WO - should a newb attend?

[Manchu]

As per the title. I posed this question to another member via PM and he suggested I start a thread after looking over previously posted, similar ones.

Oh and I'm not using the term "newb" out of modesty. I guess there are guys who have been playing for a year or more who might call themselves newbs and maybe they are right. But in my case, I have only gone over the rulebook that comes with ASLSK#1 (albeit rather thoroughly) and started reading the ASLRB. Now, I have no doubt that I will be able to get some ftf ASLSK under my belt before WO rolls around. My actual goal, however, is to play full ASL. I am wondering if attending WO, in the esteemed opinion of ye grognards, would be a worthwhile effort in that regard. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

FYI, travel expenses are not a deal breaker here as I am only approx 2.5 hours (in ideal traffic) south of Bowie.

 

[Proff3RTR]

Why not, IMHO it would be ideal for a new player as you say to cut his teeth, learn from experianced players and see how the whole game flows, I am only just learning this the hard way as I am now starting to play other people on VASL, as well as trying to help someone learn the rules and re-teach myself in the process, so yes, why not.

 

[olli]

Attending an ASL tourney is the greatest way to learn, meet some Great people and make some new friendships. almost all will only be to willing to help you and explain the game , Cannot recommend going enough.

 

[von Marwitz]

Yes, you should attend.

As Olli has pointed out and as has been my personal experience as a noob - take the dive. Water will be cold when you jump in, but rather refreshing once you start swimming. Do not expect to win games. Winning is not the point as a newbie. The great advantage that you have when attending a tournament is the following: You can see experienced players play each other and you. That way, you see what part of the rules is most often used when actually playing. This will help you a lot later when you are reviewing the rules to learn: You got a much better idea on which things to focus at the start and which rules are so rarely used that they can (yet) go without too much attention until you have established a more firm grip on the basics. At the same time, you will get a feeling on how a game turn works out. You will practice the most common things that happen by doing which will build a "skeleton" grasp of things which can - step by step - support more of the body (of rules). Then, there's no family, no kids, no dog to walk, i.e. nothing much to detract you for a couple of days. You don't need to be afraid of asking any question: Those geeks around will only be too happy that they can tell someone the best way of storing counters, ASL folklore, and all the stuff, neither their wives, kids, and dogs would care to listen to... :laugh:

It is a bit like the difference of reading about sex or having it.

von Marwitz

 

[xenovin]

Absolutely go! You can pick up a SK or ASL game or just buy tons of MMP games up front. If looking for ASL fun and have access to scenarios, pick out a few all infantry that you want to play and bring with you (have a few setups ready and it will speed up play). Let Perry know you are a noob and he will match you up with somebody who will guide/help/play you. It's one thing to know the rules and quite another to see how players use those rules (aka tactics) when playing! come on out, feel the energy in the room, and throw some dice!

 

[rdw5150]

Hello!

I attended WO in 2002 when I had about 15 (but that included PBEM) games of ASL under my belt.

You will have no problems, you will find friendly people willing to help you learn, and have a blast. The open style of play lends itself to new players.

I highly recommend.

Peace

Roger

 

[Carln0130]

As per the title. I posed this question to another member via PM and he suggested I start a thread after looking over previously posted, similar ones.

Oh and I'm not using the term "newb" out of modesty. I guess there are guys who have been playing for a year or more who might call themselves newbs and maybe they are right. But in my case, I have only gone over the rulebook that comes with ASLSK#1 (albeit rather thoroughly) and started reading the ASLRB. Now, I have no doubt that I will be able to get some ftf ASLSK under my belt before WO rolls around. My actual goal, however, is to play full ASL. I am wondering if attending WO, in the esteemed opinion of ye grognards, would be a worthwhile effort in that regard. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

FYI, travel expenses are not a deal breaker here as I am only approx 2.5 hours (in ideal traffic) south of Bowie.

