I have been working on three games which started out as variations on a theme the theme being combined operations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Surrounding land area .Finally they have reached a point where there has to be a parting. The Greeks never had such a fractional relation with one another as did the Romans a the end of the Republican period; nor can I portray future war in the Mediterranean where the allied forces turn upon one another in the same way as did the factions at this time in history .I have now left the Greeks and the denizens for a later time to concentrate upon the Roman.
Armies and fleets resolve battle almost instantaneously, whole provinces going to the victory with a single dice roll.Feet battles are a little different. There is strategic manouver where fleets battle wind, long range harrassing attacks and the lack of harbors. When battle does come it is played off board with miniature type cards in a way resembling miniatures play with out the complication of turning and measuring distance travelled etc.A dice roll moves both players squadrons up or down simultaneously until they are either sunk or survive to land troops.All very well you may say but how does this distinguish the game from any of the a-fore mentioned.
An intriguing subjects not often taken into account is the defection of ones forces during times of war.During the time of these conflicts troops,cohorts,maniple's and even entire legions were likely change loyaties to that of the other side.I suspect that as at the time following Caesars death that as there was no central government to whom any one owed loyalty to each his own.
I have taken this into account and find that during the game it is unwise to place a weaker force in the same proximatey as that of the opponent;especially if things are going badly as at a roll of a dice you may find that your whole army has gone over to the enemy.Not too bad if you have another army where you can do the same thing to someone else in the future, but if not you are out of the game.
Same thing with fleets; just being in the same sea area can be a risk if your side is losing, especially if your opponet is stronger in legions on the adjacent shore. In the blink of an eye you can lose that nice looking counter depicting your entire fleet.On the board it dose n't look so bad but when you look at the off board cards it is a disaster of gigantic proportions.In order to succeed one must have a devious mind; why even the death of one of a players own generals can be a boon as the player could inherit the armies now without a general.
This game will be of more interest to those who like popular war games of the Allies an Axis type rather than those that go into minute technical detail.At a guess I would say the game will be ready for marked within three months.All that remains is some good test play, the art work done, the dimensions worked out packaging, a moot point as the game consists of two 11x 8 joined map sheets and two sets of counter counter sheets.