http://jsquadleader.sourceforge.net/ looks interesting

[gameleaper]

http://jsquadleader.sourceforge.net/

came across this link

[gameleaper]

website for JASL (computer opponent version)
http://www.thuring.com/asl/jasl/index.html
there seems to have been an ASL with A.I. in the past but its gone

[GJK]

website for JASL (computer opponent version)
http://www.thuring.com/asl/jasl/index.html
there seems to have been an ASL with A.I. in the past but its gone

Man, you guys are stirring up some old memories for me.  I also spent a good bit of time chatting with Lars for his JASL program (there's still a Yahoo group for it I believe).  He did quite a bit of work and he had a number of scenarios added.  It was quite buggy though (as I recall) and had a somewhat quirky interface but it worked.  The project went dead in the water a number of years ago unfortunately.

[gameleaper]

Hi GJK, Im messing with ASL now, on tabletop don't like computer vassal as much. Ive found some good youtube vids on ASL cant believe just how much I forgot, but getting back into it, I cant even say Im Starter Kit ready, although its so much fun and the single most interesting project and hobby Ive ever done, Im going to be ASLing forever

[GJK]

Hi GJK, Im messing with ASL now, on tabletop don't like computer vassal as much. Ive found some good youtube vids on ASL cant believe just how much I forgot, but getting back into it, I cant even say Im Starter Kit ready, although its so much fun and the single most interesting project and hobby Ive ever done, Im going to be ASLing forever

So a brief history of my ASL/gaming.  I played SL/COI/COD et al back in '77-'79 when it first came out.  Bought the ASL rulebook in '85 and *tried* to read that thing (the wrong approach).  Never played a game of ASL.  I got big in to Combat Mission trying to find the perfect "computer ASL".  Loved CM, started some fan sites for it and ate, breathed and lived CM.  Then I started thinking of the old Squad Leader/ASL stuff and I saw a picture of board 1 from Squad Leader.  That brought back some serious memories!  However, it wasn't a picture that somebody took, it was a digital recreation.  So I started to research because it appeared that *somebody* was doing something computer-ASL'ish.  I then found VASSAL/VASL and thought "oh shit!".  I soon then discovered Lars' JASL and Peter's computer adaptation and those were cool because those guys were working on adding an 'ai' to ASL; which is the goal, right?  Within a year or two, the first Starter Kit came out.  I picked it up and actually began to learn ASL.  I found a great group of guys on VASL that loved to teach new players (I still *highly* recommend looking up Patrick Ireland on VASL if you want to learn ASL). 

After tinkering with Starter Kits, me and a good buddy (DDog) from my Combat Mission days advanced (pun) on to full blown ASL and we were playing (via VASL) nightly.  Victor! and some other guys on VASL would pop in to our room to see how things were going and would happily answer any rules questions that we had.  All awhile, I kept an eye on JASL and would doing little 'playtesting' of it for Lars.  Peter's game kind of became secretive and so I lost touch with it but he had a really polished interface for it as I recall. 

What's my point...rambling.  Ah yes, so it became apparent to me at one point that an 'ai' enabled ASL wasn't ever going to match playing ASL with live opponents.  The banter, the moans and exclamations on a crucial dice roll were just not going to be there.  I still think that *if* Hasbro fully licensed a computer ASL product, it would sell for sure, but I would wager that people would be a bit disappointed by it.  Now if it enabled live play or pbem while enforcing the rules, that would be another story.  But yes, ASL isn't a game that you just dabble with; not if you really want to play it.  You have to invest some time learning it but I compare it to golf- you practice and practice and practice and you go out to play and you suck.  You hook/slice your shots.  You're all over the place on the course and just when you're about to swear off golf for life, you hit a spectacular shot that puts you within 3' of the pin.  Suddenly golf is the greatest game you've ever played.  Very similar sensation to playing ASL, IMHO.

[gameleaper]

Hey GJK the Opfire is finished because of you in wartac thanks(AND IT REALY IS BECAUSE OF YOUR COMMENTS A LONG WHILE BACK), try Leader scenario now, but Id delete the MG nest for balance. http://www.freewargamer.com/tbs/wartactical-mini-site/  the fire is reduced rather than every unit fires at once, the system may or may not opfire, and only one Final fire per movement.

