[net.games.board] Pax Britannica

dan@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (Dan Reynolds) (09/04/85)

Pax Britannica is a relatively new game from Victory Games (suggested
retail price $24 US, typically available from most gaming shops).

Pax Britannica simulates the colonial period from 1880 to the First
World War. Each turn is four years long and each player controls one
country. Four players is the minimum (England, France, Germany/Austria-
Hungary, and the United States) and seven is the maximum (Japan, Russia,
and Italy). Players strive to establish colonial possessions to increase
colonial income (very appropriately measured in pounds) which in turn
may be used to purchase military forces, colonial control markers, and
victory points.

Players interact with each other, much like Diplomacy, forming alliances,
signing (and often breaking) treaties, and holding Congresses of Europe.
The political nature of the period is nicely simulated: a country must
have a legitimate Causus Bellorum to declare war on another power. Such
actions have a definite effect on European Tensions which, as the tension
level rises, may lead to WWI (and the end of the game). Unlike Diplomacy,
military operations are quite structured with fleets and armies in
clearly quantifiable units possessing definite combat strengths. The
CRTs are simple to comprehend and the whole business of conquest simple
to master.

The richness of the game, like Diplomacy, lies in the interactions of
the various countries. Great Britain is quite the master of the period
but must energetically pursue colonial possessions or lose her supremacy
to the US, France, or Germany. The roles of Japan, Russia, and Italy as
minors are likewise challenging. Each country in Pax Britannica has a
reasonable chance for victory: at the end of the game, each totals up
the VPs for colonial possessions plus any purchased VPs plus any "bonus"
points to arrive at his/her total. The balancing factor is that each
country has a differing VP divisor: Britain's divisor at 10 is far larger
than Italy's at 2, reflecting the reality that "Big Red" must achieve
much more than "Little Orange" for an equal amount of VPs.

All in all, a highly recommended game for novice and expert alike!

Dan Reynolds <dan@ut-ngp.UTEXAS.EDU>
Computation Center, The University of Texas at Austin
{ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!ut-ngp!dan

ccrrick@ucdavis.UUCP (Rick Heli) (09/04/85)

Short Review:  Great game for 4 or more; useless if you have trouble
scaring up opponents.  And at $25 it's a little steep.

PAX BRITANNICA (Victory Games); about $25.  Designed by Greg Cos-
tikyan.  Two map sheets totaling approximately 36" x 48"  28-page
rule booklet, 8 reference sheets for player  and  minor  nations,
pad  of  backprinted  "score  sheets",  approximately 400 die-cut
counters, two six-sided dice, boxed with plastic tray.  For  four
to  seven  players; playing time quite variable, but roughly from
one to six hours.  Published 1985.

"The sun never sets on the British Empire."  Yes, its  the  world
of  the late colonial period from 1880 to 1916.  Britain, France,
Germany, Austria-Hungary, the United States, Russia,  Japan,  and
Italy  seek  riches  through conquest of native people around the
world.  Rules are included for economics, supply, bribery,  nego-
tiation, Congress of Europe, war at land and sea, canal building,
random events, Chinese rebellion and colonial  combat.   Military
units  are  abstract.   104  land areas and a dozen sea zones are
depicted.

The end of Pax Britannica is quite unusual.  I have played  games
which lasted all the way until 1916 and I have played others that
were over on the first game turn.  The  length  of  the  game  is
dependent  on the outbreak of the Great War which occurs whenever
four or more great powers are at war or  when  European  Tensions
rise  above  a  fixed level.  Because the player(s) who cause the
war lose three times as many victory points as the others, war or
even a mild dispute (since it increases European Tensions) is not
a thing to be taken lightly.

Pax Britannica has a number of very novel features.  For example,
the  rules  on  negotiation  prior  to  war  and the calling of a
Congress of Europe to settle disputes is  quite  imaginative  and
works  quite well.  The Congress has a lot of power, but military
might doesn't take a back seat  either.   For  players  who  like
economic  games  and  planning,  there is a lot of room for study
here.  Should you enter Egypt or Kongo  or  the  Far  East?   And
should  it  be  mere Interest?  or Influence?  or Protectorate or
even Possession?  Likewise, those who  enjoy  effective  military
strategy,  will  be  suitably challenged.  Forces sail across the
world and maintaining supply lines can be tricky.   Finally,  the
local Diplomacy expert will also love this game what with its am-
ple room for negotiation and committee politics.

I have a few gripes about the game.  One is  Costikyan's  running
commentary  throughout the rules that seem to say, "Oh, wasn't it
great how they ran the world back then?"  This smacks  a  bit  of
the  pollyanna  to  me.  Another is that some important rules are
not emphasized, but merely mentioned in a throwaway  line  in  an
unusual  place.   Some,  one  does not notice until the second or
third playing.  Finally, some of the rules with  respect  to  the
way  war,  Great  War and victory points work are a little vague,
though the meaning becomes clear in time.   [If  anyone  has  any
questions,  I'd  be happy to lend you the teachings of my experi-
ences.]  A little more rules editing  could  have  helped  a  lot
here.

But all in all, if you enjoy multiplayer games, if you enjoy  di-
plomatic  games  like  Diplomacy or if you enjoy economic systems
similar to the late, lamented Empires of the Middle Ages, by  all
means  try  out Pax Britannica.  If you have trouble finding four
or more opponents, though, look elsewhere.  Otherwise, the  price
is a little steep, but it's one of the best multiplayer offerings
I've seen in some time.
-- 
					--rick heli
					(... ucbvax!ucdavis!groucho!ccrrick)