The Viking raid is afoot! Since I sent out EGG 1, I have received 3 sets of orders for turn 1. I guess I could wait for more orders to flow in but it is my experience that they seldom do until the game is already underway. As I expected, my explanation of how to play was not descriptive enough so there Is some natural confusion in how to do it. Paddy Griffith and others have urged me to write a short descriptive piece on how a Matrix Game actually plays. I will do this but not In this article. Hopefully though seeing what happens this turn will make the whole process of play more clear. I received 3 sets of orders, 1 for the Saxons and 2 for the Vikings. Ned Zuparko (a truer Viking never walked the earth!) sent ... Action: Vikings land at Lindesfarne. Result: Entire population flees, spreading rumors of a Viking force ten times out real size. Reasons: 1) The millennium is nigh, and throughout the land the religious leaders have predicted the world will end. Our raid Is seen as evidence of that and all feel It useless to-resist. 2) Our crew is extremely experienced and have "seen it all" - they know how, and are able to raid, fight, exploit circumstances, and even Improvise when necessary. 3) Last season, after the harvest was gathered and bartered or sold for goods and money, a virulent epidemic (now over) hit the area, decimating the male population. Ned's argument is excellent. He gives a clear action and a very plausible result from that action. Unfortunately here is where my pregame explanation of how to play got in the way. Ned's 3 reasons are fine, unfortunately they do not come from the Matrix. All except for #2 which expands on the element "Raiders well trained." It is a fault of the present turn resolution system that only Matrix ELEMENTS help an argument win. This rules out reasons 1 and 3. Hold on though, Ned, your argument is not lost yet. Recently it occurred to me that if all the players agreed that a given reason SHOULD be In the Matrix, then it should count toward winning (and consequently become part of the Matrix). obviously the players could not discuss this, so I took it up with the local peanut gallery. I would only take one person's objection to shoot down a reason. We looked at reason I and everybody liked it. My brother Ian actually gave me historical citation to back it up. No one objected so viola, it is now in the Matrix. When we looked at 3, the reaction was different. Ian asked, "How do we know there was an epidemic last year. It all sounds a bit self serving if you ask me." Sadly I had to agree with him. Even Matrix arguments can't be stretched too far. So Ian's objection shot 3 down (remember it only takes I person to object so even if I disagreed with Ian, 3 would still be out). The end result is that Ned has 2 reasons backing him up. He is making a presenting argument (which does not make his argument stronger - as a yes and argument does - but nor does it make his argument weaker.- as a not actually argument does). This leave Ned with a 2. What the 2 means is that for Ned's argument to not be ruled out, I must roll a 1 or 2 on a 6 sided die. on my first roll I rolled a 5. Sorry Ned, but that means your argument is out. It could have stayed in the running as long as I rolled a 1 or 2, but it was not to be. Chris Engle (Yea, I get to play too!) sent... Action: The Vikings of Trondheim, land at Lindesfarne. (Sound familiar?) Result: The Monks Flee In terror. Reasons: 1) The monks FEAR the Vikings. 2) Battle is a good place to run from. 3) Berserkers laugh at death. I gave a clear action and result; as well as 3 reasons from the Matrix. Like Ned,.. my presenting argument does not modify my chances of winning so I end up with a 3 chance. Lucky as ever, I roll a 3 on my first roll. I am still in the running. Unfortunately, as my luck so often does, I lost my next roll with a 5. if no other argument can make it past their first roll then MY argument will win. But if even a single argument survives 2 rolls, it will win and I will be out. Another Error on my part now becomes clear. Along with every argument sent in, players also need to send in a Presenting argument for the next turn. Ned did not do so, but since he has been ruled out my error is safely hidden. My presenting argument for turn 2 is ... Action: The Vikings spend the turn looting Lindesfarne. Result: They find much loot and the holy relics of Saint Cuthbert. Reasons: 1) monks have treasure. 2) Raiders seek to gain wealth. 