Since I am in the fortunate position (due to owning a game store) of having lots of possible opponents, I am more of a tabletop wargamer than a Vassal player. With the new update, we have looked at Vassal as an adjunct to the table and I am wondering if anyone else has done it. If so, are there any best practices you might suggest for a new user? We were just going to run it as solitaire to keep things simple as mostly, we wanted it for the new cards and OB changes. New counters are already in place on the board. One of the issues I have found is that even on a 17" laptop screen, it is a pain to keep flipping windows open and closed to see things. I can see what a great job has been done on this module so kudos to whoever did it. Is there an optimum screen size or does it really only work well on a desktop unit with a couple of big screens? Thanks.
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I am in the Vassal Camp.
I have the real game nicely bagged up and drool over the contents every now and then. The component quality demands they get used...and yet...
Vassal is so good for recording a game. I rarely play a game without an AAR and Vassal is great for that. There are space factors too but I have a table big enough. It’s really the charts, markers and cards which push me decisively into Vassal as I do not think I would otherwise keep it tidy and error free. There is quite a bit in this game where you need to have things in order and there is too much chance of a domestic accident messing with it (Somebody once hoovered up a Paths of Glory Turkish Corps and only I cared).
Also I am getting to the point where an opponent might be valuable so what with lockdown and all I have to go Vassal.
Gordon,
I happen to have a 22 inch and a 19 inch monitor. The computer tower and the two monitors take up quite a bit of space on the desk. Keeping the size of your desk in mind, I would advise getting the largest monitors that you can.
My seventy-year old eyes appreciate large monitors, especially when you can enlarge the map and text with the zoom function. Something to consider as you look at monitors.
Al
Gordon, you might consider using two monitors with ETO VASSAL. I use this setup and have been very satisfied with it.
One monitor holds the ETO VASSAL map while the other monitor provides easy access to the rules, scenarios, etc.
At some point, ETO gaming experience and the turning on of the light bulb inside my head, may illuminate a need for creating an ETO information spreadsheet that can reside on the second monitor.
Al
I am seeing a camera in the Vassal module in the deck window. It will take a png image and on my computer I open with paint and switch to a jpg file. You can then print it out.
Mostly we are using it for the cards in hand and on the turn track and keeping it open for that reason. We are also tracking PPs and such just to make sure the on-map chart is backed up. I'd love to be able to just print off the cards somehow
How often are you having look in the computer after the first of the month? Are you using the Vassal for knowing the cards? Is there some chart you keep having to open?
I tried to run the same game simultaneously on my table and computer For me, I needed to look at the complete map to see the "big picture." I just can't do that on the monitor. Basically, I had the map to plop down counters.
Wanted to see the big picture of the Axis thrusts, where my Soviets were weak, etc.
It clearly helped, but became hard to manage. So out of necessity, I had to go just to Vassal.
I'd love to play this on a table though.
Brian