About to dip my toes in the water

I am sure many of you will know I am a massive fan of LGDR and involved in numerous games. Well for the first time I am about to try Scramble. I am not sure how long it will hold my attention but hopefully for the long haul and I become engrossed.

Eventually we tend to work out who each of us are and with me not being sure how long I will last I am happy to simply state I am Amerika North. A first turn for me isnt far away and so as well as trying to get to grips with the rules I would be very grateful if anyone can tip me off about the "Wild West" map and any diplomacy of note in my area. The last thing I want to do is step on toes accidentally on day one.

If anyone wants to raise personal stuff on the positions, dig the dirt, tell me Britannia (sorry Britannia) is a low down dog, then please write "in game". It would be good to get a flow of correspondence going as well.

cheers guys

count-de-monet wrote:I am sure many of you will know I am a massive fan of LGDR and involved in numerous games.  Well for the first time I am about to try Scramble.  I am not sure how long it will hold my attention but hopefully for the long haul and I become engrossed.

Eventually we tend to work out who each of us are and with me not being sure how long I will last I am happy to simply state I am Amerika North.  A first turn for me isnt far away and so as well as trying to get to grips with the rules I would be very grateful if anyone can tip me off about the "Wild West" map and any diplomacy of note in my area.    The last thing I want to do is step on toes accidentally on day one.

If anyone wants to raise personal stuff on the positions, dig the dirt, tell me Britannia (sorry Britannia) is a low down dog, then please write "in game".  It would be good to get a flow of correspondence going as well.

cheers guys

Hi Count,

The good news from your point of view is that what you see on the map is pretty much what you get. Unlike the Orient and China you are unlikely to find German Bishops, French Nuns and British Opium Traders wondering around looking for their missing shipload of ultra modern rifles.

Also dispite talk no one has yet sent an army from Europe to put the Emperor Maximilian on the throne of Mexico.

The only real events of note in the America's to date are:

I) Some dodgy Vodoo filled elections which gave control of West Indies Islands to a trade company

II) An early clash between America South and America North over San Diago. I think the Northern Fleet had the best of a Sea fight while General Jackson won a land fight.

III) The steady advance of the Good Old Confederate States generally untroubled by "Damn Yankee's"

The only real trouble for the CSA was when the Emperor of Austria followed by the British got on their moral high horse about the CSA slave trading in Africa.

The Confrderates gave as good as they got - triggering Boar revolts, strikes in Northern English Cotton Mills, launching stinging Propaganda attacks on the both the HEIC and Lord Derby and being succesfull in defending their Ports against Austrian and British Fleet attacks.

But with with General Jackson captured in South Africa & his Army was crushed, Mr Cobb (Diplomat?)captured by the Austrians and their agent in South Africa shot they were running out of Characters and only getting tea and words of support from anti British and anti Austrian powers. Plus the HEIC was taking advantage of strikes and shortages of American Cotton to buy up cotton mills on the cheap and switch them to Indian grown cotton.

At this point President Davies of the CSA took large sums of British cash to abolish slavery and get out of Africa. It is also believed he agreed to Canada inc Ohio (basically the Green bits ......kind and Gentile on the hoofs of the Canadian Mounted Police) being Brit while all points South are the CSA.

Far be it from me to suggest that Agema likes to throw a spanner in the works of nice civil diplomatic carve up's........but with the North active again all we need now is for the Emperor Max and the French Foreign Legion to land!

Stuart thanks for the update. It looks like, at the moment the two key players on my doorstep are Britannia to the north and CSA to the south which isnt a surprise. If a gentlemans agreement between the two is in place about land on the Wild West map my arrival is bound to create concerns so I will have to see how that develops.

