Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Victory Decision => Topic started by: Agis on 21 May 2011, 11:12:45 AM
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(http://www.adpublishing.de/assets/images/VD_Cover_300.jpg)
After 20 publications for World at War it is time for something new.
Victory Decision: World War II is an action based game that allows you to command a platoon sized force or more in this momentous conflict. It features a unique Leadership-modified alternate unit activation system. The result is a fun and fast paced war game that involves both players almost constantly.
Thee rules cover virtually all aspects of World War II gaming. Included are rules for:
- Moving, Hiding, Infiltrating and Spotting,
Artillery and - Shooting and Concentrated Fire Actions,
- Assault and Close Combat Actions,
- Air Strikes, Bunker Assaults, Night Fighting, Foxholes, Tank Pits and much more...
Victory Decision emphasises Troop Quality and Leadership and includes a fast and detailed Vehicle combat system.
The rules cover individually based infantry miniatures and also group- or multibased miniatures, aka Infantry Stands. While designed with 20-28mm miniatures in mind the Victory Decision game system is flexible enough to handle any miniatures from 6mm to 32mm. So whatever your existing miniature collection consists of, you can start playing right away.
This rulebook not only provides Scenarios but also Point based Army Lists for late war British, German, Soviet and US forces. All necessary Game Markers are also included within this book.
As with our previous books you get a full colour version with many high quality pictures of fully painted models and a mostly B&W printer friendly version.
Some preview pages below:
(http://www.adpublishing.de/assets/images/P24-25.jpg)
(http://www.adpublishing.de/assets/images/P76-77.jpg)
You can find more pics and infos on my website:
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/victory_decision.html (http://www.adpublishing.de/html/victory_decision.html)
Plus a free Quick Reference Sheet:
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/downloads1.html (http://www.adpublishing.de/html/downloads1.html)
The book is available via the Wargames Vault:
http://zkluroztcttctzorulkz.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=91776&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=2468 (http://zkluroztcttctzorulkz.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=91776&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=2468)
I have much more planned for the the next months.
Armylists like the ones featured in the book will come out on an almost monthly basis. In addition books on Nation specific Vehicles and Guns are also under development.
Think of the Vehicle Compendiums but add all relevant Guns.
Alex was kind enough to give us the Childboard, and Helen already promised a review of my book...
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good luck, Agis, looking forward to test your game!
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good luck, Agis, looking forward to test your game!
Thanks Prof! 8)
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Sounds quite interesting and I'm looking forward to reading a review of it.
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Man, do you ever sleep?! I can barley get the trash out on time let along get done what you have in the last couple years.
Looks good buddy,
Brian
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Bought the game today (based mainly on the fact that it's from Agis!), and I've got almost all good and positive feedback about it - here goes;
It's clear where the inspiration from the game comes from and it almost reads like a 2nd edition, but with a lot more to the game, but still retaining a simple fun approach - like that concept very much.
Wasn't 100% enthralled by not having aircraft and anti-aircraft in the rules, but I can understand why the decision was made to simplify it into an abstract "airstrike/artillery strike" mechanism. Perhaps a future supplement for those of us that would like the aircraft rules in (I'm going to play it with 15mm individually based figures - so having an aircraft fly onto the table isn't too much bother).
The included army lists were very basic and simplistic - I can't wait to see a more detailed series of lists, perhaps this time having different transport vehicles; field trucks, sdkfz 250 or 251 for Grenadiers? Obviously their different units would have different vehicles, as many of them had different roles on the battlefield.
Unit activation - I had to guess from the rules that if a unit attempts activation, but the opponent gets a higher roll, you can attempt to activate that unit later (as it hasn't actually 'activated') - am I right in this? Wasn't specifically stated that you can return to a unit in the rules.
Overall, I really, really liked this book - Agis, you've done a bloomin' marvellous job (again, dammit - I'm so jealous), and I'll be buying the supplements as they come out ( I bought your vehicle books before as well, which were excellent - despite missing out the lend/lease M3A1 scout car (wheeled) from the Soviet book - they used thousands of them!). As a core skirmish rules set - this is one of the better ones I've seen, and if there are more comprehensive army/equipment lists released for it, it'll be amazing. Good rules, good price, good job all round, Agis!
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Oh, and might I suggest an abbreviated name for the game be Vide? Just using the first letters gives an unfortunate medical connotation! :D
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Bought the game today (based mainly on the fact that it's from Agis!),
Whoahh, thanks Rich! :o 8) 8)
and I've got almost all good and positive feedback about it - here goes;
It's clear where the inspiration from the game comes from and it almost reads like a 2nd edition, but with a lot more to the game, but still retaining a simple fun approach - like that concept very much.
Wasn't 100% enthralled by not having aircraft and anti-aircraft in the rules, but I can understand why the decision was made to simplify it into an abstract "airstrike/artillery strike" mechanism. Perhaps a future supplement for those of us that would like the aircraft rules in (I'm going to play it with 15mm individually based figures - so having an aircraft fly onto the table isn't too much bother).
