Fall of Rome

January 2005 Newsletter

Commentary on Strategy Games including Poker

As we ring in the New Year, we have high expectations for the growth of Fall of Rome and the debut of new games like Centurion this year! Thank you all for your interest and patronage in Fall of Rome.

Let us consider our gaming love: strategy games. Strategy games can be single player affairs, as would be the case with most PC installed strategy games, such as Civilization, or wargames like the Panzer General or Steel Panthers series, all of which are turn based games, as is Fall of Rome. Games like Command and Conquer or Warcraft are RTS. In these, the action is fast, but at the expense of the thinking aspects necessary to develop anything beyond rudimentary strategy, eg, "I will swarm", or "I will build walls". Meanwhile, turn based games are the opposite: it is all about the strategy, the thought and decision process, that separates the victors from the contenders. However in single player games, the human opponent element is missing, and the computer AI is usually either a poor opponent, incapable of imagination and coordinated attacks, or cheats obviously, even in some of the highest regarded pc strategy games.

After single player strategy games, we move onto two player games, which would clearly include classic board games like chess, Avalon Hill wargames, and more recent games like Magic the Gathering. These turn based games allow players to develop deeper strategies, and they size up their one opponent. In general, these strategy games allow both players as much time as is necessary to complete their turn. Two player strategy games clearly do not have the additional dimension of negotiation, and do not offer any role playing game (RPG) opportunities.

Now we come to the most intriguing, the most dynamic of all by far: the multiplayer strategy games. Among the most obvious new elements introduced when we have more than two players is the wide expanse of negotiation. Now we add to the arsenal of devices at our disposal the ability to evaluate the opponents. Who is a strong player, who is new? Who is aggressive, who is trustworthy? The personality of the opponents in a multiplayer strategy game, can be as or more important than the game pieces.

Take poker, for a popular example. Anyone who has played poker or followed the craze of the last couple years knows the players and their "negotiation skills" are as important as the cards dealt in most cases. Negotiation is the reason poker is so popular. You don't think there is negotiation in poker? Think of the moves: fold (my position is inferior), raise (I believe my position is stronger than yours), bluff (I wish you to believe my position is stronger than yours), bait, like checking (I wish you to believe my position is weaker than it is), call (I remain confident my position is stronger than what you wish me to believe yours is). These rudimentary negotiation tools in poker are just the beginning. What makes them interesting is the evaluation of the player who is using them. Who has earlier made mistakes? What do we know of the player's personality from the last game? Who tends to bluff too much, to fold too easily? Who reveals their hand through tells he is unaware of?

Now apply those concepts to a game like Fall of Rome! My, how much more depth and negotiating possibilities there are here! The player evaluation can be based on even more evidence. The tells are still there. And with twelve players in a game, the possibilities are greatly expanded. Negotiation is a vital and very much a fun part of a multiplayer strategy game, including online multiplayer strategy games, and turn based strategy games, like Fall of Rome.

Finally, only when we get to multiplayer games, particularly turn based games that allow reflection and the kind of negotiation described above, do we enter another entertaining aspect of gaming, that of role playing in games. In Fall of Rome, the role playing (RPG) aspects can exceed that in games calling themselves online RPG's. But that will be the subject for another newsletter.

Enjoy your Fall of Rome games to the fullest by remembering the opportunities provided through negotiation, and evaluating your opponents. Good hunting!

Rick McDowell