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Post by Whiterook on Sept 16, 2023 17:33:57 GMT -5
ASLSK is starting to gel… I’d noticed it was back when I played it last year at Compass Game Expo in November, it it seems even more “down pat-ish” now… it’s all those little bits of rules that need to be remembered in sequence. I truly see the appeal of the game to those that are rabid about it, as it is very detailed and thought out. a big part of the issues for me are the rulebooks, which are not written real well…I’m thinking of re-writing them; more like, reformatting into two column pages and some clarifying edits.
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McCoy
Sergeant
Posts: 227 
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Post by McCoy on Sept 17, 2023 9:09:42 GMT -5
Yes, the rules is vast but I agree that the rulebooks isn't well written. They could market ASL rulebooks towards people suffering of insomnia...
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 17, 2023 18:24:22 GMT -5
Yes, the rules is vast but I agree that the rulebooks isn't well written. They could market ASL rulebooks towards people suffering of insomnia... Fortunately, the Starter Kit rules are drastically condensed, and the overall rules are simplified to a degree by taking out fiddly things like Bypass movement… still, there’s a lot to remember. Full system ASLers say that its a hop skip and jump from Starter Kit to full system, but I was skeptical of that; still am, ‘cause how do you go from 40 pages (by the time you’re at SK 3 or 4) to full systems’ 3” binder of hundreds of pages? Starter Kit is much more manageable to learn, and indeed offers a back door into the full system, but I also worry about “Bad Habits”… it’s harder to unlearn and adapt from one skill to another related skill; that’s what ASL vs ASLSK is, two differing skill sets. It’s one of the reason it’s so annoying playing SK with a. Full system aficionado… the SK players is always saying, “…can’t do that in Starter Kit”, followed by the ASLers saying something like, “Hmmmmmmm”, as they scratch their head. |
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 17, 2023 19:08:01 GMT -5
 Picked this up off of Noble Knight Games for $15!!! I couldn’t believe it, actually…the price, I mean. It was listed as Very Good+ and it very much was, with just a small crease in the box top, some wear in the bottom corners, and chipping paint on th Formula 1 cars; but the log sheets are crisp appear like not one was ever ripped off; the hard mounted maps are gorgeous, only one having a little wear marks on a couple spots; and the rules are crisp and not yellowed. Best of all, it has the early production metal cars (this is a 1977 copy, not the 1971 or later)! I’ve a friend named Victor, who’s wanted me to play his copy forever…literally, for over a decade! I pushed back because he mentioned calculations are made for things like tread rubber wear and such…and pics I’d seen showed people hunched over game logs doing annotations that just looked too intense for me. But after having researched the game more, found that it really is a cool game. It gives me the same positive vibe I’d always gotten for Circus Maximus’ chariot racing. I’ll be going to his house next week for a game with at least three of us in attendance, so I’ll get a good tutorial and play in. I plan to bring it with me to Compass Games Expo in November, as a possible evening multiplayer offering. Seems to be a game you can play in a short 3 hour block, maybe even a couple times. |
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Post by mikeh on Sept 18, 2023 10:55:22 GMT -5
Nice to have someone to show you how a game plays. People like to complain about prices from NK but if they had to pay their overhead I bet they would understand their prices a lot better.
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 18, 2023 17:04:10 GMT -5
Nice to have someone to show you how a game plays. People like to complain about prices from NK but if they had to pay their overhead I bet they would understand their prices a lot better. Some of their games are indeed, very high priced, but where are they not these days?!? The fact of the matter is, they often can pull through with a game that’s near impossible to find elsewhere, and more than often in great condition! That’s where I got my copy of Phantom Fury from…well actually, Karen (wife) bright it as a present for me, and it’s in amazing shape!  …I need to get that on the table this Fall!!! |
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 22, 2023 21:52:00 GMT -5
Heading out to the Annual Garage Barrage tomorrow morning with a buddy of mine from East Longmeadow…it’s an annual gig of all day Advanced Squad Leader play, with about a dozen folks playing. My buddy and I will be playing ASL Starter Kit #1 (Infantry). The last time I played the game was last November, at Compass Games Expo, against him! …neither of us has played it since  so it’ll be a jumpstart for both of us! |
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 24, 2023 15:30:37 GMT -5
Heading out to the Annual Garage Barrage tomorrow morning with a buddy of mine from East Longmeadow…it’s an annual gig of all day Advanced Squad Leader play, with about a dozen folks playing. My buddy and I will be playing ASL Starter Kit #1 (Infantry). The last time I played the game was last November, at Compass Games Expo, against him! …neither of us has played it since so it’ll be a jumpstart for both of us! Fun time at the Garage Barrage. My found, Brian and I were both at about the same level of what was remembered and forgotten in rules so, we had to dive into the booklet several times throughout the game, but we managed to get just past half the game. However, it was late in the day since we had to travel and hour and a half both ways, and we wanted to get back home before the rains really hit hard and dark descended, I conceded the game. I played Germans, who had to get 10 or more Victory Points off the west edge (a long edge), moving across from the east. I’d split my forces up on each far flank (almost at the North and South edges), once I saw him setup his forces in the center, about a third of the way in from the west edge (top long edge, in the pictures below). Though I had superior numbers, he had American Elite squads that just kicked ass! My left flank (south): was pretty screwed, held in place from withering machineguns… I almost snuck pst him, which was the goal of move fast in road movement, but I forgot to Double Time, and that cost me that flank collapsing like a house of cards. It would have been a slugfest, needing great rolls to break and pin his troops. I had four turns left when I conceded and I knew I probably could have gotten maybe two or three VPs. My right flank (north): had a significant amount of troops, and I was positioned to where I could have rushed the north exit zone… I would have had to hope for luck in opportunity fire as I moved, combined with some close combat, but I could have possibly had enough to get eight or more VPs; I definitely had the numbers over him. ….but we indeed, had rain when we got home and it was getting dark quick. I knew he had yet another hour or so drive on top of driving from my house so, I was glad to have left when we did. The point after all, was to get reacquainted with the game, which was achieved.   