OT... Military Board Games

[pontiouspilot]

I had most of these titles; it was only a couple of years ago I culled them all...what about Panzerblitz? I had 3 games and put them together.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: btd64

I had a WWIII series from GDW. Was a cool game. From Avalon hill I had the Panzer Blitz/Leader series, plus Squad Leader and all of the Advanced Squad Leader games and maps. The General was a good magazine. I miss it. Plus of course I had Pacific War, 7th fleet and the entire fleet series. But the easyest game of the all was a pocket game called One page bulge. Very simple and I could take it with me and play it anywhere....GP

Here is the only Steve Jackson game I own:

[offenseman]

ORIGINAL: USSAmerica

I have a box with Third Reich, Squad Leader and Cross of Iron, and Second Fleet still packed away. It's been a very long time since I had them out, but I loved playing all of them. My biggest wish for a new computer game would be a modern update of Third Reich.

+1 on Third Reich.

[inqistor]

ORIGINAL: Korvar

Twilight Struggle is available on Steam. It has the reputation of being the most highly-rated board game (or at least on the short list) of all time.

It also have smartphone version (and both are currently on sales). Not really military game, more political. It is quite good, at the beginning, but once you know most of the cards, it is hard to be surprised by opponent. Paths of Glory uses similar card system mechanics.

[Chris21wen]

I got tired of playing against myself. It's the reason I got into computers in the first place. That was the late 1980 using first a British Spectrum but then an Apple ][e although I had worked on them way back in the early 70s all-be-it main frames. They didn't have the computing power of a modern IPhone.

One could say I owe most of my career to playing wargames.

[Macclan5]

I guess I am not surprised... there are many mature 'students of history' among us.[8D]

You - collectively - have actually informed me of things I didn't know and I thought I was an expert [:D]

--

Yes I too began my journey with the classics in the early mid 1980s. I had a number of these boxed games that had moved about the country with me as I 'grew up'... sadly I lost all of them through moves and one particular basement sewer back up.


1) Panzer Leader
2) Panzer Blitz
3) Arab Isreali Wars

There was a time that my friends and I opted to create 'what if' scenarios out of the 3 games (like many). The rules mechanics were the same and you could use Arab - Isreali counters for hypothetical scenarios in Western Europe - USA verse USSR. There were a number of such suggestions in various old war gamer magazines as I recall.

I could not get into Squad Leader or ASL. Too many revision kept complicating the game for me - turned me off.

I opted for the Victory Games Fleet games instead. 6th Fleet - 5th etc.

WW1 games - didnt own but played:

1) The Avalon Hill - Air Combat game was Richtovens War as I recall. Was a very good game and the pre-selection of altitude for the coming turn was all important as I recall.

2) Guns of August (perhaps inspired by Barbara Tuchman's book title ?) I never played any other WW1 title. I was under the impression that Guns was the definitive WW1 game but perhaps I am wrong.

[crsutton]

Still play the occasional ASL. Will show up at Winter Offensive in a couple of weeks. But not much. Mostly prefer computer games now. At lot of people are still playing these old board games on VASSAL http://www.vassalengine.org/ Which allows board game play over the net.

[HansBolter]

I know of two local groups still playing board games regularly.

They are both constantly trying to get me to participate.

One group is hard core playing mostly Multi-Man Publishing operational games like Tunisia and Case Blue.

The other group is mostly beer and pretzels playing Axis and Allies and fantasy tactical combat games.

Very rarely I join in with the beer and pretzels group.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Big B

Just wondering how many on this forum are familiar with and interested in two subjects;

1) Old cardboard counter board games like Avalon Hill used to produce...

2) World War One combat...

I'm just using this as an abstract 'taking the pulse' poll....


B

warspite1

1. I found Matrix thanks to a board war game. My board game journey (Avalon Hill unless stated) was, more or less, this:

Wanted to try a 'serious' board game. Tried War at Sea which was a reasonable entry level game and kept attention for a small amount of time.

Quickly moved on to Bismarck - Played this a lot!

Bought but rarely played Panzer Leader and War and Peace

Then wanted to play something with a strategic feel

Went back to beer and Pretzels and played TSR's Europe Aflame - good fun

Then moved up to SPI's ETO and PTO - played these a lot

Still searching though for something better and tried, very briefly, the awful Third Reich

Then search came to an end when I came across ADG's World In Flames

Been collecting the Europa Series but finally gave that up for obvious reasons....

