HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Titan rules addenda/errata
Date: 15 Dec 92 22:15:26 GMT
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035

After presiding over half a dozen RISK and Chess tourneys, I think the
rules change to 20.3 (and the original rule 20.3) is a bad idea.
Anywhere you set out to penalize someone, there exists the threat of
abuse by trying to be penalized on purpose, and leaving the "offended"
player the option of refusing penalty is no good either because of the
threat of collusion.

As an example, we had a rule in RISK where a player who rolled too many
dice automatically lost the battle as if the maximum allowable amount
had been rolled.  The problem was that this allowed for some collusion
on the part of a particularly troublesome pair, where to facilitate an
attack through enemy territory too many dice would be intentionally
rolled (I won't go into the detials of the board, but take it as the
point they they intentionally brought the penaly on themselves for an
end).

The solution I found to be best for even the most troublesome members
was to assert that ANY member of a game could force another player to
play legally when an illegal option was taken.  In the case of titan,
it would then follow that ANY player could demand a correct number of
dice rolled with no penalty assessed, and that the penalty would then
be reserved actual mistakes, rather than be use as a point of leverage
by a particular player.

Against repeat offenders who do so intentionally, ostracizion seems to
work pretty well, too (as was repeatedly pointed out in the rules
clarifications/changes)

(This roughly corresponds to selection "b" in the previous post, except
that ANYONE, not just the other player in the battle, can demand the
correct count)

Mel
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: SFB:Base tractoring
From: mcsbc3maw@dct.ac.uk
Date: 14 Dec 92 15:16:56 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology



Anyone know what would happen is a ship moving at speed xx (>0)

was to grab a base with a tractor beam when the base had stabalisers ???

	This happened in a game and our on-the-spot ruling was that
	
a breakdown check would be required as the ship grinds to a stop 

suddenly.Looking at the rules later (cursitory scan only i admit) i couldn't

find anything there about this situation.

	Mark.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: ets@wrkgrp.COM (Edward T Spire)
Subject: Re: Anyone played AMBUSH?
Organization: The Workstation Group
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 19:31:04 GMT

brione@hpfcmdd.fc.hp.com (Brion Emde) writes:
: Has anyone out there ever played the Victory Games game called Ambush.  It is
: billed as a solitaire squad level tactical game.  I picked up a copy for my
: Christmas present and would like to know what people think of it.  I haven't
: had a chance to look at it yet, cuz it aint Christmas yet :-(

I played AMBUSH and several of it's follow-on modules, and found them
to be very enjoyable.  Easy to learn game system, enough complexity
in the programmed scenarios that you can play them more than once
with different stratagies and still find new things.

There's another series like this from Victory that was equally good,
with some good simplifications in the system, but I can't rememebr it's
name right now.

I used to game a lot in my youth, but it's hard to find the time
as an adult.  I looked at SL/ASL, but it doesn't seem like such a
complex system could be adapted for PBM, so I didn't pursue it.
Perhaps someone could compare the AMBUSH system against SL/ASL?

========================================================================
=====  "The heart must mediate between the brain and the hands"    =====
Ed Spire                                 ets@wrkgrp.com (on uunet)
The Workstation Group                    708-696-0255  fax: 708-696-2277
-- 

========================================================================
=====  "The heart must mediate between the brain and the hands"    =====
Ed Spire                                 ets@wrkgrp.com (on uunet)
From: cjs@phy.duke.edu (Carl Schnurr)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: New Dracula Boardgame?
Date: 16 Dec 92 18:32:21 GMT
Organization: Duke University Physics Dept.; Durham, N.C.

Has anyone tried out Leading Edge's new boardgame, Dracula?  
I enjoyed their Aliens boardgame and expansion in a silly
'beer and pretzels' way, and am curious about this new one.

Thanks,
-Carl
-- 
	Carl J. Schnurr					1-919-684-8256
	Duke University Dept. of Physics        	cjs@phy.duke.edu
	Durham, N.C.      27706
From: jrzorn@garnet.berkeley.edu ()
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Epic Space Marines
Date: 17 Dec 1992 16:18:03 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.berkeley.edu


Some more Epic questions:

	Continuing on the theme of wave serpents. What happens when the
irresistable wave meets the immoveable force field of a mekboy speedsta or
impenetrable mekboy gargant?

