Blood Bowl!

[Barthheart]

I know nothing about Blood Bowl but might be interested in getting in on a VASSAL league. I'll have to download the rules and see if I can grog it without having the game in front of me.

[JasonPratt]

Since the LRB6 can be oddly hard to find sometimes (even from GM's own servers!), I've split it into two pdfs and attached below. (Forum limits prevent attaching pdfs larger than 3 Megs each, though the total can go up to 10 Megs. For probably gfx reasons the first 7 pages have half the memory size of the whole pdf, thus the split there.)

[Barthheart]

Cool thank Jason!  O0

Could not for the life of me track down a copy....

[GJK]

Jason,

In VASSAL, for pbem use, you basically start recording a log at the start of your turn.  This will log any movement on the mapboard(s), any chat entered in to the chat window and everything that was echoed to the chat window including dice roll results (I also have the block dice, 8 sided die and 6 sided dice to show visually).  Once your turn is finished, you simply end the log file and email the small log to your playing opponent.  When he/she loads the log, they can "step" through each event...movement of pieces square by square, any comments entered in to the chat window (taunts, explanations, etc) and they will see what was rolled.  It all works quite well and is a fairly simple process once you've processed a log or two (that sounds very "clinical" actually....lol).

[JasonPratt]

The basic BB concepts are:

1.) Each coach puts 11 players on their half of the field (or pitch) within certain limits; each coach can have up to 16 players for up to 5 substitutions at certain times. The various factions may have restrictions on how many specialist players of various kinds can be on a team. At least three players must start on their side of the center line; no more than two players can line up on each wing (whether close to the line or not). (Or is it no more than 4 per wing? I'm lazy, but I think it's two left wing, two right wing. Any number can be placed center field behind the line at any depth, but there are physical grid limits to how many players can be put up on center line, too.)

2.) The field is divided into a grid of squares, and the players move on this grid, basically without restrictions (aside from each other) after kickoff.

3.) Points are scored only for taking the ball into the opponent's end zone, one point per goal. A team can lose by having all its members crippled or killed however.

4.) Each coach gets 16 turns to play the game. After that game over. Ties are ties, even ties at zero.

5.) The coach who wins the coin toss gets to choose whether to kick first or receive first. After both coaches play the 8th turn (reaching halftime), the board automatically resets for the originally kicking team to receive. One important consequence is that although the receiving player gets the first initiative for that half of the game, the kicking player will get to play the final turn of that half.

6.) A team essentially has the initiative on their turn, regardless of whether they control the ball or not. If they make a clumsy play or if every player has had a move (or they score) their turn is over, thus a "turnover". "Turnover" does NOT necessarily mean the other team has the ball, it only means the other team now gets the initiative.

7.) Almost every player action except for basic movement depends on getting a good die roll. Fail the roll and that team's turn is over. There are ways to salt the roll, usually with a limited number of re-rolls for each coach, replenished at halftime.

8.) Certain actions (for example a blitz) can only be attempted by a team once per turn.

9.) Picking up, handing over, throwing, and catching the ball, all involve rolling the die successfully. Technically, any player can do any of these things with the ball, though most players are clumsy at doing most or all these things.

10.) The ball can be passed or handed off in any direction, within certain distance ranges (which for experienced players can extend a little).

11.) When players fight one another they roll a special set of dice. Each die will have two faces indicating a result of moving the defender, one face indicating the defender stumbles (and probably falls without a special ability), one indicating the defender definitely falls, one indicating the attacker falls (counterpunched by the defender), and one indicating both players fall (unless a special ability prevents it). Player-downs will usually also be pushed in a direction chosen by the attacking player; and the coach can choose whether the attacking player steps into the vacated square.

12.) How many dice are rolled, and which coach gets to choose between the results, depends on relative strengths of the attacker and the defender, modified by nearby players supporting either side.

13.) Players cannot attack except on a turn of their team; and (with one general exception) can only attack enemies adjacent to them without the attacking player moving. A player recently stood up can (usually) lend support but not initiate attacks. Players cannot (usually) move after attacking (except to step into a vacated enemy square perhaps.)

