Matrix Games Forums

Flat Top was a great game. My brother and I used to play AH's Victory in the Pacific for hours on end. Actually for amzingly simple rules, it was immensely enjoyable.

Heh, just the other day I managed to play a game of Avalon Hill´s "Flatop"

I loved FT, even better played with an umpire.

Yes, some friends and I used to do an annual double-blind umpired Flattop game (the original Battleline version, before it was bought by AH). Some of my best gaming memories!

i keep seeing references to VASL versions of these games...anyone have a link?

VASSAL
http://www.vassalengine.org/

Cyberboard
http://cyberboard.brainiac.com/

They provide electronic board and playing pieces for lots of boardgames inc many good wargames. You have to find your own opponent and know the rules. Vassal allows live play
which can be pretty good. Lots of games have active communities. Its suprising just how fluid a pbem game can be even for complicated games, i have played World in Flames by PBEM
several enjoyable times on both the above.

My game of choice was Flat Top.  Some day I would love to pull it out and teach my 15 year old son, but he already thinks I'm nuts for spending hours on just one turn of AE so I don't ever for see playing it again.

Why not? You could make a rainy day weekend of it while waiting for your PBEM turn to come back from people. That is how I got a few friends I worked with on an aircraft carrier in to Harpoon and Command at Sea. Sitting around one duty day, I was reading the rules and next thing we were playing a few turns using pens/pencils and graph paper to plot movements and engagements. That is then how we would waste time on a duty day or duty weekend was run a game or two in someone's shop. Never know you might actually get him interested in wargaming and board wargaming that it would be fun to shop with and play a game or two with him.