"Having a hard time" Topic

I really like the idea of gaming Napoleonic skirmish. The ability to use a few figures and still get the feel for the period. My problem is that I just cant get "into" the rule book. It doesn't hold my attention, I have a hard time visualizing the rules in my head, some of the phrases are lost on me. Were the rules written with an assumption that you had a previous understanding of TFL rules sets?

I haven't read any bad reviews of this set. Just wondering if there may be a more concise and direct "flow sheet" to aid me in playing, a rules summary perhaps?

Not giving up on them yet…

I am unfamiliar with these rules, so I can't give you a Coles notes answer, but what about getting a game going with someone who is familiar with the rules set and as the gmae progresses you may be able to visualize the concepts you are having difficulty with. This may aid you in getting "into" reading the rules book.

I also have had trouble getting into TFL rules….. IABSM & CoC. I get so far, and then it loses me. The concepts are different to what I'm used to. We just have to persevere I guess….. as a solo player.

Have you tried the video series on the rules? Part 1 is here: YouTube link

If you have joined the yahoo group or if you go to the Forums there are FAQs for download that may help with some of the ideas you are struggling with.

Many people confuse action dice. So a team has three action (dice) but it spends 1 dice to move 2d6?

If you think of them as three initiatives then that helps. SO you then spend 1 initiative to move 2d6 Anything in particular causing an issue?

David

Watch the videos on youtube.

Kiltboy, that's defiantly one of my issues. So instead of a dice you could really use any type of marker? The dice is just a tool for accounting reasons? What's a "pip"? The "dot" on the dice?

Yes

I had trouble reading them as well, though I love them.

Like they said watch the painless videos, play a simple pitched battle, then it'll be much more clear.

Guys its not that hard. Join the NapSkirmish Yahoo Group and in the files section there are QRS's and FAQ's that may help.

link

Last action on the site was in October with 1 topic and 4 responses. If I had a question it could take months for an answer…

Stepman, you don't need to track actions at all, usually.
A Big Man gets as many action as his status, plus any bonus actions from 'Grasp the Nettle' cards.
You just declare what he will do. So if he had 3 actions he might order a group to act with 1 action, rally another group with a second action, and move himself for a third action.

When a group is ordered to act, it normally gets 2 actions – so it could move for 2 action (which would mean it rolls 2 dice), or it could move for 1 action (1 dice) and fire with the remaining action, leaving it unloaded, or it could fire and reload.

Thanks Dexter…I appreciate the help…sometimes it takes anothers view to clear up stuff…

Hi Stepman

SP is definitely one of those games that is much easier to understand when played rather than just reading through them. I think that Richard (the author) would agree that his writing skills have improved in the 8 years since he released SP.

It's worth signing up to both the TFL Yahoo Group and their Forum (the latter will be more use too you with asking questions about the rules, the Yahoo Group has some very useful downloads and FAQs in its files)

You'll either love or hate the rules once it 'clicks' but they're worth persisting with – and adapt very well for other periods (several supplements already available) for everything from the 1740's to c. 1900