Newsletter

Issue 23,

Autumn 2001

EDITORIAL

As usual the Autumn issue is a mainly concerned with the programme for the following year with a quick reminder for the last game of the current year.

So starting with this year, the final game is the chance for a second go at changing the history of the 20th century when Bernard Ganley lets ideological conflict rip during the Russian Civil War in Lenin on the Wire. The first version of this a couple of years ago saw the reds routed – perhaps a different outcome this time?

Next year's line-upstarts with a re-run of Mukul Patel's hugely successful (there was so much demand we ran two games in parallel) Barbarossa 1941.

Jim Wallman is not contenting himself with putting on one game, he will be doing two, Prosperity Station, another outbreak of violence and mayhem between miners and invading space pirates, and Crisis in Britannia, an outbreak of violence between Celts and invading Romans!

Nick Luft is tackling the grand scope of the First World War with his Knocking the Props Away game. The scenario starts in late 1914.

I'm having a look at revolutions and social upheaval in the nineteenth century when there is a Crisis in Ruritania.

A few words about admin. We do the casting for the games about 9 weeks before the game to give good time for invites be sent, responses to come in and briefings to go out. Given that most of the games have teams, we will always allocate some players to a team at this time. It thus makes it an almost impossible task to accommodate request for a team booking after we've done the casting. The moral is get in early if you have a group of friends who want to play on the same team.

Brian Cameron,
Editor

 

Game Programe 2001/2002
Date Title
24th November 2001 Lenin on the Wire
26th January 2002 Barbarossa 1941: Clash of Titans
16th March 2002 Prosperity Station
29th June 2002 Crisis in Ruritania
19th October 2002 Crisis in Britannia
23rd November 2002 Knocking the Props Away

 

 

HOW THE ADMIN PROCESS WORKS

Most of the interest in the games comes via the Megagames Newsletter, which we send out twice a year, in the autumn and the spring. Obviously we also pick up interest from the web site and particularly by word of mouth from those who have played and enjoyed themselves and then kindly recommended our games to friends.

If you send in the interest slip enclosed with the newsletter we note your preferences against an interest list for each game. To save on costs we don't acknowledge receipt of your interest slip. (In passing its worth noting that players often send in an interest slip after the autumn newsletter and the spring issue with different preferences – we take the last preference expressed.)

You won't hear from us until we send out the acknowledgement letter for a particular game. This is about 7 or 8 weeks before the game. Obviously they go out just after the game is cast and roles allocated. While we are always happy to accept bookings up until the last minute before the game (and even on the day!) it is worth noting that once the game has been cast that it is very difficult to fit in group bookings where the group wishes to take part as one team – it would mean that we would have to ask players already allocated to change teams so that we had a complete team free. The moral is that groups should book early!

The acknowledgement letter allocates you a role and asks you for your game fee. We offer a discount if you reply by the deadline (usually a few weeks before the game). This helps us feel more confident about who is coming and what roles are filled so that we can allocate late-comers to teams which need making up to strength.

A word about the roles allocated. In some cases the role may be quite vague, e.g. 'Jacobin' or 'Noble'. We don't specify this more exactly to help designers ensure they fill key roles on the day. It can cause a problem if we allocate exact roles and then player don't show on the day – designers are then faced with asking players to change roles at the last minute.

Once we receive your acknowledgement letter and game fee the game list is updated and you'll be sent the briefing material for the game, usually two or three weeks before the game.

After that all you have to do is turn up on the day and, hopefully, enjoy yourself!

There is one final bit to the whole process. At the end of games we hand out a questionnaire which asks you for your opinion on various aspects of the game. We get very useful feedback both in terms of the ratings you've placed against each question and the additional comments, so we would ask you to please take the trouble to fill in the questionnaire and hand it back.

 


 

PRICES FOR 2002

Megagames in 2002 will cost £20 for players, or £10 for game control (umpires) and the unwaged.

Pre-PaymentPay the game fee in advance, by the specified deadline, and you pay only £15 if a player (or just £7.50 if game control/umpire or unwaged).

First Game Discount

There is a NEW discount for players attending their first megagame, of 50% (so if you book in advance, that is a megagame for just £7.50! ). The First Game Discount cannot be applied in conjunction with Group Booking.

Group Booking Discount

Any group can make a Group Booking to claim a substantial discount. To claim a group booking, the group must book in advance, and pay by the pre-booking deadline for the game.

Five players booking together and paying by a single cheque pay only £60 (a massive 20% discount on the pre-payment price). The Group Booking Discount cannot be made in conjunction with any other offers or discounts.

