I am delighted to present a report from the winner of the Final - it arrived just this morning from Bombay! Mr. Grant Ladue details previously unthinkable events in India, where the East India Company recently collapsed under the weight of a multitude of crises.
"The Final contest featured the 1758 scenario, and it included such notable gentles as Miss Jen Tritle, Mr. Frank McNally, Mr. Marc Nelson, Mr. Jesse Adcox, and yours truly, Mr. Grant Ladue.
The game proved to be a most exhilarating affair. The Company, in its initial turn, disbursed two dividends with admirable promptness, yet thereafter seemed tragically unable to effect a successful die roll. The Company also managed to conquer Madras, though several writers were killed in subsequent uprisings. My own fortunes were scarcely more auspicious: I found myself repeatedly failing to achieve necessary rolls—four failures with three dice, four with four dice, and even a crucial roll with five dice—over the course of the final two turns. Others too were not spared from such misfortunes, with a most extraordinary lapse—a missed six-dice roll for conquest in turn three! Remarkably, despite these numerous and distressing setbacks, there was not a single catastrophic failure to mar the game—a statistical improbability verging on the miraculous.
The Company was beset on all sides through Turns 2 and 3 - failed trade attempts, standing devastated by emergency loans and falling short of expectations - but the EIC survived due to a bounty of favorable events and relative peace in the normally fractious Indian states. Such serendipity cannot long abide, however, and the Company was finally brought low in Turn 4 due to aforementioned woeful dice rolling.
Sensing these ill omens, I managed to establish a firm on turn three, utilizing two ships, two workshops, and a share. Miss Jen, ever the astute player, joined this precarious enterprise. My fortune improved as I successfully executed trade rolls on two occasions, with healthy dividends paid for our efforts. The departure of several officers also contributed to my total of four successful retirements and country estates.
Having secured the Prime Ministership in turn two, I was poised for what seemed to be a certain victory. However, when the Company fails, a card is drawn to assign blame for its fall from Grace. The Company Failure card rendered the company faultless, resulting in an unexpected reversal of fortune—a most dramatic eight-point swing that enabled Mr. Frank to equal my score and surpass Miss Jen! Yet, by a stroke of good fortune, I prevailed in the tie-breaker, having built one more glorious estate than Mr. Frank.
This tournament never fails to delight and amuse. I invariably find myself in fits of laughter at every game of John Company, for no two games are ever alike. One seemingly inconsequential roll in either the first game or the final could as easily result in my downfall from first to last. Mr. Jeff's organization of this event is unparalleled, and the Alpine room provides an ideal setting for such a splendid occasion. It is a must-play for me! I even procured my own copy from a friend during the convention on Saturday, and to my great satisfaction, I remained undefeated with it throughout the year."
When I sponsored John Company last year, I had no idea it would be so popular - indeed I almost had to turn people away in the first Heat because I didn’t have more than five copies of the game! So, I was obviously thrilled when it got promoted to Century status, but was also worried that attendance would go down as the newness wore off. All of my worries were for naught, though, as John Company continued to attract wide interest. We ended up with 25 players competing in two Heats, a Semifinal round, and a Final.
Here are some notes about the year’s competition and my thoughts for the future (I hope it will make the Century again, but if not, we would find a sponsor):
The Company did terribly, even worse than last year. There were 12 total games across the 4 rounds, and not a single one featured Company survival. Of course, JC is not a true cooperative game, and “tanking” the Company is often the best strategy for victory. However, I do find it interesting how hapless the Company really is.
For the Semifinal and Final, we used the “middle” 1758 scenario where players may have the option of creating their own firms and competing against the Company for trades. It adds a layer of rules and strategy onto the base game, but everyone enjoyed the extra tension and decision making and it certainly didn’t extend the playing times. I would definitely do this again next year and may even try to add an option for 1758 scenario in the Heats.
We changed the game tie breakers to make them less random, and this worked out well and will continue next year.
I had some feedback about the scheduling and will likely put all of the Heats and Semifinal at 6pm starts. For many players, the early start for the Semifinal and Final made scheduling more difficult since there was inevitably an afternoon conflict.
Hope to see you all next year!
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Dave Long planning his next play. |
Harald Henning looking over board to determine next action. |
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What should we do next? |
Nels Thompson trying his hand at John Company. |
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