Wargamer's Corner

Robear wrote:

Not yet. Definitely this weekend.

I played with it some last night. I made a simple scenario where 3 squads and a leader for both the SS and the 82nd airborne try to capture a house...just so I could mess with the editor and learn more about the game system. The scenario editor is easy to use and gives you a lot of options for defining AI behavior, which is cool.

I also fired up a quick battle. That was cool too...I'm still in the midst of playing it out. For $10, I'd say it's a must buy as it basically adds infinite replayability.

I wish that they included a map editor, but I believe that will be coming as additional DLC. If the game was $40, I'd say that having the scenario editor and map editor as DLC is gross. But, for $5 plus any modules that you want, I'm ok with their DLC/pricing model.

So maybe you could do a Castle Itter scenario? (Unfortunately, not without a map editor, I guess...)

Robear wrote:

So maybe you could do a Castle Itter scenario? (Unfortunately, not without a map editor, I guess...)

I'd like to do a Barrikady Gun Factory scenario (because I'm reading Island of Fire which is awesome) but, I think that I need a map editor. May try to do it in Combat Mission Red Thunder.

Picked up Cold Waters for half off on the Steam summer sale. Definitely going to be muttering Hunt for Red October quotes for the foreseeable future.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Garg, looks like NONE of the Lock'n'Load content is on sale during the Steam sale. What the heck?!?

It looks like they were just a little bit late to the party!

Lock 'n Load Tactical Digital: Core Game is now 70% off and DLC 20%-50% off.

Nice!!!!

Tried the scenario generator. Small defense, myself as early war Germans (5 and 6 morale) and US Viet-Nam era troops (5 and 6 also?). I had 200 points, they had 220. Americans were attacking, 2 leaders, 2 M-60's, bunch of half-squads in jungle village terrain. I had 3 stacks of 3 squads, one with an MG-42, one with a STUG III, one with just the squads, and one with a 50mm AT gun (but only one squad in that one). All four stacks had leaders and we occupied the two victory point hexes from the start.

The Americans had initiative the whole time, but had to advance across an open area to gain cover. So from the start, they moved one half-squad at a time to trigger fire (not a bad strategy), but each turn I was able to Shake units or cause casualties. The M-60's had good firepower but after the 3rd turn of 6, more than half of their units had been shaken or otherwise damaged and were not combat capable. They tried a decent rush on my left, from jungle to village, but could not cross the road to my positions because the MG-42 keep taking down their main stack as it came out of heavy jungle. Eventually I drove them off with just a few casualties.

The AI seemed to make do with the hand it had been dealt. They had to be aggressive; if they had had much more time they probably could have shot me from a distance and maybe evened the score. But there were not enough of them to take the positions I held.

Decent little scenario.

Neutrino wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Garg, looks like NONE of the Lock'n'Load content is on sale during the Steam sale. What the heck?!?

It looks like they were just a little bit late to the party!

Lock 'n Load Tactical Digital: Core Game is now 70% off and DLC 20%-50% off.

Oh, even though you are killing me in our Twilight Struggle game, your are now my Star GWJer of the day! Thanks for sharing this. I’m on it.

So I had the base game of Lock'n'Load and have picked up any module that was 50% on the sale. The scenario designer gizmo isn't on sale so I'll mess about with the scenarios and make a decision on the scenario thingie later.

Is there multiplayer for this? I took a quick look at the description but didn't catch anything about it.

I picked up the Lock'n'Load base game to try out during the sale and may pick up one of the DLC battlepacks.

On the Lock'n'Load forums, someone has put together a Lock 'n Load Tactical Digital Hot Key List that may be useful.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Is there multiplayer for this? I took a quick look at the description but didn't catch anything about it.

From what I've seen so far from watching a video, there is multiplayer. Both players need to be online and both also need to have the DLC battlepack to play. I don't think there's async.

Neutrino wrote:

I picked up the Lock'n'Load base game to try out during the sale and may pick up one of the DLC battlepacks.

On the Lock'n'Load forums, someone has put together a Lock 'n Load Tactical Digital Hot Key List that may be useful.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Is there multiplayer for this? I took a quick look at the description but didn't catch anything about it.

From what I've seen so far from watching a video, there is multiplayer. Both players need to be online and both also need to have the DLC battlepack to play. I don't think there's async.

Thanks for the hot key list.

That might be fun to try a scenario online at some point. I feel like it'd be a good idea to wrap my head around the rules first.

Not too hard to read, and the more trad tactical wargames you've played, the more it will make sense. Alternate activation by stack, phases, once you have taken actions with a unit it's done for the turn.

Robear wrote:

Not too hard to read, and the more trad tactical wargames you've played, the more it will make sense. Alternate activation by stack, phases, once you have taken actions with a unit it's done for the turn.

I've been reading the rules for Last Hundred Yards: Airborne over Europe, and that uses a phase system that might be something like this too. I have much to learn.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Robear wrote:

Not too hard to read, and the more trad tactical wargames you've played, the more it will make sense. Alternate activation by stack, phases, once you have taken actions with a unit it's done for the turn.

I've been reading the rules for Last Hundred Yards: Airborne over Europe, and that uses a phase system that might be something like this too. I have much to learn. :)

Here's the LnL digital bookshelf. The gameplay narrative manuals are particularly good. There's also a hotkey list and a player aids book. The documentation for the game is maginificent.

