Ludic Science Club/Chicago Chicago!

Chicago Chicago! is a board game simulation of 1968 Democratic National Convention protest activity. The two sides are the police and the demonstrators. The demonstrators aim to cause as much commotion as possible to highlight their concerns, while the Chicago Police Department (CPD) aim to prevent this. The historical event can be compared with more recent confrontations such as the Anti-globalization protests in Prague against the IMF held in 2000.

The Board
The board is a depiction of central Chicago with particular reference to such parks as Grant Park where the protesters gathered. We created a double size photocopied version so that a group of us could gather around the board. This depiction is based in a series of interconnected locations, which provides a Point to Point Movement mechanic.

Some of these locations have CPD Minimum and CPD Conditional Minimum boxes within them. The police have to ensure that the CPD minimum boxes always have a minimum of 3 platoons in them. If they suffer losses these must be replaced - or they loose the game. The CPD Conditional Minimum however can be left vacant after the police have been mobilised by demonstrators entering the location in which the box is to be found. Each area also has differing numbers for the amount of exposure that the players get from the Conflict Resolution Table also rpovided on the board. This is asymmetric.

The board also has an Exposure Index, indicating the level of exposure the demonstrators and the police get on national (and international media). This is how "winning" is determined. The track goes up to 64.

There is also a Time Record Chart, comprising of twelve turns, three turns making a day. They cover the 25, 26, 27 28 August 1968. Each day consists of an A turn, a B turn and C turn. At the end of each A turn and B turn, a third of the demonstrators are removed, fractions being ignored, but at least one unit in area must be removed. If it is a C turn, all groups not in parks are removed.

The Pieces
All the playing pieces have two numbers: the first refers to the strength or conflict readiness, the second refers to how many locations the unit may move through in one turn.

The police
These are the blue pieces.

They consist of:

Basic Units composed of platoons and companies (consisting of three platoons). These units have a star on them. The different sized units are provided for ease of play, and platoons can be combined into companies, and companies broken down into platoons at will. These can exist at three levels. As the game proceeds, units may experience demorialization - go down a level, or radicalization - go up a level. Level 1 units can never go higher. Level 3 units are removed from the board if demoralized. Police units removed in this way cannot be remobilized.


 *  Tac Units, six of these, (5-3). These units have an image of a police car on them
 *  National Guard, organised as Companies (3-2) or Battalions (9-2). These units have an image of a bayonet on them.

The demonstrators
The demonstrators are also have levels like the Police Basic units, however they are classified as groups and crowds, with three groups making a crowd. As with the police units can be combined or broken down at will. However they have four levels. These units have a clenched fist on them.

Turns


First the demonstrators move and resolve conflicts and then the police move and resolve conflicts. After this, demonstrators are removed depending on whether it is an A, B or C turn (see above).

Movement
Units may move through as many interconnected locations as their movement allowance permits. However if an enemy unit is in a space (excluding police in CPD Minimum Boxes) then it takes an additional movement point.

Infiltration: Demonstrators can use infiltration, which allows them to double their movement factor, however they may not initiate any conflict, and they loose half of their numbers at the end of their move. (They do not loose another third at the end of the turn however.)

Links

 * Westminser University SPIR course account of game