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Crusade
- This is the next generation of board games.
What
is it?
Crusade is an
exciting 2-player board game that is also a three-dimensional card game.
If you or anyone you know likes playing card games or thought provoking
board games then this is an absolute must-have. Designed with adults in
mind it makes a great present for a wide range of ages and will keep
both players intrigued every time they play. A typical game lasts about
15~20 minutes so you'll never get bored, you'll never play the same game
twice and it really is never over until the last turn of the card. It
has very few rules, but for those who prefer not to read rules at all or
to have to explain them to new players, each game comes complete with a
short 10 minute/side audio-cassette. Side one gives full instructions
and an explanation of how to set up the playing pieces, how they move
and why. Side two gives simple strategies enough to take you through
your first exciting game. Play it once and you've learnt it, but it
takes memory, luck and cunning to become a really great player. The
unique assembly of the playing area and rigid storage box will allow you
to play on a full size board, yet when packed away the game is so
compact you can take it, or store it, almost anywhere. It is ideal for
use in the home, on boats and in caravans. Games are only available
direct from the manufacturer and can be ordered by credit card on the
secure Internet site or by Fax, Phone and Post.
Crusade
had been in development for over 10 years before it was put into
production, during that period it was extensively tested and refined,
into what we believe is now the most exciting 2-player board game ever.
It really is the most addictive game you will ever play, the logo 'never
just a game' says it all, we've not met anyone yet who has just
played one game and put it back in it's box!
The
concept was to create a brand new game
that had a timeless theme, a game that could stand the test of time in
the same manner as Chess and Checkers (Draughts) this would mean the
game could not be linked to any film or television characters as they
could only date the game to their own popularity. The game would
be designed to be user friendly and instantly familiar,
as soon as the first game had been played the contestants should feel as
though they have been able to play it all their lives. But in order to
keep the players interest, the more times the game would be played the
greater the thought would need to go into each move. There should be no
complicated rules, the game should flow naturally requiring variations
in strategy through a series of constant decisions presented by multiple
choices and allow for changes in tactics and objectives as various
options and opportunities arose.
The playing arena had to be unique, it was required to be robust but
light and of a sufficiently large size to make it have a real presence
when in use, yet when dismantled the board needed to be compact and take
up as little storage space as possible. The board would also to be
designed with the facility of integrating a personalized advertising
panel allowing corporate customers to promote their company along side
the playing area.
The playing pieces would need to be clearly distinguishable and easy to
use as this game would not only be played by adults but also by the
young and the elderly.
The traditional problem of explaining rules and strategies to new player
would be overcome by including in each game box, in addition to the
standard explanation leaflet, an audio-tape of not longer than 10
minutes per side that would explain every aspect of the game and allow
instant play.
In
the beginning.
We started by examining existing board
games and listed their strengths and weaknesses. Probably the most
universally well-known board game is Chess; it's been around for over
2000 years so it's certainly stood the test of time. However, great game
though it undoubtedly is, it does have basic weaknesses; it's difficult
to learn to play well, and a player needs an opponent who is on the same
level in order to produce a good contest, a novice or a grand master
will provide little entertainment to an average player. Another major
factor is, it's enough to give you a headache trying to think all those
moves ahead, we wanted a game where you could laugh and joke while you
played, our game had to be fun, serious fun. We wanted certain elements
of Chess but without the complexity and the seriousness. We accepted
that one of the great strengths of Chess was that it allowed for changes
in strategy throughout the game and although the game could get very
involved, there were actually very few rules. Once you knew how the
pieces moved and their relative values that was enough to get you
started. Another great strength was the layout of the playing area, very
simple and mathematically perfect.
The next choice was to choose what would be the driving force of the
game, what made the pieces move. Many traditional board games use dice
to determine the moves, well that again we saw that as a weakness, luck
plays a very big part in dice games, meaning there is very little skill
involved in relation to chance. We decided that a standard pack of
playing cards would determine which playing piece moved in Crusade
they would give infinitely more permutations to
their order of play than dice, as well as the fact that a pack of
playing cards is familiar to everyone.
Armed with this basic criteria for a new game we stripped out all the
other aspects linked with existing board games that we considered not
acceptable so:
Out
went the boring type of
game that seems to go on for days, but you can tell who's going to win
after the first half hour.
Excitement is built in to Crusade,
it's a quick, yet thought provoking game. Each game will last on average
about 15-20 minutes and you'll need memory, luck and cunning in order to
become a great player.
Out
went the endless pages of rules;
so complicated and ambiguous that you spent more time reading them than
playing the game and the difficulties of explaining to new players what
a game is all about is also resolved.
Crusade has
very few rules; it's based more on an understanding of the playing
pieces objectives and how they move around the board. Play it once and
you've learnt it, perhaps the strangest thing is, in no time at all,
you'll feel you've played it all your life. To help you learn to play in
minutes and to explain the game to new players, each game comes complete
with a short audio-cassette. Side 1 explains how to set out the pieces,
how they move and why, and how to play the game. Side 2 provides hints
on strategies and details a full demonstration game.
Out
went the old fashioned cardboard playing area with the unsightly crease
down the centre, that folded away into a weird long flat box, which you
couldn't seem to store anywhere.
Crusade has a sturdy
four piece high quality moulded game-board that twists together in
seconds to produce a full size playing arena, yet when dismantled it
packs away into a specially designed box that gives maximum protection
with compact storage. Approximate dimensions in mm. 316L x 162W x 60D
(like a shoe box but about half as deep) with a weight of less than 1
kilogram. This makes Crusade
not only a fantastic game to keep at home but also the ideal game for
use in boats and caravans, where space is at a premium.
Out
went the problem of finding a group of people to play with you.
Crusade
has been designed to be a 2-player game, because it's far easier to find
one person to play with rather than getting together the 4 or 6 people
required for some types of board games. Opponents can also be drawn from
a vast age range. We recommend it is suitable from 8 years old to Adult,
however many below 8 years old can pick up the idea of the game within
minutes, as have the many people in their 80's who now enjoy playing.
There's a simple handicapping system that allows an expert to have an
interesting and exciting game with a complete novice, but nobody stays a
novice for long. Even playing with people who do not speak your language
is not a barrier; the game becomes self-explanatory by just watching it
being played. You will become familiar with Crusade
quite literally within minutes, you can play time and time again but
you'll never play the same game twice. Each game is a new challenge and
throughout the game, even if at times your position doesn't look strong,
you still have a chance of winning right up to the very end. It's
totally absorbing and never over until the last card is played.
Innovation
in the method of promotion was our next big break with tradition.
We decided not to make the product
available in the usual shops and stores where most games are found. When
a product is sold by the conventional method, generally, all contact
between the manufacturer and the end user is lost. As the sole
manufacturer of Crusade
we know who has purchased each of our products and that allows us to
offer that individual a great opportunity. We will reward them
financially for introducing new customers to the game. By cutting out
the wholesaler and retailer mark ups we can keep our prices competitive
and instead of letting the middle man take the rewards we give them
straight to our existing customers in gratitude for their introductions,
currently we give registered owners £10 for each successful new
introduction that ends in a first time sale.
Crusade
is only available by ordering direct from the manufacturer and can be
ordered by credit card on the secure Internet site or by Fax, Phone and
Post.
You could become a local Agent for Crusade
in your area. The fortunate ones that grab this "golden
opportunity" will be well rewarded. It costs remarkably little to
set up; full information is available on the 'Becoming an Agent' page.
Corporate customers can enjoy the advertising benefits of having their
Company name and logo displayed on insets in the side panels of the
game-board, another first for a main line board game.
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