What's on your table right now?

[bob48]

No, but it looks great. Very nice artwork, especially the counters (I'm a suckers for counters with formation insignia on them). And there is an expansion for it.

[mirth]

So much eye candy!

[bob48]

You're in the UK, right? Are you retired? Typically home nights? My last regular Vassal opponent is Norwegian (I'm in US) so my free days corresponded perfectly with his free nights.

I'm jonesing for some live, opposed, OCS gaming. I have solo Baltic Gap and Reluctant Enemies games in progress on Vassal. I own both games, as well as Sicily II and Beyond the Rhine.

Yep, I'm in the UK and retired. I'm new to the OCS games, so still learning. I really would like BtR, its one heck of a big game though.

[BanzaiCat]

I admit, I've acquired so many games that aren't hex-and-counter that I'm starting to long for some grindy Eastern Front action.

Thanks to BB I do have Fortress Berlin, which I really want to get to my table, but that won't probably happen until springtime. Ever since GJK posted that pic of, was it Stalingrad Pocket II (?), I've been starting to realize I need/want to get back to those roots.

I do have some LnL product (Rommel at Gazala and By Dawn's Early Light) that would fit the bill, more likely the former than latter since I'm talking WWII here, but some titanic Eastern Front hex-and-counter game is appealing. I wonder if I still have TSR's Barbarossa stored away? That was a monster game. ;D

Recently I got another gift card from some survey I took in July, so I bought Comancheria with it. It was between that and Arctic Convoy. While Arctic Convoy looked nothing but awesome, it has a HUGE footprint (two maps, BOTH of which are 72" by, I think, 32" (!!!)). So I want to stay away from that.

[Staggerwing]

Hey- what do you guys think of Compass Games' Triumph of the Will?

https://www.compassgames.com/preorders/triumph-of-the-will.html


NWS looks to be expecting some in soon. I'd love a little bit informed opinion about the game before buying.

[bayonetbrant]

I think we just got a volunteer for a review! :)

[BanzaiCat]

Interesting. Ty Bomba taking another stab at a Germany vs. Japan grand world war game (the first being Tomorrow the World, which he also designed).

I really liked TtW. I had told Ty that a few years back when I submitted an article for World at War Magazine and said it was my favorite of his games, and he replied back to say it was his favorite, too. Though he might have just been being facetious as I imagine any game a designer does is his favorite. ;D Who knows.

[mirth]

Hey- what do you guys think of Compass Games' Triumph of the Will?

https://www.compassgames.com/preorders/triumph-of-the-will.html


NWS looks to be expecting some in soon. I'd love a little bit informed opinion about the game before buying.

Buy it! Buy it NOW!

[BanzaiCat]

See, mirth didn't even look. He's just being an enabler.

You: "I can't drink any more, I've got to work in the morning."
mirth: "Drink it! Drink it NOWWWW!"

[Staggerwing]

I think we just got a volunteer for a review! :)

Hey- what do you guys think of Compass Games' Triumph of the Will?

https://www.compassgames.com/preorders/triumph-of-the-will.html


NWS looks to be expecting some in soon. I'd love a little bit informed opinion about the game before buying.

Buy it! Buy it NOW!

>:(  Bought. I'll get you guys know when it arrives.

[mirth]

>:(  Bought. I'll get you guys know when it arrives.

[GJK]

I admit, I've acquired so many games that aren't hex-and-counter that I'm starting to long for some grindy Eastern Front action.

Thanks to BB I do have Fortress Berlin, which I really want to get to my table, but that won't probably happen until springtime. Ever since GJK posted that pic of, was it Stalingrad Pocket II (?), I've been starting to realize I need/want to get back to those roots.

Fortress Berlin is a fun one that I need to get back on the table some time soon.  Actually, I need to redraw those counters for the print version as I did for the VASSAL module (and I'd even redesign those given the opportunity).  Craig Grando created some of the best looking maps (this one wasn't one of his however) but he was the worst counter designer of all time.  What he was thinking in the counters that came with the game is beyond me...unless it's some type of LSD experiment.


By the way, the CRT for FB is a bit of a headache so I've designed a GAP for it:  http://garykrockover.com/games/fortressberlin/


And yes, that is Stalingrad Pocket II which I plan to return to very shortly.


You mention Ty Bomba above- I have his Deluxe Barbarossa game which I haven't done anything but barely looked at that I might be willing to let go.  I actually have the original non-deluxe version of that game that I did play and thought it was well researched- I could probably just send that to you as I'll never play that one now that I have the deluxe.  We're talking about this game:  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36911/barbarossa-russo-german-war-1941-45


If you're interested in it, let me look around to make sure that I still have it (I'm sure it's here somewhere) and I'll see about doing some type of "pay it forward" with you (again, if interested).

[bayonetbrant]

but he was the worst counter designer of all time.  What he was thinking in the counters that came with the game is beyond me...unless it's some type of LSD experiment.

If you talk to Steve Rawlings about them, he'll tell you that he specifically told Grando to try some new things and experiment with his designs, both maps and counters.  The idea was that if he happened to come up with something that worked really well, they could run with it, and if not, at least they tried something different instead of staying in the same rut with everyone else

[GJK]

but he was the worst counter designer of all time.  What he was thinking in the counters that came with the game is beyond me...unless it's some type of LSD experiment.

If you talk to Steve Rawlings about them, he'll tell you that he specifically told Grando to try some new things and experiment with his designs, both maps and counters.  The idea was that if he happened to come up with something that worked really well, they could run with it, and if not, at least they tried something different instead of staying in the same rut with everyone else

I think Grando was cutting edge with his maps; he really started this "photo-realistic" look that many games have today.  I loved the way that he did rivers and flooded plains for example.  Hills and mountain ranges too.  The counter revolution (ha!) was a flop though and *many* people voiced their displeasure over it...funky psychedelic like colors and odd ways of displaying NATO symbols...none of it ever caught on.
Grando just kind of disappeared from the scene a few years back too, which is a shame really.

[Pinetree]

Played 3 turns in a learning game of Fields of Fire last night. I've gone straight to Vietnam. Made quite a few errors but had a blast. GMT forgot to add counters for the flight leader activations so had to make my own.