Re: Blue Sky Thinking (was: Re: [GZG] re: Wanted)

[Robert N Bryett <rbryett@xxxxxxxx>]

> 1) Do you (or have you in recent years) play SG2?
> a) Yes, with 25/28mm minis
> b) Yes, with 15mm minis but using standard SG2 - ie: single-based  
> figures
> c) Yes, with 15mm minis but modified for group-based figures
> d) No, interested but have no opponents/time/money etc...
> e) No, not interested

a/d. I know that sounds odd, but bear with me. Yes we have played  
some SG2 games using GW Imperial Guard, Space Marine and Tau figures.  
We enjoyed them, but our main gaming group (boys aged 9-14) found SG2  
quite "hard", and they prefer FT, so SG2 rather fizzled out. Which  
leaves *me* lost in d.

The biggest problems I have with SG2 are the difficulty of creating  
scenarios which give both sides a chance of a satisfactory game, and  
the apparent need for an umpire in most games. IMHO the SG rule book  
needs a lot less fluff about "Private Bloggs", and a lot more canned  
scenarios to jump-start new players who may not have much background  
in wargaming, and to build their confidence and trust in the "no- 
points" system. This is a serious barrier to converting young players  
with experience of 40K I've found, despite the fact that I think one  
gets a *much* better game with SG2.

> 2) Would the development of a game like we've been discussing  
> (let's call it SG3) fit what you would want from a hard SF ground  
> combat game?
> a) Yes, and I'd play it in 15mm
> b) Yes, but I'd still play it in 25/28mm (or 6mm, or anything else!)
> c) No, this level of game doesn't interest me

c. On the whole, I think if I wanted to play combined arms mechanised  
ground combat at the company level, I'd do it in a contemporary  
setting not SF, and take advantage of all the concrete, "real world"  
info out there. Once you pull back far enough, it doesn't matter if  
the infantry are armed with gauss-rifles or M-16s, or if the tanks  
have 120mm guns or lasers, or if the CAS is helicopters or grav-sleds...

I'd be more attracted to FMAS up to the present SG level, to fight  
out some of the ground actions postulated in my Belt Wars FT  
scenarios, or the station boarding from "Rimrunners", or marines vs.  
bugs a la "Aliens", "Space Hulk" etc.

> 3) Would the development of SG3 in this direction tempt you into  
> buying/collecting 15mm forces?
> a) Yes, I'd buy a new 15mm army!
> b) I already have a 15mm force waiting for a game system...
> c) No, I've got enough lead/scale/projects already!

d. Other :). I haven't made my mind up about 15mm. I came back to  
wargaming after a long lay-off beginning in the late '70s. Back then  
I played "25mm" for historicals plus 1:300th modern mechanised, and  
15mm didn't really exist. I must say that I've been very impressed  
with the quality of casting on modern 15mm stuff, but integration  
with popular vehicle/building model scales seems poor. In the pics,  
GZG's vehicles all look rather small (if beautifully formed ;) ) in  
relation to the figures. I'm not sure what vehicles one might kit- 
bash for use with 15mm SF. Perhaps 1/87th Minitanks, but 1/72nd  
aircraft would be way too big I think.

I'm just not sure how 15mm fits in. OK, I know it's cheaper than 25mm  
(probably the main attraction), and supposedly quicker to paint  
(though I suspect that has more to do with the painter's taste; back  
in the day, I certainly didn't bother with elaborate painting and  
shading on 25mm wargame figures. I kept that for my 54mm dioramas!).  
When it comes to ground-scale and gaming space, it doesn't seem to me  
that 15mm is different enough from 25mm to make a lot of difference  
(the SG2 rules use the same ground-scale for both...).

Frankly it seems that the main effect of 15mm is to force small  
companies like GZG to maintain two separate ranges of figures and  
vehicles... :( Bearing in mind my comments above on the scale of game  
that interests me for SF ground combat, I guess I'm saying that I'd  
be more likely to stick with 25mm *shrug*

Best regards, Robert Bryett
rbryett@xxxxxxxx
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