The following picture was early on. The CX counters you see on the Americans up north (to the right) were Brian using double time, gaining tow extra hexes of move… that got him positioned to stop my right flank movement fairly well, but I had a lot of cover behind trees, so I had the opportunity later to advance one ex to the tree line edge towards him without opportunity fire at me… it would have been having to wait up his having the next turn and firing at full FP at me, so it really makes it hard to decide whether I wanted to slug it out or rush him in my movement turn. 
 …I tried slugging it out with a few, and it got nasty, while moving others up and ready to dash through the woods for the exit zone…    Alas, we’ll never know if I would have made it  …but that’s OK, as I walked away with the knowledge that I remembered a lot of the rules; I finally remembered to do some things I always forgot, like residual firepower markings, even though I forgot stuff, like double timing; and I feel I can whip out the game and play some solo matches now, which I struggled to even try before yesterday! SO, a win! |
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Post by mikeh on Sept 24, 2023 17:45:41 GMT -5
Sounds like a good time was had by all. This was at C.T.s garage that you went to last year? And no fun driving on a dark, rainy night for sure. Glad you all made it home safe.
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 25, 2023 17:19:33 GMT -5
Sounds like a good time was had by all. This was at C.T.s garage that you went to last year? And no fun driving on a dark, rainy night for sure. Glad you all made it home safe. Yup, same place…he actually holds a day of gaming on one Saturday of every month, where ASL is generally always found on tap, but they play all kinds of games, including some large multiplayers wit six to eight folks. I’ve been to several, playing different friends in ASLSK, Lock ‘N Load Nuklear Winter ‘68, and big games like Quartermaster General with the designer himself. It’s amazing really, as he gets several game designers that live around Massachusetts and surrounding States that go regularly…just regular guys. It’s a long drive for me, at well over an hour and a half drive each way, so I don’t go too often. It’s always a great time, though. He always has some kind of lunch, usually BBQ, but at the least, pizza…all for a $5 donation if you want to eat whatever he whips up. At this one, it was sweet and spicy sausage and peppers grinders, with cole slaw and wavy chips; someone brought in the sheet cake commemorations the event. So each garage could easily fit a car each with an equal sized work station area…kinda like a car enthusiasts’ home chop shop/mechanics shop. No cars inside, but rather camp tables and specialized big game tables throughout, with a mishmash of chairs. It seems to have some kind of industrial heater? …not sure, to be honest, but I’ve been in there in cold weather and I’m not freezing… no air conditioning that I can see. Parking is a little tough, as the driveway fills up quick, but there’s a small automotive shop across the street that lets him have guests parked on these days, so there's a spot somewhere for ‘ya. About 3 minutes up the road is my favorite “Canteen” (…that’s what we called them in Canada), which is basically an ice cream and seafood restaurant. They have the best soft serve, and a double lobster roll that will bring tears of joy to your eyes!!! Always a good spot to grab dinner before the long ride home. It’s funny, but today I dug out the WWII-era Lock ‘N Load Tactical rulebook and started reading it… it’s so much less complicated than ASLSK and I always seem to drift back to it after playing any ASLSK. I think I’ll get hat back on the table as well… and try some scenarios with ASLSK while I’m back in the rules on that one. They are actually, so similar in many mechanics, but I did find while playing SK on Saturday, I was trying to apply/remembering LNLT rules, which is confusing to say the least… but I have a feeling that playing both a lot over the Fall and maybe Winter will produce the ability to take advantage of playing a lot of both. |
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Post by Whiterook on Oct 5, 2023 18:20:03 GMT -5
 Started reading the rules to this gem, earlier this week! Part of the large Command & Colors game franchise that I first became familiar with in Memoir ‘44, this is a blocks game (vs miniatures, like in M44) played on a similar style map in all the games (just different artwork and number of hex rows in the differing games), and slightly tweaked rules to accommodate the nations, eras, and military doctrine of the subject wars. This is a very cool version of C&C, playing out the major battles and minor skirmishes of the American Revolutionary War between the American Continentalists and British Red Coats, and their various allies. I’ve come to love the C&C world, because of its’ fast play and exciting action. Being card driven with a straight forward dice combats mechanic, the system plays awesome in solitaire. I bought this game, and it’s expansion which I’ve not opened yet, at the Compass Games Expo in Connecticut several years back, but am only now getting to it… further, I’ve only played one other of the blocks versions, Napoleonics, at another convention several years ago, so I’m excited to finally get this on the table this weekend! We’ve a wet and humid day coming Saturday so, I plan to huddle in my old office room and have a go! For more info on this particular game, I created a separate game review post here. |
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Post by mikeh on Oct 6, 2023 9:42:44 GMT -5
I like how it looks set up on the board but man those are a lot of stickers to place.
