Imperial Scramble: A Game of 19th Century War and Imperialism

[Imperious Leader]

Actually I’m undefeated going back to 1975. Back when you were just a bad idea but somebody did the deed anyway. I play Russia, Germany, or UK. Colonial Diplomacy however was played only once and we never completed that game…

[aekenter]

Thank you all for you comments! I really appreciate it!

The first thing I want to say is that I wish I could post pictures! However, for some reason, the forum does not let me…

Imperious Leader: Thanks for commenting, but I must say that I disagree with your interpretation of my game. I like the game diplomacy, but I feel that it has a lot of flaws and I have tried very hard to avoid all of these flaws in my game. For example, players are not eliminated in Imperial Scramble, the game has a set end point, countries are actually unique and different from one another because of their historically based objective sets, war must be declared upon another player before hostilities erupt, peace agreements can be made, players can trade territories, multiple units can inhabit one territory, etc., etc.

Alexgreat and Pacific War and Gargantua: Thanks for your comments! I am happy to see that people who enjoy A&A (myself included) are also interested in games that do not involve dice. Treachery exists in Imperial Scramble but it is not as devastating as in Diplomacy. In Imperial Scramble, the treachery is a declaration of war when one was not expected. However, the other player then is able to react once war is declared.

CWO Marc: Thanks for your question! Points are not scored until the end. Therefore, if a player completes an objective before the end of the game, he or she must hold on to it until the end. In the example scenario I gave, Germany “completed” the unification objective by controlling all the German territories. However, had he lost one of those territories by the end of the game, then he would have been awarded no points for unification because Germany was not unified when points were tallied. The reason for this is that the points are meant to reflect a country’s power and prestige at the end of the game. At that point, what you did before only matters insofar as it has put you in your current position. Big gains followed by big losses leave you in a bad position because you would no longer be regarded as a powerful world power anymore. A historical example would be Austria. Despite their great strength in the 19th century, they little more than a minor state by the mid-20th century. While their exploits are fondly remembered, they do not entitle them to great power, prestige, or respect as of 1950 and that is the sort of thing the game attempts to reflect. I hope that answers your question. If not, I would be happy to explain more!

I have a couple questions for all of you:

1. Is this a game that you would try playing?
2. Does it matter to you that it includes a shorter version for 3-5 players that takes only 1.5 to 2 hours (whereas the full version takes 5 hours)?
3. Would any of you be interested in possible playtesting when the time comes?

[CWO Marc]

@aekenter:

The first thing I want to say is that I wish I could post pictures! However, for some reason, the forum does not let me… […] 2. Does it matter to you that it includes a shorter version for 3-5 players that takes only 1.5 to 2 hours (whereas the full version takes 5 hours)?

Thanks for the answer to my question; yes, the answer is nice and clear.

Once you reach a certain number of posts, you’ll be able to post pictures.  I think the number is 10, but I could be wrong.

Having multiple versions is actually a good thing because it gives people more options.

[aekenter]

CWO Marc: Yes, I agree with you about multiple versions. Most of my work has been on the full 8 player version, but I am spending some time now on getting the 3-5 player game up to speed.

To everyone that is interested in the game so far, I wrote a blog post about the game’s most recent play test. You can find it at www [dot] imperialscramble [dot] com/blog. (I can’t post links!!!) You can also find more pictures on that site as well. I hope you enjoy!

[aekenter]

Finally, I can post some pictures! Here are some good ones from the most recent play test.

Here is the starting situation.

Here is the board at the end.

[CWO Marc]

Thanks for the pictures.  Are the sculpts from the Viktory II game?

[aekenter]

I bought the pieces on Amazon from a supplier called Morrison Games. Here is the link. After reading your post though, I checked out pictures of Victory II and found that they look identical. I guess that Victory II buys its pieces from Morrison Games? I don’t know…

Also, I just want to let everyone know that I am planning an online play test. So, if you are interested, please let me know.

[Flashman]

Don’t forget Suez canal opened 1869.

You need to issue shares in the company for player investment.

[ABWorsham4]

I love Victoria Era Europe, looks great.

[CWO Marc]

Another game that might serve as a useful source of inspiration is War: Age of Imperialism, by Eagle Games.

[karinepeter]

Thanks for sharing nice information about risk game, i really love it Risk game. Risk is one of the world’s most popular board games which are available online.

“Life is a game but Risk is a serious”

Also you should follow below link if you want to play it

flashplay.nl/spelletjes/risk

[toblerone77]

@CWO:

Another game that might serve as a useful source of inspiration is War: Age of Imperialism, by Eagle Games.

The Secret Society of Parts Hounds laugh as they deviously strike again! +1 my friend. Never played this one. Though I do own it because I got it for FREE, and had cool parts.

[toblerone77]

@aekenter,

This game to me is not my personal cup of tea. However I really support your endeavor. There are some Youtube videos made by the guy who designed Victory II. He started out making the game himself and he explains how he got it to market. You should look this up.

I wish you luck and hope it all works out.

[CWO Marc]

@toblerone77:

Never played this one. Though I do own it because I got it for FREE, and had cool parts.

Same for me (except for the part about getting it for free).  I particularly like the standard infantryman, with the raised rifle and pith helmet, whose design fits nicely for possible use as a WWII British or French colonial infantry unit.  The size is just right, the detailing is pretty good and there’s a wide range of colours available. The single drawback is the rectangular base, since it contrasts so much with the round bases of the OOB and HBG units.