Weekender: Sinking Ships In UBOOT, Vietnam On The Tabletop & Win A Guild Ball Prize!

Congrats on first, @rasmus ! I guess we “night owls” have an advantage here in the US. 😀

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Watching this at 12:30am got me thinking… crap that’s a good idea… crepes, now I am thinking of breakfast but to have breakfast I have to go to sleep. Thanks guys I don’t think it helped. 🙂

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thisisazrael

Awww sorry @ghent99 <3 Az

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blackspiral

Happy Weekend!

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coxjul

It’s the Weekend! Time to get hobbying… after a few chores and watching the Weekender (which isn’t usually a chore)

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coxjul

Watched the U-Boot video last night… wow! The discussion in this Weekender – especially about the role of the app. I work a lot with teams and business systems (I don’t mean IT, but they have their place) and from what I’ve seen so far find the balance of the sub as a system being operated by the players (but at a lower level the state of it is managed by the system) in its environment (also managed by the app).

Event decks tend not to be able to react and adjust, so what the app is able to provide is feedback loops. It will react to the actions you take and react/adjust (whether that be the behaviour of the ships or the condition of parts of the sub). In turn it is giving the players feedback against the actions they’ve taken to allow them to react. If a human overseer was performing that role they would inevitably be party to the discussion and plans that went into and actions or decisions and be influenced by that – the app just knows the action taken.

Can’t wait!!

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blackspiral

Okay I’ll bite… The Dominatrix Guild, the Leader is Mistress, we have Strap, Glove, Whip and Cuffs with the leather clad bunny mascot named Gimp
I’m so ashamed…

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That guild right there would be enough to get me to play Guild Ball. 😀

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jocke

Happy Weekend… You want a new Guild, you get one

Weaver Guild

Captain: Arachne
Striker: Loom
Attacking Midfielder: Shuttle
Defending Midfielder: Reed
Centre Back: Web
Mascot: Itsy Bitsy (Huge Spider)

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jocke

Oh, and don´t forget the ball of yarn ^^

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I love the smell of Weekender in the morning… Smells like victory…

Looking forward to the Vietnam article series!

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Thanks very much, @neves1789 . The first one comes out Monday, I hope you (and the community members at large) like it! 😀

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I know I will 😉 I still remember ‘Nam week from the old days! 😀

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We’ll be adding a US Marine Corps perspective to the Vietnam picture (among others, like the ANZACs and *gasp* the NVA and Viet Cong as well)!

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tankkommander

I’d like to see the Locksmith Guild or maybe the Worshipful Company of Tax Inspectors 🙂

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beardragon14

The Tabletop Wargamer’s Guild
For a twist the big guy is also the captain Let’s call him Warren,.he has a many special plays all of which affect his players.

Play one affects the Master assembler called “John” which is “Ball and Chain” and renders him incapable of being distracted,or removed from his set task until he dies. John is mounted in a tank has the special play “Tanks for the memories” where he ruthlessly grinds one opposition player under his tracks and occupies his space.

Play two is Mercilessly Confuse which afffects the crowd favourite “Justin”. In this Warren tells Justin some information which causes him to move a triple his normal ratein radom directions until his “mind melts” and he either explodes , savagly attacks the nearest player auto hitting, or stand in the same spot drooling for the next turn. Justin has 2 plays in his play book “Not the shears” which causes male charcters to make a full move in the opposite direction and “7 guys six months” which really doesn’t bear talking about …………………

Warrren’s third play ” Away this week” affects the charming newer player “Az” which automatically takes Warren from the board (and returns Warren with full health the next turn) while Warren is off the board Az gains all of Warren’s plays and becomes captain he is invulnerable when this happens. He has a play “far too nice” which means that opposition players must give him the ball.

Warren’s 4th play “What’s new this week?” affects the discorpal player “Ben”. Ben instantly projects images which cause all nearby to drool in anticipation and drop into fuge, unable to move or react while the images are projected. Ben has two special plays “Sexy” which make female players do whatever he says and “Furious” which which will cause a ball carrying player to drop the ball in fear.

The Mascot is called “Justin’s Beard” which can disappar only to reapper anywhere next turn. It can also grow Justin back if he explodes after his mind melts.

Expansion teams include team US featuring Dawn, Giana and Oriskany and the Vid-Wizards team captained by Lloyd, with Lance, Sam, and .. (I’ve forgotten their names … %^^%)

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Oh man, @beardragon14 – does this mean Dawn, Gianna, and I get our own miniatures? 😀

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beardragon14

Of course … I mean you’d have to …. it wouldn’t be right otherwise 😀

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torros

I think the best Vietnam rules I’ve played is still Charlie company although deals a much smaller scale than would be required for the Tet offensive

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I won’t lie, many of the battles we played were a little too big for Force-on-Force, so @aras and I were playing something of an “abridged” or “streamlined” version of the game.

