Cruel Necessity: the English Civil Wars 1640 to 1653 Designer’S Notes
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Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640 to 1653 Designer’s Notes Steve Carey and Tim Porter seemingly players to engage in exciting tactical spent two years’ worth of GMT West battles and, although usually indecisive, Cruel Necessity and Pacificon conventions to extended garner benefits from any great success Designer’s Notes by John Welch playtesting of this early version of the achieved in doing so. The systems for the Cruel Necessity is my third States of game. They offered countless design mini-game had to be tight and relatively SiegeTM series game. I actually nailed ideas and, most importantly, kept me quick-and-clean to not slow gameplay on down the design in November of 2009 motivated to continue improving Cruel the main map. after designing Levee en Masse and Keep Necessity. Barely-trained forces fought the initial Up The Fire! My feeling is that each In January 2012, Cruel Necessity was battles of the English Civil Wars, with a game must be different from its selected to be the “new game” in a GMT slight advantage going to the King’s men. predecessor, so with Levee I added P500 States of SiegeTM three-pack dubbed The turning point occurred when Political tracks, Liberation, and near- Revolt and Revolution. It was exciting to Cromwell demanded that “Godly” troops perpetual Unrest in Paris; in Fire! it was watch the numbers climb and pass the be raised and, more importantly, trained. the ‘double game’ of tactical combat at 500 preorder threshold. At this point, I This New Model Army, along with a the compound and then to strategically felt the game was in pretty good shape – disciplined cavalry, were the keys to organize and lead the Relief Army to three years of work really showed. By the Parliament's ultimate success. The mini- Peking. I've taken to heart some of autumn of 2012 however, it was clear game models these aspects, adding to legendary game designer Joe Miranda’s that the Revolt and Revolution pack was them Battle Event cards, the potential of wisdom that a simulation puts the player not going to work out, and Cruel returned Deadly Outcomes that can kill named into the position of their historical to Victory Point Games. It was also at elite units, and the possibility of turning counterpart; given the same constraints this time that VPG was going through the overwhelming victories into important in- and options, the game takes away the process of expansion and upgrading its game benefits. script and the player quickly learns some component quality; while the waiting for Toward the Victory Point this upgrade was difficult, it has resulted important lessons of the history. A final key development came with the in the final product you now hold and is Why the English Civil Wars new look for calculating Victory Points. far superior to VPG’s previous With Levee en Masse, I wanted a chart I was drawn to the English Civil Wars production model. It was worth the wait. because they were so formative to the that showed the player just how development of Western democratic The Finishing Work Begins important the three Political tracks were government. There were three distinct By the summer of 2013, Cruel Necessity to final victory, but there was some math civil wars, and even civil wars within was ready for serious attention, and Alan involved and most players took at least civil wars in Ireland, Scotland, and Emrich finally got his turn at developing one completed game to realize they only England. Cruel Necessity needed to it. Thanks to the dramatic improvements finished but didn’t win because they simulate the various political struggles of at VPG, this game has a much larger map didn’t keep an eye on the Politics of it all. the forces of Parliament and Puritanism – than originally envisioned, full sized Cruel Necessity uses an intuitive system this meant six Political tracks that cards, and top-notch counters. VPG’s of positive (blue) triangles and negative covered religion and foreign policy in improved production flexibility presented (red) triangles. This did several important addition to Monarchy versus Parliament. the opportunity to expand the deck and things: first, players can calculate at a I also knew that I wanted a mini-game call out a key gameplay mechanic with glance how things are going; second, capturing the drama of mid-17th century the Achievement cards. One of the they can visualize with gestalt what and warfare – the push of pikes and the great measures of success for Parliament and where they need to focus on, and; third, a charges of cavalry. the Puritans in the English Civil Wars uniform methodology meant that every TM was the key accomplishments in gear turning from the Political Tracks, to Most States of Siege games utilize a government, religion and diplomacy. The number of Action Points that the player Fortress cities, to Achievements, to original mechanic was too