Well sooner or later – yes. I am getting more and more interested in to modern conflicts and Helis are then definitely a MUST.
The included army lists were very basic and simplistic - I can't wait to see a more detailed series of lists, perhaps this time having different transport vehicles; field trucks, sdkfz 250 or 251 for Grenadiers? Obviously their different units would have different vehicles, as many of them had different roles on the battlefield.
That was the idea. For one thing I did not wanted to clutter the book, the other idea is to give player the idea of what will come. I am aiming for an almost monthly release of army lists. Right now I am working on Panzergrenadiere, US Armoured Infantry, British Carrier Platoon and Soviet Motor Rifle platoon lists.
These lists will be very affordable, something like $1,99 each.
So you do not have to buy a whole book with plenty stuff that you are not using, you just buy the list you want. Each nation will also get a Gun and Vehicle Compendium.
Unit activation - I had to guess from the rules that if a unit attempts activation, but the opponent gets a higher roll, you can attempt to activate that unit later (as it hasn't actually 'activated') - am I right in this? Wasn't specifically stated that you can return to a unit in the rules.
You can. Quote from the rules P. 12 “Segment 1 and 2 are repeated until all units have been activated. No unit may ever be activated more than once per turn.”
Overall, I really, really liked this book - Agis, you've done a bloomin' marvellous job (again, dammit - I'm so jealous), and I'll be buying the supplements as they come out ( I bought your vehicle books before as well, which were excellent - despite missing out the lend/lease M3A1 scout car (wheeled) from the Soviet book - they used thousands of them!). As a core skirmish rules set - this is one of the better ones I've seen, and if there are more comprehensive army/equipment lists released for it, it'll be amazing. Good rules, good price, good job all round, Agis!
Thanks again! :) :)
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Oh, and might I suggest an abbreviated name for the game be Vide? Just using the first letters gives an unfortunate medical connotation! :D
LOL, my creative consultant Reuben brought up the same issue...
lol ViDe:WW II it is!
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Man, do you ever sleep?! I can barley get the trash out on time let along get done what you have in the last couple years.
Thanks Brian, and - sleeping is for the WEAK!
8) :D ;)
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Believe me Agis - you earned every word of that praise, I'm looking through the rulebook, picking out ideas and getting quite interested in the possibilities.
Oh, it occurs to me that ViDe also has a second meaning in Latin, which is also appropriate, lol!
It also occurred to me that when you do the Grenadier list, you might want to leave out the 250/1 option, as far as I'm aware these were only issued to Aufklarungs units for the troops (btw, what IS the difference between Spahtruppen and Aufklarungstruppen?). The reason I mentioned it is that I've started pulling a few ideas together that might work as a separate Recon list (told you I was keen on the rules!) - when I've got something I'll send it to you, you might find something useful in it.
Nice to know you're thinking of moderns as well, that'll be well worth looking at too!
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My congratulations to Agis on a fine set of rules. Review very shortly.
Cheers,
Helen
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My wallet was out the moment I saw the release :)
I have enjoyed World at War and your Vehicle books a great deal
Downloaded and ready to transfer to my tablet for reading
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Off to buy it now mate ... been a long time coming. Liked WaW and know what you had to miss out ... might save me having to do a platoon version of Flying Lead now :)
Rich J
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Agis, Best of Luck with this venture! I'll be getting them soon.
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I'm a player of Rules of Engagement and ready to try soon the Disposable Heroes rules, but i'm also allways looking to find the perfect ruleset to rule them all and in the darknesss...ok, you probably understand now. ;)
So :
-What are the main unique characteristics of Victory Decision system who could seduce me opposed to the others rulesets available on the market ?
-What are the flavors who makes this ruleset unique ?
And others questions based on a previous answer from Agis :
-Would the main ruleset be available in the future without the 4 added army lists ?
-Couldn't it be more flexible if the future customer could buy the ruleset and only the nations needed for his games (without paying for the 4 main nations if this player don't use them) ?
As allways, my hand is already reaching my bank card and i just need one word to stop the process or to conclude it. ;)
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The 4 sample army lists in the main rulebook are just there to give an idea of the type of lists that Agis has planned, they don't detract from the rules at all - from what Agis has mentioned, the system will work exactly as you have described; buy the rulebook, the equipment book for your favourite army and just the army lists that you want - completely customisable!
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The 4 sample army lists in the main rulebook are just there to give an idea of the type of lists that Agis has planned, they don't detract from the rules at all - from what Agis has mentioned, the system will work exactly as you have described; buy the rulebook, the equipment book for your favourite army and just the army lists that you want - completely customisable!
I could not say it better!
