A Distant Plain - Vassal a second family outing.

Started another game of A Distant Plain on Vassal with Dad, Brother and Son.
Brother staying with Coalition (I can see he has an idea how to use them), Dad now Taliban and Son Warlords with me retaining Government.
We played the Main Scenario again and got through 2 Propaganda cards with Coalition being close to a win just before second Propaganda Card but Warlords managed to use Terror in several key locations pegging the Coalition back by loss of Support.
Good to see they are getting the gist of the game and its many strategies, twists and turns.
Good deal of 'diplomacy' in a 4 player game (as in "fer feck sake do something to stop him !!" and suchlike) and just a bit of back stabbing and double dealing.
Great system COIN, not a 'pure' wargame but nice mix of Military, Political and Economic issues backed by historical Events.
And whilst there is no substitute for me to physical play of game with its tactile feel and visual appeal, Vassal is a good system for such remote (and savable) play with family and/or friends.


Situation at end of 2nd Propaganda card

More board wargaming - solo (Festung Europa) and Vassal (A Distant PLain)

Another session of A Distant Plain tonight with my Government faction winning on 5th Propaganda card with -1 victory total, Brother Coalition 2nd on -2, Dad with Warlords in 3rd on -3 and Son with Taliban 4th on -9.

As this was a learning game we will start afresh in due course with COIN factions remaining same but Warlords and Taliban swapping players.

With only a couple of minor issues (some cards need regenerated/noted as auto-discarded) the game played smoothly on Vassal.










The final positions on Victory Track.

Also managed to get Festung Europa onto table for a solo play.
Not played this much (maybe once before ?) but interesting 'light' CDG game of western front 1943-45 starting with OP Husky.

Vassal - A Distant Plain - more Barr family play

Another session with Son, Brother and Dad tonight of A Distant Plain via Vassal.
We got through a couple more Propaganda cards.
Dad with Warlords was in a winning position at one stage but combined Ops by Government (me) and Coalition (bro) saw them knocked back a bit but still ahead at end of session.
Another session planned for Wednesday which may see game completed.
Great stuff and a gaming life-saver is Vassal !!

 

Vassal - Combat Commander

Played some Combat Commander with my Dad via Vassal.
We managed to complete one full scenario 'Bessarabian Knights' and start another 'Rush To Contact'.
Great being able to maintain some game play by this method.

Vassal - A Distant Plain a family affair.............

Managed a to start a game of 'A Distant Plain' tonight via Vassal involving my son, brother and Dad, so very much a family affair (we also used Whats App video call).
Only Dad has played the physical game so tad slow initially explaining some stuff to son and brother but once first couple of card plays done it started to flow well.
Bit of a learning curve also for me controlling via Vassal but nothing too brain reducing.
We played through to end of first Propaganda card and as yet no clear leader (strategies only starting to become clear to newbies).
Son is playing as Taliban, brother as Coalition, Dad as Warlords and me as Government.
Great fun and really nice in these odd days to have a family 'get together'.
Plan is to play at least once per week.




The situation at end of first Propaganda card.

Vassal - Combat Commader

Another online session of Combat Commander with my Dad tonight.
We managed to finish last weeks game with Dad winning the Bocage battle.
Started a fresh scenario 'Bonfire of the NKVD'



Also hoping to get a 4 player game of 'A Distant Plain' up and running with my Dad, brother and son sometime this week.
Maybe a tad ambitious but worth a try...............

Vassal game of Combat Commander

After several failed attempts I managed to set up a Vassal (and Face Time) game with my Dad with the ever excellent Combat Commander.

Bit of a 'struggle' to get him set up with the modules and so forth but once we got going all went smoothly.

Game saved part way through and hopefully easy enough to restore progress.

Not face to face but hopefully it will help him get through his self-isolating phase a bit easier.

Time certainly flew !

We did try TCP/IP connections with both old Combat Mission and Campaign Series PC games but with no success sadly.

Vassal PBEM games ongoing

Have a couple of Vassal games ongoing (both for several months) via Email.

One is 'Thirty Years War' wherein I am playing Protestants and we (bloke in England) have just started the penultimate turn.

Also ongoing a game of 'The Dark Valley' (with US chap) which has reached August 1943.

Thirty Years War - End of PBEM Turn 1

Turn 1 just finished in my Pbem game of TYW.
An eventful turn with Baden changing hands twice from Neutral to Protestant then to Tillys Bavarians with besieged Breisach the last Reformer bastion.
Saxony captured by Protestants under Mansfeld after crushing Saxons at Lutzen.
Then chased by Christian of Brunswick, although Leipzig holds out under siege.
Spanish have ventured into Lower Palatintate taking the Electorate with 2 successful sieges.
Victory Points stand at down 3 for Catholic cause but the large Imperial force at Vienna is unused thus far.

Some VASSAL and PBEM action

Been a while since I posted any screenshots from ongoing Vassal and Pbem games so......





Turning Point Stalingrad with Ivans barely holding on during 29th Sept (VASSAL)

The Dark Valley Nothern regions (Vassal)

Southern portion

CMAK a tough crossing of Volturno for 36th Texans

Campaign Series Western Front a Spanish Civil War bash

PBEM Catch-up

Managed to get several turns of ongoing Vassal and Cyberboard Pbem games done (I have been very slow of late with all these)

Barbarossa To Berlin opening gamut versus David

 Hannibal Rome vs Cathage versus Vita

 Stalemate on Western Front in Paths Of Glory versus Marc

 Stalin orders futile counterattacks in The Dark Valley versus Mike

Death throes of Soviet defenders in Turning Point Stalingrad versus Stefano

Catching up again.......

Busy again so a brief catch-up on gaming activity.

Managed a couple of plays of Combat Commander with my Dad.
Both scenarios from the original CC:Europe set.
First set in Ste Mere Eglise and the second an anti-Partisan sweep in the east.

Also managed to catch up with a few ongoing Vassal Pbem games.

Hannibal: Rome Vs Carthage (vs Vita)

No Peace Without Spain (vs David Pentland who is going for the jugular at Paris !) 

 The Dark Valley (vs Mike)

 Turning Point Stalingrad with last stand of Red Army (vs Stefano)

And an EBay purchase of a title I have been looking for

Vassal games catch-up

Been very slow with my Vassal games this past few weeks but did manage a few turns this morning (prior to late shift).








Kingdom of Heaven with large battle unfolding at Jerusalem between Richard and Saladin

Paths of Glory (via Cyberboard)

Hannibal Rome vs Carthage

The Dark Valley as Barbarossa unfolds

Turning Point Stalingrad with Ivans grimly hanging on