OT-Decision Games WitP

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Sonny

ORIGINAL: Mike Scholl

Now for the important question. Would ANYONE out there be interested in playing a "Moderated, hidden movement, version" of this game for a 9 day intensive face-to-face encounter? Multi-player, with Team Commands? Possibly in Kansas City? Next Summer? Just trying to see if there is any interest left in such an endevour?

The first 8 days would be to read the rules and set the game up and then one day for the PH strike![:D]
Very tempting though. Don't know waht I am doing next summer.

Actually, one of the advantages of playing a "moderated team" format is that it is not necessary to "know the rules" cold. You need about 6 people who DO understand them (especially as modified for "hidden movement"); a couple on each "side", and the moderators (two minimum). Others on each side only need an interest in the period and the event. As "sub-commanders" they will need to learn how to handle specific areas, but not everything. If you are running Kido Butai, you don't need to know much about how the ground system works---and vice versa for the Burma Theatre CO.

Having done this several times, I can vouch that it is a uniquely "social" event, and you will become quite close to the folks on "your team" over 9 days. And their will be some quite historically realistic "conflicts" within the team over which course to follow, who gets what assets, and other questions. I have no idea if this event will actually come to pass, but thought it would be good to know what kind of interest might be out there. If enough folks are interested, I'm sure something can be put together built around a framework of folks who have done this before.

[Bodhi]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I'd say it comes down to the fact that the computer is willing and able to play whenever you want, 100% of the time. Not so for a meatbag opponent.

Of course, that assumes you have a half decent AI to play against, otherwise you'll still be waiting on another person for a PBEM turn.

I'm sorry, but I think time has gotten away from a monster paper game like Decision Games WitP. And $420?!?!?!? Come on!

Come on! I'm sorry, but that's just your mistaken opinion, and one with which I and others disagree! [:D]

The only thing I'm sorry about is not knowing any others near me who'd be interested in a game. If there were a few near me, and there probably are but I just don't know them, I'd get the game today.

[mogami]

Hi, Well now I am interested in designing a boardgame.  3 mile hexes, 20 minute turns. The entire earth from 1900 on. Cost 9000. order in advance and it's only 7500.

send checks or money orders to

Mogami's What on Earth (no make that War on Earth)(WOE) Or You idiots kill everyone (YIKE)

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi,  The only problem with board games is I've played many where all the players began the game as friends. The game was never finished and it sometimes came down to a punch in the snoot.
I've had players get upset over the results of a computer game but they have not been able to throw a punch. (had some really rude SPWAW related emails) Had a few online games of COG get ugly (but all you can do online is call each other names)
I also think more then a few board gamers I've encountered cheat. (dice yech I hates them) if WITP was the board game I would need to track over 200 index cards per turn and trust the other side was actually writting down all those orders in advance. (and not like I discovered in Rochester NY writing 3 sets and then pulling the one that best suited them) (they even had "generic" orders cards that they would fill in the blanks as required.  They were amazing for always having exactly the right orders for every turn.)

This is where the "moderator team" and distance come into play. The moderators have "the final word" in ALL matters, and the fact that you spent money and vacation time just to show up for the "event" tend to make folks more reasonable. I've seen a few people "opt out" of such a game, but only if they were locals and could easily go home. Those who had to "fly in" (we had one who came from England) also had to learn to "get along", "politic", and compromise. Otherwise they shot themselves in the foot. Cheating was not really a factor, as combats were decided over a central map with both sides shaking the same "dice jar" (no free rolling die on a surface which might have hundreds of counters on it), and generally had lots of "interested spectators". And it's hard to "cheat" when the folks "on your side" would probably "turn you in" as well. There was, and I'm sure would be again, some "grumbling" about moderator dictates..., but those actually bring the "team" together. And last until something goes "your" way, and the other team gets to grumble for a while.

[wworld7]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Well now I am interested in designing a boardgame.  3 mile hexes, 20 minute turns. The entire earth from 1900 on. Cost 9000. order in advance and it's only 7500.

send checks or money orders to

Mogami's What on Earth (no make that War on Earth)(WOE) Or You idiots kill everyone (YIKE)

Important question(s):

Mogami,

#1 Will you accept post-dated, out-of-state, third party checks as payment?