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I'm a player of Rules of Engagement and ready to try soon the Disposable Heroes rules, but i'm also allways looking to find the perfect ruleset to rule them all and in the darknesss...ok, you probably understand now. ;)
So :
-What are the main unique characteristics of Victory Decision system who could seduce me opposed to the others rulesets available on the market ?
-What are the flavors who makes this ruleset unique ?
The following Design Notes give some additional info...
Done! After one year of writing, re-writing, testing, re-re-writing and again testing my first complete rule system is finally finished.
Over the last years I have worked on many many wargaming projects; from playtesting to co-authoring to freelance work for other companies - I have done it all. It was always great fun but to write a whole new system with 100% responsibility is a totally different thing.
The decision to try it came after Mongoose pulled their Logo License agreement and decided to no longer print World at War. Over the last three years I published 20 supplements for World at War, there is still more to be done, but somehow the whole system faded from the gaming society more and more.
Time for a completely new start.
So what should a new game system include?
Simple rules
The overall design goal was a game system that was reasonably simple but also encourages and demands constant thinking and decision making. If possible the system should be able not only for World War II gaming but also for other periods.
Interaction
Player interaction was also a key requirement; therefore the Leadership-modified alternating unit activation system which also eliminated the need for a complicated overwatch or reaction system. No long waiting periods in this game!
Leadership
Unit Leadership should also be a very important factor, no unit characteristic is used as often in Victory Decision as the Leadership value! It even affects the way your units can be placed on the gaming table.
Command
I wanted rules that reflect the impact of commanding units on the game. This was the reason why some game mechanics are only accessible when including Command units in your force.
Variable Effectiveness
The effectiveness of any given unit should also be variable during a game; a unit under heavy fire cannot perform as effectively as a unit that has not yet contact with the enemy. The use of Suppression Markers are in my opinion an elegant solution to this design requirement.
Seek Out
Another game aspect that often is neglected but nonetheless vital is the detection of enemy units. Hiding and spotting units is a key strategy in Victory Decision!
“Un-dominating” Vehicles
Another challenge of any World War II game is the Vehicle system. Vehicles can very easily become game dominating during games. Since the game is based on real life units it is also not possible to down tone vehicle abilities too much just to achieve game balance.
I am very confident that the simple reduction of vehicle actions has done a good job of achieving these competing design goals.
Fun gaming
The usual “stress factors” of gaming should be eliminated. In my opinion most arguments during wargames started over unit movements, dice allocating / casualty removable and Line of Sight and / or cover issues.
Therefore the very simple movement rules, just measure the movement distance of the unit leader carefully and arrange the unit afterward within his Leadership distance – which also reflects the ability of better trained troops to be within command over a wider distance quite effortless.
The casualty removal rules also come from this way of thinking. Just let the model owning player decide which models are removed from his unit.
One last thought about Victory Decision: It is a game and NOT a simulation. The overall idea is to have fun and not to simulate any real life situation. That is the reason behind many of the more abstract rules.
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Thank you for the comprehensive answer. Really appreciated. I will undoubtly give the rules a try in a not so distant future. ;)
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Ok, now we are in the future, thirty minutes later and i'm trying to understand wich pages are missing from the printer friendly version (84 pages against the 102 pages of the non printer friendly version).
Could someone give me a hint ?
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Hint: the printer friendly version has less big, glossy photo's in it - you're not missing any pages, it's just that some of the text is where the photo's are in the non printer friendly photo! :D
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Ok, now we are in the future, thirty minutes later and i'm trying to understand wich pages are missing from the printer friendly version (84 pages against the 102 pages of the non printer friendly version).
Could someone give me a hint ?
The printer friendly versions have always the same text - non is missing!
Normally I am just deleting every pic and the background picture. For the rulebook some picture were necessary to explain the rules.
An additional benefit is that you can print the unit description you nee for a given battle and have nearly all relevant data (aka unit and weapon stats) at hand.
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This sounds all very interesting and I am very much into ww2 gaming. Guess this will be my first rulebook written by you.
Good look for this project.
Björn
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This sounds all very interesting and I am very much into ww2 gaming. Guess this will be my first rulebook written by you.
Thanks already and just get it! ;) ;)
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Agis, this is awesome. I will order at lunch today.
So now how about some future support to add Gear Kreig vehicles (or such) and other WWWII madness to the mix?
Here's to you being prolific.
Congrats.
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Yes, have to second that request for Gear Krieg and ilk!
No use getting us all excited with 1/56 Gears and then not give them the opportunity to use them in your own rules.... ;)
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GK / weird war:
I am still negotiating with DP9 if I can also produce products for ViDe.
Dp9 would love to, but it all depends on a 3rd party.
Anyway - weird war is definitely coming. Either background specific (like GK) or generic.
But before all that I will release the BIG 4 Field Manuals to give you all the vehicles you need.
Plus a big amount of Small Army lists. 8)
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I have a couple of questions about the army lists ( :D), firstly - are you intending to do one army list for each arm (armour, infantry, airborne, recce?) for each time period of the war (late, mid, early?), or one army list per arm for the whole war, with period specific choices in it?
