Origins 2013 Demo Game - Friday 0900

[Blackjohn]

Ahoy!

I snapped the following during my first official demo game of Sails of Glory. My friend Dave and I each had British 3rd rates, with two British frigates downwind from us. Directly across from us were two French frigates, and downwind from them were their 3rd rates.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/954701_10151620911887696_196074659_n.jpg


My guess is that this is an early prototype control board. There were others being used in the demo that looked nicer.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1001835_10151620911877696_189159969_n.jpg

[Blackjohn]

And lunch is over... I'll post more later.

[calm]

Amazing ! Thanks for posting !

[Comte de Brueys]

Cool pictures. :clap:

I'm curious how this ends.

[Nightmoss]

What? You stop for lunch? More pictures! And thanks very much for this AAR so far.

[Cmmdre]

Thank you for posting these images. As you can see we are starving for anything at this point. More details, more details...

[Jack Aubrey]

Great, many thanks.
More...???...:question:

[7eat51]

I'm curious how this ends.

I think most of the games did not have any real ending, but were more of opportunities for folks to learn about the game and have a few turns battling it out. One thing I can say, pay attention to the wind. You could get sidelined quite easily. On one of my moves, I was turning and I forgot to consider how the wind would affect my move. I ended up turning much wider than originally planned and almost ran aground. I think this will be a very fun game that will provide a lot of opportunity to learn about sailing and tactics. You do get the feel for the differences between frigates and SoL.

[Berthier]

Great pictures. I noticed on the last photo the stern mast is quite askew, did you think the models were fairly robust? The painted bases on two of the models show up the dramatic difference between the "natural"ones and the altered. Perhaps people will paint the base as a coding for nationality by shade of blue.

[7eat51]

Personally, I felt the ships were fairly robust - I wasn't afraid to touch them, move them, etc. I found the thicker bases made moving them easier than WoG planes.

I will definitely paint the bases. Visually, the difference was quite striking. With the painted bases, the eye goes to the ship as opposed to the white base.

[Berthier]

Personally, I felt the ships were fairly robust - I wasn't afraid to touch them, move them, etc. I found the thicker bases made moving them easier than WoG planes.

I will definitely paint the bases. Visually, the difference was quite striking. With the painted bases, the eye goes to the ship as opposed to the white base.

Would ares consider different base colours in the future possibly?

[Blackjohn]

More pics will follow, but I have to finish uploading Wings of Glory AAR pics first.

I agree, it would be nice to have different countries use different colored bases.

[7eat51]

I didn't think of different base colors for different countries before. That is a great idea. It would definitely help in larger battles.

[calm]

When I think of diferent base colors, I think in a way to separate the minis when lots of minis of lots of people a mixes together.

[7eat51]

I might put some type of hash mark to set mine apart. I will do something similar with card decks.

[calm]

I might put some type of hash mark to set mine apart. I will do something similar with card decks.

I already did that with two of my WoG maneuver decks :embarass:

Probably will do the same to SoG material, too. :hmmm:

[Blackjohn]

Okay, more pics. I hope these aren't too big for you.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/981287_10151620911872696_1327294703_o.jpg

[Blackjohn]

I'm not sure which prototype this is. As I understand it, we were playing with an earlier prototype and a later one.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1025329_10151620912122696_22948772_o.jpg

[Blackjohn]

Here's the other.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1026080_10151620912317696_2085627038_o.jpg

[Blackjohn]

And the game gets underway. I'm in the lead 3rd rate, with my friend Dave playing the other.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1026254_10151620912532696_191445327_o.jpg


Our frigates are downwind. Directly across from us are the two French frigates. We slip between the two islands, and head for the frigates. The frigates plot a course for us. That's gutsy.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/977267_10151620912592696_376625551_o.jpg

[calm]

Nice photos ! Thanks !!!

[Blackjohn]

Dave and I begin to trade fire with the French.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/980188_10151620912717696_2061703927_o.jpg


They are taking a beating. I turn into the wind while they turn with the wind. I guess they are trying to make a run for it.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/1025995_10151620913072696_1326368443_o.jpg

[Blackjohn]

A look down the board. The French frigates are in really bad shape at this point. Neither have been destroyed, but by the end of the game they were both out of commission, as I recall.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1015642_10151620913197696_1367047643_o.jpg


I can honestly say I was surprised at how much I liked this game. I had my expectations set really high (though I suppose nowhere near as high as you who have been playing Age of Sail for years) and Sails of Glory beat them by a long sea mile.

The game ran for two hours, and I'd guess 30 minutes of that was rules explanations. By the end of the game at least two frigates were reduced to hulks, with little or no damage to our 3rd rates.

What happened at the other end of the board, I can't say. However, my intention was to really give this game a try, so I played two more times. Once more as the Defence, in a game with an almost identical setup, but different outcome. And finally as a British frigate, downwind of my compatriots.

I'll relate those stories tomorrow.

[Cmmdre]

Thanks Blackjohn. That series of posts and photos with blow by blow was excellent. Like the close-up. :thumbsup:

[Tommy Z]

Great report John! I never did have a chance to play. I was too busy in the dealer room and spent my free time in the air! :hatsoff:

[Andy Blozinski]

Got any close-ups of the nicer looking ship status cards? Those have the potential to be final production, or at least close to it.

[Nightmoss]

Thanks again for the report and excellent photos. It certainly is raising my expectations and desire to play the game in person.

[CHolgren]

Do I see a hole at the stern that would possibly hold an national flag/ensign? If so, you could make your own personalized flags to differentiate from other ships on the table.

[CHolgren]

I'm seriously considering painting one of the sails in the national colors, Spanaker most likely since it would be seen easily easily. Or create a simple yet distinct design that would differentiate.

[calm]

I'm seriously considering painting one of the sails in the national colors, Spanaker most likely since it would be seen easily easily. Or create a simple yet distinct design that would differentiate.

Some sort of pattern, or emblem, in the sails are a good idea :happy:

[Bligh]

Another very interesting blast from the past for me here.
Seeing these early prototypes and how they turned out is very enlightening.
However the highlight of the thread has to be those 3D islands and what they add to the ambiance of the scene. I'm starting to see where my next lot of spending money is headed after these last two posts.
Rob.

[Union Jack]

Those 3D islands are giving me some ideas to do over my Dystopian Wars islands to Sails islands.

(Mine are a bit ice bound as I used to sail a Covenant fleet!)