#2 Does this include shipping?

Flipper

P.S. Could you first please produce any the old AH classics for WIndowsXP? Afrika Korps or D-Day or Stalingrad etc...

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: Bodhi

Come on! I'm sorry, but that's just your mistaken opinion, and one with which I and others disagree! [:D]

Just because you disagree doesn't make my opinion "mistaken"...

[Grotius]

Mogami, I had a guy cheat on me at an ASL tournament. He had a dice machine that rolled snake eyes for him when he held the dice a certain way. I tried it, found him out, and demanded we switch to rolling dice in a glass. Then I proceeded to win anyway.

That said, I loved ASL to death, and part of me misses the board gaming days. Admittedly, mostly I played them solitaire, which may seem crazy, but there you have it. If I break down and get this board game of WITP, I'll just fool around with it solitaire. I know it won't really work that way, but I don't care; I just like setting up the game, learning the rules, pushing counters around. It's insane, but it's fun.

[Nicholas Bell]

Admittedly, mostly I played them solitaire, which may seem crazy, but there you have it. If I break down and get this board game of WITP, I'll just fool around with it solitaire. I know it won't really work that way, but I don't care; I just like setting up the game, learning the rules, pushing counters around. It's insane, but it's fun.


Grotius, you are hardly crazy. What you describe is pretty typical of boardwargamers - me included. For sure, there are those who say they've never played solitaire, don't see the point it, etc, etc, but they are but a vocal minority. And while I have enjoyed FTF and PBEM gaming on occasion (and really disliked it at other times because of the extreme competitive nature of some, and rules lawyers in others) my best memories of over 35 years of wargaming have been those solitaire games. If I may be so bold to put a broad brush to the whole issue, those interested in history or enjoy simply studying game systems as they relate to the same, enjoy solitaire gaming as you describe. Those that hate it with a passion and decry those that do are competitive extroverts. That's fine, each to his/her own. Unfortunately their "vocalness" makes the "silent majority" of wargamers feel like they must somehow excuse their method of enjoying their hobby. No need to do that here - you're in good company. At least speaking for myself.

[ckk]

Well said Nicholas[:)]

[MadmanRick]

Grotius, you are hardly crazy. What you describe is pretty typical of boardwargamers - me included. For sure, there are those who say they've never played solitaire, don't see the point it, etc, etc, but they are but a vocal minority. And while I have enjoyed FTF and PBEM gaming on occasion (and really disliked it at other times because of the extreme competitive nature of some, and rules lawyers in others) my best memories of over 35 years of wargaming have been those solitaire games. If I may be so bold to put a broad brush to the whole issue, those interested in history or enjoy simply studying game systems as they relate to the same, enjoy solitaire gaming as you describe. Those that hate it with a passion and decry those that do are competitive extroverts. That's fine, each to his/her own. Unfortunately their "vocalness" makes the "silent majority" of wargamers feel like they must somehow excuse their method of enjoying their hobby. No need to do that here - you're in good company. At least speaking for myself.

I played almost all of my board games solitaire, mostly due to a lack of reliable opponents. While some were more adaptable than others, most can be played solo. I currently possess 60+ board wargames (including many SPI classics such as WitP, WiE and CFNA)and my goal is to really get into the Europa series (I own all the games from this series) and completely learn that system.
Rick

[sadja]

Boardgames is how I got into the gaming world. It started with AH D-Day in 1965. I played solo most games. I once spent 100+ hours designing a defence AH Stalingrad (really the whole Russian Campaign). I didn't understand about defense in depth. I rolled dice all day long to put the right troops in the right spot. First time I played somrbody sfter repeated attacks they finally broke my crust defense and lost the war by Dec. 42. But that never made me quit. I have 100+ games a bunch of SPI games. I even used my War in the Pacific as colateral with the guy who owned the hobby shop (I was in the army at the time.) I have had two periods in my life where I was able to play with the same group of people. Most of the time it was role playing stuff, but I was introduced to minitures (Civil War, Napoleonic, and Ancients) The social interaction was mostly good. One of the highlights of my life was going to Origins 1984 and comanding the A of the Tenn at Stones River with 8 other guys on my side, and playing a neat little senerio of the Alamo. Very little beats the personnel interaction. But this is the only way now for me to play as everybody around me thinks I'm crazy to play these games. [;)]
 
