Thank you so much for saying so! It takes a lot of time researching, writing, and editing, but at the end of the day, it's a labor of love and I really appreciate the positive comments as they make it all worthwhile!
Excellent series. I am a UK wargaming veteran of senior years and I have just one remaining opponent who will play AH and SPI classics. We usually play at a games club where the members enjoy many Euro games. When people see what we have on the table, typically Victory in the Pacific or basic Squad Leader, the usual comments are that it looks too complicated or fiddly. No one is ever excited by what they see,,, chits of cardboard on a map. The minimalist games of Submarine or Airforce in terms of counters on the board cause even more puzzled looks. We are literally old generals refighting old battles on the tabletop.. when we are gone there is nobody to follow.
I’m looking forward to the final episode. It’s been cool to see the many titles of games that I owned at one time. This has been so much fun to listen to, Thanks very much.
You're welcome! Thank you so much for watching, and for your kind words. I have the final episode almost written. I'm just trying to make sure to make it the best of the bunch!
Third Reich was my first AV game and first real war game--talk about jumping in the deep end. Great game and memories. Up Front is probably my favorite, but Starship Troopers is also great fun.
- Empire in Arms, Britannia,1830, Flight leader, Paratrooper for 1986. That makes for an impressive year! Paratrooper had a tutorial chapter, it was pretty good, for gaining experience on the basic infantry rules and tactics. Playing on my own at the time it really helped me get the hang on the system. Moreover the set of scenario was good and mostly infantry based so much more beginner friendly than those of Beyond Valor. - I would rahter say that Partisans scenarios features low 'firepower'. But you can indeed make large multi-hexes firegroups, adding plenty of 3 FP squads, a good example of this is Ambush (28) .
Thank you for mentioning the excellent French magazine "Jeux & Stratégie". It was a very interesting magazine with a complete game offered in every issue. There were lots of very diverse sections.
Only remember one game going to a decisive conclusion. It ended in 1812 by unanimous consent that France couldn’t be caught. Most games ended when we lost more than one player and a replacement player didn’t want to play the vacated country. We’d declare whoever was ahead the winner and start a new game.
I and a group of friends did complete a whole 120 turn game of EiA 1796 variant from the General magazine. Took us about 18 months playing every 2-3 weeks, including a 6 week Christmas break. One of the best gaming experiences I have had. Lots of Diplomacy and at one time, a Spanish-Anglo-Russian-Turkish-Austrian alliance made Spain the dominant power depriving France of that status !
Thank you! I'll give you an early heads up - Victory Games history is coming very soon, as I had the chance to recently interview Mark Herman, who ran the company! Stay tuned!
Turning Point Stalingrad was one of the first war games that I "got" as a kid where I actually understood the strategy involved and didn't just crunch numbers on the CRT and looking to just "kill" cardboard.
That is one that I have played before, way back when I was a teenager, but I haven't played since. I would love to try it again now that I have more experience.
Love this series! I literally grew up playing all the AH classics - but life got in the way (as it usually does) for me in the 1990s - coinciding with the company’s eventual demise, and as I finally got back into the hobby, it was long gone. Which is why I am so looking forward to seeing the final chapter! Any idea when it will be ready?
My goal is by Christmas! I promised myself I would get it done by the end of the year. They take a bunch of time (which I don't mind) but I'm also easily distracted
I was a newly minted airman living in a wooden barracks in 1984. Bought a C64 computer and ordered B-1 Nuclear Bomber and Nukewar from Avalon Hill. Very primitive days in computing back then, and a lot of competition. Today, can play solitaire some of the most complex games ever designed, and the computer takes care of everything. I still have my cardboard counter original AH games, but rarely take them out and play anymore. They are old friends that have, well, like me, simply gotten too old. Nice video, and are you taking this series up thru the demise of AH in the late 90s?
Yes, the final chapter has been mostly written. I need to put it all together, which should be soon. I was distracted by an episode I am nicknaming 7.5, where I was able to interview Mark Herman about the history of Victory Games, which will come out beforehand.
Great video, and you guys put a lot of effort into your research for this series. But the decline of AH is just too sad for me to watch all the way through 😢😬🤣
It's disappointing that you did not give much comment to Napoleon's Battles, considering it's seen so much life and republication. It's currently on its 4th Edition through Capitain Games.
The game was one of the first to provide a grand tactical experience that was abstract enough that you could actually play a major battle in a day/weekend. Versions of Napoleonic games prior to this were too heavily detailed to make major battles playable or were so abstract it might as well have been a boars game. Napoleon's Battles struck a great balance between the two.
The issue with WW2 games is they strive for an unreachable goal of reality. The Sherman tank for example was produced by many companies in several variations. There are differences due to the theatre, the time period, and even efficiency of the owning units. This leads to endless rules and footnotes. A fantasy game does not have this problem. A Mechwarrior will overheat its laser in 10 shots. Ok, whatever you say.
