Re: The People's Choice Awards: Who has contributed the most to ASL in the past 25 ye
There are over 50 nominees in this thread as of 23 November. The list includes a host of ASL luminaries dating back to the days when ASL was still under development. The designer, Don Greenwood, received the most "votes" in this thread. Regrettably, he is no longer active in the ASL community, although he remains a force in the wider gaming community. There are nevertheless many names that never made the list. Where, for instance, are the keepers of the ASL Scenario Archive and ROAR? What about the creators of the Australian Balance System? How about the fellow who gave us KGP, and slopes? :devious:
I realize that this is not the Starter Kit sub-forum, but surely the folks behind the Starter Kits deserve a nod too. The truth is that we have all helped foster a vibrant ASL community, even those of us who have done nothing more than continue to play ASL after all these years.
MMP
I was oblivious to the crisis that developed when Hasbro bought Avalon Hill (AH). (I had just finished my undergrad and quit my part-time job in order to focus all of my energies on grad school.) Fortunately Multi-man Publishing (MMP), and Curt Schilling in particular, stepped up to the plate and gave ASL a future. At the time, Curt was an ASL fanatic. His enthusiasm for ASL—not just his monetary investment—rescued the game from the Dark Age of ASL. When not playing baseball, Curt was playing ASL, and researching, designing and writing about it too. Some of his former business partners at MMP have since left. However, two gentlemen have kept the home fires burning for almost 15 years. We all owe Brian Youse and Perry Cocke a huge debt of gratitude. They have taken a lot of grief for their efforts. But in spite of all the flak they have had thrown their way, they have stuck with us. Nay, they have done more than that. The introduction of the ASL Starter Kit and the hiring of Chas Argent are but two tangible signs that Brian and Perry are committed to the future of ASL.
Volunteers
Now while the principals at MMP have done much good for our hobby, they have not done it alone. Well before ASL was released in 1985, folks were busy behind the scenes play testing, proofreading and putting together the most impressive game system in the history of board gaming. Some were paid employees; most were not. The truly remarkable thing is that many of those ASL pioneers are still with us today. Some have lent their expertise and enthusiasm to third-party publishers (TPP). But virtually all of these people continue to support MMP, and thus our hobby, by their voluntary contributions. The revised rule book, the core and historical modules, the ASL Journal, the Action Packs, and so forth, would never have seen the light of day were it not for the commitment of these unsung ASL heroes [A15.25]. Their work continues. (If you are not already involved somehow, then why not lend a hand. Check the MMP sub forum. Chas Argent is always looking for play testers and proofreaders. You will help the hobby, meet some new people and invariably improve your game.)
ASL Clubs, Fanzines and Tourneys
The advent of ASL saw the emergence of specialized ASL clubs, amateur 'zines and tournaments devoted to the game system. The people who organized these clubs, published the fanzines, and ran the tournaments, supported the hobby in a number of important ways. Clubs provided a rally point where players could get together and play ASL. Players could discuss and debate their interpretations of the rules, experiment with different tactics, and teach new players how to play. Fanzines took this process a step further by sharing local knowledge with a wider audience. Fanzines also provided a medium for budding designers to introduce new ASL scenarios to the gaming public. Tournaments became the natural place to put all of your ASL knowledge and skills (and possibly scenario designs) to the test. It was one thing to be the top dog of your local ASL club, quite another to be a tournament champion. Tournaments were also a venue where players could meet, exchange information and discuss future ASL projects.
The Winnipeg ASL Club is an interesting case study. Although a relative late comer to the ASL scene and modest in size—with perhaps a baker’s dozen of players at its peak—this club has nonetheless had a significant impact on the development and spread of ASL in Canada. The late Jim McLeod (designer of the Ortona HASL) is likely the best-known member of this club. However, a number of other club members have been prominent in the Winnipeg ASL scene (EX: George Kelln of Lone Canuck Publishing). However, it is not so much what the individual members of this club have done, but the impact that this group has had on Canadian ASL in general.
The Winnipeg group was especially active in the 1990s, so much so that it began running a local ASL tournament. However, the club, and its fiery president Jim McLeod, had grander ideas. In the late 90s, they founded the Canadian ASL Association (CASLA). The CASLA published a newsletter, The Maple Leaf Route, which contained information on upcoming ASL events, articles and scenarios. The Association—in reality, the Winnipeg ASL Club—even went so far as to publish their own scenarios. Refer issues 32-35 at:
http://www.vftt.co.uk/vfttpdfs.htm
Drawing upon their tournament experience, these Winnipeggers established the annual Canadian ASL Open (CASLO) in 2003, as the premier ASL tournament in Canada. The Charter of CASLA is remarkable and the tournament format has withstood the test of time. Alas the CASLA, like the Winnipeg ASL Club, has seen brighter days. However, a look at the (dated) player directory of the CASLA website is revealing. There are over 200 players on this list. Having played ASL since 1986 (and SL before that), I was surprised to learn in 2006 that so many Canadians still played the game.
http://members.shaw.ca/casla/
Despite having a population a third of Canada’s, a similar process is underway in Sweden. This process is greatly aided by advances in technology, especially the Internet and desktop publishing.
