Adding "History Maker" to RWBR: Ryan Morrison's Stock Car Racing Storyline Generator
After completing three full seasons of stock car action with RED WHITE & BLUE RACIN', Ryan Morrison started brainstorming about ways he could spice up the drama over the course of multiple, continuous seasons of stock car racing. "Some of you dedicated and hardcore PLAAY Games guys may notice some similarities from other PLAAY board games in this idea," writes Ryan. "I thought of teams and drivers building up their reputations over time and thought: what could I use to portray these changes? From drivers like Jimmie Johnson rising from little-known rookie to becoming a seven-time champion or guys like Morgan Shepherd slowly fading out of the spotlight over time. And seeing teams like Hendrick Motorsports starting as a small operation and becoming a powerhouse organization, I wanted to find a way to replicate this in some fashion on the tabletop.
"Well, the first thing I thought of were the TV and grudge grades from PLAAY's FACE TO THE MAT Pro Wrestling Game. The concept of the wrestlers' changing popularity and behaviors over the course of multiple events inspired me to try and apply that to RWBR! As a diehard NASCAR fanatic, who has watched religiously for the better part of 20 years, I have seen race car drivers as well as teams in real life both gain and lose notoriety over the course of the years. Stock car racing is very much like wrestling to a certain degree and is a sport of momentum. So, I went to work writing some notes. To make a long story short, I came up with these charts as well as implemented a simple economic system that will also help (or hurt) teams' and drivers' growth.
"I've just kicked off my first season using a set I created based on the 2004 NASCAR season. I assigned qualities to drivers based on their past history on certain tracks. Overall, the driver cards are pretty much the same as the standard cards except, right below the driver’s name, I left a spot for their TV grade, which can increase or decrease based on a variety of factors on the charts.
"Then, I created those team cards, which is where things change up. In 2004, Jeff Gordon raced for Hendrick Motorsports, which is one of the greatest organizations in NASCAR history. How I made the team card is I listed the team’s name, of course, at the top-center part of an index card. Directly below the team name, I listed the available cash in their bank. The top left I outline a box for the team’s reputation grade, which is essentially the same thing as a driver’s TV grade. Like the TV grade, this has the potential to change on the preseason boards or with certain performances throughout the season. Top right, I note the auto manufacturer the team represents.
"The team cards also have spots for a maximum four individual cars they can run. Some teams, like Hendrick already have four cars in their stable and others, like Wood Brothers Racing, only have one car in theirs. The cars have their own individual qualities, gas and brake checks, and trophy grades. This simulates the historical success some teams have at certain tracks.
"Take a little team like Morgan-McClure Motorsports for example. This team is mostly forgettable to most casual racing fans, but throughout their existence (especially the 1990s), they were incredible at restrictor plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega). They had won three Daytona 500s in '92, '94 and '95 as well as nine other plate races in the '90s. This was all done with two drivers: Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin, neither drivers had ever had any success in the Cup Series prior to joining this team. You’d have to think Morgan-McClure had to have built some awesome plate cars to get these guys so many victories at Daytona and Talladega.
Ryan feels like the example of Morgan-McClure is perfect for explaining the team qualities. "While they were no longer a good team in 2004, they still showed speed at plate tracks. So, the number 4 Chevy has the STAR quality to simulate its prowess on those tracks. This will make the driver more successful at the big tracks despite him not being that great a driver because he has a great car. We see this in all forms of motorsports all the time. Sometimes a car makes the difference of whether or not the driver is successful.
"I started by rolling on the preseason charts for every team. By rolling on these charts just before the start of the season, teams and drivers have opportunities to take steps forwards or backwards. For example, Chip Ganassi Racing had a great preseason on their rolls and their #42 car and its driver, Jamie McMurray gained a few qualities on their cards. Sure enough, we started the season at Daytona and McMurray won the Exhibition 'Busch Clash,' qualified well for the Daytona 500, AND won the Daytona 500! And their off-season improvements played a role in their victories.
Ryan apologizes for what he called "a very long-winded description," but he felt it was important to lay out everything for RWBR gamers. "This has been fun to do," he writes, "and I myself will continue to do it over time."
One caveat, per Ryan: "I will admit there is one drawback to this: adding in checks on the cars themselves creates a noticeable increase in playing time. Playing the traditional way, a 500 mile race would probably take me 20-30 minutes. Playing this way brings a race time closer to an hour. Some guys may not care, but others might. I just wanted to share a fun idea I had and if some guys wanted to try it out, I would like to put it out there.
Finally, one suggestions: "Best to use a pencil or erasable pen when creating the team ratings card as qualities and ratings tend to fluctuate as the season goes on!"