This no.8 was my no.1. The first Jeux & Stratégie magazine. 1981. April-May Edition. The gateway to a whole new world of games! Board games, but more than those.
A magazine published only every two months. A time interval more than enough to explore in depth the nearly 100 pages of each issue.
To imagine some of the games described, learn rules and strategy, solve puzzles. To pull-out the central pages, containing a brand new game, with a board to unfold, parts to cut and assemble, and finally play it.
And then, start waiting for the following issue. And so it went, including the move to monthly edition, to a new format and to the end of J&S.
I am still able to quickly find some of the articles from those days.
A varied menu, as always.
The award of the Golden Pawn to the game "Étoiles Filantes". Some news from electronics, with the arrival of the Atari console to France. The presentation of new games: Quad-ominos, Magellan, Kamicubes and Zodiac.
An introduction to Backgammon, with a bit of history, rules, basic principles of strategy and tactics, an annotated match and a problem to solve. An approach repeated, in each issue, always featuring new games.
Then the problems of logic, in a spacial adventure format. This is how I became friend with Centaurians, some of them always saying the Truth, others telling Lies, others still ever Changing and even some that didn't make any sense!
An article on the theme of colours as gaming core material, in a set of easy enough games to DIY, not necessarily easy to play, including the front page super cube, and the instructions to build the 64 required mini cubes! I didn't go that far.
Another usual section, games for calculators, with all the lines of code needed for the HP34C or TI 58/59. Just press those keys.
Also the playing cards, with the Liar Poker and the Trianon.
And many diverse puzzle, in the realm of letters, numbers and other symbols. Plus the pages of problems: chess, tarot, scrabble (in French, of course), bridge, French checkers, go.
The games of alliances were the main dossier, with emphasis on Diplomacy, a confrontation between the European Nations of the early 20th century, with a good set of ingredients: importance of geopolitics, being truly different playing with each of the Nations; need for alliances; negotiations in the open or in restricted groups; military orders written simultaneously for each player; afterwards, the simultaneous resolution, the real test for alliances and the revelation of betrayals. A “serious” and high voltage game!
Thanks to the possibility to request a revised set of rules, AM (ante mail), which contained the drawing of the map, and some, well, substantial, hand work, at the time, it was possible to recreate the board, and to play a game that wouldn’t arrive at Portugal for ages. But that's another story.
Beyond Diplomacy, featured in the article: Russian Civil War (SPI), Kingmaker (Philmar), Samurai, Hexagony, Machiavelli and Wizard's Quest (all from Avalon Hill).
Finally, last but not least, the original game that came in each issue. Here, Tetrarchy, by Joël Gourdon and Jean-Pierre Pécau, keeping in line with the main theme, diplomacy.
The Western Roman Empire the Eastern Roman Empire. Two sides, two Augustus, two Caesars and two Generals. And a power struggle even within each field, with each one of the 6 players trying to reach the end of the game as Augustus. Roman legions and hordes of barbarians at the gates of the Empire. Sending troops and fighting. Gold and tax collection. Religions. Epidemics, riots, famine, invasions, good or bad harvests. And of course, alliances, always temporary.
A game with some complexity and the need for six players.
A good start, this no.8 that was no. 1!
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