[ASLML] ASLSK vs Partrooper & PI

[Peter Young]

Once the Rulebook and BV are printed (soon apparently on the ASLRB), that
transition will be possible. But regardless of whether they're available
right now, I can't see how the $24 Starter Kit is a bad way to start. If a
player finds it's not for them, they're not out very much, and still have a
self-contained game to play if the mood ever hits them. If they do get the
bug, then that initial $24 will be a drop in the bucket compared to what
they'll pay to get into "real" ASL.

Paratrooper was designed with the large crowd of SL players in mind. That
crowd (mostly) no longer exists, having likely either already made the
transition to ASL long ago or aging out of the hobby. What still exists are
some players still playing SL, some who tried it long ago and decided not to
take the ASL plunge, and a huge flock of potential newbies who've never
tried any of it. The Starter Kit exists for them and based on comments on
Consimworld, a number of "rejected ASL long ago"-type players are
considering this option. In a way, the Starter Kit will serve the same
purpose of introducing ASL to these players that SL did for many of us.

Paratrooper was a transition method for those already familiar with the
system. I think it was almost useless for someone with no prior experience.
Prior to the Starter Kit, the only effective way to learn (from scratch) was
to have an existing player teach you, in which case you might as well take
the full plunge into BV. I have to say that this may be the first time I can
remember (at least in the last several years) someone defending Paratrooper
as an intro module to ASL.

Peter "Self-taught in spite of all the above" Young
Yakima, WA
http://firstfire.blogspot.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <cameron.henson at us.army.mil>
To: "Brian Youse" <byouse at cablespeed.com>; "ASL Mailing List"
<Aslml at asl-forums.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 8:52 AM
Subject: [ASLML] ASLSK vs Partrooper & PI


> Let's look at it from your point of view then. If I purchase ASLSK and
learn the rules therein, what next? Can you sit down with an opponent and
play any of the hundreds of published scenarios? Not unless that person
wants to teach you how to play. At some point folks are going to have to
make that decision and invest the money if they want to play the whole
system. So why pay the additional $24?
>
> For most of us, we made the difficult transition from SL to ASL with BV
and the ASLRB. Back then that was how much of an investment, $80?
Paratrooper came out to help coax those playing SL to ASL and in itself
added more rules as you progressed through the Paratrooper scenarios. But
when we finished with the transition we were versed well enough in the rules
to start playing any of the ASL scenarios.
>
> If ASLSK gets people interested in playing the full version of ASL, great.
Congratulations. But what then? I really hope you all suceed, I just hope
you have the business model in place to back up your ambitions.
>
> C. Kent Henson
> Battlin' Bastard from 'Bama
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Brian Youse <byouse at cablespeed.com>
> Date: Thursday, April 1, 2004 10:02 am
> Subject: Re: [ASLML] MMP Stormtroopers-LONG
>
> > > As for the ASLRB reprint, I wouldn't look for it anytime soon.
> > I'm
> > > glad that some people will buy and play ASLSK but I still think
> > we had
> > > a Programed Instruction system in place that would have done the
> > job
> > > with Paratrooper and its Chapter K.
> >
> > Jim Stahler's article has been available on our website for some
> > time,
> > under the ASL Articles section. Here:
> > http://www.multimanpublishing.com/ASL/articles.php  It has been
> > there
> > for quite some time.
> >
> > However, I am much more inclined to believe that a person is more
> > likely to take the ASL plunge on a $24 stand-alone product rather
> > than
> > the solution of buying the ASL rulebook ($80), Paratrooper ($30+),
> > several maps ($10 or $24 depending on how you buy them), and
> > downloading the PI off our website.
> >
> > $24 versus $120+
> >
> > I can't even believe I have to point what certainly seems to be
> > obvious.
> > The only problem with the ASL Starter Kit is that we didn't do it
> > five
> > years ago.
> >
> > Brian
> >
> >
>
>
>