"We must hang together, or we will surely hang separately" - A one-player rookie test run of the 1772 Campaign

[matthewyoung123]

I'll try to process and get all the legislation to the proper committees this evening.

Also have to tally up points (it's my least favorite thing to do).

I want to try and get to the military part of this as quick as we can and implement some of my new suggestions for beefing up the military side of the game.  Improving that could really appeal to a great deal more gamers as WAR is the ultimate extension of politics.

On the sheets, you'll notice I've created a new sheet called MilitaryPols.  This should list all the politicians in the factions that are on military track and that are unemployed and have at least a 1 military skill.

Ultimately I'd like to weed out the ones that are over 60 years old, but I think that's the list I'm using for now.  Thanks!

[matthewyoung123]

Active Proposals- 1776-78

Foreign Relations/Military Committee, how do you vote? @10centjimmy @Largo833 @Willthescout7

1. Create Minister to France

2. Create a Minister to Spain

3. Treaty of Amity and Commerce w/ Sweden of 1783

4. Seek an alliance with Anti-British Tribes.

Economic Committee, how do you vote?  @10centjimmy @Willthescout7

1. Establish Bank of North America as a Temporary Central Bank

2. Protect and Encourage the Tobacco Trade Between the States

 

 

[Largo833]

Both factions vote aye to all.

[10centjimmy]

1 hour ago, matthewyoung123 said:

Active Proposals- 1776-78

Foreign Relations/Military Committee, how do you vote? @10centjimmy @Largo833 @Willthescout7

1. Create Minister to France

2. Create a Minister to Spain

3. Treaty of Amity and Commerce w/ Sweden of 1783

4. Seek an alliance with Anti-British Tribes.

Economic Committee, how do you vote?  @10centjimmy @Willthescout7

1. Establish Bank of North America as a Temporary Central Bank

2. Protect and Encourage the Tobacco Trade Between the States

 

 

Both factions AYE to all

[matthewyoung123]

2 hours ago, matthewyoung123 said:

Active Proposals- 1776-78

Foreign Relations/Military Committee, how do you vote? @10centjimmy @Largo833 @Willthescout7

1. Create Minister to France

2. Create a Minister to Spain

3. Treaty of Amity and Commerce w/ Sweden of 1783

4. Seek an alliance with Anti-British Tribes.

Economic Committee, how do you vote?  @10centjimmy @Willthescout7

1. Establish Bank of North America as a Temporary Central Bank

2. Protect and Encourage the Tobacco Trade Between the States

 

 

All are passed and move to the Congress for a full vote (they all have enough support that even if Will voted no, they would still pass).

@10centjimmy Do you wish to package any of the the legislation together before going to the full Congress for a vote?

 

[10centjimmy]

Just now, matthewyoung123 said:

All are passed and move to the Congress for a full vote (they all have enough support that even if Will voted no, they would still pass).

@10centjimmy Do you wish to package any of the the legislation together before going to the full Congress for a vote?

 

Sure we'll Package the Foreign and Econ legislation currently in the committees

[matthewyoung123]

1 minute ago, 10centjimmy said:

Sure we'll Package the Foreign and Econ legislation currently in the committees

@10centjimmy @ebrk85 @Cal @Largo833 @Willthescout7

So, there are two votes needed from the Continental Congress.  Remember, it must be a 2/3 majority of the states voting to pass the legislation.

On the 1776-78 Economic Package which is-

Establish Bank of North America as a Temporary Central Bank & Protect and Encourage the Tobacco Trade Between the States

How do you vote?

On the 1776-78 Foreign Relations/Military Package which is- 

Create Minister to France, Create a Minister to Spain, Treaty of Amity and Commerce w/ Sweden of 1783, Seek an alliance with Anti-British Tribes.

How do you vote?

[10centjimmy]

2 minutes ago, matthewyoung123 said:

@10centjimmy @ebrk85 @Cal @Largo833 @Willthescout7

So, there are two votes needed from the Continental Congress.  Remember, it must be a 2/3 majority of the states voting to pass the legislation.

On the 1776-78 Economic Package which is-

Establish Bank of North America as a Temporary Central Bank & Protect and Encourage the Tobacco Trade Between the States

How do you vote?

On the 1776-78 Foreign Relations/Military Package which is- 

Create Minister to France, Create a Minister to Spain, Treaty of Amity and Commerce w/ Sweden of 1783, Seek an alliance with Anti-British Tribes.

How do you vote?

Aye on both, for both factions

[Largo833]

Both factions vote aye to both.

