IHMN Tournament/meet-up

[tp]

Are there any plans for some kind of tournament or meet up for IHMN. I have yet to play a game but am currently putting my first company together and I always like meeting new opponents. Now I know IHMN probably doesn't lend its self to tournament play very well, but I'm sure something could be organised.

[Craig]

We have no plans to run a tournament here in the UK. As you say IHMN is not really a tournament game, far too much left in the rules to common decency and cooperative play.

I am informed that there shall be a participation game at Salute 2014, and there may be similar games at Vapnartak and Hammerhead, but the latter two are as yet unconfirmed.

[MalcyBogaten]

Personally, I don't like serious tournament/competition games as such. But a bring your Company to a punch up style event could be fun.

The problem anybody would have would be Venue (Established show or "Special") How many participants? Based on people, comitting to it, able to get to it, space available and organising it. Then adjudicators for rules differences, point tally, house rule style things.

I think it would be good to see everyones (or as many peoples as could make it somewheres' efforts in the flesh so to speak) But we are kind of spread out.

Local shows and mentioning you're going to run a Demo or Participation, would be the way to go.

Then if we feel brave enough to carry our stuff along to bemuse the announcer we could. (Even possibly have a game if time allows?)

Just a thought. But if someone could organise an event, I'd probably harangue some friends to drive if it wasn't too far.

See what the Ineffable Nick Eyre has to say?

Malc

[Craig]

Shaun, of the Wargames Holiday Centre and producer of the most excellent IHMN Cityscape at Salute 2013, did try to put on an IHMN weekend. However, there were insufficient takers to make it pay.

[Michi]

We could put up a list of gamers here who roughly describe/name the area or location where they are.
People can then arrange the occasional team-up or tournament by pm.

[tp]

A serious tournament would never work, but a light hearted meet up could be fun. Personally I would still organise the games via Swiss system just so people with similar powered companies end up playing one another. I enjoy swiss tournaments because I always end up down the bottom tables with the other folks who are just there for the craic and a few beers.
It could either be run with no winner or a winner decided by a large part on 'soft' scores. Painting, conversations, cool theme etc.
The Foundry in Nottingham have a venue which I believe is free to use...

[Tehet]

Just to confirm that COGS/GCN will be taking the game to Vapnartak, Hammerhead, Cannon, Salute and Triples. We will be using the Storybook/Once Upon a Time variation which does allow competition between up to 8 players. The system has been described in a previous article on this fine forum.

[Craig]

Just to confirm that COGS/GCN will be taking the game to Vapnartak, Hammerhead, Cannon, Salute and Triples. We will be using the Storybook/Once Upon a Time variation which does allow competition between up to 8 players. The system has been described in a previous article on this fine forum.

Which means that we shall have two IHMN games at Salute 2014 

The White Hart team, including our very own indubitable Dewbakuk, shall be doing a Dark Continent table.

I am thinking I shall have to put up a 2014 show calendar on the blog!

[Craig]

New thread on Lead Adventure IHMN Child board has been set up.

[tp]

Oh, I've thought of a way of doing this...

It sits somewhere between tournament and campaign day. It is themed around 'The Hunt for the Golden Frog' or something similar.

Basically the event is run as normal tourney, with a number of games through out the event 2, 3 and 4 player, matched up via a swiss system. But....

...some games, or possibly all games have an extra objective counter, a clue to the where abouts of the Golden frog. These counters have no bearing on the individual games but are otherwise fought of as normal, in addition each player has to protect clues they have won from previous games, placing them somewhere on the table, or leaving them with a model.

As more and more clues come into play who is in the lead at any one time will change wildly.

The last game of the event is between the 4 (or 6, or what ever) players who finished the previous battle with the most clues. This decides the ultimate winner of the event.

[Craig]

Interesting ideas there TP.

My main concern is that the rules are not written for competitive play and a range of issues are likely to arise as people get all passionate and the rules lawyers march onto the field of play.

For example the points system. It works reasonably well for campaigns and friendly games as a simple balancing mechanism. However, I expect people would begin to create min-max lists for tournaments based on the fact that there are very few limitations on numbers of different types of troops. So we would see British Army lists, for example, with multiple machine guns, and lesser cost troops would disappear in favour of souped-up leaders.

Having people contributing to a developing storyline is a good idea, but the moment we have winners, and therefore losers, it will take the focus away from the story and into the competition.