	On the theme of forcefields. Can an eldar tremor canon, which
propagates its attack through the ground, do damage to the mekboy speedsta
and gargant, or do their fields in some way block attacks through the
ground. If the latter is the case, how do they affect mole mortars?

	Any responses will be greatfully read.

JZ
From: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Talisman questions
Date: 17 Dec 92 21:13:45 GMT
Reply-To: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Organization: Department of Chemistry, UCLA

In article <1992Dec13.214643.12586@scorch.apana.org.au>, jimgar@scorch.apana.org.au (Jim Garner) writes:
>schrey@oak.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Timothy M. Schreyer) writes:
>
>|  How does everyone handle the "magic whirlwind" that can ensue when 
>|  someone has a player character who must maintain at least one spell?
>
>My friends and I always play a house rule - only 1 spell can be cast
>per turn per player. This stops the Prophetess, the High Mage, and whoever
>gets the Orb.

Presumably you mean the Wand?  We refer to the Orb of Knowledge as the "Orb of
Uselessness" in these parts.

>
>|  In light of this, does anyone else feel that the Prophetess is over-
>|  balanced for the game?  Not only does she always maintain a spell which
>
>The only time we play the Prophetess is against the Monk. Normally we
>leave them out as too good, and we leave out the dwarf elf and
>halfling as too poor.


ARE YOU KIDDING?????  The Dwarf and Elf are average, AT LEAST.  In particular,
the Dwarf can go for a quick win if he can just get a couple extra points of
Craft and Strength (especially if the craft is from an item and thus can't be
lost by failing to get through the Portal of Power).  The Elf's ability to
teleport at will from Woods to Woods is very powerful, especially if something
good happens to pop up on a woods space... and the Halfling's ability to reroll
anything related to Craft is nothing to sneeze at.  Personally, the Dwarf is
one of my favorites.

IMHO, the three weakest characters (including all cards-only expansions plus
the Dungeon) are the Ghoul, the Pilgrim, and the Minstrel, and none are
unplayably weak (yes, I've won with the Minstrel).  The Ghoul's ability to make
a combat Psychic can be a big equalizer, the Pilgrim's ability to send spirits
to other places on the board is nice if there are low-craft characters about
(and is just as good as evading, anyway, if not better), and the Minstrel is in
great shape if he happens to get a Giant Lizard, Lion, or Bear as a follower to
add THREE to his strength.

I must chastise you for not including the Warrior of Chaos and the Philosopher
in your list of gross characters.  While not on a par with the Prophetess,
they're still pretty nasty (especially the Philosopher with a small number of
players).


-Doug Gibson
 doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu

Neither UCLA nor the National Science Foundation has a clue what I am doing.
They just pay me to do it.

"We have to tear you to shreds because we care." - EAC
From: ptd2@po.CWRU.Edu (Palmer T. Davis)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: SFB:Base tractoring
Date: 15 Dec 92 01:42:07 GMT
Reply-To: ptd2@po.CWRU.Edu (Palmer T. Davis)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, mcsbc3maw@dct.ac.uk () says:
>
>Anyone know what would happen is a ship moving at speed xx (>0)
>was to grab a base with a tractor beam when the base had stabalisers ???
>	This happened in a game and our on-the-spot ruling was that
>a breakdown check would be required as the ship grinds to a stop 
>suddenly.Looking at the rules later (cursitory scan only i admit) i 
>couldn't find anything there about this situation.

Tractoring a stabilized base is exactly identical to tractoring a ship
with a movement cost of infinity.  Your ship would have a pseudo-speed
of zero and would therefore stop dead, but would be still counted as
"moving" for purposes of acceleration, and there would be no breakdown
roll.  See (G7.251).

