Octopus Overlords

Bowen Simmons (Bonaparte at Marengo, Napoleon's Triumph) new game Guns of Gettysburg is now live on Kickstarter. This game has been done for about a year but due to some health issues he wasn't able to self publish it himself this time. I'm glad and excited that he found a way to make it happen. The funding levels seem a bit wonky to me though, really the only thing you get for pledging more is additional copies of the game at a small discount. Anyway, I'm in at $70.

Design Diary can be found here including rules:
http://www.simmonsgames.com/design/" target="_blank

Kickstarter Link:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/128 ... gettysburg" target="_blank

Concept art of board and playing pieces:


Edit: Oops, wrong forum. This is not a PC game, it's a boardgame.

I might be in. I've got his two previous games, though both remain unplayed. I love the style though, and since it's almost self-published, they're unlikely to be available later.

I'm in! I love Gettysburg, and this design looks very original (which is hard to do with Gettysburg).

The design diaries (linked in the OP) really confirmed it for me.

Maybe we can do some VASSAL action when it's out.

Holman wrote: Maybe we can do some VASSAL action when it's out.

You can count me in for that.

I'm in, just finished a book on Gettysburg too.

xwraith wrote:I'm in, just finished a book on Gettysburg too.

Which one?

I'm finishing Noah Trudeau's Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, which is excellent. The writing and the research are very good, and it brings to life both the experience and the significance of different corners of the battle.

The structure is unusual. It's organized on an almost hourly basis, presenting parallel narratives of separated but simultaneous events. (For example, you'll read about the whole "Second Day 6 a.m.-10 a.m." as a block, leaving some events unresolved as you jump to another side of the battle before returning to them in the "10 a.m.-12 p.m." chapter.) It's actually a great way to cover the battle in detail, but it only works if you already have a general sense of the course of the whole thing. It avoids the usual "chunking" of the story into what feels like several different unrelated engagements.

There are great maps at all scales.

Indeed, that is the one I just finished

Hmm. That book sounds really good. I'm kind of in a reading rut right now so I think I'll check it out.

Also, the Kickstarter has met its funding goal of $20,000!

I'm on the fence on this.
Quick question: Is this game soloable?

Im not familiar with the game mechanics, looks like somekind of block(stratego) game where you hide your forces from the opponent making soloability quite low.

Am i right or wrong.

Tks

I haven't read the rules for this yet, but if it's like his others, probably not. The first two are pseudo block war games, and hidden troop strength is an integral part of them. I guess it might be okay if you have a terrible memory.

I've seen people at BGG talk about soloing block wargames. You just have to have the discipline to play like a real commander not take gamey advantage of yourself.

I can't imagine learning any game without soloing first, and if the solo is fun then I keep doing it.

I have read the rules and they don't seem like it would be very good solo.

This started shipping yesterday. Anybody get it yet? I've heard it is going by UPS and usually I get an email from them when there is a package on its way to me...

Apparently they're shipping from the warehouse yesterday, today, and tomorrow in a random order.

This one really sets the standard for a well-run Kickstarter: communication has been great, and they're actually delivering ahead of schedule.

Right? This thing seemed to go far more smoothly than I thought possible. I know they said by July but I had already mentally prepared myself to translate that into before Thanksgiving.

I think Gettysburg was kind of a special case, though. The game was already designed and done, with two proven successes behind it (the same designer's Napoleon games). The Kickstarter was apparently to raise capital for the actual production stage.

As Kickstarters go, this was a very low-risk project.

Holman wrote:I think Gettysburg was kind of a special case, though. The game was already designed and done, with two proven successes behind it (the same designer's Napoleon games). The Kickstarter was apparently to raise capital for the actual production stage.

As Kickstarters go, this was a very low-risk project.

Yeah I know. They still had to have it manufactured, shipped to the U.S. and get it through Customs before shipping copies out to all of us.

Uh, oh--first bad news.

Some people are reporting that the wooden tile holders are very rough and prickly with a poorly-applied finish. (Components are otherwise said to be excellent.) Advice on addressing the problem is at that link.

I don't know as I don't have mine yet.

Just got my shipping notification today. I'll know in a day or three if my wood is prickly.

My game arrived today. While the finish on the racks does feel a bit rough, it's not hard to handle. I don't see a need (with my set) for any extra sanding or smoothing.

