Team Twilight Struggle via Vassal!

[SpaceLord]

Twilight Struggle, Game 1, Turn 2

Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are—but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"—a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.
- JFK, Inaugural Address

Current Map(click for bigger):

[SpaceLord]

PDF of TS rules

Blank board for reference

[El Guapo]

Sounds good - I'm in! I'm fine with being a captain, and don't care particularly about which side (though I lean towards the U.S. just because I love freedom).

[El Guapo]

Also, SpaceLord, if no one else is interested after awhile we could always just do a two-player PBEM (or by PM) game.

[Scoop20906]

How many players are you looking for?

[El Guapo]

From his post SpaceLord was thinking six (three per side), though I'd imagine that's flexible.

[SpaceLord]

We could do as few as four, I'd think. With DropBox, moving saved game files around could be a breeze!

[El Guapo]

You wouldn't even necessarily need to move around save files. One option would just be to have each captain PM you the orders, and you implement them and post the results. So the U.S. captain PMs "use China card to launch coup attempt in Pakistan", the USSR captain PMs "use Cuban Missile Crisis for ops - 2 influence in Afghanistan, one influence in Yugoslavia", etc. I suppose people would need to know or have a reference of what the cards say, though.

Though moving around Drop Box saves is fine as well.

[Scoop20906]

Rules are intimidating. I'd like to just lurk and watch you guys play and then maybe I can join the next game if there is room.

[NickAragua]

I'm in. Just make sure to keep backup saves, 'cause that vassal mod is a little buggy (especially when it comes to "Missile Envy" being played in the headline phase).

The rules are actually mostly card-driven, but yeah, there are a couple of mechanics to watch out for.

[El Guapo]

Rules are intimidating. I'd like to just lurk and watch you guys play and then maybe I can join the next game if there is room.

You could also join the game after a couple turns after you see how it plays - I suppose one team might wind up with an extra player (3 vs. 2, or 4 vs. 3), but I don't see that as a significant competitive advantage really. The game is really not all that complicated in terms of basic mechanics anyhow, as your options each phase are limited in number - (1) add influence to countries; (2) attempt a coup in a county; (3) attempt one or more "realignment" rolls (basically trying to reduce enemy influence in a country with help from neighbors; or (4) play an event. Only one of those categories per phase. And you're just trying to control as many regions as possible.

The strategy gets more complicated, of course, but the basics can be picked up pretty quickly.

[SpaceLord]

Actually, there's no reason why you couldn't just join a team and observe the first few turns.

[Scoop20906]

Ok, Im in.

Spent some time with the rulez on the way home from work yesterday. Will spend some more time this evening.

I noticed this says its a two player game in the rulez book. How are teams going to be handled?

[El Guapo]

It is indeed a two-player game. I imagine the way it would go is that the players on each of the two teams would discuss possible moves and come to a resolution on which one to do. Then the captain would send in the move.

[El Guapo]

So right now it's me, Nick, Scoop, and SpaceLord. SpaceLord, are you basically going to be a non-playing moderator? If so, we'd need at least one more person to have even teams, though it doesn't seem like additional people are materializing.

What should we do? Wait for awhile to see if additional people join? I suppose I could also be a one-person team if needed. Or possibly SpaceLord could play - I'd think we could do that just by sharing savefiles, so that SpaceLord wouldn't see what's in the other team's hands.

Or we could do two one-on-one games via vassal.

[Scoop20906]

Since I am a Noob at this it would be okay to be on a team versus one player. I can learn the game that way and provide my insights to my partner.

[Remus West]

If you need one more I could play but I'm at the same level as Scoop. Complete Noob.

[El Guapo]

Nick and I have played several games apiece - not experts by any means, but enough to understand the game and the basic strategies. So as long as we're on opposite teams each team would be pretty equal - one experienced player and one n00b.

[El Guapo]

So do we want to get this started? Say, me and Scoop vs. Nick and Remus? And as I understand it, SpaceLord would be the moderator?

Shall we play a game?

[Remus West]

So do we want to get this started? Say, me and Scoop vs. Nick and Remus? And as I understand it, SpaceLord would be the moderator?