[gameleaper]

Hi GJK, Im messing with ASL now, on tabletop don't like computer vassal as much. Ive found some good youtube vids on ASL cant believe just how much I forgot, but getting back into it, I cant even say Im Starter Kit ready, although its so much fun and the single most interesting project and hobby Ive ever done, Im going to be ASLing forever

So a brief history of my ASL/gaming.  I played SL/COI/COD et al back in '77-'79 when it first came out.  Bought the ASL rulebook in '85 and *tried* to read that thing (the wrong approach).  Never played a game of ASL.  I got big in to Combat Mission trying to find the perfect "computer ASL".  Loved CM, started some fan sites for it and ate, breathed and lived CM.  Then I started thinking of the old Squad Leader/ASL stuff and I saw a picture of board 1 from Squad Leader.  That brought back some serious memories!  However, it wasn't a picture that somebody took, it was a digital recreation.  So I started to research because it appeared that *somebody* was doing something computer-ASL'ish.  I then found VASSAL/VASL and thought "oh shit!".  I soon then discovered Lars' JASL and Peter's computer adaptation and those were cool because those guys were working on adding an 'ai' to ASL; which is the goal, right?  Within a year or two, the first Starter Kit came out.  I picked it up and actually began to learn ASL.  I found a great group of guys on VASL that loved to teach new players (I still *highly* recommend looking up Patrick Ireland on VASL if you want to learn ASL). 

After tinkering with Starter Kits, me and a good buddy (DDog) from my Combat Mission days advanced (pun) on to full blown ASL and we were playing (via VASL) nightly.  Victor! and some other guys on VASL would pop in to our room to see how things were going and would happily answer any rules questions that we had.  All awhile, I kept an eye on JASL and would doing little 'playtesting' of it for Lars.  Peter's game kind of became secretive and so I lost touch with it but he had a really polished interface for it as I recall. 

What's my point...rambling.  Ah yes, so it became apparent to me at one point that an 'ai' enabled ASL wasn't ever going to match playing ASL with live opponents.  The banter, the moans and exclamations on a crucial dice roll were just not going to be there.  I still think that *if* Hasbro fully licensed a computer ASL product, it would sell for sure, but I would wager that people would be a bit disappointed by it.  Now if it enabled live play or pbem while enforcing the rules, that would be another story.  But yes, ASL isn't a game that you just dabble with; not if you really want to play it.  You have to invest some time learning it but I compare it to golf- you practice and practice and practice and you go out to play and you suck.  You hook/slice your shots.  You're all over the place on the course and just when you're about to swear off golf for life, you hit a spectacular shot that puts you within 3' of the pin.  Suddenly golf is the greatest game you've ever played.  Very similar sensation to playing ASL, IMHO.

ASL for me is like setting up a battle and playing a wargame like your young again with your timpo fort. I can describe how entertaining it is to learn the infantry rules, then add a weapon like a motor, . the game is rather easy to get into if you look at it as a game you just add to as you play. I love attacking MGs

[GJK]

Hey GJK the Opfire is finished because of you in wartac thanks(AND IT REALY IS BECAUSE OF YOUR COMMENTS A LONG WHILE BACK), try Leader scenario now, but Id delete the MG nest for balance. http://www.freewargamer.com/tbs/wartactical-mini-site/  the fire is reduced rather than every unit fires at once, the system may or may not opfire, and only one Final fire per movement.

I'll give it a run through this weekend.  Thanks for your work on this....I really enjoy indy developer's and the projects that they come up with and am highly supportive of that.  I'll let you know how it goes and will offer any feedback that I may have.