Given the style of the game and the targets as I understand them (more provinces held, the greater the benefit in terms of military units and income) I will be at a disadvantage but I hope I can bring my own idea of a twist on alternative history to the game !

count-de-monet wrote:Stuart thanks for the update.  It looks like, at the moment the two key players on my doorstep are Britannia to the north and CSA to the south which isnt a surprise.  If a gentlemans agreement between the two is in place about land on the Wild West map my arrival is bound to create concerns so I will have to see how that develops.

Given the style of the game and the targets as I understand them (more provinces held, the greater the benefit in terms of military units and income) I will be at a disadvantage but I hope I can bring my own idea of a twist on alternative history to the game !

In theory this is a "land grab" game but many players objectives seem to be different to this inc:

1) Humiliate and annoy the Govt of Britannia & the HEIC plus sale opium = The Opium Cartel's Objective

2) Spread French Culture and true religion plus sale opium = Very dodgy bunch of French Nuns

3) Spread Cricket and Railways across the Sub Continent plus sale opium in its licenced and legal form (Medicial Use only ....honest) = HEIC

4) Spread Germanic culture and sale sausages with dodgy green bits = Germania

5) The Great Lord of the Golden Triangle, Master of the White Lotus Triad etc, etc AKA the King of Siam who wants to sale Vanilla (?)

6) Finally we have the Austians who want to "Fly" and the Russians who are "Sure people are out to get them " and are also on a "Mission from God"

My theory is that the game should really be called "Opium Wars" and the object is to see who can control the largest part of the Opium trade. Also that some Characters have been overdoing the sampling for qaulity control esp the French Nuns!

Britannic Times for July 1855 has shown up and our new American has had to learn a couple of lessons the hard way -

a) As the Italians and others have found Naval Landings are hard - esp if you get attacked as soon as you get off the boat

b) NPC forces can be worked out by counting the area's ie X3 fertile areas controlled by the Chief Algon and his Mohox = 18 warbands. In theory 6 Battalions of American Infantry armed with rifles should be able to deal with these odds but Richard just does not fight fair!

- The good news for the Yank's is that while the Mohox have got Christain Religious advisers and crosses no one supplied them with modern rifles at the same time!

To avoid problems of this nature in the future I recommend either the French method ie send Agents or Probes in first to find out what you are up against. Or the Russian method ie if you think the opposition could have 18 units max - send 36.

Other then the first North American move other highlights are:

1) General outrage about the overthrow of the Emperor Napoleon III.............Lord Derby has offered help to restore the overthrown 2nd Empire, he may have not been keen on the Empire but anything is better than an Islamic Republic is his opinion. The Rossians have had a memorial service for Napoleon III and our Hero Otto Von is also on the case with a new French Mistress.

Dodgy Nuns of the World be very, very scared!

2) The Austrians are still crashing airships and messying around in Africa but oddly have said nothing about Islamic Revolution in Paris!

3) The British 2nd Army has marched into Ohio..........trying to put up the Union Jack before the North Americans arrive? Sadly no one seems to have given any orders to Sir Thomas Canterfield apart from "move" to Ohio so situation is all a bit unclear. At least with the Russians you get a ultimatium to "Accept the authority of the Czar as Khan of Khans and supreme Hetman.......or die" they then give you about an hour before they start shooting.

4) Sherlock Holmes working for the Opium Cartel has concluded that Lord James Farnworth was assassinated on the orders of Otto Von and the Germania Govt. The Cartel wants Britannia to go to war to revenge this insult to a British Subject!

The view of Lord Derby Tory Govt with its HEIC influenced backwoods men in the Lords is likely to be "Farnworth shot by the Germans.......damn I wanted to see him hang"

5) Action has however been taken to revenge one British Subject...........with General Sir Hugh Gough storming the great mountain fortress of Ralchra infamous as the site were Prince Uygur held the heroic Sir Harry Flashman captive. The Prince is believed to have escaped the revenge of the HEIC but it was a dam close run thing as the HEIC were using Maxim Guns and were not in a mood to take captives.

Clearly when the HEIC want to build Railways and spread the gospel of cricket on your land the answer is "Yes Please" or even "How much?"..............."No" and chucking their envoy into cell is not acceptable.