Secondly - the heavy support choices for each nationality are going to be virtually identical for each time period of the war - wouldn't it be simpler to have a heavy support list by time period in the Field Manual and the army list itself cover the HQ, combat and light/fast support choices? :D
Hope I'm not throwing a clog in the gears with this! :?
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The army list that are going to be published will follow the same format as the 4 included in the rulebook.
Example:
German late War Panzergrenadiere
Late War US Airborne
Early War German Grenadier
etc.
Field Manuals:
The Field Manuals will include in fact almost all Heavy Support and many Light and Fast Support Elements for each Nation.
The one gun and tank that was included in each list of the rulebook were in fact just examples of what will follow.
I will soon show a TOC of the German Field Manual, that will make it clearer. ::)
So in a way it will be as anticipated by you. As soon as the German Field Manual is released I will on reference the fitting Elements in the small army lists. 8)
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So, taking a not so popular nation for exemple, if i need a list of Finnish tanks with characteristics, would i need to buy the different Field Manuals (German and Soviet by exemple) or a special Finnish Field manual dedicated to this nation ?
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Congrats Agis on your new venture. I have brought it and am reading through now. Kinda feels like a WaW second edition although you might baulk at that description!!!
Look forward to the supps.
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oooh Agis...I have noticed that you have dropped the reaction system from WaW in VD :o...mmm...why so?..now guys can run across a field with no interruption ala W40k style into close combat or that tank can cross a road junction and not get ambushed by the AT gun or a unit can fire three times (!) at an enemy unit before that unit can return fire! I don't see this as a step forward in gameplay. :? :'(
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oooh Agis...I have noticed that you have dropped the reaction system from WaW in VD :o...mmm...why so?..now guys can run across a field with no interruption ala W40k style into close combat or that tank can cross a road junction and not get ambushed by the AT gun or a unit can fire three times (!) at an enemy unit before that unit can return fire! I don't see this as a step forward in gameplay. :? :'(
LOL, the reaction system was simply not necessary anymore since you are alternating the unit activation. 8)
Please read chapter 5.1 Sequence of Play.
If you have any questions please ask!
During playtesting all the guys that came from Evo complained initially about it: "What no reactions!" But after 1 (!) all were convinced that the new activations system makes Reaction rules cumbersome and obsolete.
(BTW: That is only one of the points that make ViDe NOT a 2nd edition...)
;)
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So, taking a not so popular nation for exemple, if i need a list of Finnish tanks with characteristics, would i need to buy the different Field Manuals (German and Soviet by exemple) or a special Finnish Field manual dedicated to this nation ?
Hmm, depends.
I will start with the German book and probably follow up with Soviets.
Maybe we can work out which vehicles are needed for a Finnish list and I simply copy and paste a custom made Finnish Field Manual?
it would have all the texts and photos of the parent books, but you had all info in one book for a cheaper price.
Please keep this in mind and propose it again after both books are out.
BTW: 50% of the German book is done!
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Thanks for the answer. ;)
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LOL, the reaction system was simply not necessary anymore since you are alternating the unit activation. 8)
Please read chapter 5.1 Sequence of Play.
If you have any questions please ask!
ok well I can move a unit 3 times across open ground in front of you and enter into close combat and you don't fire. In Waw assuming they still had a reaction they could fire when within 10".
Ok I can fire at you three times and you cannot respond. In Waw I would fire back as a reaction after you took your first fire.
Can't do either in ViDe. I don't see how alternate reactions compensates for that. WaW was actually pretty cool with reactions and alternate activation!
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ok well I can move a unit 3 times across open ground in front of you and enter into close combat and you don't fire. In Waw assuming they still had a reaction they could fire when within 10".
Ok I can fire at you three times and you cannot respond. In Waw I would fire back as a reaction after you took your first fire.
Can't do either in ViDe. I don't see how alternate reactions compensates for that. WaW was actually pretty cool with reactions and alternate activation!
Well if you are not hidden and enable the enemy to be able to fire 3 times at you (remember, you can pre-measure, you can hide, you can Take Cover!) you got to be punished.
In addition if you are doing this your unit stands free and is not hidden, you are going to get some serious fire from my next action!
A normal sequence for infantry looks more like this: Spot the enemy, shoot, hide.
Or presuming the enemy is already spotted: Shoot, move hide.
Stuff like this. Many many actions are spend on hiding and spotting. That is one of the key design goals of ViDe: Seek out, fire and destroy.
ViDe plays totally different, you are constantly trying to outsmart your opponent, trying to hide your units while at the same time spot his units and fire at him.
Please remember also that in WaW you could only react ONE time, and the official version always was WITHOUT alternate activation... ;)
Please give it a try and let me know how it worked! 8)
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Agis, I just bought the rules, I'm having a first read-through now.