[GJK]

Hi GJK, Im messing with ASL now, on tabletop don't like computer vassal as much. Ive found some good youtube vids on ASL cant believe just how much I forgot, but getting back into it, I cant even say Im Starter Kit ready, although its so much fun and the single most interesting project and hobby Ive ever done, Im going to be ASLing forever

So a brief history of my ASL/gaming.  I played SL/COI/COD et al back in '77-'79 when it first came out.  Bought the ASL rulebook in '85 and *tried* to read that thing (the wrong approach).  Never played a game of ASL.  I got big in to Combat Mission trying to find the perfect "computer ASL".  Loved CM, started some fan sites for it and ate, breathed and lived CM.  Then I started thinking of the old Squad Leader/ASL stuff and I saw a picture of board 1 from Squad Leader.  That brought back some serious memories!  However, it wasn't a picture that somebody took, it was a digital recreation.  So I started to research because it appeared that *somebody* was doing something computer-ASL'ish.  I then found VASSAL/VASL and thought "oh shit!".  I soon then discovered Lars' JASL and Peter's computer adaptation and those were cool because those guys were working on adding an 'ai' to ASL; which is the goal, right?  Within a year or two, the first Starter Kit came out.  I picked it up and actually began to learn ASL.  I found a great group of guys on VASL that loved to teach new players (I still *highly* recommend looking up Patrick Ireland on VASL if you want to learn ASL). 

After tinkering with Starter Kits, me and a good buddy (DDog) from my Combat Mission days advanced (pun) on to full blown ASL and we were playing (via VASL) nightly.  Victor! and some other guys on VASL would pop in to our room to see how things were going and would happily answer any rules questions that we had.  All awhile, I kept an eye on JASL and would doing little 'playtesting' of it for Lars.  Peter's game kind of became secretive and so I lost touch with it but he had a really polished interface for it as I recall. 

What's my point...rambling.  Ah yes, so it became apparent to me at one point that an 'ai' enabled ASL wasn't ever going to match playing ASL with live opponents.  The banter, the moans and exclamations on a crucial dice roll were just not going to be there.  I still think that *if* Hasbro fully licensed a computer ASL product, it would sell for sure, but I would wager that people would be a bit disappointed by it.  Now if it enabled live play or pbem while enforcing the rules, that would be another story.  But yes, ASL isn't a game that you just dabble with; not if you really want to play it.  You have to invest some time learning it but I compare it to golf- you practice and practice and practice and you go out to play and you suck.  You hook/slice your shots.  You're all over the place on the course and just when you're about to swear off golf for life, you hit a spectacular shot that puts you within 3' of the pin.  Suddenly golf is the greatest game you've ever played.  Very similar sensation to playing ASL, IMHO.

ASL for me is like setting up a battle and playing a wargame like your young again with your timpo fort. I can describe how entertaining it is to learn the infantry rules, then add a weapon like a motor, . the game is rather easy to get into if you look at it as a game you just add to as you play. I love attacking MGs

I think that one of the big misonmers about ASL is that it has this gigantic rulebook that is next to impossible to learn unless you just fully dedicate yourself to that game and even then when you do play, half the time the players are looking up or arguing the rules with one another.  Perhaps there's some truth to that but as you point out, learning the basics of movement, morale, fire combat and close combat and you have a good foothold.  Then learn the rules for support weapons as needed by a scenario that you want to play.  Start to learn MG's, FT's, Mortars, etc.  Then you add Guns and then Tanks.  That's all that the Starter Kits did really. 

[gameleaper]

Hi GJK, Im messing with ASL now, on tabletop don't like computer vassal as much. Ive found some good youtube vids on ASL cant believe just how much I forgot, but getting back into it, I cant even say Im Starter Kit ready, although its so much fun and the single most interesting project and hobby Ive ever done, Im going to be ASLing forever

So a brief history of my ASL/gaming.  I played SL/COI/COD et al back in '77-'79 when it first came out.  Bought the ASL rulebook in '85 and *tried* to read that thing (the wrong approach).  Never played a game of ASL.  I got big in to Combat Mission trying to find the perfect "computer ASL".  Loved CM, started some fan sites for it and ate, breathed and lived CM.  Then I started thinking of the old Squad Leader/ASL stuff and I saw a picture of board 1 from Squad Leader.  That brought back some serious memories!  However, it wasn't a picture that somebody took, it was a digital recreation.  So I started to research because it appeared that *somebody* was doing something computer-ASL'ish.  I then found VASSAL/VASL and thought "oh shit!".  I soon then discovered Lars' JASL and Peter's computer adaptation and those were cool because those guys were working on adding an 'ai' to ASL; which is the goal, right?  Within a year or two, the first Starter Kit came out.  I picked it up and actually began to learn ASL.  I found a great group of guys on VASL that loved to teach new players (I still *highly* recommend looking up Patrick Ireland on VASL if you want to learn ASL). 

