Game of the Generals
Encyclopedia
The Game of the Generals, also called Salpakan in Tagalog
, and GG as it is most fondly called, or simply The Generals, is an educational wargame
invented in the Philippines by Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr. in 1970
. It can be played within twenty to thirty minutes. It is designed for two players, each controlling an army, and a neutral arbiter or an adjutant
. It needs the use of logic
. The game simulates armies at war trying to outflank and outmaneuver each other. As in actual warfare, the game allows only one side's plan to succeed. Certain strategies and tactics, however, allow both sides the chance of securing a better idea of the other's plan as the game progresses. Players can also speak with others during matches, hoping to make a false impression on where the flag is.
movies and Mata Hari, he added the spies. Making the pieces hidden was the idea of the Pasolas after remembering card games. The Game of the Generals' public introduction was on February 28, 1973.
from the opponent.
In plastic sets, the colours commonly used in the pieces are black and white. There are also sets composed of wooden boards and steel pieces. Those pieces have insignias that are either coloured red or blue. In metal sets, the color of the board is commonly brown and the pieces are aluminum colored. The pieces are still bent.
Apart from the flag (the Philippine flag
) and the spy
(a pair of prying eyes), the insignias used in the game are those used in the Philippine Army
.
NOTE:If both soldiers are of equal rank, both are eliminated.
If a flag reaches the opposite end of the board, the opponent has one turn left although it is not announced. After the turn, the player reveals the flag. If the flag was not challenged, the player wins the game. If it was challenged, the player loses.
Unlike the original version of the game, if a player's flag reaches the back row in The Generals Electronic Strategy Game, that player wins, even if an opposing piece occupies an adjacent square on the back row.
Unlike the somewhat similar game of Stratego
, Generals does not have any bombs, nor miners to defuse them, nor scouts to zip several spaces across the board in one move. Nor does Generals have any immovable pieces (both the flag and the bombs in Stratego are stationary). In addition, unlike Stratego, which features two "lakes" in the middle of the board, all the squares on the board are accessible. Also, each player has two Agents in Generals, while each only has one Spy in Stratego. Finally, Generals inherently requires a third-party arbiter to maintain the game's uncertainty to the endgame.
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, and GG as it is most fondly called, or simply The Generals, is an educational wargame
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
invented in the Philippines by Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr. in 1970
1970 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, and miniatures games published in 1970....
. It can be played within twenty to thirty minutes. It is designed for two players, each controlling an army, and a neutral arbiter or an adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
. It needs the use of logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
. The game simulates armies at war trying to outflank and outmaneuver each other. As in actual warfare, the game allows only one side's plan to succeed. Certain strategies and tactics, however, allow both sides the chance of securing a better idea of the other's plan as the game progresses. Players can also speak with others during matches, hoping to make a false impression on where the flag is.
History
This game was invented by Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr. with the inspiration of Ronnie Pasola (his son). The Pasolas first tried the Game of the Generals on a chessboard. Even then, the pieces had no particular arrangement. There were no spies in the experimental game; but after Ronnie Pasola remembered the James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movies and Mata Hari, he added the spies. Making the pieces hidden was the idea of the Pasolas after remembering card games. The Game of the Generals' public introduction was on February 28, 1973.
Objective
The objective of the game is to eliminate or capture the flag of the opponent, or to maneuver one's flag to the other end of the board.The Pieces
The player's set of pieces or soldiers with the corresponding ranks and functions consist of the following 21 pieces. A higher ranking piece will eliminate any lower ranking piece, with the exception of the spy, which eliminates all pieces except the private. The pieces are bent at an angle in order to hide the piece's rank or insigniaInsignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
from the opponent.
In plastic sets, the colours commonly used in the pieces are black and white. There are also sets composed of wooden boards and steel pieces. Those pieces have insignias that are either coloured red or blue. In metal sets, the color of the board is commonly brown and the pieces are aluminum colored. The pieces are still bent.
