"Finally Ran a Game" Topic

It's been 7 years since I ran a modern naval game, last night at a local shop we played an introduction to the rules scenario called "The McGuffin Incident", each player had a four ship task force (approximately equal strength) searching for the SS McGuffin that contained an experimental plasma beam and its inventor. It was every man for himself. The players found the Mary Celeste, Exxon Valdez, a cruise ship with a sorority convention on board, pod of whales then finally the McGuffin. The Japanese and Russian task forces got to her at the same time, four players launched missiles at each other then the two closest taskforces had a gun battle. One Japanese ship survived intact and stole the plasma beam, only to be sunk by an American TF just two inches from the board edge. They fished the inventor out of the drink, but the admiral in charge of the TF disappeared that night in his barge to sell the inventor to a Middle Eastern potentate. The joke was on him though, the beam did not work. Only two ships sank but a half dozen or so ended up mission kills. Stupid me forgot to take pictures.
Anyway, fun game and I enjoyed running it.

Rules?

Definitely tell us about the rules you used and how you ran it. I really like colorful, multipolar games like this and want to hear all about how you pulled it off.

I was not happy with the rules on the market (it felt like they took WW2 rules and added missiles), so I wrote up my own, based on my experience in the US navy in the 80's. Scale is 1"=10 nautical miles and each turn is 8 hours. Players command task forces instead of individual ships. Most of the aircraft intrinsic to a task force are abstracted into the ships' capabilities but attack and patrol aircraft are still on the board.
Anyway, I'd be happy to share the rules with anyone interested if you can get an email address to me.

Well, since none of us are supporting members we can't send each other PMs, so you'll have to look for me on boardgamegeek.com as ANDREWW

I would definitely like to see the rules, and if scenario notes are already laying around…

Have you seen Shipwreck? Modern naval rules that are very radar/missile-centric. They're very simple, but I like them.

Sounds like fun. Thanks for sharing your battle report and ideas.

Wow, 1" = 10 NM?

That is some game scale, even with long-range missiles.

Gunfights must be parking lots.

Here's the introduction:
The McGuffin Incident
The year is 1985 and a physics professor at University of Iceland designed and built a device called a fusion beam that he claimed would revolutionize the energy industry. University officials examined the device, noted how much radioactive material was needed for its use and decided the risk of catastrophic failure would be too great to test it anywhere on Iceland.
Instead they contracted with a tramp steamer called the McGuffin to transport an expedition to the South Sandwich Islands (off the coast of Antarctica) and test the device in an uninhabited region. Other than academic circles the test was ignored by the international community.
That changed when seismic monitors and tide gauges went off kilter throughout the Atlantic basin. Reconnaissance photographs showed that half a mountain on the island had sloughed off into the ocean and the expedition was quickly packing up to go home.
Defense analysts worldwide concluded that any device that could cut a mountain in half would, if weaponized, render nuclear missiles obsolete. Any country in sole possession of one would be able to set terms for the rest of the world for a good five years. Suddenly all countries scrambled to find the McGuffin and seize the research. All treaties were set aside and new ones forged as even smaller countries tried to find the ship.
You are an admiral in charge of a four-ship task force. Your orders are:
1. Locate the McGuffin.
2. Rendezvous with it.
3. Transfer the device, professor and any research materials to one of your ships.
4. Return home.
You are authorized to take any and all action necessary to succeed (short of nukes). Your government will take care of foreign relations after the device is secured.

If I wrote a set of rules based on my experience in the Navy. It would be called, Chasing Women and Getting Drunk or working behind a desk all day while waiting for liberty call.

Minus one on your 'temporary girlfriend' roll for catching the clap!

dear Murvihill,

I see that you are a fellow rule-writer. So I propose you an exchange: if I give you my rules, you send me yours. You can get my rules here link and you find also my contacts here alkedominiatures.com

In my rules we also have missiles. The ships themselves are big missiles. However I see that your missiles fly in the sky, and explode, how is this possible? Also your ships seem to move with no sails and no oars. Is this some kind of magic? Which god is supporting you?