Posts made by frimmel

Got my set for this but I haven’t played yet. Set meets all the quality expectations I had and the rule books are well written. Looks like a lot of fun.

@ABWorsham:

Is this a game worth buying? How long is game play on average?

I rather enjoy this one. Most games were under three hours (it is some time since I’ve had opportunity to play.) It feels like it plays fast as one players moves his units of a particular type and then the other player moves those type units. So you don’t have those long stretches of waiting for your opponent to do something.

As Wittmann points out the combat is a bit different. It is similar to Bulge in that units add a number of die to an attack pool but there isn’t a “hits that go to waste aspect” to it. It has reinforcement points instead of set charts like BOTB and D-day.

Rulebook in PDF format.

@alexgreat:

As an afterthought to what I said above, one can actually play online, via Vasall. Ever tried for x-wing or Armada?

I have not tried Vasal for Armada. I’m considering it though but when I’m at home I don’t really want to “sit at the computer” since that’s what I do all day at work.

The first preview explaining the victory conditions is up at FFG.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/1/15/where-is-the-rebel-base/

@LHoffman:

@frimmel:

Star Trek Beyond looks horrible. They’re not even going to pretend it is smart sci-fi anymore. And what’s with the motorcycle?

It does look bad. Supposedly Simon Pegg felt the trailer didn’t showcase how classically Star Trek-like the movie is… but considering the track record, the other writers and the director, I have no idea how this could be measurably any better than the previous two.

Fast and Furious director = motorcycle in Star Trek

Not at all buying that. They booted Orci of the project because it was too Star Trek. That doesn’t really speak well to what we’ll get here. Paramount got the generic action picture they wanted. Well not the one they wanted because no one will go see it.

@LHoffman:

@frimmel:

On the one hand I’m digging all the justification of my cynicism. On the other it is so terribly sad to be right in this case.

True. It could have been a great thing for the Star Wars universe/franchise, but it is sad to think that not just this film, but what proceeds from it, could ruin Star Wars to some degree.

I wonder how long it will take for people in general to realize how hollow this film is. Someone suggested that Disney/Abrams was playing it safe on this film; trying to hit all the correct cues and avoid all of the prequel stumbles. The hypothesis (or hope) was that after this film gains warm acceptance the writers/directors/studio will have the fan’s trust and blessing to actually become creative. I can understand that thought, but I find it hard to believe that it is THE PLAN. I just doubt any studio’s ability to shy away from a formula to make money these days.

Studios don’t care if what they put out is good or new or actually creative or even how we feel about it. They care that we pay to see it. So maybe they do care that we at least like it enough to see the next one.

I keep reading a lot of people saying they enjoyed it in the theater but it falls apart on them if they think about it too much. A lot of “wait for the next one.” Product cinema at its finest.

Star Trek Beyond looks horrible. They’re not even going to pretend it is smart sci-fi anymore. And what’s with the motorcycle?

And it is kind of hilarious that despite being not human the main female not on the crew is a white chick.

I’ve been reading more or less “Re-hash of Episode IV with some V and VI thrown in.” Basically a typical JJ movie. Moving to fast to explain anything and so that you hopefully won’t notice the chasms in the story. Grasps for unearned emotion from the audience.

Most seem to like the new girl though but who doesn’t like a slender pretty girl with a posh accent?

On the one hand I’m digging all the justification of my cynicism. On the other it is so terribly sad to be right in this case.

Yes, the tank must start on a road hex, not in an enemy ZOC to go anywhere it likes on the road.

A tank beginning movement in an enemy zone of control and paying for a blitz move will only move two hexes. One and stop because of leaving enemy ZOC. One and stop because of the blitz. Irregardless of the presence of roads in the hexes.

Also if the road is not crossing the same side of the hex the moving unit is crossing it is not movement along a road.

@Karl7:

Question:

If you blitz a tank out of an enemy zone of control into an open space, which is on a road, then can the tank continue moving along the road for its second movement until it hits a town or another enemy zone of control?

Thanks

A blitz allows you only one hex after you would normally be required to stop. Entering a road hex from a non-road hex would cause you to stop during normal movement. If that is your “blitz” move entering the road hex is your one hex more. If the blitz move is starting on the road hex it is still only one more hex. See page 10 of the rulebook.

You may only move one hex when leaving an enemy zone of control.

Victory is determined during the upkeep phase. So both sides get to complete all combat and movement before determining victory.

Spin. Nothing more than spin. It was in no way that thought out. The hack director with genitalia for a nose did it because it was cool and left everyone else to sort out why.

@LHoffman:

To my point above:  http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/spectre-how-the-multiverse-era-killed-james-bond-20151109?page=3

I think this is a pretty good analysis of the Craig series. The author takes the opposite position from mine, that Bond films shouldn’t be serialized into a continuing narrative. However, it seems that he comes to this conclusion only because the Craig series tried to do so in the middle (or at the very end) of four films and because it is the current trend in cinema. He implies that Bond should stick to being a bunch of one-off movies that aren’t interrelated, but I question if that is because Bond films fundamentally shouldn’t be or because this attempt at it has been less-than-successful.

