Panzer Leader PBEM

Opponents Wanted
1

'Afternoon all,

I’m looking for a game of PBEM Panzer leader (prefer experienced gamer). Anyone out there interested?

I have a procedure for PBEM with Opportunity Fire that’s seemed to work well over the years.

Take care now…

PeterB

(Peter Bertram)

Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:52 pm
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Private message

2

Well, I’m interested. I started playing PL by mail in the ‘80s and was AREA and AHIKS rated. Unfortunately, I discovered Vassal only during the past month and I need to practice with it before starting a PBEM game, due to my rather poor knowledge in computer use. Even worse, at present I don’t have enough spare time do study how Vassal works, but in September I will have much more time to devote to my favourite hobby. I’ d prefer avoid optional rules, at least for the first games, because I never used them before. Being an isolate player, I played my games only PBM and , in my opinion, the use of optional rules in PL, like opportunity fire, could cause several troubles in handling the movement phase, due to the “domino effect” that can arise in the case of units being stopped by the opportunity fire.
I will contact you as soon as I’ m ready to try a PBEM game using Vassal.
In the meantime, just choose a playable scenario. I remeber that only a few of basic scenarios were well balanced.
:stuck_out_tongue:

Yours, truly.

3

G’mornin Panther 2010 - Looking forward to a PLdr game with you. I’m kind of a compuyer idiot myself, but if you’d like I can help you through the Vassal learning curve in a on line session. The curve is really not steep but a walk through might be useful to you. If you’re interested, let me know. We can work out a mutually convenient time and spend 1/2 hour to an hour on the server and you’ll have everything you need to know to pbem PLdr on Vassal. I’m thinking there’s not many of us old time Panzer leader/Blitz lovers still around, so when I can find a sharp opponent I’ll try and help out any way I can to get a good game or three going.

Looking forward to hearing from you…

PeterB

4

Well, hard to believe, but it looks like that another PB/PL dinosaur still walks on this planet. By the way, I’m 55 years old now, and most of all my old PBM pals disappeared during these 30 years of gaming. Your help in learning Vassal is, of course, stronlgy welcome.
Some problems, however, could arise. First of all, I live in Italy (Europe), and , moreover, English is only a second language for me.
In any event I will try, because I’m too interested in playing PL once more.
In my country a group of PL fans developed several variant scenarios ,back in '80s , and ,if you are interested ,I can transate them for you with the permission of the authors (one of them is the last of my PBM still playing opponents).

My e-mail ad is : ares_ubris@yahoo.com.

Many thans for your kind reply, yours,

:laughing:

5

G’mornin Panther 2010 -

Well sir, I guess we are a pair of dinosaurs then, but at 55 you’re the young dinosaur. I’m 71 and have been pbem’ing on a regular basis for many years. In re the “problems” you describe, language won’t be one of them - your English is excellent, sir (I don’t know a word of Italian). The time differential is only 6 hours, so when it’s 12:00 noon here (Atlanta, Georgia. USA), it’s 6:00 (1800) in Rome, Italy. All we’ll need to do for a brief on line Vassal session is find a day were sometime in the morning is good for me and late afternoon/early evening is good for you.

In re the “variant scenarios” you mention, why don’t we wait a bit till you’re comfortable with Vassal and we have a game or two going?

Take care

PeterB

6

Good evening!
Yes, late afternoon/early evening is good for me. I will have sufficent spare time to study how Vassal works, starting with September 1st. Any date after this is ok to have a brief on line Vassal session.
Variant scenarios can wait, of course. What are your favourite basic scenarios?

Yours, truly.

:smiley:

7

G’mornin Panther 2010.
I’m thinking maybe we should start with PBlitz since you don’t want to use optional in PLdr yet. After you feel comfortable with Vassal, maybe we could then go into PLdr with OF, etc. (PLdr just isn’t the same without OF). In re scenarios, I don’t much care which one we start with. You can pick scenario and sides. All I ask is that after we play a scenario once, we swap sides and play it again, OK? Let me know when you’re ready to start and we’ll set up and have our mini-Vassal session.

To prepare for our on line session and if you’ve not already done so, I suggest going to the Vassal Home page vassalengine.org , scroll down the page and download Vassal 3.3.14. This is the engine that will let you play over 800 games on Vassal. The individual games are modules and after you’ve got the Vassal engine downloaded, go back to the Vassal home page. At the very top of the home page, click on “Modules”. Scroll down the modules page and you’ll see some of the 100’s of modules (games) you can play on Vassal. At the top of this list is a small box entitled “This is a list of VASSAL modules” with a box below it containg the alphabet. Click on “P”. Scroll down the page and click on “Module:Panzerblitz / Panzer Leader”. When the page opens, scroll down to and click on pzb_pzl344b07.vmod. to open the PLdr/Blitz module. You should then be ready to start.

Looking forward to it…

PeterB

8

Good night (over here are 9.49 PM).

In my old PBM games, I played PB only once, while I played several games of PL, but only with the basic rules. I don’t know how the use of optional rules can change PL, because I never tried them do the problems arising with the PBM procedure. By the way, how do you handle the indirect fire procedure with Vassal? In PBM a sealed and signed envelope was sent to the opponent with the move of the previous turn.
I agree in swapping sides in scenarios.
I have already downloaded both Vassal 3.3.14 and the PB/PL module , but I’ve not yet installed them due to the lack of time during this period. I will install them as soon as possible and then we could start the online learning procedure.
If you want to play PB first, be warned that I’m not an experienced PB player and you will need therefore be patient with all my mistakes in the moves. In any event I will try some PB games, too.

Yours,truly.

