Today in ASL history

Actionjick

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September 30th 1090 B.C. On this date the Greek warrior Palamedes invents dice during one of the lulls during the Siege of Troy. This account is disputed by Professor Talo of the University of Astragal who maintains dice were invented by Lydians long before the siege of Troy.

Unfortunately this researcher has been trying to finish painting his house before winter and had been unable to verify either of these accounts.

Interestingly enough when Ioannes Collis and Dominus Lignumvirde were developing Advanced Cohort Leader they considered using a pair of twelve sided dice to go along with the Every Attack Should Count Table instead of the old Attack Table. Why they abandoned this idea has been lost to history.

September 30th, 1990
The Red House
Axis = Darryl
Allies = Fish
Started 0938 hours
Ended 1110 hours
Turn 2A Darryl wins

Same day
The Red House
Axis = Darryl
Allies = Fish
Started 1112 hours
Ended 1356 hours
Turn 4B Fish wins

Same day
The Agony of Doom
Axis = Fish ( balance )
Allies = Darryl
Started 1400 hours
Ended 1725 hours
Turn 4B Fish wins

Same day
The Agony of Doom
Axis = Darryl ( balance )
Allies = Fish
Started 1725 hours
Ended 2010 hours
Turn 3A Darryl wins
 
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Eagle4ty

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September 30th 1090 B.C. On this date the Greek warrior Palamedes invents dice during one of the lulls during the Siege ...

Same day
The Agony of Doom
Axis = Fish ( balance )
Allies = Darryl
Started 1400 hours
Ended 1725 hours
Turn 4B Fish wins

Same day
The Agony of Doom
Axis = Darryl ( balance )
Started 1725 hours
Ended 2010 hours
Turn 3A Darryl wins
Yikes! You gave the Germans the balance in Agony of Doom! The old scenario was about 80+% pro-German anyway and even the revamped BV3 rendition is 75+% pro-German. I once played this with my old army buddy and beat him bad. His only retort was, "How can I even feel bad about losing as the Russian?":rolleyes::sneaky:
 

Actionjick

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Yikes! You gave the Germans the balance in Agony of Doom! The old scenario was about 80+% pro-German anyway and even the revamped BV3 rendition is 75+% pro-German. I once played this with my old army buddy and beat him bad. His only retort was, "How can I even feel bad about losing as the Russian?":rolleyes::sneaky:
We usually only used the balance when both wanted the same side. I'm not sure if we ever used it because we thought the scenario was unbalanced. We tended not to care too much about that. I'll have to see if I have the scenario and can remember why we both wanted the Russians.
 
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Actionjick

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Yikes! You gave the Germans the balance in Agony of Doom! The old scenario was about 80+% pro-German anyway and even the revamped BV3 rendition is 75+% pro-German. I once played this with my old army buddy and beat him bad. His only retort was, "How can I even feel bad about losing as the Russian?":rolleyes::sneaky:
I found my SL scenario of Agony of Doom, not sure how it was modified for ASL. Regardless of any changes I would take the Russians anytime, it doesn't look that unbalanced.
Only going for seven turns over two playings might give some indication of it's balance. Then again it was us playing and a lot of scenarios we played didn't make it past turn four. See my post #30 in the Silence That Gun thread.
 
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Actionjick

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October 6th, 2020. Actionburk is in his attic and finds the box that contains his notebooks. Historical gaming research can proceed! Maybe after we finish painting the house.
 
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Actionjick

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Keep 'em coming! I am enjoying this thread.
I thank you as does Captain Bacchus for your kind words and appreciation of our research. House painting time about over so we hope to be back at it soon.
 
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Actionjick

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January 24th, 1951
On this date famed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov completes the short story "I, Dicebot ", a continuation of his " I, Robot " series of stories. I, Dicebot was a story about a robot that would pick up and roll dice for gamers ensuring random rolling and no player manipulation of the dice. His idea of the Dicebot came from his research into ideas about robots throughout history. During his investigations he came across drawings and a manuscript by Leonardo Davinci that described a dice rolling mechanism that consisted of a mechanical arm and hand. Davinci was an avid gamer considered by many to be the best Advanced Cohort Leader player of the Renaissance.
Asimov was deeply disappointed when I, Dicebot was rejected for publication. It was felt to be too fanciful and farfetched of a concept even for one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time.

