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Author Topic: Holland '44 and the woes of board gaming space  (Read 29241 times)

judgedredd

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on: September 27, 2019, 06:06:29 AM
After spending some time reading the rules (struggling), watching a couple of videos, I decided I was ready to set this baby up and play through the expanded play example in the manual and go from there.

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that the map - in it's entirety - is too big. I remembered when I bought it that I'd have to look into either "folding" part of the map over or moving it over the larger part of the map when I wasn't playing - but that's just not going to be practical.

The problem is I have 1 place I can play boardgames - the dining table in the conservatory. We have cats that live in the conservatory so I bought a foldable "cover" for my games when I had them out. The two pieces of map for this game are too big for that foldable cover.

Ardennes '44 is even worse!

My other daughter is at uni and so I could play it on a board in her room - but she's likely to be back on occasion.

Looks like this and Ardennes might have to wait until my kids actually leave home.

Still - it allows me to either get back to Combat Commander:Europe, Mrs Thatchers War or my new Silver Bayonet game.



bob48

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Reply #1 on: September 27, 2019, 06:13:51 AM
I feel your pain with regards to table space. I have a spare desk next to my computer desk and basically will take a single map 'plus a bit', and thus Holland '44 just about fits.

Like you we have a cat who is very found of kicking dice and counters around.

However, and I know that not everyone likes Vassal, but the Holland '44 module is very good and I have used it a lot to get familiar with the rules, so you may want to give it a try, JD.


“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


BanzaiCat

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Reply #2 on: September 27, 2019, 12:00:50 PM
Jago is displeased with you daring to use his bed space.

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bob48

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Reply #3 on: September 27, 2019, 01:10:03 PM
Jago is displeased with you daring to use his her bed space.

Nowhere is sacred - everywhere is a potential sleeping place.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


BanzaiCat

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Reply #4 on: September 27, 2019, 01:39:18 PM
Well I got the name right, at least.  ;D

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judgedredd

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Reply #5 on: September 27, 2019, 03:12:47 PM
Well, I've set up in my daughters room at the moment because she's at university.




tuna

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Reply #6 on: September 27, 2019, 03:21:34 PM
Now teach me how to play!



Silent Disapproval Robot

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Reply #7 on: September 27, 2019, 03:24:25 PM
Let’s set up a VASSAL game and get this thing going.  I think a 4 player variant is possible.  One controls airborne, one controls armoured drive, one controls SS, and one non-SS.



bob48

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Reply #8 on: September 27, 2019, 03:25:59 PM
I'll dig the rules out and help out if I can

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


tuna

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Reply #9 on: September 27, 2019, 03:41:43 PM
Heck of a Time Zone spread there!



bob48

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Reply #10 on: September 27, 2019, 03:43:01 PM
Yeah - JD must be all of 300 miles away from me - maybe more :-)

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


tuna

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Reply #11 on: September 27, 2019, 04:25:14 PM
I mean SDR on the West Coast of NA



judgedredd

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Reply #12 on: September 27, 2019, 04:53:46 PM
...
However, and I know that not everyone likes Vassal, but the Holland '44 module is very good and I have used it a lot to get familiar with the rules, so you may want to give it a try, JD.

Will do. It was quite nice seeing all the units in their starting positions when I loaded the module.



Finally set up. It took me 2 hours.

I did not "bag" these counters correctly so it was a bit of a bugger trying to find all the correct units and starting locations/reinforcement turns. It is marked on most of the counters, but it's still quite a task (if you've put ALL the German units in one bag and 30 Corps in another - I did split out the Airborne units).

I will use more baggies I think for the reinforcements.




bob48

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Reply #13 on: September 27, 2019, 05:14:34 PM
Whilst I have mine in a GMT tray, I found that best way to sort them was by start-up and then by game turn of arrival.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


judgedredd

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Reply #14 on: September 27, 2019, 05:42:21 PM
Whilst I have mine in a GMT tray, I found that best way to sort them was by start-up and then by game turn of arrival.
Yep - I came to the same conclusion once I had set the game up.

Surely you're using more than 1 tray? I have some trays, but looking at the number of counters, I knew I'd need to use more than one.