Year in review - Official ASL releases in 2008

[chris_olden]

AP4 is very good, AP5 will be as good, if not better.

BETTER.
so sue me, I'm biased!:laugh:
co

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Pegasus Bridge! Yes, get it if you can. I got my 2nd copy mainly for the additional German vehicles based on captured French chassis,

 

[scrub]

scrub,

Be sure to try the Sentry Box in Calgary if you want ASL through a Canadian source. They have lots of good stuff in stock, including a bunch of different SKs and BV3.

Finally saw the new rules binders in there the other day; nice work on them. I mentioned in the other thread - Sentry Box prices are due to go up again soon due to rises in the value of the U.S. dollar so best to do your shopping soon, if they changes haven't gone into effect already.

Yeah I noticed Sentry Box in my online travels. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Michael Dorosh]

AP 4 is great if your an official only type of player, but too me, this scenario pack was very bland IE most of the scenarios pretty much looked the same kinda reminded me of Shwerepunkts design style. The VC's are pretty much the same, take x number of buildings and so on. Now if you want a great pack of scenarios on D-Day, get HoB Hitting the Beachead or CH! Busting the Bocage.

VotG is ok if your a big fan of Stalingrad city fights and enjoy grinding your way around rubble, burning terrain and fortifications. Some huge rules changes from the official core rules could have been left out IE Recon and radios for Russian Armor in 42. Heck, in the core rules, umits lose concralment via recon, now they dont in VotG. Makes buying recon a fairly worthless move. Anyway, many other problems with this module that should have been thought through before release, hard to read map, the depleted status of units can really cause both sides serious problems in trying to play out the campaigns also. Lastly, it really is no fun playing the Russians, your just a punching bag for the Germans.

Did not buy Op 1, not gonna pay 40+ bucks for a map and two scenarios. All in all, for those whom are serious MMP fan boys, this is good year, for the rest of us, we got VotG with warts and all, a bland pack of scenarios on a tired and over used front of the war. Too me, MMP does not have their hearts in this game anymore and its showing.

This didn't seem completely without merit; putting aside the tone and the source, does anyone agree that

a) the Normandy scenarios were subpar (in comparison to TPP products)
b) VotG suffers from poor and contradictory rules implementation

I'm not in a position to judge those points.

I can agree that the map for VotG was too dark; that was covered on the forum here and I concur with that. I don't think it is evidence MMP's head or heart is no longer in the game. That's simply facts not in evidence.

The special edition of Operations represents, also, probably - and this isn't hyperbole, but actual research on every major board wargaming magazine ever published in English - the fullest special issue ever offered by any wargaming periodical ever. S&T offered up four special issues in their entire history, all of which were dramatically thin on content; The General had I believe two special issues, one of which was for Origins and was only a "sampler" of reprinted articles; F&M had a special issue which was an introductory issue for novice wargamers that was actually pretty good and I think had a small sample wargame in it - still not a comparison in my opinion, etc. I've been looking at pretty much all the titles I can think of dating back to the creation of the General, and some obscure titles too like Boardgamer and Yaquinto's newsletter, Victory Games' Insider, BattlePlan which ran for just over half a dozen issues, etc. etc. I've yet to see evidence that any of them offered a special issue that packed as much content into a "special issue" as MMP did into Operations' special issue.

I would love to be corrected on that point, however.

I can understand the frustration of ASL players at paying $40 for a handful of scenarios and a map, but the obvious response is, of course, that MMP wasn't charging $40 for a handful of scenarios and a map.

Again - this is not evidence in any way, shape or form that MMP is somehow uninterested in the hobby. The high quality of the special issue actually speaks to exactly the opposite.

 

[Glennbo]

MMP did O.K. for 2008. The new "official" boards were all that mattered to me.

I was unhappy with 2/3 of these new boards. It drives me nuts when I think of what they could have done. So I'm making some boards of my own.

 

[rcornwell]

I found AP4 and VotG both to be very good.

I've played four of the AP4 scenarios so far and they've been fun with an interesting array of toys. Takes a little while to remember the tricks of bocage. A few are on the larger side.

VotG has also been fun. Looking forward to playing some more of the scenarios.

Haven't played Singling yet, but I will.

 

[daveramsey]

It amazes me to see discontent around 3 official releases for ASL from MMP in one year.

Is it really that people expect more? A journal, a HASL and a core module reprint every year?

Quality over quantity every time for me. It would be very easy for a reputation to be gained for poor quality releases, and MMP have avoided that since they began their stewardship of the hobby.

2008 has been a solid, if not exceptional, year. The release of VotG, regardless of how long it's taken or when it should have come along, shouldn't be forgotten or dismissed lightly, because it still is an impressive release. Playing The Darkest Day ranks as one of the best scenarios I've ever played and there's plenty more hours where that came from.

I think it can only go down as a bad year if I've played everything they've released in a year and have time for more - I got about 4 scenarios and the first day of a campaign for VotG in, none of AP4 yet, and not played the Singling campaign.

They're producing more than I can get through - why would I complain?

 

[Portal]

Dave,

Ya need to take off the rose-coloured glasses, dude.

 

[Gunner Scott]

Hmmmmm, me thinks i need to drink the MMP koolaid so everything they publish is perfect and no one dare complain.


Scott

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Hmmmmm, me thinks i need to drink the MMP koolaid so everything they publish is perfect and no one dare complain.


Scott

What would represent an acceptable year of releases for you?

 

[RobZagnut]

HWSNBN and HWSNBM#2 strike again.

