This page last changed August, 2021 and seldom needs changing.

DIPLOMACY/INTERACTION: Lots
DIFFICULTY/COMPLEXITY: Difficult (a first-time player should play a "practice game" first.)
GAME LENGTH: Fixed.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 to 8

Do you have the ambition, the skill, and the insidious single-mindedness necessary to conquer all of Europe?

War (and lots of behind-the-scenes intrigue) takes place on a map of Europe, among 4-8 players all trying to conquer 29 countries. With the technology of the latter-half of the Twentieth Century, you can build Army, Navy, Air Force, Missiles, Anti-Missiles, and even more industry with which to build. You can spend your cash on research, spy networks, counterspies, or propaganda. To win you'll need all of them - the question is how much of each?

The object is to occupy or conquer all 29 countries, or otherwise eliminate all the other players from the game. This is an area movement strategic game (each "space" on the map is generally an entire country), with production a very important part of the game.

VARIANTS AVAILABLE:

1. SLOW BATTLE PLAN (moves once a month),
2. PARTNERS BATTLE PLAN (each player signs up with a friend -each player has his own position and is trying to win for himself, but at least you know you have a friend in the game),
3. PRACTICE GAME

Rules
Setup fee $5.
Turns are $3.50 for the 1st ten, $4 after turn 10.
Extra maps are 10 for $2.
The rules for BP and for WW (below) are all in the same rule book. Please download, (save) and read both the House Rules and the Battleplan Rules
The map for basic Battle Plan is here.
Sometimes for a change, when we start a new game of regular BP, we put the players into a South American map. That map can be found here.

Once you have studied the rules, you can play a free "Practice Game". Just click on one of the buttons below. You will receive by return mail your first printout, with you as your selected country, and one opponent. Your opponent will do nothing except random builds, to defend himself. You will need to figure out how to give orders, and conquer your opponent's one country to "win" the practice game. The first practice game is free. If you want to play again, it costs $5.

Attention: the email results will come from "games@rickloomispbm.com". You may need to add that address to your address book. We often get those emails "bouncing" back to us. Probably they are the result of spammers sending garbage to our email autoresponders, with fake return addresses. But we can't tell from here. If you do not get a response in a few minutes, email me at games at rickloomispbm.com - thanks.

You can play a practice game with you as either Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Spain or Turkey at ( games at rickloomispbm dot com ) Please tell the Gamemaster which country you want to play as and remember only the first practice game is free. If you want to play again, it costs $5. NOTE: when you send in your first turn, please tell us your full name and postal address. We need to have some way to keep track of you in the records.

DIPLOMACY/INTERACTION: Lots
DIFFICULTY/COMPLEXITY: Difficult. It's recommended that you play BATTLE PLAN first.
GAME LENGTH: Fixed
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 20 to 31

If Europe isn't enough for you, how about the entire world? Using the same rules as Battle Plan, World Wide (or World War as we sometimes call it) can handle up to 31 players all trying to gain control of 255 land and sea spaces over the entire world. We have both "real world forces" games and "equal forces" games. This game can get VERY involved (seven pages of printout every turn). Names and addresses of all players are given at the start of the game, unless you SPECIFY when you sign up that you wish to remain anonymous. (If you'd like us to include your phone number along with your address, be sure and say so with your request.) It is recommended that you try Battle Plan first to learn the rules. (You will need a copy of the Battle Plan rules.)

Here is a copy of the WWBP Map , and here is a copy of the WWBP Map with all the lines filled in so you can color it with "paint".

World Wide Battle Plan was nominated at Origins 1988, 1989 and 1999 for best pbm game of the year, and won the Gamers Choice award at Gencon in 1988 for best pbm game. Cold War WWBP was nominated for best new pbm game of 1997 at Origins 1998.

VARIANTS AVAILABLE:

1. SLOW WORLD WAR (one month between turns),
2. EQUAL FORCES WORLD WAR (actually, this is the "regular" game. Everyone starts with equal forces, as in Battle Plan),
3. REAL FORCES WORLD WAR (countries start with the forces actually available in the real world around 1982. Turn fee varies according to which country you pick. A list is provided when you order the rules to WW.)
4. 1939 WORLD WAR: A real forces variant where the players start with what the countries had just before WWII. This game is played for approximately 25 turns, and then each player is awarded victory points for achieving certain goals given at the beginning of the game.
5. ANONYMOUS WW: same as "Equal Forces" except the players are not allowed to communicate with each other. (cuts down on phone bills). *
6. ANONYMOUS PARTNERS WW: Same as "Anonymous" except each player signs up with a partner, and you are allowed to communicate with your partner. Gives you someone with whom you can talk about the game.*
7. LESSER FORCES WW: same as "Real Forces" except the super powers are not played by players. All players play one of the small countries.

*Although the players are not allowed to communicate directly, nor exchange addresses and phone numbers, certain specified messages can be caused to be printed out on your opponent's turn by giving certain orders. These messages are listed for you on the first turn of the game, but a copy of them can also be examined by going to this page..

When you sign up for a WW game, please specify whether you want a "real world forces" game, a "1939" game, or an "equal forces" game, and specify whether or not you want your name, address and phone number. published on turn one for the other players.

Rules are downloaded on a PDF, please read them thoroughly and store (or print)
on your own device. Setup fee is $5.
To pay the setup fee:

Equal Forces and Anonymous games are $5 per turn for the first 10, raises 50 cents every ten turns.
Games are usually over by 40 turns or so. Real Forces turn fees are $2 to $9 per turn, depending on which country you request. (See rules for list).
1939 WW is $4 per turn for minor powers, and $8 per turn for major powers.
Extra maps: large are 2 for $5.

Reduced size maps are 10 for $5.

There is a copy of the rules and victory conditions for 1939 WWBP available here.

To read an article about World Wide Battle Plan, see this page or see FBQ for other strategy articles.

There is an online copy of the BP/WW Rules

There is also an online copy of the connection lists, in case you have any question about whether you can move directly from one space to another space.

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Mail rates are changing so often for overseas or international players please contact "Chuck" 1 480-945-6917 or email him at games at rickloomispbm dot com for current costs.