Is there a Canvas Falcons update?

Lufbery · 3 June 2002, 08:24 AM

Just curious...

Regards,

wolfenbill · 3 June 2002, 11:27 AM

Yes, are you a member of the CF egroup?

Lufbery · 3 June 2002, 05:58 PM

I signed up, but I guess I had to be invited to join and that never happened. That's okay, because I don't have the time to help play-test. I was just wondering how things are going.

Regards,

4 June 2002, 05:02 AM

I think what happened is the CF forum owner was not informed of your request. This has happened a number of times, where people have signed up and nobody knew about it until they spoke up elsewhere. I will inform the owner, because he obviously was not informed by Yahoo groups.
This is a sad state of affairs because it looks like rejection when it is nothing of the sort. The owner can't help people when nobody tells him.
Even if you have a time constraint you can follow the PBEM games going on. There's also easy and quick training games. For my own part, I find that CF PBEM doesn't consume much time, but then all I'm doing is flying a single airplane.

Joe

Kirk · 14 June 2002, 04:26 AM

I don't want to start an argument or anything, but I think telling Lufbery that there are "quick and easy" training games and that CFPBEM "doesn't consume much time" may be simplifying things a wee bit.
CF is a very detailed game that is still in the developmental stage. The game mechanics are good, but the way they're introduced to a rookie player is what needs polishing. If the rules package were laid out a little more understandably it would make it a LOT easier for newbies to comprehend all the various concepts. You have to remember Lufbery is very new to boardgaming. I've been playing board wargames for 30 years and I had difficulty with CF. And from what I've read other places, I'm not the only one that finds it difficult. I just want to make sure Lufbery doesn't get the wrong impression.

17 June 2002, 08:10 AM

Greetings!
Yes, I have to remember that. Having played since the 1960s myself, and having mastered Squad Leader without a great deal of trouble, I haven't had much trouble with Canvas Falcons. The basic concepts were already internalized because I played J.D. Websters Fighting Wings series. It is an easy mistake to make, that just because one finds something easy, doesn't mean that EVERYONE will find it easy. :-[

Joe

Kirk · 17 June 2002, 08:54 AM

Yeah, I used to play Squad Leader a lot as well. I absolutely loved it. The benefit SL has is that the rules are introduced to the new player in an easily digestable series of scenarios. With CF, a large percentage of the rules must be mastered before one can play their first game. Also, just trying to learn the PBEM system is a challenge in and of itself. I wish I had the time to devote to giving it an honest effort.
By the way, have their been any more aircraft introduced for CF over the last few months?

Lufbery · 17 June 2002, 06:27 PM

Yup,

I'm more or less a complete newbie at board wargaming.

I've been busy as heck lately, so I haven't even been able to get signed up to the group.

Joe, how about a recap of how things are going?

Regards,

18 June 2002, 04:05 AM

Greetings!
I haven't paid much attention to the Training Scenarios, one reason being that I find the standard Nomenclature used in PBEM a little hard to read (if you saw my own entries, they are very different, but there's no doubt as to what I did or where I am, barring typos). But in my own "Over Jericho" battle, the RE-8 made its ground attack while the two Pfalzes are engaging the top cover. The allies got split up and a pair of unsuccessful attacks were made on the SE-5A, while the Nieuport struggles with initiative. His maneuverability means that getting a handle on him is hard.
We have a number of aircraft available, Albatros D-II, D-III, SPAD VII, SPAD XIII, Fokker E-III, Fokker Dr-1, Fokker D VII, SE-5A, RE-8, and others (I don't have the list here at work). So to give you a good update I'll need to bring some information from home.
We hammering out the fine details by catching little holes and plugging them. Nose angle and turning work very well. The SE-5A has demonstrated some good "Energy" tactics and the rules are accomidating those very well.
Right now, Olivier and I are going to do a 1 on 1 with me handling 2 aircraft and him handling 2 aircraft. He gave me a choice between 2 Fokker D VIIs or 2 SE-5As. Since my official WW-I stances is pro-central powers, I will take the Fokkers. It will be a tough battle, since the SE can fight a Fokker quite well, and Olivier has good situational awareness as a player.
We'll probably see CF published this fall. The major stuff is all done, and it's established very firmly that the concept and the rules work well. CF will be the first module in a universal air-game system called "Warbirds," which will allow you to play any air battle at any time in history, using modules to cover the eras. I've tried the WW-II module in its current, unfinished state, and it works.

Joe

Kirk · 18 June 2002, 09:50 AM

Joe,

I know CF currently has something like 20 aircraft in it's "hangar" so to speak, but will work continue on other aircraft after the game is released? When I was told the level of information required to produce an airplane data sheet for CF, I always wondered if planes other than the old standards could even be generated. As you well know, there are only so many Fokker DrI vs. Camel games you can play before you yearn for something a little different. Will there be any Austro-Hungarian aircraft, seaplanes, big bombers, etc.?