I'm just wondering: to what degree are your previously published B:Evo supplements compatible with ViDe?
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Agis, I just bought the rules, I'm having a first read-through now.
I'm just wondering: to what degree are your previously published B:Evo supplements compatible with ViDe?
They are NOT compatible.
If you know both rules well enough it is possible to "crossover" units, but as a rule of thumb, it's not...
Many Traits from WaW are not there or are different. Others are new for ViDe, some Dice mechanics, like the 2xDXH rule are completely new etc.
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Thanks for the quick response, Agis.
I suspected as much, but needed to make sure, before launching into a shopping spree. ;)
Being absolutely clueless about B:Evo, I'll wait for the ViDe supplements. (Still need to buy and/or paint the mini's I'd need for ViDe anyway...)
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Thanks for the quick response, Agis.
I suspected as much, but needed to make sure, before launching into a shopping spree. ;)
Being absolutely clueless about B:Evo, I'll wait for the ViDe supplements. (Still need to buy and/or paint the mini's I'd need for ViDe anyway...)
Oh, damn I missed some sales! ;) ;) :D
If you want to try the rules fast and affordable, go for 20mm!
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I'm just wondering: to what degree are your previously published B:Evo supplements compatible with ViDe?
I know - I bought all 4 of Agis' Bf:Evo WaW vehicle books, now it looks like I'll be buying all the ViDe books as well, lol!
If you want to try the rules fast and affordable, go for 20mm!
Well, I've only got a 4' x 4' table at home, so I'm going to be playing in cm (1 inch = 1 cm) and using 15mm figures - it'll seem like a 10' square table then! lol
I was concerned about the lack of reactions at first - until I re-read the Initiative rules, but honestly, I don't think the WaW reaction rule was THAT good. With ViDe - the Initiative roll will be incredibly tactical - you will want each of your units covering each other and providing overlapping fields of fire because you won't be able to guarantee that the next unit to move will be one of yours!
To my mind - Agis' initiative rules give a slightly faster, much more tactical feel and, dare I say - feel a bit more intuitive and "realistic". I think that once we've all played a couple of games it won't be an issue! >:D
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Hmm, depends.
I will start with the German book and probably follow up with Soviets.
Maybe we can work out which vehicles are needed for a Finnish list and I simply copy and paste a custom made Finnish Field Manual?
it would have all the texts and photos of the parent books, but you had all info in one book for a cheaper price.
Please keep this in mind and propose it again after both books are out.
BTW: 50% of the German book is done!
I think the German and the US books might be the easiest to do! The Soviet one will be almost as complex as a Finnish one, with all the lend-lease equipment in it - take a look at this link: http://ww2total.com/WW2/History/Production/Russia/Lend-Lease.htm (http://ww2total.com/WW2/History/Production/Russia/Lend-Lease.htm) it's got a great summary of the types and numbers of vehicles shipped - they used almost 3 times as many M3A1 wheeled scout cars as M2-9 halftracks!
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I was concerned about the lack of reactions at first - until I re-read the Initiative rules, but honestly, I don't think the WaW reaction rule was THAT good. With ViDe - the Initiative roll will be incredibly tactical - you will want each of your units covering each other and providing overlapping fields of fire because you won't be able to guarantee that the next unit to move will be one of yours!
To my mind - Agis' initiative rules give a slightly faster, much more tactical feel and, dare I say - feel a bit more intuitive and "realistic". I think that once we've all played a couple of games it won't be an issue! >:D
Thanks Rick, I couldn't sum it up better.
One thought on Reactions, Overwatch or whatnot. IMO these rule mechanics are necessary in a game system that defines a game into your turn /my turn activations (UGOIGO).
As soon as a game alternates unit activation they become pretty soon obsolete. In addition you have to worry about all the rules and clarifications what triggers an overwatch action, how and when is the overwatching unit reacting etc.
It just did not fit into the overall "user-friendly" design goal and feel of ViDe. We tried an Overwatch system once, basically a Command unit spend 2 actions and another unit goes into Overwatch. We pretty soon agreed that it just slows down the game and adds no fun.
I still remember when one of my playtesters reported the most sceptical “reaction-missing” players liked the now established system the most after just ONE game…
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Well arguably Epic 40k Armageddon achieves this balance: you have alternate activation (with option to try and retain initiative) bit also an overwatch option to anticipate enemy maneuvers...court still out for me on this issue. Also uses blast markers just like your suppression rules.
Just mention it for context. No sniping intended. ;)
Cheers
Alex
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No problem at all! :)
I was one of the lead playtesters of EPIC Armageddon... 8)
It was great fun to work with one of the BIG GW guys (Jervis Johnson) on this one.
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Well arguably Epic 40k Armageddon achieves this balance: you have alternate activation (with option to try and retain initiative) bit also an overwatch option to anticipate enemy maneuvers...court still out for me on this issue. Also uses blast markers just like your suppression rules.