[ebrk85]

Aye on both packages from both my factions.

[Cal]

Aye to all from both.

[ebrk85]

1 hour ago, ebrk85 said:

Aye on both packages from both my factions.

I just realized when I say, aye from both factions I mean my lone vote combined between the two. 😅

[matthewyoung123]

1 hour ago, matthewyoung123 said:

@10centjimmy @ebrk85 @Cal @Largo833 @Willthescout7

So, there are two votes needed from the Continental Congress.  Remember, it must be a 2/3 majority of the states voting to pass the legislation.

On the 1776-78 Economic Package which is-

Establish Bank of North America as a Temporary Central Bank & Protect and Encourage the Tobacco Trade Between the States

How do you vote?

On the 1776-78 Foreign Relations/Military Package which is- 

Create Minister to France, Create a Minister to Spain, Treaty of Amity and Commerce w/ Sweden of 1783, Seek an alliance with Anti-British Tribes.

How do you vote?

On the Economic Package-

CT- Aye

DE- Aye

GA- Abstain

MA- Aye

MD- Aye

NC- Abstain

NH- Aye

NJ- Aye

NY- Aye

PA- Aye

RI- Aye

SC- Aye

VA- Abstain

Vote of 10 for and 3 abstentions, the package passes.  97/10 for Rev budget increase from state trade.  1/10 for Rev budget increase from North American Bank.  59/5 and 29/5 for increasing Econ stability.  +1 Revenue budget (now at 4).

On the Foreign Affairs/Military Package-

CT- Aye

DE- Aye

GA- Abstain

MA- Aye

MD- Aye

NC- Abstain

NH- Aye

NJ- Aye

NY- Aye

PA- Aye

RI- Aye

SC- Aye

VA- Abstain

Vote of 10 for and 3 abstentions, the package passes.  No economic effects or increase in military preparedness, but President of the Congress can now appoint a Minister to France and a Minister to Spain.

[matthewyoung123]

President of the Continental Congress, Henry Middleton, will need to appoint 2 Ministers- 1 to France, 1 to Spain.

Who will the ministers be? Action to @Cal.

[matthewyoung123]

Military Phase 1776-78

We will now move onto the military phase of the Revolutionary War with the new "all hands on deck" rule applied as outlined in the suggestions area.  I have also tried to incorporate suggestions from other @10centjimmy @Vols21 on the subject.  Let's see how it plays out.

The United States needs 4 more Ground wins to win the Revolutionary War.  13 more losses, and they lose the war.

Battle of White Plains-

Planning: Sec of War/Defense/Navy (0- but rules say to double rank of Senior officer so this is also a 5) + Senior General George Washington (5) = 5+5= 10
General:  Nathaniel Greene (4) x 10 = 40
Meters: +5
Military Benchmarks: +5
Difficulty: Moderate -25 (+ 10% for Decisive General + 10% for Military Leader so -20 overall).
Chance of Success: 40%
Outcome: 79 LOSS (Rolled a 79, needed a 40 or lower on a 100 sided die).  No gains/losses for Greene.

Politician Impacts-  There are 90 politicians with at least 1 Military skill who are NOT in an office or on a career track other than military.

Nicolas Biddle/mil track and John Burroughs Hopkins are killed in the Battle of White Plains.  Peter Muhlenberg is wounded.  He gains the Frail trait and will not be eligible to continue to fight in the war.  

Thomas Lynch Jr, Arthur St. Clair, and Tadeusz Kosciuszko all gain +1 Mil for their actions in the Battle of White Plains.

Richard Bache gains Controversial.  Richard Montgomery gains Delegator.  John McKinly gains Propagandist. Friedrich W von Steuben gains Efficient.

Rolled 19/50 so there will be another battle.

 

Battle of Fort Washington-

Planning: Sec of War/Defense/Navy (0- but rules say to double rank of Senior officer so this is also a 5) + Senior General George Washington (5) = 5+5= 10
General:  George Washington (5) x 10 = 50
Meters: +5
Military Benchmarks: +5
Difficulty: Moderate -10 (+ 10% for Decisive General + 10% for Military Leader so -8 overall).
Chance of Success: 62%
Outcome: 10 WIN (Rolled a 10, needed a 62 or lower on a 100 sided die). Washington gains Celebrity.  (Rolled 3/100). Washington gains +1 Admin (Rolled 1/100).  Good rolls for George!

Politician Impacts- There are 87 politicians with at least 1 Military skill who are NOT in an office or on a career track other than military (2 killed, 1 wounded at White Plains).

