Market Garden AP

Cool, so I started running Market Garden for my skype gaming group. Their first batch of characters is in the 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne Division. You can read all about it on my blog if you have nothing better to do with the next half-hour of your life. I didn't spare any details. In addition to the gripping narrative, I've made a running commentary of the things I thought I did right and the stuff I did wrong. Since we haven't published supporting text for the playbooks we released, this is probably the next best thing for understanding how to run the game. So, if you're interested in running the Regiment yourself check it out here:

http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/the-regiment-ap-operation-market-garden-session-1/

If you make it to the end of the post (or if you just skip there, because I'm telling you where to find it), I've discussed the end of session XP guidelines called, letters home.

Our second session is up on my blog, here: http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/the-regiment-ap-operation-market-garden-session-2/.

G'Day Paul,

Just wanted to chime in and tell you that I'm really enjoying your AP and am looking forward to trying the game out. (After Uni assignment...)

I've actually been thinking that for a really cinematic game, using a "Commando" comic for inspiration might actually be better than a movie. I have a collection of them in a volume all about ANZACS which might be fun to mine for scenario ideas. These comics concentrate on small unit actions that are big on heroics and drama.

Cheers,

Stu.

Stu,

Take inspiration from whatever motivates you and your players to play. Could be a comic, could be a movie, could be a book - fictional or not! If you do Operation Crusader or Gallipoli, I want to hear all about it.

Good luck with your assignment!

-Paul

I just browsed a few scanned pages of Commando... looks perfect for The Regiment.

Session 3 AP is here!
http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-regiment-ap-operation-market-garden-session-3/

Session 4 AP is here! Happy 4th!

http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/the-regiment-ap-operation-market-garden-session-4/

Session 5 AP it here!
http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/session-5-arnhem-sector-british-1st-airborne-division/

Wow, they keep coming - I've been reading along and figured I should say as much - great APs! Thanks for posting 'em.

Cool, thanks! Glad you like them. I plan to keep posting them as we play.

Hi Paul,

Very entertaining AP!

I've not had time to play again recently but I do know that I will never go to the trouble of working out the strategic detail that you do. Your attention to detail in this regard is awesome.

You obviously enjoy the strategic/historical part of this so more power to you but
I've played twice now and so far am a much bigger fan of keeping the team at squad level and below and having them not really understand the strategic situation at all. This creates something of a "fog of war" which feels very atmospheric. This also keeps a lid on the number of "backup characters" which again increases the pressure and makes everyone feel every casualty.

I'd be keen to see what you've done with the moves for your latest version as I thought that the game already worked pretty well. (Gunna post some suggestions in another thread)

Thanks so much for the game. Most tactical RPGs get boring and slow. This one manages to make decisions meaningful and stories vivid without this becoming a problem.
Stu.

(I think this game might be awesome done in the Pacific. I'll have to give it a crack sometime.)


 

Stuart, thanks for sharing your thoughts. How you tell the story, to the extent that you bring the big picture into play is a thing I think every group will probably do a little differently. John, I think, has a similar mindset to you. I'm a giant history nerd, so I like to bring that into the games I run. My gaming group is kinda that way too.

Strictly speaking, the Regiment is supposed to be about the squad or team in the moment and not about the grand strategic scale. So, keep doing what you're doing.

Revisions are definitely in work.

This is a great AP! I like seeing the design notes as the game develops.

Session 6 & 7 APs up on my blog!

Session 6
http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/the-regiment-ap-operation-market-garden-session-6/

Session 7
http://enigmamachinations.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/the-regiment-ap-operation-market-garden-session-7/

So good.