Status: U From: c-kahrl@uchicago.edu (Chris Kahrl) Subject: Home Before The Leaves Fall? Anybody have anything to say about this monster game about the First Marne campaign? Has anyone seen it? Since I'm not familiar with its predecessor ("The Cossacks are Coming!"), has it worked out any game mechanics problems that game may have had? Anyone know anything about the signature features of the games' system? Command and control rules? Supply rules? Rail movement, or Parisian cabbies? Anybody want to talk about this at all? Chris ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "We know only that our entire existence is forced into new paths and disrupted, that new circumstances, new joys and new sorrows await us, and that the unknown has its uncanny attractions, alluring and at the same time anguishing." -- Heinrich Heine, 1843 Chris Kahrl, Author, _Baseball_Prospectus_ 1-800-906-7680 to Order. See the _Baseball_Prospectus_ website at: http://www.baseballprospectus.com From: graham@maxwell.ee.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) Subject: Re: Home Before The Leaves Fall? Date: 15 May 1997 17:07:34 GMT In article , Chris Kahrl wrote: >Anybody have anything to say about this monster game about the First Marne >campaign? Has anyone seen it? Since I'm not familiar with its predecessor >("The Cossacks are Coming!"), has it worked out any game mechanics problems >that game may have had? I've been playing the campaign game of Home Before the Leaves Fall. It's been years since I've played The Cossacks are Coming, but the current rules system works smoothly. It's not necessarily easy to learn, but we haven't encountered any real problems so far. >Anyone know anything about the signature features of the games' system? Variable-length impulses, which determine movement points; initiative determines who goes first; phasing player movement, non-phasing reaction, combat sequence of play. Limited intelligence with workable reconnaisance rules. And much other chrome. >Command and control rules? A moderately simple trace command system, but individual corps and army leaders may not obey orders. The Supreme Commander issues orders to each Army, which may or may not accept. The Army then turns around and issues orders to corps, which may or may not accept. Orders determine what you can do and how you can move. >Supply rules? General trace supply rules with tracking of artillery ammunition on a corps by corps basis. >Rail movement, or Parisian >cabbies? Both present, along with fortresses, dirigibles, balloons, et cetera. -- Stephen Graham graham@ee.washington.edu graham@cs.washington.edu uw-beaver!june!graham From: gassan@emily.oit.umass.edu (Richard H Gassan) Subject: Re: Home Before The Leaves Fall? Stephen Graham (graham@maxwell.ee.washington.edu) wrote: : In article , : Chris Kahrl wrote: : >Anybody have anything to say about this monster game about the First Marne : >campaign? Has anyone seen it? Since I'm not familiar with its predecessor : >("The Cossacks are Coming!"), has it worked out any game mechanics problems : >that game may have had? : : I've been playing the campaign game of Home Before the Leaves Fall. It's : been years since I've played The Cossacks are Coming, but the current : rules system works smoothly. It's not necessarily easy to learn, but we : haven't encountered any real problems so far. That's comforting to hear: I bought it a few weeks ago and have been scratching my head over the rules... but I haven't really put the effort into learning it yet. The rules look a bit dense. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that the game didn't have the visual splendor of most COA products. Richard gassan@history.umass.edu From: graham@maxwell.ee.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) Subject: Re: Home Before The Leaves Fall? In article <337b5453.0@oit.umass.edu>, Richard H Gassan wrote: >Stephen Graham (graham@maxwell.ee.washington.edu) wrote: >: I've been playing the campaign game of Home Before the Leaves Fall. It's >: been years since I've played The Cossacks are Coming, but the current >: rules system works smoothly. It's not necessarily easy to learn, but we >: haven't encountered any real problems so far. > >That's comforting to hear: I bought it a few weeks ago and have been >scratching my head over the rules... but I haven't really put the effort >into learning it yet. The rules look a bit dense. They are. What worked for me was to read the glossary, the long movement example, the long combat example, then the turn summary. That gave me a basic grasp on the mechanics. The examples are particularly good. Then I was able to plow through the main body of the rules. I'll definitely have to read the rules a couple of more times to get things completely straight. We jumped directly into the campaign game. But I'd recommend starting with scenario 1. The German supply situation in Belgium is quite complex and well worth solitaire study. Cracking the Liege fortress is also a challenge. I'd also recommend playing with at least two players per side. We found that the Allies were moderately overwhelming for a single player, while three Germans don't always have enough to do. As to play notes, we found a couple of things pretty quickly. Plan 17 handicaps the French in many ways. But the French armies attacking into Alsace-Lorraine can savage the German 6th and 7th Armies. It's a bit gamey, but the Germans should consider staying behind the south Rhine. I was fighting a mobile war with the 7th Army, which was getting moderately battered. And the 6th Army was getting flanked and massacred by the French. >I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that the game didn't have the >visual splendor of most COA products. The counters, rules and charts are all quite well done. The map is a bit disappointing, particularly the use of orange for the international boundaries. It's quite difficulty to pick that out of the mountains and other terrain. I'd recommend studying the French-German frontier fairly carefully. -- Stephen Graham graham@ee.washington.edu graham@cs.washington.edu uw-beaver!june!graham