James Wood & Philip Schuyler are wounded and gain the Frail trait.  They are removed from combat for the rest of the war.

Abraham Whipple & William Whipple gain +1 Mil for their actions in the Battle of Fort Washington.  (They must have been fighting in the same area).

Return J Meigs Sr gains Easily Overwhelmed.

Benjamin Lincoln gains Leadership.

Rolled a 15/100 so we fight another battle!

 

Battle of Trenton-

Planning: Sec of War/Defense/Navy (0- but rules say to double rank of Senior officer so this is also a 5) + Senior General George Washington (5) = 5+5= 10
General:  William Moultrie (3) x 10 = 30
Meters: +5
Military Benchmarks: +10
Difficulty: Difficult -25 
Chance of Success: 30%
Outcome: 33 LOSS (Rolled a 33, needed a 30 or lower on a 100 sided die to win).  No gains or losses for Moultrie.  It was a "close" loss.

Politician Impacts- There are 85 politicians with at least 1 Military skill who are NOT in an office or on a career track other than military with the 2 wounded at Ft. Washington removed from the MilitaryPols sheet.

John Thomas and Ethan Allen are killed at the Battle of Trenton.  Anthony Wayne/mil track is wounded and gains the Frail trait and will no longer fight in the American Revolution.

Daniel Morgan, Philemon Dickinson, & Elbridge Gerry all gain +1 Mil for their actions at the Battle of Trenton.

Francis Lightfoot Lee gains Leadership.

James Warren gains Crisis Manager.

Henry Knox gains Magician.

Rolled a 56/100 so combat now ceases.

The United States needs 3 more Ground wins to win the Revolutionary War.  11 more losses, and they lose the war.

Please make the adjustments to your faction sheets from the above results. 

And also, what are your thoughts as play testers on this result?  Are there too many politicians impacted?  Are there too few?  Do too many have the ability to get a +1 Mil, or too few?  Too many trait gains, or not enough?

@vcczar @MrPotatoTed

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by matthewyoung123

[10centjimmy]

28 minutes ago, matthewyoung123 said:

And also, what are your thoughts as play testers on this result?  Are there too many politicians impacted?  Are there too few?  Do too many have the ability to get a +1 Mil, or too few?  Too many trait gains, or not enough?

So I really like that it makes military phase more exciting and impactful, especially given it is a major war, but it seems like there might be too many trait gains for each phase. But maybe I'm feeling that way because there were 3 battles. What were the percentage needed for some of the trait gains?

 

Maybe per battle there should only be 1 military skill gain?  And weigh it for winning the battle vs losing. I don't think there should be so many positive traits after a lost battle, right? Unless that was because it was a close loss...

Edited September 26, 2022 by 10centjimmy

[matthewyoung123]

36 minutes ago, 10centjimmy said:

So I really like that it makes military phase more exciting and impactful, especially given it is a major war, but it seems like there might be too many trait gains for each phase. But maybe I'm feeling that way because there were 3 battles. What were the percentage needed for some of the trait gains?

 

Maybe per battle there should only be 1 military skill gain?  And weigh it for winning the battle vs losing. I don't think there should be so many positive traits after a lost battle, right? Unless that was because it was a close loss...

Gains were random, so they could have been good or bad.

Difficult battle rolled a 6 sided die for deaths/wounds. 1-2 1 pol, 3-4 2 pol, 5-6 3 pol.

Moderate battle was 1-3 roll was 1 pol 4-6 roll was 2 pol

An easy battle would have been 1 pol by default.

Used the difficult battle splits for the number who get trait gains and the number who get skill gains of +1 Mil.

Perfectly willing to adjust.  I just want the potential reward to be as great as the potential hazard (of losing pols to being killed).

As for positive traits from a lost battle, I approach it from the standpoint of...sometimes you learn more when you take a loss than when you win.

Thank you!!

[matthewyoung123]

Also, action to @Cal to appoint a replacement General for Washington who was promoted to Senior General.

[Cal]

CC President Henry Middleton will ask the following men to serve the colonies in obtaining international recognition of their independence: 

For his admiral service and expertise in business negotiations, Chief Admiral Esek Hopkins is asked to be our first Minister to France. 

If accepted, I will also offer to @Largo833 his choice of Minister to Spain. (or France, can switch out as desired). 

You're probably wondering... why? The answer is simple. 

Benedict Arnold. 

With Hopkins out of the picture, Arnold is the next best option for Chief Admiral as he is 3 military and would be promoted from within the military. 