Had to give up board gaming monsters anyway due to family commitments.

Had briefly touched on wargaming via computer in the early 90's - Spectrum ZX but lack of funds meant my first desk top did not come for many, many years after then.

Finally, having got a computer - and internet access! - I found a version of World In Flames being developed for the computer via someone called Matrix Games. Been here ever since.

The only games I still have are ETO/PTO, the Europa Series and of course World In Flames. Awaiting delivery of the final version in a month or so.

2. I am not averse to playing a WWI game if a decent one can be found. I plated Commander The Great War for a time - that was fun.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Still play the occasional ASL. Will show up at Winter Offensive in a couple of weeks. But not much. Mostly prefer computer games now. At lot of people are still playing these old board games on VASSAL http://www.vassalengine.org/ Which allows board game play over the net.

And an alternative to Vassal is Tabletop Simulator, which is on Steam. Just depends on what game you are trying to play.

[rustysi]

the awful Third Reich

Why, and how can you say that????[&:]

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

the awful Third Reich

Why, and how can you say that????[&:]

It's OK. I have a similar opinion of World In Flames.

At least he and I can agree on ETO and PTO. I played the hell out of those two.

There was at least one other grand strategic European theater game I enjoyed called Totaler Kreig, IIRC.

[Korvar]

I'd like to point out two items that you guys might find interesting:

StrategyPage is a website run by Jim Dunnigan, a well-known figure in the classic board wargames community. The website itself is more about current geopolitics, but the podcast Strategytalk is good to listen to while driving or whatnot. They usually discuss current 'hotbutton' topics like Ukraine/Russia, North Korea, etc.

More specific to board wargames is the series of recorded lectures by George Phillies, Designing Board Wargames. They are the lectures given by George Phillies in his college wargame design class. It's a look through the lens of a wargame designer.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: rustysi

the awful Third Reich

Why, and how can you say that????[&:]

It's OK. I have a similar opinion of World In Flames.

At least he and I can agree on ETO and PTO. I played the hell out of those two.

There was at least one other grand strategic European theater game I enjoyed called Totaler Kreig, IIRC.

warspite1

Quite. Its just personal points of view. I understand that they did an updated version that improved matters somewhat, but the original game I played was everything that World In Flames and ETO/PTO were not. The game was aesthetically challenged, lacking colour and imagination - and I found the mechanics of the game equally dull. But its no biggie, each to their own.

[inqistor]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Still play the occasional ASL. Will show up at Winter Offensive in a couple of weeks. But not much. Mostly prefer computer games now. At lot of people are still playing these old board games on VASSAL http://www.vassalengine.org/ Which allows board game play over the net.

And an alternative to Vassal is Tabletop Simulator, which is on Steam. Just depends on what game you are trying to play.

Tabletop Simulator looks nice, but I'm not sure there are scripts in modules, which allow any automation. You have to manually move every card, and counter!

There is also CYBERBOARD. Much smaller, and quicker, than VASSAL:
https://cyberboard.brainiac.com/

[spence]

Can't remember the title for sure but a GREAT beer and pretzels WW1 game was "ACE OF ACES".
It involved two booklets where each player saw where the enemy player was relative to his a/c, chose a move/maneuver and turned to a new page in the booklets which showed their new relative positions. Could teach anyone to play in 5 mins or less too.

[Encircled]

Trying to play Avalons Hills "Russian Front" on Vassal got me to WITE and from there to here!

[LeeChard]

My first boardgame was 'Bismarck' followed by 'Midway' AH games from early 60's.
Became a huge fan of games, Squad Leader was the favorite.
I haven't played many WW1 ground games but did play and enjoy 'Jutland'

[K 19]

Three great tabletop games by Consim I highly recommend are The Hunters, The Hunted, and Silent Victory. They cover Germany's U-boat war and America's Pacific sub war. Very detailed and fun solitaire war games where the player commands a single U-boat or sub for the duration of the war. They even feature specific equipment damage and crew injuries/deaths.

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-650-silent-v ... nting.aspx

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-556-the-hunt ... nting.aspx

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-590-the-hunt ... 43-45.aspx

http://www.consimpress.com/the-hunters/

http://www.consimpress.com/the-hunted

http://www.consimpress.com/silent-victory/

[spence]

On the topic of solitaire games I enjoyed "RAF" which covered the Battle of Britian (can't remember who made it). Good design of a solitaire game.