Sniper! (board game)
Sniper!, subtitled "House-to-House Fighting in World War II", is a two-player board wargame about man-to-man combat in urban environments during WWII, originally released in 1973 by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI). After TSR purchased SPI in 1982, TSR released an expanded edition of "Sniper!" in 1986, and followed up that up with releases of various "companion games" and a videogame. Original edition (SPI). "Sniper!" was released by SPI in 1973 as a two-person combat boardgame designed by James Dunnigan, with additional material provided by developers Hank Zucker, John Young, Ed Curran, Bob  Felice, Bill Sullivan, Angel Gomez, and Hal Vaughn, and artwork and cartography by Robert B MacGowan and Redmond A. Simonsen. Subtitled "House to House Fighting in World War Two", the game simulates man-to-man urban combat in the Second World War. The game was significant for being the first commercial tactical board wargaming treatment of man-to-man combat in the Second World War. The game came in three formats: Components. The 1st edition came with: Gameplay. Movement Points. Each counter, usually representing an individual soldier, has 10 Movement Points (MP) per turn. At the start of each turn , each player secretly "buys" actions for each counter up to the 10 MP limit. Moving a unit uses 1 MP per hex of plain terrain; other terrain has a higher MP cost. Actions such as standing up or throwing a grenade each use 5 MP. Firing a weapon or reloading a weapon uses all 10 MP. Panic. After the actions for each counter have been purchased and recorded, each player checks their units for panic. Those that are panicked will do nothing or move randomly. Actions. All remaining actions are performed simultaneously in three phases: combat, movement, and finally grenades  and artillery. Second Edition (TSR). Following TSR's purchase of SPI in 1982, TSR released a new version of "Sniper!" in 1986 titled "Sniper! Second Edition: Game of Man-to-Man Combat, 1941-90" that expanded the timeframe of the game to include modern-day warfare. The expanded game, which combined SPI's original "Sniper!" and sister game "Patrol", was designed by Steve Winter, with artwork and cartography by Linda Bakk, Doug Chaffee, Tom Darden, Kim Lindau, Rodger B. MacGowan, and Colleen O'Malley. Game components included: In an article in "The Wargamer" (May–June 1988) about the development of the  game, designer Steve Winter commented, "When I first started revising the "Sniper!" and "Patrol" games in 1985, there were only two other wargames (that I am aware of) that covered modern combat at man-to-man scale. Since then, at least three more have been published (two of which, like the "Sniper!" game, were based heavily on previously published games). Yet, despite this surge of man-to-man games, very few articles have been published about any of them." Companion Game #1: "Hetzer". In 1987, TSR released the first "Sniper Companion Game" titled "Hetzer" (named for the German Jagdpanzer 38  light tank destroyer). As indicated by its subtitle, "Game of Man-to-Man Combat in Europe, 1940-45", "Hetzer" returned to the Second World War setting of SPI's original "Sniper!". The game was again designed by Steve Winter, with artwork and cartography by Dennis Kauth, David S. LaForce, and David C. Sutherland III. Components included Companion Game #2: "Special Forces". In 1988, TSR released the second "Sniper Companion Game", "Special Forces", designed by Rick Swan, with artwork by and cartography by Doug Chaffee, Dennis Kauth, David LaForce, Sue Myers, Stephen Sullivan, and David C. Sutherland III. Unlike the previous  editions of the game, which had been published as boxed sets, "Special Forces" was sold as a cardstock folder holding loose contents, which included In the May–June 1988 edition of "The Wargamer", designer Rick Swan commented on his transnational approach to the game, saying, "I was more or less given a free hand to set the scope of the game, so the first design decision was to establish parameters. It seemed it could go one of two ways - it could either focus on a few select forces in specifically chosen conflicts, or it could take a broader view and  allow for forces from around the world to participate in a variety of situations. The first option would demand a more detailed and complicated system than I wanted, not to mention requiring the answers to questions I wasn't comfortable answering (Which nationalities should be included? What's a "typical" terrorist operation?). The second option was more attractive - not only would it give players a lot to pick from, it sounded like it'd be more fun to design and more like a game I'd like to play. Companion game #3: "Bug Hunter". In 1988, TSR also released a  science fiction version of "Sniper!" called "Bug Hunter", designed by Steve Winter, with artwork and cartography by Kim Janke, Dennis Kauth, and David C. Sutherland III, and cover art by Keith Parkinson. Using the "Sniper!" rules set, the game focuses on "the popular science fiction theme of embattled humans threatened by vicious alien creatures in space and on the ground." Components include: Section::::"Sniper!" videogame. In 1989, TSR released "Sniper!" as a multiplayer, online computer game on Compuserve. Designed by Steve Estvanik, the game started each player as a recruit in the Sniper Saloon & Salad Bar, where a drill instructor waited  to show new players how the game was played. Once trained, players could challenge other players to a "Sniper!" game, or play a computerized opponent. Several subgames were featured, including: Reception. In his 1977 book "The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming", Nicholas Palmer commented that "with a counter for each individual ... you can't get more tactical than that!" Palmer noted the "controversial panic (command control) rules frustrating your best-laid plans." He concluded that the game was "Exciting and fast-moving: lengthy rules, but easy to play once you have tried a game or two." In Issue #21 of  Phoenix, Geoff Barnard noted that both "Sniper!" and the follow-up game "Patrol" are "primarily concerned with technology" rather than playability. Barnard liked the detailed maps, but he felt that the "panic rule" introduced too much of a random factor, commenting, "the weird panic/preservation rules cause aberrant as well as logical things to happen — as the random dice rolls decree." In the May 1989 edition of "Games International", James Wallis reviewed "Bug Hunter" as the magazine's "Game of the Month", and found the amount of material included made for "a great deal of game by any standards." He  found the hand-to-hand combat rules "simple and direct", and the rules overall "written in a clear style that explains everything while not being patronising or dull." He concluded by giving the game a perfect score of 5 out of 5, saying, ""Bug Hunter" is not without a few rough spots but [...] it is fast, fun and contains enough variables to keep players interested for some time.". In the May–June 1991 edition of "Fire & Movement" (Issue 73), Terry Rooker reviewed TSR's "Special Forces", and was not overly impressed, saying, "it fails to capture some of the most  important aspects of [modern] LIC (Light Infantry combat)." Rooker's issue was that "The original ["Sniper!" game] system was designed for WWII infantry engagements. In that type of warfare, everyone obeys the rules of land warfare and wears a uniform of the appropriate color. In LIC situations, the situation is not so clear. The combatants often wear clothing indistinguishable from the non-combatants. Target identification is much more difficult." Nevertheless, Rooker concluded, "For the direct action part of a mission, "Sniper! Special Forces" is the best game available." In the December 1998 edition of "The Wargamer", James C. Gordon reviewed  Hetzer, and found that it "fills a [niche] in the hobby with a challenging view of ground level combat situations in World War II. [...] Managing forces of sometimes questionable reliability, weapons systems with various strengths and weaknesses, and reacting to the opposition requires the skills of a chess player." Gordon liked the "professionally done map and counters", and found the rules to be "well organized." Although he found the game complex, with "lots to remember and lots to do", he didn't find the system cumbersome. He concluded by noting that the historical accuracy of the game was derived from  typical situations and objectives. Good marks for all.