republic of rome [Updated October 2002]

ROR  4 prizes Beginners Mult Ent Sing Elim Scheduled 
 Rnd1 Heat1  18
 Rnd1 Heat2 18      
 Round 2  18  Final    

   Valley

Sean Larsen, NJ

2002 Champion

2nd: Craig Moffitt, NJ

3rd: Bret Mingo, MD

4th: Brad Anderson, OH

5th: Chase Bramwell, OH

6th: Rob Seulowitz, NY

Event History
1991    Jim Doughan      20
1992    Robert Rudolph      23
1993    Sean Finnerty      23
1994    Chris Greenfield      25
1995    Michael Ehlers      37
1996    Michael Ehlers      41
1997    Chris Bartiromo      27
1998    Charles Dunn      32
1999    Brian Ecton     27
2000    Chase Bramwell     31
2001    Tom Phillips     32
2002    Sean Larsen     27


AREA Ratings


GM: Steve Munchak

Past Winners

Jim Doughan - PA
1991

1992: Robert Rudolph - PA
1994: Chris Greenfield - NJ
2000: Chase Bramwell - OH

Sean Finnerty - NY
1993

Michael Ehlers - MD
1995-1996

Chris Bartiromo - NJ
1997

Charles Dunn - VA
1998

Brian Ecton - VA
1999

Tom Phillips - NJ
2001
     
 

and the game defeats all comers again ...

This year's ROR tournament was an eventful one. Six 5-player games were played in the two heats. In the first heat, all three games ended with the time-limit and a most-total-faction-influence victory. The second heat had a little more variety. There was a win by total influence, but one was won by Consul for Life election and the other was won by a rebel defeating the Senate in battle.

Highlights were:
* Chase Bramwell won Game 1 with most total influence. The players survived five wars (one was a matching war) being drawn on Turn 1 and a Sardinian revolt that killed a governor and became a war.
* Sean Larson won Game 2, with most total influence. Again the players survived some bad times. Six wars were drawn in the first three turns and the Roman Senate was defeated in battles against the Spanish and Germans
* Craig Moffit was the Game 3 winner also by total influence. He was the RC on the games' last turn when he moved from third to first place in influence. In an effort to speed play, the GM suggested that the concessions disbursement were unimportant since there would not be another revenue phase (note to self ­ keep quiet next year). However, one of the concessions was Shipbuilding. On a whim, the other players proposed the concession go to the RC; he accepted it. He then, using all his votes, money, and intrigue cards was able to have Rome buy 22 fleets and 12 legions (he also had armaments). This gave him enough money to win every proposal from then on. After surviving an assassination, he proceeded to send his opponents to war at zero odds and to send himself to war at overwhelming odds. He won, the others died.
* Brad Anderson was the Game 4 winner. He also won by total influence, but spent 82T on the last initiative to persuade a senator to his side. He then survived an assassination and a major prosecution attempt (by re-spending the 82T on votes).
* Bret Mingo won Game 5 by being elected Consul for Life. His initial tribune with the proposal was murdered, but the RC proposed him again. The RC was well behind in funds compared to the other factions and wanted the other factions to spend money to vote down the CFL. The other factions felt this unfair and refused to pay any money, so the CFL vote succeeded.
* Warren Day won Game 6 in spectacular fashion. On Turn 4, Rome was facing three active wars, so they appointed him Dictator. He won his battle and then rebelled, convincing seven legions to join him. Unfortunately for Rome, the unrest was high and the next population roll resulted in a no-recruitment for Rome. The Senate still had enough forces to send the RC out at -1 or to appoint another Dictator. However, the fear was that a Dictator would also rebel. Other bickering among the senators resulted in the RC fighting the rebel at -7 odds. Even with these bad odds, the senate barely lost to the rebel.

The Finals had five of the six heat winners and the first alternate present (Rob Seulowitz replaced Warren Day) for a six-player game of the Late Republic. Bad draws from the deck produced several wars early on (with matching leaders) and bad dice rolls in combat produced stand-offs and stalemates. By the combat phase of Turn 3, there were six active wars. Rome, with a Dictator, was only able to defeat one of three wars fought and thus all six players lost to the game. We had lost two hours and now it was 8 pm ­ still not too late. So we began the Late Republic scenario anew. However, by 11:30, the same situation had occurred again. The players, even with reasonable combat strength advantages, were not able to roll their way to victory in enough wars and Rome fell once again; this time to five active wars. It was too late to begin a third time, so the GM decided to award the victory to the current high influence faction ­ Sean Larson.

This is the third time in the last four years that the game has won in the finals. I am not sure how much of this is bad luck and how much is players being stingy in allocating troops to war. In any event, we must come up with a house rule to cover this contingency so the ROR champion is actually the game winner. Although there are some provisions in the game to counter D/S dice rolls (multiple commanders vs. same war), I suggest something along the lines listed below, be used next year:

* Increase the active war total to 5 or 6 before Rome is declared lost
* Ignore the active war total completely for Rome defeat (the logic being that Rome is already penalized enough by paying 20T per turn per war and gaining unrest for the unprosecuted wars)
* Treat any wars drawn, when three wars are already active, with the matching war rule (they are set aside for one turn to allow Rome to handle the current active wars)
* When there are already three active wars, allow Rome to delay a newly drawn war by paying a 'bribe' to the war of 40T (this can be repeatedly paid each turn if Rome desires and has the funds)

If anyone has other ideas and/or playtests these alternatives during the year, please e-mail me with the information (munchaks@cna.org). The other house rule, limiting assassinations to use of one assassin and/or bodyguard card seemed well received. I intend to use the same format for 2003, but require some volunteer GM assistants to run one of the heats.

 GM      Steve Munchak  [1st Year]   NA
    munchaks@cna.org   NA

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