Along with my fairly frequent plays of ASL I’ve picked up a copy Tunisia II. A module in the Operational Combat Series (OCS), which like ASL, is also published by Multi Man Publishing (I’m in danger of becoming a bit of a fan boy). The system emulates operational level conflicts and in this case it depicts the end of the German Afrika Korps. One of my main reasons for trying out this particular system was the units dependence on supply. An important issue that faced many commanders in the field yet is often glossed over when interpreted onto board and screen. German shortages late in WWII were critical, leaving many planes grounded and armour abandoned! (Wiki article covering Blitzkrieg – check the logistics section). OCS requires that units not only trace supply to friendly sources, much like many other wargame systems, but to also have supply points available on-map that can be spent for movement (trucks and track based vehicles), and also spent to attack, defend, refit aircraft, build defences, etc. This leads to constant wrangling of not only where to best place units, but to ensure that enough supply is ready and available when and where it is required.
Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics
Another aspect of the higher level of operation (compared to ASL) is the clearly defined battle fronts that can be hard to break down. OCS games have very porous zones of control (descriptive quote from Big Board Gaming), and although the only units that are stopped in an enemy ZOC are ones that use truck movement points the units that do make the break through will still require supply from the HQ’s via their truck movement point “throw” range. This effectively means that pretty much all infantry and armour are able to break the lines, however that could then put them out of supply unless the breach can be widened or the units can be directly supplied using on-map supply points. This leads to an interesting tug-of-war as each player struggles to make headway.
OCS games have very porous zones of control
Plagiarized and possibly paraphrased from Kevin of the excellent Big Board Gaming
The main complaint I’ve seen levied at OCS is due to the limited supply resulting in some units never actually fighting (or even moving) during an entire scenario. While possibly a valid complaint, although I’ve no idea how often motorized units ground to a halt or were held back due to shortages in reality during the WWII, I feel that in this game the supply is more a representation of where “extra” is being allotted for big pushes. Thus, units adjacent to the enemy, while no dice are actually being thrown, are still engaged but not actively trying to push forward. I guess my point is that all games are an abstraction to varying degrees and the ability to move and fight with every unit in OCS, especially in some of the larger titles (see Beyond the Rhine below) would most likely take an unreasonable amount of time and possibly paperwork just remembering which units had been in combat or otherwise activated.
Looking at a scenario from Beyond the Rhine (Another OCS title) begins to show just how many units larger titles in the series contain. They can get even more numerous!
The game so far is extremely enjoyable and played at a much slower pace than ASL. Moves can often take an hour or so to mull while considering the consequences. During the actual movement the other player is by no means left with nothing to do. They are – to some extent – able to react if units had been set up in reserve.
I’ll see if I can get my son, or another willing participant to give the game a go before I can say if it sits firmly in my favourites list. But so far it really is rather good.
Finding players for board games isn’t easy. Perhaps my location makes this task particularly hard or perhaps it’s simply a sign of the times. While I am still playing OCS and ASL among other games, I have decided to jump into a bit of online racing in the hopes of human competition. I avoided other online options like shooters as, although they are enjoyable, I’m really bad at them.
*Note – I know I could use VASSAL or any one of the myriad of other options to play board games over the internet but for me that takes a large part of the experience away from what I am looking for with board games. Continue reading →
A lot of the time the title of this post is true (for me at least). However, as I recently encountered it doesn’t always hold true. I’m working on a little pet project (another game) and I needed to know the rotation of the mobile screen. I didn’t need the tilt, yaw, pitch, facing, or any of the other myriad of axis. Just a simple rotation. Specifically, the amount of rotation between, say, Portrait and Landscape left. A quick Google showed that a number of folks had wanted similar data during their creative endeavours so I simply went to work Ctrl-c’ing, Ctrl-v’ing my way around and checking to see if the posted solutions were what I required. Many examples were overly complex especially considering that I’d have thought this was a rather common requirement for games on a mobile platform.
After a while I used some of what I’d learned from the many complex online examples, and condensed it down into something that would work for me.
Essentially adding the z and y axis got me a simple result that showed only the rotation. Previously both axis figures changed when the phone was tilted (pitch) or rotated. I’m still not sure if this is a “feature” of my phone or it will remain the same across all devices. The one caveat that I can easily overcome is that the above code shows the same results regardless of whether the device is tilted to the left or right.
With an embarrassing amount of time spent figuring out the above I set about coding the left/right adjustment and discovered Input.gyro.gravity function… UGH!
