The Official Rules

This picture accompanied a recent update from SJG--the advance copies have arrived. I'm told that I will be getting one this week! Here is a link to the post.

Also included in the update is a link to the official rules. I think they turned out very well! They broke the round into four phases: Espionage, Bidding, Resolution and Patronage. This does an excellent job of including all the necessary parts in an elegant way. My preferred rule about keeping losing and tied bids has indeed been included as an optional rule. And some of you may need to check the playtester section--they included quite a few of the names I submitted. All in all, I am feeling very upbeat and ready to see how things go from here.

FYI: I'm still planning to be at Origins on Friday and possibly some on Saturday. Feel free to look me up (you might try the SJG exhibitor area or the Axis & Allies play area).

A Sad Board Game Story

I'm glad I didn't go into debt to produce my game. This poor lady did. Rachel Lowe hit it big, first by developing a popular game and second by attracting the rights to a Harry Potter version of that game. But things do not always turn out well. Read about it here. (H/T: Purple Pawn)

Revolution update: I am NOT going bankrupt. The printer will soon be loading them onto the boat. The updated release date estimate is the end of July. Soon, soon . . .

Update . . . Sort Of

It's been a while since I've posted anything, and the guilt is starting to build up. I don't exactly have much new information, but that's never stopped me before! For those who don't know, Revolution should still be out sometime in mid to late June, barring any more trouble with printing mistakes or shipping containers being delayed.

I recently took some interesting photos with my brother and some mean looking AR-15s. We are both wearing the Revolution shirts he made me for Christmas. There is some question has to the wisdom of posting them here, but you can see them on Facebook if you send me a friend request.

I also am currently working on a few more games, though more slowly than in previous months. I currently have two prototypes sitting on publishers' shelves waiting for glory. I wonder if they are waiting to see how Revolution does before they commit. I'm pretty curious about that, too.

Revolution currently has 25 ratings (30 are necessary for an official rank), and BGG now offers you the chance to become a "fan" of your favorite games. Revolution currently has zero. :( Maybe you can help turn that around. I'm hoping things will get stirred up a bit once the game is finally released.

For anyone whose interested, I'm planning to be at Origins (Columbus, OH) at least a day or two. Word has it that Phil Reed may be in attendance, and I would very much like to meet him. I suppose there is a chance that a few copies of Revolution will also be there. Fingers crossed!

Update on the update: Phil Reed is not coming. Also, they're going to send me a copy of Revolution next week!

Back From London

My wife and I just returned from London where we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. I also managed to meet up with Jackson Pope and play a little Sumeria! I found him to be a kindred spirit, and I really enjoyed the game. Sumeria, like all great games, forces you to think in a number of directions all at once. The art is beautiful and the production values are excellent. Be on the lookout for this new Reiver Games title at your FLGS soon!

P.S. - I also highly recommend the steak & ale pie!

Spring Gathering 2009

For those not in the know, Greg Smorey hosts an annual event for the Axis & Allies faithful. The Gathering is held in Cincinnati, but people come from all over to attend (one as far as Las Vegas). The new Anniversary Edition of A&A (known to cool people as AA50) got a lot of time at the table this year. Unfortunately, it looks like it might end up being too long of a game for regular tournament play (we'll see what the NEW new version looks like when it comes out this fall).

I had to come by myself this time, but my old buddy Tom J. volunteered to partner up. We faced off against veteran opponents Geoff and Steve. We gave them the Allies and five IPCs for the bid. Things went downhill for them from the start. The dice gods were not cooperative. Germany came at Russia with everything. The Allies chose to ignore Japan, to their ultimate peril. I was able to expand the co-prosperity sphere to a substantial size.

But things were not so easy. Five allied bombers reduced Germany to a crawl. Their invasion forces took up permanent residence in Paris. We lost the Luftwaffe in a successful, but ill-planned, naval operation. We were forced to retreat from Caucasus. Not good. Then . . . Germany and Italy held on. An Allied attack on Italy was just barely thwarted. Meanwhile, Japan started pushing massive numbers of tanks into Persia and India for the push north. After seven brutal hours, the Allies conceded their defeat.

Thanks for the game, guys! And props to Greg for another great SG event! Hope to see you all at Origins.

SJG: Where We're Going

Revolution! figures prominently on the back of the spring newsletter from SJG. You might notice something interesting about the game there, but I'm not supposed to mention anything about it. *Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Say no more.*

To the Printer

I have been informed that Revolution! has been officially sent off to the printer! I have no idea how long this will end up taking, as I believe there will be a few proofs sent back and forth before the final job gets done. Then, they have to be shipped to various places. A June release seems possible. I also don't know how many will be printed for this initial run, but I did hear that the number has been increased based on positive reactions at the recent New York Toy Fair. Sounds like progress to me!