The General Vol 23 No 6
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AH Philosophy Part 120 Once again it is summer here in Charm City. Ice the British paratroopers in STORM OVERARNHEM cream, picnics, baseball games, and the Fourth of (hosted by the game's designer, Courtney Allen). July. And ORIGINS '87, the National Adventure Or you could join Ken Whitesell in his double- Gaming Convention. Which just happens to be held elimination UP FRONVBANZAI tournament or his on the Fourth in downtown Baltimore. By the time mad-cap SPEED CIRCUIT challenge. For those ad- you read this column, ORIGINS will be upon us (or dicted to multi-player games, the "New York Game perhaps past). For those among our readership who Board" will host competition in DIPLOMACZ there will not be in attendence, maybe a brief glimpse of are also tournaments in KINGMAKER, TITAN, STEL- our doings will encourage you to take the effort to LAR CONQUEST, DUNE, ACQUIRE and CIVILIZA- attend in the future. TION. The "demo derby" format is used for First, and foremost for many, ORIGINS means competition in RICHTHOFENS WAR and AIR tournaments-competition against the best players FORCUDAUNTLESS. Napoleonic garners are ~e~ed in the most popular games in our hobby. The by multi-player tournaments for WOODEN SHIPS products of the Avalon Hill Game Company are al- & IRON MEN and WAR & PEACE. And ace play- ways well represented; indeed some of these tour- tester Jon Mishcon oversees the competition for naments have become traditions. For instance, the ASL. annual flight into danger in the 8-77 tournament or Our own designers get into the fray by hosting the race for merchandise through the medium of tournaments in some of Avalon Hill's latest releases. CIRCUS MAXIMUS; maybe you'd care to try your hand with the Wehrmacht in RUSSIAN FRONT or Continued on Page 36, Column 3 AVERYGOODYEAR 5 Development Notes for I830 By Bruce Shelley TAKE A RIDE ON THE READING 12 Variants for I830 By Alan R. Moon ALL ABOARD 14 A Ride on the I830 Express By Edward Fahrmeier REVOLUTION AGAINST THE REVOLUTION 16 The Nicaraguan Contra War and FIREPOWER By James Werbaneth MY FAVORITE LINES 26 The Railroads of RAIL BARON By Matt Ellis THELONGHAUL 29 Axis Strategy for THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN By James Werbaneth THE ROAD TO LITTLE ROUND TOP 33 DEVIL'S DEN By Mail By James Lutz BEYOND MANIFEST DESTINY 37 American Play in PAX BRITANNICA By James Werbaneth HOW YA GONNA KEEP 'EM DOWN ON THE FARM 40 City-Building Strategies for CZVZL.lZATZON By Albert Parker A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS 42 Giving Suckers an Even Break in MAGIC REALM By Michael Anchors I PATTON'S BEST is The Avalon Hill Game Company's new solitaire game that p in the commander's seat of a Sherm in George Patton's best fighting division, the I 4th Armored. You can play through a short engagement, a complete day of movement and battle, or follow the day-by-day European campaign of the 4th Armored Division. The success and survival of your tank depends on vour decisions. %%& Button up for the safety or fight fro for better visibility? What type of a fire at which target? Move forward for a more deadly I" side shot, fall back to a hull down position, or put 'own a smoke screen? &'ou control only your tank and crew. Each cre,, member is rated for skill at his position, and his rating will affect how well he performs. Your ci will start with relatively low ratings, but if they ca survive to become veterans, their ratings and the efficiency of your tank can imprave. You will start out in a basic M4 Sherman tank, but may later command any of 17 different Sherman variations. I The solitaire game system controls the generation and action of the German units you will be facing, and the rest of the American task force of which you are part. Included are three types of scenarios: Advances, representing the breakthroughs and rapid movements through enemy territory; Battler where the Division is attacking prepared enemy positions; and Counterattacks, where you defend against German attacks. Command any one of J. / different American Sherman tank variations or the Briti Firefly variant included for comparis Fight a single engagement, a da the entire campaign of the 4th Armored Division. Win promotions and decorations for valor. PATTON'S BEST is now available for $25.00 from The Avalon Hill Game Company, 4517 Harford Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21214. Please add 10% for shipping and handling (20% for Canadian orders; 31.. .