"Before Tractics, There Was GRT..." Topic

Bill Owen writes:

We played Tractics' precursor called GRT (for the initials of Gygax, Reese & Tucker, provided to us in Samzidat edition by Doug Cragoe of Springfield IL) about 70 times in 1970-1973 on 6x10' sand table. We got really good at the system and with teenage fresh minds & focusable energy it was a snap (then).

The biggest weaknesses were not so much the excessive detail which provided apparent realism but some of the soft systems that probably allow too much flexibility with tanks and infantry and worst is the turn sequence which was a perverted version of IGOUGO: Side A Infantry move first, Side B moves everything, Side A moves tanks then in alternate turns switch A & B …so really AIGO BAGO ATGO!

As we were departing into the rabbit hole of D&D in 1974 I think there were TSR articles about improvements like Opportunity Fire which limited the gamey "tactic" of waiting until your tanks move 2nd to move to the side of the enemy tanks! But we really never got to using that.

Why not produce a Kindle/Create Space Print On Demand version of Tractics? It might sell a few copies due to its honored position as THE ruleset for early wargaming!

It only needs a better phase system. I was thinking of card draws per element(Tank, squad etc.) Why update it? It reflects what was thought at the era and everyone would nit-pick the new charts.

Case in point-the BMP-1 was new when it was published. I remember the panicked writing about that vehicle. M60A2 was state of the art(sound of tankers cursing every time they pushed a button came later…)

Agreed. On my list of things to do it play Tractics but use card based activation. It is the internal rivet counter in me longing to break out and use the game I played so much of in the 80s.

Well, I'm revamping the game and introducing some streamlining and improved data handling, in particular regarding "tank fire". The infantry aspect is radically changing to allow statically accurate results of fire-fight combat, but dispensing with the minutia to allow larger scale engagements. Command & Control is introduced along with optional logistics supply constraints and vehicle battlefield recovery to be used for campaign scenarios. I'm particularly pleased with introducing firing prioritization which will allow for a much more fair and balanced initial engagements between foes resulting in immediate application of damage and casualties.

Artillery is, also, being handled in a different way which will be congruent to actual and procedurally correct call for and employment of fire, with rounds landing in requested sheafs. One of the more important introductions is that reconnaissance will play a very significant role in seeking out the opponent by giving those units special and enhanced capabilities!

Play tests have shown thus far some very positive responses by players. The key difference with the TRACTICS of old is that this adaptation of the game will be greatly helped by the use of "play aids", i.e. cheat sheets and pre-calculated metrics for vehicles/units. This should help in the speeding up of the game. A current theme throughout game mechanics, especially regarding the firing prioritization will be manifest in the context of the "Risk vs. Reward" concept. The players will always be challenged with having to make a dire decision throughout each combat action or the actions leading up to combat.

This approach and the exhaustive research that has gone into enhancing the authenticity of combat fire will be a much needed return to "Honesty in Gaming". All actions are fully congruent to real-world data and research, and will return control and tactical decision-making in an un-obscure process to the player, being intuitive, natural, seat-of-the-pants play action, with realistic results, and no bogus "Fog of War" ambiguities that are so prevalent in the current popular crop of historic wargaming. The Fog of War will be entertainingly and plausibly provided by simple use of Fog of War cards.

I hope this post elicits interest in this project which is well under way and hope to publish in 2016.

I welcome your comments.

- Tibor

We never wrote orders. We played the split move system that was the alternative to the written orders/simultaneous movement system.

Can you post some examples of the play aids?

Wolfhag

My very first miniatures game was Tractics, in 1971. Despite that, I'm still an historical miniatures gamer to this day. Pure nostalgia says "I'd like to see a copy when you're done".