"Suggestions for Remote Gaming" Topic

I have moved away from my long time group of gamers. Although there is local clubs I occasionally attend I still have contact with my old club members.
We are predominantly miniatures gamers rather than board games.
My question is how can we do a bit of remote gaming. I'm looking for methods, tech suggestions please. We do Vietnam – so a bit of hidden movement via distance could be good. We are honest players – so rules mongering is not an issue in this scenario.
I am aware of Vassal and Cyberboard, PBM and PBEM.

(I never realised there was a specific board for this – didn't vote for it and only found it by chance.)

I have used MapTools in the past for a D&D 4E Dark Sun campaign:
link

I like it for it's features, especially FOW, and the incredible support for user-created frameworks.
It is not as user-friendly as Roll20 but makes up for it's moddability, with no need to compromise.

The more I used it, the more I started thinking about using it for virtual miniature wargames. You could use it any way you like, from just using the basic hardcoded functions to making macro buttons for quick dice rolling resolution or even complicated rules.

vassal engine. vassalengine.org

There is a DBA miniatures module for it and another one for 40K (nead to search for vassal 40k to find an download that one). From these you can see how to setup a Vietnam miniatures module (art from junior general helps a lot there).

Also look at the warmachine module.

Finally there is an online browser based miniatures system but I can't find the name of it now. A fellow from TMP pointed it out earlier adn perhaps he will list it again.

How about this as an alternative:)

Although you would need both armies!

YouTube link

How about this as an alternative:)

Interesting idea, but dreadful camera shake!!!

He needs to use a tripod.

Although you would need both armies!

You mean you haven't got both armies? You should read the article on p20 of MWwBG no.361.

Over on the Kings of War Forums, people have been using Universal Battle to play. While it is clearly developed to support WHFB it seems to work for KoW, and I suspect for any other fantasy or medieval mass battle.

The web site has no rules built in – it just shows pretty pictures of a virtual table and figures. And allows measuring and dice rolling.

Ages ago on the BKC forums some chaps were successfully playing games using a web cam – the host would set up the table, and the player(s) would then direct action via their web cam.s

What about the folks who were doing the play-by-photo refereed games? They were posting AARs here. Some very cool WWII games.

Skype could always work, especially if you have both sides and a large tv, like a 60", would be ideal.

I played several Power Point based games a few years ago.

I'd take a couple area shots, then some close up shots. The fellows on the other side would mark up the images in PPT or using a drawing program, and send me a list of online generated dice rolls which I'd pick a random spot in the list to begin from.

A little work, but it was lots of fun, and the players never doubted their moves would be interpreted correctly.

link

Maybe this can be used as a tool.

YouTube link

I had a laugh thinking of this concept. A miniature of the army commander with a tiny web cam mounted on it. This would eliminate the "90 foot" general prospective we get as wargamers. You only get the army generals point of view to make decisions.

Boardgame, with numbered hexes for the chits, or minis to be placed in.

Not sure how you roll dice in cyberspace, so both parties can see the same result, but perhaps someone has solved that.

Once again you would need both armies. Take the VC/NVA side. Lay out a table with all the terrain/scenics, but none of the forces on it. Take a photo of the table as close to straight above the table as possible. Place a square grid over the photo, GIMP is shareware that will allow you to do this. Save the photo with the grid on it as a single layer. Send a copy of the gridded photo to your opponent.

Now before you get his first turn, deploy your forces and tunnels etc on the table. Your opponent can use GIMP to plot out his moves or simply describe them to you. Discover and resolve combats. Plot your turn, and continue taking turns until the game is decided.

What questions do you have on this method?

Great suggestions. Thanks. Mako – there is online dice services, I believe. Though that won't be an issue – as we play for enjoyment only – so there is no incentive to cheat.

We broadcast miniature games online ALL the time. More information contact me at looking at imagineimage dot org.