Well, the Paraguay game is not developed in the way I had anticipated. Despite an act of naked aggression, twice, war has yet to come. There have been demonstrations outside presidential palaces, but so far no reaction. Players have been too busy writing to Queen Victoria (played by Janet, my wife, when she can't avoid giving an opinion - she is not amused), drilling their armies and trying to acquire state of the art technology. It's not that they are ignorant of the period, for some know more than I do. It all has a bearing on a letter from Mike Buttle where he says that he has revised his opinion on player inaction. The player's aim is to be in a game that interests him - his objectives will vary according to individual preference, from taking an active part to abstaining from involvement. A player running Britain might interfere in Egypt and Hanover, or adopt a policy of "If you don't fight me, I'll do nothing to annoy you". A referee shouldn't be worried. An historical scenario will be enhanced because the players are educated in its basic history (or should that read "educated with the propaganda written by the victors of that war"?). On the other hand, an active player is needed in countries which had reason to pursue an active policy. Installing a player uninterested in conquest as Genghis Khan in a rerun of the Mongol invasions could lead to a dull game. There are two approaches to a campaign - one is to start the game with the declaration of war, the other is to set the scene and accept that the situation may be resolved without recourse to war (though rulers may be unable to resist the pressure - Kaiser Bill thought that the response of Serbia to Austrian demands was most satisfactory, but there were too many people wanted a war). With suitable economic pressures built into the scenario, countries can be forced to war. Anyone interested in a role-playing game? "Dragonhelm" is set in a medieval realm with a few problems - well, a lot of problems actually. All sorts of roles from great noble down to runaway serf. It's fairly realistic in economics and military matters, but it might be unwise to assume that all the myths are fiction. Tinges of Blackadder I & II, and Discworld may appear, due to the GM's tastes. It is medieval, so the scope for detailed command may be limited, but is not missing. The game is playtesting so the cost is a stamped addressed envelope and a 1st class stamp. Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #124 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Solo Wargamers Association. 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