I'd also be willing to offer to @Largo833 his choice of filling the empty Admiral spot. (Perhaps the rising star in the military Abraham Whipple would want the position?)

[Cal]

Just now, Cal said:

CC President Henry Middleton will ask the following men to serve the colonies in obtaining international recognition of their independence: 

For his admiral service and expertise in business negotiations, Chief Admiral Esek Hopkins is asked to be our first Minister to France. 

If accepted, I will also offer to @Largo833 his choice of Minister to Spain. (or France, can switch out as desired). 

You're probably wondering... why? The answer is simple. 

Benedict Arnold. 

With Hopkins out of the picture, Arnold is the next best option for Chief Admiral as he is 3 military and would be promoted from within the military. 

I'd also be willing to offer to @Largo833 his choice of filling the empty Admiral spot. (Perhaps the rising star in the military Abraham Whipple would want the position?)

 

2 minutes ago, matthewyoung123 said:

Also, action to @Cal to appoint a replacement General for Washington who was promoted to Senior General.

Also thrown into the pot: You'd get your choice of a new General, too! 😉 

[Vols21]

4 hours ago, matthewyoung123 said:

Military Phase 1776-78

 

John Thomas and Ethan Allen are killed at the Battle of Trenton.  Anthony Wayne/mil track is wounded and gains the Frail trait and will no longer fight in the American Revolution.

Daniel Morgan, Philemon Dickinson, & Elbridge Gerry all gain +1 Mil for their actions at the Battle of Trenton.

 

And also, what are your thoughts as play testers on this result?  Are there too many politicians impacted?  Are there too few?  Do too many have the ability to get a +1 Mil, or too few?  Too many trait gains, or not enough?

 

saddened by the loss of Ethan Allen, the leader of the Green Mountain Boys and hero of the Fort Ticonderoga capture.  The important question of the day is where will I buy my furniture now?    I always the shopped the stores named for him.

I think the secondary rolls are making the battles more meaningful - risk and reward.   I can see stories being written about the heroic actions by those who gain the positive traits - and even those who may have been overwhelmed or exhibited cowardice in the face of enemy fire.

By the end of the war, we will have a good picture if the deaths are too extreme or not.   It's a small number right now (around 4%).  It will also get interesting if a hero of phase 1 gets killed in later phases.  The positive gains washed away before they get used.

[vcczar]

4 hours ago, matthewyoung123 said:

Military Phase 1776-78

We will now move onto the military phase of the Revolutionary War with the new "all hands on deck" rule applied as outlined in the suggestions area.  I have also tried to incorporate suggestions from other @10centjimmy @Vols21 on the subject.  Let's see how it plays out.

The United States needs 4 more Ground wins to win the Revolutionary War.  13 more losses, and they lose the war.

Battle of White Plains-

Planning: Sec of War/Defense/Navy (0- but rules say to double rank of Senior officer so this is also a 5) + Senior General George Washington (5) = 5+5= 10
General:  Nathaniel Greene (4) x 10 = 40
Meters: +5
Military Benchmarks: +5
Difficulty: Moderate -25 (+ 10% for Decisive General + 10% for Military Leader so -20 overall).
Chance of Success: 40%
Outcome: 79 LOSS (Rolled a 79, needed a 40 or lower on a 100 sided die).  No gains/losses for Greene.

Politician Impacts-  There are 90 politicians with at least 1 Military skill who are NOT in an office or on a career track other than military.

Nicolas Biddle/mil track and John Burroughs Hopkins are killed in the Battle of White Plains.  Peter Muhlenberg is wounded.  He gains the Frail trait and will not be eligible to continue to fight in the war.  

Thomas Lynch Jr, Arthur St. Clair, and Tadeusz Kosciuszko all gain +1 Mil for their actions in the Battle of White Plains.

Richard Bache gains Controversial.  Richard Montgomery gains Delegator.  John McKinly gains Propagandist. Friedrich W von Steuben gains Efficient.

Rolled 19/50 so there will be another battle.

 

Battle of Fort Washington-

Planning: Sec of War/Defense/Navy (0- but rules say to double rank of Senior officer so this is also a 5) + Senior General George Washington (5) = 5+5= 10
General:  George Washington (5) x 10 = 50
Meters: +5
Military Benchmarks: +5
Difficulty: Moderate -10 (+ 10% for Decisive General + 10% for Military Leader so -8 overall).
Chance of Success: 62%
Outcome: 10 WIN (Rolled a 10, needed a 62 or lower on a 100 sided die). Washington gains Celebrity.  (Rolled 3/100). Washington gains +1 Admin (Rolled 1/100).  Good rolls for George!

