Dirtside II - Minutes to Learn, Lifetimes to Master.

Mikko Kurki-Suonio wrote:
>With that frequency of playing I don't really memorize the rules and
given
>that e.g. DS2 lacks a cheat sheet and a good selection of pre-designed
>vehicles, well, it failed to be a hit in our group which is a pity
because
>I really, really like the game (it just has too many %T$$#"%&$#
counters
>on the table -- if I wanted "sneeze-away" cardboard counters, I'd play
a
>%$%"$#%"$# boardgame). It's just a tad too complex for the time I have.

When I play a large DS2 battle, each side has the same leadership and
quality, depending upon their genre. For example, my typical planetary
defence force is all green 2, while my elite Raiding forces are all
veteran
1.
    Also, I assume all forces start off at confident, so that I don't
need
to assign confidence markers until they are needed. You, too, can use a
similar system for your games. Just assign the most typical leadership
and
morale quality rating for your side. That way, there is no need for
counters
until they are needed.

No predesigned vehicles are only a small flaw. There is plenty available
on
the net that I've found. If your group has lots of GW Epic models, you
could
use the conversions notes for GW Epic to DSII found here:
http://www.witty.demon.co.uk/dirtside2.htm
the web site is here:
http://www.witty.demon.co.uk
There is other sites that have conversions for WWII and Modern.
    I've also found that for designing vehicles, that it is very
important
to have a strong concept in mind, otherwise, your design will be
ineffective.
So, design the genre first, then the vehicles will fit.

>Well, I must be the odd man out, but even with 15+ years of gaming, my
>tastes are turning more and more into simple but elegant(*, fast games.
>
>*) Simple but elegant is not the same as simple. It is perhaps best
>described by the old cliche: "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master".

I totally agree! Minutes to learn, lifetimes to master. DSII and
Stargrunt
II are close to this ideal. There are just a few rough edges that need
to be
filed off.

Andrew Martin
Shared email: Al.Bri@xtra.co.nz
Web Site: http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin
Dirtside II Web Site: http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/DSII
Dirtside II FAQ Web Site: http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/DSII/FAQ