The Rise of ASL Websites, Third-Party Publishers and Virtual ASL
There was a time when placing an advert in Avalon Hill’s The General magazine was one of the better ways to find an ASL opponent. The advent of the Internet not only made it easier to lasso an unsuspecting player, but it also (eventually) made it easier to play this newfound opponent—but I‘m getting ahead of myself.
The Internet has arguably done more to put ASL on the world map than anything else. This is largely due to individual and organizational ASL websites. Today an industrious ASL player can create an entire website dedicated to the hobby, as Mark Pitcavage has done. His Desperation Morale site truly is a “compendium” of ASL material:
http://www.desperationmorale.com.
Some ASL websites are geared toward new players:
http://www.savarese.org/simulation/aslsk.html.
Some target a specific aspect of ASL—witness the oxymoronic Group Solitaire ASL:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/lubbensite/gsasl.htm
And still others offer a specialized service, such as Dave Ramsay’s searchable scenario archive:
http://www.aslscenarioarchive.com/
Forums such as this one on GameSquad, as well as others on BoardGameGeek and Consimworld, have allowed players around the planet to “meet” and interact. ASL clubs have also capitalized on this new medium. The Texas ASL Club website is a prime example:
http://texas-asl.com/
The Texan site not only connects players across a big state, but also “crosses” state lines into Oklahoma and New Mexico. The site is home to the well-received fanzine Banzai!!, and a host of other useful information. In addition to linking players to each other, Texas ASL links visitors to other ASL sites. One of these links leads to Bounding Fire Productions, a prominent third-party producer (TPP) of material designed for use with the ASL system:
http://www.boundingfire.com/
Like many TPP, BFP owes part of its success to the development of desktop-publishing software. This software has allowed “amateurs” to produce material that, in some cases, rivals the quality of Avalon Hill and MMP products. In fact, in terms of material quality, the French magazine Le Franc Tireur has set a high standard, with 80 full-colour pages, and striking original artwork on its covers:
http://www.lefranctireur.org/spip.php?rubrique1
Granted, abundant enthusiasm can go a long way to creating a vibrant homegrown ASL community. However, technological advances such as the Internet and desktop publishing deserve some credit too. How else could a small country like Sweden hold two major ASL tournaments each year, support a domestic ASL TPP (Friendly Fire), and publish an ASL magazine in Swedish? Okay, I’ll admit that there is only one issue to date:
http://www.aslsweden.com/asl_sweden_magazine.html
Still, Friendly Fire
http://www.friendlyfire.se/asl/ has been producing scenario packs for its tournament six years running, and the Stockholm tournament continues to attract players from across Europe, and beyond. But to be fair, there is another catalyst that has done a great deal to make ASL accessible to more and more people. No, as entertaining and helpful as Jeff and Dave are, I am not hinting at The 2 Half-Squads podcast—yet another example of technology helping to spread the good word:
http://www.the2halfsquads.com/
The innovative Starter Kit line notwithstanding, the birth and growth of Virtual ASL (VASL) has probably done more for the hobby than anything else in the past decade. The game interface was initially intended to bring players together by allowing them to play by email (PBEM) or in real time, regardless of their real world locations. And while this continues to be the primary attraction of VASL, the interface has proven to be a valuable tool for teaching ASL and testing new ASL material. It has also proven handy as an accessible tournament “space.” If its creator, Rodney Kinney, has his way, VASL will not only continue to improve, but to evolve. Read more here:
http://iltredicesimocavaliere.wordpress.com/info/the-master-and-his-vassal-in-english/
Air-miles and the ASL Renaissance
Gone are the days when a subscription to The General magazine, or an ASL Annual was the average player’s only contact with the wider ASL community. Technological advances have done much to make ASL more accessible to newcomers, as well as the Grognards. Ken Dunn and Brian Youse undoubtedly gave ASL a new lease on life with the development of the ASL Starter Kit. A maturing demographic has helped too. With careers stabilized and children grown, some older players are returning to the hobby. This cohort appears to have more free time and money to devote to ASL. Having accrued airmiles over the years, some are even tempted to attend tournaments in distant and exotic places like Verona, Melbourne, or Albany NY. All right, all right, maybe not Albany.
