Operation Iraqi Freedom Game FREE!!

Niko

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Have any body download the "FREE" :banana: wargame of ARMCHAIR GENERAL "Operation Iraqi Freedom"?, and play?, its a Mark Walker :bowdown: game.

Regards
Niko
 

Siberian HEAT

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I have been so busy working on the website I haven't had time to play any games! However, I am going to try to check it out as soon as I can.

:halo:
 

mentis

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My Take on Operation Iraqi Freedom

The game covers the April 2003 liberation of Iraq by coalition forces, using 35 mile hexes and brigades/divisions/special units. The game is very basic and appears to be possibly geared toward non- paper and counter wargamers as an intro game (of course that doesn't mean that others can't enjoy it as well). The game is playable either solitaire or I-go-you-go, but has some interesting chrome with the unit special abilities, and the use of action cards (random events). The rules are clearly written and quite short, just 4 pages in length (rulebook formatting would have condensed this to 2 pages). Some grognard terminology, such as ZOC (Zone of Control), is avoided even though ZOCs are used in the game (they stop opponent movement and block supply lines for the Iraqis). The CRT (Combat Results Table) and TEC (Terrain Effects Chart) are standard fare, but eleven types of terrain or hexside features is a bit of a mismatch to the seeming effort made to present the game to non-wargamers. The CRT is based on force ratios and a roll of a d6. However, no die is actually required since the action cards each have a number on them which allows them to be drawn in place of rolling a d6 (the rules do not even mention using a die, another hint that this game is aimed toward the non-table top wargamer). Initial placement of Iraqi forces is noted on the reverse of each counter, a nice touch. One hex of the initial set-up does violate the stacking rules, but that was the only error that I noticed.

The biggest drawback to using this as an intro game to non-wargamers as presented is the need to backmount the counters. The counters themselves are reasonably nice (little pictures and tiny NATO symbols), but there is extremely little margin of error for mounting front and back since the information on the counters is placed too close to the edges (I barely got usable results in my mounting, but did not bother redoing them). There are also no instructions for mounting the counters, so anyone not familiar with DTP wargames (desk top published, in this case meaning non-professionally published wargames) may be at a loss. The map itself is reasonably nice, but the terrain is too subtle considering that it is going to be printed on a range of printers. The file format choices were also puzzling, JPG for the counters, bitmap for the map, and Word doc for the rules and charts. At a minimum, RTF is preferred over DOC for distribution to a wide audience with varying platforms and software. PDF files for everything would have been the safest choice, since experience tells me that some people will be clueless about how to scale the graphics files (perhaps I am just overly sensitive to this issue since color choice, resolution, file format, etc., are long debated issues in the electronic versions of maps and documents I output at work).

The winning conditions are tough, but reasonably so since the coalition has force superiority (capture five cities in eight turns and only incur a single step loss for all allied forces in the solitaire version or just two step losses in the two player version). Overall, this is a simple game, but I found it quite interesting to play through. I do think I will reprint the map at 150% or so, which will make the counters a corresponding 5/8", before I run through it again to make everything easier to read.

The wording of the editorial in Armchair General #1 makes me believe that the game was intended to be printed in the magazine. The article about the game that appears on the website sounds as if it were written for inclusion in the magazine. It is a shame that the game was not printed in the magazine since it would have been a good vehicle to bring more folks into the world of table top consim.
 

Siberian HEAT

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Re: My Take on Operation Iraqi Freedom

Originally posted by mentis

The wording of the editorial in Armchair General #1 makes me believe that the game was intended to be printed in the magazine. The article about the game that appears on the website sounds as if it were written for inclusion in the magazine. It is a shame that the game was not printed in the magazine since it would have been a good vehicle to bring more folks into the world of table top consim.
First of all, thanks for your comments. We have a small staff but we try hard to avoid oversights such as the instructions for the counters themselves. I will make sure that gets corrected in the near future. That is my fault it got left out.

The game was always intended to be solely for those who purchase the magazine, as there is a code within that allows them access to the game files (of course, you do need internet access). In that sense, it is "in the magazine" and not free on the website. However, I have opted to allow anyone to download it here at the start, to allow those web readers who have been with us from the beginning of this site a chance to grab the game without needing the magazine code. Soon this game will only be available to those who have the magazine. Future games will only be available to those who pick up the magazine.

While we would love to print the game/counters/maps inside the magazine, there is considerable expense to take that approach (to do it right with bagging and cardboard insertions) - and we didn't want price this magazine right out of existence!

Point noted about RTF vs. DOC formats.

Thanks again for the insights! :thumb:
 

Mark H. Walker

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Iraqi Freedom

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the comments on Iraqi Freedom. I enjoyed designing the game. We have a lot more headed your way, including games on Gettysburg's first day, and a tactical game on the ladings at Omaha Beach. The hexes are 5/8" in tha one, so it's a little easier on the fingers.

