FTP -FOR THE PEOPLE

1. TITLE: For the People
2. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC); 2nd edition by GMT.
3. SCOPE: Grand Strategy of the (American) Civil War
4. TAHGC CATALOG VERBAGE:
5. GAME BOX VERBAGE: FOR THE PEOPLE is a grand strategy game of the Civil War covering the conflict from Texas to Pennsylvania, from the firing on Fort Sumter to the end at Appomattox Court House. You take the role of either Lincoln or Davis, promote and relieve generals, conduct amphibious assaults, dispatch calvary raids, and even battle incompetency and political intrigue in among members of you own cabinet
6. YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1998. Upon the dissolution of TAHGC, the title was republished as a second edition by GMT in 2000. GMT update rules are downloadable from.GMT's site. Some Q&A answered from the designer.
7. CREDITS (Second edition in italics)
   • Game Design Development: Mark Herman
   • Rules Editing, Map and Counter Art; 2nd edition Developer: Mark Simonitch
   • Proof Reading: Georgia " Peach" Wilson
   • Box Cover Art: Kurt Miller
   • Art Director: Rodger B. MacGowan
   • Map Art: Mark Simonitch
   • Counter Art: Mark Simonitch & Rodger B. MacGowan
   • Research Assistance: Richard Berg and Jack Greene
   • Special Thanks: Andy Lewis and Dick Shay for the aid above and beyond the call of playtesting.
   • Playtesting: Jeff Brown, Andy Daglish, Joel Feldman, Jan Kraheberger, Andy Lewis, Jason Matthews, Dr. Steve Owen, Peter Perla, Rich Phares, Dick Shay, Bill Theot, Rob Winslow, and George Young.
8. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2.
9. WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 9
10. TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): From two hours for a scenario to 8 hours for the entire war. Four Scenarios (1661, 19862, 1863, 1864) and campaign game.
11. MAP SCALE: Point to Point. Representation of the Eastern United States with movement location boxes approximately 100 miles.
12. UNIT SCALE: Armies; 1 point represents 6000 men.
13. TIME SCALE PER TURN: 7 moves per turn, 3 turns per year; 4 months per turn.
14. NUMBER OF GAME TURNS:
15. ARTICLE LISTING: Click here
16. GAME INVENTORY: 408 counters (two sheets); 22" x 32" mounted mapboard; 96 strategy cards, 24 page rule booklet, 2 dice; .
17. WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: Introduced as an event in Avaloncon 1999.
18. PBEM TOOLS:
• No Java application VASSAL module at this time. '
• Warhorse Simulations Automated Card Tracking System for card driven games including FTP.
• Hank Burkhalter's Above the Fields supports PBEM play for FTP (Windows Application).
19. PBEM OPPORTUNITES: Other resources exist to support PBEM play beyond WGA capabilites.
20. WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: This is one of the first 'Card Driven' boardgames merging the randomness of strategy cards to define player options. My experience with this title is slight with sound beatings by high calibre opposition. As I categorize myself as a more casual gamer with diverse game title interest and limited discretionary time, I find FTP too complex for these liminations and prefere the simplicity of Victory Game's THE CIVIL WAR. I will defer the more experienced for comments.
21. WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: One unpunched first edition game.