5 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

( @Cpt ObVus / @Wazat — stupid question here but I can’t find an answer— how do you set up a squad on the table in Vassal? And is there solo play of any kind? I can load a squad from a YASB link, but I don’t see how to put it on the table. I also see a “Solitaire” option but it doesn’t let me even load a squad? I just would like to putter around with this thing and figure out the very basics before I go trying to play online)

You grab multiple pieces by holding left click, dragging a large rectangle around everything you want to select, then you can left click-drag any piece of that selection from your player hand window to the map window.

If you want to load another squad, I would suggest staying player 1, just move the first squad out of the way into the side of the map, then load the 2nd squad in the same player 1 window.

The reason for not switching to player 1-2 constantly is that dials can only be activated by their owners who spawned them. It would be tedious to switch players all the time. Stay player 1, owner of both sides' dials.

3 hours ago, DR4CO said:

A lot of stuff in Vassal works by clicking and dragging from one window to another.

Thank you so much—this was the key piece of insight that I was missing!

On 4/19/2020 at 5:02 AM, funwok said:

I mean... did you try to launch a docked ship from Vassal? 😄

Are you implying it's difficult? (It's not.)

5

Can't call it a mini tabletop game if it's not with minis on a table. I think playing it on the computer defeats the purpose of the game at least, and possibly hurts the bottom line for the company making the actual content, meaning less content, at worst. If I'm going to take the time to fly imaginary space ships on a computer there's way better games to do that with anyway.

3 hours ago, Jeff Wilder said:

Are you implying it's difficult? (It's not.)

The last time somebody asked Muon he recommended this for a shuttle drop:

Turn mothership around, do the shuttle maneuver, show templates, turn mothership around, fly back to OG position, take shuttle and put in on the end position of the template, remove template.

Difficult? No. A little bit unintuitive and maybe not that obvious? You decide!

33 minutes ago, funwok said:

The last time somebody asked Muon he recommended this for a shuttle drop:

Turn mothership around, do the shuttle maneuver, show templates, turn mothership around, fly back to OG position, take shuttle and put in on the end position of the template, remove template.

Difficult? No. A little bit unintuitive and maybe not that obvious? You decide!

That definitely is, but I don't know why mu0n would recommend that.

Just tell your opponent the maneuver, grab the template, place the template, place the shuttle, delete the template.

Alternately, place the shuttle lined up with the carrier, nubs overlapping, and execute the shuttle's maneuver.

Both of those are 20-second operations. The latter one has the advantage of enabling collision detection, so I'd recommend it for any crowded launch.

2 hours ago, ForceSensitive said:

5

Can't call it a mini tabletop game if it's not with minis on a table. I think playing it on the computer defeats the purpose of the game at least, and possibly hurts the bottom line for the company making the actual content meaning less comment at worst. If I'm going to take the time to fly imaginary space ships on a computer there's way better games to do that with anyway.

I get that. I like owning the ships and I much prefer playing on a table, and I have no desire to cheat FFG or not support the game with purchases. But with everyone starved for games during social isolation, Vassal and TTS are currently the best way to play. All my game stores are shut down and I don't want the virus, popular fad though it may be.

I'm looking forward to buy more ships when FFG releases them; I'm excited about what's coming!

On 4/19/2020 at 6:20 PM, CoffeeMinion said:

Definitely found that for TTS, thank you! I’m still not getting it for Vassal, though.

If what you mean is you can’t spawn a Vassal squad, THAT button is (inexplicably) in the lower left on YASB... below your list of ships. The button says, “export to XWS.” Copy that. Bring it to Vassal. Then go to the tab that represents your player number (the big yellow tabbed number buttons up top). Somewhere in there, there’s a button to spawn a fleet. You’re using option #2. Paste your fleet into that text box. Go. It takes a minute on my computer, so if your box isn’t super new, be patient (a minute should do it).

2 hours ago, Wazat said:

I get that. I like owning the ships and I much prefer playing on a table, and I have no desire to cheat FFG or not support the game with purchases. But with everyone starved for games during social isolation, Vassal and TTS are currently the best way to play. All my game stores are shut down and I don't want the virus, popular fad though it may be.

I'm looking forward to buy more ships when FFG releases them; I'm excited about what's coming!

As a hypothetical, I imagine if the lockdown occurred in a no-sim situation, the Sim would probably be built then, or other styles of play may be born. Solitaire already exists in some forms, and I imagine the cards could be converted to a game by themselves.

2. Vassal 😍

I prefer Tabletop Simulator for online play, but I'll use the Fly Casual app to try out lists, and just for playing X-wing when I don't have the time for an online game.
(The Fly Casual app is slated to update to 1.00 later this week, or next week.)

On 4/19/2020 at 6:20 PM, CoffeeMinion said:

Definitely found that for TTS, thank you! I’m still not getting it for Vassal, though.

14 hours ago, Cpt ObVus said:

If what you mean is you can’t spawn a Vassal squad, THAT button is (inexplicably) in the lower left on YASB... below your list of ships. The button says, “export to XWS.” Copy that. Bring it to Vassal. Then go to the tab that represents your player number (the big yellow tabbed number buttons up top). Somewhere in there, there’s a button to spawn a fleet. You’re using option #2. Paste your fleet into that text box. Go. It takes a minute on my computer, so if your box isn’t super new, be patient (a minute should do it).