 


"Lenin on the Wire" - Russian Civil War II

By Bernard Ganley

24th November 2001

The Russian Civil War was a titanic struggle between the "Reds" under Lenin and a host of opponents ranging from the Czarist officer dominated "Whites", a variety of independence movements such as the Cossacks, Finns and Ukrainians called "Greens" and foreign interventionist forces such as the British, Germans, French and Japanese.

The war came out of Russia's defeat during the Great War and was fomented by the world revolutionary ideology of communism. The Red Bolshevik's rapid attainment of power in November 1917 was almost at once threatened by these other colours and the bloody fighting soon stretched across all of Czarist Russia.

The game will again portray the stirring events of the creation, or possible demise of the first modern Socialist state. The Russian Civil War was thus a key event in world history and largely shaped the twentieth century. The break-up of the USSR has again focused attention on the foundations of the Soviet system and how it came about and whether it had to lead to Stalinism. These issues and more will be covered in this game which will cover the years 1917-20.

The "Reds" too were not a unified group, but were heavily split by ideological divisions ranging from the extreme of the "Blacks", the anarchists, through the rural Social Revolutionaries to the Bolsheviks themselves and on to the more moderate Mensheviks.

The theatre of war was massive, occupying 1/6th of the worlds land surface, but due to war weariness and poor organisation of both sides, minute forces could decide the fate of regions as large as European states.

It is thus classic Megagame material where organisation, preparation and the ability to delegate will probably bring success, but that as befits a civil war this was very much a war of each again all.

 


 

KNOCKING THE PROPS AWAY

By Nick Luft

23rd November 2002

The end of 1914 was a watershed for all countries involved in the First World War. The war was not going to be over by Christmas. The Leaves had fallen, but the war might last into the next Spring.

All the major nations will be represented by a team of between 2 and 6 – Great Britain and Her Empire, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Turkey and Russia and perhaps a role for Italy and the USA. An umpire team will represent the neutrals or lesser belligerents. Each National Team will have to decide what their war aims are to be; what strategies to adopt and which of the neutrals they will court.

The game concentrates on the political direction of the war and the grand strategic military decisions that flow from that. All fronts will be played, with the smallest tactical unit being a Corps, of about 50,000 men.

Each turn will last for 20 minutes and represents a season. Within each season there will be 2-4 campaign phases for any offensives or strategic movements. The military players will only be able to issue broad orders to be carried out by an umpire team around the map. The players receiving reports and feedback as the campaigns unfold.

 


 

"News is coming in of a daring pirate raid on the new asteroid mining support base Prosperity Station in the Meo system. An audacious attack, allegedly led by the notorious Captain Flint was unusual in that it involved the co-operation of several pirate starships. The struggle lasted for several hours before being resolved."

PROSPERITY STATION

By Jim Wallman

16th March 2002

In this game, players will be representing key personnel or leaders either defending their lives and livelihood in Prosperity Station, or attempting to get rich as an independent trader (or pirate, depending on your perspective).

The game mechanisms are simple - there is a basic set of combat rules Starship Marine, which are modified slightly for this particular scenario. Much of the action will be pushing toy soldiers about - but a lot of it will be about dealing and politics too.

The scenario is a basic one - very similar to the pirate raids on ports in the 17th century - think of Morgan and his ilk. Put in simple terms - the aim of the pirates will be profit, the aim of the defenders - survival.

Game Roles

Independent Traders Belter Miners Civil Authorities
Ship's Captain: In charge. Usually also a skilled astronaut (that is someone who knows how to fly a starship)

First Officer: Second in command. Generally accepted as the person to take over if anything should happen to the Captain. Also usually a trained astronaut.

Technical Officer: The main task of a Tech Officer is to assist with things like repairs and maintenance. This keeps the ship flying.

Combat Officers: More than just armed thugs, combat officers are leaders of armed thugs.

Station Manager: - and their staff - responsible to the Company for the safety of the station.

Miner Foreman: - responsible for a team of miners - these are usually pretty hard types.

Miner Technical Officer: - responsible for a team of technical specialists, including armour and weapon techs and medics.

Construction Foreman: - work continues on the station - the foreman leads a team of hardy space construction workers - they are not people to mess with.

Imperial Administration Representatives: - faceless and irritating bureaucrats with an army of forms to be filled in.

Imperial Space Police: - responsible for law and order on the station.

Starship Marine Guards: - a very small number of heavily armed but elite and deadly space troops - the bane of a space pirate's life.

See http://www.pastpers.co.uk/universe/campaign/prosperity/index.htm for more information


 

CRISIS IN RURITANIA

Brian Cameron

29th June 2002

A game of politics and revolution in the 19th century.

