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Twilight Struggle Turn One

May 31st, 2007 · 3 Comments · AARTwiStr

If you missed the basic description of the game, here it is. As usual, Bruce plays the good guys, the Americans. That leaves the Soviets for me. Socialized medicine for all! Here is the starting position. Each turn opens with a headline phase in which each player must play an event from their hand. TURN […]

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Twilight Struggle: A Primer

May 31st, 2007 · 3 Comments · AARTwiStr

Twilight Struggle is relatively new to me, and probably very new to many readers, so I’ll add explanation wherever I can. First, the basics. The game has ten turns, each turn marked by “phases” – i.e., each player takes turn playing cards. Every card has a point value (from 1 to 4) and an event […]

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After Action Reports

May 31st, 2007 · Comments Off on After Action Reports · AARTwiStr

Here is a list of all the AAR’s I’ve done so far, listed by game. Click on the title of the game and it will take you to the category page designated for that title. The reports are, blog style, in reverse chronological order, so start at the bottom and read up, I guess. I […]

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Twilight Struggle: A During Action Report

May 30th, 2007 · 6 Comments · AARTwiStr, Board Games

When I mentioned my experiences with Paths of Glory a few weeks ago, one commenter asked about doing an AAR of my futile efforts against Bruce Geryk. I replied that I wasn’t quite sure how that would work. Now we are going to find out. Twlight Struggle is a two player card based strategy game […]

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Civ IV PBEM Update

May 29th, 2007 · 6 Comments · Me, Multiplayer

We’re about a third of the way through our PBEM Civilization IV: Warlords game, playing the excellent Chinese Unification scenario. In single player, the scenario is largely about diplomacy – persuading your opponents to support your claim to the Mandate of Heaven. So you export your bloodline or strategically convert, all the while beating on […]

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The Zeal of the Convert

May 24th, 2007 · 4 Comments · Design, History

Best-selling historian Niall Ferguson has written an essay about his experiences with Muzzy Lane’s Making History: The Calm and the Storm. Ferguson is thrilled to find out that he can test counterfactuals with PC strategy games. I’ve always loved counterfactuals and alternate histories. (What if Alexander had lived to consolidate his empire? What if Pompey […]

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