-- PTD --
-- 
Palmer T. Davis      ___
<ptd2@po.cwru.edu>   \X/   cthread.  cthread_fork().  Fork, thread, fork!
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: rbr@well.sf.ca.us (Bob Rossney)
Subject: Re: Multi-player gaming ideas
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 06:17:12 GMT


With regard to the idea of a multi-player game based on EC unification,
the German company Salagames has a card game called Koalition that is
based on EC *politics*, and it's wonderful.  It's an odd mix, sort of a
trick-taking game, like Bridge or Hearts, except that the suits are parties
and every suit contains cards (which represent politicians) of different
ranks, and many politicians can represent more than one party.  It's fairly
simple (although the scoring system is one of those mazes of little details
that Mies van der Rohe tells us that God is in) and can be played in a
little over an hour, but it's full of subtleties.  Also the caricatures of
the politicians are both funny and curiosity-provoking, as one begins to
suspect that they are based on real EC politicians.

Bob Rossney
rbr@well.sf.ca.us
From: slouie@ocf.berkeley.edu (Shelley Louie)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: The makers of SFB
Date: 19 Dec 92 07:37:05 GMT
Organization: UCB: Home of the Sizzling Weasel Onna Stick Snack
NNTP-Posting-Host: monsoon.berkeley.edu

> ccjm@st-andrews.ac.uk (Colin Charles James MacDonald) writes:
>> wongrr@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Ryan R Wong) writes:
>>Why do so many people hold FASA responsible for SFB rules?
>>Why do these people blame FASA?
>AAAAAAAARGH!!!! No more flames please, my mailbox is groaning. I'm sorry,
>I truly am. I know ADB and TFG make SFB. It was late at night, I
>copied someone else's mistake, I was drunk, there was an earthquake,
>a terrible flood, locusts...

It's all my fault Colin. Sorry!  I knew TFG does deal with SFB, I 
just couldn't make it come out right on my fingers.  (Let's see. 
TFG looks a lot like FASA right?)  To all of those who sent mail 
to Colin: Nyahh! Nyahh! Nyahhh! Missed me! Missed me!

As for why people confuse FASA with TFG?  How many Golly-Gee-Whiz
Gotta-Have-It overpriced new items have each side come out with
in order to "improve" their top-selling product? Capitalism wins
over sanity again!  
 
-Shelley Louie
Digital is illusion. Life is analog.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: b-cripe@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Richard Cripe)
Subject: Other dirty Titan tricks (was Re: TITAN: some simple questions)
Reply-To: b-cripe@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Richard Cripe)
Organization: Columbia University
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 18:40:48 GMT

A friend of mine was once reduced to one stack.  Since he was forced to fight 
a battle, everyone knew exactly what was in his stack.  After this, he 
looked at EVERY stack on the board.  This was because the rules read something
like "if a player looks or reveals another player's stack, the latter player
may pick one of the first player's stack to look at." It's not exact, but
that's the gist.  But of course, everyone already knew what he had so he didn't
lose anything.  Some of us were pissed, but we let him get away with it that 
time.  It is officially considered bad etiquette to do this around our gaming
club now.  Looking back, it was really funny--once.   :-)

--Rick!



Rick Cripe			:It is ridiculous to shop for worries.  The 
cripe@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu	:real thing makes itself felt in due course, 
				:and I'd more than enough to go around.
				:	--Lord Corwin of Amber
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: duizie@leland.Stanford.EDU (Ken Duisenberg)
Subject: A&A suggestions for a newbie
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 07:13:13 GMT


I've only played A&A twice, but I've been reading many of the posts and
recognize all the terms and methods.  I'll be seeing my relative who
introduced me to A&A over the Holidays, and I'm sure he's going to ask for
a game.  I've gathered that I should ask for the Allies.

Assuming I get the Allies, could a few of you post a good strategy to 
follow?  I know this is extremely open ended, but I do understand the game
enough that a few general ideas could help me put up a fight, rather than
watch my openent walk all over me.

Many thanks in advance.