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The resurgence of interest in our hobby may also be due to a more generalized return to board gaming and face-to-face social interaction—a growing disenchantment with video-gaming, perhaps. “National” websites, such as the Finnish Self-Rally site, also suggest that ASL is rapidly expanding beyond its traditional base. Self-Rally lists some 80 players on its site! If all are active players, then ASL has surely arrived in Soumi.
http://www.self-rally.org/
Admittedly, some of this enthusiasm for ASL in Finland is attributable to the development of the forthcoming Finnish core module Hakka Palle (HP). Nevertheless, the spread of ASL across Finland is a remarkable development that Tuomo Lukkari and Lars Thuring (the developers of HP) can take some credit for facilitating. To put the Finnish numbers in perspective, let’s assume that all of the players on the Finnish site are active. Based on a per capita ratio, this would translate into roughly 300 Australians, about 500 Canadians, around 1200 players in the UK, and almost 5000 US players, all of whom would be active in the hobby! Now I’m almost certain that these numbers are an exaggeration, but they do highlight what can be accomplished when a gaming community is as highly motivated as the Finnish one appears to be. That said, I still think that it is fair to say that we are witnessing something of an ASL renaissance. This rebirth, moreover, is a direct consequence of the actions of the legions of ASL players worldwide who have contributed, and continue to contribute, to our hobby in a variety of ways.
It is the intention of this thread to bring to light some of these individuals and their good works. Now getting back to the “contest”…
Contest Results
I must apologize again for the misleading title of this thread. My intention was not to create a list of the “most worthy,” but rather a series of mini biographies of those who have contributed to our hobby over the years. In the course of narrowing down the list of nominees, I made several arbitrary decisions. First, I discounted those people who were no longer active ASL players. This should not be taken as a slight toward the significant contributions of these individuals. Don Greenwood is a case in point. Rather I thought that an active player might find more use for a set of ASL Anniversary BattleDice than an inactive player. Second, I decided to exclude anyone who was a paid employee of MMP, or a principal of a TPP. I then immediately made an exception to this criterion, but I believe, a justifiable one. Third, I excluded anyone who had already owned a set of our Anniversary dice. I did this, not because they did not deserve a second set, but simply because it made the list of nominees shorter. Therefore, one should not think that Mark Nixon, Bill “Fish” Conner, Daryl “Action” Burke, Bret Hildebran—to name but a few—were not worthy of consideration, far from it. Fourth, I decided not to adhere to specific categories, as most nominees have contributed to the success of ASL in several ways. And fifth, I included four people who never made the list of nominees. If it is any consolation, seven (not three or five) people will receive a set of our Anniversary BattleDice.
The People’s Picks
1. Apart from Don Greenwood, one of the names that appeared frequently in this thread was Charlie Kibler. Charlie is a special case. Although he has long been a hired gun—first as an employee of AH, and later as a contractor for MMP—he is the only remaining member of the AH cabal that started ASL. He worked alongside the likes of Don Greenwood, Rex Martin, and Bob McNamara back in the day. Many are familiar with his artistic talents, but fewer realize that he was also the lead developer of the first (and most famous) Historical ASL module, Red Barricades. I am also grateful for the succinct case put forward by Faded 8-1. His arguments in favour of Mr. Kibler made ignoring my criteria easier. So the first set of ASL Anniversary BattleDice goes to Charlie Kibler. Charlie, from everyone here on GameSquad and elsewhere, a heartfelt thanks.
http://www.charliekibler.com/
2. Rodney Kinney was a no-brainer; a hands down winner due to the impact of his VASL program that has done so much to reinvigorate the hobby. Keep on programming Rodney! [I lost Rodney’s mailing address when my hard-drive failed last year, if he or someone else can help me out, I’d appreciate it.]
http://www.vasl.org/
3. Klas Malmstrom made the short list for several reasons. Many on this forum know him for his thorough and invariably correct responses to their rule conundrums. But Klas is also a long-time proof-reader for MMP and TPP. He is a prominent member of the Swedish ASL community and active in the international tournament scene. He is also a gentleman to play. Tack Klas!
http://www.klasm.com/index_e.html
Personal Picks
There were many worthy people whose names did not appear in this thread. Sadly, some are no longer with us. It is my hope that drawing attention to four dedicated souls will encourage forum readers to enlighten us with the selfless deeds of a great many other ASLers.