January 23rd, 1993
Dash for the Bridge
German = Darryl
Russian = Fish
Ends turn 9A
Fish wins

January 24th, 1993
0130 hours
Dash for the Bridge
German = Fish
Russian = Darryl
Turn 6B sleep break
Ends turn 9A
Fish wins

January 24th, 1993
A High Price to Pay
Italians = Fish
British = Darryl
Ends turn 3B
Fish wins

January 24th, 1993
A High Price to Pay
Italians = Fish
British = Darryl
Ends turn 7B
Fish wins
 

Actionjick

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July 4th, 1976
A young sailor with a rare day off sees a young blonde for the first time. The first step in the journey of Actionburk and Actiondebbie.

Without her patience my ASL history would have been totally different, if it existed at all. 🥰
 
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Actionjick

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July 12th, 52 AD

Avalonnis Collis receives the first shipment of scenario scrolls for it's soon to be released game of tactical warfare, Cohort Leader. Dominus Lignumvirde and Ionnes Collis are very satisfied with the work the scribes had done especially after some initial squabbling over one scenario, Quod Vicos Autem Stalinensi.

This was the third Cohort Leader scenario and comprised the OOBs of the first two CL scenarios and additional units. To cut production costs AC wanted the three scenarios to take just two scrolls and the scribes insisted for clarity that four scrolls were required. A compromise was reached at three scrolls.

When Advanced Cohort Leader was released the multi scroll scenarios started a decline. The causes seem to have been the rising cost of parchment and the desire for shorter gladiatorial length scenarios.

July 12th, 1986

No Better Spot to Die
Axis = Darryl
Allies = Fish
Began 1637 hours
Ended 2357 hours
Turn 7A
Fish wins
 

Actionjick

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July 13th, 77 AD

Avalonnis Collis is bought by one of the ancient large gaming companies, Hasfrat. The future of ACL is in doubt. Devoted ACLers are unsure of the game in the control of a company that views it solely a a product. However a small TPP, Lotsa Legionnaires Production acquires the rights to publish ACL. The game is rescued from potential oblivion and obscurity.



July 13th, 1986


Silence That Gun
Axis = Darryl
Allies = Fish
Begun 0022 hours
Ended 0545 hours
Turn 6B Fish wins

I have it noted " Oh so close!! ".
 

Actionjick

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On this date in 52 AD renowned Roman game developers Ioannes Collis and Dominus Lignumviride released Cohort Leader, the progenitor of all subsequent war games. In 59 AD they followed up with the wildly successful Advanced Cohort Leader. In 62 AD they met a premature end after taking on Nero in a three way scenario and jicking him. The Emperor didn't fiddle around when he lost.


July 28th, 1990. Fish and I played " The Penetration of Rostov ". Fish was the Axis and I had the Allies with the balance. Started at 1816 hours, finished 0141 hours, turn 11B. Fish wins.
I've been so busy that I forgot about yesterday being Cohort Leader's anniversary. A truly momentous day in gaming history. I'm sure Ioannes and Dominus will understand my oversight.🤗
 

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Fun story! And a mystery solved!

I have seen pictures of the purple box but only once or twice and never saw one in the real world. However, it was somewhat of a mystery, where these purple SL boxes came from. Until reading your post, I thought they were the very very first SL boxes printed in a small number and went quickly out of stock - and while making the next printrun, they changed the disturbing color.

It appears I have not been that far off the mark with what I imagined.

von Marwitz
I actually had a purple box top version of Advanced Cohort Leader (umm...ASL in reality). It was my very first copy of ASL. There wasn't even any game information on the back of the box like there is now. Ah, those were the days when ASL, and me, were young.
 

Actionjick

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Bumped this up because I thought I had us playing Bridge to Nowhere for one of the Todays and had seen that scenario referenced in the Italian Classic scenarios thread. Then came across A High Price To Pay which we played twice in one day. We either liked it or were too lazy to pull counters for a different scenario. Probably both.

Anyway it seems as if working full time once more has really curtailed any new offerings for this thread. That's too bad because I quite enjoyed the BS, I mean research, that went into it.
 

Actionjick

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February 17th, 2012. Bill " Fish " Conner takes his seat of honor at the Great Gaming Table In the Sky.

On the day he passed legend has it that whenever an ASL player rolled eyes tears came out of the dice. Tears certainly came out of mine.

RIP good buddy.
 
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