Hannibal's Revenge Interview: Mark G. McLaughlin

 

Hannibal’s Revenge is the second in the Card Conquest game series in which players recreate epic military contests of history in short, comparatively simple, easy-to-learn but hard-to-master games. As with the first game in the series, Hitler's Reich, Hannibal’s Revenge sets up in minutes and plays to a conclusion in one sitting of two hours (or less). These are not simulations but games, albeit ones packed with enough historical flavor and decision-making to give players the feeling that “you are there” at the highest levels of command.

The rules and images shown here are not final.

You can find it in P500

1-Who are you and your favourites wargame/s?

I have been a journalist since I founded a newspaper in military school over 50 years ago. I am also a game designer (Hannibal's Revenge will be my 27th published design) and an author (my editor in Athens is working on the fifth book in my Throne of Darius series , which will be my 9th published book). I am also a miniatures gamer (I have painted THOUSANDS of figures, including enough Carthaginians and Romans to make Hannibal blush).

As for my favorite games (other than my own of course), that is easy: anything by Richard Borg (Memoir, Battle Cry, Command and Colors anything) and any and all games in the Axis and Allies family. As I said, I am a miniatures gamer, and when you put miniatures in a game I am already half-way won over.

2-Why did you decide to do this game?

Because Hannibal's Revenge has an “H” and an “R” in the title. No, seriously! I designed Hitler's Reich to be a fast play, easy to get into system to do big picture campaigns. It has an “H” and an “R” in the title, so I dedided that all of the games in the system will share those letters. Hannibal's Revenge will be followed by Hammurabi's Rule and Hirohito's Reign....seriously.

But also because I truly love the period, and the Carthaginians in particular. It is an epic clash of empires with larger-than-life personalities and great battles that are still studied today by gamers, historians and cadets in military schools (I know, because that is where I first studied it).

3-Can you talk about the mechanics?

As in Hitler's Reich, every contest is resolved by using the classic card game “War” with dice and event cards to modify the card you play. Whether you are fighting on land or sea, contesting for an event that will enhance your power, flip control of a city or tribe, or otherwise impact the game, you use that quick, easy, simple, clean system.

While in Hitler's Reich generals were event cards that helped you in combat or to gain cards, in Hannibal's Revenge they actually appear and move on the map (as large wooden cylinders), and their personalities not only affect combat – they broaden or narrow the parameters by which their armies can be used. There are glory-hunting leaders who will hurl themselves at the enemy (unless you play cards to hold them back) and others who will fight only on their terms, or are better at sieging or defending cities, or at sea. Some are better at moving than others, while some are slow to move. Some have the ability to hold and play more cards in battles than others, or to even negate certain cards played by their opponents.

4-How the different factions work?

As in Hitler's Reich, the Romans (like the Germans) win ties, and their Latin Allies (like the Italians – well, they ARE Italians, aren't they) lose ties. The Carthaginian and Gallic factions which oppose them are the base line.

The Romans always have two consuls (aka generals) to lead their armies, but do not get to chose the ones they want – they are drawn at random from a pool, a pool that initially is shallow and is populated by their poorest generals (heh, to have a Cannae you not only need Hannibal, but also Varo). As the game goes on, their better generals are added to that pool. The Carthaginians have the initial advantage, having the game's namesake and his brothers to lead their forces.

Each side also has the possibility of getting a third leader (in effect, a third army), with the Romans getting a chance to keep a good general on as a proconsul, and the Carthaginians a chance to bring Philip of Macedon into play.

5-Scenarios and/or length of the game?

There are a maximum of three turns to the game, each representing six years. When each player has gone through their deck, a turn ends. There is a short, one-turn scenario set in the period represented by the last turn (Zama). There are numerous sudden death endings, and a game can last one, two or sometimes nearly three hours – but rarely goes that long.

Oh, and by the way, in this game Hispania is more than just a rest stop on the way to Rome. There are cities to take and tribes to bribe (or woo, or dominate) that increase your power (ie the number of cards you can hold in your hand/victory points). Nobody marches into or through Hispania without dealing with the tribes (in one way or another), and whoever controls the majority increases their power by one (just like taking a city).

6-Do you have another game/project in mind?

So many. I am at this moment proofing the layout of the rules for my Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East, and have the next game in the series, set in East Asia, on my shelf. I have an Ancient Civilizations at War card game in playtest, and am getting ready to beta-test War and Peace, the computer version, which is being done by Avalon Digital. My 1980s Pacific game, East Wind Rain, is currently under development by Andy Nunez of Compass Games, and I am in talks to redo my Army of the Potomac/Army of the Tennessee just as I did War and Peace, Holy Roman Empire and No Trumpets, No Drums.

...and I am at work on the 6th (of a planned 8) novels in the Throne of Darius series – which is about the Greeks who fought AGAINST Alexander (who, it turns out, was not so 'great' after all).