The "Future" of ASL...

There has been a mini-tempest brewing up in the MMP folder on Consimworld.

A gentleman by the name of Lonnie Anderson has posted a short and impassioned plea to MMP about the accessibility of ASL. Here is the start of the discussion:

http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@159.ZIKhelRE3XJ.384@.ee6d502/70746

As of this moment there are approximately 200 responses and counters to this posting. It's so long and involved I'm only halfway through it. (To be honest, it's been good discussion so far -- the occasional lapse of CSW into unremitting trashtalk has not yet occurred.)

Of course, I asked myself what I thought and here it is so far:

1. I think the idea of a ASLSK4 is awesome. I love ASLSK and the idea that it could extend in perpetuity is exciting but, in the end, is not realistic. ASLSK will continue in action packs and HASLs -- but honestly, if you want more you're not that far from full ASL and the great stuff available there. If MMP never does more for ASLSK I still think it's enough for us to go on.

2. HOWEVER, MMP must see the merit of perhaps doing something about reducing even more the Herculean learning cliff that getting in full ASL entails. MMP must have another mind-think and ask what could ease the transition from ASLSK3 to full ASL? I suppose they could wait for another Jay Richardson-type to show up and do it for them but really, why not a transition product. There's no question it would sell like hotcakes.

3. Newbies to the hobby, it's not that hard to learn ASLSK. Really it isn't. I've said this before and I'll say it again... In the event you can't find a mentor, the richfam tutorials are your tutor. There's no way anyone with any wargame experience or who can handle the intricacies of the more complex Euros can't handle ASLSK. Having now been more immersed into ASL I can see that just a leeeetle bit more effort from the new player to learn will work wonders. Stop expecting the beauty of ASL to magically manifest itself for you within seconds of pushing a counter across a hexside. Play a few games before giving up.

4. Hardcore/Grognard ASLers, do yourself a favour and don't make getting into ASL harder than it is. You certainly aren't expected to grow the hobby or be evangelizing or even friendly. But seriously think before you put down a newbie on CSW, BGG or wherever. I'm positive many have taken up the challenge of ASL(SK), then having found a literal wall of opposition to their presence on a forum or convention, decided that this stuffy old hobby didn't need them crowding out everyone else's style. Now that I think about it, yes, BE FRIENDLY. You don't have to mentor anyone but being nice costs you nothing.

5. As for the ASLRB2... in my humblest of opinions, that rulebook is a fantastic gaming achievement. It's a reference of epic proportions. But as I've said before, it's a dictionary for when you're learning a new language, not a bloody instructional course of study. Stop expecting this thing to teach you ASL. That's not going to happen.

Secondly, as good as it is, there's something wrong with having to learn ASL from a person rather than a manual. There must be something that can fill the gap between pushing cardboard around and approaching the ASLRB2 without having a personal tutor around. Alas, brighter minds than I need to solve this problem (or has it already been solved?).

Blah, back into the CSW stream...

[UPDATE: I've found that the posts I'm still reading are a fascinating cross-section of the kinds of people and learning experiences that would be interesting to anyone who enjoys ASL... as nutty as CSW sometimes is, this is a golden moment here.]

The end of VASSAL and MMP? Nah...

Not sure if some of you are aware of this but there was a mini-tempest-in-a-teacup in the past 24 hours or so on ConSimWorld in the MMP folder. First, MMP principal, Brian Youse posted that MMP was suspending VASSAL support for their products. Here's the post. Calm down now, he retracted the company's stance a few hours later here -- much to the relief of many.

Of course there was the usual uproar of geekrage in between -- not without good reason in my opinion. Support for VASSAL and VASL for ASL is critical in some people's eyes to the health of the hobby of ASL and wargaming in general. It's already hard enough to find a face-to-face opponent -- many don't need yet another barrier to entry when it comes to enjoying their games.

Though I can understand the arguments of withdrawing support: MMP must maintain control of their copyright and doesn't want to be supporting electronic versions of their games which are freely distributed etc. etc. -- the way I see it -- and yes, I'm an nothing more than a voice in the wilderness -- VASSAL and the Internet keeps the hobby alive, pure and simple.

A few cogent and well elucidated voices chimed into the discussion. Jay White asked a series of pointed questions to Brian:

1) Are you willing to provide map / counter artwork to a third party so they can make VASSAL modules?

2) If not, are you willing to let customers make their own modules?

3) Are you willing to let individual game designers release VASSAL modules?
i.e. Hans was delivering VASSAL modules for the Gamers series at an alarming rate, and Adam Starkweather said there would be VASSAL modules for his GTS games. Hans seemed to enjoy what he was doing, and I can't see how that would be a drain on MMP's game-designing resources. Which leads me to ask again:

4) What is the reason for the change of heart w.r.t. releasing VASSAL modules, because it can't solely be about draining MMP's workload (based on Hans' enthusiasm..)

5) Are you going to keep existing VASSAL modules online, or will they eventually be removed?

