Please report back! If you are up for Vassal, let @Panzeh know!
Will do. Unfortunately, I kind of hate Vassal. It was pretty cool… 10 years ago? It really needs to die in a fire and be reborn with a modern UI and some way to easily have it do rules enforcement.
That’s actually…kind of happening. The modules, when in the hands of a good developer, are like that. And very soon they are moving past java, to get VERY serious about implementing rules/based functionalities.
Great! You just let me know when that’s done :)
Take a look at the Empire of the Sun module or the one for the revamped Red Star/White Eagle. Fantastic.
Rudimentary. There’s a few functions that could improve it but it’s a decent module.
Babby’s first VG Vietnam operation:
I activate one marine battalion and the cruiser, allocating all 4 air points i have, hoping to reveal the unit and draw him into battle so i can bring the others- I don’t want to use everyone at once in case this is the political cadre and not the VC regiment. This will put me at risk in an attack but I have the firepower to bring in my offensive reserves later on the operation.
Once you’re done moving, VC units(not NVA units) get an alert roll, which is a simple d6 plus the terrain movement cost plus one if any ARVN is involved. In this case, a 5+1 gives this unit 6 MPs to work with in its escape. It does not matter what the unit’s original move value is.
And the VC regiment escapes. I did not do a very good job of this operation. I can try again but it will be even harder to catch him. In the campaign game, driving VC units out of relevant areas is a reasonable goal, but in this scenario I need to get rid of this regiment somehow.
Interdiction, Grasshopper. Pretty good Vassal module, huh? :)
Sure is!
Went back through it… and forgot to modify everything for free fire. Though that combat thing is really, really handy. Makes things so much easier.
The oft forgotten Clear and Secure operation is your friend in getting the VC out and keeping them out.
The Combat board, Ranger functionality, Pacification charts, gosh darn near everything in that module is fantastic. It’s almost a testament to what can be done for a Historical Board Wargame in Vassal.
Couldn’t disagree more. It makes plenty of games very playable. Extremely well implemented as-is.
Yeah, there are several wargames I would never play without VASSAL. It’s also significantly better than the other VTT options in terms of playability.
I also want to point out that rules enforcing is a feature I do not want on a virtual tabletop. While some procedures in some massive games are definitely a good candidate for automatization, the main rules in any wargame, and the process of figuring them out and executing them, are integral to the experience.
A fully enforced and automated board wargame is just a poor and probably opaque (since it lacks the UI, which is not only the correct size buttons) computer wargame. And we have enough of those as it is.
Vassal allows certain games to be played, mostly thanks to saving and internet play, imho, but those are still designed to be played manually and lose a lot of automated/enforced other than in accounting phases and such.
Agree. I like “rules enhancing” options (auto-calculators, range displays, etc.). Those aid gameplay and I am all for them. A true “rules enforcing mechanism” isn’t available on a boardgame, so why would I want that in my vassal module. What I will say is that with a well done Vassal module, with a lot of functionality, many games are far more playable on Vassal than on a tabletop, and not just because you don’t have to leave the game up. So I have no issue with automations or functionalities that enhance gameplay. But I don’t want one that restricts moves, restricts combats, etc.
I posit you a future where an app is sold for a game(downloadable with PoP) that is an interactive Player Aid Card. And those same functionalities are available in the Vassal Mod.
Some vassal mods do it just right. They take care of some things you might forget, like adding VP’s/ cash, flipping cards, but do not try and simulate more complex human focused rules. The Fire in The Lake mod comes to mind.
VG Vietnam is frankly more manageable on Vassal. As the NLF Hidden units are immediately visible to you but just a yellow star on a blue counter to the US (like above in @Panzeh 's posts ). Auto alert rolls with the number on a counter (so you don’t forget. The Target Counter allowing all sorts of operational functions with a right click. And it all gets cleaned up with the “end Operation” button. Patrolling units display a purple ZoC at the flip of a switch so you can see how moves will be impacted visually. Province by Province pacification is easily calculated into overall population control. We’ve come a long way, baby. :)
Now you got me wanting to try VG’s Vietnam again. I havent played that game in… wow thirty(!!!) years?
I just edited above, @Rod_Humble. Seriously, it does so much admin…dang it! The only issue is that live play is the only way. Too interactive. But that isn’t a downer. You just gotta carve out time