Absolutely. When you arrive, just let the people in charge of matching opponents up, know that you are new and they will pair you up accordingly. Newbies are always welcome. Just let the TD's know you are new and your opponents know. You will be greeted warmly, I have no doubt.

 

[witchbottles]

As per the title. I posed this question to another member via PM and he suggested I start a thread after looking over previously posted, similar ones.

Oh and I'm not using the term "newb" out of modesty. I guess there are guys who have been playing for a year or more who might call themselves newbs and maybe they are right. But in my case, I have only gone over the rulebook that comes with ASLSK#1 (albeit rather thoroughly) and started reading the ASLRB. Now, I have no doubt that I will be able to get some ftf ASLSK under my belt before WO rolls around. My actual goal, however, is to play full ASL. I am wondering if attending WO, in the esteemed opinion of ye grognards, would be a worthwhile effort in that regard. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

FYI, travel expenses are not a deal breaker here as I am only approx 2.5 hours (in ideal traffic) south of Bowie.

If you can go - go. There is no debate. Anyone saying different is encouraging you in the wrong direction.

You go, and you will:

A. Have a Ton of Fun
B. Meet legends in the game face to face and likely end up playing one or more of them.
C. Have a Ton of Fun.
D. Enjoy some exceedingly well - aged Scotch from someone's personal " Post - Gaming Morale Check" kit.
E. Have a Ton of Fun.
F. Come home with cool ASL - related Swag. ( T-shirts, name tag, who knows what else.)
G. Be the first guy on your block with a copy of the WO Pack.
H. Play more ASL than you can imagine. You will be punch - drunk and reeling from all the ASL games you will play in that limited time span.
I. Have a Ton of Fun.
J. Did I mention you will have a blast, meet and greet some really cool ASLrs, play so many games your fingers will be bleeding and aching from all the counters they had to pick up and move each turn?
K. No one puts on a WO better than MMP.
L. What else would you find to occupy your time in the snow with?
M. The memories alone will be worth a lifetime. The games so much fun, you'll come back in 12 months with a few emails from the guys you met this time, ready for a re- match.


Do it. Go to WO. Period.

Every ASLr should get to a major convention at least once. Going as a noobie makes it all the more awe - inspiring .

KRL, Jon H

 

[jrv]

Winter Offensive is MMP's general tournament, and although there is a lot of ASL played, the tournament includes other MMP games. If you need a "cover," you can always say you are a Civil War Brigade player who's coming over to see what all the hub-bub is about ;-)

JR

 

[Robin Reeve]

Winning is not the point as a newbie.

Only as a newbie ?
As much as I like to win, playing is the point for me, over all other considerations...
But that could be my way to elude the fact that I am not a top notch player...

That said, answering the OP : do go to WO or any other tournament, meeting of ASL players.
Not only will you learn to play better, but you will meet wonderful people most of the time.

 

[tekay44]

All newbs should go to as many tourneys as they can. I knew not a soul when I started, and, now I have many friends in the hobby. People will go out of their way to see that you have a good time. Great way to learn.

 

[Manchu]

Well, the overwhelming response (as predicted by the poster I PMed) is GO GO GO. I really appreciate all the responses so far and the enthusiastic and positive vibe certainly helps hype me up about attending. But let me just sort of explain why I posted the question in the first place, given how obvious the answer might seem to the folks responding. Here's what I imagine: show up, see lots of strangers sat at tables covered in beautiful but indecipherable (to me) maps and counters, sign up with three lines drawn under "NEW PLAYER" notation, sit down and realize I have basically no idea what to do next, opponent asks me a question but 80% of the sentence is made up of unfamiliar ASL acronyms. So let's say I get matched with a player who has the patience of a saint; my worry becomes, okay now I am just wasting this very nice guy's time at a convention he may have come a very long way/spent many dollars to get to ... These are the concerns that motivated me to ask!

