Of late, I had been lamenting my lack of time to sit down and play my hex and counter games, and in particular, Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit (ASLSK).
Unlike Pavlov's House, which is not hex and counter, and which I have played several times in the last few months because it can be setup and finished in under 2 hours, ASLSK takes me significantly more time on average. To compound the issue, the longer I go between sessions the more likely I have to spend additional time nose in the rules.
As you no doubt surmised from the title of this post, I have finally tried VASSAL and what a glorious thing it is!
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S1: Retaking Retaking Vierville. Things aren't going well for the Americans.
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For the few unfamiliar with VASSAL it lets you play board games on your computer, alone or with others, with pieces that look right.
It is not a video game. It has no AI or anything like that. In many ways, it's not unlike what I do in Google Draw to playtest rule and scenario ideas without having to setup a table and figures. At it's core, it's just moving around shapes over an image, with dice rolling and rules. However, in VASSAL, the pieces and board look much better and the dice rolls are handled in the application (though they don't have to be).
No longer do I need to set up and finish a hex-and-counter game in a single day! I can
leave board and counters in situ for days or more at a time, playing
turns or even just a phase or two as time permits.
In the ASL/SK module, many game functions are handled by the program such as flipping a counter and going under DM, reminders that on doubles when rolling on the IFT you move to the left one column for resolution, etc.
You do need to have the game's rules in order to play otherwise they're just pieces and for ASL/ASLSK you'll need the scenario sheets, too. Of course, nothing prevents you from using the pieces and maps while playing your own rules and scenarios.
In any case, the slowed down pace, and lack of looming deadline to clear off the kitchen table so it can be used for its other purposes has been a boon for increasing my enjoyment of the game.
The pros?
- Fewer missed rules - like how a unit is destroyed if it low crawls to avoid interdiction during rout but ends up adjacent to another enemy unit.
- More consideration of each unit's options in each phase.
- A solo friendly fog of war because I forget exactly what I was intending each side to do from day to day.
- Games can be left setup for days at a time, undisturbed by child, companion animal, or partner.
- Tall counter stacks are at no risk of falling over onto other counter stacks whereby they would create jumbled messes of counters.
The downsides of VASSAL?
- It is buggy, at least the ASL/ASLSK module. I crash at least once a session it seems. Save early and often!
- It lacks the tactile delight of handling counters and moving them about the map.
The degree to which the second point is a show stopper depends on the person. I do enjoy that experience, but am willing to sacrifice it for a chance to actually play a game.
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I found this while writing this post. I cannot wait to play! (once i review the rules)
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To my great joy, I discovered that there is a Burning Mountains module under the 1st edition Italian name, Inferno sugli Altipiani, 1916.
At seven hours plus to play and with its giant counter stacks that
sometimes result, it will be infinitely more feasible to play it on
VASSAL. Hopefully the differences between the editions in terms of counters available is not significant (I have the English edition) - VASSAL could give this game new life.