Three great products in one year and all they do is complain. I absolutely love VotG and it is the best module to come out since AOO. AP#4 is a good product, but if you're not into Bocage I can see your concern. I'm not and I like it. As a fan of many different MMP lines of games, not just ASL, I couldn't be happier with Special Ops #1.

It was a great year for MMP and with the playtest of AP#5 finishing up, I expect to see the best AP yet released soon.

 

[chris_olden]

with the playtest of AP#5 finishing up, I expect to see the best AP yet released soon.

:clap::joy::thumup::hail::vsign::headbang::hurray::horse::toast:

 

[Portal]

I'll provide my input into Dorosh's Q because I genuinely want to see MMP realistically improve. Here is what I would like to see from MMP in 2009:

In realistic priority order:

#1) Bring DB3 and the Map Bundle to market. They've long hit P# already.
#2) Ensure all the SKs and BV3 are in-print and available from MMP's online store
#3) Start scaling back freelancer projects on other games which don't generate as much revenue as ASL. Get back into this business if ASL stops making money or Hasbro pulls the license (no problem to do this)
#4) Re-print FKaC
#5) Continue development of "Code of Ho" and Haake Paale for a 2010-2011 release

You'll notice no new APs nor HASLs appear on this list. That's because I firmly believe they are a needless distraction from a MMP strategic perspective. TPPs are doing a great job getting fresh scenarios and even HASL-like products to market. New geo-boards released outside of new core modules aren't necessary when more pressing issues are at the plate.

 

[Houlie]

What's with the negative waves?

Frankly, who cares about "official" when, besides the three quality MMP releases, we saw a boatload of "unofficial" releases that were stellar including, ITR, SP14, RPT3, ESG4, FrF4, Kreta, maybe RBF4 (?), LFT10, FTC3, a bunch of CH stuff including reprints of Stonne 2nd ed., BDF, DBP, etc. The quality of all these has been excellent. I will grant that we need to keep the core mods in print, but it sounds like they are in progress.

I'll choose to focus on the whole picture rather than just MMP. I spent more freaking dollars on ASL this year than in quite a while and have more than I could ever play -- though I'll try! The fact is there are many fine producers of ASL products to keep our wallets empty.

Think positive!

 

[Portal]

Houlie,

If you heed the thread title and opening post, the thread starter wanted our perspectives on Official ASL. I agree that TPPs had a fantastic 2008, but that's not what the thread is about.

 

[Manilianus]

I'll second that, no fear of the future. CH puts the same (if not more) effort to ASL as MMP.The stars are (b)right! As for now, my only pleas for MMP are keeping the core modules in print, revise them more or less, and make Hakkaa Paale (or something like that). And, of course, Up Front 20000000000. (Hell, I want this game, I feel sorry not to have the occasion to play it. And, original maniac that I am, I do not want a copy from ebay. Put a stand by mode, and waiting.)

 

[jpellam]

What's with the negative waves?

Frankly, who cares about "official" when, besides the three quality MMP releases, we saw a boatload of "unofficial" releases that were stellar including, ITR, SP14, RPT3, ESG4, FrF4, Kreta, maybe RBF4 (?), LFT10, FTC3, a bunch of CH stuff including reprints of Stonne 2nd ed., BDF, DBP, etc. The quality of all these has been excellent. I will grant that we need to keep the core mods in print, but it sounds like they are in progress.

I'll choose to focus on the whole picture rather than just MMP. I spent more freaking dollars on ASL this year than in quite a while and have more than I could ever play -- though I'll try! The fact is there are many fine producers of ASL products to keep our wallets empty.

Think positive!

Bounding fire Productions has caused me to re-think not buying 3rd party ASL stuff. Their scenarios are just plain fun to play. We are truly seeing a resurgance in ASL. 2008 was a very good year.

 

[Roadtogundagai]

Bounding fire Productions has caused me to re-think not buying 3rd party ASL stuff. Their scenarios are just plain fun to play. We are truly seeing a resurgance in ASL. 2008 was a very good year.

I buy everything HOB and BFF put out. CH I am a little more selective with. But I digress - the thread topic is about "official" ASL in 2008. Not that GS threads ever wonder off topic :laugh:

 

[daveramsey]

Look at MMP's success with Devil's Cauldron, it's almost sold out at close to $200 each and they sold probably twice as many of those as they will do of a BV3/DB3 reprint.

The selfish side of me says just concentrate on ASL stuff, but you know what - tournament attendances, from what I've seen, are down, this forum's traffic's lower than it has been for some time and the number of new players coming in, through starter kits or just coming back after a break isn't exceeding the number of players that slowly drop out or move on to other things.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Look at MMP's success with Devil's Cauldron, it's almost sold out at close to $200 each and they sold probably twice as many of those as they will do of a BV3/DB3 reprint.

The selfish side of me says just concentrate on ASL stuff, but you know what - tournament attendances, from what I've seen, are down, this forum's traffic's lower than it has been for some time and the number of new players coming in, through starter kits or just coming back after a break isn't exceeding the number of players that slowly drop out or move on to other things.

Just curious where you get your information from. Specifically:

• Devil's Cauldron, it's almost sold out
• they sold probably twice as many of those as they will do of a BV3/DB3 reprint.
• tournament attendances, from what I've seen, are down
• this forum's traffic's lower than it has been for some time
• number of new players coming in, through starter kits or just coming back after a break isn't exceeding the number of players that slowly drop out or move on to other things

Is any of this actually based on hard data that you have seen for yourself or is this gut-feeling research?