Any SP players also do tabletop wargames?

[runequester]

I apologize if this is somewhat off topic, though I hope not.
If a mod decides to move or delete the thread, I'll understand though.

Steel Panthers always felt like a hardcore tabletop wargame to me, and I'd be surprised if there weren't some wargamers amongst the original designers.

So I figured I'd see if there's any tabletop wargamers out there who also enjoy Steel Panthers (as a sort of ultimate board game)

This can be either board games (I own copies of the venerable World in Flames and a few others) or miniatures games (too many to count, but Crossfire, PBI 2, Face of battle, I aint been shot mum, Troops weapons & tactics and Nuts are once we play quite a lot)

Cheers and again, apologies if this is too far off topic.

Ivan

[Double_Deuce]

I'm a long time wargamer. Started with Avalon Hill's Afrika Korps, when it first came out, mid 70's maybe? Then Squad Leader when it came out, transition to the current Advanced Squad Leader and still play it to this day.

[void1984]

I've always wanted, but I was too young to have the money for battle figures (besides self-made blood bowl proxies).
I wonder which system is the most interesting to get me and some friends into. Maybe "Mein Panzer"?

[Cross]

I had a very large collection of 32nd and 72nd scale. Mostly Airfix soldiers from all the major nations and quite a few vehicles, buildings, bridges etc.

I must have carefully boxed up thousands of pieces. The 72nd scale in tobacco tins, the 32nd scale in one and half gallon plastic tubs. I left them in my mother's loft and left the country for a few years.

I came back one year and found out she'd given the lot away!


Cross

[void1984]

Originally Posted by Cross

I came back one year and found out she'd given the lot away!

I guess, to add insult to injury, that she's given them to some 8-year kid.

[JTullman]

I'm not certain exactly how I missed this thread.

I'm a huge wargammer myself, mainly of the Avalon Hill variety.
Miniatures have always intrigued me, especially 1/72 but I do not have the time or the space to really get into something like that.
Besides, with so many games that literally "borrowed" the rules from existing miniatures games to create "board" games I tend to get the overall experience anyway. There is something truly awesome about a miniature army, though.

Now for some shameless promotion just in case nobody was aware:

If you are interested in playing practically any board game ever made via the internet, I emphatically encourage you to check out http://www.vassalengine.org/
VASSAL is a thriving community surrounding a vast user generated board game service.
Also for those of you Squad Leaders:
http://www.wargameacademy.org/sqla/
This is Bill Thomson's Squad Leader organization, I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.
Lastly is ConsimWorld:
http://social.consimworld.com/
another great resource for getting in touch with other grognards.

Most of this is probably old hat but I like to maintain some awareness of this hobby. Computer gaming is great (especially Steel Panthers) and has relieved many rulebook headaches but there is still something great about tabletop games.

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Originally Posted by JTullman

I'm not certain exactly how I missed this thread.

I'm a huge wargammer myself, mainly of the Avalon Hill variety.
Miniatures have always intrigued me, especially 1/72 but I do not have the time or the space to really get into something like that.
Besides, with so many games that literally "borrowed" the rules from existing miniatures games to create "board" games I tend to get the overall experience anyway. There is something truly awesome about a miniature army, though.

Now for some shameless promotion just in case nobody was aware:

If you are interested in playing practically any board game ever made via the internet, I emphatically encourage you to check out http://www.vassalengine.org/
VASSAL is a thriving community surrounding a vast user generated board game service.
Also for those of you Squad Leaders:
http://www.wargameacademy.org/sqla/
This is Bill Thomson's Squad Leader organization, I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.
Lastly is ConsimWorld:
http://social.consimworld.com/
another great resource for getting in touch with other grognards.

Most of this is probably old hat but I like to maintain some awareness of this hobby. Computer gaming is great (especially Steel Panthers) and has relieved many rulebook headaches but there is still something great about tabletop games.

Hey, that vassal engine looks very cool, if anyone wants to try a game to see how it goes drop me a PM.

[Roman]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

Hey, that vassal engine looks very cool, if anyone wants to try a game to see how it goes drop me a PM.

Looks interesting. Which module do you recommend?.

[JTullman]

I'm certainly glad that there is some interest in VASSAL. Frankly, I just assumed that most Steel Panthers players came from or were already using VASSAL.

It can be difficult to "break into" one's favorite game on VASSAL unless it is very popular. First, many people do not actually have their old games anymore and some of them have become quite valuable and difficult to obtain (ebay to the rescue). Of course, all of these games are still someone's intellectual property and thus it is illegal to play the game without actually owning a physical copy. Usually, to prevent legal disputes the module developers obtain permission and this permission is contingent on the module not containing the game's rules in any form. Also there can be difficultly in locating a compatible player. However, many games/modules have a homepage for the people who designed the module. There you can usually find contact info for players looking for a game. Also, boardgamegeek.com and consimworld are good starts. I doubt that the Shrapnel folks appreciate us using their servers to hook up for gaming on VASSAL. At the very least it is impolite.

VASSAL mainly caters to fans of Advanced Squad Leader (actually this where its name comes from) but the utility found in such a service was quite useful in hundreds of other "cult" or disappearing games. Ironically, turning to the microcomputer, the device that caused the downfall of the big war game companies, is really the only plausible option for saving the games' player base. Perhaps even stranger is the fact that the player base for many of the more popular titles (ASL, PanzerBlitz, etc) has actually begun to expand for the first time since the '80's.

Personally, I use VASSAL for Squad Leader and Firepower but I have played many other games through their system. Nearly every module that I have played was quite well done.
Recommending modules would be difficult. Most people come to VASSAL looking to play a game that they've played for years and are not really looking for something new. Furthermore, the best modules are exact clones of their board game counterpart, so creativity or originality are not necessarily positive traits. I suppose I should mention that many people have created original games exclusively for VASSAL that have no board game origins.

Currently I am a full time college student and as such I do not have enough time to devote to such games; however, I usually maintain at least one PBEM with an old friend.

I simply saw this thread and could not keep my big mouth shut.
Happy Gaming!

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Originally Posted by Roman

Looks interesting. Which module do you recommend?.

Don't know, but apparently most boardgames are avaiable, i always wanted to try squad leader, seems fun to play...