There's also a Lock 'n Load Tactical Series bootcamp series on youtube which is really good too.

Dabbling with LnL - picked up a couple dlc's. I'm absolutely getting slaughtered - may have to actually spend some time reading the manual...

PWAlessi wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Robear wrote:

Not too hard to read, and the more trad tactical wargames you've played, the more it will make sense. Alternate activation by stack, phases, once you have taken actions with a unit it's done for the turn.

I've been reading the rules for Last Hundred Yards: Airborne over Europe, and that uses a phase system that might be something like this too. I have much to learn. :)

Here's the LnL digital bookshelf. The gameplay narrative manuals are particularly good. There's also a hotkey list and a player aids book. The documentation for the game is maginificent.

There's also a Lock 'n Load Tactical Series bootcamp series on youtube which is really good too.

They just make that available? That's pretty cool. I noticed they have a whole set of solo rules too, for the board games, of course. I've been digging back into board wargames quite a bit the past couple of months and have looked at the ASL and Lock'n'Load websites, but both are ... not the easiest places to figure out what you'd need to get to get started (well, after the very basic starter kits, that is), and it gets expensive fast. I'd be more inclined to go the Lock'n'Load route because I struggle with Schilling's involvement with MMP.

Knightsabre, there are some consequences of stack/unit activation systems to be considered. One is that while stacking units with a leader will give you the most firepower, you can move those stacks as individual units. That means the side with fewer units will need to choose which movements to react to. If you move everything as stacks in the middle of a firefight, you might find you have reduced your movement opportunities, so the enemy could do more maneuvering in close quarters. You can also try to bait an opponent into taking a shot at units at medium or long distances, then when they are focused on that (ie, no more activations for that stack) you could move a closer unit across an open area or even to melee without being attacked by the spent stack.

Robear wrote:

Knightsabre, there are some consequences of stack/unit activation systems to be considered. One is that while stacking units with a leader will give you the most firepower, you can move those stacks as individual units. That means the side with fewer units will need to choose which movements to react to. If you move everything as stacks in the middle of a firefight, you might find you have reduced your movement opportunities, so the enemy could do more maneuvering in close quarters. You can also try to bait an opponent into taking a shot at units at medium or long distances, then when they are focused on that (ie, no more activations for that stack) you could move a closer unit across an open area or even to melee without being attacked by the spent stack.

Thats an interesting point - you're right, I have been using large stacks with a leader and opening up on the first enemy that pops in range. I think overall I've definitely been underestimating the importance of maneuver in this game. Thanks for the tips - I will keep at it!

Sometimes they will slide a few across the open to a location closer to you, then if you wait, you can hit the whole stack. Of course, knocking them off in the open is good too. I like big stacks for defense, and small units for advancing. But it's pretty fluid.

Remember, too, there's an advantage to firing on units that have exposed themselves. So waiting for movement or firing may be the correct choice.

I broke down and bought all of the LnL tactical DLC that is on sale (that I didn't already have). I'm in love with the system and this game. This is really scratching the ASL itch that Tigers on the Hunt just didn't.

Huzzah!

PWAlessi wrote:

I broke down and bought all of the LnL tactical DLC that is on sale (that I didn't already have). I'm in love with the system and this game. This is really scratching the ASL itch that Tigers on the Hunt just didn't.

Awesome!

PWAlessi wrote:

I broke down and bought all of the LnL tactical DLC that is on sale (that I didn't already have). I'm in love with the system and this game. This is really scratching the ASL itch that Tigers on the Hunt just didn't.

For kicks, I did a generated a quick "Battle of Dien Bien Phu" battle between the French from Heroes in Defiance and the VC from Heroes of the Nam. Super fun. Having most of the DLC really opens up tons of possibilities...especially with the Battle Generator/Scenario Editor.

Nice job in the Strategy Game thread Robear, helping to convert "Strategy" gamers into Wargamers!

Well, that's where the recent discussion was going, so... Who knows?

I can hardly believe it, but Armageddon Empires showed up on Steam in April. $7 on sale. Insta-buy if you don't have it already. (Vic says that he's having trouble getting Solium Infernum on Steam, but Occult Chronicles might show up at some point.)

Robear wrote:

I can hardly believe it, but Armageddon Empires showed up on Steam in April. $7 on sale. Insta-buy if you don't have it already. (Vic says that he's having trouble getting Solium Infernum on Steam, but Occult Chronicles might show up at some point.)

Never heard of this but okay, I'm in!

I aslo picked up Carrier Battles 4 earlier today.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Robear wrote:

I can hardly believe it, but Armageddon Empires showed up on Steam in April. $7 on sale. Insta-buy if you don't have it already. (Vic says that he's having trouble getting Solium Infernum on Steam, but Occult Chronicles might show up at some point.)

Never heard of this but okay, I'm in!

I aslo picked up Carrier Battles 4 earlier today.

Ohhh how is Carrier Battles 4?

Veloxi wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Robear wrote:

I can hardly believe it, but Armageddon Empires showed up on Steam in April. $7 on sale. Insta-buy if you don't have it already. (Vic says that he's having trouble getting Solium Infernum on Steam, but Occult Chronicles might show up at some point.)

Never heard of this but okay, I'm in!

I aslo picked up Carrier Battles 4 earlier today.

Ohhh how is Carrier Battles 4?

Not sure. I’m on the road for a few days so won’t be able to check it out right away.