How do you do fire fights? Maps?

[Michael Lewis]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

I use a free program called autorealm.

http://autorealm.sourceforge.net/

Thanks, but we don't have access to computer screens when we play.

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Michael Lewis

Thanks, but we don't have access to computer screens when we play.

Ummm you can print off the maps...

[Michael Lewis]

Yeah, but it sucks your print cartridge dry.

[stg58fal]

Right now I just draw things on note paper, or graph paper if I've got it with me. I have some minis, they're not all painted yet and I don't have a gaming mat. Maybe at some point. For right now, notebook paper will have to do.

[pmulcahy11b]

I mostly used a combination of maps from Squad Leader, the old SPI RPG/Wargame Commando, and maps from wargames (if the scale worked). Sometimes I used counters from wargames, but mostly I hand-drew counters or modified copies of counters from Squad Leader. I also covered maps with sheets of clear acetate (not the sticky kind) so markings could be made with dry-erase pens if necessary (you can even put blank paper under the acetate and draw whole maps on top of that).

Miniatures are OK, but the minimum scale most players and GMs (in my experience) prefer is HO/ 1/72. In short, while the game play is more realistic and easier to understand, the necessary space to conduct even a small firefight quickly becomes too big, and of course, there is the cost and the time it takes to build your own terrain features.

[B.T.]

Michael,

I've sent you an E-Mail. If you have questions, mail to me or PM.

B.T.

[Adm.Lee]

I use battlemats and wet-erase markers, which can be wiped off, for maps, and counters. The counters are often from Squad Leader or Last Battle. I used to have a sheet of blank counters, for writing PC names on them, as reading the finer ID writing on the Last Battle counters is now beyond me. Most NPCs get clumped into squad or half-squad counters, rather than individuals.

If I know the action will be taking place inside close quarters, then I get out the miniatures.

Something I used to do when I ran in a college classroom was to just sketch things out on a blackboard and chalk in the ranges from shooter to target. Somehow, that seems too fiddly on a battlemat, so I haven't been doing it. I may go back to that, as some fights take place at ranges longer than I have sheets.

[Tegyrius]

My suggestion:

Your FLGS should carry either wet- or dry-erase vinyl map sheets plus the appropriate markers. Both hex and grid patterns are available. Do a hand sketch on the map sheet as part of your pre-game preps.

Alternately, just hit up an office supply store for about a 2'x3' dry-erase board. Depending on how your gaming area is set up, you can either hang it on the wall and use it for reference for the room, or you can lay it flat on the table and put minis or counters directly on it (though you'll need to be somewhat careful about drawing to scale if you do this). I've always liked having multiple dry-erase surfaces when running Reflex (or other system with fluid initiative) because I can use a secondary one for initiative tracking.

- C.

[weswood]

In the past I've used everything from hand drawn maps to minitures on the table. Mostly mini's were used to denote PCs order of march and general location during fights. I didn't stick with scale for ranges and I've used all kinds of table garbage for oponents (this pencil is a T-72, it's 200 meters from you. This big black D6 is a machinegun nest, it's 150 meters away, even though said object may only be 1 foot from the PCs).

I've got a ton of plastic 1/72 scale soldiers but not all are painted. But I haven't played T2K since I've collected the modern ones. Plastic soldiers are cheaper than metal, usually $12 for a box of 36 to 50. The hard part is finding Cold War era figures.

[Apache6]

I both wargame and RolePlay. T2K is a great game to crossover the hobby since building and modeling the wargaming components requires a small number of unique vehicles instead of a Battalion of 58 identical vehicles.

I'd recommend 20mm and 1/72 troops and 1/72 – 1/76, and even 1/87 scale vehicles are excellent for T2K.

Plastic figures are very convertable, or you can use a huge range of figures. In 1/72 the old Esci US Vietnam and NVA boxes as well as the Warsaw Pact troops make great figures. As do many HO scale civilians. You can easily do 'paint' conversions and a NVA figure with an AK-47 becomes a resistance fighter wearing blue jeans, hiking boots, and a flannel shirt…

As for vehicles, I think the larger scales work very well as they are fun to customize to reflect the ad-hoc nature of T2K. Toy Cars: "Matchbox type" also offer great ability to field commercial trucks, pickups, "technicals" and even bulldozers. I've converted two with plastictuct armor plating to represent expeident armored vehicles.

1/72 figures are commonly available at hobby stores or online. The below link is great to see what you are buying online.
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com