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Post by Whiterook on Oct 7, 2023 9:13:59 GMT -5
I like how it looks set up on the board but man those are a lot of stickers to place. It’s intimidating as heck when you open your first game…for me, that was C&C Napoleonics. Several large sheets of stickers, all of them having to go on the front and back of the blocks is kinda frightening!!! Plus, you need to plot out the blocks ahead of time, as there are a few different sizes; once they are set aside in piles, you can just work from the top of the sheet, down… once a rhythm is going, you just need to make sure to give yourself some breaks in the action, ‘else you start to get them off askew. I tried applying them with just my fingers at first, and that ended up being problematic from the standpoint of both dexterity, and the glue building up on your fingertips… angled tweezers help tremendously. My buddy Tim, whom introduced me to Napoleonics and got me hooked on the C&C block games, loves doing these, as well as sleeving. He just puts on an audio book, or music and goes to town on them! I found music (instrumental, the best) the perfect solution… I’d get too distracted with trying to follow a book storyline. It’s a funny thing… I really resisted the whole block game concept, but came to find them a lot of fun. I guess I was just thinking too much along the lines of it being such a foreign gaming concept…It’s good when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone. |
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Post by Whiterook on Oct 10, 2023 18:50:59 GMT -5
…well jeepers, where this C&C block games is so very similar to the miniatures version in Memoir ‘44, it has some strikingly harder mechanics when it comes to Leaders and Melee…not that those mechanics are extremely complex, but rather, there are a lot of layers to them to remember! Honestly, I’ve not cracked open the games’ player aids yet so, hopefully they (or tip cards, like used in M44) have a breakdown list to keep handy…else, I’ll probably make one!
I really love what I’m seeing here, though! I think these C&C block style games are gonna see a lot of play as time goes on. I’m guessing that with the core rules being pretty consistent through the various titles, it’s just a matter of learning the tweaked stuff for the game subject/era at hand per game.
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Post by Whiterook on Oct 23, 2023 7:18:55 GMT -5
Aaaaaaaaaaand, back to Lock ‘N Load Publishing’s, “ LNLTactical” system!  …two and a half weeks ‘til “Compass Games Expo” in Meriden, Connecticut, and this the the primary game I’ll be playing for three straight days! I’ve been bouncing around a few other systems so, I broke out the rulebook yesterday for a quick review. It’s one of those systems for me where, there are so many fiddly little bits to it that I find a quick read reenforces my grasp of the overall, as well as the in-depth mechanics of it. It’s not that it’s an over-complex game, because it isn’t… but there’s a lot to it. It still remains among my Top 5 Favorite Games of all Time  I always gravitate mostly to the WWII Era core game and expansions, but I adore how the Tactical system firstly, expands to other eras/wars; but also has “cousins”, whose mechanics are similar and not far off, so you are able to play a wide variety and large catalog of games while staying in or about the same ruleset. I still like to play on the regular size maps that came with the boxed and ziplock games, but my buddy loves the X-Maps, which have double sized hexes; I converted to those as well, buying most of the games’ X-Maps (including the HD versions where available), but there’s something about the look and convenient size of the original maps that draws me to them… I’m an Old Dog and not fond of new tricks, hahaha. |
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so it’ll be a jumpstart for both of us!
…but that’s OK, as I walked away with the knowledge that I remembered a lot of the rules; I finally remembered to do some things I always forgot, like residual firepower markings, even though I forgot stuff, like double timing; and I feel I can whip out the game and play some solo matches now, which I struggled to even try before yesterday! SO, a win!
I always gravitate mostly to the WWII Era core game and expansions, but I adore how the Tactical system firstly, expands to other eras/wars; but also has “cousins”, whose mechanics are similar and not far off, so you are able to play a wide variety and large catalog of games while staying in or about the same ruleset.