Best counter storage system ever!!!!!!!!!

hongkongwargamer

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I have always agreed. Look forward to tournaments where folks fly over with laptops and hook themselves up in front of big monitors.

Or heck .. use a touchscreen laid face up like a game table.
 

von Marwitz

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Look forward to tournaments where folks fly over with laptops and hook themselves up in front of big monitors.
Can't disagree more.

Why should I waste even a single Euro to fly around the world only to place a big monitor between me and my opponent?

If I want that, I can play VASL and don't need to attend a tournament in person. Actually, the reason for me to attend a tournament is exactly the opposite of this - the absence of a monitor...

von Marwitz
 

hongkongwargamer

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Who said anything about a monitor between? You can make your choice btw sitting together looking at a monitor .. or having one laid out flat face up between the two of you like a desk. See that sentence I wrote about having a touch screen? (THERE YOU GO. VERY GOOD.. I know you can do it)

Anytime I can fly and play and laugh and chat with the chaps I don't get to see all year. It's NEVER a waste of money, even if it's in euro.

Lugged ALL my gear up on planes and on the back of motorcycle carriages (Tuk Tuks) eating sand all the way for 30 mins. I can do without.




Can't disagree more.

Why should I waste even a single Euro to fly around the world only to place a big monitor between me and my opponent?

If I want that, I can play VASL and don't need to attend a tournament in person. Actually, the reason for me to attend a tournament is exactly the opposite of this - the absence of a monitor...

von Marwitz
 
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AZslim

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Just setting up two laptops back to back like the old battleship game would work. You get to have the live human interaction without the gigantic hassle of hauling around a ton of crap, no knocked over stacks, no moving things for LOS, no looking at a pieces of paper for HIP stuff.

If you want to decide what you are playing ahead of time, the game can setup and ready to go as soon as you sit down.

Imagine going to a tournament, sitting down to the table, meeting your new squaddie friend, opening up your laptop and starting play!

Night scenarios are great VASL!

If I go to ASLOK next year, I'm going to try to setup live VASL games...I'm not hauling around a ton of crap just to use a tiny portion of it.
 

AZslim

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Don't get me wrong, but rather than this:

View attachment 3388

I prefer this:

View attachment 3389

But each to his own.

Cheers,
von Marwitz
OK, first I doubt any ASL player ever sat that close to a woman who looked that good.

Second we are talking about looking at something other than the person sitting across form you. What difference does it make whether you are looking at a screen or a board?
 

Philippe D.

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First, looking at a screen is what I do all day. If I take a long trip to play, you can bet I'll be looking at musty old cardboard for a change. I'll even switch back to flipping through a paper rulebook instead of the oh-so-much-more-comfortable eASLRB.

Second... so, von Marwitz likes blondes better than brunettes, or red wine better than white, I'm not sure which. Me, I'm more like MAS01, I like brunettes better (plus my wife is in the rook as I type, I'd better not say it wrong).
 

AZslim

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First, looking at a screen is what I do all day. If I take a long trip to play, you can bet I'll be looking at musty old cardboard for a change. I'll even switch back to flipping through a paper rulebook instead of the oh-so-much-more-comfortable eASLRB.

Second... so, von Marwitz likes blondes better than brunettes, or red wine better than white, I'm not sure which. Me, I'm more like MAS01, I like brunettes better (plus my wife is in the rook as I type, I'd better not say it wrong).
Did you ever try it the other way? FTF, no cardboard?
 

Robin Reeve

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There is a generational aspect in the preferences expressed, I believe.
Honkongwargamer is younger than most of us, who belong to a pre-computer generation.
 

AZslim

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There is a generational aspect in the preferences expressed, I believe.
Honkongwargamer is younger than most of us, who belong to a pre-computer generation.
For me, it's simply a convience thing...open a laptop and start playing. The technology is there why not us it? Sure, I could still have no computer and use a phone that's screwed onto my wall but that would just make life harder for no other reason than to announce to the world I'm an old fart.
 

