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Author Topic: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming  (Read 4772 times)

Offline italwars

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1118
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #15 on: January 08, 2021, 06:26:12 PM »
Thanks for your answer but my problem is uthat I don’t know zoom and I’m only able to use Whattsap .. :-[ :?...so my very good iPhone (a gift from my girl friend) is like a M16 in the hands of a zulu ...and I’m sure that my remote potential opponent is worst than me ..anyway East Africa WW1 is great
« Last Edit: January 08, 2021, 06:30:09 PM by italwars »

Offline Bravo Six

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Mastermind
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  • Posts: 1885
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2021, 07:38:07 PM »
Flatpack, I'd like to echo the previous sentiments regarding your table. Beautiful set up. You should be really proud of that.

Offline flatpack

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1383
  • Hiding in the shed
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2021, 11:38:57 PM »
Many thanks. Fingers crossed.
Flatpack

Offline vodkafan

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3510
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #18 on: January 08, 2021, 11:40:08 PM »
I am excited and I won't even be in it. Take lots of photos Bob. I am expecting a bloodbath  ;D
I am going to build a wargames army, a big beautiful wargames army, and Mexico is going to pay for it.

2019 Painting Challenge :
figures bought: 500+
figures painted: 57
9 vehicles painted
4 terrain pieces scratchbuilt

Offline juergen c. olk

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  • Scatterbrained Genius
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  • Posts: 2388
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #19 on: January 09, 2021, 12:34:50 AM »
Absolutely stunning.

Offline SJWi

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1638
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2021, 09:17:58 AM »
One tip for gaming by Zoom on a 6 x 4 table.  As has been said, gauging distances and sightlines can be challenging.....but IMHO  more "authentic". I use gridded 6 x 4' mats and have labelled them alpha-numerically 1-8 and A-M ( omitting I to avoid confusion with 1). I also prepare a hand-drawn map of the battlefield which I e-mail to players in advance. It allows them to track what is going on plus ask me as umpire roughly where things are. Only takes a few minutes to do.   

Offline flatpack

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1383
  • Hiding in the shed
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #21 on: January 10, 2021, 10:07:39 AM »
So first game played on Discord yesterday.
Here’s the scenario -
The Brits are looking for a Tillotson valve. Without it the gunboat is stationary.
Unfortunately due to several radio enquiries (looking for such a replacement)
and lax security (conversations were not carried out in code) the Germans
know of the British quest. 
We have an encounter battle.
Two British forces entering the town looking for the valve, and two German forces entering the town, for the same purpose.

Here are the initial deployments.

British sailors with the blue markers. British infantry with the pink markers. German infantry with the green markers.

At the other end of the town, the German sailors appear, with the red markers.


The idea of the coloured markers, was to make it easier to the lads on line, to identify their units.

I had positioned five markers for possible valve locations, so we had the different groups approaching these five locations, then rolling to see what they find.

Because I didn’t have shock, wounded or out of ammo markers, I made my own from cheap wooden “flower” markers. You can see them painted red for wound, and yellow for shock, on the table.

Forces moved round the table investigating the possible valve locations, and to be honest, I ended up too busy to take some of the early photos.

We had technical issues with one of our players and he had to drop out, so we continued with three players, with them telling me where to move their figures.
They had their own packs of playing cards, and their own dice. This kept them involved and invested in the game.

Ultimately the game came down to a massive brawl between the British sailors and the German infantry, in the middle of the towns Main Street.
The German figure “Hans” was remarkable, kicking British sailors left  and right.

Hans at play!

After investigating four of the five valve locations, all players realised that the valve must be in the railway station, so the British infantry, and German sailors closed on it.

German sailors crossing the railway lines to close in on the last possible valve location.

We ended up with a firefight in the railway forecourt.


The British officer gallantly trying to fight off three German sailors for the valve, but to no avail, as he was finally gunned down.


So, a win for the British forces. The valve was found, and the gunboat could be fixed.

It kept us busy for fours hours playing a game. The last game we played was in the summer.

We had, discord issues, internet issues, camera issues, bandwidth issues, and lost one man along the way.
We will learn from this, and give it another go.
The important thing is.....DICE WERE ROLLED.


 



 

Offline fred

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4360
    • Miniature Gaming
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #22 on: January 10, 2021, 11:30:27 AM »
Great looking game!

Impressed you remembered to take photos while having to do all the moving of figures.

Despite the issues you got through the game, sounds like it was fun, and you can tweak things for the next one.

Offline Digits

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3774
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #23 on: January 10, 2021, 11:31:56 AM »
Yup, big thanks to Bob for setting up and moving all the pieces, not easy trying to guess everyone’s intentions but did a fine job.   Setting definitely felt like East Africa to me!

Thanks too to Pete for sorting scenario and Jamie for technical nous!

Once we figured out multiple cameras were stretching the bandwidth, and pictures became sharper, it became less frustrating and quite enjoyable (despite my pants dice!).

Poor Brits were handed their backsides with one Sailor and one surviving soldier deciding to take their chances in the bush rather than push their luck.

As Bob says though, yes, we threw dice and had a game.  We my be a little late to the table, with others running on line games for a while now.....but to be fair, most of us are old Luddites!   

Again FFoL is probably the ideal, simple mechanic for this kind of remote gaming  I feel, as I think trying other more complex systems may prove a little frustrating. 

Can’t wait to try again!

Offline has.been

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8235
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #24 on: January 10, 2021, 12:06:49 PM »
Quote
So, a win for the British forces. The valve was found, and the gunboat could be fixed.

Bob, slight problem, us Brits didn't win!  I don't think we even qualify for the top two sides.
But we did get a game. The idea of e-mailing players a labelled map is a good one.
Looking forward to another, before too long.

Offline flatpack

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1383
  • Hiding in the shed
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #25 on: January 10, 2021, 03:48:04 PM »
Oh heck.
 How did I cock up the end piece ?
Has.been is right.
It was the Germans that won the game.
Finding the valve and running off into the jungle to hide it again.
Hide and seek in East Africa...there’s another game.

Offline Westbury

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 744
  • Gaming from Gondolin
    • Westbury Wargamers
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #26 on: January 10, 2021, 08:05:59 PM »
So that's what it looked like!  lol lol
There always has to be one who struggles with the technology and this time it was me  :(

Offline flatpack

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1383
  • Hiding in the shed
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #27 on: January 22, 2021, 05:52:18 PM »
Second remote game coming up tomorrow.
After Ian’s recommendation we will be using zoom, with just the iPad camera showing the table and an iPhone camera showing any “fly-by” shots.
We had a trial run last night to see if the comms worked, and it did in the end.
Ended up chatting for a few hours, which I think, helped everyone.
Table will be set up, as shown.
Can’t say too much about the scenario just now, as the participants don’t know what they will be up to yet.
AAR to follow.










Offline BillK

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Scientist
  • *
  • Posts: 452
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #28 on: January 22, 2021, 07:21:04 PM »
Great effort on your part.
Really enjoy the thread, please keep posting.

Offline Digits

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3774
Re: FFOL - East Africa WW1 - Remote gaming
« Reply #29 on: January 22, 2021, 08:17:03 PM »
Looking forward to the game mate...another fine set up!

 

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