While this Module certainly works, and works just fine, as many of its users will attest, feedback indicated there is room for improvement… to make electronically playing Congress of Vienna an even better game playing experience!
The CoV Vassal Team is fortunate to now have the Vassal programming talents of Fredrik Lindner and Mark Benson, who are building upon the current Module developed by Joel Toppen and CoV Designer Frank Esparrago. It’s my pleasure to here introduce them and their good efforts to the InsideGMTaudience.
However, as there are many within our beloved hobby who prefer a physical game, sitting around a “table of rivals” with all the fun and excitement that entails, your support of Congress of Vienna’s P-500 Second Printing would certainly be appreciated. To learn more of that offering, as well as access a vast array of Congress of Vienna material, see: GMT Games – Congress of Vienna, 2nd Printing
With that, matters are now turned over to Mark & Fredrik!
The CoV Vassal Module Fred above references enabled us to enjoy the game virtually, ensuring us wonderful times playing the current Congress of Vienna Vassal Module, whether as one of the Sixth Coalition’s Major Allied Powers or as the “Corsican Ogre” himself: Napoleon, emperor of the French! However, we’re inveterate “tinkerers” and, as we gained more experience with the game, could not resist suggesting program enhancements. Therefore, we reached out to Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter to volunteer our enthusiasm and computer programming help… not only for our own sakes, but for all those who enjoy via Vassal Frank’s wonderful Congress of Vienna design (inspired by Mark Herman’s Churchill).
The core CoV Team meets each weekend with representatives, not all of whom are present every session, from the UK, Sweden, Spain, and various USA locations from the east to west coasts to playtest our Vassal Programming efforts, dubbed CoV Vassal Module Mark 2. That’s been fine to an extent… but we now need and would greatly appreciate input from more fellow Congress of Vienna gamers before this latest Module can be confidently ready for public release to replace Module Mark 1.
A number of volunteers have already come forth through a BGG (Board Game Geek) solicitation and it would be grand if more could flock to the CoV Vassal Module Mark 2 playtest volunteer banner from InsideGMT’s audience.
As something of a teaser, here are selected screen shots from CoV Vassal Module Mark 2. Thanks in advance to those responding to this solicitation. Enjoy Congress of Vienna!
Figure 1: Screen Shot of a Russian card hand. Note the new card trading area. This version duplicates what many gamers do when playing the physical game through automatically organizing cards by Major Power with any neutral card(s) placed on the bottom row flush right.Figure 2 The Allied CDGSM Card. Players asked for less graphic clutter and clearer labelling of the cards on display to choose from. We accommodated them. Better?Figure 3: The CoV Vassal Module Gameboard Mark 2 as of an underway Game Turn Two’s Diplomacy Phase: Those familiar with Congress of Vienna should be able to deduce what’s occurred thus far by the placement of Issues and pawns upon the board’s Diplomacy Section as well as by the Military Map’s Armies and markers. Note the change in orientation which now emulates the physical game as players preferred scrolling between the Diplomacy and Military Map Sections enabling better visibility. Leader card images are now at each Major Power’s Seat (face-up to indicate availability). Pop Ups explain each gameboard component as well as enlarge them for easier reading. Automatic placement capabilities have been introduced in many areas, as a complement to traditional ‘click and drag’ interactions. This, of course, speeds up the pace of play.Figure 4: Sequence of Play: This automated chart allows players to easily navigate an entire CoV turn’s sequence of play while at the same time providing direct access to relevant game functions.Figure 5: A complete and easy menu for “Scenario Options”: Through which players can access Congress of Vienna’s different scenarios, as well as determine a game’s number of players, Initial Situation & Handicap cards. The Rulebook’s Optional Historical Rules can be locked in for a game. Choices, choices, eh?
What counters get moved where (assuming P2->P4 wants to put all counters on their Sin copy)?
Would P2, seeing as they control the effect, be able to choose the "order" that the copies are made, and thus have their "enter the board" happen last? Or would all the ETB’s trigger at the same time and effectively split atoms, ‘copying’ the counters being moved, as they’re all moving from the same initial board-state?