Oh and I have seen a reference to a "what to bring to WO" thread but cannot find it. Does anyone know where this might be?

 

[Spencer Armstrong]

Not many ASLers view playing/teaching new players as a waste of time. We're not exactly the largest group and most of us realize we need new blood and are willing to help new players to that end.

If you have VASL, it should also be easy to get some play/training pre-WO so you're better situated to learn at WO.

 

[von Marwitz]

Only as a newbie ?
As much as I like to win, playing is the point for me, over all other considerations...
But that could be my way to elude the fact that I am not a top notch player...

That said, answering the OP : do go to WO or any other tournament, meeting of ASL players.
Not only will you learn to play better, but you will meet wonderful people most of the time.

I am with you, Swiftandsure. I am not one of the competitive bunch either.

What I meant is that winning for a newbie when matched against a very experienced player is out of the question barring a lot of luck, no matter if the newbie wants to win or not.

As to more experienced players, I cannot really tell the ratio of the competitive bunch (for whom winning is important) compared to the others (for whom winning is merely nice). Even when playing those of the competitive bunch, I can tell from my personal experience that by large the most of them are nice and decent guys. I was only annoyed by a very few exceptions of the competitive bunch that let their ambition lead them to be unpleasant opponents. In all fairness, I have to add, that very few exceptions of the non-competitive guys were unpleasant opponents as well for varying reasons. All in all, over the years I found the vast majority of ASL opponents I played with a quite aimable bunch.

von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

All newbs should go to as many tourneys as they can. I knew not a soul when I started, and, now I have many friends in the hobby. People will go out of their way to see that you have a good time. Great way to learn.

Your experience mirrors mine. It was the late Christian Koppmeyer, "founder" of the German ASL tournament Grenadier in 1998, that invited me to join him and his ASL buddies in 1997 for a week-end of gaming. The first "real" ASL players I ever saw. 1998 I attended the first Grenadier. Tomorrow, I will go to attend Grenadier 2015 which is now run by M. Koch, a long time friend of Christian.

I have mentioned the following before and I will probably not the last time that I mention it now:
I am grateful and still amazed, that while generation of our grandfathers went to war to kill each other, today the generation of their grand-children can peacefully play a war-game together instead. Of course that is not the merit of ASL, but it is this game that brings us Germans, Frenchmen, British, Americans, and many other nationalities together at one table.


von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

Well, the overwhelming response (as predicted by the poster I PMed) is GO GO GO. I really appreciate all the responses so far and the enthusiastic and positive vibe certainly helps hype me up about attending. But let me just sort of explain why I posted the question in the first place, given how obvious the answer might seem to the folks responding. Here's what I imagine: show up, see lots of strangers sat at tables covered in beautiful but indecipherable (to me) maps and counters, sign up with three lines drawn under "NEW PLAYER" notation, sit down and realize I have basically no idea what to do next, opponent asks me a question but 80% of the sentence is made up of unfamiliar ASL acronyms. So let's say I get matched with a player who has the patience of a saint; my worry becomes, okay now I am just wasting this very nice guy's time at a convention he may have come a very long way/spent many dollars to get to ... These are the concerns that motivated me to ask!

Oh and I have seen a reference to a "what to bring to WO" thread but cannot find it. Does anyone know where this might be?

Actually, many players are just happy to welcome newcomers to the game and give them their time. Each year, I play some games on VASL with people new to the game. There are some that do that most of their time, even "specialize" on it. I am of the conviction that this is time well spent. I do not see it as a waste of time. Some see it as an "investment" since the ASL player-base is not exactly young nor (probably) fast growing. I would not even take that point of view. For me, it is a bit comparable like teaching a child: You see the enthusiasm and interest and the willingness it has to learn. You see how it is happy with its successes and getting better. And, well, I guess I would be proud if a complete noob that I taught would eventually manage to make me sweat and beat me.

