For some reason, the American Revolution has been a Tough Sell in Gamedom. Considering where we are, games on the AmRev are about as common as innovation in a "Command" WWII game. The reason for this is somewhat obscure - at least to us. It's not that the previous games have been bad. To the contrary, they were all rather good. Which brings up the next question. Do we really need another game on the AmRev? And will the consumer bite where few have bitten before? Probably a Not Really followed by a contradictory They Should because Top Designer, Mark Herman, has, once again, come up with a unique and stimulating system to pique the players' interest … whether they are veterans or novices. And if this game needs a "hook" for sales - as it well may, given the above - that will be it. Anyone can play We The People.
While AH has severed its relationship with the Smithsonian, that has not been reflected in the size and look of the box, which is "Smithsonian"-sized. The box art is excellent, only because it uses that famous painting, "George Washington on a horse looking at a bunch of really cold guys walking in the snow". The 16" x 22" map, which uses the point-to-point, House Divided, system can best be described as Gahan Wilson meets the New World. The rivers are drawn nice and big, the detail - none of which is important to play - is intense, and the colony boundaries look horrendously disfigured. But, since this is an 18th-century view of the situation, it is right on the money … a sort of Joe Miranda Views the Gaming World approach. The remainder of the map is filled with tracks and boxes, but the scale of the game is such that the board isn't crowed, despite it's diminutive size.We do note, however, that "Westchester" is on the wrong side of the Hudson, the Leader Counter example is mislabelled (and so noted in the rules), and that the port symbol has been left of Boston Harbor. So much for the scheduled Tea Party. None of these problems are so egregious and unsolvable as to affect play.
The very colorful counters come in four different shapes: hexagonal Political Control (PC) markers; circular armies; rectangular generals (with plastic stands, making them real stand-up guys), and a square marker or two.The overall result is a spectral orgy that one hopes will play as good as it looks, as everything else is at the Avalon Hill high standards. Of special note are the 160 Strategy and Battle cards, both decks laminated, with rounded corners for ease of play, and all showing much care and lots of evocative, period art.
The rules should be interpreted literally, and there is only one example that I've read which could be better worded. One disappointing part about the rules is that there are no designer's notes included. Because aspects of the design are unique, as applied to this situation, an explanation of Herman's philosophy would have been most insightful. One hopes that it is not simply a bogus attempt by those Marylanders to get us to invest in their house organ. It sure wasn't because they wanted to keep the price low.
WtP lasts between five and nine turns. Each turn represents one year, from 1775 to 1783, and consists of seven phases: Reinforcement Phase - the Brits get their allocation of new troops; Deal Strategy Cards - each player gets seven strategy cards; Strategy Phase - players play the strategy cards dealt to them; Winter Attrition - if your troops aren't in winter quarters, they suffer; French Naval Phase - if the French are active, they blockade one port space; Political Control Phase - determine if you can support the areas you control; and End Phase - determine if automatic victory occurs or the game ends. Otherwise play the next turn. These phases are so simple to perform that the above Sequence pretty much tells you how to play the game. However - and fortunately so - there is far more here than meets the eye, as can be seen as soon as you get into the game's two critical phases: the Strategy Phase and the Political Control Phase, that are the heart of the system.
During the Strategy Phase, players alternate playing the strategy cards dealt to them. The majority of the cards are Operations cards, which can be used to perform one of three actions: bring in reinforcements, place PC markers equal to the value of the Op card, or move a general (and up to 5 combat units) whose Strategy rating is less than or equal to the value of the Op card … a mechanic rather similar to the one Rob Markham uses in Frederick the Great. The remainder of the deck consists of cards which represent actions which occurred during the war, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which have special effects, all of which are explained on the card. Part of the charm - and fun - of the game is knowing when and how to play the cards you are dealt. As in any war, and especially one of this nature, timing is everything. Moreover, because almost every action is determined by the cards, the game is easy to learn … and play is quite rapid.
