Learning ASL

Has learning ASL been.

  • Harder than I expected

    Votes: 6 26.1%
  • Just about what I thought that it would be.

    Votes: 14 60.9%
  • Easier than expected.

    Votes: 3 13.0%

  • Total voters
    23

Priest

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This thread is mostly for the newbies on the forum, but, the Grognards can tell us of the first experiences as well. Now that we have a few games under our belts has learning ASL been harder than you expected, just about what you expected or easier than expected. For me learning the rules has not been as hard as I first thought they were going to be, playing has helped lower the learning curve for me.
 

alanp

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Aren't we all still learning?

The programmed approach of SL was easier than the 3-ring binder of ASL(I assume). I'm actually not sure I would have jumped into ASL with only Chap.K as a guide and am very glad I had SL as an introduction to wargaming. (Yes, SL was the first wargame I ever played.) ASL rules are better and I'm glad they came along, but real-life wouldn't give me the time to start from scratch with ASL. It'd be interesting to hear from 'total newbies' that think it's not as hard as they thought it would be only because they thought it'd be 'extremely hard' and found it to be only 'fairly hard.' Or maybe they've got a good grasp of Chap.A-B, but haven't done too much w/Chap.C-T.

Every game should help you become a better player; if you play a variety of scenarios, every game can also help you learn/retain the rules better.

Good topic, Priest.

Alan
 

AnewNewbie

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I'm a total newbie as far as ASL is concerned.I've never played SL but I've found the rules are pretty straighfoward when you disregard all the exceptions.Admittedtly I've only learned Ch A-B so far but I'm taking a walk before you run approach where I want to get the Inf. rules down before I tackle ordnance and vehicles.
 

hydrou

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I was very curious, when my FtF buddy brought me into SL some years ago. I was still in my studies, so I had lots of spare time to devot. We played several scenarios, then we decided to dig deeper into it and buy ASL. We didn´t know beforehand, what we were up to, but time showed our decision was the right one.


And once you´ve read the RB the 3 rd time, we began actually to understand the basic principles. But esp. in ASL as in all other aspects of life, you´ll never stop learning. And everytime you pick a unknown scenario, you will surely find a still unknown or forgotten rule. That´s what I like most. :rifle::ar15::rifle:
 

Hams

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I'm new to ASL having never played SL either, though I do remember being put off trying ASL in the early ninetys due to the cost involved. However, now 10 years latter I'm in the position to be able to afford to buy the various components (even from eBay! :( ) my interest has been rekindled.

Being in the UK I was able to use the excellent Opponents 'R' Us link at the View From The Trenches website to locate a local ASL player within a 10 minute drive :D a quick phone call to him and I had an extremely willing tutor with a bewildering amount of ASL material and the names of 3 other ASL players within a 30 mile radius, one of whom had a spare unpunched copy of Beyond Valour he was willing to sell at an extremely fair price to a future opponent.

To date I have managed only 4 games these being The Guards Counterattack (Russian), The Tractor Works (Russian) and Le Manoir twice (American and German). Through these I feel reasonably confident with infantry actions, along with respect for flamethrowers and american mortars (RoF :devil: ).

I'm now awaiting my ASLSK, trying to justify buying FKaC (£65 in the UK!!) and watching people trying to off-load their 'mint in shrinkwrap' rulebooks now that it has been anounced that the RB will be reprinted soon. With work taking me away from home for 4 months I hope to introduce a friend to ASL and experiment with the SASL system.
 

Johnny Canuck

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AnewNewbie said:
I'm a total newbie as far as ASL is concerned.I've never played SL but I've found the rules are pretty straighfoward when you disregard all the exceptions.Admittedtly I've only learned Ch A-B so far but I'm taking a walk before you run approach where I want to get the Inf. rules down before I tackle ordnance and vehicles.
Err, not quite.

As I recall, the above player spanked me bad a couple of times on "The Puma Prowls".

Here's me after the games:

:dead:

pwned!
 

Nate Stapf

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I started playing wargames with War at Sea when I was in Jr High. By High School I had progressed to Panzerblitz and Panzerleader which naturally led to Squadleader. I learned using the old programmed approach which made it easier to pick up the game but down the line as the rules became more extensive it was difficult to keep track of which rules were being used. When ASL came around there was a fair amount of unlearning to do as many of the SL rules were scrapped or improved upon. The effort was well worth it though as ASL imporved upon the old SL greatly.
 

AnewNewbie

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Johnny Canuck said:
Err, not quite.