They don’t come any more complicated, or any better. This is the absolute pinnacle of board gaming and I truly believe that my search for THE game has finished.
But let me attach a long grumble to this high praise.
Price. Quality. Availability. Is SHIT… That alone may tell you enough to avoid this absolute jumbled mess of a game. And perhaps that would be the route I’d also recommend IF it weren’t for the players (oh, and the fact that this game is utterly engrossing – more on that later). That these people stick with (or – as I’ve mentioned elsewhere – keep coming back to) this system is a testament to how compelling this game is should you decide to try. They are (for the most part) as extremely helpful, co-operative, and friendly group of gamers I’ve genuinely ever had the pleasure to communicate with. But beware, even with their unending help this is a long undertaking and not one that should be taken lightly.
Let’s take my complaints step by step.
Price
I am aware that wargames in general seem to get away with overpricing simply because they are a “niche market”. But even by these standards ASL is on the very expensive end of the scale. Just the rules cost $80 ($40 is you grab the pocket edition but you’d still probably need to pick up a $35 third party aid for charts). Add to that $120 for the absolutely necessary first core module (Beyond Valor) and you’re already at 200 bucks just to begin (It should be noted that there is a lot of content in Beyond Valor)
Quality
Card stock maps that really need to be placed under plexi-glass to be playable. Counters that, in some cases, are barely fully punched and often require extra tools simply to remove without peeling off the top or bottom artwork layers. Speaking of which, these layers aren’t even always central on the counter! Perhaps I’ve been unlucky but at these prices luck really shouldn’t be a factor. Even the games marketing makes a big deal about the scenarios being printed on card! Like it is an unexpected and therefore extra bonus! It’s a bloody letter-sized 190gsm (maybe slighty more or less) piece of standard white card with some inkjet printing on it… in black, and occasionally some red! Oh WOW! Total cost for ME to print one would be less than 10 pence, or 10 cents, or whatever is low in your currency of choice!
Availability
There are some who believe that the publishers (Multi Man Publishing) actually keep the print levels low in order to maintain the high prices and inflate the after-market profitability. These same people think that it is actually MMP who sell many marked-up items anonymously on various auction sites, etc. That’s a bit far fetched in my humble opinion. However, viewed from any angle, availability is absolutely awful and the need to look at alternative suppliers (e.g. ebay scalpers) becomes apparent if you really want a particular module. This isn’t too bad if you don’t mind waiting like myself. What is unforgivable is that the main rulebook is currently out of print! It’s almost as if the publishers don’t want people to play… The pocket book is nice. But the full binder has many things that are omitted from the pocket edition (charts, etc).
There are, probably many, other issues I could level at the whole system of Advanced Squad Leader but I don’t really want to spend too much time wallowing in the negatives. Especially when the positives far outweigh them so…
I’ll rebut myself
Price
What needs to be remembered is that the work isn’t in the components or books. The value of this game is from the history it represents and the stories it creates. All of this has been refined over decades and countless man-hours to enable players, like me and perhaps you, to enjoy an unparalleled level of detail in what is surely one of the most engaging wargames ever made. It’s certainly a game that I have already spent weeks learning and playing and in no way feel like my money (or time) was wasted.
Quality
Yes. It’s bad. But in a good way. The original game began it’s existence just around the time desktop publishing was becoming a thing, and in many ways it seems that the two never really connected (if they did it was with instant distrust and animosity). ASL continues this tradition with it’s lack of colour and a very seventies look and feel to the artwork and components. In reality, the quality doesn’t actually matter much beyond being usable, which it very much is. Once the game begins the counters take on life, trees sway in the wind as smoke billows across the grain field. A squad makes a dash for a building across the road as a Panther tank lines them up in its sights from the top of a hill. You understand? Nothing should detract from the image the game is painting in your mind. Which it does in spades!
Availability
As long as you can get a Rulebook and Beyond Valor you’re good to go. The rest is icing. If you can’t get the full binder rules, the pocket edition and Rat Pocket Charts are great (actually they’re great even if you do get the binder rules)
What you need
The left choice or the right choice and Beyond Valor are all you really need to begin. During play I tend to use the Pocket Edition and Rat Charts the most, sometimes with the main rule book open at a particular section that will need cross referencing multiple times. If you really wanted to cheap it out you could just get a Pocket Edition rulebook, download VASL (it’s free) and play a digital version of the game. It also allows players to play via the internet and is really rather good even though it’s clearly showing it’s age.
