Three and Three Quarter Laps

THIS GAME IS SUPPLIED BY LAMBOURNE GAMES AND IS NOT AVAILABLE AS PDF

This game is intended eventually to replace The Metric Mile. It therefore needs to be good - and we believe it is!

Over 90 All-Time-Great milers (and thereabouts) are included, all with their personal Runner Card reflecting their ability and style of running. There are decisions to be made on each of the ten Turns which comprise a race with the excitement building gradually until the bell when runners find out just what they have left in the tank for the last frantic lap.

Can be played solo as a normal replay game, but also ideal for multi-player games and Play-By-(e)Mail.

DESIGNER'S NOTES

In much the same mould as The Long Distance Double with multiple choices at every stage this game needed a very different approach in detail to simulate the unique character of the 1500 metres which is less about building up and maintaining a pace and much more about tactics, going with the pace, injecting pace, and timing the final effort to perfection. In most races the final 200 metres is decisive so the sprinters must conserve their stamina to use their speed in the home straight while those with less finishing speed need to run the sprint out of those with that advantage.

The game is intended to replace The Metric Mile which, despite its cult following, has been long regarded as outdated as a design exercise. Some of the ideas from MM have been borrowed - for example each race is ten Turns in length, the first representing the first 300 metres, the next two Turns lap 2, then three for lap 3, and finally four Turns for the final lap. This ensures that the excitement builds throughout the race with the vital tactical decisions being made usually around the 800 metre mark and thereafter.

The Pace Count is similar also and provision has been made for the use of pacemakers either as a tactical ploy or when a serious attempt is made on the World Record.

Although users of Long Distance Double will easily step into this new game the emphasis is totally different and there are a few entirely new concepts. Probably the most important is the ability to Match Pace of the runner in front in certain circumstances, or at least try to Match Pace, thus getting a tow at a cheap cost of Stamina, or perhaps to cover an attempt to break clear of the pack.

Equally important is the use of Effort - only one attempt per race - which can be decisive since Matching Pace is not allowed in that circumstance. And the Match Pace option is only available to the runner immediately behind and in contact with the target runner. So being in the right place at the right time is just as important as in real life.

Although the 90 runners included in this game all have their own personalised Runner Cards their Fitness Level and the way they use their individual abilities, plus the use of good tactics, ensure that all are capable of winning races and the extensive play-testing failed to identify a truly outstanding athlete out of the top five or six. Indeed a multi-player game saw John Walker snatching the race from Morcelli in the last few metres because his Stamina had been preserved sufficiently to unleash the full power of his (Walker's) sprint finish despite losing ground early on and appearing to be in some trouble.

Much of the fascination of the game will stem from exploring the widely varying tactics available and the very individual nature of the Runner Cards. This game will reward a careful study and appreciation of the tactical options, and will take a couple of races to begin to understand the subtle nature of the design. The game design took about 4 months and play-testing another 150-170 hours.

Enjoy!