Paul M. Weir

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Hongkongwargamer is a novice in the computer world compared to some like me who were working on computers since the late '70s (that's 1970s for you young pups).

I played my first computer wargame about 1980. It was "Empire" on a DEC PDP 11/34, subsequently ported to VAX. A free version is available on Windows called Winemp, which I downloaded a few times for my various PCs. http://forum.dlang.org/post/fahgjlgsjueifhmstsbs@forum.dlang.org has both a pointer to the download and a patching recommendation and instruction (I used Frhed to patch, also free). The WinEmp version has micro icons for units and in colour, the original played on 80x24 monochrome character screens with "a" for army, "t" for transport, etc but plays just like the original in terms of results and control inputs.
 

kcole4001

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Is this becoming the new IFT vs IIFT debate?

Personally, the only drawback to using VASL is the size of the screen, IE: the viewable portion of a large map.
Red Barricades for example, requires a cubic megaton of scrolling, and feels too disconnected.
Smaller maps are no problem, but I feel like I'm spending too much time scrolling around to check potential LOS and losing focus, or the bugger picture if you will,
whereas with the physical components you can glance at the whole map and get the feel of the overall situation much easier.

Until my daughter moves out again, I'll not have room to set up a campaign game for more than one day at a time.
I know large digital game tables are a possibility, but we're then talking about a LOT of money, and that's not gonna get authorized by the budget committee.
 

AZslim

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Is this becoming the new IFT vs IIFT debate?

Personally, the only drawback to using VASL is the size of the screen, IE: the viewable portion of a large map.
Red Barricades for example, requires a cubic megaton of scrolling, and feels too disconnected.
Smaller maps are no problem, but I feel like I'm spending too much time scrolling around to check potential LOS and losing focus, or the bugger picture if you will,
whereas with the physical components you can glance at the whole map and get the feel of the overall situation much easier.

Until my daughter moves out again, I'll not have room to set up a campaign game for more than one day at a time.
I know large digital game tables are a possibility, but we're then talking about a LOT of money, and that's not gonna get authorized by the budget committee.
Large CG's FTF is a limitation on the use of VASL.....VASL without FTF a large monitor is as close as your HDTV. SO if want to play a CG with a human FTF it probably requires a large commitment of space in your house.......again VASL is a great option and allows for more CG play.

But tourney size scenarios are great and eliminate the need to haul a ton of crap across the country.
 

Honza

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Touch screen FTF sounds pretty cool actually. But then again so does playing with cardboard. I can live with both.
 

Eagle4ty

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Other upsides to this approach that I see is that there would be a huge savings in for tournaments. There would be no need to spend sums on acquiring a place to meet or stay as the tournament could just be conducted online from the comfort of ones own home. The tournament director(s) could simply collect the entry fees, establish pairings, set time limits, record results (which could be accomplished much quicker using compatible software), and announce the results and send out awards/prizes, all without having to deal with outside interferences such as hotel reservations, travel difficulties, etc. Also, beyond to cursory exchange of information between players to actually conduct the play of the game, there would be little need to interact with your opponent at all. Who needs the distraction of watching your opponent grimace at a good move on your part or you being totally flummoxed by a brilliant move on his part. In fact, you could totally be freed from having to listen to inane banter of other players in the tournament as they go thru similar experiences of play, or taking up your valuable time after the events festivities (thus cutting into your rest time). The total waste of time and effort to visit distant locations, pay for transportation, food and lodging, not to mention time wasted in travel could completely be eliminated as well. I find the approach to be...well, intriguing at least!:rolleyes::eek::D
 

Philippe D.

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Did you ever try it the other way? FTF, no cardboard?
No, never had the opportunity, so I can only talk about what I believe it would be like. I suppose a huge tactile screen, with the proper software (VASL would need some adaptation), might make it convenient enough, though I don't think I'd really enjoy it as I enjoy "normal" (cardboard) FtF play.
 
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