Carl Frederick posted this:

If it's going to be so wonderful, what could possibly be a valid reason for stopping production of Vassal modules in the meantime? From what you're hinting, it's obviously so much better that a handful of Vassal modules produced between now and then can't hurt. This is the part that's got me hacked off. And, I've been in software (and a game buyer) long enough to know that whatever date is being promised on either side won't be kept. And those experiences have made me jaded enough that "trust me it'll be great" causes the exact opposite reaction in me.

Some good questions were asked and some excellent points made. For me personally I see GMT's support of VASSAL versions of their products as a value-add. By far they are the most open company when it comes to making their products available online and it doesn't seem to hurt their popularity or bottomline. I know that GMT will have a VASSAL module of their games so I can either play with others online, set up some quick virtual solo sessions or *gasp* try out their games before I buy them (i.e. I did just this before I bought Manoeuvre).

In the few hours between finding out about losing VASSAL "support" and their rescinding the idea, at least a few posters on CSW were threatening MMP with walking away from pre-orders and closing up their wallets. I admit I was entertaing the same thoughts. Did this flirtation with leaving VASSAL support behind have anything to do with Curt Schilling's newly freed time? Is 38 Studios or Green Monster Games or whatever he's calling it this week doing something with ASL online? All of MMP's products?! Who knows...

I just know this. MMP and wargame companies need VASSAL. Not having a solution to the online issue is ridiculous. Don Greenwood, legendary wargame designer, and head honcho on ASL originally said it best himself, "The Internet saved wargaming." (Listen to his interview on the Point2Point podcast here.)

I'm going to echo Mr. Frederick here but I'm totally on his wavelength... If MMP has an idea in mind that allows them to monetize their IP in VASSAL-like fashion I'm all for it -- just not at the expense of putting an end to all the hard work of their fans who create the VASSAL modules of their games in the meantime. Coming from the world of computer games I've heard the siren song of vaporware more than a few times and the funeral dirges supposedly caused by pirates. As soon as MMP has a workable VASSAL alternative I'd be willing to support it if there was a reasonable cost. I'm sure many of the hobbyists would be more than happy to do so as well.

The Gaming Economy - From a chat at TABScon

Hmmm, what else is on my mind...

I had a chat with one of the vendors at TABScon this past weekend. After I was admiring his stock for a few hours he offered me a copy of Valley Games' Titan for $50 tax included. I hemmed and hawed and decided this was too good a deal to miss out on so I grabbed it. The gentleman asked for my help packing his full boxes and carrying them to his car and I happily obliged.

We chatted things up a bit as we packed and he made a comment about the economy. I asked him how bad business was. Was it down 10%? 20%? 30%? I couldn't conceive of a business surviving a hit as bad a third. He said that last year at this time, he sold literally every copy of every game he got into stock.

This year, he's sold 1 out of 10.

Ninety freakin' percent DOWN!

Wow.

Luckily this individual was a bit diversified in his income so he wasn't dependent on his boardgaming sideline. But 90%! Jeeeez.

What does this mean for ASL and wargames? I'm not suggesting, as President Bush did a few years ago in the wake of 9/11's depressive effects on the economy, that you to go buy stuff to single-handedly keep the economy afloat. Profligate spending is not the answer (and this is no more true than amongst ASL fanatics); but I think that wiser spending by all involved will keep the hobby healthy.

I'm thinking that if nothing else, the downturn in the economy will force the truly committed wargaming companies and retailers to better service and prices. Gone are the salad days when anything will sell. Granted wargaming has been undergoing this kind of darwinism for years. We need to support the companies that make great games and have good service -- not every Tom, Dick and Harry with a hex map and countersheet. Have a little patience for the companies like MMP and GMT, the two "big" players in the wargaming space these days who themselves are tiptoeing carefully around surprising spikes in costs. [Those unafraid of ConsimWorld should check out the fun banter regarding the business practices of MMP in the Support Folder. Wow! Always a good time...]

Off the top of my head, the people I still don't mind giving my hard-earned money to? The creme of the crop for ASL is of course MMP, Bounding Fire, Lone Canuck Publishing, Schwerpunkt... You'll have your favourites too. For wargames in general? GMT has earned a top spot in my books and Simmons Games -- that man is a G-A-M-E-R! Consider your pre-orders. Wargaming is infamous for this financial necessity. Use a little discretion. DO patronize the games you want to see. DON'T pre-order everything under the sun.

For Internet retailers? Scott Blanton's Gamers Armory, and Jason Russ' Wargames Depot (and Paul Paterson's fungamescafe.com for you Eurogamers out there -- tell them I sent you).

If you're careful about your money you're probably already doing this, at least subconsciously asking yourself: Do I really need this ASL-related game from a company I don't think puts out the best stuff? Do I want yet another Bulge game from this company that doesn't seem as committed as they should? This company's service has been mediocre -- why am I still buying their stuff?

Press your FLGS too. Retailers have more to lose. Demand good service. That snot-nosed punk that actually knows the games and has a great customer rapport vs. the store on the otherside of town that's run by that refined gentleman who looks down at you for checking out the wargame half-shelf to the detriment of their Magic card sales -- you decide. Demand better prices. Bargain or haggle a bit. Shop around. An economic downturn means that your dollars will have that much more impact.

