Monthly Archives: April 2016
GrogHeads Interviews Volko Ruhnke
about GMT’s COIN Series
The “father” (and now grandfather!) of the COIN series stops by for a chat ~
Brant Guillory, 27 April 2016
Volko Ruhnke is rapidly becoming one of the most-recognized strategy game designers in the US, as his COIN series is taking over the world. He’s visited with us before, in discussing A Distant Plain before its release a few years ago. He comes back for a more broad-based look at the COIN series as we ramp up for several COIN events this summer at Origins.
Volko Ruhnke: Hello GrogHeads!
GrogHeads: Hey there! Did you have any idea the COIN series was going to take off like it did when you first designed Andean Abyss? When you were working on AA, were you designing with the intent of a “system” or was it just a one-off that you were able to expand?
VR: I did not have any idea that the series would take off in the sense of popularity, as my main objective was to bring at least a few wargamers and other boardgamers into some then rather little-gamed topics regarding modern insurgency and counterinsurgency.
I did from the start envision a system and a series, and that plan was part of Andean Abyss’s appeal to Gene Billingsley from my first phone call with him to pitch the project. I can document that claim, as the original printing of Andean Abyss says “COIN Series, Volume I” right on the cover, and the ad copy played up that aspect.
Twilight Struggle: An AAR – Part 11
Our AAR of the new digital Twilight Struggle enters Turn 2 ~
Michael Eckenfels, 27 April 2016
PART 3
TURN 2, ROUND 3, USSR
In a dick move, the USSR player puts UN INTERVENTION out there, which means he can play another card and ignore the Event that would normally fire, if he played it solely for Ops. So that means a nice juicy US card is about to enter play.
Twilight Struggle: An AAR – Part 10
Our AAR of the new digital Twilight Struggle enters Turn 2 ~
Michael Eckenfels, 26 April 2016
PART 3
TURN 2, ROUND 2, USSR
(AUTHOR NOTE: I’m going to dispense with the TURN # ROUND # screenshots from here on, since it’s moot and already titled in the text.)
Looks like the USSR goes with ARAB-ISRALEI WAR for its 2 Ops, placing 1 Influence in Cameroon, Africa (gaining Control) and 1 Influence in Nicaragua (gaining Control there, too).
News! Yaah! #6 on Order
Check out the latest from Flying Pig Games ~
GrogHeads Newsdesk, 25 April 2016
Flying Pig Games is announcing the contents for Yaah #6
Yaah! Magazine is back with eighty splendiferous full-color pages dedicated to the games you love. With issue number six, editor Tom Russell and his merry band of writers have put together a number of features on an eclectic variety of titles, each illustrated with handsome photographs, and anchored by stylish, one-of-a-kind layout by our esteemed art director Guillaume Ries. We here at the Pig like to think that Yaah! is one of the best-looking mags on the hobby market.
Twilight Struggle: An AAR – Part 9
Our AAR of the new digital Twilight Struggle enters Turn 2 ~
Michael Eckenfels, 25 April 2016
PART 2
TURN 2, ROUND 1, USSR
The USSR goes with the INDO-PAKISTANI WAR to start things off right (‘right’ insofar as causing a shooting war…typical).
