QUESTION FROM A NEW PLAYER RE: AA MINIATURES

theres 3 of us that i no. surprize attack, drop it twice. and me kabloom. we all play in central new york (morrisville) we allso have 3 other people that play with us but they dont play on line

Again, just make sure VASSAL is configuration-based enough.  if you have to code to make changes then I’d look at one of the more polished products.

Battlegrounds has stated on their website that they are working on a wargamer-specific tabletop version of their software.  Id be curious to know how that is comiong  along…

That being said VASSAL has been around for a while and lots of games have been ported to it so I know its pretty solid.

For those who are trying to combine the Land and Sea Axis & Allies Miniatures.  Go to http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/aam/maps and download the June Map.  It contains a few pages that are JUST water.

Hope this helps

I split the Zombies stuff into a new topic.

Also, how long do the games run?
The AH site says 30-90 minutes, but for what size battle is that?

If you don’t count the time to formulate your armies, games rarely last only 30 minutes. 30 minutes is usually for a scenario that gets you into the action right away. Tournament games usually last between 60 and 90 minutes. Recreational games can last up to 2 hours if you’re taking your time. You’re first few games will probably last 2 hours.

Not for what point total he wants to play. It’s usually 45 minutes-1 hour/ 100 points you do. At 250 point armies, which is reaching the limit for point totals maintaining game balance (post 300 you’ll see huge balance issues), expect to play and hour and a half- 2 hours, maybe more in the beginning as you learn the rules. It also depends on the scenario you’re playing.

@Garfunkle:

What size is the standard playing surface?

Well, normally it’s the 2x2 maps they give you. But you won’t be able to play on that surface with the point totals you want to do. You’ll need at least one more starter set to have the ability to play on 4x2 maps or 3x3. Hell, I sometimes consider getting a third starter set for even more maps, as sometimes I feel like 4x2 isn’t big enough. I play 150-200 point battles.

@Garfunkle:

Is there good after market support for terrain and miniatures?

The terrain are maps that come with the game. Some people eventually play using 3-d terrain, but then you have to either play using houserules, or go out and buy hex-terrain, which is a whole new set of expenses.

@Garfunkle:

What scale is 15 mm anyway?

Basically 1:120. It’s more like 1:121, but 1:120 is the accepted number for buying terrain for the game.

@Garfunkle:

Are these plastic minis easy to mod and repaint?

Yes.

@Garfunkle:

I would like to have the ability to field a 250 point army

That’s like fielding a 6,000 point army in Warhammer: it’s really big and might make the game take longer than you want. Before making any army goals, play the game a few times. Having a crapload of miniatures to choose from for army building is sweet, but actually fielding 250 points might be hefty for you, since you mentioned that your kids impede gaming somewhat. 150 points is usually big enough to have alot of fun and see lots of units, but small enough that the game doesn’t last forever.

Welcome aboard. May you make every cover save and ignore enemy Superior Armor… :)

-=Grim=-

To simplify dice rolling and attack/defense calculations?

Paratroopers, Armoured/Scout Cars, even Heavy Tanks firing AI at it all work well.  I’ve found the best units are the bikes and polish cavalry.

The trick is not to let the Bofors get it’s points worth or more, so don’t expose units unnecessarily to it.

I dont see any long bridges on the maps, or wide rivers…