In the recent game 41 thread a statement was made that MEPBM is a
Team Game even SOLO games are team games. What are the opinions out
there?
Mine, Grudge games are team games, solo games are not. To clarify,
in a Grudge game one player usually organizes the team, is spokesman
for the team, responsible for coordination with the moderator to get
opposition and in negotiation with the spokesman lets say Captain of
the other team for game specific agreements. All members of the team
agree to accept the negotiated arrangement that he makes with the
moderator and other team captain. Now this is not done in a vacumn,
he gets the opinions from the members of the team of what his limits
to negotiate away are, and what is acceptable and what is not. He is
a leader who leads with the consent of the led. Once the agreement is
made all members of the team are obligated to follow it, or be forced
into compliance by the moderator.
In a solo game, each of the nations is banded with those who seek the
same over all result. This means you cannot win without your team
winning the conflict, no matter how good you play or how many victory
points you may amass. This does not mean it is a team game however.
Each of the nations is a sovereign state and makes it's decisions
based on the welfare of it's own nation. Certainly there are
sacrifices that must be made for the greater good at times but those
decisions are voluntary by the player. The player plays for his own
reasons and make either elect to play to attain his own victory
conditions in conjunction with the over all good of the team or
pursue his own agenda, if he is foolish enough to not understand that
it does not matter how well he does if the team loses. If this were
not the case why would you have victory conditions for your nation
that are clearly against members of your own team? For that matter
why have any victory conditions at all other than your team is
victorious? The reason is because there is a relative ranking by
placement within each team and some players like to be able to rank
their accomplishments in comparison with others. As such a solo game
is an individual choice game, not a team game, you decide what level
of cooperation you will give, what sacrifices your nation will make
for the greater good and what you will do that aids no one but
yourself. Anyone in this type of game who is elected or becomes de
facto team captain does so only at the agreement of the other players
to heed his advice and direction. It is a position held only as long
as his leadership demonstrates he or she is deserving.
So I disagree with the basic MEPBM is always a team game and am
interested in the views of the readership on this subject.
Brad Jenison