There's no reason to use method #2 for spawning in Vassal when you use YASB. Here's the breakdown (they are also explained right there in the spawn window, btw)

Method #1: when you use YASB2 or the official squad builder. Just copy paste the URL to your squad in the method #1 box. Clear the box first, since there's some explanation text in it to force you to acknowledge it the first time you see that window as a new user.

Method #2: for other squad builders whose URL would not be recognized by vassal, some can still output squads as XWS format, which can be consumed by vassal. YASB2 of course supports XWS as well, but you can just use method #1, it's quicker and saves a few clicks.

Which option, better works, for when making Heroes of Aturi, like missions??

1 hour ago, LTuser said:

Which option, better works, for when making Heroes of Aturi, like missions??

I have the same question... I'd be delighted to play some HOTAC.

A player local to me has been organizing hotac games for the last... 2 years almost and he's working in revamping the hotac module extension now. The old one is still available, but look out for a new one soon.

10 hours ago, Wazat said:

I have the same question... I'd be delighted to play some HOTAC.

Was. If you ever are in columbus, look me up!

10 hours ago, LTuser said:

Was. If you ever are in columbus, look me up!

Utah, north of the SLC area. Sadly pretty far away.

Though if anyone gets a game of HOTAC going online, I'm in. My work schedule is quite open so I can clock out for a few hours to accommodate for other peoples' schedules. Writing code is often fairly asynchronous work, save for meetings or occasional crunches.

I wonder if the current popular TTS & Vassal mods could run HOTAC alright. Especially if they have wing movement already. The AI movement rules (generally the largest chunk of time on the HOTAC table IMO) presumably wouldn't be hard logic to write & automate to take work off the GM... but I've never worked in these mods so I don't actually know what I'm talking about, haha.

19 hours ago, Mu0n729 said:

A player local to me has been organizing hotac games for the last... 2 years almost and he's working in revamping the hotac module extension now. The old one is still available, but look out for a new one soon.

Biff Denzer (Shuttle Tidirium) just redid the Ion Clouds in the current (1E) VASSAL HotAC extension, reducing them in size to match what they should be. (Biff also has a new maps extension, not specifically for HotAC.)

30 minutes ago, Wazat said:

I wonder if the current popular TTS & Vassal mods could run HOTAC alright. Especially if they have wing movement already. The AI movement rules (generally the largest chunk of time on the HOTAC table IMO) presumably wouldn't be hard logic to write & automate to take work off the GM... but I've never worked in these mods so I don't actually know what I'm talking about, haha.

The biggest changes in HotAC are (1) the inclusion of Force, and (2) the expanded access to repositioning. If you're willing to ignore those things, you're probably good.

8 minutes ago, Jeff Wilder said:

Biff Denzer (Shuttle Tidirium) just redid the Ion Clouds in the current (1E) VASSAL HotAC extension, reducing them in size to match what they should be. (Biff also has a new maps extension, not specifically for HotAC.)

Clearly, they should talk to each other. Here's what mah dude released a few days ago (not published anywhere, just shared with his group of 6)

HOTAC Vassal 2.2 Module.
Resizing Of Ion cloud
Reporting Collision with Ion cloud and Minefield
Reporting Obstructions with Ion cloud and Minefield
Stat Tracking on emplacements
Replaced AI cards with 2.0 from FGA (Claes Sorenssen)
Replace elite pilot cards with 2.0 ones (Shaun Tiernan).
Included Mission booklet
Known Bugs
Artefacts on some Fire Arc checks
Collision with Minefield report ship hitting asteroid (not Minefield)
Collision or overlap of Ion cloud reports hitting gascloud

Vassal. It's what I've been using since 2013, and what im comfortable with. Whatever version was out when I tried TTS xwing mod about a year ago was not good for me.

Well some of the changes I made to my HOTAC (i call it Starfighters of Aturi)..

Players can now take the Scurrg (at PS7), the ARC-170 (once a mission string is completed), the U-wing (Same).

Imperials now gain Tie punishers (if PS is 6+, and there's two or more Tie bomber squads coming in), Tie strikers (roll 1d6 if there is just one squad of interceptors, on a 1-4 keep with the interceptors, on a 5 or 6, shift them to strikers. IF two interceptor squads come in, ONE shifts to strikers.) Tie Advance-prototypes, and Tie aggressors!

Vassal is very fun... But man, I LOVE dem 3D models over at TTS! Plus all the customization I can do to my squad, re-paints on ships, tokens, cards, etc.

I also like correct model sizing on TTS instead of just a pic made to fit in its base size.

Ironically, tho, when I play I swing my camera all the way up so I have the Vassal view.

I mean...

https://imgur.com/a/0bZFODr

Just bumping this thread with a progress update...

For a while Vassal and TTS have been neck and neck, off by only one vote. They're off by 5 votes now, but that only results in a 2.5-ish percentage point difference. They're essentially equally popular.

A moderate number of people also love Fly Casual, and I'm thinking I ought to give that a try sometime.

Here's hoping you all are safe and that your areas are starting to open up to games again (with responsible rules to minimize problems). I'm still keen on attending Campaign Against Cancer in a month or two or three, whenever the time is right; it's by far my favorite x-wing event of the year, and I have a painted Decimator to donate to the raffle prizes.