(Note to E-Book purchasers- This is the first
offering that I’ve ever recommended purchasing the printed version over the
e-book version. My first inclination was to only offer a printed version, but I
knew that wouldn’t sit well with everyone. The FACs in the E-Book contains
large grey borders in order to accommodate as many different printer
configurations as possible. Since the FACs are designed to be printed on both
sides, this was the best compromise I could offer. Even with a standardized
format like Acrobat, what works on one series of printers often times won’t work
on others. The FACs contained in the E-book should print front and back with
few issues. They aren’t as pretty as the printed, die-cut FACs, but they should
be functional. If after trying you find that your printer does not “match-up”
with dual sided FACs, the least preferable option would be to print separate FAC
decks which is also manageable, or order the printed FAC deck. I also want
to note that the E-Book "package" is 84 pages in length and is color intensive) The Basic Game Parts are needed for the Fast Action and Advanced game.
The title is a bit misleading, as within the advanced game
there are really three different gaming options: The first being a Fast Action
Deck in which you can play as per normal or in conjunction with the advanced
game or super advanced game modifications. The second option is the advanced
options which bring into play varying passing lengths and more defensive
options. The advanced game also includes an expanded solitaire system. The
final option is the super advanced game which brings into play six different
defensive options and four different passing route options on offense. The
super advanced game also greatly expands on the solitaire system.
One of the most frustrating things about designing a game
is nailing down the time required to play a complete game. With GridIron Wars
the time required has varied greatly among individual players. During our
testing rounds, the testers and I could easily complete a game with full stats
in under an hour. When the game was released publicly, there were many that
played the game as the testers and I did. However, there were also a large
group of gamers that claimed the game would take well over an hour to play. So,
I immediately looked for a solution to bring game playing time to under an hour
for all gamers. The obvious answer was a set of Fast Action cards to drive play
to eliminate dice rolls and chart looks ups.
While the answer may have been obvious, the implementation
was extremely difficult. The sheer volume of information contained on the
charts did not easily transfer to a Fast Action Deck. I tried no less than 30
different combinations for a Fast Action system, some which left various aspects
of the game on the charts, and others that contained all of the information on
the Fast Action Deck that varied in size. None really received a consensus with
my testing group as being ready for public consumption.
Then Gary Pickering sent me a sample layout, which is largely what you see today
as the official Fast Action System. The only real change I made to Gary’s
initial layout was to use both size of the card to bring the physical size of
the card to a more manageable size. I can’t thank Gary enough for his
contribution to the Fast Action System.
The Fast Action
System should allow even the slowest of players to greatly speed up their game
playing time. The Fast Action Deck contains a virtual "mini-chart" so you
will not have to consult any additional charts, or roll dice. All of the
results are found on the FACs.
After playing time, the second largest request from
customers was a method in which to throw passes of different lengths. When I
designed GridIron Wars, I knew this would be an issue for some folks, but I felt
it was beyond the scope of the game. Simplicity and ease of play were my
primary concerns when designing the game. I still to this day, feel as if I met
my design goals, and I’m very pleased with how GridIron Wars has “turned out”.
Having said that, I also strive to address any and all
concerns a gamer may have. The use of the advanced game, as well as the super
advanced game is completely optional. The advanced and super advanced games are
completely compatible with the Fast Action System as well as the chart and dice
version of the game. It should go without saying that the advanced and super
advanced rule sets will add to the length of time required to play the game.
The advanced game brings into play four new pass routes for
the offense. Rather than simply calling for a “pass”, the offense will now
choose from one of the following pass routes: Bomb, Long, Medium and Short.
In the advanced game, the defense still has three options: Run, Pass and Blitz.
The super advanced version of the game brings into play 4
passing routes for the offense and six different defensive selections. As with
the advanced game, rather than simply calling for a “pass”, the offense will now
choose from one of the following pass routes: Bomb, Long, Medium and Short.
On the defensive side of the ball, the choices are:
Prevent, Zone, Man-to-Man, Bump and Run, Blitz and Run.
I hope that the addition of the Fast Action System and the Advanced and Super
Advanced modifications will add to your enjoyment of GridIron Wars.
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 11 February, 2009.
