tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post7953819283633813570..comments2024-03-27T15:59:11.066+00:00Comments on Prometheus in Aspic: For King and Parliament - At Last a Proper Try-Out GameMSFoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-43222559849479199692019-04-25T09:18:34.571+01:002019-04-25T09:18:34.571+01:00Hi Chris - I am assured by those who know that you...Hi Chris - I am assured by those who know that you can play a very large game very quickly using FK&P - I have no reason to doubt them, but we are going to have to get an awful lot faster to have any hope of that. With about a dozen units a side, we took about four hours to half-complete a trial combat. Yes, we'll get quicker, but there's quite a lot of work in the game.<br /><br />The big version of Marston Moor we fought here last March was completed in three and a half hours, using my C&C-derived rules, so my judgement of whether a game plays quickly or not is based on that sort of experience!<br /><br />The scoreboard has turned out to be a success. Originally I was a bit worried that the idea was silly - and I, as you know, have an unusually high threshold of embarrassment in such matters. In fact it's fine - apart from being useful, the mere fact that it is a "proper" piece of furniture, and not made from laser-cut MDF (which, of course, has its place...) gives the proceedings a welcome degree of dignity.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-52424806831471856402019-04-25T09:05:36.136+01:002019-04-25T09:05:36.136+01:00Yes indeed! I hadn't really appreciated the fa...Yes indeed! I hadn't really appreciated the fact that the (smaller) Swedish units should be more numerous, to balance up the game a bit. I thought the faster manoeuvre and special pistol rules (and various features of countercharges and the use of Dash markers) which are specific to Swedish horse would give them big advantages, but the Dutch style chaps held their own more than expected. Lesson learned - more Swedish horse required. I guess big units are split into smaller ones.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-46572722410879414312019-04-25T09:01:11.971+01:002019-04-25T09:01:11.971+01:00The Big Red Bat Shop provide a good range of quali...The Big Red Bat Shop provide a good range of quality items to facilitate the game, from an assortment of play mats to MDF counters and Victory Medals based on contemporary coinage. One of the available items is a set of counters numbered 1 to 10 - numerous sets of these in a draw bag is a recommended alternative to the cards (don't you use this system for one of the WW2 games you play?). I know of a number of people who use this system and like it. I plumped for the cards because I thought they would be quicker.<br /><br />You would need quite a lot of the numbered counters, I guess - it would be a poor show if all the chits higher than 6 were already on the table! I think the Jolly Broom man will be using chits in his games.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-79882573209418468522019-04-25T02:17:22.256+01:002019-04-25T02:17:22.256+01:00As you become accustomed to the rules, they play q...As you become accustomed to the rules, they play quite quickly, although of course the more commands there are per player, the longer it takes. For convention games, 2 commands per player wotks well. <br /><br />The organization of the rules is exceptionally good, I think, especially if you use the electronic format with hyperlinked index (I have both formats). I have to say that I agree with you on the QRS for FK&P - grossly inadequate for new players, and assets a whole side of the sheet on the uinit characteristics, costs, etc which IMHO don't belong on a QRS at all. I did my own QRS, which I humbly pronounce to be in every way superior. :-) (Hmpf!)Gonsalvohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531623280789478092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-61650026091865494232019-04-24T23:53:15.658+01:002019-04-24T23:53:15.658+01:00Interesting write up. Been pondering going down th...Interesting write up. Been pondering going down the FK&P route but not sure on the basis of what I've heard so far. Eagerly awaiting TJBM's next AAR.<br /><br />That scoreboard is 'proper' as Guy Martin would say. It looks as if it was originally designed for this purpose and some whipper-snapper later stole the idea for billiards.nundankethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12895608927860103442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-35540672519676646712019-04-24T15:12:26.169+01:002019-04-24T15:12:26.169+01:00Interested to see we've both independently ado...Interested to see we've both independently adopted the same formations for our Dutch and Swedish horse. I spent a lost weekend rejigging my sabots (not as painful as it sounds) in order to accommodate the change.The Jolly Broom Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14037134974588645559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-13637646456423248842019-04-24T13:17:57.111+01:002019-04-24T13:17:57.111+01:00Hi Tony,
That was an interesting read and I'l...Hi Tony, <br />That was an interesting read and I'll start by saying that I admire your commitment to learning a new set of rules. Aesthetically, I'm not so keen on the look of the game, possibly because I have become so accustomed to your rather fine C&C ECW layout, but I'm also sure it has a lot to do with those playing cards being on the playing area, on the baseline I have no problem. Half size helps though, I can see that. I'm sure it's going to deliver a good game once you are fully up to speed with the rules, and I look forward to reading more, but cards on the table, I'm just not sure about it.'Lee.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02728400013024811279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-48340251413535875542019-04-24T02:46:11.594+01:002019-04-24T02:46:11.594+01:00I received a Google-free email from Google-free Ma...I received a Google-free email from Google-free Martin, who points out that it should be obvious whose turn it currently is, since he will be the player with activation cards on the table next to his units and brigades. That is a very good point, and should in itself be sufficient, but it is compromised if the play of the to-hit and save cards is untidy (i.e. not on the baseline, as per the guidelines), in which case there will be cards all over the table, and it is not so clear. Martin's point stands, however - if you keep the place tidy, it should be obvious whose turn it us and which units have been activated so far. Thanks Martin - useful sanity check.<br /><br />There are so many advantages in keeping the game tidy, in fact, that it becomes a no-brainer. It's just a question of actually doing it, then.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-26178277829851165452019-04-23T23:22:13.739+01:002019-04-23T23:22:13.739+01:00I'm not sure, but I heard somewhere that the a...I'm not sure, but I heard somewhere that the authors intend to develop a related game for the late 17th Century, which appears to be a period of particular interest.<br /><br />Hang about for a while!MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-8247133575563098102019-04-23T23:20:21.539+01:002019-04-23T23:20:21.539+01:00Hi Jon - like all new games, it was harder work th...Hi Jon - like all new games, it was harder work than I expected - I should have expected that...<br /><br />Scoreboard - you just need to find an old billiards/pool hall that's being knocked down. My scoreboard had alarming evidence of woodworm, so it spent a while in rehab before it was allowed in the house. I still check regularly for traces of rogue sawdust.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-81287871087701155542019-04-23T23:03:45.535+01:002019-04-23T23:03:45.535+01:00Very useful sir, and some good pointers before I t...Very useful sir, and some good pointers before I try them out myself.<br />Good call on that QRS and I will watch out for it.<br />I had been considering converting to Grand Alliance from ECW with these rules (as I heard someone at a recent show had done - if photographic evidence is to believed) but perhaps that might be a step too far initially.<br />Thanks for the detail here.Duc de Gobinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10668407600014604176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-35490009836443248262019-04-23T22:51:49.181+01:002019-04-23T22:51:49.181+01:00I love seeing your classic scoreboard in action. ...I love seeing your classic scoreboard in action. If only I could find one of these, life would be grand.<br /><br />Since this was your first taste, I await more exercises in FK&P as you hone your skill and assessment of the rules.<br /><br />Oh, I agree with your impression of the QRS. It's a mess.Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.com