Assistance buying a tablet for eASLRB

Sparafucil3

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I've got something similar (a 5-yr old, perhaps older) Surface 3...has the 'form' size of a tablet, but computing power/etc. Do you find that your Surface Go is capable of using VASL? I'd like to use the same laptop for both this as well as that (with an extra monitor/keyboard plugged in, of course...)
I have a Surface Pro 3 as well. I use that for just about everything. Programming, cloud management, email, work, etc. I have a Surface Go too. That is strictly for ASL. It has a local copy of my eASLRB, all of my scenarios in PDF format, access to MS office, and all the other applications I might use. I do a lot of proof reading and map building for various playtests so I have a PDF editor as well as GIMP on it too. -- jim
 

Actionjick

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Yeah, spending the best part of £1,700/$1,700 is a lot of money to spend just for a tablet and keyboard to use for VASL and reading the eASLRB!

In terms of price the basic Surface Go 2 is around £400/$400 new (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Surface-Inch-Tablet-Processor/dp/B08756TDVV/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=surface+go+2&qid=1620670476&sr=8-3), and while it only has 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM that's more than enough power for Windows 10 and VASL (and watching movies, running Office 2016, producing VFTT in InDesign CS6 if I wanted to...)

For VASL you definitely want a mouse, with Bluetooth mice (EX: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082HCJY5T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) costing about £15/$15.

You could spend £100/$100 on the Microsoft Type Cover, but for £27/$27 you can get the Arteck Bluetooth (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07V2DNGS2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) which I brought even though the Surface Go I brought off Ebay had the MS keyboard bundled with it - the MS keyboard only works if it is attached to the Surface Go, unlike the Arteck which connects using Bluetooth.

Pete
Be careful using virgules, Jim is following this thread!🤣🤣
 

Sparafucil3

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Be careful using virgules, Jim is following this thread!🤣🤣
Virgules are fine. They are punctuation meaning and-or. He used them fine here. What sets me off (as much as anything sets me off) is and/or. It was introduced but the Department of Redundancy Department. -- jim
 

Pip Smith

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... Maybe I should do a VFTT donor drive to raise funds to replicate this setup for VASL testing purposes :) Pete
Pete, that last pic looks great. Will you also be going for the obvious evil genius lair buried in a mountain look in the background too? I think you should on your donor drive. Maybe some evil workers to walk around with clip boards and white lab coats. :D
Great for keeping family interruptions out at the same time. Make sure you share your evil ASL plan for world domination with us at some stage.

PS: Yeah bigger screens are better, the other way around it is to uncheck the "Used combined application window" option in VASL that splits the windows up into seperate windows (but that can be a bit of a pain too).
 

PabloGS

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I sometimes question my judgement as well :)
After all, I have a desktop PC with 4 monitors attached to it, an 8" Windows tablet, a 12" Windows laptop, no job at the moment due to Covid, and have been stuck indoors for four months due to Covid, but still spent £200 on a second hand Surface Go bundle on Ebay last month! In my defence, I did justify the purchase by calling it a present to myself using some of the money I've saved from not being able to go to the pub while we've been in lockdown this year :)

I've played a couple of VASL games so far and found it works just as well as the desktop machine. Although it only has a 10" screen the resolution is 1800x1200 and as you can see from the screenshot above that's enough space to have the VASL controls down one side and the map taking up the remaining three quarters of it.

It also works well with the USB-powered monitor I've been using with my laptop for the past 10 years when away from home (IE at ASL tournaments!), which lets me replicate how I play on the desktop (IE VASL on my main monitor, the eASLRB open on another, so you don't have to keep switching back and forth between programs :)

View attachment 17987

I have the Surface Dock as well, which allows you to use the Surface Go and two 4K monitors at the same time, although I but don't have any 4K monitors (or the money to buy any :-( ) to see what VASL would look like on such a setup :-( Maybe I should do a VFTT donor drive to raise funds to replicate this setup for VASL testing purposes :)
How do you manage to split the windows of VASL? Nice!
 

vfttpete

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Pete, that last pic looks great. Will you also be going for the obvious evil genius lair buried in a mountain look in the background too?
Probably going that way already with my desktop setup :)

17993
Two 21" monitors, a 10" monitor, and a 27" monitor - all 1920x1080 resolution :)
Then my 8" tablet and Bluetooth keyboard bottom left, the 12" laptop under the 27" monitor, and the Surface Go with a USB monitor attached on the bottom right.....

I think you should on your donor drive.
Well a couple of these 28" 4K monitors needs £600:

And a bigger desk :)

Make sure you share your evil ASL plan for world domination with us at some stage.
It's quite simple really. Win the EuroMillions, then buy the ASL rights from Hasbro and buy out MMP, BFP, LFT, Lone Canuck, Schwerpunkt, Advancing Fire, and everyone else - including CH :)

PS: Yeah bigger screens are better, the other way around it is to uncheck the "Used combined application window" option in VASL that splits the windows up into seperate windows (but that can be a bit of a pain too).
Already unticked, if you look closely at the earlier screenshots you'll see the VASL controls, server window and Counters tray are stacked down the left-hand side rather than along the top above the map (on the desktop the 21" monitor above the keyboard is my primary display so that has the map full screen on it, while everything else is on the left-hand 21" monitor.)

