ASL in 2006: The Products

[Robin Reeve]

with a single die, that is quite extraordinary.

 

[Portal]

CH's Berlin: FTTR is my favourite release of 2006 by a significant margin. Lovely, big map and more interesting CG situation than Red Barricades.

I also picked up AoO but from an OB completist's perspective. Nice module but not the essential release many MMP cheerleaders make it out to be.

Most disappointing release? J7, for the completely unnecessary rule change it made to the game. Its scenarios aren't all that interesting either.

From Pitman's list, I believe there are a few more good releases but I haven't seen them so I can't comment on them. CH's 7.3 magazine would be what I would hunt down next. It has an interesting Soviet vs. Japanese beach landing scenario inside.

 

[asl548]

CH's Berlin: FTTR is my favourite release of 2006 by a significant margin. Lovely, big map and more interesting CG situation than Red Barricades.

Excuse but you can not be serious? The Berlin module was so badly riddled with rule and counter errata that ch! had to turn around around and put out a 2nd edition. The module was over priced and some poor slob had to post a terrain chart to keep track of all those unfathomable terrain SSR's.

Did MMP have to do that with AoO?

My New Years resolution for 2007 is to swear off CH! products.

Chuck "Just say No to crap" Archer

 

[MrP]

with a single die, that is quite extraordinary.

Picky picky picky

 

[Pitman]

Excuse but you can not be serious? The Berlin module was so badly riddled with rule and counter errata that ch! had to turn around around and put out a 2nd edition. The module was over priced and some poor slob had to post a terrain chart to keep track of all those unfathomable terrain SSR's.

Did MMP have to do that with AoO?

My New Years resolution for 2007 is to swear off CH! products.

Chuck "Just say No to crap" Archer

The reason it did a second edition was because it sold out of the first edition so quickly. It did have some rules errata and needed clarifications, but less so than a number of other third party products.

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

That's the only reason DFTB didn't get my vote. I know it's not Tom's fault, he can't control MMP's production schedule, but I hate looking at that issue and not being able to do anything with it. If VotG is released this year that issue of Dispatches should be on next year's poll.

Jeff

Just like Manila Mayhem (IIRC?) in one of those olde ASL Annuals; predated the release of Code by, what, a couple years?

Tuck that issue aside and give it a workout when votg is released, though with all the other kewl scenarios, it may well be some time before you get to it....

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

CH's Berlin: FTTR is my favourite release of 2006 by a significant margin.

Agreed; a nice addition to the ASL fold. Some of the terrain rules may be a bit over the top, but in a completist HASL sorta way, they did have to be addressed (thinking Subways in the main, here). The Germans now face the mirror for deeds past, with the avenging Russians breathing down their necks.

Lovely, big map

ehhh, I actually think I liked the HOB map better myself; the soulless monotony of CG artwork is much too evident for my taste. The increased play area IS a bonus, however.

I also picked up AoO but from an OB completist's perspective. Nice module but not the essential release many MMP cheerleaders make it out to be.

I'm not so sure it's a case of MMP "cheerleading" as a collective sigh of relief to those of us who have remembered the "coming soon" banners way back to the "Armies Marching to Oblivion" days. Getting this albatross off the necks of ASL players after lo, these many years, puts to bed an incredibly painful and irritating sore on the backs of both MMP and ASL players.

Most disappointing release? J7, for the completely unnecessary rule change it made to the game.

Dude, step away from the keyboard...:sneak:

From Pitman's list, I believe there are a few more good releases but I haven't seen them so I can't comment on them. CH's 7.3 magazine would be what I would hunt down next. It has an interesting Soviet vs. Japanese beach landing scenario inside.

My status as ASL Whore Deluxe(tm) is in serious jeopardy after this year. I have been criminally negligent in keeping my ASL collection up to date and complete...sigh...

 

[rdw5150]

“I'm surprised there are so few recommendations for the Schwerpunkt products.”