simple and Deviltry all feature these simple triangles. can spend, as assigned by each Event arbitrary. By making the Achievements A Cavalier Farewell Card. I wanted something dynamic that their own cards and allowing players to would vary this number and be true to work toward the conditions was a better I am very pleased with the results from history. The result was Zeal and how (and tenser) way of cementing the lasting these past four years of Cruel Necessity’s control of certain Fortress Cities was the victories of the English Civil Wars. In development. I hope that you find it an key to the wealth and manpower needed Cruel Necessity, victory is best assured exciting and challenging game that you to sustain the war effort. by earning the Achievements. replay often to explore its many options and lessons. Early Design Issues and Evolution Meeting on the Battlefield I especially want to thank the nearly 600 My first design iteration was vanilla and Students of the English Civil Wars know people that preordered Cruel Necessity admittedly simple. I was extraordinarily that the wars were unwinnable through when it was going to be part of the Revolt fortunate to have two people that invested military action alone (which is why there and Revolution pack, and I sincerely hope a lot of their time and talent to keeping are six Political tracks and the this game is what you have been waiting Cruel Necessity evolving and improving. Achievement cards). Still, I wanted for. I think you’ll love the experience. © 2013 John Welch and Victory Point Games Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640 to 1653 v1.0 1 [1.0] INTRODUCTION number of Areas, along which the Royal Army of the North, Cruel Necessity Cruel Necessity is a solitaire game the Royal Army of The English Civil Wars 1640 to 1653 simulating the military, political, and the West, Scotland, religious struggles of the English Civil and Ireland units ABLE OF ONTENTS T C Wars. You attempt to stop the advance of advance and [0.0] Using These Rules ................. 1 four armies bent on destroying retreat. There are [1.0] Introduction ........................... 1 Parliament and Puritanism, whom you also six key represent. Simply holding on to London [2.0] Game Equipment .................. 1 hexagonal fortress is not enough; you must also suppress the spaces. To the [3.0] Setting Up the Game ............. 2 enemies of Puritanism, Parliamentary right, there are [4.0] Sequence of Play .................... 3 Government, and English domination. tracks for Ireland, Monarchy, [5.0] Objectives () .................. 3 There are civil wars going on not just in Catholicism, Scotland, Parliament, and [6.0] Event Card Phase .................. 4 England, but in Scotland and Ireland too; Puritanism. Available Achievements go [7.0] Using The Battle Display ...... 8 and each will have varying impact on the along the top. [8.0] Action Phase ........................ 10 play of the game at different times. [2.2] The Battle Display Mat: The [9.0] End Times Phase ................. 13 You can also play Cruel Necessity Battle Display Mat is centered [10.0] Housekeeping Phase .......... 13 cooperatively with a team of players working together and deciding how best on a map of a [11.0] Victory & Defeat ............... 14 to preserve and propagate the principles typical Extended Example ....................... 15 of the Enlightenment and Reformation. battlefield of the [12.0] Scenarios ............................ 17 We do not mean for Cruel Necessity to be a English Civil [13.0] Optional Rules ..... Player Aid highly accurate simulation of the English Wars as shown in history books. [0.0] USING THESE RULES Civil Wars; rather, it is a thoughtful and Along the top are places for Battle Event provocative interactive telling of this cards (Draw and Discard), along the left New gaming terms, when initially story, told in the guise of a game. Key side go Royalist forces above the defined, appear in dark red lettering for events of the period unfold and you will Tactical Battle Sequence of Play, and quick referencing. find yourself making the crucial along the right side is where you place The instructions for this game are decisions required to save Parliament- your Parliamentary forces. organized into major “Rules” sections as arianism and Puritanism from their [2.3] The Playing Pieces: There are shown in large green CAPS font, and enemies within and without. various units (pieces deployed and/or represented by the number to the left of The title comes from the purported maneuvered on the map) and markers the decimal point (e.g., Rule 4.0 is the response to the beheading of King (showing changes in the status of things). fourth Rule). These Rules generally Charles by his implacable foe, Oliver Military Units explain the game’s subject matter, its Cromwell, who remarked that this act of FRONTS BACKS components, the procedures for play, the regicide was a “cruel necessity.” game’s core systems, set up, and win conditions.