Lockdown Gaming

[Amra]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the help with our questions as we learn the rules.
Here in Melbourne we did over 110 days of lockdown with no travel beyond 5kms and complete isolation.
Hard but it did the job.
Point is , we kept sane thru gaming over Zoom
For any of you going thru something similar I thought I'd share what we learned
First ,it's not as good as face to face , but it's still quite fun
We used Zoom , one of you hosts. That person sets the table & both armies .  They then set a main camera, often an iPad on a stand ( usually a ladder held by gaffer), they then invite their opponent and their own mobile.
The fixed camera works well on the diagonal,moving as the action changes, your mobile shows dice rolls ,overhead views and close ups.
The host moves both sides ,the opponent dices as normal usually in view of their mobile camera.
The trick is don't worry about millimeter moving ,just the bigger picture " I want the tank to the left of the village"
Good lighting is very useful, I bought some indoor builders lights and an iPad stand to make it easier but we were locked in for a long time !
That's pretty much it. I urge you to give it a try ,just chatting,playing & having a laugh is very good for your mental health in such a difficult time.
We are all thinking of you and wishing you well
Stay safe

[FierceKitty]

And if you're playing, remember that the umpires are blowing a gasket to give you a good game. Be helpful and give them a few words of thanks afterwards. 

[Amra]

True , always 
We actually just played without an umpire but the more the merrier!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Many ww2 and ww1 navel actions fought the same way here

[fred.]

That is very much how we have been gaming since March

If you have a camera tripod, you can get cheap (£10) mounts for iPads or other tablets.

We've never bothered with showing dice rolls on camera - for some of our group just getting connected was enough of a challenge!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Surprisingly most peps are honest

[Amra]

Agreed , we didn't care much either I was just setting out the basic method

[Raider4]

Many ww2 and ww1 navel actions fought the same way here

Hope you removed the fluff first.

[Steve J]

BKC is perfect for solo gaming too with its inherent command and control. Fortunately all the games I now play are solo friendly, which has been a big bonus during the various lockdowns.

[Raider4]

BKC is perfect for solo gaming too with its inherent command and control. Fortunately all the games I now play are solo friendly, which has been a big bonus during the various lockdowns.

Looked at BKC (version 1) for solo. Scheduled artillery looked like it would be a problem. How do you deal with that?

[fred.]

Is your concern with scheduled arty, that you would know where and when it is due to land? Which in a two player game you wouldn't

I think the where is less of a problem, as in my experience players put scheduled strikes at pretty obvious points - because they don't know where the enemy will be. Timing wise it can be adjusted by using a FOO, so perhaps allow this to be a bit easier, if you feel you are avoiding the cross-roads on turn 3, as you know that is when the arty strike is coming. You could also allow a bit of movement of the TRP if you are camping just outside the effective zone.

[Chris Pringle]

Well done on carrying on fighting through lockdown! Your experience sounds similar to mine (I wasn't playing BKC, but the same principles apply).

My own basic recipe is a simple one like yours:
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2021/01/ah-vienna-schwechat-1848.html

And here's a more sophisticated approach for those who are so inclined:
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2021/01/transatlantic-remote-gaming.html

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://groups.io/g/bloodybigbattles
BBB on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1412549408869331

[Steve J]

Scheduled artillery looked like it would be a problem. How do you deal with that?

I tend to choose three rather obvious areas, deploy the Defenders in a reasonable manner, then die to see where the scheduled artillery arrives. Not perfect, but playing it this way tends to work for me. Hope this helps?