3) Vikings are Barbarians. The last turn came from Chris Blair, the ONLY Saxon In play at the moment. He sends... Action: YES, England is at peace. Result: AND, nothing happens, AND 2nd Result: Egbert, Thane of Alton rides to Lindesfarne with all his Housecarls. Reasons: 1) Mounted men can travel anywhere in 1 turn. 2) Thanes have horses. 3) Thanes serve God, and so are going to church. Another excellent argument. If Chris wins then the Vikings will be facing tough opposition If they try to land at Lindesfarne. Chris' argument is a YES AND argument so he is accepting the presenting argument (A - England at peace, R Nothing happens) and adding a 2nd result to it. YES AND argument are strong (in my arbitrary opinion) so this gives Chris a 1 chance. He also has 3 reasons from the Matrix which add 3 to his original 1; giving him a 4 chance on a 6 sided die. On the 1st roll,. Chris got a 2, so he is in the running. of course I cursed his luck since this tied him with me. If he were to go on and loose his 2nd roll, then no one would win. In effect it is a turn in which nothing critical occurred and turn 2 would be a repeat of turn 1. Unfortunately for the Vikings (but fortunately for the game). Chris' next roll was a 3. Since his argument survived more turns of rolling (or ruling out if you choose to look on it like that) he wins. So, the following happened on turn 1 ... England is at peace; which causes nothing to happen except that Egbert of Alton rode to Lindesfarne with all his housecarls. Chris' Presenting Argument for turn 2 Is what all us players'now get to argue against. His argument is... Action: The holy farm folk of Puddleby come to Lindesfarne for a special Mass. Result: They will reach Lindesfarne on turn 3. Reasons: 1) The peasants have FAITH. 2) Monks are respected by Saxons. 3) Walking men take two turns to reach destinations (ie 2 and 3). So now we get to decide what to do next. Imagine the Thane of Alton sitting in Lindesfarne, obviously looking forward to some religious celebration. Imagine also the men of Puddleby. Will they go or not? Are they even really preparing to go? And then think of the Vikings, lurking off the coast waiting to strike where the are least expected. We are all making Counter Arguments to Chris' Presenting Argument of turn 2. You can do a YES AND argument like Chris did, and add a second result that happened because the peasants went to Lindesfarne. or you may want to do a YES BUT argument, which would- allow you to accept Chris' action but change the result from that action (like delaying their arrival to turn 4 or saying they are in revolt or something). A YES BUT Is not as strong (arbitrarily I see it as equal to a presenting argument), but it isn't weak. If neither of these options thrills you you can do a NO ACTUALLY argument, which means you want a completely different Action and Result to happen. This is a weak argument, but who knows, sometimes weak arguments win. Remember to send what you want the presenting argument to be in turn 3 so that if you win, your initiative will direct the action of the next turn. There is a neat facit of Matrix Games that is hard to explain to people who have not seen a game played (as you now have). As the game goes on, the Results form the turns change the Matrix. In other words the arguments of the players changes the world. It does this in a very simple way (Yea sure, you say. Simple, I'll believe it when I see it). it works like this: the RESULT of the turn that wins become a new ELEMENT in the Matrix. So if you want you can use the fact that Egbert of Alton is at Lindesfarne as a REASON to support your argument. Egbert at Lindesfarne is obviously a temporary thing, so when he leaves this element will disappear from the Matrix. But some new elements are permants; like say, Lindesfarne is burned. It may be rebuilt but in the span of the game it is gone. Another example of a permanent new element might be that the men of Puddleby (a very Viking sounding name) are actually Vikings who will rise in support of their fellow nationals. With a little imagination, it is amazing how you can find the silver lining to every dark cloud. So we are off again! If you are not in the game yet, pick a side and jump in. if you are in, send in another turn. Who knows what will happen next?! Back to Experimental Games Group # 2 Table of Contents Back to Experimental Games Group List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1989 by Chris Engle This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com