When is a review not a review ?
There are plenty of paradoxes in this review. It’s about a Card Driven Game which is not a CDG. It’s about a game that has been released and yet still remains unpublished. And it’s not even a review, really.
What do people expect from a good review ? A clear structure first, probably. Components description, abstract of the rules, global evaluation, rating... I’m afraid I’m not the right person to write something so well organized. And there’s already a lot of elements on the Game Page that will help you to learn about TTLM’s basics. See this text as just a free comment by a wargamer who lacks authority in reviewing games, but still wants to share some experiences and opinions.
Do you think you’re the right person to review this game ?
Probably not. Primarily because I lack training in that sport, and also because I would probably be more eloquent in my own language. Finally, my opinion about this game is suspect : I have been involved in the project since I offered <PERSON> my help to design the map cards. This is why I won’t rate the game : it would probably sound biased.
On the other hand, I don’t forget that I was originally just one of those geeks interested in this game, disappointed when the publisher cancelled the project. That’s the reason I offered my help in the first place. When <PERSON> told us here he was considering offering the game for free on BGG instead of letting all of us end up frustrated, I wanted to assist.
I had no pretentions when designing the map ; I'm not a graphic designer. I accidentally learned to use Adobe Illustrator thanks to my work on this project. The mapboard is, in a way, a history of my learning.
Of course, during the process, we had a lot of nice interaction : <PERSON>, <PERSON> and myself. <PERSON> has supported <PERSON> longer than I have. 504
He was the guy who initially convinced <PERSON> to not give up. I do regard <PERSON> as a friend, and certainly he feels likewise. But I’m still able to evaluate his game from a strictly neutral perspective — as a wargamer. Is it really the game I was expecting ? There’s no reason I shouldn’t comment on the game just because I gave <PERSON> a little help during the last step of that long development process.
So, basically, is it another Card Driven Game ?
You can indeed describe TTLM! as a card driven game, but not in the « official » way. I realize I have to be cautious here, for I know that some people are quite sensitive about the definition of a CDG. In their eyes, this definition has to be restrictive, covers only the system originally developed for <PERSON> We The People, and has applied to many other wargames published since that milestone. I don't want to start another polemic about that specific definition, it would be totally pointless anyway. I just want to use it to highlight a major difference between the « unofficial official CDG system definition » and the one used in TTLM!
In a classical CDG, cards allow the game to represent some historical events having a major effect on the conflict or they allow actions. Either you use the cards to play that Event or you play it to use the Operation Points it provides, to move, attack, etc....
The card system in TTLM! is different, and still leaves you with a choice. The most important cards are the Offensive cards (26 total cards in a deck of 55 cards). According to their gradation (The Big Push, Offensive, Limited Offensive) , they will give you more or less efficiency. These Offensive cards fuel the game ! If you want to attack or move on a large scale, you definitely need such a card in your hand. That’s why it would be foolish to spend all your Building Points in the Production phase exclusively acquiring fresh units or building entrenchements/fortifications and neglect to replenish your hand.
What about the other cards ? There’s a lot of « Ertsatz » cards, that you can play to absorb casualties and avoid your front to collapse. And there are also some cards that represent events having an impact on the conflict (Poison Gas, Military Crisis, Advanced Artillery Barrage, ...) , sometimes with restrictions about the turn they can be used for the first time. But the main thing is that ANY card, even the Offensive cards, can be played as a substitute for an « Ersatz 1 » card. So, there’s nothing like a totally useless card in your hand. 92