Let me start of by congratulating Mark on an excellent game. I wish I had gotten to the convention earlier to play in the Three Musketeers game. I came down to Louisville (where I was born) specifically to play Mark's Matrix Game. For years now I've longed for the day when I could be a player and not the referee! Paul Hayes' USSA PBEM, last summer, gave me my first real taste of playing. But Mark's game gave me the real thing!!!I lost – BIG – but it was still great fun.
OVERVIEW OF THE SCENARIO
Hwa Rang Do refers to an elite, martial arts combat unit in 7th century Korea. In the 650's (when England was divided into seven different kingdoms) Korea was divided into three kingdoms. Over the space of many years, one of the Kingdoms took over. Lots of Chinese help make it look like a Chinese victory but in fact, all of Korea was ruled by one Korean for the first time.
The three kingdoms are Silla, Peakche and Kogyuro. China and Japan stand as other potential players.
In the PBEM I run Silla. (Or it might be better said I've run Silla into the dirt!) My wretched play online influenced my face to face game considerable. Online my nobles rebelled against me. Walled Cities have proven very valuable and failure in battle proven to make or break a ruler.
In the face to face game I resolved to correct these mistakes. Of course it did not turn out as I expected.
MATRIX GAME VISION
The online game is proving to be full of battles and great events. Treachery, bravery, deceit and other nastiness reign. My vision for the face to face game was to play it a little more cagey.
I started off making a speech to unify my people and short circuit any attempts to turn my men disloyal. Then I made certain my city walls were safe. But after that I lost my way and reacted for the rest of the game.
How did I lose it? What distracted me? Good subtle play!
My neighbor sent "bandits" into my kingdom to burn crops. I reacted by putting out patrols. Then he hit me with famine. Then he slipped through my patrols by posing as grain merchants. I foiled one assassination charge and was able to judo throw a number of my neighbors actions but at the expense of building up my own position. All this left our big neighbor to the north to collect his strength and move in on us.
I, of course, conspired with the northern giant but when he eventually moved into my home ground I was faced with a terrible choice. I could fight and re-experience the PBEM or I could roll over and act as a king maker. I chose the later.
When I called the Northern King "Son of Heaven" he became emperor. Not because of me but because the remaining king could not fight both of us!!!
This could have ended the game but I suggested that we instead continue and see how we ruled the land.
My nobles flocked north to join the Imperial Court. I made an argument that the government would have three offices: Commander of the Army, Admiral and Secretary of State. In the next few arguments the Emperor took the army, my neighbor got the navy and I got the bureaucracy. We built roads, Buddhist temples, sent missions to China and Japan, built a strong navy, fostered trade and eventually brokered an Imperial Wedding!
I sneakily argued to get the office of "Master of Ceremonies" which put me in charge of court ritual. This helped me make the Imperial Wedding happen.
At games end, I was clearly the weakest player (everyone else had more soldiers than me). But I had the largest new temple in my lands, sat astride the trade routes, had my family well placed at court (several courts at that!) But most important – my family were the one's who wrote the history books! So though in reality we were the losers of the game I was able to lie in history and make us look much more important than we were!!!
AFTERMATH
I am looking forward to playing in more Matrix Games in the future! Who knows, some day I may be able to join a game and not have anybody know my role in getting the games going. Now that's a goal!!!
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© Copyright 2000 by Chris Engle.
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