Apart from the flag (the Philippine flag
Flag of the Philippines
The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal flag bicolor with equal bands of royal blue and scarlet red, and with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist; in the center of the triangle is a golden yellow sun with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays, which represent...
) and the spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
(a pair of prying eyes), the insignias used in the game are those used in the Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
.
| Pieces | No. of Pieces | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Five-star General | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Four-star General | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Three-star General | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Two-star General | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| One-star General | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Lt. Colonel | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| Captain | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| 1st Lieutenant | 1 | Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private, and the flag. |
| 2nd Lieutenant | 1 | Eliminates the sergeant, the private, and the flag. |
| Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
1 | Eliminates the private, and the flag. |
| Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... |
6 | Eliminates the spy, and the flag. |
| Spy SPY SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire... |
2 | Eliminates all officers from the rank of Sergeant up to 5-Star General & the flag. |
| Flag Flag A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist... |
1 | Eliminates the opposing flag as long as it takes the aggressive action against the enemy flag. |
NOTE:If both soldiers are of equal rank, both are eliminated.
Challenging
A challenge is signaled by placing one's piece on top of the opposing piece occupying one of the squares. The arbiter then examines the ranks of the opposing pieces and removes the lower-ranked piece off the board and returns it to the owner regardless of who initiated the challenge. The arbiter must take care not to reveal the ranks of the pieces to the opposition. The game can also be played without an arbiter. In this case, when a challenge is made, both players must state the ranks of their pieces before removing the lower-ranked piece. Therefore, the presence of the arbiter, though not compulsory, is especially important to ensure secrecy until the game is over. It should be noted, however, that official games are conducted with an arbiter.Determining Who Wins the Challenge
Regardless of who initiated the challenge, their ranks determine which one is to be removed.- Any one of the player's pieces can capture the opposing flag. This includes the player's own flag.
- Any piece eliminates the private except the spy and the flag.
- Officers eliminate other officers that are ranked below it (e.g. a four-star general eliminates a lieutenant-colonel).
- A spy eliminates all officers (including the five-star general). Only the private can eliminate the spy.
- If both pieces are of the same rank, both are removed from the board.
If a flag reaches the opposite end of the board, the opponent has one turn left although it is not announced. After the turn, the player reveals the flag. If the flag was not challenged, the player wins the game. If it was challenged, the player loses.
The Generals Electronic Strategy Game
In 1980, Ideal released The Generals Electronic Strategy Game. The rules and piece ranks are the same as above, except that the "Spies" are "Agents", and an electronic arbiter determines which piece wins in a confrontation; neither player sees his opponent's pieces. The plastic pieces have selected notches on their bases, which depress certain indentations in the electronic arbiter's twin slots. The lights flash and a short musical phrase plays before a light labeled "battle winner" is illuminated. The losing piece is removed from the board, while the winning piece is placed back on the board. If the flag is placed in the arbiter, it plays "Taps" after the initial musical phrase.Unlike the original version of the game, if a player's flag reaches the back row in The Generals Electronic Strategy Game, that player wins, even if an opposing piece occupies an adjacent square on the back row.
Unlike the somewhat similar game of Stratego
Stratego
Stratego is a board game featuring a 10×10 square board and two players with 40 pieces each. Pieces represent individual officers and soldiers in an army. The objective of the game is to either find and capture the opponent's Flag or to capture so many of the opponent's pieces that he/she cannot...
, Generals does not have any bombs, nor miners to defuse them, nor scouts to zip several spaces across the board in one move. Nor does Generals have any immovable pieces (both the flag and the bombs in Stratego are stationary). In addition, unlike Stratego, which features two "lakes" in the middle of the board, all the squares on the board are accessible. Also, each player has two Agents in Generals, while each only has one Spy in Stratego. Finally, Generals inherently requires a third-party arbiter to maintain the game's uncertainty to the endgame.