Just mention it for context. No sniping intended. ;)
Cheers
Alex
And I do like Epic Armageddon - they really should have used it as a basis for Blitzkrieg and Cold War Commander, not Warmaster! To be fair, WaW uses a very similiar supression system to ViDe as well - a lot of rules systems use a similiar mechanic to represent being supressed.
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And I do like Epic Armageddon - they really should have used it as a basis for Blitzkrieg and Cold War Commander, not Warmaster!
Amen to that one! ;)
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Downloaded it, started reading and must say...I like. Will definitely play it.
I hope I can convince my fellow players. They are very much into FOW. But being able to use their miniatures might convince them.
The Suppression rules sound familiar.
Makes it easier for me :)
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Downloaded it, started reading and must say...I like. Will definitely play it.
I hope I can convince my fellow players. They are very much into FOW. But being able to use their miniatures might convince them.
Thanks! :)
I have played a lot of games with FOW based minis, plays like a charm, in fact I like it right now maybe even more...
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Oh, damn I missed some sales! ;) ;) :D
If you want to try the rules fast and affordable, go for 20mm!
Don't worry, I have a feeling I'll make it up to you yet... ;)
And compatible or not, the Gear Krieg supplements are fun to just look at. Very nice conversions you made for them!
Trust me, there are ways to make 20mm not-fast and not-affordable. (My unfinished DAK curses me at night, I can hear them.... o_o)
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I still remember when one of my playtesters reported the most sceptical “reaction-missing” players liked the now established system the most after just ONE game…
We were actually shocked to discover the lack of any possibility to react to enemy actions. Even after reading and re-reading the rules we were not convinced (as we were not of the alternate activations too). But after playing the first game all members of our gaming group (around 10 regulars) happily discarded their old rulebooks (WaW) and waited for ViDe to come out!
The mechanics of the initiative rules play very smoothly and offer all kind of tactical thinking. In World at War all you tried to do was to get the enemy squad to react and then you were able to walk circles around them without much to fear (I remember one game in which my allied player was able to get all squads of our opponent to react to him, only to be unable to do anything against the paratroopers dropping all around him. That looked and felt somehow wrong - definitly not possible in ViDe, which is a definitly improvement!)
But what I was trying to say is:
Don´t read the rules, try them out - they´re worth it!
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Thanks! :)
I have played a lot of games with FOW based minis, plays like a charm, in fact I like it right now maybe even more...
This comment really grabbed my attention. I downloaded the rules last weekend and was really impressed. I have a lot of FOW stuff but I am not real big into the rules, and this looked like a fun possibility and a way to use my stuff. However I have been going back and forth as to whether it is worth the time to individually base the miniatures, assuming that the game (while playable) would be less fun, and this seems to imply maybe not?
A second quick question, have you tried any games playing allies against allies. My main playing partner (who also happens to be my wife) has a large soviet army while I have a large US force. Neither of us are very interested in painting Germans, so finding rules outside of FOW that allow us to play against each other has been challenging.
I really do wish you all the best with this ruleset. The mechanics look great and we can not wait to try a game this weekend.
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A second quick question, have you tried any games playing allies against allies. My main playing partner (who also happens to be my wife) has a large soviet army while I have a large US force. Neither of us are very interested in painting Germans, so finding rules outside of FOW that allow us to play against each other has been challenging.
Perhaps you can persuade Agis to do a 1946 "What if?" book? Rather than "What if Germany had managed to keep fighting?", it could be "What if the Allies carried through with Operation Unthinkable?" You could have 1945-46 US, British and Wehrmacht as allies going in against the Soviet army in eastern germany!
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Perhaps you can persuade Agis to do a 1946 "What if?" book? Rather than "What if Germany had managed to keep fighting?", it could be "What if the Allies carried through with Operation Unthinkable?" You could have 1945-46 US, British and Wehrmacht as allies going in against the Soviet army in eastern germany!
That would be so cool. I have searched for rules/scenario books that went that direction and have not found any.
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This comment really grabbed my attention. I downloaded the rules last weekend and was really impressed. I have a lot of FOW stuff but I am not real big into the rules, and this looked like a fun possibility and a way to use my stuff. However I have been going back and forth as to whether it is worth the time to individually base the miniatures, assuming that the game (while playable) would be less fun, and this seems to imply maybe not?
A second quick question, have you tried any games playing allies against allies. My main playing partner (who also happens to be my wife) has a large soviet army while I have a large US force. Neither of us are very interested in painting Germans, so finding rules outside of FOW that allow us to play against each other has been challenging.
I have played at least as much individually mini based games as Infantry Stand games. One of my playtest buddies actually did not even want to play individually based games at all.
Both versions have their merits, individually based minis look a bit cooler but also need a bit more time.
Infantry Stands look sometimes a bit cramped but are so easy to more around, in addition the weapon ranges in inches look more realistic.
Try both!
