ASL Timer Rules in an Annual?

Jay White

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Allo,

Has anyone heard of an article about using a chess timer for ASL? I'm sure I saw one somewhere - it gives you a calculation based on number of turns, units involved, etc.

If you've heard of it, do you know where you saw it?

And if you saw it, have you tried it? Any comments?

We have a monthly ASL club in Vancouver (Canada), and I'd like to try to get through a big game. I don't think this will happen without some kind of pacing device. The chess timer idea sounds cool.

Thanks in advance,

-Jay
 

Jazz

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Jay White said:
I mean,

It gives you a "time of play per side" based on number of units, etc.

-Jay
I seem to remember something in an old BackBlast? Maybe an early CH?

The rule of thumb that I have used in the past is:

MMC/SMC: 30 seconds/unit/game turn in the scenario

Vehicles: 60 seconds/unit/game turn in the scenario

As I recall, this seemed to work fairly well as long as you stopped the clock to figure out results, look up rules, checking LOS etc....

You don't charge time for administering the game.

You charge time for making decisions (like shooting, moving, etc...) about how your forces act.

Essentially, the clock is running during:

prep fire ->charge time to prep firing player's clock

movement -> charge time to moving players clock unless the defender tells him to stop, when it gets charge to his clock

D-Fire ->charge the firing player's clock,

rout ->do it sequentially and each player's rout phase is charged to his clock

Advance phases -> charge it to advancing players clock.

These are not hard/fast rules, just guidelines.
 

Johnny Canuck

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Come on Jay,

You've just got to stick around for pizza after the 6PM'ers leave.

:D

Andrew - in the same Vancouver group.

EDIT: I'm just bugging you. A chess clock sounds like an interesting idea.
 

Pitman

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My recollection is that the article appeared in Critical Hit #1 or Critical Hit #2.

I would refuse to play someone who wanted to use a Chess Clock.
 

Jay White

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Well, thats nice, 'Pitman'.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

I would think you were a loser for refusing to try something different.
 

Chris Milne

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pitman said:
I would refuse to play someone who wanted to use a Chess Clock.

I'll bite. Why? Is this a blanket restriction or are there circumstances under which you would waive?
 

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More polite answer

sorry for the outburst! i don't understand why people have to be so sassy on these lists, and I just did the exact thing I hate to see. :oops:

apologies.

I think a chess clock would be a bit more polite than saying "come on, we only have a certain amount of time tonight"... it might also add another interesting level to a game.

I won't knock it 'til I try it. And I'll let you all know how it goes.

-Jay
 

Jazz

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Re: More polite answer

Anonymous said:
sorry for the outburst! i don't understand why people have to be so sassy on these lists, and I just did the exact thing I hate to see. :oops:

apologies.

I think a chess clock would be a bit more polite than saying "come on, we only have a certain amount of time tonight"... it might also add another interesting level to a game.

I won't knock it 'til I try it. And I'll let you all know how it goes.

-Jay
Actually, a chess clock is NOT a way to speed up a scenario or a player. If someone plays slow, they'll play slow with a clock, or won't play their best game...and hate the experience either way. Not much of value going on with that.

A chess clock does turn it into a different game, even for folks that move fast already. It puts a level of tension in the air that I find to be quite refreshing.... I mean, it IS war we're playing at.
 

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I should say that I don't want a chess clock because I have a slow opponent; I slow down as bad as anyone when things get tight. At our next ASL meeting, I may be playing "The Schoolhouse", a DASL scenario that lasts 9-13 turns. The host of the night might not want us there until 2:00 am :)

Just making sure thats clear :)

-jay
 

Pitman

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The chess clock article actually appeared in Critical Hit #3.

I do not wish to play with a chess clock for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I do not play ASL to see how fast I can play. I play ASL to see how well I can play. I would like to be able to see if a little bit of reflection can get me out of a trap, or perhaps to set one. If I wanted an arcade game, I could just play one of the myriad "real time strategy" games out there.
 

Jazz

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pitman said:
The chess clock article actually appeared in Critical Hit #3.

I do not wish to play with a chess clock for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I do not play ASL to see how fast I can play. I play ASL to see how well I can play. I would like to be able to see if a little bit of reflection can get me out of a trap, or perhaps to set one. If I wanted an arcade game, I could just play one of the myriad "real time strategy" games out there.
Shrug....To each his own.

It's more a matter of how fast you can play well....

Nothing wrong with getting the blood running and the heart going a mite faster. Just ever so slightly closer to the real thing.
 

Chris Milne

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pitman said:
I do not wish to play with a chess clock for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I do not play ASL to see how fast I can play. I play ASL to see how well I can play.
Fairy snuff. I presume that enjoying yourself comes in there as well :)

Personally, I don't think I'd take to it. I'd find starting and stopping the clocks distracting, at least to begin with, so I won't go actively seeking them...
 

Robin Reeve

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I would also think that the use of a chess clock would be too distracting - especially with the numerous stops and starts an interactive game such as ASL implies.
But there still remains the problem of playing with very slow players.
When a turn takes twenty minutes for one player and the other gamer spends one hour and a half computing all the possibilities, it can create some frustration (at least in my case)... The slow player can win, because he calculated everyting, but ASL is not first a question of "perfect" playing, but one of pleasure and adventure... and the best calculation does not prevent anybody from losing.
One must find a balance between totally instinctive gaming and totally calculated gaming.
I believe that experience helps a player not to go down reading each time every line of the TH modifier tables and gives him quite a good idea of his chances to reach a reasonable objective (e.g a BU AFV in motion, DFFiring against a jeep that has only spent 1/2 MP in LOS, at 19 hexes doesn't demand thourough rules searching to be considered a stupid thing to do).
 

da priest

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pitman said:
I do not wish to play with a chess clock for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I do not play ASL to see how fast I can play.
The purpose of the chess clock can be to speed play--but it also can be to put pressure on the players, make the game more intense and adds to the "feel" of the Game..And John Hill was a design for effect kinda guy...

I've never done it.. but I think it could be a fun experience..if I wanted a chess like game with unlimited time to plot the prefect move.. I'd stick with chess.. 8)
 

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da priest said:
The purpose of the chess clock can be to speed play--but it also can be to put pressure on the players, make the game more intense and adds to the "feel" of the Game..And John Hill was a design for effect kinda guy...

I've never done it.. but I think it could be a fun experience..if I wanted a chess like game with unlimited time to plot the prefect move.. I'd stick with chess.. 8)
Exacto-mundo!!!1 That is the REAL beauty of a chess clock. Even with players that move right along, it changes the game. All of a sudden, your thought process is subjected to a time limit, that even though you never reach the end of that time, you know it's there. I haven't played with one in a while, but when I have, it has been well worth the effort. I always bring a clock to ASLOK just in case someone is into it.

Again, a chess clock IS NOT a way to speed up a slow player. The only time I have not enjoyed a chess clock was playing a slow player. It's not fun for them or you.

Some people just can't take excitement very well...;)
 
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