What's on your table right now?

[GJK]

Yeah, yeah.  Here's one of the original scans that I made of the original map:





It's going to look pretty craptactular when you can only scan in sections at a time.  I've had to make due with my very much less than average scanner as well.

[Staggerwing]

I had gaps between scans- that I can fix with more scanned sections overlapping. I also had a lot of what the bottom of that scan shows (but worse) - shadows and differences in brightness of the same colors on different scans. Unfortunately I don't have the talent to redraw the whole thing so I'm looking for a graphics n00b way to synchronize the colors across the separate scans.



I have to say that looking at your work is pleasure. it's also quite daunting when realistically looking at my own lack of time and talent (esp. the latter).

[GJK]

I had gaps between scans- that I can fix with more scanned sections overlapping. I also had a lot of what the bottom of that scan shows (but worse) - shadows and differences in brightness of the same colors on different scans. Unfortunately I don't have the talent to redraw the whole thing so I'm looking for a graphics n00b way to synchronize the colors across the separate scans.



I have to say that looking at your work is pleasure. it's also quite daunting when realistically looking at my own lack of time and talent (esp. the latter).

This is how I learned to use Photoshop.  I knew what I wanted to do but I didn't know how to do it for the longest time.  So I scanned in images of what I wanted to remaster and I learned to use the tools that PS has in order to do it.  Learn to trace, fill and apply filters to what you've scanned in - it's actually great practice.

[PanzersEast]

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.

[panzerde]

I'm interested to see this played - probably at Origins. I know Jim and Vance and Brant all really like the COIN games but they've never really appealed to me. I suspect I'm missing what's great about them and hope to figure that out next month.

In the meantime, something I am enthusiastic about:



Hill 142 scenario from In the Trenches: Devil Dogs by Tiny Battle Publishing. I'm really enjoying both this series and Red Poppies Campaigns, both from John Gorkowski.

[bayonetbrant]

we'll put you into one of the COIN games as a player :D

[panzerde]

I'll watch a couple first. Frankly, they seem pretty Euro to me...

[GJK]

In the meantime, something I am enthusiastic about:
....

Hill 142 scenario from In the Trenches: Devil Dogs by Tiny Battle Publishing. I'm really enjoying both this series and Red Poppies Campaigns, both from John Gorkowski.

Is that company level?

[panzerde]

Is that company level?

Individual units are platoons that you generally maneuver and fight together as companies, due to the C&C rules. The other Gorkowski system, Red Poppies, has company-sized units generally maneuvered and fought as battalions. In the Trenches is more granular but represents only specific actions in a larger battle, Red Poppies is more "big picture" and usually covers an entire, often multi-day battle.

[Nefaro]

I'll watch a couple first. Frankly, they seem pretty Euro to me...

Definitely much Euro flavor in the mechanics. 

I think many hardcore wargamers ignore or deny that because the series also better represents the political & historical themes, in the mechanics, compared to Euros.  So it's easier to call it a "wargame", to keep their Groggy self-image intact.  :))

[bbmike]

Found this while helping my parents clean out their garage. I bought it brand new (1979/80) and never played it. The box has seen better days (it was in the garage for 25+ years!) but all of the contents are still inside and in good shape. It's made by TSR so I'm certain it was a D&D inspired purchase. And I'm also certain the time travel theme played a role.  :)

[bayonetbrant]

^^^
That's actually a really cool Chess-like game, wrapped up in the usual Gygaxian obtuse rules language.  The idea that you can 'time warp' a piece forward in the game to reappear makes your planning pretty forward-thinking.  The pieces look like set-dressing from the late-70s Buck Rogers TV show, tho.

[GJK]

Der Rattenkrieg!!!

ASL "Valor of the Guards" HASL (scen 7).  What a bloody mess!

[Barthheart]

Always loved the look of those historical modules... even if I didn't like ASL.

[GJK]

Always loved the look of those historical modules... even if I didn't like ASL.

It's a really crappy picture with my crappy camera phone but yeah, the map is a thing of beauty.  My one complaint however would be the difficulties in picking out roofless buildings from buildings that have retained their rooftop because of too slight a contrast between the two and it's also hard to pick up train tracks that have cars with those that don't.  I get that they wanted to have a dark, overcast-like look to the map but it's really tough to pick those things out at times.  Having the VASL map open on the laptop next to it was a huge help though.