Well they do have the most votes of non-MMP products. That says a lot. No I do not work for them either:>))))))

Peace

Roger

 

[rdw5150]

"I doubt MMP can stand one more product. The queu seems very long as it is. I think on of the reason TPPs are around is because people just can't get their material released through MMP because they're so damn busy."

Agreed.....

you hit the nail RIGHT on the head.....

Peace

Roger

 

[Portal]

asl548,

Excuse but you can not be serious? The Berlin module was so badly riddled with rule and counter errata that ch! had to turn around around and put out a 2nd edition. The module was over priced and some poor slob had to post a terrain chart to keep track of all those unfathomable terrain SSR's.

Excuse me, but you must be trolling. I've done my own compilation of the Berlin errata and they're not nearly as extensive as you make out (about 3 pages). The large majority of the notes are actually straight-forward, logical clarifications that could have been deduced from the rules text. There is no counter errata I've encountered.

CH is releasing a 2nd edition as primarily a reprinting with included errata to make players' lives just a little easier. The first printing sold out. It can still be purchased from Key's Hobbies for about $45 U.S.

BTW - As Glennbo posted earlier, David Lamb is the most underrated ASL developer today. For those who are mindlessly ignoring new CH releases because of past wrongs, you are missing some of the most intriguing new work happening with the ASL game.

 

[Relvig]

Convinced

As I fell into a windfall this past Christmas, I have been convinced that my purchases of MMP/AH products should continue to be complimented. I just sent a check off to purchase all of the issues of Schwerpunkt (except volume 4 which I already own), plus the one scenario pack.
Thanks for your input guys, I am sure I won't be disappointed.

Relvig

 

[asl548]

Sorry my friend, but that is how I feel about CH! Products, they are overpriced and rushed into production so the owner can turn over a quick buck. Looking at the terrain plus some of the other SSR's IE nationality specific, I find most of it confusing and unfathomable.

I am not going to tangle with you guy’s on this any further. This thread is not about CH! quality, it’s about all products of 2006. BTW I thought J7 was a classy magazine.


Chuck “Pass the Ammo” Archer

 

[Tater]

Excuse me, but you must be trolling. I've done my own compilation of the Berlin errata and they're not nearly as extensive as you make out (about 3 pages).

No, you are not excused...3 PAGES OF ERRATA! That is totally disgusting! How biased does a guy have to be to try and gloss over how bad that is?

CH is releasing a 2nd edition as primarily a reprinting with included errata to make players' lives just a little easier.

Yeah, and I am having lunch with the tooth fairy, easter bunny and Elvis today.

IOW, classic CH...put it out there for the players to clean it up and then make them pay for the privilege with the cost of the "corrected" 2nd edition. Some things never change...

BTW - As Glennbo posted earlier, David Lamb is the most underrated ASL developer today. For those who are mindlessly ignoring new CH releases because of past wrongs, you are missing some of the most intriguing new work happening with the ASL game.

I am also missing 3 pages of errata with every product and the pleasure of paying to fix their products for them.

The only thing "mindlessly" happening here is people who continue to buy CH products and make rationalizations/excuses for why it's OK for CH to suck wind.

 

[Tater]

I am not going to tangle with you guy’s on this any further. This thread is not about CH! quality, it’s about all products of 2006. BTW I thought J7 was a classy magazine.

Any discussion about products must also include a discussion of the quality of said products...otherwise it is only a half-a$$ed discussion.

 

[Chas Argent]

The errata in Berlin: Fot3R is annoying, given how much of it there is; but the real test will be how CH fixes the problem for the people who bought the 1st edition. The 2nd Edition is supposedly now printing, with "an entirely new counter print run and ALL ERRATA INPUT into the scenarios and supporting materials."

As long as CH provides me with these corrected materials at no charge I won't ultimately have an issue with the errata. It's how a company follows up and makes a good faith effort to fix mistakes that matters to me.

