New Years Gaming Resolutions 2014

Games I want to play: Ogre, Guns of Gettysburg (yeah, right), Strike of the Eagle, the last two Quarriors expansions, Guelphs and Ghibellines, Wilderness War, and one of the FAB Games. (Everything but Ogre and GoG is a leftover from my 2013 list.)

Games I want to keep playing: Fading Glory, No Retreat, Marvel Legendary (including expansions), Napoleon 4th edition, Elder Sign, Eldritch Horror, Age of Steam, Descent 2nd edition, Pathfinder, Pacific Victory, and Age of Industry.

A game that I may never play again, and I'm not sure that I care: Netrunner. The family isn't interested, and I'd rather play Fading Glory or a block game with friends.

Not buying more board game base games. Expansions only.

God help me with Battlelore 2nd Edition and Eldritch Horror...

I resolve to play more Cosmic Encounter, Dune, Talisman, Wiz-War, and Duel of Ages. Play less of everything else.

In general, I resolve to treat board gaming like a hobby that I do for fun, and not treat it like work.

I really, really, really want to finish designing this strategic-level WW2 game I've been working on for freaking 10 years now. We've recently made some nice breakthroughs to simplify some stuff and keep the focus where I want it - on planning and intel.

Probably has little commercial viability but I want to finish it because I want to play it.

This will be the year!

engelstein wrote: I really, really, really want to finish designing this strategic-level WW2 game I've been working on for freaking 10 years now. We've recently made some nice breakthroughs to simplify some stuff and keep the focus where I want it - on planning and intel.

Probably has little commercial viability but I want to finish it because I want to play it.

This will be the year!

Wow, I consider you a very unique designer Geoff. Ares Project and Space Cadets are really different than just about anything else.

With that in mind, I'd love to see you tackle a historical war game.

So stop jibber-jabbering and get to it! Chop chop!

create a vassal prototype so i can play Repo at it. Which theatre is it?

ETO.

Vassal might be hard, but I'll see what I can do once it's a little more mature.

Appreciate the interest!

I make some big abstractions in certain areas to focus on others, so it's very different than anything before - at least anything I'm familiar with. Current WW2 games (and strategic wargames in general) don't focus on the long range planning that was required for operations like D-Day or the German husbanding of resources for the Battle of the Bulge. Or strategic surprise like Barbarossa. There are a lot of artificial rules to make that kind of thing happen in most games, if they address it at all. In A3R or WiF you can pinpoint the weak spot for an invasion at the start of each turn, and have flexibility that the true combatants would have killed for.

So I'm starting with wanting to force the players to plan 'operations' over a series of turns, and really commit to a plan, and have the opponent use intel resources to try to figure out what you're actually going to do. Also sets up big opportunities for bluff (like the fake Scandinavian invasion plans for D-Day).

But to make it work I've done things that I think 'real' wargamers may find tough to swallow.

As it gets into a workable state I'll certainly try to put together a way for folks to playtest.

engelstein wrote: ETO.

Vassal might be hard, but I'll see what I can do once it's a little more mature.

Appreciate the interest!

I make some big abstractions in certain areas to focus on others, so it's very different than anything before - at least anything I'm familiar with. Current WW2 games (and strategic wargames in general) don't focus on the long range planning that was required for operations like D-Day or the German husbanding of resources for the Battle of the Bulge. Or strategic surprise like Barbarossa. There are a lot of artificial rules to make that kind of thing happen in most games, if they address it at all. In A3R or WiF you can pinpoint the weak spot for an invasion at the start of each turn, and have flexibility that the true combatants would have killed for.

So I'm starting with wanting to force the players to plan 'operations' over a series of turns, and really commit to a plan, and have the opponent use intel resources to try to figure out what you're actually going to do. Also sets up big opportunities for bluff (like the fake Scandinavian invasion plans for D-Day).

But to make it work I've done things that I think 'real' wargamers may find tough to swallow.

As it gets into a workable state I'll certainly try to put together a way for folks to playtest.

Only game series that is really that serious about supply and planning is probably OCS. I haven't played it but the mechanics mean that you spend most of your time carefully planning your operations.

I'd be interested in your game, let us know what ends up happening with it.

Agreed. OCS is the bomb.

Never played a wargame even close to the extent of planning needed in OCS.

In 2014, I want to play my new, unplayed games:

SPELLFIRE

MUNCHKIN ZOMBIES!

(from Secret Satan)

Aarontu wrote: In 2014, I want to play my new, unplayed games:

SPELLFIRE

MUNCHKIN ZOMBIES!

(from Secret Satan)

Munchkin Zombies is fun. My son loves it. Instead of monsters, you're breaking into houses to get to humans, and sometimes enemy zombies.

I've already got my ass handed to him playing Munchkin Legends.

ThirstyMan wrote: Agreed. OCS is the bomb.

Never played a wargame even close to the extent of planning needed in OCS.

I'll have to check out OCS. I have Bloody 110th from The Gamers, which I think is part of their TCS series. And that had you actually plotting things out with a grease pencil (showing my age) to plan attacks. I should go back and break that out again.

So much to do, so little time. Which means making choices and focus! Which results in the following resolutions:

1. I’m going to write the book.

2. I won’t buy any new games, but play what I’ve got. I’ve registered all my games on boardgamegeek today and found that I have about 240, of which I have played only 120 at least once. I will raise that percentage by playing at least 12 of those this year (one each month seems doable) and shedding 24. Not buying new games will be tough, though.

3. I won’t buy new figures. I might buy some more vehicles for Chain of Command. And maybe some buildings. I will shed some 5% of my lead pile.

4. I won’t buy new books except about Napoleonic warfare. Second hand books under 10 euro/pound on other topics, maybe. I will shed some 5% of my books. Although I have no idea of how many I actually have.

5. I will blog once a week.

6. Just to remind myself: I won’t start any new projects. All non-book projects are on hold.

engelstein wrote:

ThirstyMan wrote: Agreed. OCS is the bomb.

Never played a wargame even close to the extent of planning needed in OCS.

I'll have to check out OCS. I have Bloody 110th from The Gamers, which I think is part of their TCS series. And that had you actually plotting things out with a grease pencil (showing my age) to plan attacks. I should go back and break that out again.

I kind of like the idea of TCS but in actuality, I found the system a bit unwieldy with all those phase line orders etc etc.

OCS just makes you think bloody hard if you actually have enough supply to run the operation. If not get it shipped up to the front but garrison those supply dumps or the enemy will have a field day screwing up your plans by blowing your fuel dumps. I really like the system which is right at the operational level of war and not the tactical level like TCS.

Jur wrote: 3. I won’t buy new figures. I might buy some more vehicles for Chain of Command. And maybe some buildings. I will shed some 5% of my lead pile.

Wow, didn't expect a TFL ruleset played by one of FATies.