Welcome! STEP ONE

Welcome to my new blog about my attempt at Formula one nirvana.  I want to create a game that is tactically challenging enough that my decisions make a difference and I feel like it is a formula one racing game.  I want it to be enjoyable not tedious.  I want the cars to be different.  I want the drivers to be different.  I want it to be easily playable solo.  I want to be able to play a season.
All of the above is step one.
If you are familiar with my other works, [ Platoon Forward, Squadron Forward and soon to be Flotilla Forward] nirvana is actually a character driven campaign game that you bolt on to a tactical game.  the interactions of your characters help drive your narrative.  My personal Championship Racing Forward game would be a 5 year contract with a team as a team boss.  I need to improve my team during those years.  You could also play as a driver.  The system is flexible and it is not racing game specific. But...
I need a racing game that I like to play enough that I can develop my campaign game for.
So with this blog I thought I would chronicle my quest and hopefully create some discussion along the way and inspire others with ideas of how to improve their own games.

STEP ONE

Pick a racing game to use as the tactical game for the season.  

You have read my criteria above.  You may have similar.  I really looked hard at 3 games and cursory at 1.

Race Formula 90

This is a great racing game and unique on the market.    It's focus is on the operational decisions during the race such as tires, weather and fuel.  [ It is set in the 1990's specifically for that reason.] It is not about taking the corner at 120 vrs 100.  It is about 2 pit stops vrs 1.It has solo robot cars that are challenging so it is solitaire friendly as well.   The author succeeds at his goal and I like this game. I have both expansions.  The big negatives here is since the focus is operational all the tracks feel somewhat generic and though I rationalize it, going "red 6" just isn't as cool as going "120mph".  I created several house rules which are posted on boardgame geek.

Grand Prix

To be honest, this was my biggest disappointment.   I have no interest in NASCAR but the predecessor to this game is quite popular so I had high expectations.  GMT had a sale so I took a chance.  This is a great game! I can actually get my family to play.  The production values are high, some of the mechanics are brilliant such as the close call tokens.    The problem is it has little to do with formula one racing.I applaud the designers in achieving what they set out to do.  If you look at my list above this ticks off very few boxes.

The boards for Grand Prix are the prettiest of all the games.  Too bad they are generic. 


Championship Formula  Racing

  
   This game is really an evolution of Speed Circuit which I had originally back in the 1970s as a youngster.  It is very granular and tactical.  You set your speed every turn and every track is different. You design the car and there is a very robust set of solo driver rules.  Sounds perfect right?  Whereas Race nails the operational aspects and falls short on the tactical, CFR absolutely crushes the tactical but there is  no operational here at all.  There is an attempt at tires and pitting but they are inadequate in my opinion.  [There are some fan made pitting rules that are  good.]   If you get in 2-3 laps with 14 cars you are doing well with CFR; that is how tactical this game is.  That said, you really feel that you are at least talking to the driver if not in the driver seat yourself.  The big negatives here are time involved in playing, and having to add operational rules to the game such as pitting, tires, weather and  paucity of tracks with solo notations.

CFR is very tactical.  Here Ferrari takes the lead as Vettel cuts inside of Hamilton. 


Formula De

I never actually purchased this game.  I have been tempted for years.   Loved the boards and it did seem to have tactical strategy.  My 2 biggest concerns are that the cars and drivers appear generic and while I love the mechanic of different die for different gears that still seemed gamey for my purposes.
Would love to hear from people that have this.  You know my criteria.  Do you think it would be a good choice for me?


So those are the games I have been considering.  Right now my choice if Championship Formula Racing.   The reason being it is so fun to play and has a great solo system that I think it will be easier to build the operational aspects on top of that than to build tactical parts onto Race 90.  For those of you familar with CFR, I have already made and am testing driver cards for the 2018 season.

Thoughts?    Other games to consider?   Has anyone built on a system to CFR?  Has anyone built on a system to Race?  Please teach me.  Am I crazy?

Thanks for reading.  During this time of Covid; please take it seriously and be safe.  I have a hospital with many people who wish they had.

Cheers

Joe