Ken Duisenberg
duizie@leland.stanford.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: bcd@fang.att.com (Brendan Dwyer)
Subject: Re: Anyone played AMBUSH?
Organization: AT&T Tax Systems Development, Maitland FL
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 19:07:55 GMT

From article <Bz48rC.142@hpfcmdd.fc.hp.com>, by brione@hpfcmdd.fc.hp.com (Brion Emde):
> Has anyone out there ever played the Victory Games game called Ambush.  It is
> billed as a solitaire squad level tactical game.  I picked up a copy for my
> Christmas present and would like to know what people think of it.  I haven't
> had a chance to look at it yet, cuz it aint Christmas yet :-(
> 
> Thanks for your information,
> 
> Brion Emde
> Hewlett-Packard Mechanical Design Division
> Fort Collins, CO 80525
> (303)229-4838
The day I received Ambush (birthday present) I played from 4:00pm until
5:00am the next morning.  I love the game.  The system can be a little 
tricky to learn in the beginning but once you get it down the system
flows.  The Germans are tough, especially on defense.  The scenarios are
interesting and challenging.  IMHO I consider this to be one of the 
best wargames I've ever played.  Enjoy.

Brendan Dwyer


Organization: Doctoral student, Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 04:13:43 -0500 
From: Erik Lauer <el0g+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: A&A - I think I found it!!!!
	<1992Dec12.223920.1@vax.sonoma.edu>

>There.  The results do not lie.  For you as Russia to keep me from
pasting you,
>you HAVE to put 18i or more in Karelia.
>Problem is:  I then coast into Caucasus, and revert to my original plan.

I think Russia is asking for it if they do not put 19 inf, 3 tanks in
Karelia myself.  I assume they do that.  What is the plan you revert to
if they leave one inf in the Caucasus, and why would leaving 2 or 3 inf
in the Caucuses stop you (as I remember you attak the Caucasus with
enough to croush 2 inf, so why would they leave more than 1 there?) ?


Erik
---=
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: pca8c@Virginia.EDU ("Phil Abel")
Subject: Re: A&A: Why does America fight Germany?
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 22:13:25 GMT

America vs Japan is a very effective strategy and I have used
it many times with smashing results. If you find yourself up
against a ruthless German player, though, you might want to
have the US focus on the Atlantic instead. As far as speed,
the US can have a whole flotilla of transports off Germany by
the end of the second turn (faster than building a shipping a
fleet in the Pacific).

My current obsession is trying to devise a means by which
Germany can counteract this strategy, and it has been a
difficult task. I have found a way to get through Karelia
before the UK/US fleets land troops, but still must commit a
substantial force to the defensive... meaning I have less
forces available with which to keep driving into Moscow.
Organization: Doctoral student, Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 02:35:27 -0500 
From: Erik Lauer <el0g+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: A&A: Why does America fight Germany?
	<1992Dec16.195226.28288@Virginia.EDU>

pca8c@Virginia.EDU ("Phil Abel") writes:

>The whole russian front thing is a precarious situation, and
>depends heavily on your opponents and relies partially upon
>the luck of the dice... However, hypothetically speaking, this
>would be my typical German response:
>
>If USSR attacked Ukraine and I was Germany, I would send
>everything into Karelia save for an aircraft or two to aid in
>naval battles. I stand a fairly good chance of winning this
>fight.

Save an aircraft or two for naval battles, and still have a good chance
of winning?  Is good chance < 50%?   I don't know how others proceed
with attacking Ukraine, but my idea is attack ukraine with 5 inf, 3
tanks, fighter.  Attack Baltic with fighter and sub.  Bring tank back to
Russia, put all nearby land units in Karelia, land aricraft there, build
8 inf there.  Put your transport with british fleet, clump inf facing
Japan.  You battle would be 6 inf, 5 tanks, 3 fighters, bomber vs. 15
inf, 2 fighters, AA gun (assuming you sent 1 fighter to the naval
battles).  This sounds like a poor battle.

>The allies would most certainly take Karelia right back. But,
>as Germany, I would buy 6 armour on my first turn. Second turn

Yes, british take, Russia clumps up there (or takes eastern Europe). 
Assuming Russia just builds up (so you can attack), allies have about 13
land units there.

>I would bowl into Karelia with the 6 armour, the two from
>Western Europe, the 4 infantry left over from Germany, and any
>aircraft I so desire. The final result is that I'm highly
Your aircraft should be dead.  How well do you assume you rolled?
>likely to take it back for good.

