!

Are there changes that would increase the fun of playing it? Would more randomization of starting forces and events enhance the replayability?

Gareth, do you still need pics of steam cranes? I found this one, which is a 1909 American crane, so it's the right age anyway.

Thanks for the pics. I've been laid low by 'fly for the past week or two, so I've done nothing productive yet I'm afraid.

[fairline]

Originally posted by Boco

Must resist...

I'm very tempted to use Thomas's mate as my source pic.

[AGRICOLA]

Originally posted by Cyrion
. . . without using Agri's naughty tactics!

Guilty as charged,Your Honour. I confess that my tactics have indeed been not only naughty but also sneaky, underhanded, devious, doublecrossing, backstabbing, unprincipled, lazy, cynical and rotten to the core.

Your Honour, in the course of recent play I have indeed gotten away with murder transgressed in many ways.

Before starting play, I admit that one night when no one was around I did sneak a look at Field Marshal fairline's post describing his heroic defence of Moscow. As a devout coward, I immediately knew that such heroics were beyond me and am ashamed to say my Bolshies chose to hide behind pillaged roads, in cities with Armoured Trains, and stop the attacking Huns by shooting them like fish in a barrel in a desperate battle.

Also, I was not being honorable when I gained a most unfair advantage at the start by secretly reading the Civilopedia. My exceptionally brilliant thoroughly despicable and lazy conclusion was that the Bolsheviks needed to research only 3 new techs for victory. And yes, Your Honour, regrettably I did think it highly amusing that, by the fifth month, I could tax the peasants at 80% and provide 20% luxuries for the comrades. I really am ashamed to admit that the large monthly windfall of gold was spent on unprincipled and evil enterprises like RB, IRB and riotous high living.

I treacherously betrayed many of my fellow Russians by not liberating them from the reactionary Whites as soon as possible. It was indeed callously rotten and cynical of me to abandon the unwashed peasants fellow Russians to do their patriotic duty by slowing down the revanchist capitalist hordes of the Huns and the Nationalists. However, Your Honour, I eventually did the honorable thing when I beautifully backstabbed fiercely attacked the capitalist pigs reactionary Whites in March 1918, thereby ending the civil war and stopping further Bolshie losses. spilling of Russian blood in a pointless civil war.

Later, Your Honour, I sincerely regret allowing my fellow Reds to build Armoured Trains in cities with no RR's. I can now see that it was diabolically clever underhanded of me to set up these immobile fortresses.

Finally, it was not sporting of me to devise tactics to neutralize and even destroy the insane attempts by Entente fleets to invade the Rodina. I now accept that not all is not fair in love, war and scens.

The defence rests, Your Honour, except for the following glowing character testimonials:

Attila the Hun - ". . . definitely the scum of the earth , , ,"

Genghis Khan - ". . the lowest of the low . . . a snake in the grass . . ."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi - ". . . a true Shogun . . . his treachery knows no bounds . . "


Before you sentence me, Your Honour may want to consider that a grateful people have raised a magnificent statue of me in Red Square. Below is an artist's impression of the famous statue.

[Jerec]

The one and only Rattus Rexicus!

RR, please don't dive into Gallic War anytime soon. Gaul isn't ready for a Roman blitzkrieg! Besides, iron-clad legions don't exactly match up with armored trains...


Apologies to Tech for being OT.

[techumseh]

Sigh... New house rule: no building armoured trains in cities without rail lines. What else did you do?