tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post2161332569212763671..comments2024-03-25T17:26:33.773+09:00Comments on Here's no great matter: Quick review: Phil Sabin's PHALANXPrufrockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-66663502453005564632018-11-21T02:41:10.331+09:002018-11-21T02:41:10.331+09:00I have collected all PHALANX articles ever printed...I have collected all PHALANX articles ever printed in the single pdf.<br />There is dropbox link<br />https://www.dropbox.com/s/js10za96mwv53ea/PHALANX.pdf?dl=0Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04186833810484973707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-41134517546744172402018-09-23T14:43:54.824+09:002018-09-23T14:43:54.824+09:00Many thanks, Chris. Yes, I still haven't print...Many thanks, Chris. Yes, I still haven't printed out Eastern Front... (slaps self around the head). Thanks for reminding me to do so!<br /><br />I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed Phalanx so much, and especially so that it was with your son. I have the rules from Slingshot, but if you did happen to have the Wargames Illustrated article and could send it I would be very grateful as I would be interested in seeing if there are any changes. I will put a contact email address below this post just in case you want to get in touch.<br /><br />Many thanks again!<br />Cheers,<br />Aaron<br /><br />Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-5016973205879352862018-09-22T06:13:08.513+09:002018-09-22T06:13:08.513+09:00Hi Aaron,
Yet another interesting post.
Like ...Hi Aaron, <br /><br />Yet another interesting post. <br /><br />Like another commentator here, Paul Liddle, I've played many games of Phalanx since it was first published in Slingshot). Mainly against my (then young, now adult) son. We used to take the game with us on holiday and run a 'Phalanx League'. He still insists that he's ahead on points. I differ.<br /><br />Phalanx gave us a lot of pleasure and the games were very absorbing to play. I agree with you that Phil Sabin is one of the most thoughtful and innovative game designers around, with an amazing eye for an elegant mechanism. <br /><br />I think I commented on one of your posts of a few years ago (but probably anonymously) that his game 'Eastern Front' (available as a free download from his webpage) is one of the best and most entertaining WW2 board games that I've ever played. <br /><br />You mentioned in your post that you would be interested in seeing the original scenarios. I think I have the whole article as a pdf somewhere (or in hard copy, so could scan it). Let me know if you'd like me to send you a copy.<br /><br />Best regards (and thanks for taking the trouble to publish a reliably entertaining blog),<br /><br />ChrisChris Helmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13524176522366626487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-84508359849425908992018-09-20T20:53:09.105+09:002018-09-20T20:53:09.105+09:00Glad to hear it, Peter. You might be right about t...Glad to hear it, Peter. You might be right about the resemblance!<br /><br />Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-35233915082157310852018-09-20T17:55:22.533+09:002018-09-20T17:55:22.533+09:00Interesting review; I always enjoy reading about r...Interesting review; I always enjoy reading about rules and game mechanics. I think there is a lot to be said for Hoplite battles resembling chess games historically!Gonsalvohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531623280789478092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-90888884671444119962018-09-20T11:55:43.676+09:002018-09-20T11:55:43.676+09:00You're too kind, Dean. If they look good, it m...You're too kind, Dean. If they look good, it must be an accident of the light ;DPrufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-54916478450561904572018-09-20T11:55:03.903+09:002018-09-20T11:55:03.903+09:00Yes, I'd normally call it design for effect as...Yes, I'd normally call it design for effect as well, but he does have his own signature touch, hence the personalisation!<br />Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-25102551368231703232018-09-20T10:32:41.138+09:002018-09-20T10:32:41.138+09:00Aaron, this was an excellent explanation and two g...Aaron, this was an excellent explanation and two good examples.<br /><br />What you term as "Sabinism" I might call a "Design for Effect" philosophy. In Design for Effect, a designer abstracts certain attributes or functions to model a more complex and less quantifiable/qualifiable process. The result is that the design results in a historically believable abstraction and produces the overall, desired effect. The more elegant these solutions, the better. It is often these little design nuances that only surface upon repeated playings of a game. The gamer at some point will realize that the designer really DID know what he was doing.<br /><br />Interesting topic.Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-31372701380508458642018-09-20T08:19:05.402+09:002018-09-20T08:19:05.402+09:00Great looking game, Aaron. With your wonderful loo...Great looking game, Aaron. With your wonderful looking figures, any rule set will look good!DeanMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07724268555970663130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-22238429200657295102018-09-20T08:18:48.838+09:002018-09-20T08:18:48.838+09:00In a general sense, it's a neat little resolut...In a general sense, it's a neat little resolution to a design problem, and it is recognisably his in some way. For an example in PHALANX, after moving, troops must be positioned so that they face a hex join. Thus they will have two possible frontal hexes which they can move into next turn, or attack into on the current turn. But peltasts have no facing, and so may move or attack in any direction. This peltasts exemption is, to my mind, a Sabinism. It neatly and economically differentiates peltasts from all other units, approximates their historical function, and only requires a single sentence in the rules. <br /><br />Another example, from Lost Battles, would be his 'key zone' concept, which encourages players to hold in a particular part of the field, because if they don't there will be a morale penalty. This, combined with the attack limit rule (ie, only a certain number of units can attack out of one zone in any turn) ensures that battle lines keep a historical shape, and you don't see, for example, someone having the cunning idea of concentrating all the heavy infantry in a flank zone and creating a 'super stack' which no one wants to come near. He doesn't say 'you can't create a superstack because it wouldn't be historical' but he makes a superstack unattractive through a combination of simple rules which serve multiple functions but fit together to have various desirable effects. <br /><br />It's a little hard to explain, but it's a 'Sabin' trait. No one else gets these kinds of effects in quite the same way (to my knowledge, at least).