6) Charles Darcy has converted to the cult of Thugee and the worship of Kali..........oh dear, oh dear has anyone told Charles the the "untouchable" cult is outlawed in Indea and is really not polite company?

7) In the Far East..........the influence of the dreaded Taku White Lotus continues to grow. Also in Shanghai someone has influenced the city authorities to move against the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation.........a blow right in the wallet for the HEIC and British Tax Returns

Lord Derby may not care much about Opium Traders like Farnworth but tax paying British Bankers?!!!!!

I am expecting set-backs while I come to terms with the rules and mechanics of the game. I also made a number of assumptions in terms of information in my start up....which were incorrect !

I must admit, after playing LGDR for many many years I still cant quite get my head around how this game plays, but perhaps I am doing it a huge injustice by comparing it to LGDR. The plan remains to stick it out for at least one full game year (12 turns) and see how it develops.

The news of Britannia in Ohio did throw me a bit, but I need to realise 1) colonial expansion is the name of the game and 2) we are what (?) five games years now into an alternate history line.

I will no doubt step on toes ALOT in the coming months !

My best advice would be not to see Scramble as a 19th century version of Glory of Kings. Those games I find it works best if you play them "straight" and role play in keeping with those times, or as best we can from a 21st century perspective. In Scramble I am playing Germania from the perspective of a "Carry On" film, and have great fun doing so, I believe Stuart plays the game in the style of the "Flashman" novels, and really much kudos to the French nuns, whoever plays them.
As with the Glory of Kings game you can find fun in different paths, I would try out different ideas and see what you enjoy out of the game. Good luck

got me interested any news paper I could look at and a sample return?

Hi Count & Kingmaker,

Other influences in the game would seem to be the Sherlock Holmes books, the Railway Rivals game and on the French & Austrian players Jules Vern and the the film "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines".

I think with its emphasis on orders given to Characters, Scabble is closer to Swashbuckler than La Gloire du Roi.

The good news compared to Swashbuckler is that you have 12 characters rather than 1.

The bad news is that since you have another 11 spare Richard and other players dont mind being really, really nasty to you characters.
Thus in G2 Swashbuckler the Kaiser etc probably will not order a certain Prussian Investigative Officer shot on sight. In Scabble he very well might if he suspects that said Investigative Officer has been tampering with his Battleship Blue Prints.

In scrabble the loss/humiliation rates suffered are closer to that found amongst Prussian Generals in G2 or Ambassadors to Venice in G9.
So far in scrabble we have had characters shot for spying, hung for arson, murdered in back alleys and found floating in the docks, shot down like a dog in Berlin, wounded in battle and by valcano's and falling outbuildings, staked out in the desert, locked up in harems and wine stores (people really need to build some decent jails) and a elderly widower left broken hearted, betrayed and pining for a French Hussy for probably slipped him a Micky F.inn!

Note the objective for some is not to kill their rivals but leave them humiliated and shunned by politie society. English characters for instance do not fear (with the exception of Flashman) a glorious death fighting for God, Queen & Country but if you can disgrace them in the eyes of the Queen the only way out would seem to be a bottle of scotch and a pistol or to join the opium cartel.

Ref the concerns of the Count that a new starter may be "behind" positions which have been active for a while this is actually a lot more true of Glory since the Character emphasis in scabble allows for short cuts.

- Feel your weapons are out dated? Dont fancy spending years on R & D trying to catch up? Simple solution - pinch the blue prints from someone else.

- Outgunned?, outnumbered?, can not hope to match your rivals in a fair fight? - Then dont fight fair! An assassinated/Kidnapped Character will stop a Army/Navy even more effectively than another Army. It should also be noted that Diplomacy has gained as much territory if not more than direct military action. Germania in particular has had a lot of success with people who do not wish to be Russian.
Perhaps an offer of Statehood in the good old US of A may work better than sending in the US Army?