What may happen
I suppose I’m fully hooked. I’ve lost count of the number of counters I’ve clipped and the scenarios I’ve pored over. And yet I’m eagerly waiting for more. My pre-order of For King and Country will bring the Tommies into the fray sometime this year, and Red Factories another campaign game to hopefully play sooner rather than later. I’ve also got various Action and Bonus Packs for more map boards and scenarios on the way. And yet my collection is only young and I’m still learning, but I’ll be ready for the larger campaigns once my knowledge of the game is sufficient and I can persuade my mentor to allocate enough time (or my son if I can get him into the game).
What makes it great
On a tactical level I know of no other game that gives you so many options to achieve your goals. Simply knowing the numerous ways to move from hex to hex is a good start to understanding the level of depth this system sets out to achieve (successfully in my opinion). Do you want to move at a decent speed or double time to get there really fast. Or maybe advance slowly and semi-safely, or dash across a street, or bypass two buildings completely by moving between the hexes? Perhaps you just want to set fire to a hex instead and watch the world burn? You can!
perhaps you just want to set fire to a hex instead…? You can!
This is a game of chess with dice. Some will say that it is all luck and perhaps a bit is involved (tell that to the same guys that continuously win at tournaments). But there are many ways to mitigate blind luck and increase your odds of success. The dice simply simulate the unknowable elements that sometimes play into real life events… that bit of chaos.
What makes it the greatest
The research put into the units, vehicles, scenarios and especially the historical modules is breathtaking. Nearly every time I pick up a hitherto unused counter, or previously unplayed scenario I am amazed by the details that have gone into making the game authentic.
This is a game of chess with dice
I have yet to try a campaign game – a game played over a number of scenarios on one or more maps where the events of previous battles affect the next and as such bring a level of strategy to the game – but simply flicking through the material that came with Hatten In Flames or Festung Budapest leaves me with no doubt that the designers put every effort into making these modules as great and authentic as possible, while keeping everything fun – this is a game after all.
The calm before the storm
A moment or two of careful, considered, deliberation interrupted by the rattle of rolling dice, often many times in quick succession, reminiscent of the rat-a-tat of the rifles and MGs being represented is oddly satisfying. Both players tensely observing the results to see if plans are coming to fruition or if plan B might need to be executed. These occasions are frequent and enjoyable. Each element of a plan moving into place or being forced into alternative action. Heroes born through bravery and casualties amassed in a desperate struggle to achieve the objective.
Put simply. No other game, on a board or screen, has ever captivated me quite so completely. The history, design, re-playability and stories created are second to none. But with all that I have said above, my praise especially, this game is not for everyone. It requires of its players an enormous effort that many people simply will not have the inclination to spend. But for those of us that do. We are rewarded handsomely for our endeavour.
It is big and complicated, but not difficult and repays your effort tenfold
My tasks now are simple: Get my son to play, find more local players and try to muscle up enough courage to join some of the grognards on VASL đŸ™‚
Sub Note: As with my Terraforming Mars write-up I wanted to state where the game currently sits on Board Game Geek. An utterly amazing 10th in war games! (242 overall). I’m actually rather surprised by how high it is simply because I could see many people not putting in the time and effort required to really begin to enjoy the game. The ranking is, however, wholly deserved and I am convinced there is no better squad-level tactical game available.
I’ve played solo many times during this past month or so plus a few ASLSK scenarios, as noted on this site, and also via PbEm (Play by email) with another learner like myself. As such, I feel like I was versed enough with the basics to step into the full game. To be sure, rules were forgotten (Sniper activation rolls, some unaccounted for long range shots at full fire power, etc) and the tactics used by both players were probably not ideal – more on that later – but overall I think everything went well and this classic scenario was a good introduction into the game. Continue reading →
Another aspect of the higher level of operation (compared to ASL) is the clearly defined battle fronts that can be hard to break down. OCS games have very porous zones of control (descriptive quote from Big Board Gaming), and although the only units that are stopped in an enemy ZOC are ones that use truck movement points the units that do make the break through will still require supply from the HQ’s via their truck movement point “throw” range. This effectively means that pretty much all infantry and armour are able to break the lines, however that could then put them out of supply unless the breach can be widened or the units can be directly supplied using on-map supply points. This leads to an interesting tug-of-war as each player struggles to make headway.