Games on such subjects tend to feature the French or Russian revolutions but there was also an immense upheaval mid-century as the forces of liberalism gained strength.

One problem with games about historical revolutions is that those cast as Bolsheviks or Jacobins seem to have targets painted on there chest from the start so I've gone for a fictional setting. I've stolen the well-known name of Ruritannia to help convey the picture of a small country, tucked away in a quiet corner of Europe, still largely agrarian and the 'old order' still largely intact. Will things continue quietly in our rural idyll? I suspect not but players will have a large degree of freedom in what positions they adopt and how they want to go about achieving their objectives.

The game draws on the style of Jim Wallman's very successful Yendor games so there will be lots of negotiation, opportunities for role-playing, politics, etc. The game roles are:

The King – an autocrat and dedicated to the idea but not a Louis/Tsar type idiot. He will be open to compromise.

The Nobles. Currently enjoy all the positions as the crown's ministers and generals. Their wealth comes from land and to indulge in 'trade' is frowned upon. Their aim is essentially a conservative one of preserving the existing status quo. Not taxed at present. Part of their game will be increasing the splendour in which they 'live'.

The Church. Effectively Noble. Collect Church tithes. Control education. Again a conservative role.

The Middle Classes - sub-divided into a number of types:

The Artisans – produce general goods for sale, basically one a one-man business scale.

The City Guard – duties are to protect the Royal person and maintain law and order.

 

 

Jim Wallman

19th October 2002

This is a game about the cultural, economic and political situation in pre-Roman Britain, just at the point of arrival of the Romans. Players will be senior chiefs and kings of particular tribal grouping, or senior Roman commanders & diplomats.

Military operations will be simplified to allow maximum time for political and tribal interaction. The main teams and roles are:

The tribal players will be involved in the complex internal politics of their tribe, as well as having an opportunity to take part in chariot races, javelin competitions and much boasting and feasting.

The Roman players, on the other hand, will be planning their military operations with ruthless and implacable efficiency.

 


 

BARBAROSSA 1941: CLASH OF TITANS

Mukul Patel

26th January 2002

A re-run of the hugely successful Eastern front WWII game about the largest campaign of the World War II, Hitler's Invasion of Russia.

This classic campaign has and continues to provoke fierce debate and discussion ever since over the question could the Germans have won. Will the Germans get to Moscow only to be driven back in long retreat like Napoleon? Will Hitler crush the USSR and secure the future of the Third Reich? Or will something else happen? The game will provide the opportunity to explore the many possibilities.

So sign up and play the game. The player roles represent the military high command of the German and Soviet armed forces. Teams then represent German Army Groups and Soviet Military Districts. These teams direct the main armed forces in the game and will have to deal with the nitty gritty of operational planning. For those who like more of a challenge there is the choice of Finns or the Romanians who played a small but important part in the invasion.

Players who wish to take German High Command roles should be aware that there will be a planning game. This will be held at a central London location in early January.

The game also requires quite a lot of umpires so volunteers for this role would be much appreciated.

 


 

INTEREST SHEET - AUTUMN 2001

Return to: Megagame Makers, c/o 33, Willersley Avenue, Orpington, Kent BR6 9RT megagames@btinternet.com

Feel free to copy it and pass it on to friends who may be interested

If you are interested in a particular game, select your preferred role from the options provided. Insert a number next to the role to indicate your priority, 1 = top priority. An 'x' means "under no circumstances give me this role". Just insert a tick if you have no particular preference or priority.

 

LENIN ON THE WIRE

24th November 2001

o Red
o White
o Green
o Umpire
o Any player role
o Any role

Barbarossa: Clash of Titans 2

26th January 2002

o Russian
o German
o German High Command
o Umpire
o Any player role
o Any role

Prosperity Station

16th March 2002

o Independent trader
o Belter Miner
o Civil Authorities
o Umpire
o Any player role
o Any role

Crisis in Ruritania

29th June 2002

o Noble
o Church
o Merchant
o Lawyer
o Civil Servant
o Artisan
o Any player role
o Innkeeper
o City Guard
o Umpire
o Any role

Knocking the Props Away

14th September 2002

o British
o French
o German
o Austrian
o Russian
o Turkish
o Umpire
o Any player role
o Any role

Crisis in Britannia

19th October 2002

o Tribal Chieftain
o Tribal Druid
o Roman Military
o Roman Political
o Any player role
o Roman Trader
o Umpire
o Any role

Long Live Death!

23rd November 2002

o Lefties
o Fascists
o Soviet Union
o Fascist Client state
o Any player role
o Umpire
o Press
o Any role

 

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