What do you Dread the most when playing ASL? (Game Play)

[Brad M-V]

a spilled drink...

 

[jrv]

a spilled drink...

Don't worry. There's more in the bottle.

JR

 

[Abe]

Moving a stack of counters on VASL. I can never seem to grab them all and they end up out of order and sometimes in the wrong hex. I respect the simulation of real counter stacks but it’s frustrating.

Re: slow play, I find the IIFT helps a little with that as optimising FP values is pointless.

 

[Jeff Sewall]

Moving a stack of counters on VASL. I can never seem to grab them all and they end up out of order and sometimes in the wrong hex. I respect the simulation of real counter stacks but it’s frustrating.

As with most computer applications, "Undo" is your friend. I've used it many times after making a mess out of a stack.

 

[JAGgamer]

Moving a stack of counters on VASL. I can never seem to grab them all and they end up out of order and sometimes in the wrong hex. I respect the simulation of real counter stacks but it’s frustrating.

Re: slow play, I find the IIFT helps a little with that as optimising FP values is pointless.

I find the cardboard stacks hard to handle, even with tweezers! Totally understand the problem!

 

[Vinnie]

Slow play comes from the inability to make a decision and stick with it rather than the difficulty of maximising fire power (IMHO).
One of the best people I played woukd spend 10 minutes deciding what to do. Just sat there staring at the board. Once he had planned out his move, it was then done very quickly; decisions made, now execute. This I did not mind at all.

 

[Abe]

Slow play comes from the inability to make a decision and stick with it rather than the difficulty of maximising fire power (IMHO).
One of the best people I played woukd spend 10 minutes deciding what to do. Just sat there staring at the board. Once he had planned out his move, it was then done very quickly; decisions made, now execute. This I did not mind at all.

As long as that wasn’t more than one or two turns I don’t think I’d mind. Though that’s a long time. When I play with my dad it can sometimes be a minute or two particularly early in the game. On VASL with a different opponent it is much faster.
What sucks up time sometimes is arguing over a rule interpretation. I’d never dream of doing this with anyone’s else but because it’s my dad then it’s almost as much fun as playing.

 

[Vinnie]

As long as that wasn’t more than one or two turns I don’t think I’d mind. Though that’s a long time. When I play with my dad it can sometimes be a minute or two particularly early in the game. On VASL with a different opponent it is much faster.
What sucks up time sometimes is arguing over a rule interpretation. I’d never dream of doing this with anyone’s else but because it’s my dad then it’s almost as much fun as playing.

Strangely, rules arguments tend to be exceptionally short in tournaments. I've never seen one last more than two minutes.

 

[RRschultze]

Slow play comes from the inability to make a decision and stick with it rather than the difficulty of maximising fire power (IMHO).
One of the best people I played woukd spend 10 minutes deciding what to do. Just sat there staring at the board. Once he had planned out his move, it was then done very quickly; decisions made, now execute. This I did not mind at all.

I used to be indecisive but i'm not sure now!

 

[Robin Reeve]

I have seen a player take a very long time to play his turn (1h30 vs. my usual 20'), because he wanted to compute all the DRMs and other factors.
He actually was good at it and beat me quite often - he was an excellent wargamer in other game systems, btw.
But it was a drag and killed the flow of the game.
I prefer playing rather fast, making some errors. Not "firing from the hip", but reasonable fast pace.

 

[Abe]

I have seen a player take a very long time to play his turn (1h30 vs. my usual 20'), because he wanted to compute all the DRMs and other factors.
He actually was good at it and beat me quite often - he was an excellent wargamer in other game systems, btw.
But it was a drag and killed the flow of the game.
I prefer playing rather fast, making some errors. Not "firing from the hip", but reasonable fast pace.

A quick game’s a good game. Sounds like he would enjoy PBEM.

 

[Martin Mayers]

All I'll add in all this is that it's pretty difficult to break the habit of slow(er) play and the challenge shouldn't be under-estimated. People DO want to play a good game. People DO want to give their opponent their best.

I'm partly running this UK tournament later in the year and we are trying to push for some faster (or at least 'less slow' if you get my drift) play. So, when playtesting the scenarios I've tried to adopt a position of 'tournament atmosphere'. I'm not a particularly slow player. But when there is an imaginary clock ticking in the background I have to admit it makes things harder. I've done a couple of defensive setups with a 15 minute time limit which have left holes in them the size of Australia. With a longer period I would have never made some of the mistakes I have.