For the really large fights, Valor & Victory is a better fit. You can get an NVA or VC Main Force battalion (250+ men) on the map comfortably with just 30+ pieces or so. Originally written for World War II, we’ve reverse-engineered the math, plugged in 1960s weapons and OOBs, and run the math back forward again to come up with authentic, compatable squads, fireteams, and weapons sections. Startling how much firepower increases when EVERYONE is carrying a 7.62 or 5.56 automatic assault rifle, and every fireteam is carrying an RPK, PKM, M60 … then there are the M79s “Bloopers,” LAWs, B-40/RPGs, etc etc etc.

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torros

I would recommend having a look at Ken Burns Vietnam TV series . For those in the UK it was on BBC iPlayer recently though not sure if it still is

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Yes last episode is on tonight at 11pm

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Another solid choice is are documentaries like Battlefield: Vietnam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdFGr7NQ4o&list=PL0679IGx8w0jpry6P-xHoqfoWrgbxUn03

12 parts, a lot more detail, a lot more fact-based objectivity, and no “personal” anecdotal stories that I’ve always felt gets in the way in a lot of Ken Burns material. Battlefield Vietnam also puts a little more focus on the communist side of the war, their perspective, command structure, planning, objectives, etc.

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@Oriskany It’s interesting that you think that the presence of anecdotal evidence is less fact based. I would be interested in your view of what you mean by “fact” given many things in history are based on written accounts by those that were there and witnessed the events.

My view is the personal side of history is what gives it interest. Admittedly I have not seen the documentary you have cited (on my list). I think the Ken Burns Vietnam documentary looked at the conflict from the wider Socio-political angle rather than just the military one, it balanced the views of all sides and gave a well rounded perspective. Granted I am far from an expert in the conflict and like any TV documentary it is not an in depth academic study, and anyone who has done any academic History will know, you quickly find out that there are so many different views on and approaches to History that you have to view all interpretations to get an in depth view of a particular period or event. 🙂

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I don’t question that it’s fact-based. Maybe we’re talking about two different things.

It’s the academic study of history that yes, I have done, yes, I have been published on, I have taught on, and yes, I do wholeheartedly respect. That’s my point, actually.

It’s the “I still remember the day I shipped out. Mom was sad, she baked me a cake, and then drove me down to the train station …” this kind of testimonial “letters home” stuff that … it’s not that I have a problem with it, it’s just not what I’m interested in. It’s not driving tactical, operational, or strategic military questions. It’s not driving socioeconomic or geopolitical issues. You’re not going to learn anything about the forces that shaped events in a certain period, or what cascade / downstream effect that period had into the causality of future trends (military or otherwise), or what analogous comparisons can be derived and applied to present situations or even postulate into potential future scenarios.

It may also be because as a military veteran, those stories don’t interest me very much because I have a portfolio of my own, and guess what, no one wants to hear them. And guess what, I don’t blame them. Because guess what, they didn’t have anything to do with how Just Cause in Panama turned out, or Desert Storm, or Somalia, or the NATO deployments into Bosnia, any of the other events that were going on during the time I happened to be in a warehouse 10,000 miles from any of these events filling out supply requisitions. 😀

It just seems like a lot of the documentaries (at least here in the States) seem to be laying this kind of sentimentality on quite thick. To be honest, I prefer a lot of the BBC or other British documentaries that are more objective, top-down, and analytical. In the end, really a personal preference, really. Nothing against people who enjoy the other material.

Now if it’s an anecdotal story about a US president, or a British Prime Minister, or Stalin, or Genghis Khan, that’s different. They’re important. An anecdotal story might provide some insight into the mindset of a person who’s actually driving events.

But for people caught up in the events, I know it may sound cynical, but average people just aren’t that important. If I’m spending an hour watching a documentary about Jly 3, 1863, I want to learn something about why Lee thought the Union centre would be weak on Cemetery Ridge despite Longstreet’s advice to the contrary, and why 2/3 of III Corps ANV and Pickett’s Division were hurled into annihilation, why the ACW may or may not have turned on that moment … not why Private Josiah G. Humblebutt of the 17th Alabama decided to share the apple pie his mom sent him with the rest of the company on that fateful day. 🙂

And while we’re on the topic of objectivity, I always have to raise an eyebrow at the fact that these “human interest” histories rarely have accounts like this from the “other” side. Now I haven’t seen the Ken Burns one on Vietnam yet, but aside from his documentary on the US Civil War (easy to get accounts from both sides on that one), I usually don’t see that kind of balanced objectivity. Again, could be wrong about the Vietnam one. Haven’t see it yet.

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From a certain point of view.

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@azrael I had my eyes operated on and was awake right through the process. Most eye ops are done when awake. There are no nerves in the eye itself.

