MMP Roundtable Discussion

Blaze

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Yep! My binder never gets out anymore. I do Keep the Pocket book on the table, but I never use that either. With Foxit the searching is easy. I also have the charts open at the same time. With my 2 in one laptop everything is right there on the table. I also made a graphical Play Aid on its own tab. so the only thing on the table is the counters, laptop, and maps. Sometimes an IFT under the plexiglass.

The eASLRB is the best thing ever in ASL!
 
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Blaze

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So if TPPs shut up shop today and everyone submitted their designs to MMP instead, what would the future look like?
One ring to rule them all!

I myself stick to the MMP stuff. I only have so much money to drop therefore, I toss those bones to official products. Plus, I have enough scenarios to last 10 lifetimes. I understand why Curt said what he said, and yes, it is all valid points he raised. HOWEVER, I think TPP kept this game going back in the dark days when you couldn't even get any official ASL products with any consistency. ALSO, I believe in free market. If there is a hole in the market and someone wants to buy your product, why not. I know nothing of licensing fees and legalities concerning copyrights, I'm just this guy playing one of many games.
 

bendizoid

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After many years I no longer need the rules or charts to play, sure occasionally. This facilitates a quicker more enjoyable game, just say’in.
 

Vic Provost

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After many years I no longer need the rules or charts to play, sure occasionally. This facilitates a quicker more enjoyable game, just say’in.
Me and Tom Morin often have playtest sessions where we never open the rulebook but still need the charts from time to time (what is a 3 on the 36 Column? Death! Just how much.) though I know we have played in the past without looking at one chart or another. Been in the damn hobby too long with this game I'd say, too late to turn back now! Roll them bones... 🎲🎲
 

Treadhead

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The future of ASL being potentially "bleak", or in a "bad place"?

Some perspective is in order. Jeez
 

Vic Provost

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I disagree, ASL is doing well across the hobby (from my point of view) and the more HASL the better.
I agree from my perspective, I have seen more people playing ASL in region than before the pandemic, and though many of us are older, there seem to be enough 20 - 40 something players around to keep it going for awhile in the 21st century. Long term? Who knows but I think there will always be a good, if small market for excellent board games and ASL is certainly that.
 

Blaze

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I think the upswing in ASL player activity has to do with we're all starting to retire and/or have more time. I'm on the young side in my late 50's. If I were to bet on the avg age of the ASler, I'd guess it'll be 62. The local guys here I play are 68, 65, 59, and 57.
 

Robin Reeve

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I think the upswing in ASL player activity has to do with we're all starting to retire and/or have more time. I'm on the young side in my late 50's. If I were to bet on the avg age of the ASler, I'd guess it'll be 62. The local guys here I play are 68, 65, 59, and 57.
I made a poll on FB.
457 answers.
75% of players over 50.
All things relative, etc.
 

Paul John

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I made a poll on FB.
Average age of FB users....
This has become the geezer platform. I suspect our younger players don't use it much.
As you say, all things relative. I do wonder how many younger players are picking it up
and just playing with their small friend group under the radar. Hopefully loads!
 

Robin Reeve

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Average age of FB users....
This has become the geezer platform. I suspect our younger players don't use it much.
As you say, all things relative. I do wonder how many younger players are picking it up
and just playing with their small friend group under the radar. Hopefully loads!
I know the shortcomings of the FB age group.
I made a poll on Discord: same results but only 20 votes.
I would venture that the Discord ASL section only attracts older players.
Now, looking at the tourneys and conventions pictures, I mostly see aged guys.
 
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FrankH.

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If people don't want to do Discord I'll probably have each roundtable up on my channel the next morning (I'm assuming Curt will extent permission to do so).

There was a lot of discussion, but here's a bullet summary of the ASL product portion of it:
  • Ponyri Station HASL (Slaughter at Ponyri?), almost done, playtest done, final edits being done, Pete Shelling design
  • Karkov in Flames HASL, hopefully will see pre-order this year, scale similar to Hatten in Flames (smaller HASL), Andy Rogers design
  • Marco Polo Bridge Incident (? unsure of exact title) playtest done, will ship as separate versions for both ASL and Starter Kit, Ken Dunn design
  • Chef-du-Pont HASL (follow on to Sainte-Mère-Église) in final playtesting (I meant to ask if these two will have interconnectivity, but forgot to ask)
  • Spanish Civil War "core module", BIG! Playtest done, final editing happening, preorder this year
  • Journal 15 this year
  • Operations magazine with have a HASL map and “several” scenarios, featuring the fight to relieve the Korsun Pocket (Russia v Germany, Jan/Feb 1944). More scenarios on this map might be published later
  • Polish Eagles (? unsure of final title) being worked on, early Polish/German blitzkrieg action, Ken Dunn design
  • SK Magazine early layout pretty much done and is in proofing – “Basic Training” is its official name
  • Twilight of the Reich themed magazine
  • Rotterdam HASL (Dawn of Eagles?) being worked on
  • Starter Kit Stalingrad! Will use SK ruleset (presumably with some extra rules) on existing MMP Stalingrad map(s) (this one was a surprise)
  • HASL e-rulebook, some of the older HASL rulesets will be sold as a PDF bundle (and pocket version I believe) so they can be played on VASL by those who couldn’t (or didn’t) buy the original modules back in the day. Presumably that means anything appearing in this “HASL rulebook” will never be reprinted, but I could be wrong…
  • Concerning the ASL rulebook: MMP will republish the binder version of the RB without the 3-ring binder (it's dead Jim) and will always be in synch with the e-rulebook. Whenever the e-rulebook is updated, self update high-resolution versions of the binder rules will be available to be printed and inserted into your custom binder version of the rules if that's how you roll.
  • The Fox and the Rats, working title (?), DTO, battle for Alam el Halfa (????), not a lot of info on this one, probably WAY out on the timeline
  • Contested Lands (last title mentioned) "core module" was removed from the production schedule due to current situations happening in the Middle East. The module is basically done, and will be added back to the schedule when the time is right. This was a Hasbro decision, not MMP decision.
I am not so sure if a Twilight of the Reich magazine is the best idea. Maybe better just to have it as all or part of a Journal?

Starter Kit Magazine (as a series) sounds like the right thing to do. Probably a great thing to do as it may be where the market is heading. I also foresee an article or two on how to transition from Starter Kit to full (or at least chapters A and B, then A through D) ASL.

I am just a bit wondering if a bit too many products are coming out within the year, or within the next 12 months or so. I would keep it to one new "core" module, one or two new HASLs, one or two Journals, one Starter Kit magazine, etc., per twelve month period. But that's just me.

I think a booster pack (printed and in a smallish binder) for the full ASL rules, starting with chapters A through E, is urgently needed and much overdue. This would compile not all the errata (these as mentioned above should be incorporated into the rule(s) books) but a curated list (with graphics as appropriate) of Q & As. Kinda an expanded examples of play. Examples or a test run could be included as a Journal article. Later on, same, for chapters F and G and many of the HASLs.
 

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I am just a bit wondering if a bit too many products are coming out within the year, or within the next 12 months or so. I would keep it to one new "core" module, one or two new HASLs, one or two Journals, one Starter Kit magazine, etc., per twelve month period. But that's just me.
Yeah that is just you. 😂 😂
 
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