An ASL newbie (but a veteran wargamer) from Taiwan shares his newfound love for ASL

Author: TouMu / Translator: Hong Kong Wargamer (The original in Chinese starts at the bottom of the translation.)

I’d like to share how I see Advanced Squad Leader (‘ASL’) as a vehicle to gain better insights to military history

First, let’s take a look at ASL’s shortcomings as such a vehicle:  

1. Each scenario generally portrays 12 to 20 mins of fighting, offering only a glimpse into the whole battle. 

2. Unless it’s a HASL (Historical ASL) module.  Geomorphic maps used in most scenarios offer only an impressionistic approximation of the actual terrain.  

3. Scenarios generally involve elements from actual fighting forces and not the whole.  

With these in mind, let’s talk about how ASL offers a great window (translator: a “Hollywood version” notwithstanding) into historical events.  

Allow me to build on the aforementioned “shortcomings”:

1. Precisely because generally each scenario involves less than 20 minutes of the most intensive fighting, ASL puts you right in the midst of the fighting.  You get better insights into the actual conditions facing frontline units.

For example: We all read about the intensity at Stalingrad, but how miserable was it?

Operational / strategic games give you stacks of counters that represents thousands/hundreds of people, which gets quickly decimated.  

ASL makes you learn what it means to have to battle for the first room and then having to regroup to clean up the next.

2. Yes, ASL scenario terrains are largely a combination of (translator: a huge number of) geomorphic boards and overlays (cost considerations?).  However, like miniatures, terrain features are meaningful. Hexes are not all generically designated “Movement +1” or “Defense +3” etc. It’s important therefore to consider your routes in both assault and retreat (translator: routs).  

You will also understand why it’s difficult to rally broken troops in the open and why it’s easier to gather your wits in woods and buildings.  

3. Although only elements of certain units participate in our cardboard battles, determination of unit combat power reference their real world counterparts. Ordnance and vehicles are also based on real world parameters.  

Perhaps ASL is a key to deeper insights into World War II battles.

Look  and you might gain better appreciation for the nameless heroes therein – a window into their bloodshed and sacrifices.

Yes, I don’t like being Eisenhower but I really appreciate heros like Major Dick Winters (translator: of “Band of Brothers” fame).   

If you hope to play ASL as “Eisenhower”, perhaps this game is not for you.  If you look to play ASL as “Winters” or thousands of other unnamed heroes, then ASL is your game.  

Here’s another thought: all war games are “simulations”, ie not real (translator: not even close simulations in most cases).

Real wars can’t be played.  Only games can be played.

Play ASL as a game, with all that it brings.  

War is not a game.  (Translator: and ASL is not war.)

Find a game that suits you and have fun playing it.  If nothing else, it’s a great platform to make friends all around the world.  

ASL is not for everyone but I hope this will give new players proper expectations for what ASL will bring.  

Note : Author TouMu is a leading member in the Taiwan ASLer Club, you can find their group on Facebook.  

(以下是原稿)

分享一下我怎麼從ASL學到歷史

先說它一般的缺點：

1、幾分鐘的戰鬥，無法一窺全貌。

2、除非是史實模組，否則地圖是用拼的，接近而非真實樣貌。

3、參戰只有某部分單位，而非全部。

有了這些先備知識，進一步來談，怎麼從「毛線棋」學到東西。

一樣是從缺點去思考

1、因為是幾分鐘的戰鬥，當你不是坐在後方，看著投影銀幕決定策略時，你更能體會前線士兵的真實感覺。

例如：我們都耳聞史達林格勒的慘烈，但怎麼慘？

戰略棋的呈現方式：就是投入了好幾萬人的算子

然後丟棄很快。

可是，ASL會讓你體會：才剛佔領客廳，卻又要清理廚房，那種寸土不讓的激烈。

2、雖然地圖是拼的(成本考量)，但跟微縮模型一樣，地形是有意義的，不是抽象的移動力花費+1，防禦+3這樣而已

你的進攻與撤退，都是要考慮路線的。

你也會明白：為何潰散士兵，士氣很難重整，但在樹林與建築物，為何可以冷靜下來。

3、雖然是部分單位參戰，但戰力的設計，卻是有參考真實世界，武器、載具，也都是完全參照史實去設計。

而這一切，不妨想成是一把鑰匙，幫你打開通往該次戰鬥的故事大門。

去查，就會發現更多我們不知道的無名英雄事蹟。

而戰爭，正是他們去打，流血犧牲的。

所以，我不愛艾森豪。

我很敬重溫特斯。

當然，如果你是喜歡當將軍的，那麼，這遊戲也不太適合你就是。

還有一個很深刻的體會：所有的戰棋，都只是「模擬」，假的。

真實的戰爭，是不能玩的。只有「遊戲」才可以玩。

所以，就當遊戲去玩，其他，都是附加的。

戰爭的本質，不是遊戲。

找到適合自己的遊戲，開心的去玩它，並非勸退。

不玩，一樣可以是朋友聊天啊！

我是會希望留下來的人，知道自己在玩什麼遊戲，就不會用錯誤的想法，去要求它給你的感覺。