Shall we play a game?

I'm leaving the state in a few minutes and won't be online reliably until after the holiday (Sunday).

[El Guapo]

So do we want to get this started? Say, me and Scoop vs. Nick and Remus? And as I understand it, SpaceLord would be the moderator?

Shall we play a game?

I'm leaving the state in a few minutes and won't be online reliably until after the holiday (Sunday).

Sure - I didn't mean right *now* necessarily. Just hoping to get the wheels in motion.

[SpaceLord]

I'm in Canada right now, I'll be starting after the holiday.

[SpaceLord]

I'm ready!

So we have:

Scoop20906
El Guapo
Remus West
NickAragua

We'll put Nick and El Guapo on different teams, so let's do:

Scoop
El Guapo

Nick
Remus West

I'll run the game, and make sure to keep backups of the saved game files.

Do we want to play the Chinese Civil War variant? And does Team NickWest mind playing the Soviets?

[El Guapo]

For the n00bs, the Chinese Civil War variant is as follows:

In the normal version, the Soviets start with the "China Card". The China card, which represents Chinese influence, is a high value card that's even higher value if used solely in Asia - basically lets you expand your influence (or do a monster coup) very quickly. When you use it, however, it goes to the U.S. hand for them to use, and when they use it it switches back.

The Chinese Civil War variant is the same. The only difference is that rather than having the China Card start in the Soviet hand, it starts off the board. The Soviet player must put 3 influence (a semi-significant amount) into China to get the China Card. It then is played as normal.

Personally I prefer to play the normal version - I'd rather have the China Card available and start stirring things up from the beginning. Though I don't feel strongly about it.

[Remus West]

no preference as I don't know either version so whatever you guys decide is fine.

[Scoop20906]

I'm fine with normal since I don't really know the difference. Lets start causing trouble.

[SpaceLord]

And away we go! Hands are going out now. I'm sending images via PM, and via DropBox as well:

(click to embiggen)

[SpaceLord]

Cards are out. The Soviets will place 6 Influence in Eastern Europe, then the U.S. will place 7 in Western Europe. Then, each side will secretly pick a Headline.

Here is the Saved Game file

[SpaceLord]

The China Card:

[Remus West]

I don't see anything when I try to open the save game file. Is there anything there yet? It opens vassal but not a module.

[SpaceLord]

I'm not yet an expert on Vassal, but I opened Vassal, opened TS, and chose that file as the game to load. I can now see the US' hand...

[El Guapo]

The Soviets will place 3 influence in Poland, 2 influence in Austria, and 1 influence in Yugoslavia.

[SpaceLord]

The Soviets will place 3 influence in Poland, 2 influence in Austria, and 1 influence in Yugoslavia.

United States, it's your turn.

Edit:

All moves can be placed in here, and I will post a link to the current map during each round.

[NickAragua]

The United States will place 4 influence in West Germany, 2 in Italy and 1 in France.

[El Guapo]

Comrades?

[SpaceLord]

Turn 1 Headlines:
Soviet reveals Socialist Governments in Headline Phase.
American reveals Truman Doctrine* in Headline Phase.

Socialist Governments, as a Headline Value(HV) 3 event, takes place first.

USSR, please remove 3 U.S. Influence in W. Europe, no more than 2 per country.

Then, America, remove all USSR Influence in one uncontrolled European country.

Saved game file here: Turn 1 Headline Phase
Current Map(click for bigger):

[Remus West]

Why does the map show Italy having no American influence? We placed 2 there.

edit: also, can everyone else open the game files? I just get a vassal screen that says I need to open a module. Do I need to go download the appropriate module before it will open the game for me?

[SpaceLord]

Oops! Looks like I added Soviet Influence instead(illegally, as well, I might add.) Consider it American Influence, I'll fix it after the Headline phase is resolved.

And yes, Remus, download the TS module from the Vassal website, then run it, and choose the saved game file.

[El Guapo]

Looks fine to me.

The Soviets will remove 1 influence from Italy, 1 from France, and 1 from West Germany.

[NickAragua]

The US will remove all Russian influence from Austria.