After tinkering with Starter Kits, me and a good buddy (DDog) from my Combat Mission days advanced (pun) on to full blown ASL and we were playing (via VASL) nightly.  Victor! and some other guys on VASL would pop in to our room to see how things were going and would happily answer any rules questions that we had.  All awhile, I kept an eye on JASL and would doing little 'playtesting' of it for Lars.  Peter's game kind of became secretive and so I lost touch with it but he had a really polished interface for it as I recall. 

What's my point...rambling.  Ah yes, so it became apparent to me at one point that an 'ai' enabled ASL wasn't ever going to match playing ASL with live opponents.  The banter, the moans and exclamations on a crucial dice roll were just not going to be there.  I still think that *if* Hasbro fully licensed a computer ASL product, it would sell for sure, but I would wager that people would be a bit disappointed by it.  Now if it enabled live play or pbem while enforcing the rules, that would be another story.  But yes, ASL isn't a game that you just dabble with; not if you really want to play it.  You have to invest some time learning it but I compare it to golf- you practice and practice and practice and you go out to play and you suck.  You hook/slice your shots.  You're all over the place on the course and just when you're about to swear off golf for life, you hit a spectacular shot that puts you within 3' of the pin.  Suddenly golf is the greatest game you've ever played.  Very similar sensation to playing ASL, IMHO.

ASL for me is like setting up a battle and playing a wargame like your young again with your timpo fort. I can describe how entertaining it is to learn the infantry rules, then add a weapon like a motor, . the game is rather easy to get into if you look at it as a game you just add to as you play. I love attacking MGs

I think that one of the big misonmers about ASL is that it has this gigantic rulebook that is next to impossible to learn unless you just fully dedicate yourself to that game and even then when you do play, half the time the players are looking up or arguing the rules with one another.  Perhaps there's some truth to that but as you point out, learning the basics of movement, morale, fire combat and close combat and you have a good foothold.  Then learn the rules for support weapons as needed by a scenario that you want to play.  Start to learn MG's, FT's, Mortars, etc.  Then you add Guns and then Tanks.  That's all that the Starter Kits did really.

Thanks GJK for your feedback on wartac.

I found the starter kits great! They give a good point of reference as an alternative from the big book, but once you notice the chits info on the folder, and they have rule references to look at, it all becomes doable. I play solo by asking a percent Question EG: what percentage would I do if I was the enemy 70% fire at *** 30% Fire at ***2 and rolling  2 ten sided dice, just an easy way to decide solo decisions like an AI

[gameleaper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmZJF0d6mxw&index=5&list=PLEF7C3A07DE6987AE

some great videos from here, if any body wanted to know what the numbers on the chits mean etc..

[GJK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmZJF0d6mxw&index=5&list=PLEF7C3A07DE6987AE

some great videos from here, if any body wanted to know what the numbers on the chits mean etc..

The video's by idjester are great.  A little 'dry' (putting it nicely) but lots of good info in there.

[gameleaper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmZJF0d6mxw&index=5&list=PLEF7C3A07DE6987AE

some great videos from here, if any body wanted to know what the numbers on the chits mean etc..

The video's by idjester are great.  A little 'dry' (putting it nicely) but lots of good info in there.

I like this starter kit walkthrough a lot https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj0DvgbYmWoV7s28fh3vkjkEy7OoEwKvq

sorry I mean this link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQK4lSYgVde_jNL0T6PFdlEsE_Z3IqszK

[gameleaper]

I find now I know the basics of infantry, I use the big rule book just as a reference just to clear-up a point -  like a dictionary