Gunboat Rules?

General
#1

This is not intended as a slam. It is, however, intended to be a humorous and emotive request for clarification. So please read it with a good sense of humor – or just leave now.

Okay, this is the third or fourth time I’ve gone scavenging all over the ME Games web site and these forums and I still cannot find a listing of the rules that make a Gunboat game what it is.

Fun things I have discovered about Gunboat games include that apparently it involves “Duos of nations, no diplomacy and other special rules”. Of course, there doesn’t appear to be anyplace where you can actually find out for yourself just what those “Other special rules” might be. I guess it’s sort of a “Double Secret Probation” game. Cool; at least there’ll be beer.

Except then you have things in the startup pack which says that you should read up on the rules to variants like Gunboat before playing in them because you won’t be forgiven mistakes made if they’re part of the special rules for that variant.

So on one hand, I don’t get to know what the rules are to this variant, but on the other hand I’m responsible for knowing them or it’s “too bad so sad” when I make a mistake.

And somewhere in one of these forum posts, Ben “I don’t care about…Michigan” says in Gunboat you need to play to the strengths of your Nations and don’t deviate.

And I found the list of duos…I guess you don’t get to choose. If you play 2950 Gunboat and want the Dwarves, it appears you should be reasonably familiar with what it takes to lead the Dunlendings to victory 'cuz dem’s yer partner.

After that, things are a bit fuzzy.

Of course, the “Which scenario should I play?” section of the web site doesn’t even mention Gunboat. Naturally. Why should I expect a section thusly entitled to have any mention of the type of scenario I might or might not want to play? :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Okay, enough with the sideways humor and pot shots at the fine crew at ME Games.

Can someobody please point me at a definitive and authoritative list of rules and variations that makes Gunboat what it is?

Please?

And maybe the ME Games webmaster could take time to put up a link as well?

Please?

Pretty Please?..

#2

Steve: Go to the MEPBMLIST and ask for Chris Courtier. Gunboat is his artistic vision and he should be definative.

#3

Steve;

I believe if you look through the Archived “News from Bree” articles on the ME Games site, you will find the original GB information in issue 12 or around there.

As for the additional rules, some are contained on the front sheet that you get with your game turns, otherwise, I think ME actually has a little Word file that you can ask for. Not sure if this is true, but I thought I got something like this ages ago, of course it could have just been another hallucination!

-Fletch

#4

You have to ask Clint to send you the rules. I agree that having them posted would be a plus.

In a nutshell:

set nation pairings.

zero communication (honor system)

50 turns maximum

No influencing, doubling, stealing, etc… from your ALLIES.

No attacking any “unknown” character in the open. But if an “unknown” is in your popcenter, he’s fair game.

No naming characters after dead charcters.

No trickery to pass off info to an ally. (i.e.: sending someone production that equals arty numbers and hex numbers.)

Khand pop centers are all removed for a 2950 game. (Not sure which nation for 1650.)

hmmmm…shooting from the hip here, but I think that’s it?

-Kirk out

#5

Cool, thanks everyone.

Yes, Clint did send me a Word doc in response to this. It is not complete, and could use some reformatting, but it got the jist across. I think the only thing from Goldschlager’s list that I don’t recall seeing in the Word doc was the “No naming characters after dead ones” bit.

Maybe I’ll take the time to redo the document and send it back to Clint for review. Public Service, and all that rot. And it sounds like getting ahold of Chris Courtier (thanks, Ed!) would be a great way to confirm I have all the original intentions covered as well.

#6

Hey, marinersk, thanks for pursuing this matter and attempting nail-down and codify Gunboat rules. I know that will be of use to me – and I suspect quite a few other players as well. I’m in a couple of Gunboat games currently and love them but I seem to always have a doubt or two about what’s permitted and what’s forbidden. I know Clint would say we should contact him when in doubt; but it’s also good to have the rules and policies written down for reference.

So thanks. By the way, are you playing in Gunboat games or planning to?

#7

Planning to, I suspect. Sounds like the double-blind format would be a lot of fun.

Clint says there’s not enough interest in 2950 Gunboat, so first I will need to study the 1650 game and then play in a few. Then I’ll probably be ready to take a stab at GB1650.

The mere size of Armies in 1650 make me nervous. Although, ironically, since I like the Military aspect of the game better than the Character aspect, it seems I should want to convert to 1650 as soon as possible since the point of 2950 (one of them, anyway) was to increase the emphasis on Characters.

But all things in their time. I’m not backing out of the games I’m in and I can’t currently afford the money or the time to be in any more. So it will be awhile, I suspect.

#8

I think you have the right attitude – in my opinion, 1650 GB is much more manageable than 2950 GB. But they’re both a riot and lots of fun!

If I were you, I’d send in my set-up for the 1650 GB game now filling. It’ll be awhile before that one is filled and ready to go.

Cheerio!