Politician Impacts- There are 87 politicians with at least 1 Military skill who are NOT in an office or on a career track other than military (2 killed, 1 wounded at White Plains).

James Wood & Philip Schuyler are wounded and gain the Frail trait.  They are removed from combat for the rest of the war.

Abraham Whipple & William Whipple gain +1 Mil for their actions in the Battle of Fort Washington.  (They must have been fighting in the same area).

Return J Meigs Sr gains Easily Overwhelmed.

Benjamin Lincoln gains Leadership.

Rolled a 15/100 so we fight another battle!

 

Battle of Trenton-

Planning: Sec of War/Defense/Navy (0- but rules say to double rank of Senior officer so this is also a 5) + Senior General George Washington (5) = 5+5= 10
General:  William Moultrie (3) x 10 = 30
Meters: +5
Military Benchmarks: +10
Difficulty: Difficult -25 
Chance of Success: 30%
Outcome: 33 LOSS (Rolled a 33, needed a 30 or lower on a 100 sided die to win).  No gains or losses for Moultrie.  It was a "close" loss.

Politician Impacts- There are 85 politicians with at least 1 Military skill who are NOT in an office or on a career track other than military with the 2 wounded at Ft. Washington removed from the MilitaryPols sheet.

John Thomas and Ethan Allen are killed at the Battle of Trenton.  Anthony Wayne/mil track is wounded and gains the Frail trait and will no longer fight in the American Revolution.

Daniel Morgan, Philemon Dickinson, & Elbridge Gerry all gain +1 Mil for their actions at the Battle of Trenton.

Francis Lightfoot Lee gains Leadership.

James Warren gains Crisis Manager.

Henry Knox gains Magician.

Rolled a 56/100 so combat now ceases.

The United States needs 3 more Ground wins to win the Revolutionary War.  11 more losses, and they lose the war.

Please make the adjustments to your faction sheets from the above results. 

And also, what are your thoughts as play testers on this result?  Are there too many politicians impacted?  Are there too few?  Do too many have the ability to get a +1 Mil, or too few?  Too many trait gains, or not enough?

@vcczar @MrPotatoTed

 

Too many killed and wounded, that’s for sure. 

[matthewyoung123]

1 minute ago, vcczar said:

Too many killed and wounded, that’s for sure. 

You think so? I know of at least half a dozen pols in the 1840 test that died in the Civil War.  Most have the frail trait because they died in their 30's but were up and comers.  I just wanted to see a way to help advance the careers of minor military men.

I'm trying to balance out the risks and the rewards aspect.  Also this is something that lower military skill players can do that can boost their stats.  I mean, let's face it, a Pol with a 1 or 2 military and nothing else isn't very useful for your faction. This gives them the ability to possibly be something more but thru are also risking their life potentially. Chances are small but they are there.

In my opinion, this isn't too much different from deaths and retirements where a faction can lose 2-3 pols in a go.  At least this way there is a chance that you can get better stats and some interesting traits out of fighting a war!

It also makes a player think before going into, say, 3 wars at a time. Food for thought. Thanks!

[vcczar]

6 minutes ago, matthewyoung123 said:

You think so? I know of at least half a dozen pols in the 1840 test that died in the Civil War.  Most have the frail trait because they died in their 30's but were up and comers.  I just wanted to see a way to help advance the careers of minor military men.

I'm trying to balance out the risks and the rewards aspect.  Also this is something that lower military skill players can do that can boost their stats.  I mean, let's face it, a Pol with a 1 or 2 military and nothing else isn't very useful for your faction. This gives them the ability to possibly be something more but thru are also risking their life potentially. Chances are small but they are there.

In my opinion, this isn't too much different from deaths and retirements where a faction can lose 2-3 pols in a go.  At least this way there is a chance that you can get better stats and some interesting traits out of fighting a war!

It also makes a player think before going into, say, 3 wars at a time. Food for thought. Thanks!

Really, the number of war deaths should average the number of in-game politicians that died in their respective wars. I think I only have like 2 Rev War deaths maybe. More in Civil War. Basically I’ll need to create politicians who died in wars but never ran for office.  I’m not opposed to doing this. 

[vcczar]

@matthewyoung123 could you or someone in this playtest give me a rough estimate of the number of military officers that are getting killed per half-term on average in your game. Might also be helpeful for me to know that # for the Civil War too.