Chocolate Box Wars (CBW) Rules Version 2
Greetings, dear reader(s). The short version of the latest news is that the Chocolate Box Wars Resource Page has been updated. Specifically, a new version of the rules has been posted (V2) along with an updated player reference (version 25). The new version has a bright blue cover to help discriminate it from the previous version (v1, which had a red cover). There are also two rules videos posted (illustrating the revised Rally and the Retire and Reform rule). If interested, please follow the link above to the resource page.
Front side of Updated Player Reference (v25)
The header of the accompanying updated player reference is also bright blue. This player reference replaces the interim player references that had been posted. There is now only one player reference (v25).
What's Different?
Version 2 of the rules is not a major change. It incorporates the more permissive artillery Move and Fire action described in the December 19 Post and a more permissive version of the Rally rule that was revised to better reflect the base process found in the base 1914 rules. The previous, more restrictive Rally is still available, but it is now in the optional rules (along with a brief rationale and an explanation of the different effects that both Rally versions have on play).
These rules changes and the updated player reference were proofed during the Chocolate Box Wars Tournament.
The rules videos were produced to help illustrate the two unique "recovery" actions (Rally, and Retire and Reform) so that players would be able to manage these unique actions for themselves during the tournament.
The State of the System
The system has now been proofed in a series of games that I've facilitated with a variety of players and in a series of tournament games that players have managed on their own. The rules have proven to be stable, and the few modifications stemming from those experiences are reflected in this version, which should be final and definitive (in other words, barring some novel circumstance arising that we have not yet seen, I don't expect that there will be any further modifications). If interested, please see the CBW Resource Page for the updated materials.
Excelsior!
Congratulations on getting your rules to a "completed" stage, Ed!
ReplyDeleteBeing a realist (and knowing the lifespan of any of our projects), I'll keep the quotes around "completed" just in case...
DeleteLOL. That's the thing about rule writing. Your actually never done, you just abandon them after a while as they are done enough.
DeleteJust like children. 😁
Well done on completing your rules Ed.
ReplyDeleteThankee, Donnie!
DeleteGood to see you still hard at work on your rules, Ed.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a long time coming. Time to shift to getting things on the table!
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ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a job well done.
DeleteThanks, Richard. My hope is that with this last revise, the resource page has now been simplified (compared to where it was earlier)--there are now only a few essential downloads that are easily recognized to get started (the rules and the player reference).
DeleteOnce again Ed you provide top-drawer 'after sales' service. Sets for which one forks out tens of dollars do not provide a free, full update for a couple of changes. Such things are posted as a bit of errata (if you are lucky) and stored up for a second edition for which one is expected to fork out another tens of dollars. But I digress...
ReplyDeleteDuly downloaded. Both changes seem really sensible. It's great that you kept the previous rally rule in there, but explained the reason for the change. I can see that it would have made any of the reactive player's troops with hits extremely vulnerable. You can tell from this that I have not yet used them (sorry!). Other hobby 'ambitions' are taking preference, but you never know. 'Structured procrastination' can work as well for hobby activities as it does/did for working life—the second or third most important thing getting precedence :).
Best wishes, James
Appreciate the input, as always, James. I'm impressed that you drilled down to read the rationale for the old vs new rally--and your interpretation of the effect is spot on. Speaking of structured procrastination, I intend to add more rules videos, eventually having one for every major section). Right now, the two I have up (Rally and Retire and Reform) address the two rules that the tournament experience indicated that warranted illustration.
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