Around a month ago a new Advanced Squad Leader product was released by Le Franc Tireur one of the best third party providers for ASL. The pack has had quite a journey, original concept and board artwork was done in America, the project then found it's way to the UK where Dave Ramsey got the boards turned from basic from to true works of art and then set about getting scenarios developed. This is where I got involved and with just a couple of scenario designs under my belt that were done for amateur publication I had a go at designing for a much higher spec.
The packs globe-trotting did not end there as LFT is a French company and the printing of the pack was done in the Pacific (I think Cambodia). Scenario designers have been a good mix of nationalities as well.
The pack contains seven new deluxe boards almost doubling the number of boards available for DASL and being all rural really adds to the possible combinations for fighting in the country. Will well over 100 regular geo-boards Deluxe was well overdue fresh boards. Deluxe uses oversized hexes making the clutter of high counter density far more manageable. The boards were designed with PTO battles in mind so of course I designed a scenario based in Normandy. Worse still it also used one of the original Hedgerow Hell boards.
I am guessing most of the readers now have a scene running through their heads of Sherman's fighting their way through Bocage whilst a lone German soldier stalks it with a Panzerfaust but hold your horses, it's set in 1940 and the tanks are little tin cans and the shoemaker is still intent on well shoes.
So what's it like having something professionally released? Very nervous, how well will it be received? If it's not a good scenario you get to know real quick. That is if it gets enough play. The pack contains 12 scenarios and I was not the only virgin scenario designer in the pack so I know we would be under close scrutiny and already one scenario has been labelled a dog though it's receiving a lot of support to make changes to make it work as it's a cracking idea.
I only know of one playing and it received a good reception that hopefully will get it more plays and it certainly makes me want to do more. It's got me no hot chicks yet but I am told it's pair for the course once your a name, maybe after the next design?