I’m looking for 2 player card games that need only a standard deck of 52+3. Something with a bit of strategy and conning would be perfect.
I enjoy playing Texas Hold’em poker in larger groups but poker scales terribly down to 2 players. I’m looking for something with a similar charm — with complex strategy that involves fooling your opponent.
Also would like a game that’s easy to bet on. I mostly play socially with acquaintances, so let’s not make the game too convoluted to explain to someone, and let’s allow conversation to flow in a slower paced game.
I am playing Fblthp, the Lost and Naktamun Shines Again in MTG-Arena. When the second chapter triggers and seeks a Fblthp, why do I draw 1 card and not 2?
Fblthp, the Lost (relevant abilities)
When Fblthp enters, draw a card. If it entered from your library or was cast from your library, draw two cards instead.
Naktamun Shines Again (chapter 2)
Seek a creature card with mana value 2 or less and put it onto the battlefield.
Given a 5 X 5 Boggle grid, is it possible to score higher than 92 points using only US state names ("District of Columbia" is not included)? No spaces are used, so North Carolina becomes NORTHCAROLINA, and no double-counting of letters is allowed (for example, for HAWAII, cannot double-tap on "I" in a single grid space.) It is known that the following 5 x 5 arrangement of letters yields 92 points (there is a rumor a 105-point solution was found, but it is not available):
SUTHC
NORAD
AILKS
STONA
IUMWT
In summary, the state names found (and points) are represented in shorthand by the following USPS two-letter mnemonics:
NC-13, SC-13, ND-11, SD-11, LA-9, AR-8, MT-7, AK-6, KS-6, IA-4, UT-4 when spelled out they give a total of 92 points. The "UIS" in the lower left corner was used to capture LOUISIANA, but could conceivably be improved upon.
It has been suggested that the counts of occurrences of letters in state names might be useful:
A 63
I 45
N 43
O 36
S 34
E 29
R 22
T 19
L 17
H 16
M 15
C 13
D 11
W 11
K 10
G 9
U 8
Y 6
V 5
P 4
B 2
F 2
X 2
J 1
Z 1
Q 0
The road to Manzikert is long… but only if you choose it to be! As the game gets closer to arriving to players, here is a spotlight on the scenarios in the game that showcase the breadth of available starting situations and game length options.
Because SELJUK covers four years and turn length is a 90-day season, there is a lot of flexibility to choose the right play experience for your game. All scenarios begin with the spring turn of a given year and represent the historical situation. This also has the convenient byproduct of confronting players with a variety of different strategic considerations and exploring the various new mechanics SELJUK introduces to Levy & Campaign.
Additionally, most scenarios will allow players the option to continue gameplay past the official stipulated final turn if they so choose; simply calculate victory via VPs as normal for any chosen stopping point. The modular construction of the game’s timescale and turn length gives players a great tableau for exploring historical outcomes, what-ifs, and campaign plans.
Let’s take a look:
Year of Treacherous Ambition (1070 A.D.)
This scenario is perfect for players new to Levy & Campaign. It only lasts three game turns, plus the Winter sequence, and only begins with three Lords per side in play. Unlike all other scenarios, it begins with the Campaign phase, skipping Levy and allowing players to dive right into the action without needing to worry about future planning and learning the rules at the same time. Both sides have one Lord ready to join the fray starting on the second turn, and both sides will have to do a healthy dose of attack and defense: the Romans are confronted immediately by a Siege in-progress at Manbij in Syria while the Seljuks have the onus to use their large army to take back the Forts around Lake Van from Roman occupation. Additionally, both sides start with a map-edge “ALL” Capability in play, which will educate players how important it is for the Romans to protect their conquests (via Armenian Garrisons) and the Seljuks to use their Coin to shorten supply lines (via Marwanid Alliance).
This scenario features special unique VP bonuses for controlling key Strongholds on the map at the end of the game, reaching specific locations with their Lords, and/or successfully causing the faction switch of one of the Sultan’s key allies via the game’s Treachery mechanic. Once players are familiar with the rules, this scenario can be played in as little as 90 minutes and is also a great demo scenario for teaching two virgin Levy & Campaign players.
