DOCUMENT RESUME ED 469 400 SO 031 892 AUTHOR de Rosa, Peter L. TITLE Stratagem. PUB DATE 2000-00-00 NOTE 26p. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Conflict Resolution; *Educational Games; Higher Education; *History Instruction; *International Relations; Introductory Courses; *Simulation; Student Educational Objectives; Undergraduate Study IDENTIFIERS Scenarios ABSTRACT "Stratagem" is an abstract simulation of international conflict. The player controls a country in a specific historical period and uses its resources to accomplish certain objectives. Victory points are earned by reaching these objectives. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins. The game is designed for large, introductory history courses at the college level, and is suitable for students who have no experience in this type of activity. Historical simulations illustrate the role of hindsight in studying the past. Students assume the role of historical figures and attempt to solve the kinds of problems their counterparts faced. Game techniques allow players to manipulate this model to explore decision-making alternatives and gather information. The paper considers 11 elements: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "How to Start Play"; (3) "How to Play"; (4) "Resource Factors"; (5)"Conflict Resolution"; (6) "Presence"; (7) "Diplomacy"; (8) "How to Win"; (9) "Notes";(10) "Optional Rules"; and (11) "Optional Combat System." The paper provides an example of play, an instructor's guide, and four historical scenarios with instructions.(BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Stratagem. Peter L. de Rosa N 00 1-4 O CI) PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BEST COPY AVAILABLE Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to 2 improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) °Points of view or opinions stated in this 1 document do not necessarily represent official OERI position cr policy. STRATAGEM INTP,ODUtTION Each game lasts for a specified number of Game-turns. The game is over after Sf?ratagem is an abstract simulation of all of these have been completed.The international conflict. You control a players total their Victory Points and the country in. a ,sp9tific historical period winner is determined. and use resources to accomplish certain objectives.You earn Victory Points by reaching these objectives. The RESOURCE FACTORS player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game wins. ResourceFactors(RFs)representa country's military, political, diplomatic and economic strength, and its HOW TO START PLAY willingness to use it. RFs are similar to the pieces in RiskTM and checkers. The class is divided into groups.Each group has a moderator who runs the Your goal is to attain the objectives game and does the record-keeping for listed for your country in the Scenario that group. Each remaining student Instructions. You do this by deploying takes a country. The moderator and the RFs. Each turn you will receive a players receive Scenario Instructions. certain number of RFs. You then deploy your RFs wherever you wish. You may deploy RFs in your own country, another HOW TO PLAY player's country, or in a territory not represented by a player.You must Stratagem is played in Game-turns. A deploy all RFs received on that turn in Game-turn proceeds as follows: that turn. After deployment, you cannot move RFs.You cannot give them to First, up to 10 minutes per turn are another player.After deployment you allocatedfornegotiation among the may useyour RFs toattack RFs players.Then the first player receives belonging to another player. Resource Factors(RFs) and deploys them. The number of RFs each player To deploy RFs, tell the moderator where receivesisspecified in the Scenario you want to put them.The moderator Instructions.The player then conducts will then record your deployments on the attacks against other players' RFs. This Scenario Chart in accordance with your completes the player's turn. instructions. The remaining playersreceiveRFs, deploy RFs, and then make attacks with CONFLICT RESOLUTION their RFs in the sequence given in the Scenario Instructions. After placing RFs, you can use them to attack your opponents.These attacks When all of the players have taken their represent everything from simple threats turns, one Game-turn has been to major invasions.Attacking is never completed. required.Attacks can be made when 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE STRATAGEM you and another player have RFs in the bluffs are all allowed and encouraged. It same country or territory. You attack by is recommended that you look through first indicating your target(the Machiavelli's The Prince before the defender).Both you and the defender exercise. then remove an equal number of RFs. You decide how many RFs are removed. The moderator records these activities on HOW TO WIN the Scenario Chart. A game of Stratagem normally lasts 6 After you are finished with this attack, Game-turns, unless specified otherwise you may attack a different opponent's in the scenario.After the last Game- RFs in that territory if you have any RFs turn,theplayers compare their RF left there.You may attack in as many deployments with their objectives listed countries or territories as you wish, as in the Scenario Instructions to determine long as you have RFs in them. their Victory Points.More than one player can receive Victory Points for a territory. The player with the most PRESENCE Victory Points at the end wins. You have a Presence in a country or territory when you have at least 5 RFs there at the end of the game. A Presence NOTES representssituationssuchastrade agreements, spheres ofinfluence, Stratagem offers scenarios that cover alliances,satellites,orannexations. historicalerasfromtheAgeof More than one player can have a Discovery through World War II. Presence in a country or territory. Scenario Instructions include a list of You usually achieve Victory Points by player countries in the scenario, game- obtaining a Presence in certain countries length,historicalinformation, and a or territories.Sometimes you can earn Scenario Chart. Victory Points by preventing a Presence. You can never have more than one Stratagem was inspired by James F. Presence anywhere. The Victory Points Dunnigan's Origins of World War I for an objective depend on its historical (found in Sid Sackson's A Gamut of importance to the country involved. Games, 1969) and Origins of World War II (The Avalon Hill Game Co., 1971). Both are highly recommended for the DIPLOMACY classroom. You cannot win Stratagemunless you Stratagem is designed by Peter L. de negotiatewiththeotherplayers. Rosa, and is Copyright, 1998. All rights Whoever makes the best deals usually reserved. Reproduction allowed for wins. However, trust no one!Lies, nonprofit educational use as long as this betrayals,threats,brokendeals,and copyright notice is included. 4 STRATAGEM OPTIONAL RULES Both players get Victory Points in this situation. Any of the following can be used either singly or in combinations.Make sure An attacker loses one less RF in an everyone knows which rules are being attack than the defender.For example, used in a particular game. the attacker could destroy 4 defending RFs, while losing only 3. RFs can be deployed simultaneously. The players write their deployments out OPTIONAL COMBAT SYSTEM and give them to the moderator who will record all of them at that time. Resolve To makeConflictResolution more conflictinthenormalplayer-order. unpredictable, resolve attacks as follows: Repeat this each turn. After RF deployment,theattacker Players can communicate with each identifies the defender. The number of other only through written messages. the attacker's RFs is compared to the number of the defender's RFs and the Normally,oneplayercontrolsone odds are computed. Divide the number country. To simulate the problems some of the Attacker's RFs by the number of countries havein making decisions, the Defender's RFs to get a ratio.For more than one player can be assigned to example, 10 RFs attacking 5 RFs would a democracy, or toa nation where be 2 to 1.Always drop fractions.For internal disunity was a significant factor. example, 14 RFs against 5 RFs would still be 2 to 1. 15 vs. 5 would be 3 to 1. The instructor can require all players to record their diplomatic contacts with After computation, roll a die and resolve other players. They are collected at the attacks on the following table: end of the game. Information from these records (documents) can be surprising. Die Roll 1-2 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 5-1+ Any game can be lengthened beyond 6 turns at the instructor's discretion. 1 X D D D D D 2 X X D D D D If a player has a Presence in your home 3 X X X D D D country, you must remove that Presence 4 A X X X D D before attacking him elsewhere. 5 A X X X X D 6 A A X X X X If one player has 10 RFs in a territory, and no other player has any RFs there at D=all defending RFs are removed from all, then the first one has Control of that the territory. all attacking RFs remain. territory and no player can deploy RFs X=an equal number of attacking and there for the rest of the game.Two defending RFs are removed from the players can agree to split Control of a territory. territory, but they must both establish A=all attacking RFs are removed from Presences there on the same Game-turn.