Re: SG2 lite

Hey guys,

I've run lots of demo games at conventions for people who have never
played
before, and from what I've seen so far the most effective technique is
to
keep it simple, small, fast, but give it an interesting hook.  Once they
are excited about the game, add in the advanced stuff.

Create a scenario with some kind of dramatic hook, rather than having a
simple "my three squads meet your three squads and fight over some
trees"
kind of battle.  A lot of the unique "feel" of Stargrunt comes in when
you
add in the advanced rules, but you want to keep these out in an intro
demo.
 If you stick to LV, confidence, fire combat (squad level with regular
infantry weapons, IAVR, SAW) and close assault, then the game is kind of
plain without something interesting in the scenario.  Keep out vehicles
(or
maybe use one - I've often had one side with more troops than the other,
but the smaller side gets a hover jeep with a RFAC/1 - this makes it a
bit
more interesting, and the jeep without any of the additional vehicle
equipment (ew, smoke, decoys, etc) is really simple to run).  Keep out
snipers, ew, PA, arty, etc.  Use a command element on each side, for
sure -
that is a vital part of the game.

A scenario I have run many times to the great enjoyment of the (suddenly
very bloodthirsty) participants is the "Kill the Reporters" scenario.
<plug> GZG has introduced a tv reporter set, with a camera man, a sound
man, and a female reporter in two different outfits.  We have been using
a
much older set from another miniature line, but I just bought St. Jon's,
and they're great </plug>
Basically, you have a "good guy" side and a "bad guy" side.  There is a
tv
news team from the good guy side who has footage of the bad guys
comitting
atrocities.  They start in the middle of the table.  The good guys enter
on
one side of the table, and are a team sent to secure the reporters and
escort them and their prescious film back to "civilization".  The bad
guys
enter from the other side, and their objective is to capture/kill the
news
crew before they can escape with the footage.  I usually set it up so
that
the bad guys outnumber the good guys a bit.  That adds some drama and
tension.  I usually balance that off by making the good guys better
(regulars with a veteran leader, to the bad guys regular/green mix with
a
regular leader).  The newscrew are unarmed civilians (yellow markers)
but
usually have a decent leadership - she is a veteran combat correspondant
and has "been there and done that".  In the end, it's all about a race,
but
there are some interesting tactical problems for both sides to work out,
without being complex.	Do the bad guys run flat out chasing down the
news
team, but maybe get caught in crossfires by the good guys, OR do they
send
some of their force after the good guy team and some after the
reporters.
Do the good guys deploy a proper improvised defense, or just grab the
reporters and run like crazy, etc.  It is important that the terrain is
set
up to make both sides manoever - ie no long sightlines OR the reporters
will get sniped from a distance.  The good guys control the news team
(or
they may be run by the person giving the demo - to keep it interesting),
but don't come under the command of their "platoon" commander, and can't
be
reactivated.  That stops the good guys just running them off the board
in
the first turn or two...

It's amazing what happens when a group of normal mild-mannered people
are
let loose on this scenario.  The knives get sharpened and killing the
reporters becomes nearly an obsession.	Lots of fun.

I wouldn't use more than 3 rifle squads (of maybe 6 troops, including 5
riflemen and a SAW gunner) and a command team (4 troops, including the
commander and a SAW gunner) on each side.  Maybe give the bad guys an
extra
squad of riflemen, but make two or three of their squads green.  This is
a
good demo for two players on each side - and having any more than that
in
an intro game means that there will be a lot of time spent doing nothing
in
between turns for most of the players, and people will get bored.

Anyway, that's my $0.02.  Hope you have fun at your demos.

At 11:28 AM 12/6/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Bobby,
>	     I'm getting ready to run my first demonstration game of
SGII.
>I've been through many of thesee same questions.  Here's what I've
decided:
>    Like you, I'm going to run with short squads, 6 men in each squad
>counting the sergeant.  I'm not going to have PA, arty, or vehicles. 
Again,
>like you, I see the need for command squads and am going to have
platoon and
>company commands.
>    Otherwise, I'm going to teach the rest of the rules.  Now, I'm not
going
>to have characters, snipers, or hidden units, so those rules will not
need
>to be taught.	I won't allow any unit to go into a land stand, so
that's not
>needed.  I'm not going to have any EW units, so again, I won't have to
teach
>those rules.
>    I will have to teach LV and confidence tests, fire combat, and
close
>assaults.  I'll handle casualties, but probably only as they occur. 
I've
>been practicing my "lecture" and can impart most of the rules in about
15
>minutes with time for examples.
>
>-Mike
>
>
>Bobby Mock wrote:
>
>> I am thinking about doing an exhibition game at a local store, and
was
>> wondering what parts of SG2 to leave out or keep in, in order to
teach
>> the basics to non-believers. Any ideas?
>>
>> I want to give the flavor of the game, but I don't want to have to
teach
>> everything at once. I will probably use short squads (4-5 troopers)
in
>> non-power suits, with no artillery or vehicle backup.
>>
>> I would like to use command squads, because I think they are
essential.
>>
>> Does anyone have any words of wisdom in this arena?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Bobby
>
>--
>Michael Sarno
>
>http://vietnam.isonfire.com
>Check out the Charlie Company Discussion Group:
>Info, resources, and links for RAFM's miniatures
>skirmish wargame of infantry combat in Vietnam 1965-1972
>
>"No nation should put the burden of war
> on its military forces alone."
> -General William C. Westmoreland,
>		   US Army, retired
>
>

Adrian Johnson
ajohnson@idirect.com