The Emperor and the Lion (1068 A.D.)
This is the true beginning of the events in SELJUK. Romanos Diogenes has just been coronated emperor and the Sultan Alp Arslan has his eyes set on Aleppo and Syria while his coalition of allies seeks to plunder eastern Anatolia.
The game begins as a blank slate for both players, with complete freedom to muster whatever Capabilities and Lords they deem fit per the game rules. The initial campaigns of 1068 were historically fairly limited in scope, and players have the choice to pursue these along historical lines or make completely different decisions. The Seljuk player will take time to ramp up to full efficacy as their armies are dispersed. Ibn Khan has his home in Hama and can cause real headaches for the Roman player depending on how he is equipped and his level of aggression. The Romans, meanwhile, have a much more consolidated army under the emperor that they can get anywhere on the map before the year is over. This means it’s one of their best opportunities to secure territory on the offensive along the eastern border before the conflict expands. The decisions made in the 1068 scenario will have ramifications year-over-year when playing the full campaign, and is one of the most exciting parts of the full game.
This scenario can also just be played as the 1068 year if players so choose, and I have often demoed the game at conventions that way as it’s a great sandbox for exploring the opening possibilities for both sides.
Specter of Norman Betrayal (1069 A.D.)
Using the second year of the game as a starting point provides some interesting wrinkles to the dynamic between the two players. Historically, Alp Arslan spent a good portion of this year back home in Persia putting down rebellions, so he is absent to start this scenario. Both players begin with four Lords on the map and with the opportunity to add more as the scenario progresses; however, both sides are going to be bottlenecked by financial concerns. Both armies are scheduled to Disband in the fall turn, so working in Tax command actions over the first couple of turns is incredibly important for the Seljuk player since they will be missing the Sultan’s ability to use his Coin across the map on his subordinates. The Romans are hampered by a different problem: they start in a VP hole, and the Nomisma Debased Capability starts in play, which allows them to extend the Service of all their Lords in play for one season. This is very powerful, however once used, the Roman player cannot use the Tax command action for the rest of the game with anyone except the emperor! Historically Romanos debased the gold content of imperial coinage in 1069 in order to pay for the large numbers of troops he was levying, but it caused severe inflation over the next several decades.
The maneuver in 1069 will be about finances as much as it will be about battle. On top of that, one of the Roman player’s Lords, the Norman mercenary Robert Crépin, begins the scenario under control of the Seljuk player at Edessa, providing a very inconvenient (and effective) raiding or harassing force in the center of the map. Whichever side can wrangle the chaos of their situation should come out on top.
Showdown in Anatolia (1070 A.D. – 1071 A.D.)
For players who want a longer game or a chunkier commitment, this scenario also begins in the spring of 1070, but goes through the end of the calendar to the fall of 1071. If you’ve wanted to see if you could win (or avoid) your own Battle of Manzikert situation but want to lay a more successful groundwork for that fateful campaign, this is the scenario for you. It marks the beginning of Alp Arslan’s historical advance to Aleppo which was aborted over the winter and led to his speedy march to Manzikert where he caught the Romans by surprise. In 1070, Romanos did not command the army personally as he was engaged in political matters in Constantinople; because of this, he gave command of the armies to his ally Manuel Komnenos. In the game, Komnenos serves as the Roman Commander when Romanos is not in play, and while he does have a good ability to levy resources and troops, his action ratings are not nearly as good as the emperor’s; the Roman player will be ceding initiative in this scenario thanks to the Seljuk player’s speedy Turkic Horse and better available commanders.
Because the scenario is six turns in length, players will get to see the cascading effects of decisions over multiple years. Both sides start with the same VPs, but if the Roman player does not do well defending against Seljuk incursion, they will find themselves in the position of having to gamble the game on a big battle, perhaps participating in their own Manzikert-esque engagement. Both sides will need to manage their Lords’ Service length, with the additional handcuff for the Romans tied to Nomisma Debased having been considered used before the start of the scenario!
