The evolution of the game of Rozz™ has its origin in variants of the Parker Brothers' Risk™ game played by the Goddard brothers in the late 1970's. As was the case with many Risk™ enthusiasts, the brothers (Matt, Paul, Tom, Tim, and John) experimented with different game objectives and methods of combat resolution. Then, in the early 1980's, an article in Games Magazine entitled "Ozymandia" (of which we've been unable to find a copy) described a simple game with straightforward combat resolution, where players wrote down moves which were then played simultaneously. These concepts were applied to Risk™, and Rozz™ was born.
After the natural introduction of nuclear missiles to the game, the brothers perceived the need for more targets on the board. As a result, monetary units and an item catalog were introduced. Prices were established by the market: if items weren't being purchased, the prices were lowered; if they were selling at an excessive rate, the prices were raised. New items were gradually introduced to provide more balanced play, especially as new strategies were unearthed. Some item ideas (such as Factories and Rail Systems) were never officially added, but they emphasized the game's core independence from any particular item catalog, which made it a game of infinite variety.
In an effort to provide a fair, symmetrical terrain to the players in a game that was becoming more and more strategic, the Risk™ board was finally abandoned some time in the mid 1980's, and a configurable board of hexagonal tiles was implemented. By this point, "Headquarter Rozz" had become the game objective of choice, whereby the game ended as soon as any player's Headquarters was overtaken. Rozz™ was a not a game where huge masses of armies were built up to lumber across the board, nor was it a game where players had to sit around waiting for the final siege to end. It was, instead, a fast-paced blend of strategy, tactics, and psychology.
The online version here at PlayRozz™ has required some recent modification to the game. As an example, the command options have been simplified to remove the concept of command phases from the game. Also, imploding and exploding piece movements and strikes have been omitted, since the notation required by the Rozz™ Engine would have been too cumbersome. These aspects are not missed in the testing done so far; in fact, players in this online version say it feels even better than the good ol' days.