You must have rolled really well.  Come on, the first battle was not a
great one, lets look at it assuming you do above average:

AA gun misses 3 fighters and a bomber.
Germany gets 6 hits, Russia gets 6 hits.
5 tanks, 3 fighters a bomber attacking 9 inf, 2 fighters.
Germany gets 5 hits, Russia gets 4 hits
1 tank, 3 fighters and a bomber attacking 4 inf, 2 fighters.
Germany gets 3 hits, Russia gets 3
1 tank 1 bomber attacking 1 inf 2 fighter.
Germany probably leaves, content that he rolled better than the Russians.

>The bottom line is that without outside help, Germany will
>easily vanquish USSR. Thus, the USSR essentially must maximize
>the time during which it can keep the German forces at bay.
>
>I have even found that if USSR attacks Eastern Europe and buys
>four armour and an infantry on its first turn, it can oftimes
>take back Eastern Europe on the second turn with its remaining
>forces. Risky, but effective.

I have not found this to be true.  Perhaps your intution is the attacker
rolls better.


Erik
---=
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: pca8c@Virginia.EDU ("Phil Abel")
Subject: Re: A&A suggestions for a newbie
Organization: University of Virginia Espionage Center 
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 23:09:13 GMT

Rule one of Axis and allies: New players sometimes are
reluctant to attack. As you said you have played twice, no
doubt you have figured out that this does not work.
Unforgivable aggression is the key to the game...

These strategies have probably been laid out already, but here
they are again from the Department of Redundancy Department:

Soviets: Attack Japs in Manchuria, attack Germans in E. Europe
(Ukraine is a more conservative attack and an easier victory,
but is harder to defend against). Defend Karelia heavily. If
the Germans play as they usually do, Russia defends from now
on. Main goal becomes to hold out until help arrives...

Germany: Destroy UK navy. Get Rommel moving in Africa to take
some land (and income!). Take back whatever damage the Soviets
did. DON'T BE FLUSTERED IF THE SOVIETS KEEP BUYING INFANTRY IN
KARELIA! You gotta hit them hard and fast with armour every
turn or they will become too strong. Assuming that there is no
naval threat looming in the atlantic, keep buying armor and
nailing them. You both will suffer heavy casualties but you
will eventually nab him. Maintain a fair luftwaffe to take out
any rogue transports/subs that appear. General strategy is to
keep pounding into Soviets.

UK: Lotsa options. Can save money on first turn and coop with
US to build massive transport fleet. Can build IC in India and
ferry life giving units, can reenact El Alamien and get Germany
out of Africa.

Japan: Get stuff moving in Asia! Build an IC in the first turn
if you can. Take out the US fleet, but don't be obsessed if
they build a navy against you. It will take many turns before
they can get close to you. Besides, if the US only works on
Japan, they are criminally neglecting their desperate Soviet
ally.

US: May want to ferry units to Africa to help out, may want to
build transport navy in Atlantic to help out. If Japan has a
bad first turn, US can also build an IC in China and keep Japan
from getting strong and taking away USSR's life giving cash.

I hope these made a facsimile of sense... After awhile the game
becomes second nature to the point that it is actually hard to
explain to somebody. I trust that you will soon become addicted
to the game to the obsessive levels of the rest of us around
here...
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 16:01:33 -0500 
From: "Timothy C. Worsley" <tw1r+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: TITAN: some simple questions
	<licu35INNma@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
Distribution: usa

Excerpts from netnews.rec.games.board: 9-Dec-92 Re: TITAN: some simple
ques.. Don Woods@colossal.Eng.S (1413)

> Hm, that's not how we play it, and I'd say the rules can certainly be
> interpreted so as to prohibit it.  Yes, you're moving your stacks
> sequentially, but when you elect to move the Tower stack the Tower it's
> in is occupied (by itself), so it can't go there.  I.e., you can't pick
> it up, hold it in the air, and then say "Oh look, the Tower it came from
> it empty, so I'll land there."

	This is the same thing that you do when you use a "spin-cycle" in ther
brush/swamp/desert.  If you like, you can teleport 6 spaces in a circle,
and end up in the same space.  It seems that if a brush/swamp/desert
space is vacant for spin, that the tower is also for a teleport.  It is
exactly the same situation.  If there were any prohibition, it would
have certainly been stated explicitly.

ZZnew guy