Fifth Frontier War VASSAL module!
- Thread starter Yama
- Start date
)VASSAL is a great Java program that allows you to play boardgames electronically, either through email or "live", with all players seeing the same board on their computers and moving pieces around in real time.
It started out as a way to play Advanced Squad Leader and has evolved over the years to handle almost any game. I believe it's been around for over a decade and there are no security issues as far as I know.
I'd recommend you check out the website, especially all the game modules that are available (there are plenty of Traveller ones). If you like what you see, try downloading the program and the FFW module.
First off, kudos to the original author for making this module. It's a lot of work doing one from scratch.
I was getting ready to play this PBEM but my opponent and I found some errors (3 worlds were missing from the hex map, many squadron types were missing or incorrect, etc.) in the 1.1 version.
I've edited the module to fix everything and submitted it to the author. Hopefully he'll post it to the VASSAL site soon, but in the meantime if anyone's interested in checking it out, PM me and I can email you the 1.2 version.
I was getting ready to play this PBEM but my opponent and I found some errors (3 worlds were missing from the hex map, many squadron types were missing or incorrect, etc.) in the 1.1 version.
I've edited the module to fix everything and submitted it to the author. Hopefully he'll post it to the VASSAL site soon, but in the meantime if anyone's interested in checking it out, PM me and I can email you the 1.2 version.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Hey were you guys ever able to get a FFW vassal game going? I just noticed also the great module built by someone, author is given as vox and Scott. They did update it to 1.2, hopefully those were your corrections.
I noticed there was also a nice Mayday module as well.
I noticed there was also a nice Mayday module as well.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
I have played some games online through https://www.hexwar.com/ but haven't connected through vassal yet. Been going over the FFW rules. I might be up for a game next weekend.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Hey Warwizard !
I am in Lexington Ky
I am still perusing the rules but I guess our first problem is setup. I think the module has to be tweaked a bit to setup "start stacks" (info in vassal help).
I started to setup to play solitaire, then became a little overwhelmed with how many units have to be placed on the board. Also I got diverted researching the history of the war.
Have you played a game using vassl?
I haven't even played online using vassal yet so I am not familiar on connecting to the server etc. Maybe there is a simple vassal module that we could start with that is 'tweaked' for play? Too bad they can't post some of the old SPI games, Napoleon at Waterloo is a great starter game. Its used on Hexwar to familiarize people with the playing system. Even Chess might be a good start.
I am in Lexington Ky
I am still perusing the rules but I guess our first problem is setup. I think the module has to be tweaked a bit to setup "start stacks" (info in vassal help).
I started to setup to play solitaire, then became a little overwhelmed with how many units have to be placed on the board. Also I got diverted researching the history of the war.
Have you played a game using vassl?
I haven't even played online using vassal yet so I am not familiar on connecting to the server etc. Maybe there is a simple vassal module that we could start with that is 'tweaked' for play? Too bad they can't post some of the old SPI games, Napoleon at Waterloo is a great starter game. Its used on Hexwar to familiarize people with the playing system. Even Chess might be a good start.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Well that was cool Warwizard, I didn't know how easy it was to connect with vassal.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
It looks like the Sword World counters in the Vassal module are incorrect or not complete. I think I only see battle squadrons, no cruiser, assault carrier or tanker squadrons.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Well not beautiful but functional. I've been taking the FFW pdf I have with the maps and counters, outputting and tweaking with photoshop, the sword world units. Problem is the scans are so bad and highly jpeged that the graphics look like they have been reassembled after being put through a woodchuck machine.
That was always my problem even when playing the board game. Box says playing time is something like 2-3 hours - hahahahaha! It takes that long just to get to your starting positions!!
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Yeah this is a monster game, its starting to seem more and more like SPI's "Wacht am Rhein" or something.
I have been thinking a lot about the plotting problem. Some people mention on boardgame geek using index cards or SPI's movement plotting sheets. These plotting sheets were so that you could do simultaneous movement.
With Vassal or Cyberboard there might be some other options. Vassal is definitely the more powerful because you can do some scripting or even add java code. I had noticed that the designer of the Mayday Vassal module scripted a great feature where the ships would jump to their next position automatically when you pushed a button. So present would leap to future and past would leap to present. All you had to do then was place the future counter and then the other counters would follow it. Pretty amazing.
I was thinking something could be done with the fleets where they would jump automatically to their next plotted position. Pretty complex and I am sure it is doable but might take some time.
Cyberboard doesn't have the sophistication that is possible in Vassal but you can have multiple boards. If each player had a plotting map besides the main board then you could setup your plots there. I think it also has a feature of hidden counters from your opponent, maybe something could be done with this were your opponent can't see your future plots but they would be recorded in case there was so question.
I have been thinking a lot about the plotting problem. Some people mention on boardgame geek using index cards or SPI's movement plotting sheets. These plotting sheets were so that you could do simultaneous movement.
With Vassal or Cyberboard there might be some other options. Vassal is definitely the more powerful because you can do some scripting or even add java code. I had noticed that the designer of the Mayday Vassal module scripted a great feature where the ships would jump to their next position automatically when you pushed a button. So present would leap to future and past would leap to present. All you had to do then was place the future counter and then the other counters would follow it. Pretty amazing.
I was thinking something could be done with the fleets where they would jump automatically to their next plotted position. Pretty complex and I am sure it is doable but might take some time.
Cyberboard doesn't have the sophistication that is possible in Vassal but you can have multiple boards. If each player had a plotting map besides the main board then you could setup your plots there. I think it also has a feature of hidden counters from your opponent, maybe something could be done with this were your opponent can't see your future plots but they would be recorded in case there was so question.
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Cyberboard has a nice feature where you can make a counter tray random. With that said the problem with FFW, you end up with a lot of trays. You have to make a separate tray for each type of units you are randomizing.
I am just a novice with Vassal, I think you can make a randomizer tray but I don't know how, yet.
I was setting up Imperium with warwizard and he started to line up counters to be randomized so that the roll of the dice within the game would tell you which counter to pull. This was because it hadn't been setup in the vassal module.
I am just a novice with Vassal, I think you can make a randomizer tray but I don't know how, yet.
I was setting up Imperium with warwizard and he started to line up counters to be randomized so that the roll of the dice within the game would tell you which counter to pull. This was because it hadn't been setup in the vassal module.
That was always my problem even when playing the board game. Box says playing time is something like 2-3 hours - hahahahaha! It takes that long just to get to your starting positions!!
I've always thought it was an errata and true was 2-3 months...
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
Well I would say I am 1/3's finished in getting all the units made. Just got done with the named colonial Imperial ground units. Placed them on their starting star systems, they will later go on their planetary boxes.
If you are bored and have the bandwith here is a full scale picture of the setup so far. I tried to make it look like it was being played on a table top. The starting positions of the fleets are as stated in the Spinward Marches Campaign book. The only thing I've found different is the mention of a Zhodani 10th fleet that doesn't exist in the FFW boardgame.
If you are bored and have the bandwith here is a full scale picture of the setup so far. I tried to make it look like it was being played on a table top. The starting positions of the fleets are as stated in the Spinward Marches Campaign book. The only thing I've found different is the mention of a Zhodani 10th fleet that doesn't exist in the FFW boardgame.
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