14.) Once a turn, a coach can choose any one player to blitz, meaning the player can attack after moving, and then continue moving normally after the attack (unless the attacker goes down of course).

15.) Whether or not a player is holding the ball makes no difference about whether they can attack or blitz during the turn of their team. (So a coach might tell a ball carrier to blitz, attack to push back or knock down an enemy in their path, and then run onward.)

16.) On a coach's turn, he may not (usually) move one of his players away from being next to an enemy player without the enemy player getting one free attack (using the normal die). This is called tackling, and the coach has to deal with it every single time he tries to move a player out of an enemy's tackle zone. Into a zone, no problem -- this can even set up tackles against the next coach's turn (and is called "marking" players). Tackles are (usually) made at no risk at all to the tackling player, and so setting up tackling interference is an important coaching tactic. Any successful tackle will end the initiative of moving team, resulting in a turnover.

(Note: I don't remember offhand if relative strength values can create natural immunity to leaving an enemy's tackle zone, or if say an ogre can be thrown down by a halfling for failing to leave the halfling's tackle zone.)

17.) Any time a ball carrier goes down for any reason (and under some other circumstances), the ball will bounce free and can be picked up by any player it intercepts, if they succeed a die roll -- otherwise it continues bouncing randomly around until it rests on the ground.

18.) If the ball leaves the playing field, not under the control of a carrier in an end zone, it is placed back in play on the field under various conditions (given to a player of a coach's choice, etc.)

19.) Any player who goes down must roll against their armor score to see if they have been knocked out, injured, or killed. Hired apothecaries, once per game each, allow a damage re-roll if the armor roll fails and the coach can choose which result to accept. KO'd players have a chance to wake up at the half or after any score. Injured players will be out of the game, and possibly some subsequent games, possibly with permanent detriments. Killed players can never play again, period. (Undead players can be killed or the equivalent thereof.)

20.) Players removed from the game cannot be substituted for until after any player scores or halftime. While a team must start the game with 11 players on the pitch, the team can continue playing through the whole game with fewer than 11 players if necessary.

Aside from the effects of special abilities (sometimes detrimental to the player), and of various pre-game adjustments, I think that covers the basic concepts. :) I'm a little fuzzy about when subs are allowed after players are removed however -- certainly at kickoffs (whether post-score or at the half).

[GJK]

Excellent break-down of the game Jason!  The other fun aspect of Blood Bowl aside from actually playing the game is League play where you have player development, new players to hire for your roster and a sort of RPG like element where you carry the same player(s) from game to game, hoping that they survive because you've grown attached to them.

I have a dropbox folder with a bunch of BB goodies, including an ebook of the rules that I put together as well as the beta of the vassal module.  If anybody is interested in gaining access to it, send me an IM with your email address (that you use for dropbox) and I'll add you to the share.

[undercovergeek]

I'm in!

[GJK]

Here's a link to that dropbox folder that has the VASSAL module and other BB goodies for those that are interested:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vm2swpy0p86r7rf/AABRg4bQm8piVaIkkdYNGJkNa

[Barthheart]

Thanks for the link Gary, but I'm not seeing the VASSAL module file...?
O0

[JasonPratt]

Excellent break-down of the game Jason!  The other fun aspect of Blood Bowl aside from actually playing the game is League play where you have player development, new players to hire for your roster and a sort of RPG like element where you carry the same player(s) from game to game, hoping that they survive because you've grown attached to them.

Certainly! I'm heavily RPing an Amazon team and their coach right now in the AAR link at the top of my sig. (Now with some actual AAR at last along with the RPG!  :)) )

I will add that the Chaos Edition version of the PC game is, in my experience, great for all aspects of this. The only problem really would be losing the asynch connection during a game: 30 minutes is a long time to gamble, although I've seen plenty of YT videos taking the full hour and a half (or longer!) without any problems. Still, setting the local League rules for a 30 second normal turn limit helps to move things along a lot, allowing for more flexibility in playing other people and reducing the chances proportionately of the internet eating the game.


Meanwhile, I recommend discussing which files do what in the two folders we'd presumably download.

