Ogre at Memorial Day 2018

TheAmishStig · 05-29-2018, 10:21 AM

Went up to see family for the holiday, and took along my ODE to play with my nephew. He couldn't remember what it was called, but asked about 'the tank game' and 'pipe beasts'...the latter, he said, because they have "Super Mario pipes on their backs" [the secondaries]. Pictures will be up later tonight, and linked in the thread.

We managed to squeeze two games in, between meals and video games and roasting marshmallows and playing with the dog, all the other stuff he wanted to do...both Mk.III attacking [he's 6, so we keep it simple], one round on each side.

Him on offense...wasn't pretty. I did what I could to guide him through the game, but his attention span and 'thinking ahead' isn't quite there yet...way too worried about "blowing up my bad guys" than about any sort of strategy, and it's against my policy to choose for him. I'll explain, I'll offer suggestions, but he's playing that side so he gets the final say.

The first round with me on defense playing with the Black Rose tokens, he was on offense with a Legionnaire...ASH, because OMG that's the pokémon guy. He was bound and determined to "squish 'em all", while I was bound and determined to let him win without him knowing that's what I did...he doesn't like being allowed to win, but will also storm off angry if he loses, so it's a pretty delicate tightrope.

I kinda wish he was a little older, he's not quite to where I can do the "teaching moment" thing of educational asides and creating situations that show some of the nuance...the "Here's what I could do in this situation to make the most of it...but instead I'm going to make this mistake or sneaky gambit you might not notice right away had I not called attention to it" type thing.

I did what I could to throw the match without getting "caught"...got too close, forgot to move a unit or two, sent them in 'waves', threw away a lot of 'remainder' attack points, forgot to combine fire and took 1-2s on the weaker units, didn't even consider hitting treads until halfway up the board, etc...but the dice weren't having it. Trying to lose while not making it obvious I was trying to lose, and it was still a decisive victory...reliably hitting on 1-1 and 1-2 odds, while his Mk.III couldn't hit water if it fell out of a boat...I've never seen that many Ds at 3-1 odds, he did more damage running units over than he did by shooting them.

In the end I couldn't stop myself from being cheeky...the kill shot being delivered by a LT captioned 'Col Bosch'. Yes, I played my odds and fire sequence carefully to give it the shot, but the dice didn't have to cooperate.

---------------------------

Second round was me on the attack, a gray "third force" Mk.III against his Black Rose. Setup advice went totally ignored, with the CP and all defending troops in the back two rows of the board...even hanging back and trying to goad him out, first contact came halfway up the map and even then just one unit at a time...at which point his mother stepped in and started helping.

For having never played before, generally not being interested in skirmish games, and thinking the game 'too hard and too long', she picked up the math quick and did pretty well tactically...hitting and running with GEVs, scattering them in different directions, combining fire to not 'waste' remainders, etc...but with the Ogre halfway up the board when the first shot was fired, she just didn't have enough time to get the job done. I tried to help, wasting as many turns as possible chasing down those [FNORD] GEVs, "forgetting" I had APs, and blowing an entire movement's worth of treads flattening tanks (the dice helped there...I don't think I rolled a single X when ramming Heavies), but it still wasn't enough.

----------

Still, it was a good time. After he got done sulking we had a quick chat about there being no shame in doing your best, and asked me to bring it back for the 4th of July.

GranitePenguin · 05-29-2018, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAmishStig

Went up to see family for the holiday, and took along my ODE to play with my nephew. He couldn't remember what it was called, but asked about 'the tank game' and 'pipe beasts'...
...the kill shot being delivered by a LT captioned 'Col Bosch'. Yes, I played my odds and fire sequence carefully to give it the shot, but the dice didn't have to cooperate.

Still, it was a good time. After he got done sulking we had a quick chat about there being no shame in doing your best, and asked me to bring it back for the 4th of July.

Best AAR, ever.
This is just proof that the dice do the opposite of what you want, win or lose. :-)

ColBosch · 05-29-2018, 04:03 PM

What you didn't know is that yesterday was my 40th birthday, so finding out that someone killed an Ogre with my gratuitous self-insert in ODE makes me even happier.

I think I played my first game of Ogre when I was about 8. I firmly believe that gaming is important for children, exercising their imagination and teaching them problem-solving, especially when they have to make decisions that don't have immediate results.

TheAmishStig · 05-29-2018, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColBosch

What you didn't know is that yesterday was my 40th birthday, so finding out that someone killed an Ogre with my gratuitous self-insert in ODE makes me even happier.

Happy Birthday!

ColBosch · 05-29-2018, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAmishStig

Happy Birthday!

Thank you!

GranitePenguin · 05-29-2018, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColBosch

I think I played my first game of Ogre when I was about 8. I firmly believe that gaming is important for children, exercising their imagination and teaching them problem-solving, especially when they have to make decisions that don't have immediate results.

I couldn't agree more. School, and "real life" are littered with the need to think past your own nose and adapt. Gaming forges this better than most things.

wolf90 · 05-29-2018, 06:37 PM

And this, folks, is what we're all about. Thank you ever so much for sharing! I love hanging with you guys and gals!

