The New Anchor Games

[larry marak]

As I'm retiring in 414 days 10 hours 4 minutes 31 seconds, and lead time is still about 4-12 months between early order and delivery, I'm looking at what will be in the future, not necessarily what I'll buy. I know Leonard has been working on not just one but 2 additional 1940 games and we can expect major expansion in this era, as well as Korea 2-3-4 in the next year or two.

Broken Axis apparently includes the earlier Romanian Trilogy as well as new battles, plus 4 new maps designed for Eastern Front use and a considerably expanded Romanian order of battle. The two Kursks can easily be expanded by books both forward and backward in time; we've already seen the first "bonus" scenario from 3rd Kharkov (Khirkiv today, where fighting is going on as I type).

Bagration, Operation Mars (already visited twice by PG), Plan Blue and the Kurland pocket campaign are all available for a more detailed boxed treatment, so I suspect the flow of PG topics is just beginning.

[larry marak]

Where we stand today: using the in print list of Avalanche and the Game list of PG-HQ, adding the few titles not separately listed in the Library (Edelweis 2 and Edelweiss 3), and subtracting the boxed games schedualed for final sale and bonfire, we get the following in-print stats for PG. In Print 28, out of Print 45. Mike's job is keeping the PG system fresh and abundant for gamers, not in print for completists (guilty as charged).

Compare this with the publishing history of the two squad-level games out there, ASL and ATS. ASL required the purchase of core modules to allow system wide play, rapidly became so expensive that it could never be kept with all the core modules in stock at once, many licensees produced outside materials, and the rules burden became unbelievable.

ATS operated on a shoestring (like Avalanche the last 5 years) was rarely able to restock titles, and changed the core rules nearly a dozen times, culminating in a change in sequence of play, counter-size, and data display on counters that drove away almost all their long term players.

Avalanche managed to stay in business (just barely) for years, focused on new product to heal the books and strengthen the company, and most important, kept rules stability. 4th edition PG rules are virtually identical to 2nd and 3rd edition rules, just longer because of larger type and more pages of examples of play. By building era and enviornment anchor games for the series, you don't have to have any kind of a volume 1 to be able to play and master the game.

End of Soap Box mode.

[armyduck95]

I'm OK with it. Secondary market will help completists (of which I am one). I already know that I will never play it all- but one can hope. Just keep improving the maps

[waynebaumber]

Larry,

You can not compare ASL to PG, ASL has maintained its quality throughout its lifetime with just three editions of rules and that is including the original Squad Leader. I still play on an original Squad Leader brought in 1979, though I admit like me it is getting slightly ragged around the edges. All my ASL boards match reasonably well when butted together compared to my PG maps.

As an avid ASL fan and PG fan I have never gone down the which game is better route, as both are great game systems, but I know which system has nearly always produced balanced, well tested and exciting scenarios and that not PG.

Unlike Alan I may still buy new PG products but only after seeing the components and only if the the subject really grabs me.

As PG reinvents itself again I know that some of the veteran players feel enough is enough and I have some sympathy with that view, for my own part I will like Fagin in the musical "Oliver" be reviewing the situation.

[larry marak]

ASL has had good helmsmanship through the years..the new introductory level series games from MMP was a good idea, as those who don't want to go full bore can have a lifetime of fun (copywrite 1962 Avalon Hill) with just those elements.

I still do some ATS, but just at the Basic Game II rules level, kind of hard to let it go when there are 3 Marak counters in the system.

[tlangston28]

Larry - is that the Stalingrad "big hex" game? I have that one, too but have never played it.

How does it play? I have the ASL starter kit #1 and there is a sizeable ASL community here in the Chicago area so there are resources but I have not met anyone who plays ATS.

I bought that one as I was intrigued by the big map.

[larry marak]

The big hex Stalingrad introduced the intermediate level rules to the system, and are about a complex as anyone needs these days. ATS's strength was in the all historical map portrayal of battlefields, and the quicker, more intuitive sequence of play. ATS has gone through an endless sequence of rules revisions and modifications. Favorite titles: Arnhem, Tobruk (and its 5 expansion scenario packs) The 4 maps battle for Berlin, and Ponry, which seems to literally put you down on the Kursk battlefield when you play.

"I" appear as a sgt in the Nordwind game, and a bar gunner in the latest version of the introductory game.

[zaarin7]

So everybody bring all guns to bear on those counters in those two games.