As I recall, the above player spanked me bad a couple of times on "The Puma Prowls".

Here's me after the games:

:dead:

pwned!
errrrppp!!Wrong! :p It was The Guards Counterattack,and the only reason I won was cos'of 2 really good DRs.A kia result killing 3 squads and winning a CC outnumbered 2-1 killing 3 squads. :D :D
 

Reepicheep

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Yes, I think Johnny was getting you mixed up with me. We played a few "Puma Prowls" together about a month ago, I think it was.
 

Priest

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I'm still new to this game, but, I think that the older Nards were right, the way to a programmed approach to ASL is through careful scenario selection. Gavin Take as the first and then introduce the newbie to new concepts via scenarios that introduce new rules, Silence that Gun could be number 2. It would be nice if we had an article that would state a scenario order that would in effect be a programmed approach to ASL.
 

Reepicheep

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What do you think about the list of good learning scenarios in the ASL FAQ, Priest? Does that sort of meet the list you are looking for?

ie. ASL 101: BASIC INFANTRY

1 - Fighting Withdrawal (BV)
11 - Defiance On Hill 30 (Para)
A - The Guards Counterattack (Classic ASL)
T1 - Gavin Take (Classic ASL)
G35 - Going To Church (General 31.2)
RB6 - Turned Away (RB)
A80 - Commando Schenke (Annual '95w)
AP8 - A Bloody Harvest (AP #1)
D1 - Guryev's Headquarters (SoF)
 

Priest

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Yes Reepicheep, although I would like to see the scenarios come from more common sources such as the modules and the MMP site rather that OOP annuals and Generals.
 

CPRad

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Priest said:
I'm still new to this game, but, I think that the older Nards were right, the way to a programmed approach to ASL is through careful scenario selection. Gavin Take as the first and then introduce the newbie to new concepts via scenarios that introduce new rules, Silence that Gun could be number 2. It would be nice if we had an article that would state a scenario order that would in effect be a programmed approach to ASL.
Hi guys I'm back and finally with the latest version of VASL ...... anyway I agree with Priest here and I think I say a list whether in the ASL official lit or maybe one of the websites from our brethren ASL'ers .....
 

Reepicheep

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Priest said:
Yes Reepicheep, although I would like to see the scenarios come from more common sources such as the modules and the MMP site rather that OOP annuals and Generals.
Okay.

Point taken regarding availability as well, but by the way, of the nine infantry scenarios on that list six are in fact readily available. BV and Para are modules most will have, and the Classic ASL, AP#1 and SoF scenarios are all downloadable for free from the MMP website.
 

Reepicheep

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Priest said:
OK Reepicheep, one question about Streets of Fire since SoF is OOP are those scenarios still valid?
What do you mean by valid? I don't see how the pack being out of print affects the validity of a scenario, otherwise everything in Beyond Valor, West of Alamein and Code of Bushido wouldn't be valid either.

Besides, I think of Streets of Fire as only sort of being out of print. You can still buy the unmounted boards from MMP for $5 a pop ($20 for the set) and the scenarios are downloadable for free. You don't get the AFV cards, but they were just a bonus from what I can gather.

I've played one SoF scenario recently as a learning scenario (my being taught by a player at our club) and it was a blast. In fact, it's the last one on that list... D1 "Guryev's HQ". Well worth a play. Of course, it didn't help I'm still hopeless in the city... :dead:... as I proved in a game of "Guards Counterattack" today against our newest memeber on the ladder! :)
 

Priest

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Reepicheep said:
What do you mean by valid? I don't see how the pack being out of print affects the validity of a scenario, otherwise everything in Beyond Valor, West of Alamein and Code of Bushido wouldn't be valid either.

Besides, I think of Streets of Fire as only sort of being out of print. You can still buy the unmounted boards from MMP for $5 a pop ($20 for the set) and the scenarios are downloadable for free. You don't get the AFV cards, but they were just a bonus from what I can gather.

I've played one SoF scenario recently as a learning scenario (my being taught by a player at our club) and it was a blast. In fact, it's the last one on that list... D1 "Guryev's HQ". Well worth a play. Of course, it didn't help I'm still hopeless in the city... :dead:... as I proved in a game of "Guards Counterattack" today against our newest memeber on the ladder! :)
Sorry, I was just asking.
 

Reepicheep

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It uses only the deluxe boards which, as you mentioned, are out-of-print in their mounted format. They're available for free in VASL though! :)
 
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