<br /><br />Hope that hasn't left you even more confused, Jonathan! <br /><br />Cheers,<br />AaronPrufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-45569324215580666662018-09-20T03:17:15.677+09:002018-09-20T03:17:15.677+09:00Aaron, I would really like to know what constitute...Aaron, I would really like to know what constitutes a "Sabinism."Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-66666510654271444942018-09-20T00:33:25.137+09:002018-09-20T00:33:25.137+09:00Thanks Aaron, the two designs seem set apart by an...Thanks Aaron, the two designs seem set apart by an evolutionary path, that of itself brings interest.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-91996356713819809872018-09-19T23:58:52.541+09:002018-09-19T23:58:52.541+09:00It's probably of its time, Paul! I am however ...It's probably of its time, Paul! I am however ashamed to say that I'd probably be one of those very guys who'd agonise over every bloody move! :)Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-34467966947747915562018-09-19T23:56:52.562+09:002018-09-19T23:56:52.562+09:00Great to have you back, Fran!Great to have you back, Fran!Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-46032163740598429032018-09-19T23:56:25.012+09:002018-09-19T23:56:25.012+09:00This one is several orders of magnitude less compl...This one is several orders of magnitude less complicated than Legion and Lost Battles :)Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-64787093254919549192018-09-19T23:51:09.720+09:002018-09-19T23:51:09.720+09:00Like you Norm, I tend to prefer randomising elemen...Like you Norm, I tend to prefer randomising elements in my games, but ganging up does seem to be a feature of hex-based rules (it's used a lot in C&C:A for example, by setting up to attack a hex with multiple units sequentially, or in Richard Berg rules by using two units against one simultaneously) so while I think his later rules are better, the 'ganging up' idea is not unique, but the way he implemented it probably is. <br /><br />Good question about the Phalanx - Lost Battles lineage. There is already a Sabin style in evidence here, and some of his later concepts are already detectable in nascent form. For instance you can see the emphasis on economy in the writing, you see simple rules mechanisms, neat little touches to create differences between unit types, the use of design to get historical effects (by which I mean that he likes his rules to gently guide players into using historical tactics, not to prescribe them), the constant tension between risk and reward in player actions, and the focus on historical battles (though not in the free download, ironically!).<br /><br />He hadn't yet developed the fresh/spent concept which he uses so much in later designs or the morale rules to better simulate an army's collapse. Nor is there the subtle interplay of rules mechanisms he later develops to differentiate levels of quality within troop types. There is no fighting value (his unique approach to a points system) yet either, so you can see that with PHALANX he is an interesting designer, but by the time he gets to Strategos/Lost Battles he is something special.<br /><br />He's an extraordinary designer and thinker, and although I'm an acolyte (and my view should be adjusted for obvious bias), when you see the pioneering work he's done in nudging wargaming into the academic mainstream (it's not there yet, but we will see his influence in the next ten to fifteen years, I think), we'll be looking back on him in years to come as a great wargame innovator and up there with the best.Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-22574999727019025952018-09-19T23:07:48.957+09:002018-09-19T23:07:48.957+09:00Yes, I don't quite have the temperament to do ...Yes, I don't quite have the temperament to do 'deterministic' games solo, but I think a few work-arounds could be found if I tried hard enough :)Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-8518005996768497992018-09-19T21:23:39.899+09:002018-09-19T21:23:39.899+09:00Thanks very much, Paul - I didn't realise it w...Thanks very much, Paul - I didn't realise it was in W.I. I'll see if they have any electronic copies for sale. The tip is much appreciated!Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-70907629358573733222018-09-19T19:04:31.328+09:002018-09-19T19:04:31.328+09:00Oh, the scenarios were published with the rules in...Oh, the scenarios were published with the rules in Wargames Illustrated. I've just had a look but I must have recycled that issue or I could have scanned it and emailed it to you. Maybe someone else could help out.Paul Liddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07671334487545618109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-62476575684334309832018-09-19T18:36:10.202+09:002018-09-19T18:36:10.202+09:00I used to really enjoy Phalanx and played it to de...I used to really enjoy Phalanx and played it to death back in the day. I extended it to Early and Late Roman battles and even tried an English Civil War variant.<br /><br />I had a game of it last year but found it poor in comparison to Commands and Colors. <br /><br />I used to play solo alright and recall being very bored playing it with a guy who agonised over every bloody move.<br /><br />Good post Aaron, very nice to see it again. I may have to give it another run out.Paul Liddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07671334487545618109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-59146674758102529972018-09-19T18:20:19.290+09:002018-09-19T18:20:19.290+09:00I do like the sound of that!I do like the sound of that!The Angry Lurkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01227314379603418332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-53919338038723492942018-09-19T18:03:04.775+09:002018-09-19T18:03:04.775+09:00Sounds interesting Aaron, I have the Lost Battles ...Sounds interesting Aaron, I have the Lost Battles book and bought Legion but haven't tried them out yet.Cyrushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13186074313046292554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-15246378124306390772018-09-19T17:11:45.284+09:002018-09-19T17:11:45.284+09:00Interesting, particulary being a hexed game, but I...Interesting, particulary being a hexed game, but I am not a huge fan of ganging up mechanics in pre-mechanised hex games and I do like my dice - so is there anything left in the rules for me :-)<br /><br />I am guessing that once you put a gap in the enemy line, then they themselves have a reduced capacity to gang up, which I suppose is quite clever.<br /><br />You have had such good value from the Sabin Lost Battles rules, is there a noticable lineage between the two?Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-58232415294815892022018-09-19T15:46:36.930+09:002018-09-19T15:46:36.930+09:00Not always easy to play solo games...but these bat...Not always easy to play solo games...but these battlelines look great, no doubt!Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08913029478686087197noreply@blogger.com