Manzikert: The Fall of the Roman East (1071 A.D.)
If you’ve ever wanted to see if you could change history or get a better understanding of the maneuver that led to this notorious battle, this is the scenario for you. Beginning in the spring of 1071, the game is essentially a race between the two players. Alp Arslan and the Seljuk army is engaged in a Siege at Aleppo, which could potentially produce big VPs if they crack the hilltop citadel. However, the Romans have assembled a huge army themselves and can win the game outright if they take both Manzikert and Khliat. On top of that, the weather over winter was chaotic and the mountain passes between Syria and Armenia are not traversable, hampering the Seljuk player’s ability to intercept the Roman march across the plateau. The scenario is designed in such a way that both sides will be incentivized to clash in a major action somewhere in eastern Anatolia… unless they feel that a more conservative approach in which they outscore their opponent in the long term is prudent. With no Winter phased at the end of the scenario, it is impossible for the Seljuk player to score any bonus VPs with Loot, so the decision about maintaining their position in Aleppo or contesting Roman advance will be critical in determining victory or defeat!
That is your detailed look at the scenarios on offer in SELJUK: Byzantium Besieged as you prepare to take the field very soon. I look forward seeing what narratives emerge when players command the Christian and Muslim powers of medieval Asia Minor.
Return up to two target creature, land, and/or planeswalker cards from your graveyard to your hand. Each player gains 4 life. Exile Restorative Burst.
I’m questioning if that means 2 or 6 possible returns because in my mind if it said
Return target creature, land and planeswalker….
It would definitely be one of all 3. So the addition of "up to 2" and "and/or" to me feels like its the option to return anything from one of one of them which would the the reason for or, to 2 of each of them which would be the reason for and.
Is this right? I feel that’s a lot to pay for only 2 cards.
I’m interested in learning more about programming a variant of Boggle. The objective is to fit as many US state names as possible into a 5 X 5 Boggle grid. It is known, for example that the following 5 x 5 arrangement of letters will yield the list of spelled-out state names (represented below by their shorthand codes and points). According to the Boggle scoring rules, 92 points. No double counting allowed. Is it possible to score higher than 92? How do I write a program to methodically investigate this question?:
SUTHC
NORAD
AILKS
STONA
IUMWT
NC-13, SC-13, ND-11, SD-11, LA-9, AR-8, MT-7, AK-6, KS-6, IA-4, UT-4 for a total of 92 points.
In Woody Allen’s (fictional) The Gossage–Vardebedian Papers, first published in The New Yorker in January 1966 and later collected in his book Getting Even (1971) (in turn later collected into the book The Insanity Defense (2007)), the last of a sequence of letters ends with the absurd idea of playing Scrabble over correspondence:
[…] I accept your invitation to Scrabble in good spirits. Get out your set. […] I shall make the first play. The seven letters I have just turned up are O, A, E, J, N, R, and Z—an unpromising jumble that should guarantee, even to the most suspicious, the integrity of my draw. Fortunately, however, an extensive vocabulary coupled with a penchant for esoterica, has enabled me to bring etymological order out of what, to one less literate, might seem a mishmash. My first word is "ZANJERO." Look it up. Now lay it out, horizontally, the E resting on the center square. Count carefully, not overlooking the double word score for an opening move and the fifty-point bonus for my use of all seven letters. The score is now 116—0.
Your move.
Gossage
So Allen has come up with an initial word that scores highly. (I don’t know whether the 116 is correct—it seems high considering this question about typical Scrabble scores—but it does seem like it would be a high-scoring initial word.)
Of course he made up this game / picked this word for comedic effect, but it gets me to wonder: what would be the highest possible score in Scrabble after the first move? (And what word(s) would achieve it?) And of the best initial words, where is ZANJERO on that list?
(I imagine it should be possible to exhaustively enumerate this by trying all words of up to 7 letters from a dictionary and all allowed ways of placing them on an empty board, and maybe someone has already done it, but I couldn’t find it.)