BTW, the intent of Iraqi Freedom was to introduce newbies to the hobbie. I hope it succeeds.

Thanks again for te comments. If you like the game, you may want to check out www.locknloadgame.com

Best,
Mark
 

Niko

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The game was create to be inside of the magazine, I know because I had make the counters art for Mark Walker,

Shane, at the moment I so busy but, would you like a fast PC game (SPWAW, SPWW2, SPMBT, CM, CMBB, CMAK, etc)?

Hello Mark!! I havent see you.

Regards
Niko
 

Eric Weider

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regarding back-mounting of counters...another option is to not actually back mount them but just swap them out. so if a unit is reduced, the "front" of the unit is removed form the map and replaced with the "back" of the unit.
 

Mantis

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Originally posted by Niko
Shane, at the moment I so busy but, would you like a fast PC game (SPWAW, SPWW2, SPMBT, CM, CMBB, CMAK, etc)?
Niko - Sorry, I don't play Steel Panthers or Combat Mission. I'm almost exclusively on TOAW these days! Do you play?
 

Niko

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I´m a very novice with TOAW, if you dont mind, I´m gone a be a little child in your hands.....

Niko
 

timothyakao

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could not dowload game

I tried downloading the operation Iraqi freedom game, but it did not work. All i got was a bunch of number patterns. I was , and still serve active duty with the 3ID. I just wanted to see how well you guys replicated our battle.
 

Siberian HEAT

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I just confirmed the download is working properly. If you are oversees you might not be set up to open .zip files. If so, another application might be trying to open the file, giving you an error/funny characters.

The game is now playable using VASSAL, which means you can play it online against others!

:banana:
 

SGT Long

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I tried printing it off but ran into difficulty. First,I tried downloading it at my work computer but it was blocked. (US govt computers block out a lot-Frankly,Im surprised I can even access
this site.) Then I tried at an internet cafe but for some reason it printed off too large (the counters were about an inch across)

Im rather computer ignorant,any suggestions?
 

Wargamernoob

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Starting placement of the armies

I am a Noob and I am having trouble on what hexs to place the Allies at. It said with in a certain city that is in the lower right of the map. Sorry I forgot the name of the city, LOL I know the name to but mentail block at this time. Or you can place them on hex J17 what does this mean? What all numbers of Hexs can you place the allied troups in that is my question.

By the way what are some other good wargames websites and games for noobs. On computer I play the Totalwar series and battlefield 1942. Totalwar is the best computer wargame by far.

Thanks for you time and help.
 

mentis

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responses to two topics

Re: printing

If the counters are not printing the correct size for you, then you need to open the counter sheet in a graphics program and scale (resize) them (if you are using Windows, even the freebie Microsoft Photo Editor will do for this job).

I mentioned in another post elsewhere that (in my opinion) all of the components should have been offered in PDF format to avoid scaling issues. Also, I see the backmounting of the counters as a major barrier to newbie players.

Re: Starting placement of the armies

By my interpretation, Allied starting hexes are J17, L16, L17, and M17.

While setting up the Allied forces you will probably violate the stacking limit rule. However, it is better to look at Kuwait and J17 as the entry hexes for the Allied forces which will in rapid order move forward from those points.

I suggest that units that you don't intend to remain stationary should be held off the board initially and only placed when you move them (that is, count movement from one of the starting hexes and then place the counters in the hex where the first movement of each unit ends).
 

Wargamernoob

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by the way does the all of the combat rules apply to the Iraqies that apply to the US? Like the Artility rule that adds 1 to you attack odds.? the instructions only says that for the US but does not say that only for the US? Yes I spelled artility wrong.
 

Fenrir

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Re: Re: My Take on Operation Iraqi Freedom

Originally posted by Brian King
First of all, thanks for your comments. We have a small staff but we try hard to avoid oversights such as the instructions for the counters themselves. I will make sure that gets corrected in the near future. That is my fault it got left out.

The game was always intended to be solely for those who purchase the magazine, as there is a code within that allows them access to the game files (of course, you do need internet access). In that sense, it is "in the magazine" and not free on the website. However, I have opted to allow anyone to download it here at the start, to allow those web readers who have been with us from the beginning of this site a chance to grab the game without needing the magazine code. Soon this game will only be available to those who have the magazine. Future games will only be available to those who pick up the magazine.

While we would love to print the game/counters/maps inside the magazine, there is considerable expense to take that approach (to do it right with bagging and cardboard insertions) - and we didn't want price this magazine right out of existence!

Point noted about RTF vs. DOC formats.

Thanks again for the insights! :thumb:
Frankly, I would like to see more games like this one. I like the idea that it's a download and the reader has to get crafty and mount the components on cardstock. I also like the low price of the mag. Strategy & Tactics is getting to be $15 or more for an issue and I've seen issues of Command as high as $30.
 
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