Your 5 Favorite HASL Maps

Vic Provost

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For those interested here are some photographs of Rees from back then:


Furthermore some contemporary photographs and information of Rees that I dug out to support the creation of this map in the following and subsequent posts linked below:



von Marwitz
Great stuff and Thanks for sharing, Vic.
 

Vic Provost

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No, I don't think that's true. Getting paid just bumps it up a notch, but if you care/are-anal, you're gonna try harder anyway.

Quick test: if you're explaining to your wife what you're working on and she doesn't ask, "Who ever's gonna notice THAT?", then you're not trying hard enough.

Quick test 2: look at the buildings on the FB maps. Buildings are a notorious PITA because they require so much more detail than anything else. Notice how much extra detail is on those buildings - all the dormers, TOR (Things On Roofs), damaged areas, little cutouts and add-ons, etc. All of that stuff doubles or triples the amount of time it takes to do each individual building. Then multiply by how many buildings there are. It's ridiculous, and there's no way to automate it.
Yes indeed. another shout out to Bill Cirillo for the job he did on that map, incredible detail to say the least, Vic.
 

Michael Dorosh

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For those interested here are some photographs of Rees from back then:


Furthermore some contemporary photographs and information of Rees that I dug out to support the creation of this map in the following and subsequent posts linked below:


von Marwitz
This one is still on my top ten list of things I want to find the time to play.
 

Vic Provost

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You bet Carl, not long before I got sick, I found the hand-written version of the first scenario I designed and developed for the Rees fight that I did type up and mailed to On All Fronts back in the 80s. Tom loved that scenario and after I found it, it gave him the impetus to start some research into the battle and if there was more there. Leave it to Tom to come up with Issue # 44s HASL which is about as good as Dispatches ever has produced. A fine map for a really well done product with a lot of help from the usual suspects in the New England ASL Community, What would we do without Tom? ;) Vic.
 

Yuri0352

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You bet Carl, not long before I got sick, I found the hand-written version of the first scenario I designed and developed for the Rees fight that I did type up and mailed to On All Fronts back in the 80s. Tom loved that scenario and after I found it, it gave him the impetus to start some research into the battle and if there was more there. Leave it to Tom to come up with Issue # 44s HASL which is about as good as Dispatches ever has produced. A fine map for a really well done product with a lot of help from the usual suspects in the New England ASL Community, What would we do without Tom? ;) Vic.
Rees was the first and as yet only CG which I have ever played. Quite possibly one of my all time favorite ASL experiences, and not only because I won as the Commonwealth player. I highly recommend Operation Turnscrew as an introduction to Campaign Games, and I would gladly play it again as either side. Not your 'run of the mill' city map either! A fine product and clearly a labor of love.
 

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Rees was the first and as yet only CG which I have ever played. Quite possibly one of my all time favorite ASL experiences, and not only because I won as the Commonwealth player. I highly recommend Operation Turnscrew as an introduction to Campaign Games, and I would gladly play it again as either side. Not your 'run of the mill' city map either! A fine product and clearly a labor of love.
I just might have to try this CG in the near future. I seem to have a lot of time on my hands anyways. :)
 

hongkongwargamer

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I am afraid we don’t compensate anyone in the design process VERY well, certainly not what they are worth. :(

None of us are getting rich on this.
Yes sir. That was a bit of a tongue in cheek reaction to Tuomo.

I still maintain that we get more perfection out of you folks out there who work for love than for money. This makes for a unique industry and a very rich legacy.

Thank you.
 

Vic Provost

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Rees was the first and as yet only CG which I have ever played. Quite possibly one of my all time favorite ASL experiences, and not only because I won as the Commonwealth player. I highly recommend Operation Turnscrew as an introduction to Campaign Games, and I would gladly play it again as either side. Not your 'run of the mill' city map either! A fine product and clearly a labor of love.
Awesome man, glad you had fun, we sure did when Tom brought us into the playtest. Quirky map and that one pillbox was a real pain to clear!

Fun stuff and there sure is time to play it now for many folks, Thanks for the post, Vic.
 

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favorites and best? Often very different so I'll toss off two lists.

Best?
  1. Red Barricades. It set the standard and I'd be willing to bet that some knows its figures and curves better than their spousal units
  2. KG Scherer (Kholm) - set a new standard for HASL maps.
  3. Berlin (Fot3R and TL) - Innovation side hands down the best, most attractive and diverse and tactically challenging urban HASL map set out there.
  4. BRT - old school, pre computer graphics maps rule.
  5. Motoyama 2 - what is lacks in beauty, it rules in nailing the battlefield
Favorites?
  1. Berlin - take the map and add what some have called the best CG ASL has seen (and obviously I would concure) and the unique nature of the battle and its terrain. Easily my favorite.
  2. Maxim Gorky - great map and oh yeah.. subterranean maps... yes..D&D ASL rules..
  3. Omaha Beach (west and east)- not only beautiful but very evocative.
  4. Valor of the Guards - no it isn't Red Barracides but it is a better map and miles more fun to play upon.
  5. Bloody Buna - still digesting this one as it is a new release but a extremely attactive and challenging PTO battlefield
 

The Purist

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I'm not much for urban fighting a la Stalingrad. My taste runs more towards the countryside/village CGs so:

  1. Dinant
  2. Peiper I (Stoumont)
  3. Pegasus Bridge
  4. Primosole Bridge (the vineyards)
  5. Race for the Meuse (LCP: complex terrain in a 1940 Ardennes)
Honourable mention Singling and Hatten in Flames.

I did note that 'slope' hex sides were not used on the Dinant maps. Is this because the terrain up top is generally flat or just to keep the terrain rules simple?
 
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Yuri0352

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  1. Maxim Gorky - great map and oh yeah.. subterranean maps... yes..D&D ASL rules.
This module is at the top of my ASL 'Dream Sheet', mainly because of the unique map. If I owned it, I would probably add it to my 'favorite' list as well.
 

phlegm027

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I'm not much for urban fighting a la Stalingrad. My taste runs more towards the countryside/village CGs so:

  1. Dinant
  2. Peiper I (Stoumont)
  3. Pegasus Bridge
  4. Primosole Bridge (the vineyards)
  5. Race for the Meuse (LCP: complex terrain in a 1940 Ardennes)
Honourable mention Singling and Hatten in Flames.

I did note that 'slope' hex sides were not used on the Dinant maps. Is this because the terrain up top is generally flat or just to keep the terrain rules simple?
The terrain around is pretty flat. They are just big fields. A lot of wind farms in the surrounding area.

Don Petros did a great job on Kakazu Ridge. That map is my favorite hand painted map hands down.
 
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