Finally it needs to be pointed out that like Swashbuckler this is a game were if something can go wrong.......it will!!!!!!! With this in mind you really do have to wonder about the sanity of the French & Austrian Air Race.

now I am really interested.......

August 1855 Britannic Times has shown up highlights for non players inc:

1) The new American govt seem to paused on beating up Indians in favour of talking to Church Elders.

2) The Brits also seem to have got all civil in Ohio

3) Austrians & Russians however seem to be staying loyal to a Military solution with the Russians doing better than the Austrians who ran into problems with hot/cold and jungle fighting.

4) In France while on tour with his new French Mistress and his old Bavarian one our hero "Otto Von" has started a Rossian Ballet company in the new Islamic Republic!

5) Meanwhile in England Lord Derby has declined press lobbying to declare war on the German Empire. Seems he is more worried about opium and French Nuns then he is about Otto Von.

October 1855 Britannic Times has shown up and for non players here are the highlights:

1) President Stanton and his sidekicks Generals Grant & Sherman are starting to flex the might of Amerika North trying to bully Indians, Church Elders and Honest Businessmen back into the Union. Is Canada safe? Or will Lord Derby have to send for Flashman?

2) In Indea the HEIC seems to have decided that it has had enough of the Thuggi and has put a £25K reward on Charles Darcy before marching into Jaipur to turn groves of tree's sacred to Kali and the Thuggi into cricket bats!

Charles former landlord James Cornel of the Opium Cartel/Albion Corporation seems to have murdered the Maharaja in the Thuggi way, stole his Jewels and fled Jaipur just ahead of a) The HEIC who dont like thuggi or members of the Opium corporation & b) The locals who dont mind the thuggi but object to jewel thieves and being invaded because someone has upset the HEIC

3) To add to the woes of the HEIC ...........Gladstone is attacking it again for its overly strong position in the Black Tea Trade.......one hates to think what he will think if he looks into the world trade in Coal, Steel, Cotton, Steam Trains, International Finance, Newsprint, Medical Opium etc,etc

4) The Islamic French have blown up a theme park.......as unIslamic.......what next a ban on French Wine as unIslamic?

5) Austrians still trying to lean how to fly.

6) Russians are still on the march but oddly no one seems that keen on fighting them.......it seems to many that the Crimean War may have been cancelled........to be replaced by a extra long American Civil War?  

First edition of the Britannic Times for 1856 has shown up and it seems that the Count de Moment has not so much dipped his toe in the water as jumped in the deep end without his rubber ring since the Noble Lord Derby has responded to what he termed "idiotic drivel" from Washington by calling General Sherman Mad and its.......and its not exactly clear......referred to Ohio or perhaps the whole of Amerika North as a rebellious colony?

This is fighting talk from Lord Derby since even at the height of the dispute with the CSA over the trans Atlantic Slave trade did he suggest they were anything but a proper country able to do what it wants inside its own borders (but not on the high Sea's).

To add to President Stanton's problems the Indians seem to have fought the US Army to a stand by the cunning tactic of staying in thick forest and not charging the Americans in the open were they can be shot down and the business men of San Diago have responded to Sherman's bullying by calling for British help. Bit far south for Canada but perhaps the Mounties fancy a spot of surfing?

On the plus side President Stanton policy of standing tall against "British Bullying" does seem to be gaining lots of votes for his Republican Party even in the South. Indeed only the King of Sima (Triad & Opium Dealer), The Global Adventurers Company (Election fixers and Opium Dealers) and the Czar of Rossia (on advise of my lawyers.......a very,very nice man) are now more popular.

President Stanton also seems to have fewer problams than the Islamic Republic of Franconia and its North African colonies. In one month:

a) Christains (?) in a part of Tripoli have declared UDI
b) The Austrians have banned French Trade (probably to celebrate a total lack of Airships crashing)
c) The Arabs in the Jourab have revolted
d) The German Afrika Corp have landed in Tangier seemingly to support the French Imperial Govt in exile.