A lot of them are available now online via emulators, and they all seem to be very unplayable, even by the standards of the day. It's hard to believe they staked the entire future of the company on them.
This is an excellent video series. I, however, do not like the sop to political correctness in the phrase “the unpleasant theme” when describing New World. All historical simulations are essentially “unpleasant.” For example, how is Verdun less “unpleasant?” Players and designers are not making moral statements when they pick titles to play or design. If this track continues, playing the Germans during World War II will be considered morally unacceptable. The great loss of this crippled religion is its contradictory consequence of making “unpleasant history” forgotten.
It would be great if there was a History of Avalon Hill playlist. I'm not sure why there is an individual playlist for so many different games. Seems kind of unnecessary.
I think there were many factors at play. At least with the Smithsonian series, you can see what they were trying to do, which was to attract new gamers to the hobby.
What killed Avalon Hill was Monarch Press got a great offer for their computer games. Hasbro had no interest in even talking about publishing the back catalog of war games. No money in them. There were a lot more games than the Smithsonian series in that catalog.
This a great historical series. Thanks for putting the time in to produce this!
Thank you so much for saying so! It takes a lot of time researching, writing, and editing, but at the end of the day, it's a labor of love and I really appreciate the positive comments as they make it all worthwhile!
Excellent series. I am a UK wargaming veteran of senior years and I have just one remaining opponent who will play AH and SPI classics. We usually play at a games club where the members enjoy many Euro games. When people see what we have on the table, typically Victory in the Pacific or basic Squad Leader, the usual comments are that it looks too complicated or fiddly. No one is ever excited by what they see,,, chits of cardboard on a map. The minimalist games of Submarine or Airforce in terms of counters on the board cause even more puzzled looks. We are literally old generals refighting old battles on the tabletop.. when we are gone there is nobody to follow.
I have been a huge fan of this company and its games since the mid 70s. These videos are greatness. :)
Thank you so much! It was a great company that made such great games!
Same.
I’m looking forward to the final episode. It’s been cool to see the many titles of games that I owned at one time. This has been so much fun to listen to, Thanks very much.
You're welcome! Thank you so much for watching, and for your kind words. I have the final episode almost written. I'm just trying to make sure to make it the best of the bunch!
I got Afrika Korps for Christmas over 50 years ago. Never looked back.
Afrika Korps was the 2nd Avalon Hill game I got - so many great memories!
Me, too. And Waterloo.
Third Reich was my first AV game and first real war game--talk about jumping in the deep end. Great game and memories. Up Front is probably my favorite, but Starship Troopers is also great fun.
Those are some great games! Do they still get to the table sometimes?
Sadly, just for admiration now, but there's always hope, right? A war gamer's endless quest...@@LegendaryTactics🙁
Fascinating - thank you. Reminds me of games I have forgotten I still have!
Hopefully you will get them to the table sometime soon, for old time's sake!
- Empire in Arms, Britannia,1830, Flight leader, Paratrooper for 1986. That makes for an impressive year!
Paratrooper had a tutorial chapter, it was pretty good, for gaining experience on the basic infantry rules and tactics. Playing on my own at the time it really helped me get the hang on the system. Moreover the set of scenario was good and mostly infantry based so much more beginner friendly than those of Beyond Valor.
- I would rahter say that Partisans scenarios features low 'firepower'. But you can indeed make large multi-hexes firegroups, adding plenty of 3 FP squads, a good example of this is Ambush (28) .
Thank you for mentioning the excellent French magazine "Jeux & Stratégie". It was a very interesting magazine with a complete game offered in every issue. There were lots of very diverse sections.
De rien! There were a lot of really cool board game magazines back then!
Was looking forward to this video.
Loved EIA. My favorite game.
Thank you for saying so! Did you ever play all 132 turns??
Only remember one game going to a decisive conclusion. It ended in 1812 by unanimous consent that France couldn’t be caught.
Most games ended when we lost more than one player and a replacement player didn’t want to play the vacated country. We’d declare whoever was ahead the winner and start a new game.
I and a group of friends did complete a whole 120 turn game of EiA 1796 variant from the General magazine. Took us about 18 months playing every 2-3 weeks, including a 6 week Christmas break. One of the best gaming experiences I have had. Lots of Diplomacy and at one time, a Spanish-Anglo-Russian-Turkish-Austrian alliance made Spain the dominant power depriving France of that status !
I sure hope you do SPI next, then GDW, Yaquinto, Victory Games etc. I love this series
Thank you! I'll give you an early heads up - Victory Games history is coming very soon, as I had the chance to recently interview Mark Herman, who ran the company! Stay tuned!
Looking forward to this! Cool🎉
Awesome! I hope it lives up to your expectations!
