Thursday 31 March 2011

Some Thoughts on Force on Force

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Not long now till Ambush Alley Games' Force on Force is released via the Osprey Publishing stable.

It a cracking wargames publication. The best I've seen to date and a joy to own let alone use. I've said this before. But there has to be more it it than just being pretty, or is it just the Emperors New Clothes - all batter and no Mars Bar?

The truth of the matter is that FoF has it's detractors and it's exponents. It's not for everybody. Let's not pretend in any way, shape or form it is.But if I, yes me, could choose one game system on the market right now to have been designed by me in some alternative universe - Force on Force and I have to say, it's forthcoming fully fledged future variant Tomorrow's War, is it.

In Tomorrow's War, I am delighted Shawn was able to capture my vision of a netcentric future battlefield and turn a few scribblings into a coherent whole without allowing it to overpower the game.

Where they both win for me, is on the granularity they give the soldier and his ability to perform in combat. Together with a combat system that becomes intuitive very quickly.

This is a game engine to savour.  It's a fine dining experience rather than a fast meal. For me a Sunday afternoon where I can think about my tactics to reflect my troops rather than just banging miniatures across the table and rolling a +1.

Cheers
Mark

8 comments:

  1. Amen. Couldn't have said it better.

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  2. I have to admit that I have very little experience of modern wargames rules bar a brief firtation with TTG's Firefight (and a LONG relationship with their Challenger II micro-armour rules) so when it comes to systems for modern, near future and scifi skirmishes I tend to rate everything against GZG's Stargrunt II rules. So, give me a clue, how does Force on Force compare in the speed and ease of play stakes to SGII?

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  3. Hi pureteenlard

    Good question! In many ways, FoD/TW is the successor to SGII. Once you get your head round the multi-layered unit profiles and 'reaction chain' the engine is quick to learn and play is fast. Not as much as Battlefield Evolution Modern Combat but equivalent to FAD.

    To play FoF with gamers who are being exposed to it for the first time, I'd say it's best to be really sure of the engine yourself and in a club/multiplayer setting to act as mentor (umpire).

    Cheers
    Mark

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  4. I'm still a bit concerned that thr reaction chains might slow the game so much that you only get a few opportunities to move in a typical gaming session. That said, I've got TW preordered at book depository!

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  5. THanks, Mark! It sounds like one more thing to add to The List Of Things I'll Buy When I've Got The Money.

    Too many expensive hobbies, that's my trouble . . .

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  6. Chris has done a guide to Force on Force. it's available for download here:

    http://www.file-upload.net/download-3306694/An-introduction-to-playing-Force-On-Force-by-Chris-M.-aka-Sgt.-Scream.rar.html

    Cheers
    Mark

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