:slight_smile:

9

No, that’s OK, we’ll start with PLdr, no optionals. In re Indirect Fire, you’re going to love Vassal. One of the features is a delayed message board where you post your IF orders one turn in advance. Since you need a password to set up and play a game, only you can reveal your IF orders to your opponent.

Be well…

PeterB

10

Well, one problem already solved. By the way, as for optional and experimental PL rules, which of them are you using in your games?
During a convention in my country, several years ago, I saw two players using OF and Functional Mobility for turreted AFV’s in their ftf games.
As for our first scenario, I’ d prefer a scenario with few counters to handle, always to avoid errors in moving until I feel comfortable with Vassal. Your choice.

That’s all for this time.

Yours, sincerely,

:smiley:

11

Hello PeterB, I am glad to see there are still folks looking for a game.

Unfortunately I am a novice player and I was hoping I might be allowed to advertise on this thread in the hope of finding an opponent for myself, with your permission. Perhaps we can draw the PB/PL communities into the light which would allow for more frequent matches.

Thank you and Cheers!
-DMS-

12

DMS,
If you’re still following this thread I’d be interested in squaring off against you. I felt like I was too much of a novice to test Peter’s patience :slight_smile:
I did a recent post for PB and now have two games in progress but would be happy to do more - I’d rather continue with PB since I’m just getting up to speed with strategies for that one. But I do have PL, and AIW too, if going back to Panzerbush is too much of a stretch. I’m afraid can’t do live (my schedule is not my own) but happy to juggle multiple situations.

Peter, I’d be intrigued to know your method for handling opportunity fire in PL - do tell us!

Cheers,
Mike

13

'Evenin Mike -

Sure, I’ll take you on in PBlitz. It may be more even than you think - basically I’m a computer idiot but play a fair game of PLeader with pbem on Vassal. I get confused when trying PBlitz so you might kick my butt (I’ll be honest - I could probably use a good butt wuppin!). If interested, pick a scenario and sides. All I ask is after we play your pick, we swap sides and play it again - give everything a chance to even out.

In re Opportunity Fire in pbem PLdr, following has worked well for me in pbem over the years. Key is B-3d below - opponent can change his move after you OF.

VASSAL PBEM PANZER LEADER WITH OPPORTUNITY FIRE
(for dummies like me – by Peter Bertram)

A) PLAYER A - MAKE A MOVE:

  1. Open game in VASSAL
  2. Under FILE, click on BEGIN LOGFILE and name as a .log (Example: GermTurn1.log, GT1.log, etc).
  3. Proceed normally through the turn sequence.
    3a) Should he wish to, the moving player has the option of stopping movement at any point in his turn for a possible OF attack resolution.
    3b) The moving player may insert instructions in his move if desired. For example: “only stop move if OF result is X” – or “continue move regardless of OF result” - etc, etc.
  4. When finished, click on FILE, then on END LOGFILE. Your move is now saved.
  5. Send the .log file to your opponent as an email attachment.

B) PLAYER B - EXECUTE AND RESOLVE OF ATTACKS:

  1. Open opponent’s move in VASSAL.
  2. IMPORTANT-DO THIS NOW: click on FILE, click on BEGIN LOGFILE (add OF to file’s name- OF.log).
  3. Start playing through your opponent’s move by clicking on the “VCR” button. If you wish to execute an OF attack, stop moving at that point and resolve it. Type comments in the dialog box, just as if it were your move.
    3a) If the result of the OF attack is “*=no effect”, continue moving until the next OF attack you wish to execute or the end of opponent’s log file, whichever comes first.
    3b) If the result of the OF attack is “D, DD, or X”, click on FILE, then click on END LOGFILE (unless opponent has noted instructions to the contrary – see A3b above)
    3c) If your opponent had previously sent you a partial move and you declined OF, you MAY NOT now go back to that partial move and execute an OF you wished you’d made!
    3d) If you stop your opponent’s move to resolve an OF attack, opponent has the option to change the rest of the move starting at the point immediately following your OF attack.
  4. Click on FILE, then click on END LOGFILE.
  5. Send the OF.log file back to your opponent as an email attachment.

C) PLAYER A - FINISH TURN:

  1. Open game in VASSAL
  2. Play through your move until opponent’s OF.log file ends.
  3. IMPORTANT-DO THIS NOW: click on FILE, click on BEGIN LOGFILE. Then either:
    3a) Continue moving per A3 above if you previously stopped during movement, OR
    3b) If you wish to change your move after opponent’s OF, start moving now.
  4. When finished, click on FILE, then on END LOGFILE. Your move is now saved.
  5. Send the .log file to your opponent as an email attachment.PeterB
14

Hello Porkbelly, I am certainly interested in a game, just PM me further details and we can work out the scenario and any other details.

Granted we do Panzer leader, since it is the only of the two games which I posses a hard copy of, though I could find the rules for panzer blitz online I am sure.

I look forward to facing you on the field of battle!

Thank you and Cheers!
-Max-

15

Hi Peter,
Yes, that’s very neat trick - a log within a log!
For another game I’d been mentally struggling with a way for handling detection and interceptions (for VG’s Gulf Strike) - and this would work perfectly. The more I use Vassal I realize what a great utility it really is.

I’d be very happy to run a PB game with you for fun. I agree PB is a bit more gamey and chess-like than PL - but the whole panzerbush thing never really bothered me much.
I did play this to death back when I were a lad, but that was three decades ago and it would be nice to get back into it. I’ll pick a good meeting engagement and get going.

Max,
Ok, you’re on for Panzer Leader too… I’ve skimmed the rules but don’t remember if I’ve ever played so need to learn somehow. I’m sure we’ll be up to challenging Pete in no time.

I’ll PM with email address shortly.

  • Mike Read-