eASLSK3 - Chapters 5-7 done!

In a fit of productivity after weeks of nothing, chapters 5-7 are done with examples! Woot woot!

A fun thing I've learned?

Manhandling is Hazardous Movement! Minus 2 DRM when shooting at them in ANY PHASE!!

Anyways, here's a shot of the latest:

eASLSK3 Progress & VASLeague Round 2

Sorry of the lack of news recently. I've been busy playing games other than ASL (double sorry!) and real-life (exploding dryer!) + week before March Break means mucho work for me.

Just wanted to update that I'm still plugging away at the e-version of my ASLSK3 manual when I get the chance and inclination to type.

Again, I can't help but be impressed how much I actually learn when I read and re-type each section. One of the additional benefits is space. MMP seems to have had some sections badly paragraphed and I've had the luxury of reformatting them where they make sense -- adding a lot to readability. Another benefit is that I've been able to add in third-party player aids: in particular, the neat two-pager IFT charts by Ole Bøe available here. Here's a screenshot of the so-far compiled eASLSK3 opened to the IFT page:

Here's another page from the eASLSK3, the latest completed section, the Rout Phase:

I guesstimate that given a good chunk of effort the eASLSK3 will be completed in a month. There's only half the Close Combat phase, the Guns section and half the Vehicles left to go. All the pictures and diagrams are all done.

Fun story: I keep mistyping Guns as Funs. Nothing like rules on Machine Funs and Funshields!

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Lastly, I've made contact with my second round opponent in the VASLeague -- he's got a doctorate in Math -- I'm DEAD! He's agreed to post some after-action stuff once we're done. We're still in the preliminary stages of choosing a scenario. Anyone with a suggestion that's not S1, S2, S4 or S28?

Lotsa news...

What's up in the world of TPBF?

1. I decided that giving a 9 to ASLSK1 on BGG was kind of being picky. I look at things this way: if I will drop anything else to play your game then your game is a 10 out of 10. So I revised my ASLSK1 score from 9 up to a "perfect" 10. For that matter, I put another very fun game up to 10 too: GMT's Twilight Struggle. Some may argue about its wargame-ness but you can't argue that it's frickin' awesome... Unless you're the Prawn and still getting smoked by me.

2. I'm still plugging away on my eASLSK3. I'm actually learning a LOT this way. I find that just retyping the rules and revising and checking for typos that I am really getting to be proficient with this system. Just putting together the examples and diagrams with VASL screenshots has been very educational. I think I'm about 60% done the whole of the eASLSK3 -- that includes every single word and diagram in that total. When I'm done I'll post a few screenies and start incorporating the errata and possibly scanning and adding the player aids so I'll have a super portable e-version to cart around with the actual counters and maps.

3. I fixed the masthead of the blog. No more ugly orange on light green map. Should be a little more readable now. I'm going to fiddle with it some more later but for now at least the masthead isn't an abomination against man.

4. Going to probably get to my first turns in the VASLeague with my Italian opponent this weekend. We've been bandying about the scenario choice (it's S4 Welcome Back -- I've never played but looks fun -- I'm the Americans) and I've been feeling under the weather. The six hour time difference makes getting hooked up a little difficult but I think we'll get things going very soon. I've gone over my porous defensive set-up and will be sending it off tonight.

5. I'll be teaching the vehicle rules to the Prawn on Monday too. I'm bringing Optimus Prime. He's going to hurl some AFVs around.

6. Winter Offensive (MMP's annual con) is on. Man, I'd love to be there.

7. And the boys at 2 Half-Squads have posted a new podcast. GO GET IT!

eASLSK3RBWTFBBQTPBF?!

One of the great learning tips I tell my students is to rewrite and recompile their notes, especially on regular basis, to learn and really retain something. In a way it's very "old-school" -- learning by rote.

So, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and re-type and key in the entirety of the ASLSK #3 rulebook. This "electronic" version of the ASLSK rules is for my own personal use (so you cheap bastards out there go buy your own copy and type it up yourself!) so I can truck it around on a laptop or USB key and put the hardcopy away somewhere safe. Besides the convenience though, creating my own eASLSK3 is just another way of learning and retaining the rules.

However, I haven't just chosen a word processor and have at it. I've done a bit of research and decided that rather than plain text or even plain HTML, I'll go with the Windows Help File format (.chm) which let's me do some fancy indexing and internal hyperlinking. A quick look through sourceforge.net (open source software -- i.e. FREE software) and I found HelpMaker by VizAcc.


Here's how the program looks in action/editing mode:



It's basically a WYSIWYG text/HTML editor that compiles your work into a Windows Help file format when you're done. Here's how it looks in a compiled page (Windows Help file format) opened on my desktop:



Note: I haven't scanned any images in yet but this is also integrated into the software so inserting diagrams and illustrations from the rulebook is very simple. (So now my ASL hobby has combined with my ultra-computer-nerdness and I am complete.)


Seriously though I only just started today and am done a good chunk of 1.0 and all 2.0 Definitions "a" through "d". Did I learn anything? Yep! I was reminded while typing in the CX entry that units not only declare CX to add 2 MF during movement but become CX if they advance and use all their available MF -- no more willy-nilly advancement without checking PPs and MFs.


Thanks to the folks at Gamesquad in this thread (check out page 20-ish and onwards) who chatted up the .chm format and other possibilities with me.


p.s. SCANNING IS CHEATING!!!