- A VERY GOOD YEAR ' Development Notes for 1830 r By Bruce Shelley Our design staff heard the first news of 1830's this was not to be. 1830 was not published until the was backed up by others who had had a chance to existence during "Origins" in 1982. Tom Tresham, early spring of 1986, almost four years after we had play. The convention ended too quickly for me, and the brother of 1830 designer Francis Tresham, had first heard of its existence. Over this time period the the Treshams could not stop in Baltimore on their come to the convention representing an English game project had many ups and downs, including the nadir way home as they (and we) had hoped. I returned distributor and we questioned him at length for game in the fall of 1984 when I830 was all but dead. home with the prototype and quickly arranged to news from England, especially regarding his brother. The first major delay was quite simple to under- show it to the local enthusiasts who hadn't gone to By this date we had already purchased CIVILIZA- stand. In the fall of 1982 the game was not finished. Detroit. TION from Francis and had been playing his 1829 Although Francis had a game that was being play- My memory of what this first prototype was like games about British railroads for many years. The tested, he was not yet sufficiently satisfied to sub- is a little hazy as it did not remain in its original idea of an 1829-type game about American railroads mit it. In Baltimore, we were quite anxious to get form for long. Also, that first copy was returned appealed to us immediately, and we told Tom to pass a protoype to examine, but Francis felt this would to England during the game's dark days. The largest on the word that we were very interested in seeing not be helpful and continued his development in differences between this early game and what was 1830. England. The help we could give in this stage was published are as follows: The 1830 proponents on our staff at this time were mostly research on aspects of North American rail- Mick Uhl, Alan Moon, Richard Hamblen, Rex roads and general encouragement. I recall sending 1) On the stock market there were no orange and Martin and myself. My own interest traced back to information on possible private companies, yuitable brown zones, and the highest prices reached $1000 instead of $350 (in the same number of spaces). the first Michigan "Origins", when I stumbled across colors for the railroad pieces, and even esigning a mixed group of gamers from MIT and Penn play- a sample president's certificate. Word finf ly arrived 2) You could not buy stock in your choice of rail- ing the first 1829 game. I was immediately fascinated that Tom and Francis were coming to Origins '83 roads after the private companies were sold. Instead, by the topic and mechanics, and quickly knew "I've in Detroit and were bringing an 1830 drototype to the companies were sold in order-PRR, NYC, CP, got to get this game." I soon did and I829 became leave with us. B&O, C&O, ERIE, NYNH&H, B&M. Shares in regular fare at the meetings of the UVA game club I don't believe I have looked forward'bith more the NYC could not be bought until all PRR shares to which I belonged. My future colleagues at Avalon excitement to any event in my gaming experience had been bought. Shares in the CP could not be Hill had come across 1829 on their own a couple than I did to meeting Francis and seeing his 1830 bought until all NYC shares had been bought, and of years before this, and although they liked it very prototype. By now I felt we had become good friends SO on. much, they did not believe it was a sellable product through our correspondence and I had the highest 3) Initial share prices were fixed-PRR ($loo), in the United States. regard for his earlier games. Our meeting was a great NYC ($go), CP ($82), B&O ($76), C&O ($71), and Not being the patient sort, I wrote to Francis after thrill for me, and I think also for the entire Avalon all others $67. Tokens were placed on the Stock the '82 Origins on behalf of Avalon Hill reiterating Hill entourage, as both Tresham brothers proved to Market in a specific box marked for each railroad. our interest in the I830 project and offering to help be quite charming and good company. 4) Private Companies could be sold to railroads for in any way I could. Francis responded enthusias- My first exposure to the 1830 prototype was no up to five times their printed value. Printed values tically, beginning a long and enjoyable transatlantic less a success. The map and pieces looked much as were higher; I recall the Camden & Amboy was correspondence.