Editor in Chief Bill | 28 Mar 2018 10:11 a.m. PST |
Do you set it up right before you play? The day before? |
Oldgrumbler | 28 Mar 2018 10:16 a.m. PST |
Mostly play randomly generated scenarios on a 6x4 ft table so it gets done right before the game. When the 11x6 foot table is used then it is the day before. JPK |
Skeets | 28 Mar 2018 10:17 a.m. PST |
A day or two before depending how long it takes to set up if it is a large game or I have commitments on the day before that I cannot avoid. |
DisasterWargamer | 28 Mar 2018 10:22 a.m. PST |
If I can the night before – if not an hour or so before the game |
Shagnasty | 28 Mar 2018 10:22 a.m. PST |
It depends on circumstances. |
Joes Shop | 28 Mar 2018 10:32 a.m. PST |
|
Winston Smith | 28 Mar 2018 10:35 a.m. PST |
|
Dave Crowell | 28 Mar 2018 10:45 a.m. PST |
|
Oberlindes Sol LIC | 28 Mar 2018 10:56 a.m. PST |
Conventions usually give an hour to set up, and I've gotten pretty adept at getting done in less time than that. Every time you set up the table, it makes the next time faster. That's another good reason to playtest the scenario once or twice. Absent that, I will at least set up on the living room floor and maybe take a picture to help my memory. |
x42brown | 28 Mar 2018 11:23 a.m. PST |
Varies being able to leave things set up safely it could be several days but we have set up in less than an hour. x42 |
Frederick | 28 Mar 2018 11:23 a.m. PST |
Usually right before the game – when gaming at home sometimes the night before |
MajorB | 28 Mar 2018 11:26 a.m. PST |
|
Bashytubits | 28 Mar 2018 11:27 a.m. PST |
The little group I currently am in wait for me to bring the terrain. I just wish the host of our games would actually invest in some and set up before we got there. |
Oldgrumbler | 28 Mar 2018 11:41 a.m. PST |
MajorB. "Before the game starts." That is advisable. Never tried adding new bits of terrain during the game, except when their were wizards involved. JPK |
Doug MSC | 28 Mar 2018 11:51 a.m. PST |
I usually set it up two weeks in advance. I have a 5'x 15' table and I like to take my time setting everything up. To me, setting up is like painting a picture. Very enjoyable. |
Mick the Metalsmith | 28 Mar 2018 11:52 a.m. PST |
I think some games…the placing of terrain is part of the game. DBM, DBA, AdLG. I admit this part of the game is the part that appeals to me the least. I have seen some real analysis paralysis over terrain placement. It just seems too gamey to me. I usually say to my opponent, I'll put out half of it first then you do it, then we roll to see who gets which side of the table. Picker moves second. All that rubbish goes out the window. |
Winston Smith | 28 Mar 2018 12:02 p.m. PST |
|
TMPWargamerabbit | 28 Mar 2018 12:05 p.m. PST |
Typically the night before the event. |
Yellow Admiral | 28 Mar 2018 12:09 p.m. PST |
Naval games: immediately before the game. Land games: some day prior to the game. I lay out the ground cloth and hills, glue down all the roads, rivers, and cloth shapes representing area features (woods, swamps, fields, etc.), mark where the hills go, then roll up the cloth and store it. On the Day of Battle™, the cloth is unrolled onto the gaming table, the hills are inserted where they go, 3D bits like trees, bushes (lichen), fences, and buildings are placed on the cloth, and the open spaces are sprinkled with scatter terrain (from a mixture of ballast, lichen bits and ground foam bits saved from previous clean-ups). Sometimes troop deployments are part of the terrain setup (e.g., manning fortifications). I almost never play games where choosing the terrain is part of the setup anymore, and never liked such systems' tendencies toward landscape engineering and analysis paralysis. When I was heavily playing DBx systems, I had a set of pre-configured terrain panels to avoid these problems, which also drastically sped up setup. - Ix |