D.

J. Durr · 06-06-2018, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAmishStig

'pipe beasts'

This needs to be canon as a local name for Ogres in some less prominent language.

Knockman · 06-07-2018, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GranitePenguin

I couldn't agree more. School, and "real life" are littered with the need to think past your own nose and adapt. Gaming forges this better than most things.

Absolutely. It is often overlooked by many just what gaming can do for children. Not just in mental development, but behavioural manners, confidence and self-esteem too. Good work done well there Stig :-)

Mack_JB · 06-07-2018, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Durr

This needs to be canon as a local name for Ogres in some less prominent language.

I like these three (courtesy Google Translate, may not be 100% correct):

Zulu: isiphayiphi

Finnish: putkieläin

Luxembourgish: Päifstéier

05-29-2018, 10:21 AM	#1
TheAmishStig Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Lancaster, PA	Ogre at Memorial Day 2018 Went up to see family for the holiday, and took along my ODE to play with my nephew. He couldn't remember what it was called, but asked about 'the tank game' and 'pipe beasts'...the latter, he said, because they have "Super Mario pipes on their backs" [the secondaries]. Pictures will be up later tonight, and linked in the thread. We managed to squeeze two games in, between meals and video games and roasting marshmallows and playing with the dog, all the other stuff he wanted to do...both Mk.III attacking [he's 6, so we keep it simple], one round on each side. Him on offense...wasn't pretty. I did what I could to guide him through the game, but his attention span and 'thinking ahead' isn't quite there yet...way too worried about "blowing up my bad guys" than about any sort of strategy, and it's against my policy to choose for him. I'll explain, I'll offer suggestions, but he's playing that side so he gets the final say. The first round with me on defense playing with the Black Rose tokens, he was on offense with a Legionnaire...ASH, because OMG that's the pokémon guy. He was bound and determined to "squish 'em all", while I was bound and determined to let him win without him knowing that's what I did...he doesn't like being allowed to win, but will also storm off angry if he loses, so it's a pretty delicate tightrope. I kinda wish he was a little older, he's not quite to where I can do the "teaching moment" thing of educational asides and creating situations that show some of the nuance...the "Here's what I could do in this situation to make the most of it...but instead I'm going to make this mistake or sneaky gambit you might not notice right away had I not called attention to it" type thing. I did what I could to throw the match without getting "caught"...got too close, forgot to move a unit or two, sent them in 'waves', threw away a lot of 'remainder' attack points, forgot to combine fire and took 1-2s on the weaker units, didn't even consider hitting treads until halfway up the board, etc...but the dice weren't having it. Trying to lose while not making it obvious I was trying to lose, and it was still a decisive victory...reliably hitting on 1-1 and 1-2 odds, while his Mk.III couldn't hit water if it fell out of a boat...I've never seen that many Ds at 3-1 odds, he did more damage running units over than he did by shooting them. In the end I couldn't stop myself from being cheeky...the kill shot being delivered by a LT captioned 'Col Bosch'. Yes, I played my odds and fire sequence carefully to give it the shot, but the dice didn't have to cooperate. --------------------------- Second round was me on the attack, a gray "third force" Mk.III against his Black Rose. Setup advice went totally ignored, with the CP and all defending troops in the back two rows of the board...even hanging back and trying to goad him out, first contact came halfway up the map and even then just one unit at a time...at which point his mother stepped in and started helping. For having never played before, generally not being interested in skirmish games, and thinking the game 'too hard and too long', she picked up the math quick and did pretty well tactically...hitting and running with GEVs, scattering them in different directions, combining fire to not 'waste' remainders, etc...but with the Ogre halfway up the board when the first shot was fired, she just didn't have enough time to get the job done. I tried to help, wasting as many turns as possible chasing down those [FNORD] GEVs, "forgetting" I had APs, and blowing an entire movement's worth of treads flattening tanks (the dice helped there...I don't think I rolled a single X when ramming Heavies), but it still wasn't enough. ---------- Still, it was a good time. After he got done sulking we had a quick chat about there being no shame in doing your best, and asked me to bring it back for the 4th of July. __________________ Andy Mull MIB Agent #0460 Ogre 134th Battalion Lancaster, PA Imgur: https://agent0460.imgur.com/

05-29-2018, 04:03 PM	#3
ColBosch Join Date: May 2007	Re: Ogre at Memorial Day 2018 What you didn't know is that yesterday was my 40th birthday, so finding out that someone killed an Ogre with my gratuitous self-insert in ODE makes me even happier. I think I played my first game of Ogre when I was about 8. I firmly believe that gaming is important for children, exercising their imagination and teaching them problem-solving, especially when they have to make decisions that don't have immediate results.

05-29-2018, 06:37 PM	#7
wolf90 Join Date: Jun 2010	Re: Ogre at Memorial Day 2018 And this, folks, is what we're all about. Thank you ever so much for sharing! I love hanging with you guys and gals! D. __________________ Proud sponsor of Ogre KS $4.5k Sheet #3 - Bringing the Vatican Guard, a Tiger-striped mercenary unit, and of course pink GEVs, to a game near you! Orders may be placed here.