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trewets

Az don’t pick on people with idetic memory,…….they will remember it! Rune wars boot camp you wore a yellow t shirt washed out loose fitting blue jeans brown trainers and were very tired as you had to come straight to the studio to demo the game after only just learning the game the night before. We are watching! Go Justin go! Hope to see all you at the next bootcamp whatever it is(Helena has threatened/ promised)

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thisisazrael

Runs to the hills, runs for his life…..

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darkdanegan

Gamers Guild

Leeroy
Snowflake
Backstabber
Solitaire
G.M.

Mascot: Ludo (a self propelling die)

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798xp

rgreenparadox

Courtesans Guild

Captain: Madam
Striker: Sheets
Attacking Midfielder: Blindfold
Defending Midfielder: Red Light
Centre Back: Back Door
Mascot: 2Bits (Sheep)
Should include a nightstand with a wad of cash on it.

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canadianromeo

Still a bit 50/50 on Uboot. Seems like it may be a bit manic for my tastes.

Patisserie’s Guild

Mascot: Struesel (fox)
Captain: Religieuse
Roster: Coulis, Dacquoise, Fondant, Ganache
Goalpost: Stone Oven.

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Ok my Guild ball team

Wheelwrights

Captain – Hub
Roster – Spoke, Tyr, Axl (Muscle), Grease (Striker)
Mascot – Suspension (Mouse)

Goal Post – Wagon Wheel

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9836xp

dugthefug1644

Guild ball faction: The Clowns.
Slapstick – Character that is good at prattfall dodges and dishes out punishment.
Jongleur – Character that throws flaming clubs at the enemy, whilst juggling naturally.
Farce – Tanky character that makes the opposition lose initiative because they are laughing at him so much.
Agelast – Sinister character with a balloon who does not laugh. He can lay banana skins that move the enemy characters 2″ in any direction.
Pastiche – More subtle character with the ability to mimic an opponents special abilities.
Guffaw – The team Mascot – a performing seal with excellent ball skills because he can balance it on his nose.

Great show.
The Submarine simulation game chat was great and the game sounds brilliant. Going to watch the let’s play ASAP.

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soulman

Speaking of just grabbing a game and camera…i saw this the other day, and had a passed, guys trying out a game, chilling around it…..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCnXKF-cdik

BATTLEBOYS – Necromunda

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donlou

Fools Guild
– the heart of all comedy is pain, specifically others’ pain

Captain: Pune
Striker: Red
Attacking Midfielder: Nickelwise
Defending Midfielder: Pocket
Centre Back: Balloon
Mascot: Jack in the box
Goal post: Dunk tank
ball: Red nose

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2096xp

jemmy

For TMD (The Mighty Dignity): I believe the Japanese drive on the left side. Ask Dracs, he´ll know.

As for the UBoot Boardgame I watched the game played by Az, John, TMD and folks. An app as a key element is kind of strange for a board game. I didn´,t like it. At first.
Random elements are always good to make your games better and why not make use of a “tool” that helps to include that element. A modern tool. So my second thought is, I DO like it. And instead of buying all the more cards, tokens and all the stuff we like, we buy add-ons for the app. That´s okay! So I say: Zu Befehl, Herr Kaleun. Neuer Kurs!

The Tet offensive is now 50 years old, so the idea to cover this is very interesting. Having followed the Vietnam war a little, as it is not, until today, as known in Europe and especially where I come from as it is in the US, I am excited to learn more about how the outcome of the hostilities during this let me call it battle is seen today. Some time ago I read that this offensive was a crushing defeat for the attacking Vietcong (= South Vietnamese Communists?). But as US media and General “Wastemoremen” (a telling nickname given to him by the Americans) had told the American public the war was almost won and the “enemy” (Vietcong, North Vietnamese and what not) were not in the least capable of doing offensive actions, the Americans were in a way shocked and started to ask questions. In the stuff I read and watched it was said, that although the Vietcong lost this battle, from this point on the war was lost. The Americans didn´t want to commit any more to the war, thereby losing the incentive to fight and eventually the war itself. I´m keen to learn more and I´m looking forward to Mr Oriskany´s series, especially episode five (historical view on the battle in the context of the whole war).

There is another great battle with an anniversary this year. It is the Michael offensive in France in 1918, the last offensive push of the Germans to decide the war on the Western front before the Americans could bring their force to bear. I´d like to read and hear something about this, too. Not only historical, but also in gaming opportunities.

Now for my team:
Name: Steelworkers
Captain: Les Paul
Striker: Lemmy
Attacking Midfielder: Rob Flynn
Defending Midfielder: The Strat
Centre Back: Hetrich
Mascot: Rammstein (a huge, bulky, alive boulder to pound the oppenents in case Rob Flynn has rung too many freedom out with a shotgun blast, instead of attacking).

Huzzah!