wrgmr1 | 28 Mar 2018 12:28 p.m. PST |
Usually just before the game. |
Ed Mohrmann | 28 Mar 2018 1:28 p.m. PST |
|
StoneMtnMinis | 28 Mar 2018 1:32 p.m. PST |
When playing ACW or AWI, and I am hosting/umpiring the game, I make a master grided map for myself and then 2 additional gridded maps. One has as "reasonably" correct map and one with a "vague" impression of the map. Neither one is completely detailed. Then depending on of theater of the battle the "home team" gets the first one and the "visitor" gets the second map. They are then allowed to sketch their deployment on their respective maps. Basic terrain(ie that which is visible from the deployment points) is put on the table and movement begins. As troops move accross the table more terrain/obstacles are put out as they would become visible. Scouting is always a big part of my games so each side has some cavalry they can use to get a better picture of what they will face. This make the battle as much fun for the umpire as the participants. I also use an egg timer to keep things moving as battle becomes more reaction than planning once the bullets/dice start flying. Dave |
RobSmith | 28 Mar 2018 1:55 p.m. PST |
Depends very much on the circumstances and the game: During the game: MeG Ancients (terrain set-up is part of the game) Just before: Gaming at a store or bringing my game to someone else's house Day or more before I am hosting a scenario at my house. |
martin goddard | 28 Mar 2018 1:58 p.m. PST |
At the game start . I prefer both players to have an active part in scenery choice and layout. |
etotheipi | 28 Mar 2018 2:01 p.m. PST |
Usually the morning of the game, except at a con, where it's an hour before the game. If it's just Me and SWMBO, sometimes I set the game up and we don't play for a day or two. |
princeman | 28 Mar 2018 2:33 p.m. PST |
Always try to get set up the day before. Take down is the day after. We play on a 5' by 12' table. |
Kropotkin303 | 28 Mar 2018 2:40 p.m. PST |
As I do random terrain deployment for my HOTT games I like to do this a couple of days before the fight. Then I can think about the possibilities from both a defensive and offensive angle. Then on the day of battle defender's edge and attacker's edge are diced for and the fun begins. As I solo game I hope it gives me time to consider both sides options without exactly knowing who will start where. |
robert piepenbrink | 28 Mar 2018 3:24 p.m. PST |
Am I playing home or away? |
John Armatys | 28 Mar 2018 3:34 p.m. PST |
Just before the game (I run games at the Sheffield club, or at shows, or at the Conference of Wargamers). |
Yellow Admiral | 28 Mar 2018 3:40 p.m. PST |
Am I playing home or away? You can't tell? You should probably see a doctor about that. |
Yellow Admiral | 28 Mar 2018 3:41 p.m. PST |
I want to play in games run by StoneMtnMinis. That terrain-by-scouting system sounds hella fun. (And also like more work than I could do…) - Ix |
Zeelow | 28 Mar 2018 5:31 p.m. PST |
1-2 hrs. before the game. My gaming is on a 2' x 3' area. |
Doctor X | 28 Mar 2018 10:31 p.m. PST |
My terrain setups can be fairly involved so at least a day before we play. |
Rich Bliss | 29 Mar 2018 5:34 a.m. PST |
|
Garryowen | 29 Mar 2018 5:37 a.m. PST |
I run nearly all my games at home and set up a couple days in advance of the game usually. Tom |
deephorse | 29 Mar 2018 8:17 a.m. PST |
Terrain? Who needs terrain? It doesn't affect WWI dogfights. |
robert piepenbrink | 29 Mar 2018 9:32 a.m. PST |
Almost always before the troops. |
Oldgrumbler | 29 Mar 2018 10:23 a.m. PST |
For mini campaigns The Perfect Captain's Battlefinder is great. Not exactly on topic but sort of. link JPK |
Herkybird | 29 Mar 2018 4:57 p.m. PST |
|