As well as taking Tangier Bismarck has also gained Massawa, a new Italian Mistress and a new lead singer for his band and even following two reading's of the paper nothing seems to have gone wrong for him        surely this can not be right?

Its now Feb 1856 and the good Comte is not really dipping his toes in the water. I would say its at least head high and full of Icebergs as well............esp the bit the US Navy is sailingsinking in!

Apart from the unfortunate loss of Admiral Porter and most of the American Fleet things generally went the Comte way in the last month with Ohio and San Diego agreeing to join the Union.

Probably mixed news for the Comte is Alexander Stephens taking over as President of Amerika South. An ally against the British/Canadians? Or a rabid hater of all damn Yankee's? only time will show.

Other than the trials and tribulations of President Stanton others points of interest are:

1) The Germans take over Tangier but the Prime Minister of "Islamic" Franconia bans trade with the British & Austrians instead.

2) Austrians invade Asante again.........this time with Air Support! Sadly its thick jungle down their and the Air Force can not see a thing. To add insult to injury and Asante took advantage of the failure of modern arial recon to ambush the Austrian Column.

3) Perhaps the American Fleet and Austrian Air Force can learn from Russian Cossacks who still scout from horse back......another province joins the Czarist Empire and still no one seems that concerned.

4) Finally the "Thugee" attempted to knock off the Gov-General of India but failed due to the spiffing chaps in the India Special Branch.
With Lord Hardinge and other top men in the HEIC picking up too £600,000 in dividends alone they tend to be very well guarded and keen on staying healthy.

4)

March 1856 Britannic Times has shown up and it seems that if you are going to dip your toe in the water you should avoid waters with ice bergs in it.

Another 4 British Transports and 2 North American Cruisers have gone glug but at least the American Admiral Farragut was saved from a watery grave in the North Atlantic.

President Stanton's military also proved poor at forest fighting but very able at jerrymandering and fixing election results in San Diego. Sadly for General Sherman election fixer supreme the full details of how he fixed the election by bringing in "military" voters has come out and I doubt if her Majesties Prime Minister or Mayor Winterfield of San Diego will accept the vote to join the Union.

Mayor Winterfield may not be able to do much about the occupation of his city by the American Military but Lord Derby and the Canadian would seem to have options. Mind you Derby may be more concerned by the French starting a trade war against him & the Austrians.

Talking about those mad Austrian men in their flying machines the technical elite of central Europe went into battle with air support etc against a bunch of African Spearmen and just about managed a draw. They also crashed their airship!

Meanwhile in North Africa the German Afrika Corp has taken over Jerada from the French (for the French Govt in exile.....honest Gov).
And the Mayoress of Tajoura and her crew have invented a new road surface and a steamroller.  

Other than that the Russians are trying to grind down the "revolt" in Sapoune while the HEIC are getting ready for them to show up in Central Asia.........building a winter sports centre ready for rich tourists called Shangra-La. A sort of Saint Moritz in the Hindu Kusha?

Thanks Stuart The more I read your updates the more I become convinced this is some strange steampunk Flashman world...

Jason wrote:Thanks Stuart  The more I read your updates the more I become convinced this is some strange steampunk Flashman world...

The Flashman Books were written down as an influence in the preamble to the rules and the HEIC promptly claim Flashman has their diplomat. He has since spent the game dashing round India playing cricket and twirling his cavalry wiskers at various princesses, warning about the dangers of the Afghans and the Russians and buying up railway concessions when he is not being ordered out of the country or locked up!

Lord Derby has had the Queen make him a Knight for services to Diplomacy & Industry

Not sure about he other players (The Germans quote the carry on films as their major influence) but the Brits are clearly playing a mix of "Flashman" role playing and the "Railway Rivals Game"...........Route 66 seems to be the current objective.

