first timer and first post!

[djconklin69]

Some of us over on FB are looking to get a game going.

I'd like to handle the logistics for the Brits.

So, the question is where do I find the spreadsheet for it?

Thanks in advance!

[musikant02]

Hi,

I was also just admitted here in the last few days. I stumbled across the link for this site as I was doing research on Boardgamegeek for my own little computerized CNA tracker. Mine is not anywhere nearly as far along as the one that ATD seems to be working on. Nevertheless, it's always cool to find out that you're not alone in your weird side projects. There's probably not much I can provide, but if there's anything you need help with please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks for letting me in, and cheers!

[ATD]

Without the rules revisions and the computer system (eg. press a button and all evaporation is done in less than a second - which is a tiny part of the system), trying to play CNA as released is pointless. The Italian air OOB is way out and the while air system was an unfinished mess. You will just get the wrong results. Sorry if that sounds somewhat negative!

Speadsheets are not up to the job - even with a ton of VBA code, it was impossible to account for things properly.

My mantra remains - no-one has ever played CNA properly, just an approximation to it.

[musikant02]

As I've never had access to the amount of time or set of people required to make this game work, I've unfortunately never played it at all. This said, I think sheer scale and level of detail simulated forces the team of players to deal with a bunch of problems that you just don't see anywhere else. If you could somehow reduce the administrative overhead to something more manageable, I think there is an interesting game in here.

This said, I can agree a spreadsheet will simply not get the job done. I've settled on using Unity as a platform for building things out for now, but as I said before I've got a long way to go.

I also agree that the air rules seem overly complicated and ill=fitting with the rest of the system and have mostly been ignoring them for now. Someday I'll have to come up with a solution to that, but that will be a problem for tomorrow's me.

[ATD]

I originally set up this forum to facilitate play of the game.

The solution, after over forty years, really is almost at hand. The spreadsheets that I produced previously had a huge amount of VBA code but as I said were insufficient to play the game and any convenient way. I will shortly post a video of the new system. It is preloaded with all of the campaign start data and automates things massively, even accounting for example for changes to CPs and CPAs when attaching and detaching units. My colleague on the coding is probably one of the six best programmers in the country, so the system is beyond professional. It's taken hundreds of hours to produce, so there will be a cost. I've also spent hundreds of hours on the rules…

It's going to take a month or 2 to finish it (I thought we've been that close for quite a while now though). Anyway, if anyone really wants to play the game, this will be the way forward. It's designed to be used on a server or stand-alone, so multiplayer access is implemented (in quite a sophisticated and robust way).

[ATD]

[musikant02]

It looks really nice, and looks like it would make a lot of things go much better. Congratulations on getting this close, and I'll look forward to it being done. It looks like you have everything well in hand, but as I said earlier if there's anything I can do to help just let me know.

[ATD]

There were plenty of things. Maybe one or two more in the back of my mind still, thanks. Certainly multi-user testing might be useful. Not a lot to do but it's still a lot of effort! : ) It's surprisingly detailed and sophisticated in some ways, implementing things in the rules (and not in the rules!), that are overlooked when people try to play the game manually (or even with some computer assistance)...

[musikant02]

I can imagine the hundreds of hours of thought that would have to go into operationalizing a game of this size. Especially considering that many of the rules were never necessarily meant to be strict enough for a computer to interpret them, and then of course there are the areas of the game that feel like they were simply never finished. All-in-all, it looks like you and the people supporting you have put a massive amount of work into the project.

This said, if you need any help to make the one or two remaining months go faster feel free to get in touch. I'm a business analyst in real life, so I do a lot of requirements gathering and user-acceptance testing in my day job. Not to mention just sitting down with people and helping them think through how to reliably get from where they are to where they want to go.

[ATD]

Thanks for the offer. I saw your post only now when I logged in to accept a new member.

We've been a bit distracted lately (there's just the two of us), probably another phase of burn-out resulting from the intense and detailed effort that defies imagination. I should record one of our daily ninety minute plus conversations on the development!

[blu3wolf]

Please do. You can count me in for if you do need another user for testing, also.

[Taham Sturam.]

Hi everyone. That's me. If I have to travel from Switzerland to play that Game in ireland i'll do it. After all a bike travel to england takes less than 3 days + a ferry + a few more days. If someone owns the game i'd love to see the rules. There's only one thing I care about: "Is that game balanced"

[e-mail] if someone really wants to get into, and can.

[blu3wolf]

No, its not balanced. Thats fine - WWII was not balanced, either.

I suggest questions of balance should be addressed after collecting data from at least a couple full play-throughs.

[ATD]

Good answer! : )