(I think, Bart, the VASSAL files are in a subfolder of the "VASSAL" folder in his root directory. Clicking on that brings up a couple of files plus another VASSAL folder, so once you click the first VASSAL folder you'd click the download button and the system should zip up everything that you see including the subfolder with all the actual VASSAL coding.)

[BanzaiCat]

I see a "VASSAL Blood Bowl Working Files Copy" folder in his Blood Bowl folder.

[GJK]

Thanks for the link Gary, but I'm not seeing the VASSAL module file...?
O0

Well heck...it *was* in the Blood Bowl folder but now I don't see it.  I'll throw it up in there again tonight when I get home.  In the meantime, enjoy all the extra goodies and that and the other folders...I notice that the link shares out all of my games' stuff that I've collected and uploaded.   ???

Edit: I found a version of the module on this computer that may or may not be the most absolute current.  It's uploading now in the "Blood Bowl/Blood_Bowl_Vassal.vmod" directory.  What I will do is update the version number (currently at .5) to .6 and upload the master copy from home but for now, this one looks to be the most current.  Give it a few...it's 36mb in size so it's uploading now.

[GJK]

Excellent break-down of the game Jason!  The other fun aspect of Blood Bowl aside from actually playing the game is League play where you have player development, new players to hire for your roster and a sort of RPG like element where you carry the same player(s) from game to game, hoping that they survive because you've grown attached to them.

Certainly! I'm heavily RPing an Amazon team and their coach right now in the AAR link at the top of my sig. (Now with some actual AAR at last along with the RPG!  :)) )

I will add that the Chaos Edition version of the PC game is, in my experience, great for all aspects of this. The only problem really would be losing the asynch connection during a game: 30 minutes is a long time to gamble, although I've seen plenty of YT videos taking the full hour and a half (or longer!) without any problems. Still, setting the local League rules for a 30 second normal turn limit helps to move things along a lot, allowing for more flexibility in playing other people and reducing the chances proportionately of the internet eating the game.


Meanwhile, I recommend discussing which files do what in the two folders we'd presumably download.

(I think, Bart, the VASSAL files are in a subfolder of the "VASSAL" folder in his root directory. Clicking on that brings up a couple of files plus another VASSAL folder, so once you click the first VASSAL folder you'd click the download button and the system should zip up everything that you see including the subfolder with all the actual VASSAL coding.)

You have a novella started with that AAR Jason!  I'm going to read it more in depth when I get home.

It looks like the VASSAL module file (Blood_Bowl_Vassal.vmod) has uploaded for those interested.  It's a rough beta so any suggestions on what could/should be added or changed...just let me know.

[GJK]

My brother and I (me and my brother) got in a couple of games *last* weekend.

First game saw his favorite wood elves (unpainted, uh hmmm) taking on an unprepared Orc team.  The Orcs didn't see the high-flying artistry of the wood elves coming and thus the pixies were able to run, toss and throw their way to an easy victory of 3-1.





The next game was a nail biter.  My humans were able to jump out to a quick 1-0 lead that carried through the half.  The 2nd half kickoff found us with a "pitch invasion" from the fans in the stands and that essentially put two extra turns on the clock for the 2nd half. 




The last turn of what would have been regulation play found the Wood Elves making a score that generated from a turnover that the humans made during their drive.  The humans drive looked solid, but a Wood Elf "Wardancer" was able to Leap over and amongst the players protecting the ball player and got a good lick on the ball runner, causing the fumble.




With the score knotted up at one apiece, regulation time ended and the game went into overtime.  It's first overtime.





And then the second overtime in which the humans realized that they were going to have to do what the Orcs failed to do; become a "bashy" team and start pounding these weakly protected elves into the ground while not worrying so much about scroring.  And so with that, the Wood Elves found player after player injured and/or incapacitated and escorted off the pitch.

That took us in to the third overtime (and about 1:30 in the morning) before the humans were able to score against a measily two defenders that were left standing.





Had a blast!!!  My brother made great use of the high-flying skills of the Wood Elf team and it was only by attrition that I was able to eek out a win in the 2nd game.  He completely dominated in the 1st. As I've said, for a "silly little kids' game, this game has a lot of depth and decision making!". 

[KyzBP]

Watching with great interest.