It's worrying me actually because I figure that, by putting strict time limits on set up and play, it actually MASSIVELY helps the attacker. My defending setup on at least one occasion was so irredeemably broken that I gifted my opponent the game. Again, a worry. And the worry is pushing me to change tac and remove the timing restrictions. Really torn on this.

I also remember playing THE fastest player on the UK scene. And once played a US player equally fast. I can't really explain how I feel that this advantaged them. All I can say is that I consider myself a competent player but in both cases I felt rushed, felt like a hare caught in the headlights, and my game was really paralyzed. Again, I'm not slow. I'm steady. But the fast style of play really fucked me up.

 

[MajorDomo]

All I'll add in all this is that it's pretty difficult to break the habit of slow(er) play and the challenge shouldn't be under-estimated. People DO want to play a good game. People DO want to give their opponent their best.

I'm partly running this UK tournament later in the year and we are trying to push for some faster (or at least 'less slow' if you get my drift) play. So, when playtesting the scenarios I've tried to adopt a position of 'tournament atmosphere'. I'm not a particularly slow player. But when there is an imaginary clock ticking in the background I have to admit it makes things harder. I've done a couple of defensive setups with a 15 minute time limit which have left holes in them the size of Australia. With a longer period I would have never made some of the mistakes I have.

It's worrying me actually because I figure that, by putting strict time limits on set up and play, it actually MASSIVELY helps the attacker. My defending setup on at least one occasion was so irredeemably broken that I gifted my opponent the game. Again, a worry. And the worry is pushing me to change tac and remove the timing restrictions. Really torn on this.

I also remember playing THE fastest player on the UK scene. And once played a US player equally fast. I can't really explain how I feel that this advantaged them. All I can say is that I consider myself a competent player but in both cases I felt rushed, felt like a hare caught in the headlights, and my game was really paralyzed. Again, I'm not slow. I'm steady. But the fast style of play really fucked me up.

All I'll add in all this is that it's pretty difficult to break the habit of slow(er) play and the challenge shouldn't be under-estimated. People DO want to play a good game. People DO want to give their opponent their best.

I'm partly running this UK tournament later in the year and we are trying to push for some faster (or at least 'less slow' if you get my drift) play. So, when playtesting the scenarios I've tried to adopt a position of 'tournament atmosphere'. I'm not a particularly slow player. But when there is an imaginary clock ticking in the background I have to admit it makes things harder. I've done a couple of defensive setups with a 15 minute time limit which have left holes in them the size of Australia. With a longer period I would have never made some of the mistakes I have.

It's worrying me actually because I figure that, by putting strict time limits on set up and play, it actually MASSIVELY helps the attacker. My defending setup on at least one occasion was so irredeemably broken that I gifted my opponent the game. Again, a worry. And the worry is pushing me to change tac and remove the timing restrictions. Really torn on this.

I also remember playing THE fastest player on the UK scene. And once played a US player equally fast. I can't really explain how I feel that this advantaged them. All I can say is that I consider myself a competent player but in both cases I felt rushed, felt like a hare caught in the headlights, and my game was really paralyzed. Again, I'm not slow. I'm steady. But the fast style of play really fucked me up.

That is the advantage of publishing tourney scenarios in advance and asking players to have a defensive setup ready for larger scenarios.

Once had the experience in a shorter five hour tourney round that my opponent took an hour to setup fewer than 10 pieces, real buzz kill.

Rich

 

[Martin Mayers]

That is the advantage of publishing tourney scenarios in advance and asking players to have a defensive setup ready for larger scenarios.

Once had the experience in a shorter five hour tourney round that my opponent took an hour to setup fewer that 10 pieces, real buzz kill.

Rich

I know. But these aren't being published in advance. But I do agree with you. None of them are super long mind you.

 

[Tom Morin]

The VASL dice-bot........

 

[von Marwitz]

The VASL dice-bot........

Superstition is an enemy to enjoyment of the game.

von Marwitz

 

[Sully]

The VASL dice-bot........

You know the VASL dice-bot is listening. You are only making it harder on yourself.

 

[Tater]

The first roll with my most important weapon/MA/OBA...the ever dreaded first roll boxcars!!!

 

[dlazov]

Right at the start of the first turn as the first player:
1.12A.
• Check for Wind Change
then rolling a 1,1 you know your first Prep will be a 6,6

 

[Alan Hume]

Forgetting the rules, I've been playing for years now (heck, I've even read the rulebook) but I'm no rules whizz and I keep forgetting things and getting things wrong
I'm starting to get more regular games in though so I'm hoping that might help