Logacta

Infobox_Game
subject_name=LOGacta
designer=Michael Baker
publisher=LOGacta Games
players=1+
ages=8 and up
setup_time=1 minute
playing_time= No limit
complexity=Medium
strategy=Nil
random_chance=High
skills=Mathematics
bggid=26794
footnotes=

LOGacta was a board game that uniquely simulated full season(s) of (usually English or Scottish) football (soccer). The game used a series of dice, cards and charts that allowed a player to somewhat randomly simulate a full football season, including a league (consisting of a single 16-team "Super League"), the League and FA Cups, the three (as was in the late 1970s) European Cup, the World Cup and European Championships.

The Game

A set of LOGacta contained the following:

*The "Chart Book" (into which scores were entered and collated)
*A set of seven dice, white with coloured numerals (Green, Brown, Blue, Black, Red, Grey and Yellow)
*A set of cards, individually numbered 1 to 33
*"Points Recorder" Sheets
*The "Dice Selector" Chart
*Instructions
*An introductory letter from the games inventor, Michael Baker
*Money-off Coupons for future "Chart Books"

Rules of LOGacta

Each "Chart Book" contained room for eight potential seasons. There was a 16-team "Super League" for each season, plus the two (as in the late 1970s) English or Scottish domestic trophies, and the three (then) European Trophies. There were also (at the back of the Chart Book) two World Cups (to be played after Seasons 1 and 4) and two European Championships (to be played after seasons 3 and 7).

The 16-team Super League

Players were required to select 16 teams to compete in the Super League, encouraged to select the nation's best alongside local favourites. By listing the teams in the Super League page of the Chart Book a simplistic fixture list of 30 'Matchsets' was created, which the player would then play through.

To simulate each match, a player would throw two of the specially numbered dice. For the first four Matchsets, each home team would receive the blue dice, numbered '0', '1', '1', '2', '3' and '4', whilst the away team would receive the red dice, numbered '0', '0', '1', '2', '2' and '3'. As can be seen the home team received a small but significant advantage. Once thrown, the score was recorded in the Chart Book, and the next game played. In addition, the number of points awarded for each team's victory or draw would be recorded on the Points Recorder sheet, enabling the player(s) to plot the progress of each side.

Once four Matchsets had been completed, the "Dice Selector" chart came into play. The player would have to calculate the points difference between each competing side and then look up the dice each team would receive on the Dice Selector. For example, if Arsenal (on 15pts) were at home to Nottingham Forest (on 6pts), the difference would be 9pts to Arsenal. According then to the Dice Selector Arsenal would receive the Brown dice (numbered '0','1','1','2','4' and '5') whilst Forest would receive the Yellow dice (numbered '0', '0', '1', '1', '1' and '2') hence giving Arsenal a significant advantage.

This routine would continue as to the end of the season until all thirty Matchsets had taken place and the Champions declared. Players were encouraged also to relegate the bottom two teams at the end of the season and choose two new ones.

In addition to the normal dice, one or more teams would be given the benefit of having an extra throw of the yellow dice added to their scores. These were known as "Form Teams" - for the first eight Matchsets this was the previous season's champions, but from that point on, a form team was one who had recorded the most points in the previous four games, in four game intervals (12, 16, 20, 24 and 28). A second "League Position" chart was filled in every four Matchsets (and Matchsets 29 and 30) to help determine these teams, and also to keep track of the Super League's evolving league table.

Cup Competitions

Cup games were played in a similar manner to league games except that for each match, each clubs "real" division determined the dice used. For example, if a First Division (as was then, now "The Premiership") club met a Fourth Division (now "League Two") club at home, the First Division club received the Green dice, and the Fourth Division club the Yellow dice. The Match would be played, the result recorded (with replays if necessary, along with extra time (the Yellow dice) and penalties (the Green dice) if required) and the winners would progress on to the next round.

Cup draws were made by use of the supplied numbered cards.

Somewhat confusingly, the League Cup began with the 3rd Round, and the FA Cup with the 4th round (probably to make drawing the teams easier as at these stages a round figure of 32 clubs would be left in the competition). Players had to select the teams that would play in these competitions via an allotment process, so that each division was represented, although (for example in the FA Cup) eleven First Division sides made it into the initial draw, whereas only four Fourth Division teams would.

European competitions began with "Rounds of 16". Again, players had to select the teams that would take part. Players were encouraged to use up-to-date information in order to ascertain which teams would compete in each tournament.

The World Cup was run after seasons 1 and 5. The player would choose sixteen countries to take part, who would then go through various group and knock-out stages in order to determine the Cup Winners.

The European Championships were run after seasons 3 and 7. Thirty-two teams would take part (as there were 33 countries in UEFA at the time one team was drawn out not to take part), divided into eight groups. Each group winner would then progress to the knock-out stages.

Mythology

LOGacta ceased production in 1980. As most sets that were sold have now been consigned to the dustbin, original copies of the game sell on Ebay for inflated prices. Copies of the game supplied on CD can also be bought off Ebay.

LOGacta came to be regarded with reverence by those who became addicts of the game whilst totally disregarded by most other people.

Rumours of an electronic version of the game being developed surfaced in the early years of this century, but so far, nothing has come to fruition.

See also

* [http://www.alexmidd.co.uk/afl.html]

External links

* [http://www.games-collector.com/games-l/206049-logactachartsoccer-1976.htm]