4. Tom Repetti, the Grand Spudster, tireless map elf, and ASL humourist was shoe-in for my short list. Tom’s website is chock-a-block with useful—and delightfully frivolous—ASL material. Tom has supported our hobby in many ways, not least by his sportsmanship and good nature. He has written numerous ASL articles, assisted MMP behind the scenes, and supplied us with an ASL website that takes neither itself nor us too seriously. Tuomoland is seriously good fun. But lately what probably warms the hearts of many ASL players is Tom’s devotion to converting game maps into their VASL format. Thanks to Tom, I will be able to play FrF45 Totensonntag with a European over Christmas. Kiitos Tuomo
http://home.comcast.net/~tomrepetti/
5. To those not in the know, Jay Richardson has gained “fame” as the creator of ASL Starter Kit tutorials that are immensely popular with newbies. These tutorials include step-by-step explanations and VASL map sequences that allow beginners to grasp game mechanics more readily. One of his tutorials—on Defensive Fire mechanics—was published in MMP’s Operations magazine. Jay regularly answers questions posed by newbies on BGG and in the Starter Kit subforum here on GS. He has also has been hard at work proofreading the ASLSK rule booklet that will appear in the new ASLSK Expansion Pack. For his dedication to the future of ASL, Jay will receive a set of our ASL Anniversary BattleDice. Thanks Jay!
http://forums.gamesquad.com/showthread.php?70092-The-ASLSK-Tutorial-Project
6. Pete Phillips, full-time Manchester United fan, New Castle Brown poster boy, and ASL devotee has been publishing an ASL ‘zine since 1995. This is a huge accomplishment. Many amateur publications have lasted less than a year or two. The fact that Pete has kept View from the Trenches going after all these years surely is a testament to his dedication to the hobby. However, Pete has also been a long-time MMP volunteer. On top of this, Pete remains a driving force in the UK tournament scene, especially Intensive Fire and Heroes. If you haven’t had read VftT, check out the link below. Like his signature brew, which incidentally survived the closing of its Tyneside brewery, Pete keeps chugging along. Here’s to another 15 years of VftT… bottoms up!
http://www.vftt.co.uk/index.aspx
[Ed. Pete pointed out two individuals worthy of mention here. I forgot to mention Paul Ferraro, the keeper of the ASL Mailing List (ASLML:
Aslml@lists.aslml.net). Before the appearance of sophisticated forums such as this one, the ASLML was a very busy place. One advantage the List still holds over forums, is that emails are sent directly to your inbox. Pete prefers this. Granted you cannot control the content, but you don't actually have to go somewhere to read a new post. The List is also a more efficient way to contact a lot of ASL players at the same time. My other oversight was Neil Stevens. Neil has been pivotal in the expansion of the UK ASL scene. Along with Ian Daglish and Pete Phillipps, Neil has helped popularize ASL in the UK over the course of the last two decades.]
7. Bruce Probst was a latecomer to my short list. Not because he has not been active in the hobby, on the contrary. Despite living in the ‘burbs of Melbourne, Bruce has long been a key member of the Australian ASL scene—the Army Group South club, in particular. He is also the ASL FAQ guy. But what I did not know was how important his contributions have been to the publication of official ASL product. I only learned of this after listening to an interview with Perry Cocke on a recent podcast. Not only has Bruce written ASL articles and provided his proofreading expertise to MMP, but he was also a key member of the group that gave us the 2nd edition ASL Rule Book! (I hope that he is just as keen when it comes time to prepare the third edition.) Normally, Bruce rarely strays far from his home. Until recently, he had never gone farther than Sydney to play in an ASL tournament. (To put this in perspective, it is almost 900 kilometres one way.) In 2008, he made his international debut at the ASL Oktoberfest in Cleveland, Ohio. This year, circumstances conspired against him. Hopefully he will be able to make the trip in 2011. After all, his registration is already paid and he’ll have some shiny new dice to try out. Hope to meet you next October Bruce.
http://www.winhaven.net/TRAC/Reading/Interviews/BruceProbst.html
To claim your prize, or provide a mailing address for a contest winner, please email
battleschool@rogers.com.
Please DO NOT send me a PM. Thanks for your understanding.
A Merry Christmas to you and your families, and all the very best in the New Year.
Chris
Disclaimer
I do not profess to be a historian of The Game. I just play it, and not particularly well. So please feel free to offer any corrections, clarifications and elaborations that will improve my amateur historical reflection.
For more information on our ASL Anniversary BattleDice, or our new 9/16” saffron (yellow) BattleSchool die, please email
battleschool@rogers.com and/or refer this link:
http://forums.gamesquad.com/showthread.php?95879-Anniversary-ASL-BattleDice&highlight=BattleDice
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