Jacometti
Elder Member
Ok Folks, a quick update on the one-week DTF visit to Canada by my co-designer Chris Mazzei.
Firstly, Chris has almost completed transfer of all 8 Word document scenario cards into DTF format and presentation, which is a big job. It looks good!
Secondly, over the past 6 days we managed to play 5 different DTF scenarios and made significant progress on all. The total scenario play count was 7, as we changed sides and played two of the scenarios twice.
One scenario, the Title Track of the Pack, is now completed after we played it twice more - and will be sent to the top secret play-testing location in neutral Europe in the next week.
A second scenario, the only "full" PTO in the pack, seems great and will go through one last PT on our side. We expect no major issues and this should be next on the plates of the PT team. The title of this scenario is "True Grit" and it is set in Java, 1942.
We re-ran a PT for one of the earliest scenarios, which we had more or less completed, but decided to still revise the VC significantly to bring it more in line with the general approach and setup of DTF victory conditions. This confirmed the new VC worked well, but Chris developed some serious Attack Anxiety mid-game (after an excellent approach) and his two wasted Turns made it impossible to judge the right number of VC hexes the Russians need to win. We will play this again on VASL in the coming months - but I can say it will be a good scenario....hopefully better than good.
We playtested the most innovative design in the Pack (IMHO) two times, changing sides. I do not want to say anything about this, except that it is ASL in a way you probably never played it before. Skill level required for the attacking Germans is extremely high......so we need to run this scenario through our own PTs another 5-6 times to make sure it approaches balance between two equal players who 'get' the demands of this scenario. Oh - the title of this scenario will be "Fast and Furious".
Finally, we played the Monster of the scenarios in this pack.....a blitzkrieg experience of a really unusual kind. This was fantastic from start to finish and we can hardly wait to play this again some time soon......
This weekend I depart for Bangladesh and hopefully I will be able to meet Chris on VASL once a week in the few hours I will not be working. With some luck and good planning, I hope to pass through Germany on the way home from this assignment, so we can hammer a few more of the DTF scenarios with our ever-critical designer's hands.
All is on course for the Oktoberfest release.
Firstly, Chris has almost completed transfer of all 8 Word document scenario cards into DTF format and presentation, which is a big job. It looks good!
Secondly, over the past 6 days we managed to play 5 different DTF scenarios and made significant progress on all. The total scenario play count was 7, as we changed sides and played two of the scenarios twice.
One scenario, the Title Track of the Pack, is now completed after we played it twice more - and will be sent to the top secret play-testing location in neutral Europe in the next week.
A second scenario, the only "full" PTO in the pack, seems great and will go through one last PT on our side. We expect no major issues and this should be next on the plates of the PT team. The title of this scenario is "True Grit" and it is set in Java, 1942.
We re-ran a PT for one of the earliest scenarios, which we had more or less completed, but decided to still revise the VC significantly to bring it more in line with the general approach and setup of DTF victory conditions. This confirmed the new VC worked well, but Chris developed some serious Attack Anxiety mid-game (after an excellent approach) and his two wasted Turns made it impossible to judge the right number of VC hexes the Russians need to win. We will play this again on VASL in the coming months - but I can say it will be a good scenario....hopefully better than good.
We playtested the most innovative design in the Pack (IMHO) two times, changing sides. I do not want to say anything about this, except that it is ASL in a way you probably never played it before. Skill level required for the attacking Germans is extremely high......so we need to run this scenario through our own PTs another 5-6 times to make sure it approaches balance between two equal players who 'get' the demands of this scenario. Oh - the title of this scenario will be "Fast and Furious".
Finally, we played the Monster of the scenarios in this pack.....a blitzkrieg experience of a really unusual kind. This was fantastic from start to finish and we can hardly wait to play this again some time soon......
This weekend I depart for Bangladesh and hopefully I will be able to meet Chris on VASL once a week in the few hours I will not be working. With some luck and good planning, I hope to pass through Germany on the way home from this assignment, so we can hammer a few more of the DTF scenarios with our ever-critical designer's hands.
All is on course for the Oktoberfest release.