Combat is a form of that old card game, "Battle". Players get dealt combat cards based on unit strengths, leadership, militia and potential factors which apply to the unique abilities of each side. The attacker plays one of his maneuvers, hoping that the defender cannot match it, in which case the latter loses. Otherwise another round is played, but here the defender can (cf. will try) to counterattack, with the success of the counterattack based on his leader's battle rating. Battle success is dependent entirely on the cards … and the way in which they are played; there is no dierolling. There was some initial outcry that this was far too simplistic, not worthy of Manly Wargamers. Not so. True, battles do not last long (in game-play terms), but the use of cards forces the players to make decisions. It takes a few battles to see where Herman is coming from … and where you should be heading. And making tough decisions is what fun game-playing is all about.
Battles may be what war is all about, but the heart of the game is Political Control. You win not through beating the other player on the battlefield but by controlling "hearts and minds", represented by the PC markers. The PC's are relatively easy to place; they are far more difficult to retain, as they must be supported. Both sides can support their PC by tracing a line of communication from the PC marker to an open space or to a friendly combat unit. The Americans can also support their PC by being able to also trace a LOC to a General or to the Continental Congress, if the latter isn't busy hiding.
Victory is determined by how many colonies each side controls politically at the end of the game. A colony is controlled by the side having more PC, with ties being favorable to the Continental. It took a few whippings as the British to understand the intent of the design: military force is not the starting point for colony control; PC is. However, PC without the necessary military support is doomed. This is a different approach than the other games on the subject have taken, wherein military force and presence is usually the end-all determinant.
WtP does a very good job of portraying the strengths and weaknesses of each side, but in a very simple manner. The intricacies, strategies, and nuances of play belie the game's simplicity. It's sort of like chess: it's easy to play but difficult to play well. Each year's strategy phase becomes a poker-like game, where, although you might have a winning hand, your opponent, through superior play, may just bluff you out of the pot.
This is a slick design, certainly the Revolutionary War equivalent of A House Divided. It is not the hard core, definitive game on the subject, but a low complexity, easily accessible game with depth and detail far greater than the rules would have you believe. It says a great deal that I was able to teach my wife the rules and watch her use sound strategy to beat me, all in under two hours. Even more amazing, she liked it!
Unfortunately, the fear is that, other than providing something to which non-gaming, Significant Others can relate, We The People is in danger of appealing to only three groups: Fans of the Revolutionary War; People who are looking to introduce newcomers to wargaming; and Wargamers who enjoy good, quick games with esoteric mechanics (i.e. well crafted, non-hex games). The main barrier to a wider circle of acceptance will most likely be the $40 price tag. Gamers don't seem to mind shelling out 40 clams for such meaty stuff as SPQR, et al.
At $40, though, it's not going to be picked up by someone new to the hobby, who is going to look for something less expensive with which to start. It's going to take some effort on the grognards to get in into hands of the newcomers. This is a shame, because although WtP may not be a classic (yet), it's a nifty design which plays fast, provides lots of fun, and is actually a decent portrayal of the American Revolution.
CAPSULE COMMENTS
Graphic Presentation: Excellent, despite a few glitches.
Playability: Excellent, and in under 2 hours. Solitaire is a schizophrenic stretch.
Replayability: Very high, because of the card system.
Creativity: What else would you expect from this designer?
Historicity: There are no historical unit designations, and the Declaration of Independence may not get signed, but it portrays the problems of both sides fairly accurately.
Comparisons: Far more accessible, but far less detailed, than its militarily-oriented, standard format predecessors, such as the chromeless 1776, the cramped 13: The Colonies in Revolt, and the underdeveloped Give Me Liberty. It's actually more like Go than anything else.
Overall: Well worth skipping one month's mortgage payment.
from The Avalon Hill Game Co.
16" x 22" mounted map; 132 Die-cut playing pieces; 13 plastic stands; 96 strategy and 64 battle cards; Rules and Historical booklet; Player aid card.
Avalon Hill, 4517 Harford Road, Baltimore MD. $40
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© Copyright 1993 by Richard Berg
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