That said, the ethos underlying our games is giving players freedom to do their own thing. So if you would like to run a competition/tournament you don't need our blessing to do so. Indeed we encourage all players to experiment and expand the rules to their own purpose  . So go for it and let us know how it went.

[steharan]

I'll throw my two penneth in:

I personally am not an advocate of tournament play whether it be with IHMN or any other system as it instills the ethos of "winning" over "playing" a game. I am not for second deriding or belittling anyone who wants to challenge both themselves and others, in fact the whole idea of challenging oneself against others is a valid method of self improvement (maslows hierarchy etc).

However the idea of campaign play where a story is told (retold?) would definitely get my support. My own endeavours with IHMN have been along the lines of telling a story, thus becoming very inclusive for other players even though the tale is told from the point of view of only one protagonist.

I would heartily support an IHMN campaign day that develops a storyline, thus my pitiful forces becoming part of a greater whole and can picture the event being at Foundry's lovely building with players exploring the world of IHMN collaboratively - maybe even a theme drawn from HVF or the forthcoming Oriental book.

Anyway enough pontificating, I'm off to build Inspector Johnsons' Police Station 

[MalcyBogaten]

I agree with everyone. That sounds very strange?

Any game should have a scenario/goal. An overall campaign is better, but tricky without a writer/scene setter or GM.

The points system being as Craig says a guideline, which I myself and my compatriots have already messed with and may be a problem as I daresay others have done the same.

As Steharan says Tournament play instills the wrong sort of feel, that's for me personally.

But if any form of get together, showing and telling is announced. If I could get there I would.

I will watch the IHMN blog show thread with interest for the West Midlands.

[tp]

Hmmm, personally I would be happy to trust people not to abuse the points system. But I suppose it would only take one or two players to go all out to win and it would ruin it for everyone.

So what we would need is a number of scenarios that tie in together, with out having any overall 'winner'.

I suppose grouping players up into Meta-factions could work...

[Craig]

Here is an idea I put together a while back but never finished:

Dark Days in Ruritania
Introduction
This is a small but strategically important state that straddles the Danube, and the proposed Berlin-Baghdad railroad. If this railroad is completed it will secure oil supplies for Germany for years to come.
The popular King of Ruritania, Rudolf III, is dying. His two most obvious heirs are the twins Rudolf Albert and Rudolf Heinrich.  Albert favours better relations with Britain and thus would block the railroad. Whereas Heinrich favours the Kaiser and would allow the railroad.
There is a younger brother, the dashing Rupert, who is a complete Francophile and would allow the railroad but charge extortionate tolls upon it. He would take these in the form of oil and then ship down the Rhine to sell to France.
The decision on who becomes the next king when Rudolf III dies lies with the Ruritanian Assembly of Deputies. This is a meeting of all the heads of the noble families in the kingdom. As soon as the old King dies they will meet and vote.

So how does this inform the game?
Each player shall receive an envelope in which shall be the name of one of the three Princes. He must keep this secret from his opponents right up until the vote. The player's companies are being hired to perform missions on behalf of their Prince.
Now for each 10 VP's a Player gains he gets one vote in the Assembly of Deputies. Essentially as he succeeds he is currying favour or gaining influence with one of the nobles in the Assembly.
Certain objectives will also allow him to sabotage his fellows, or gain material advantages to use in later games.
At the end of all the games the players will be asked to cast their votes for one of the three Princes in reverse alphabetical order. As the vote goes on other players can use any special objective cards they have.
The winners are the players whose Prince is voted as King. The overall winner is the one who cast the most votes for that Prince. The lead character in that player's company is immediately ennobled and can use the title of the Duke of Höfenbrau from then on.

Special Reward cards
Here are some examples of the sort of card I was trying to go for:
• Scandal. All the votes a player gained from one game are cancelled as that Noble's reputation is besmirched by news that he like to secretly dress up as a dancer and do the Can-Can before his servants.
• Assassination. One Prince of the player's choice is attacked by an assassin. The Prince is well-protected and as a result has a Pluck of 2+. Roll to see if he dies. If he does all votes that have not yet been cast for him can then be cast for one of the other two Princes.
• Revelation. The player reveals that one of the Princes is in fact an imposter. The actual Prince is being held by one of his brothers. The captive Prince immediately takes five votes from the brother who had him incarcerated and replaced.
• The Gypsy Queen. In the course of the battle you saved the life of an ancient gypsy soothsayer. In your next game one of your leaders may use a single mystical power of up to 15 points in value, but once only. This must be chosen before the game begins.