Anyways, that's just some more mutterings of this madman.

Just some musings about full ASL...

Things are kind of in a lull right now with my ASLSK games. The Prawn and I are stuck starting up a new semester at school (we are the teachers though...) and my VASLeague game is still stalled at the start of turn 3 (I see now why it takes 2 months to play a game!).

So, what am I thinking about?

Full ASL.

There's a bit of chatter on the ASL forum on ConsimWorld about the utility of ASLSK and the possibilities of an ASLSK 4-type product that takes the final leap between full and SK-level. There are some old timers who can't make the cognitive leap back to SK-level and to be honest, why should they? If they are good with full ASL they should teach it. If you have to go about it on your own, you grab ASLSKs.

Regardless, my own thinking is that I've always had full ASL as my eventual goal. ASLSK is awesome, edge-of-the-seat excitment levels of awesome. But part of the interest I have in ASL is in grokking the whole shebang. Is this ego? Is this just the need to say, "Hey you there, playing Agricola! Play a real game -- Advanced Squad Leader!"? Do I just feel the urge to wear an imaginary badge of smugness on my chest that says I play the world's most complicated game?

The funny thing is, once you get a few games under your belt, ASL doesn't seem that hard. Granted I could plop the ASLRB in front of my Eurobuddies and they'd cringe in horror, crossing themselves but I personally don't see it as an obstacle -- it's just an interesting challenge.

A question I sometimes see posted on BGG or CSW or GS is whether a newb could ever comprehend the full rules or should they buy the full rulebook or where's the next step after ASLSK3? My opinion is simply this: if you are satisfied with ASLSK as a full and complete wargame unto itself and don't want to climb the ladder, don't. However, having personally bought the full rulebook and starting to read parts of it I can see that the "gap" between ASLSK and full ASL really isn't that big. At least the divide is no bigger than that between "real" ASL players and us SK newbs.

Let me give you an example. There are holes in ASLSK-level rules. Sorry, I said it. The Tiger tank counter in ASLSK3 has a red movement allowance number. In the ASLSK rules and vehicle notes I found nothing that elaborated on this except that Russian T-34s with the red number required a start-up check and on a DR of 11-12 had to stall for DR MPs before restarting again. [Aside: if you can understand what I just wrote you're ready for full ASL.] Well the Tiger had no notes on this, or at least I couldn't easily locate them. Nor were they in the full ASL Chapter H notes. Instead I had to consult the ASLRB2's section in chapter D (I think NRBH) on mechanical reliability and lo and behold there it was in plain language - mechanical reliability was the same as the T-34s but the DR check was 12 (not 11-12).

This is not an exclusive example. If you have a problem or gray area in the rules in ASLSK, the ASLRB2 pretty much answers it -- fast! The rules are clear, organized and the glossary is terrific. I read a great comment on the rulebook on BGG (I'll try to find the author but BGG is down right now); the writer made the analogy of learning English as compared to learning ASL. You'd use the dictionary as a reference, not a course of study. Just so with the ASLRB2. Learning ASL by reading the rulebook starting with Chapter A, section 1.0 onwards to Chapter D/H's last section is ridiculous. The ASLRB2 is your reference when it comes to learning the language known as Advanced Squad Leader.

So, read the ASLSK rules, richfam's tutorials, get the cardboard down on the maps and just shoot a couple of squads against each other in some terrain following the great SOP playaids out there. Play a scenario. Take it slow, do it solo. Teach it to a good friend. Re-read the rules. Pick up the ASLRB2 if you want to upgrade to full ASL and use it as a reference, not a bloody novel. Enjoy. Challenge yourself.

Off the top of my head, here are some other reasons to get the ASLRB2 if you're just a SK newb:

1. Chapter K. The original training notes that came with the original starter kit (module 2: Paratrooper) is included now with the ASLRB2. It's great. I'd argue that it's a great companion to the SKs.

2. If you have the ASLRB2 this programmed instruction method to get to "full" ASL becomes applicable. Some people taught themselves ASL with this programmed instruction set before the luxury of SKs.

3. Chapter H notes are cool. I find this chapter as fascinating as everyone else. The level of detail boggles the mind here. As a wargamer who loves historical and designer notes Chapter H is like pure gold.

4. The ASLRB2 is basically the result of almost 2 decades of refinement in Squad Leader. It is the "Bible" and its word is law. And you can pretty well depend on it where in certain situations in SK you'd be kind of on your own.

5. This is ironic but it should be obvious that having the ASLRB2 should make you fully aware that you don't always need every part of the rulebook for every scenario. You don't need the majority of edge cases when you play any given scenario. No one, not even the mighty gods of ASL (whoever they may be), memorize the whole book, but use it as the reference it was supposed to be. Dictionary::English - ASLRB2::ASL. It's super well organized with some great illustrations and examples, well worth the $80 or so.

I'll shut up now. Let me know what you think if you're out there.

[EDIT: some interesting posts already. It's nice to hear from readers about their thoughts. Though I don't want to splinter the discussion I also posted a request for comments here on Gamesquad and feel free to post there too if you want. I think it's an interesting question as to whether there needs to be any more SK-level support.]