Author: Chris Engle (---.indiana.edu)
Date: 08-12-2005 06:57
I have found over many years of historical miniatures gaming that wargames have become boring. One side charges and either wins or loses. So meer combat is no enough for me now.
Fortunately I've discovered new worlds to explore.
I run Engle Matrix Games that focus on murder mysteries, horror, spy intrigue, true crime and politics. In these game people conflict with one another all over the place but violence usually is the quickest way to lose.
Consider the following scenario: The beautiful super model is in town and everyone wants her. Joe Schmoe walks right up and askes her out. His face gets smashed into the pavement by the woman's body guards. Bill Schmoe comes calling with a gun ans shoots the body guards first. He is then killed by the police in a widely televised shoot out. Dick Schmoe first gets an invite to a party that the model will be at. Once there he makes polite but interesting coversation. After entertaining the model for a while he asks her to dance. If she says yes then he can proceed further. All of these were conflict and the person with the real power was always the woman. She had to say yes. And Dick was the only one who approached her in a way that would lead to that outcome.
In Matrix Games a player argues for something to happen and rolls to see if it does. If it triggers a conflict then the referee decides who is in the strongest position. That person gets the first option to say what happens. Only if their argument fails (or doesn't end the conflict) does the next strongest person get a move. So Dick is at the party. The model's first argument is that she doesn't notice Dick. Dick's argument is that he entertains her with conversation. She may try arguing to leave the party. If she fails then Dick can argue for them to dance. It's a complicated dance with very real stakes but no guns are drawn.
Chris Engle
Hamster Press
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