Well the Bond films have in the past been at least at a cursory level sequels. Particularly OHMSS to DAF. The Craig Bonds have very much been direct sequels. This has not been a bad thing. However they tried to shoehorn three films into a even larger continuity  with “Spectre” and did it poorly. That the execution was off in this case does not invalidate the idea that the films should be more connected than in the past. The author did not make his point that they shouldn’t particularly well.

There are some problems with things being more connected but a portion of that comes from the audience trying to be clever and snarky and all “look how cool I am cause I can point out a continuity error” that isn’t at all important and not just rolling with things. (My classic for that thinking is the Chekhov knowing Khan in Star Trek II “plot hole” that gets drug out. In the age of the reboot the retcon is now passe.)

I think it was Tatooine and when they heard the bad feedback they just changed the name. I hear/read “Frak You” every time I see/hear Jakku.

For every cinematic visual there some sort of bouncy framing or vibrations. And what’s with the motion blur in the Falcon rip off from Empire scene?

@alexgreat:

@frimmel:

I have Armada from that company and X-wing and the components are top notch. I’ve played and acquired a lot more of the Armada and really enjoy the gameplay of it. I’ve seen the Imperial Assault sets and again the components are terrific.

I’m optimistic this will be a good game. Curious how it will work with four players though. It looks a very two-player game.

The asymetrical aspect of the sides looks very neat.

ah yes I spotted your nick on the FFG Forums and thought it is you :)

Yes, I’m over on the FFG forums.

Too bad we cant have an Armada game….

We sort of do with the A&A Naval minis. It has the unfortunate quality of being a “chase rares” game where Armada is core set and expansions.

Yes, I think the 4 player thing is probably like Risk, two can play for each side.

Seems much more A&A like than Risk like. You’re going to have to bring planets to heel/join the rebellion in order to get resources. Some of the posters at FFG were saying the outline resembles a game called Freedom in The Galaxy. But it seems likely from the pics that it will be a team-up situation and not “you run the Corellians.”

Lets hope at least a Scum is in the cards. Although it does not feel thematic that they compete for supremacy.

“Scum” as a faction in this seems really out of place. That “faction” works at X-wing Minis level but it would be like Al Capone being a faction in A&A.

I have Armada from that company and X-wing and the components are top notch. I’ve played and acquired a lot more of the Armada and really enjoy the gameplay of it. I’ve seen the Imperial Assault sets and again the components are terrific.

I’m optimistic this will be a good game. Curious how it will work with four players though. It looks a very two-player game.

The asymetrical aspect of the sides looks very neat.

Don’t want to make light of a dying person’s wish but what will be the surprise?

Desert planet but NOT Tatooine.

Ice planet but NOT Hoth.

Cute spunky droid but NOT R2-D2.

Planetoid sized super-weapon but NOT a Death Star.

Black clad villain in a mask with a red lightsaber but NOT Darth Vader.

Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, X-Wings, Star Destroyer

Spunky force-sensitive farm boy scavenger girl long to leave hisher subsistence farming scavenging life, finds droid with secret plans to the villain’s dread Death StarStarkiller.

Refugee from Space Battle also with vital information about the villain’s Death StarStarkiller finds his way to farm scavenger camp and meets farm boyscavenger girl.

Villains destroy everything farm boyscavenger girl has ever known trying to recover the information.

Refugee and farm boy scavenger girl meet Han and Chewie and fly away from TatooineJakku in Millennium Falcon.

Exposition outlining assault on Death StarStarkiller.

Battle to destroy super-weapon.

Everyone get medals.

Roll credits.

@LHoffman:

As for streaming services… I agree with Frimmel. I don’t subscribe to any streaming services (no internet at home) and don’t take issue with CBS making a new Star Trek show streaming-only. However, placing it on CBS proprietary streaming channel seems like hubris to me. It is annoying.

It is like they WANT me to pirate it.

Kurtzman is as much to blame for the horrors of the most recent Trek feature films as that hack JJ. Unless I’m entirely wrong about where the awfulness originates I won’t be participating.

I also won’t be participating because these executives also seem to misunderstand how many streaming services/cable services I am willing to subscribe too.

ROTJ is a great movie. All three films work up to this payoff. Luke looks down at his father’s severed arm. And stops. Looks at his own hand. Decides he will not become that and delivers THE line of the whole trilogy. “Never. I’ll never turn to the dark side. You’ve failed your highness. I am a Jedi. Like my father before me.”

Whatever sins ROTJ may commit are redeemed then and there and we see it when Anakin is inspired by it to stand up make his penance and claim his redemption. Everyone bags on ROTJ because they won’t let go of their cynicism. Because they can’t believe like Luke does.

@aequitas:

In the end, we all going to see our bodies sitting in cinema and watching star wars e7.
Sighhhhhhhhhh. :-)

I’ll buy a ticket to something else and sneak in but I won’t give them money for a porcelain hamburger.