Taillebois
General of the Army
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Does RUS actually work well enough for new players?

Sat Mar 11, 2017 3:28 pm

I have the game but only ever played the short Finnish and Ice March scenarios.

However, I have just recommended the game on today's Financial Times (not a regular source of wargamers I know) because they have quite a long article on the coverage of the revolution.

https://www.ft.com/content/c270e004-04b ... e02ef0def9


That link may not work as it is a subscriber paper but you might get a limited look.

elxaime
General
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Re: Does RUS actually work well enough for new players?

Sun Mar 12, 2017 1:07 am

I would say the game is an excellent tool for teaching new players about history. I play RUS more than any other AGEOD game just because of how fascinating the topic is and the tremendous flexibility of the game itself. Both sides, White and Red, have distinct strengths and weaknesses. Each side has chances to attack. And the designers made some truly inspired choices on game mechanics that make the era come to life.

My only gripe is that hopes of a RUS 2, with an expanded map and weekly turns, will probably never be realized. If I was a Russian oligarch, I would spare some rubles to allow the designers to create their dream, like the Pope did with Michaelangelo. :)

I suppose the problem is that these types of games don't appeal as well to the action-obsessed younger game audience. But working with the maps and leaders in a game like this gives you a visual sense of history beyond even a good book.

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Durk
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Re: Does RUS actually work well enough for new players?

Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:05 am

The question, does it work well enough for new players as stated in the title is a head scratcher. Brand new to wargames, only with someone to help. This is really a complicated game in many respects. For example, learning to stack a political leader or commissar with each division is a challenge even for experienced players. I do not know the nature of your recommendation to the general public interested in this war, but if you receive positive feedback, it would be nice if you matched these individuals with forum regulars or at least warned them to go slow, as you have, in learning the game.

Brand new to the game with some wargaming experience, yes, for sure. RUS is not an intuitive game. It takes time to learn. I have been crushed as the Southern Whites in less than a year and have taken Moscow and St Petersburg with the same faction.

The best way to learn about the conflict called the Russian Revolution or Russian Civil War, this the game is. It is the only treatment of the war where all the multitudinous factions are present and, mostly, represented historically. The Cadets were maybe better represented in the first edition of RUS, but otherwise, RUS Gold is gold with regard the the revolution. Some books as other threads discuss are informative, but as a game only Richard Berg's interesting six player game comes close to representing the multitude of complex - competing factions.

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Nikel
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Re: Does RUS actually work well enough for new players?

Sun Mar 12, 2017 11:20 am

Today, a century years ago (12 march 1917, 27 february 1917), Volinsky Regiment revolted in Petrograd, then followed many of the rest regiments stationed there, what lead to the success of the February revolution.


This must be the article in question

http://newsonahand.com/how-a-russian-so ... evolution/

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