 

[Portal]

Looks like I've attracted the King of Trolls, Mr. Tater himself. :smoke:

Of those 3 pages of Berlin errata, less than a single page consists of true corrections and changes. The rest were clarifications and Q&A for some players who felt they needed more explicit wording over particular issues (I thought many of them were completely redundant Qs). More drastic errata and changes are released in ASL Journals every year than what was seen in Berlin 1st Ed.

The only thing "mindlessly" happening here is people who continue to buy CH products and make rationalizations/excuses for why it's OK for CH to suck wind.

Should I change that title of "King of Trolls" to "Chief of the Anti-CH Drones"? :nuts:

 

[RobZagnut]

>AoO - kind of underwhelmed to be honest. Big scenarios, a sh*tpile of counters I'll use once, some nice overlays and maps and a big box. Lots of money and not enough bang per buck for me. heresy I know

Buy HoB's Recon By Fire #3 with 24 scenarios for AOO and Schwerpunkt's Rally Roint #1 with 8 scenarios for AOO and you won't be underwhelmed any more. Hungarians versus Romanians is just too cool.

I recently played Well Taught from Rally Point and it has SS attacking a combined Russian/Romanian force. StuG's and PzIV's on both sides, plus it uses one of the ASLSK boards, so the experience is totally new playing on that never-before-played-on board.


>Funniest ASL moment of the year came while watching a playing of an AoO scenario at my house whilst sitting idly cutting out overlays, by the end of which my hands were tired and sore. At game end Steve picked up all the beautifully cut overlays, stuck them in HIS box, said thanks and left. The bugger had been watching me for the game cutting out his overlays while mine were sitting in my box next to me uncut - "well, you seemed like you were enjoying yourself so I didn't want to stop you"! Revenge will me mine.

Great story. Sounds like what one of my ASL buddies would do to me. Keep us posted on the revenge (serve extremely cold).

 

[rdw5150]

"As long as CH provides me with these corrected materials at no charge I won't ultimately have an issue with the errata. It's how a company follows up and makes a good faith effort to fix mistakes that matters to me."

OK now I am not a CH! basher, but you are dreaming here.... Not that I buy many CH products to begin with, but I rarely will buy a 1st edition of a CH product (which I guess should tell me something). I always wait until things are fixed. I really doubt you will get all the errata fixed for free. You'll probably have to buy an "update" kit. But who knows I may be wrong......

Just so not to make this a bash CH thread, I really liked the AOO (I am glad that monkey is off MMP’s back) and J7 (despite the 2nd part of a re-done article). J7 scenarios were good and including an ASLSK map was a nice touch.

I would also highly recommend the two SP offerings, but if I had to pick one of the two, I would take the Rally Point, more stuff to my liking.

Peace

Roger

 

[Chas Argent]

Well, that's the point, Rog - if CH provides it freely to 1st edition owners, then that means one thing about how they do business.

If they make 1st edition owners pay for 2nd edition corrections, then that means something else entirely.

We shall see.

 

[James Taylor]

"As long as CH provides me with these corrected materials at no charge I won't ultimately have an issue with the errata. It's how a company follows up and makes a good faith effort to fix mistakes that matters to me."

OK now I am not a CH! basher, but you are dreaming here.... Not that I buy many CH products to begin with, but I rarely will buy a 1st edition of a CH product (which I guess should tell me something). I always wait until things are fixed. I really doubt you will get all the errata fixed for free. You'll probably have to buy an "update" kit. But who knows I may be wrong......

Roger

If CH! did fix the first edition at their cost it would go a LONG way to enhancing their rep.

Think of it as a competitive move...

Remember, this was one by AH for the deluxe overlays. And later MMP gave out free counter sheets for one of their screw ups.

From the sounds of things the Berlin module is close to Tarawa in terms of errata, etc. Even with that MMP did the sticky sheet (ok... not the best, but something to correct the problems).

Lastly... Dave Lamb IS the most underrated scenario designer. Winter Blues remains one of my favs.

JT