@allies against allies: No problem at all. Since I have provided points, just play them, it will work!
@1946 Red Tide: Definitely a very interesting idea, IS-3 vs Pershings etc.
I have read a novel about this scenario, it was very interesting.
Unfortunately a supplement like this might take a while, too many things to do…
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Don´t read the rules, try them out - they´re worth it!
That should be the new MANTRA!!! ;)
BTW: Beuteldrache was the "Headplaytester"! Invaluable help to me and overall nice guy... 8)
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Any chance on expanding into early war and/or the pacific theater?
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Any chance on expanding into early war and/or the pacific theater?
Absolutely YES! 8)
The Technical Manuals will cover guns and vehicles from 1939 to 45.
In addition I have already prepared 3 files for late war Pacific...
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Played a couple of turns last night just to give the rules a test drive. We played Americans vs. Soviet, using the advance! scenario. It was a learning game so a lot of mistakes were made and it was slow but we came away very excited about playing this game. A couple of highlights for us were.
-Terrain -- We loved how terrain was handled. In order to really try out the rules we had a huge variety including woods, bocage, a bridge with stone wall, and even a building. The rules for terrain were easy to use and at the same time felt real.
-Vehicle infantry interaction -- one thing that really blew me away was the interaction between vehicles and infantry. A tank firing at infantry in the open was devasating while at the same time a tank caught by itself without infantry support could quite easily be devastated by enemy infantry.
-Tactical Options - The final thing I will mention and what really made this game fun was the sheer amount of tactical options you have. The action system allows for so many options. In most games I have played you feel like your decision comes down to, do I move or do I shoot. Here you can move, shoot, move and shoot, move and shoot and hide... and the list goes on. The scenarios also encourage yet more options. Last night we were fighting over a bridge in the middle of the board, but because I only needed two out of three objectives, I had options as to which objectives to try for, and where I wanted to focus my attacks.
While we do have few questions as some of the rules we were not sure we were doing right, what was clear is that we are exctied about learning this game
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Thanks for your game/ testdrive report, sounds as if I accomplished the mission to give you a playable, enjoyable and tactical challenging game. YES!!! 8)
If you have any rule questions, please ask. As soon as some have popped up, I will create an FAQ that will be constantly updated and downloadable via my website.
BTW: I am just in the middle of the final touches on the German Technical Manual (free days are good for supplements!), over 130 vehicles and guns! Pheww!!!
::)
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Agis,
Great set of rules. I read through them today. They are easy to understand and look fun to play. I just recently moved into a condominium in Clearwater, Florida that is actually big enough to set up a 6' x 6' gaming table. I will be doing that shortly. ViDe will probably be the first game played on it.
I have a question. When the Compendiums come out will they contain unit cards like the ones for WaW? Those were excellent. Just print them out on cardstock and hand them out to the players. Made running games a lot easier.
BTW, I'm already giving serious thought to coming up with modifications for ViDe: Great War.
Frank Frey
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Great set of rules. I read through them today. They are easy to understand and look fun to play.
Thanks Frank! I am looking forward to the 1st game report...
;)
I just recently moved into a condominium in Clearwater, Florida that is actually big enough to set up a 6' x 6' gaming table. I will be doing that shortly. ViDe will probably be the first game played on it.
Sound seven better...
I have a question. When the Compendiums come out will they contain unit cards like the ones for WaW? Those were excellent. Just print them out on cardstock and hand them out to the players. Made running games a lot easier.
Not anymore, the unit cards were a real pain to create and needed almost as much time as the books to review (just too easy to do some serious Copy and paste errors..).
However – that is exactly where the printer friendly copy comes in. Just print the units you need in draft mode and you are done. (it was one of the reasons to include the weapon stats after each unit entry!) You even have some space to take notes…
BTW, I'm already giving serious thought to coming up with modifications for ViDe: Great War.
You know that you have created an interesting game, when players start tot think of their own mods!
THANKS!!!
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I liked the unit cards for same reason: neat to have the cards...
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Agis,
I understand about the cards. They looked to be graphics intensive and since I used to work for the Classroom Technologies Division of the University of South Florida, I can relate to that problem.
I'm looking forward to the army lists and compendiums. Have you ever thought of offering a subscription to them? The idea is that for a set prepaid fee the newest material is delivered directly to your electronic mailbox when it becomes available. Just a thought.
BTW, I've become a true football fan...with my favorite teams being Arsenal, Bayern-Munich, and Barcelona. Take care.
Frank Frey
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I hope I'm not barking up the wrong tree here but is Victory Decision the same as Battlefield Evolution: World At War? I understand that Agis wrote the rulebook and Mongoose pulled the plug on it a while back.
The reason I'm asking is because I bought the .pdf at one of the game store online and felt abit frustrated to realize it was the same one I mentioned, that there won't be any support on the game system which seem really good, especially Modern Combat series.
