FRANCE and ANZAC COMBAT DICE - HELP us design them!

@wadkat What conflict will be taking place on this map? Are the Central Powers rethinking surrendering, or is it a battle between communism and the West?

@Skyian_Leader:

Any tips on game/map design? Like things to avoid doing? I might just need to finish up the map and post a photo of it so you experts can actually see it, instead of general assumptions.

The best advice on this will come from the board’s various map-making people, like Imperious Leader.  I’ve never made wargaming maps, but here are a few thoughts for whatever they’re worth.

I personally prefer area-movement maps (like in most of the A&A games) over squares and hexes.  They look more natural to me and better suited (in my opinion) to games that operate at the global/strategic level.  This is due to the fact that, at that level, things like combat and movement and the depiction of the military forces involved occur at a very high level of abstraction – so it doesn’t seem like a good fit to combine this abstraction with the kind of fine-scale movement tracking that hexes offer.  Hexes, to me, only work well for large-scale actions when tracking is a central game element, such as in hunt-the-Bismarck type games.  On another point, I find it annoying that hexes only allow straight-line movement in six of the eight main compass directions.  Hexes are better than squares in that regard (since squares only allow straight-line movement in four directons), but they still don’t permit movement in one of the two diagonal axes.

One idea you might want to consider, on the issue of map zone size adequacy, is to use a split-representation system along the lines of the “task force markers” that were used in the original A&A Pacific game.  In such a system, the plastic sculpts corresponding to a particular group of forces are placed off the game map (on a side table) rather than on the map, along with a small numbered identifying marker.  A corresponding marker is placed on the map to mark the position of the force group.  That way, the map sections only need to be big enough to accommodate these small markers rather than a pile of sculpts, and you only need to move the markers from position to position rather than the sculpts.

As a further refinement, you can even use this system (if you’re so inclined) to introduce partial blinding into the game.  This involves keeping your map markers face-down until they make contact with enemy markers (which are also face down).  Before the markers make contact (at which point they are both turned face up), each side knows the composition of the enemy’s various forces (seen via the groups of off-the-board sculpts) and the position of the enemy’s various forces (seen via the map markers), but remains unaware of which group of sculpts corresponds to which map marker. This makes possible the element of surprise, which is absent in a conventional A&A game in which you can always see every detail of the enemy’s forces.  The old Stratego game works a bit like that, in the sense that you know what pieces the enemy has and you know where on the board the enemy has pieces, but you don’t know the specific unit type of each piece until you make contact with it.

How do you intend to play test? Like in your area, or online? Because with the latter I’m sure the community would love to help you out.

2004 UK Revised green (celery)
2009 UK Tan
2010 ANZAC Grey
2012 HBG Neutral Light Grey
2012 HBG Neutral Ivory
1986 AA Classic Forest Green
or 2010 Chinese Yellow-Green

@coachofmany:

@12doze12:

This topic is a bit … off-topic but what all of us would be if there was no FMG …

1 - We would be desperate because the Italians use the same sculpts of Germany and France the same has SU … but FMG made a set of units for the Italian and is making one for France.

2 - We would bored of the same simple dices … but FMG made a set of 3 dices for each faction.

3 - We wouldn’t know where to put all of the Europe and Pacific 1940 content … but FMG made a box where you can put everything.

4 - We would be suspicious if our adversary is trying to role the dices to make small numbers came out … but FMG made a dice turret.

So what will it be to play this game without FMG ???

And Historical War Gamming, you also made our life better.

1 - Painted pieces for almost all important nations of ww2.

2 - You sell each unit from any game separatly.

3 - And you now are making a set for minor axis and marines.

FMG and HBG, you saved us !!!

Thank you…don’t forget the Custom Roundels and new maps too!
The United States sculpting will start this week for the third set.

Sorry I forgot those xD United States set ?  :-P

@Lunarwolf:

fmg is doing the penn class now?

Yeah, they are.  A lot of people want more early war models of equipment since the main game now is Global 1940.  The South Dakota, North Carolina and Iowa classes didn’t come out until after 1941.

Very nice!!!  8-)  Thumbs up!

While I rather like the idea, India is basically a power. But upside down turtle fmg is not even done  Italy.