After having said all this I have only played WITP on my computer and mostly PBEM. Have been playing the same opponent for over 2 years with many restarts and side changes and sometimes playing 2 games with us on each side. This game has consumed my gaming time. We are about to reach Jan 43.[:D]
 
Would still love to push the counters around.
 
One other thing, has anybody out there ever played mail games from Schubel & Sons. I played them in te mid 80's when I earned about 500-600 a month. You people complaine about paying 70.00 for this game. My S&S budget was about 120.00 a month not counting phone calls.
 
Sorry about the rambling, but I have ADHD, its still early and the Ritilin hasn't kicked in yet.[:D] Love the pic of the game would love to see it in person. 

[Sonny]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

.................

(dice yech I hates them)

......................

That is the good part about board games. When you roll the dice you feel that you somehow have control of the outcome. Much better than some random number generator which allows you to see 30 subs on one turn and 2 on the next turn.[:D]

[Grotius]

ORIGINAL: Nicholas Bell

Grotius, you are hardly crazy. What you describe is pretty typical of boardwargamers - me included. For sure, there are those who say they've never played solitaire, don't see the point it, etc, etc, but they are but a vocal minority. And while I have enjoyed FTF and PBEM gaming on occasion (and really disliked it at other times because of the extreme competitive nature of some, and rules lawyers in others) my best memories of over 35 years of wargaming have been those solitaire games. If I may be so bold to put a broad brush to the whole issue, those interested in history or enjoy simply studying game systems as they relate to the same, enjoy solitaire gaming as you describe. ... you're in good company. At least speaking for myself.

Nicely said, Nicholas. I'm glad to hear there are others that think the same way! And, for what it's worth, I took the plunge and ordered this game. It arrives next week. That'll give me time to clear up a few hundred square feet of table space.

[Rob Brennan UK]

Good luck to all you brave souls who have ordered this monster game.

However i did browse throught the AAR (reading it all was impossible [:D]). and saw this little gem in 1945

"Mobotu-based F4Us cut a swath thru the Japanese fighters, downing twenty-four Georges and twenty Ki-84s."

Humm .. anyone recognise that result from WitP anywhere [;)]

[Przemcio231]

Well i like BoardGames but they need to follow the following criteria:
 
- Being so designed that they can be completed in one Evning
- Have not to many Counters
- Not Complicated Rules
- Have a good Editorial Level
- Map should fit on Table
 
 
As for now the only games fallowing this Criteria are the GMT Games[:D] I played quite a few of those and those games are really fun to play[:D]
 

[Monter_Trismegistos]

Games that can be completed in one or two evening sucks!!!

Why to ever play them if you realized that you are finishing it, even if you just started.

[Yava]

ORIGINAL: Monter_Trismegistos

Games that can be completed in one or two evening sucks!!!

Why to ever play them if you realized that you are finishing it, even if you just started.

Try playing Waterloo from Dragon... [:'(] One evening of setting up...[;)]

[Przemcio231]

I owned the game it was nicely done but it suck a big time the set up took forever and the game proces was really slow[:D][:D] all those Charges and Counter-Charges[:D] The only Playable Dragoon Game Was "Tannenberg 1914" [:D]

[Yava]

B-35 system was/is good and simple... has some bugs but still is good, Waterloo is also a good game and still very complex... suitable for 4 players in my opinion, at least I used to play that way... never really had a chance to play Tanenberg...

[Monter_Trismegistos]

My favourite of Dragon series was Ardeny 1944. Ive also have Wiedeń 1693, Grunwald 1410 and Kircholm 1605. Since I am fan of XX century wars, I didn't like those three titles.