As for the equipment:
For a start, bring your rulebook and your dice. You should be fine. There's always ample kit at tournaments that other people bring.

von Marwitz

 

[Sparafucil3]

Oh and I have seen a reference to a "what to bring to WO" thread but cannot find it. Does anyone know where this might be?

My advice: Don't go. They are addicting. You'll form friendships that need to be fed. You'll develop a stronger liking for the game. And stronger need to acquire more. It is a hard habit to break. You've been warned

Here is my suggestion:
1) Rule book
2) Dice
3) Tower or glass
4) Playlist
5) Overlays
6) System counters
7) German/Russian OB / TPP counters
9) Everything

IMO, 1 - 4 are a must. Five and six if you are tight on space. Seven if you have a little more room. Those OB's are in demand or hard to find. If you plan on playing TPP and they have their own maps, try to bring those too. Since you are driving such a short distance, you should do nine. The room will be locked at night and your gear should be safe so there is no need to lug it around every day.

As a point of reference, I live in Chantilly VA. When I have attended in the past, I have brought all my gear. I have loaned bits and pieces to out of towners so they can play. I have ALWAYS go my gear back, sorted properly, and in the same shape as I lent it. I have had people forget to return dice, and mail them back without prompting (cost more than the dice were worth to send them back to me). If I attend this year, I will do the same with confidence. -- jim

 

[King Billy]

Yes, you will have a great time, and you will meet some great people!

 

[Manchu]

On the subject of dice towers, I notice they are often brought up as essential ASLer gear and ubiquitous in tournament photos. IME, from the RPG and miniatures gaming side of things, they are considered novelties at best. Is there something particular to ASL, either as to the game itself or to the etiquette of ASLers, that makes dice towers more important? I mean, I can imagine wanted to make sure dice don't get rolled over a plexi-glass surface piled with intricately arranged cardboard chits. But surely a dice tray would work just as well to limit where the dice roll. Is there a bias against throwing dice?

I must also confess, I don't know to what "glass" in "3) Tower or glass" from Sparafucil3's post above refers. And for that matter, what is a "playlist" in this context?

As for German/Russian OB counters, with BV OOP just now the best I can do so far as I know is bring whatever comes with ASLSK#1 and ASLSK#2 of the Germans along with what I can manage to get before WO that is still in print (I suppose most notably, the British).

 

[Spencer Armstrong]

On the subject of dice towers, I notice they are often brought up as essential ASLer gear and ubiquitous in tournament photos. IME, from the RPG and miniatures gaming side of things, they are considered novelties at best. Is there something particular to ASL, either as to the game itself or to the etiquette of ASLers, that makes dice towers more important? I mean, I can imagine wanted to make sure dice don't get rolled over a plexi-glass surface piled with intricately arranged cardboard chits. But surely a dice tray would work just as well to limit where the dice roll. Is there a bias against throwing dice?

I must also confess, I don't know to what "glass" in "3) Tower or glass" from Sparafucil3's post above refers. And for that matter, what is a "playlist" in this context?

As for German/Russian OB counters, with BV OOP just now the best I can do so far as I know is bring whatever comes with ASLSK#1 and ASLSK#2 of the Germans along with what I can manage to get before WO that is still in print (I suppose most notably, the British).

Glass...like a drinking glass. An alternative way to roll dice. Keeping dice under control is a big deal when you have lots of fiddly stacks of counters, so towers/glasses are basically required. I've seen a couple guys use trays, but always with felted cups that are inverted into them to roll. So, yeah, there is a bias (no, prohibition) against throwing dice. Tables get packed pretty full too, so space is at a premium. Also, this community tends to be more hung up on quality and fairness of dice than any outside of backgammon. Precision dice are very common. I carry three sets of five. If we play and you don't have precision dice, I will offer to let you use one group for our game (your choice).

Playlist - list of scenarios one desires to play. Many players bring this to a tournament to ease the scenario selection. I almost never do and help others with their playlists.