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Thanks, @jemmy – yes, you are correct. The southern communists (National Liberation Front, or NLF, more commonly known as the Viet Cong) was basically smashed in the Tet Offensive, it technically survived but was really never the same. Meanwhile, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN, more commonly known as the North Vietnamese Army or NVA) wound up taking over more of the communist war effort, and after Tet, would eventually win the war against the United States and the Saigon government in South Vietnam (and their Army of the Republic of Vietnam, or ARVN).

In Part 05 we sink a little deeper into the actual outcomes of Tet, it’s really a mixed bag. Did the communists win tactically? Operationally? We also examine whether they achieved any of their strategic aims (a nationwide popular uprising across South Vietnam), and the “accidental fallout” of Tet that actually turned out to be its most important outcome.

We are definitely doing something with World War I this year. How many chances do you get to do a 100th anniversary commemorative series? The St. Michael’s offensive is a little soon, but there’s also 4th and 5th Ypres, the Argonne, Belleau Wood (personal favorite of mine), etc.

The issue is miniatures. I don’t have them. I have a couple people I’m working with – hopefully we’ll be able to get some collaboration / contributions so we can go forward with this. But yes, we’re not letting 2018 pass us by without some kind of effort staged for the Great War. 😀

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jemmy

Dear oriskany,
miniatures for WW I is an issue. Of course there are many from Battlefront and similar companies. I went another way, however. There is a company you will have heard of, HÄT. They have soft plastic models for many kinds of participants of WW I. I have mainly WW I minis from this company. They are quite good value for money. And acrylics can be used quite well with those. I tried it. Old Airfix models for the French and, if you can still get hold of them, French Revell plastics are quite good as well. HÄT does not have infantry with the Adrian helmet, just artillery.
Ypres and Argonnes, great! There is war movie about the Ardennes offensive, right? The Germans throw in everything they have, modern flame throwers and stuff, but the gangs from Brooklyn and the like showed what they´re made of.
Was it Patton or McArthur who fought in this battle? Please, more, more.

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This might be the movie you’re thinking of – “The Lost Battalion” on the Battle of the Argonne, October 1918.

Just asking, do you have any of these WW1 miniatures painted up? Have any good table photos or battle reports we could use?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYZNSY6SAYU

I should attach the link … 😀

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Tet killed off the ability for the South communists to stay in the field and allowed the North communists (trying to make the names easy 🙂 ). Many historians believe that this was the intent of the North in pushing for the Tet, it allowed them to take total control of the fight and then to also and more importantly take control of the peace process. Of course this will be discussed for many years to come. This is the beginning (again up for debate) of the end for the democratic forces, they win the battles but lose the war.

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Great points, @ghent99 , and this disconnect, mistrust, and rivalry between the NLF in the south and the PAVN in the north is something we bring up in Parts 01 and 02 because you’re right, it does impact some of the planning for Tet, the initial targets, and the final outcomes.

The Tet Offensive starts off as a “southern” idea, first proposed to Party Secretary Le Duan by the NLF communist leader in the south Nguyen Chi Thanh. The Defense Minister in the north, General Vo Nguyen Giap (who’d defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu) and other NVA generals initially hated the idea, and didn’t feel their forces were anywhere near ready to face US firepower in an open assault. They didn’t really support the opening phases of prep for Tet, starting in April of 67.

Then, Thanh dies of heart failure in the summer of 67, and Giap inherits full command of the Tet Offensive, which he’s on record of not supporting. He makes major changes to the plan, putting more of a “field commander” stamp on it instead of a purely political agitation plan (start a mass revolt by hitting all the cities). This is where the attacks on Khe San, Con Thien, and Lang Vei come in.

Now, the NLF / Viet Cong remain the spearhead of the Tet Offensive in the majority of the attacks. Whether this was intentional to deliberately bleed / weaken the NLF, so the PAVN / Hanoi government in the north could take greater control of the combined communist effort, is uncertain. I mean that’s certainly what happened, but whether that was intended as part of Hanoi’s / Giap’s plan, I don’t feel qualified to say.

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You made my 2 sentence of thoughts look paltry

Lol

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I am the master of verbose, bloated, and over-indulgent prose. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Brevity is the soul of wit, of course.

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khiasharisse

@jemmy and @dignity, here in Australia (and New Zealand as well) we also drive on the left side of the road. Which is really the right side of the road as far as we are concerned 😉

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noyjatat

Lumber Guild

Axe
Saw
Timber
Branch
Twig
Haul – Small pony used for hauling the trees out once cut.

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1328xp

Vietnam War Guild

Huey
Zippo
Apache
Charlie
Uncle Ho
Lil’ Tet Mascot

Weekenderception 😀

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I like it @neves1789 . Surprised there’s no “Blooper” on your team. 😀

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He can be on the bench 😀

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