Pete

PS all four monitors are on VESA mounts, so I can rotate them 90 degrees into portrait mode if necessary :)
 

vfttpete

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How do you manage to split the windows of VASL? Nice!
Click File | Preferences, then untick the "Use combined application window (requires restart)" box:
17994

Every VASSAL module has the same option in it, not just VASL, so if you have other games you can do the same for each game you want to use separate windows with.

Pete
 

Pitman

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Doug, IMO, you could do a lot worse than a MS Surface Go. It is slightly smaller than the Surface Pro, has an integrated keyboard, and is a fully capable laptop in a smaller form factor. You can easily detach the keyboard for a pure tablet experience. It runs Windows 10 which you are likely already familiar with. You can get one starting at ~$400 US. If you want more memory, built in Cellular, bigger storage, the price can go up from there. I have an 8GB memory one and use it all the time for my eASLRB. Bonus is that with WiFi, I can get to the cloud and all of my stored scenarios and any other content I use for ASL. -- jim
This is a good answer. Laptops are always more useful than tablets and with something like the MS Surface Go you can always have a tablet when you need it.
 

Pip Smith

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It's quite simple really. Win the EuroMillions, then buy the ASL rights from Hasbro and buy out MMP, BFP, LFT, Lone Canuck, Schwerpunkt, Advancing Fire, and everyone else - including CH
Why do I have a feeling that when you told me that I should have been bound up with rope tied around me, over a tank of sharks with laser beams attached to their heads? Maybe it's just me.

PS: Love your setup. And yes, looks like you need a bigger desk.
 

vfttpete

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Why do I have a feeling that when you told me that I should have been bound up with rope tied around me, over a tank of sharks with laser beams attached to their heads? Maybe it's just me.
In ASL terms:
17998

The Germans roll a 12 with the FT attack, a 12 with the 16-3 attack, you roll snakes for the 1MC and the resulting HOB result is Hero Creation/Battle Hardening :) Fire back is 2-1, snakes, squad suffers the 1KIA and you refuse to take the broken leader prisoner when he tries to surrender to you - simples :)

Pete
 

Sparafucil3

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In ASL terms:
View attachment 17998

The Germans roll a 12 with the FT attack, a 12 with the 16-3 attack, you roll snakes for the 1MC and the resulting HOB result is Hero Creation/Battle Hardening :) Fire back is 2-1, snakes, squad suffers the 1KIA and you refuse to take the broken leader prisoner when he tries to surrender to you - simples :)

Pete
The leader can't direct the FT. A 6,6 is cowering and would mark the unit fired with no further options. The 16 -3 never occurs. The BH / Hero never takes place and the 6+1 is wiped out in CC. The last thing through his mind (other than the e-tool) was "I could have been a hero". :) -- jim

PS: The 12 on the 24 is still a NMC so the 6+1 is probably broken and routed away but I like my story better.
 

vfttpete

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The leader can't direct the FT. A 6,6 is cowering and would mark the unit fired with no further options. The 16 -3 never occurs. The BH / Hero never takes place and the 6+1 is wiped out in CC. The last thing through his mind (other than the e-tool) was "I could have been a hero". :) -- jim

PS: The 12 on the 24 is still a NMC so the 6+1 is probably broken and routed away but I like my story better.
Missed that, but A.2 :) Not that it matters, instead the 6+1 rolled snakes on the NMC from the FT to get the resulting Hero Creation/Battle Hardening :)


Though in true Bond style, the first shot would actually be the 16-3, which breaks our hero. Then, rather than leave him to die for Failure to Rout, the baddies decide to use their FT to try and kill him, but roll a 12, which breaks their killer weapon and sees our hero recover (rolls snakes on the NMC and gets Hero Creation), allowing him to attack back at 2-1. Being the crack shot he is, he rolls snakes and the 1KIA results in Yahtzee on the Random Selection, leaving the accomplices dead and the 10-3 dead with a bullet through the centre of his head. Then it's just a case of moving to the building in C8 to free Denisova and popping open the champagne to celebrate the win :)

Pete
 

Sparafucil3

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Missed that, but A.2 :) Not that it matters, instead the 6+1 rolled snakes on the NMC from the FT to get the resulting Hero Creation/Battle Hardening :)


Though in true Bond style, the first shot would actually be the 16-3, which breaks our hero. Then, rather than leave him to die for Failure to Rout, the baddies decide to use their FT to try and kill him, but roll a 12, which breaks their killer weapon and sees our hero recover (rolls snakes on the NMC and gets Hero Creation), allowing him to attack back at 2-1. Being the crack shot he is, he rolls snakes and the 1KIA results in Yahtzee on the Random Selection, leaving the accomplices dead and the 10-3 dead with a bullet through the centre of his head. Then it's just a case of moving to the building in C8 to free Denisova and popping open the champagne to celebrate the win :)

Pete
I like my script better :D It flows better. :p -- jim
 

Actionjick

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Showed Actiondebbie the picture of your electronics. She wondered how many pairs of eyes you have.
 

Gordon

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I have a 9 monitor setup, but it's for work, not VASL so it doesn't count.
 
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