Matrix Games Forums

I've seen a few threads talking about this vs ASL.

A few observations.
Yes TotH is 'expensive' if measured against atypically cheaper video games.
But we are NOT comparing TotH with the latest video games at Gamestop.

ASL, actual ASL is 'better' of course, and can be played on your machine vs another human via VASL software.
But here's where I throw in the truth. In order to play ASL, you generally are assumed to own ASL.

Actual ASL is at least a manual and at least the first module which is Russians and Germans. And that assumes both are even available to purchase as stocks are known to go out of stock. And they re stock at a speed commonly measured in YEARS. The price, well we are talking two big price items and shipping and god help you if you are not in the US.

So the argument falls apart rather seriously when you attempt to compare ASL with TotH which is a simple purchase and download process. And plenty of veteran ASLers will tell you (I'm one) that TotH is sufficiently close to actual ASL that is covers the objective of playing ASL on a machine (which is all it will ever be even when playing ASL via VASL).

I sold my ASL because playing via VASL just didn't cut it. I like my opponent to be sitting across from me drinking beer and eating pizza or something I baked. My collection was worth more than a thousand bucks, but it worth nothing just sitting in a large storage bin.

I am uncertain if my life is going in the direction of buying more war games regardless of value. But TotH has line jumping priority currently. I won't buy another war game willingly before it given a choice.

I think a more fair comparison would be ToTH to the ASL Starter kits, of which you can get SK1 for about $25. The gameplay in ToTH more closely aligns with the starter kit rules with a few major exceptions (firegroups and smoke/Smoke). But again, as Peter has stated many times, ToTH is it's own game and isn't supposed to be "computer ASL". It may look like it. It may have a turn sequence that resembles it but unless you know what is going on under the hood, you can't say whether it is ASL or not and the not showing of what is going on in the coding is by design- be it for copyright issues or because Peter didn't want the players to get bogged down with factor counting, we don't know.

For the money it's a good title. If you want to only play solo and have the tools (included) to make maps and scenarios, it's worth every penny IMO. I have sold a few people on it and they haven't said a single bad thing about the game or their purchase [:)]

It's a must have for any person that is a diehard squad tactic person [:D]

Is comparing a board game to a PC game a proper comparison? Although ASL and Tigers are both war games at the squad level, within that subset of all war games they are different enough to stand by themselves. That is, I would not place them in direct competition for money spent on war gaming. If you want a board game, stick with that format. Since ASL is the best of at that level, the choice is known and easy. A comparison within PC games, say Tigers vs Combat Mission, seem more natural. At the very top of the decision tree is the question: Board Game or PC game. I would not put the level (squad etc.) or type of combat (air/ground/naval) at the top of that tree.