I've just had time for a cursory look, but all the components seem very high quality. I'd forgotten about the stretch bonus, so I was surprised to find a Union three-ring bullet attached to my game!

I just received mine this evening as well. Everything looks good and I checked out the racks. Mine feels a bit sticky and gritty as if it had a bit of a sandpaper finish. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but I might sand it down to remove it. Interestingly enough the finish isn't also on the base of the rack and the wood feels comfortable there.

Got my game too. The wood racks seem fine to me. They aren't very smooth but I didn't notice any stickiness or grit others have. I'll probably still sand them a bit though.
Everything else looks fantastic, the map board is awesome and the counters are very thick and sturdy with good die cut. Mercury Games gets a big thumbs up from me and did a good job of meeting the high quality components I have come to expect from Bowen's games.

So... I've got a civil war bullet now and I don't really know what to do with it. Any ideas?
It's the 3-ring Union bullet.

Salt and burn it. It's probably haunted and comes with a ghost. Kickstarter exclusive!

Resurrecting this thread because the designer's next and final game, Triomphe à Marengo, is now up for pre-order (not Kickstarter). It is a reworking of her older game, Bonaparte at Marengo.

Bonaparte at Marengo is a good game. I was proud of it in 2005 and am proud of it now. But I do feel that really only with this game, Triomphe à Marengo, was I really able to achieve all that I was going for with the older game. As it is, time and age have caught up with me, and I believe it will be the last game I ever design. I do feel that it is a good way to go out, and I do hope you will feel the same.

Rachel Simmons
alias Bowen Simmons
Sunnyvale, November 2021

What did folks think of Guns of Gettysburg or her other games? I'm super-intrigued, but also hesitant that it may be a hard sell to my friends who lean more toward euro games.

AWS260 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:59 pm Resurrecting this thread because the designer's next and final game, Triomphe à Marengo, is now up for pre-order (not Kickstarter). It is a reworking of her older game, Bonaparte at Marengo.

Bonaparte at Marengo is a good game. I was proud of it in 2005 and am proud of it now. But I do feel that really only with this game, Triomphe à Marengo, was I really able to achieve all that I was going for with the older game. As it is, time and age have caught up with me, and I believe it will be the last game I ever design. I do feel that it is a good way to go out, and I do hope you will feel the same.

Rachel Simmons
alias Bowen Simmons
Sunnyvale, November 2021

What did folks think of Guns of Gettysburg or her other games? I'm super-intrigued, but also hesitant that it may be a hard sell to my friends who lean more toward euro games.

I used to have her other two games: Napoleon's Triumph and Bonaparte at Marengo. I didn't have anyone to play them with, so I tried playing them by myself. It took some time and re-reading of the rules before I got it. The big hurdle for me to get over was that they were wargames with no dice or some other random chance involved.

Also, she used to have a website, simmonsgames.com, that contained design diaries for all of her games. It's gone now, but web.argive.org has it archived. You can go through it and get a better idea of the rules, since she posts some of the sample rules. Also, she does compare and contrast her games, so you can get an idea of what is different from game to game. This should give you a better understanding of whether your friends will play it.

Finally, she posts her ideas on chance and line of sight and how those things are incorporated in other wargames and why she chose to design her games the way she did.

Thank you!

A few weeks late, but just saw this...

9 years later, and I still have never played Guns of Gettysburg. :/

Regarding Bonaparte at Marengo.
I own it, and have even played it a few times. I enjoy it, but prefer Napoleon's Triumph (Battle of Austerlitz), which is a bit more open on decision space.
As a war game, the rules are relatively simple, but unconventional, so there is a learning curve.

I love Bowen's (her preferred "trade name") games, but I haven't had much luck getting any of them to the table for a few reasons, the top two being;
1. requires a good understanding of the rules to play
2. only 2 player

My son and I played three games of Napoleon's Triumph back-to-back last summer. Simmons' rules are unusual and particular enough that every subsequent session feels more nuanced and accomplished.

Did someone ever make a computer version of Bonaparte at Marengo? I thought for certain I had seen mention of it once.

em2nought wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 10:04 pm Did someone ever make a computer version of Bonaparte at Marengo? I thought for certain I had seen mention of it once.

I haven't heard of a computer version, but a significantly revised edition (presumably Simmons' final wargame, as she has retired) is coming soon: Triomphe à Marengo

I think this is what I'm remembering having seen https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... n_US&gl=US