In any case, I wouldn't mind trying the game system out but how different are they to other WW2 system such as Flames of War?
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Hi Dobb,
it is a bit difficult to describe my game objectively (being the author and all I AM biased)...
It is very different from World at War, it share the Hit and Crit system and the vehicle Hit/Crit stats (which are all OGL anyway and written by me).
All the rest is changed:
Alternate Leadership based Activation system
Integrated Leadership and Suppression system
Action based game flow etc etc
Just read the forum to get an idea...
I am still waiting for two reviews (HINT, HINT), maybe then we have an unbiased view.
Oh and as far as support is concerned, you are on the save side. I have release 20+ ebooks to support WaW from 2008 on ward, be assured that I fully plan to do the same for my own game system...
8) 8) ;)
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Ah, let me get this straight:
World At War is your previous project and you pretty much expanded onto Victory Decision, right?
With that in mind, are the army lists also expanded? I felt that the weakness for WaW was the lack of detail in some aspect.
With your recommendation, should I keep going with World At War or try out Victory Decisions? What made VD better aside from certain rule changes?
I hope I'm not asking too much, I'm still trying to find a good system for me and my mates to play.
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World At War is your previous project and you pretty much expanded onto Victory Decision, right?
With that in mind, are the army lists also expanded? I felt that the weakness for WaW was the lack of detail in some aspect.
With your recommendation, should I keep going with World At War or try out Victory Decisions? What made VD better aside from certain rule changes?
As said, I am biased! SO GET ViDe!!!
;)
Seriously, can you be a bit more specific, what was missing in the WaW lists?
And please just read the post here on this Childboard, many came over from WaW, so far none was disappointed...
BTW: Having read your game requirements on the WW II forum, I have to say it reads like a design goal description of Victory Decision! ;)
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Sorry about not being specific but I'm not exactly sure what to think about it now. :-X
Anyways, I'll get my grubby hands on your ViDe later tomorrow, I just can't wait. lol
The preview listed a large amount of things I like. A couple questions, how did you work on the infantry armoury anyways? Did you try balancing it in a way that both gets the same treatment as opposed to say Flames of War where their focus was somewhat more on tanks?
Will you be working on some sort of special characters like Back and Beyond?
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Infantry/ vs Armour -The goal was a balanced game. But the standard ViDe game is one Infantry Platoon plus some tank support against another Infantry force.
During playtest we also did pure tank battles and mixed battles like tanks vs Infantry only. So far all worked fine.
Special Characters - How did you know? I am indeed planning to add some special stuff sooner or later. Not for the historical version, but the more pulpier weird settings will beneifit from some larger than life units...
8)
Maybe some stats for the 1st Avenger??? ;)
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Great game Agis!
I'm waiting impatiently for the Russians :-*
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Hello !
I am a 37 years old french wargammer, painting and playing miniatures since 20 years.
During last five years, I have paint a lot of WW2 platoons and tanks.
I was always disappointed by the lack of simplicity of the different systems I used to play or read.
Every time, with my fellow players, we were bogged in the details, and games were slow and confusing.
So when I discover VD, I was very happy to look to one more rule, it's my addiction. ;D
I will test the game in a few days, actually I do some refresh and reorganization on my troops. But I think this one will do the job better than many rules.
The big point (for a non English speaker) is the clarity. This rules is very well written and very easy to understand.
Even if I cannot pretend to remember all the details, I never end a chapter with the sad feeling of missing something. IMHO You can be very proud of this.
I've post positive French reviews in the war-games vault and I press my partners to test VD. I hope to attract some French players.
As we are huge weird WW2 fans, we will play Mecha-panzers and zombies as soon as possible.
Thanks a lot for this good job, I will post my impression after a test.
Solins
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"I press my partners to test VD"
I read it like
I press my partners to test for VD
lol
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I apologize to not be 100% fluent in English, sometimes I write weird sentences lol
I know it, but I hope to improve my expression.
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No it wasn't your fault. I had to add that "for" to make that connection. I just found it really funny because for the first time I noticed that Victory Decision abbreviated is VD. That's why everybody writes "ViDe". :)
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Well, first - thanks very much for the nice comment about the rules, it really means a lot to me. The whole endeavor is absolutely hobby driven, money is such a minor part (had made my tax declaration recently ..) that positive encouragement becomes even more important! :) ::)
VD, ViDe etc - all true and absolutely my fault!
During the early design stages we discussed the names and Reuben already pointed me to the Venereal Disease abbreviation, I insisted however that "Victory Decision" sounds cool and can be used for almost any genre and era.
So all an my hat! 8)
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On the other hand let's hope that there is some truth in that abbreviation. One "game" and your gaming "partner" has VD. That is, he knows how great ViDe is and he wants to play it. :)
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On the other hand let's hope that there is some truth in that abbreviation. One "game" and your gaming "partner" has VD. That is, he knows how great ViDe is and he wants to play it. :)
Good point! :D 8)