I see tts is on sale on steam now for $10. What is the difference between tts and vassal? Is one better or do they just do different things.
I see Nations and Star Wars Armada (I own both) are on Vassal and I'd like to play those with some remote friends and since it is free I may try to figure it out sometime.
Thank for any insight.
They are the same idea doing things a different way.
For starters VASSAL is free, the main program. Most modules for games are free. With VASSAL you can do PBEM and live play. It has a built is typing chat but lot of people use it with Skype of something similar. It's Java based and multi-platform. I have worked with and played VASSAL pretty extensively and I think it does a great job. It's not that hard to program either unless you want to do really fancy stuff like include some rules enforcement. But generally most modules have no rules enforcement.
I haven't use Table Top Simulator but from what I've read both parties need to buy a copy of the main program. The modules area again mostly free. I don't think there's any rules enforcement.
One big thing that TTS does is have a physics engine in it so when you move pieces or cards they act similar to real life. Which to me sounds great if you were to program say some kind of minis game in it, but for a hex counter game I can't see the point. I believe that TTS is for live play only.
Table Top Simulator...
i somewhere have read some time ago that a talented fellow (maybe it was over at BGG?) has build a Warfighter module for TTS! 8)
Well, for his own enjoyment.
(of course he can not share it freely cause of the copyright ....but if there would be a way to prove to him that a boardgamer owns the physical game (emailing a private picture with open box or so) it would be outstanding to have access to that module.
Warfighter can have a very large footprint)
Sounds like I may give Vassal a look since I see they already have some modules I'd like to try.
So I guess it must be able to shuffle cards and roll dice, just not normally enforce the rules?
Thanks for the info!
Quote from: RedArgo on December 23, 2015, 10:18:39 PM
Sounds like I may give Vassal a look since I see they already have some modules I'd like to try.
So I guess it must be able to shuffle cards and roll dice, just not normally enforce the rules?
Thanks for the info!
I like VASSAL, especially once you grasp the knowledge and routine of the system and turn log files. Haven't tried table top simulator myself also. I have played some The Gamers SCS series games on VASSAL and quite enjoyed it. On the computer screen there are dice icons on a horizontal tool bar that resolve the dice rolls. (in my experience 1D6 icon, 2D6 icon.) When the icon is pressed, a random number is entered on a line of your log file.
Enforce the rules?
Enforce the rules = Game rules coded so that it is automated and respected in the game (including CRT resolution, etc.)
Of course there is nothing like this in Vassal and each player should know and abide by the rules
of the particular game and know their math. This is why I did some excel work to resolve modifiers and die rolls, etc.
TTS has nicer graphics and fully 3D models but the interface can be finicky as it's sometimes hard to pick up and properly position a playing piece. I'd say TTS is better for miniatures based games whereas VASSAL is better for counter-heavy board games.
- Newsflash -
fresh research over at BGG leaded me to the information that Warfighter (2nd edition with all bells and whistles) is available for free for TTS in the Steam Workshop :D )
just go to the workshop and search for Warfighter and add it to your collection...and its there!
That was sooo high on my wishlist :D now i only need the time to check TTS UI out more deeply
Quote from: MikeGER on September 09, 2016, 11:36:34 AM
- Newsflash -
fresh research over at BGG leaded me to the information that Warfighter (2nd edition with all bells and whistles) is available for free for TTS in the Steam Workshop :D )
just go to the workshop and search for Warfighter and add it to your collection...and its there!
That was sooo high on my wishlist :D now i only need the time to check TTS UI out more deeply
That's cool... I love this game, but it'd be nice to be able to fire it up at lunch sometimes. Though I still prefer by far to play with physical components... I don't know why, but something just doesn't click with me and TTS for most games.