Turning Point Stalingrad was one of the first war games that I "got" as a kid where I actually understood the strategy involved and didn't just crunch numbers on the CRT and looking to just "kill" cardboard.
That is one that I have played before, way back when I was a teenager, but I haven't played since. I would love to try it again now that I have more experience.
Love this series! I literally grew up playing all the AH classics - but life got in the way (as it usually does) for me in the 1990s - coinciding with the company’s eventual demise, and as I finally got back into the hobby, it was long gone. Which is why I am so looking forward to seeing the final chapter!
Any idea when it will be ready?
My goal is by Christmas! I promised myself I would get it done by the end of the year. They take a bunch of time (which I don't mind) but I'm also easily distracted
Waiting for part 8!
It's coming soon!
I was a newly minted airman living in a wooden barracks in 1984. Bought a C64 computer and ordered B-1 Nuclear Bomber and Nukewar from Avalon Hill. Very primitive days in computing back then, and a lot of competition. Today, can play solitaire some of the most complex games ever designed, and the computer takes care of everything. I still have my cardboard counter original AH games, but rarely take them out and play anymore. They are old friends that have, well, like me, simply gotten too old. Nice video, and are you taking this series up thru the demise of AH in the late 90s?
Yes, the final chapter has been mostly written. I need to put it all together, which should be soon. I was distracted by an episode I am nicknaming 7.5, where I was able to interview Mark Herman about the history of Victory Games, which will come out beforehand.
great job, thank you
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Excellent!
Thank you! Cheers!
Empires in Arms. Best game ever made. 🤔
If you have the time to play it! 🙂
Yes! So YOU are the other person who knows this. Been wondering.
Bel video! Complimenti!
Grazie mille!
nice... that was a fun era... I have Spices of the World, that's actually not a bad game...
I love that the player tokens have actual spices in them!
Great video, and you guys put a lot of effort into your research for this series. But the decline of AH is just too sad for me to watch all the way through 😢😬🤣
If this one is sad, wait until the next (last) chapter...
At one time, I think I owned virtually every AH game ever made. Probably 1985 or so.
Wow! That would have been quite a collection by 1985! Do you still have some around?
Raid On St. Nazaire is a great game.
I remember being really intrigued by the looks of it, though I haven't played it
It's disappointing that you did not give much comment to Napoleon's Battles, considering it's seen so much life and republication. It's currently on its 4th Edition through Capitain Games.
Sorry about that - there are so many games, I really only have enough space for a quick blurb on each. What do you like best about it?
The game was one of the first to provide a grand tactical experience that was abstract enough that you could actually play a major battle in a day/weekend.
Versions of Napoleonic games prior to this were too heavily detailed to make major battles playable or were so abstract it might as well have been a boars game. Napoleon's Battles struck a great balance between the two.
@@jefferyzimmerman6892depends on your definition of “playable”. I have been playing the La Bataille series since 1981.
Personally Im pretty resentful about Fantasy games stealing popularity away from wargames.
Yeah, it was quite a thing back in the day. Wargames have never really come back since to the same level of popularity.
The issue with WW2 games is they strive for an unreachable goal of reality. The Sherman tank for example was produced by many companies in several variations. There are differences due to the theatre, the time period, and even efficiency of the owning units. This leads to endless rules and footnotes.
A fantasy game does not have this problem. A Mechwarrior will overheat its laser in 10 shots. Ok, whatever you say.
Red Baricades ????
AH's computer games also were bug-ridden or unplayable.
A lot of them are available now online via emulators, and they all seem to be very unplayable, even by the standards of the day. It's hard to believe they staked the entire future of the company on them.
This is an excellent video series.
I, however, do not like the sop to political correctness in the phrase “the unpleasant theme” when describing New World.
All historical simulations are essentially “unpleasant.”
For example, how is Verdun less “unpleasant?”
Players and designers are not making moral statements when they pick titles to play or design.
If this track continues, playing the Germans during World War II will be considered morally unacceptable.
The great loss of this crippled religion is its contradictory consequence of making “unpleasant history” forgotten.
It would be great if there was a History of Avalon Hill playlist.
I'm not sure why there is an individual playlist for so many different games. Seems kind of unnecessary.
The simplistic "Smithsonian" games killed AH.
I think there were many factors at play. At least with the Smithsonian series, you can see what they were trying to do, which was to attract new gamers to the hobby.
What killed Avalon Hill was Monarch Press got a great offer for their computer games. Hasbro had no interest in even talking about publishing the back catalog of war games. No money in them. There were a lot more games than the Smithsonian series in that catalog.
Yes, very true. And sadly, that is why there aren't very many Avalon Hill games being republished to this day. The hobby has moved on
Great episode- 37:59 Ahhhh - those nibs.......
Haha, yep. Thanks for watching and commenting!