Quite how the Steampunk/Jules Verne influence got into the game is more of a mystery. I would however add that strange and downright odd inventions have never knocked the game out of balance. Think of what would happen to certain swashbucker characters if the spent the price of a lineship to arrange the escape of a captive character from one of the Kaisers jail's.

Why spend money on a forged pardon or bribes to guards when you can spend X10 to crash land on a barren Island used only by smugglers and pirates or crash through the roof of a Ottoman Beys harem?

Hi all, I'm thinking about trialling this game and wanted to know a couple things. How freeform are the turn orders? I did a cursory read of the rules and saw the character orders but are they limited to only those actions?

I'm thinking of picking up Brazil or Argentina but I'm unsure if they're even available for play. How do you know what positions are available? If I did jump in with one of those nations is it pointless to think that one of them could absorb the other through war or diplomacy, for example creating what might be (if the real world map were used) a unified South America? Might it be possible to pursue a home region expansionist policy, for example Brazil "expanding" deeper into the Amazon, or is all home region stuff locked down save for economic and research investment?

I'm trying to get a handle on what I might be able to do with one of those nations in terms of gameplay.

I dont think Brazil or Argentina would be playable, but Spain seems available, or at least it is very quiet. Really you need to go for a colonial power rather than a former colony.

I have found that the turns are far more free form than the rules would indicate. Otherwise, how did we end up with a vampire nun running a north African port and recently taking to the air in a balloon!

This is disturbing...other half was glancing over my shoulder and read Basileus' comment and effectively ordered me to join the game...for some reason the idea of airborne vampire nun in Africa appeals to her...

Is there any particular reason why those nations would be unplayable? They're listed as playable positions and contain homelands off-map like the other powers.

Must admit they seem playable...but I'll leave them to Demantiae Reminds me a bit of the plan of Napoleon in "Sharpe's Devil"...hey maybe you can have Chochrane as one of your admirals

I seem to remember someone saying China is now a position...Dr Fu Manchu, your country needs you...

Demantiae wrote:Is there any particular reason why those nations would be unplayable? They're listed as playable positions and contain homelands off-map like the other powers.

As I see it all positions are playable but not all positions are equal.

I think what our furried friend from darkest Wales was trying to point out was that if you start with a position which already has colonies like Espana this will give you a head start over powers like Polaskia or Brazilia which start with no colonies.

Fairly sure Osterreich, Italia, Sima and the players running Churches and Trade companies also started with no colonies and they seem to have done OK or at least no worse than anyone else so not starting with any colonies is not a crippling disadvantage just a larger challenge.

The above also assumes you wish to play the game as one of colonial expansion some people seem to have rather different objectives.  Indeed as one stage the game seem to have more to do with Nuns and the Opium trade than colonies.

I personally think the game could do with a few Zorro, Pancho Villa types trying to liberate Mexico City from European control and keep the Gringoes out.

Jason wrote:Must admit they seem playable...but I'll leave them to Demantiae  Reminds me a bit of the plan of Napoleon in "Sharpe's Devil"...hey maybe you can have Chochrane as one of your admirals

I seem to remember someone saying China is now a position...Dr Fu Manchu, your country needs you...

According to the Rules China is a NPC position so if you want to bring Dr Fu Manchu into the game he is either going to have to start in Nippon, the Far East (probably Burma) or as head of the Eastern Slaver Company.

And to save China he will need to overthrow the corrupt and rotton rule of the Emperor and his Governors.

Long live the Heavenly Way, Boxer's, Nationalists, Communist revolution   

In actual fact its not the Emperor and his lackies you need to worry about its the Traids of the White Lotus and the Opium Cartel etc who are more of a worry to the would be saviour of China.

That's what I originally thought Stuart but trawling back through some old emails from Richard, I found one from about a year back advertising that there were three new positions in Scramble-the Mahdi, Grand Vizier of the Ottonian Empire and the Chinese Empire...