I just looked at the two revised gameboxes that Maaax (Massimo Finocchiaro) posted on ZunTzu this month: War at Sea Plus and Sinai Plus. They are excellent! Massimo you did a fantastic job!
Any gamebox that includes the rules--a Plus box--makes it worth a look. A gamebox that includes scenarios with the pieces already in place makes it a "player's gamebox." And a gamebox that goes the extra step of including new counters, artwork, and revised rules is a gamebox that has been made by a person who cares about the game, has played it himself, and presents it in such a way that it can be played easily in ZunTzu. That's what Massimo has given us here.
War at Sea Plus is unique in its treatment of how the rules are displayed: they are included as tabs within each scenario. They are not a separate scenario that can only be accessed by closing out a game in play. This design allows a player to look up his rules question just by clicking on a "Rules" tab, read his answer, and then get back to his game by clicking on the "Map" tab. It's a perfect system for games with a reasonable number of rules pages.
Massimo, I'm jealous. Why didn't I think of this? Kudos to you my friend.
This is really ZunTzu at its best. It's not just "a scan of map and counters and done." No, this is how a designer shows his respect for the game, for ZunTzu, and for the players who will download his gamebox. This is a game that can be played and that makes use of ZunTzu's features to make play easy.
War at Sea Plus is one of the best made gameboxes on ZunTzu's list.
Thank you Massimo.
Frank
Superb revised boxes by Maaax
Moderators: Ichibrothers, Cambronne
Re: Superb revised boxes by Maaax
I want to thank Frank for his kind and enthusiastic review. However, I must give credit to the ZunTzu platform, which I believe is a real stroke of genius. It's smooth, easy to use, immediate, and "tactile" - in one word, perfect for the intended purpose. It allows me to showcase everything I've been trying to show, and I feel like I still have more possibilities to explore. I believe that the platform just needs more support and recognition.
Massimo
Massimo
Re: Superb revised boxes by Maaax
Must agree -These are superb ZTBs!
But I do have a small critique: For new people, why not explain the use of 'terrain' and 'trowel' within the box?
But I do have a small critique: For new people, why not explain the use of 'terrain' and 'trowel' within the box?
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Chobham_1980A
- Posts: 89
- Joined: 04 Dec 2022, 16:22
Re: Superb revised boxes by Maaax
Maaax is at it AGAIN 
He has pushed ZT design to new heights!
See Maaax's ZTB entitled "Napoleon's Battles et. al. PLUS+" An excellent example on how to handle miniature-type games within ZT design! Download and see how he has solved many issues associated with these kinds of games, so we can "play and save" our wargaming heritage . . .
See https://zuntzu.com/files.htm
Regards, ZT Team
He has pushed ZT design to new heights!See Maaax's ZTB entitled "Napoleon's Battles et. al. PLUS+" An excellent example on how to handle miniature-type games within ZT design! Download and see how he has solved many issues associated with these kinds of games, so we can "play and save" our wargaming heritage . . .
See https://zuntzu.com/files.htm
Regards, ZT Team
Last edited by Chobham_1980A on 14 Jan 2024, 16:28, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Superb revised boxes by Maaax
Thanks for your appreciation, Rich.
I've been thinking about a rather particular ZT module for some time. Of course I know very well that the pleasure of seeing the little painted soldiers lined up on the battlefield is the fundamental reason that drives players to dedicate themselves to miniature wargaming. However, it is also true that, from a practical point of view, just setting up a game requires a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of space, and the players must necessarily be physically present in the same place. Definitely, something that is not for everyone.
For my experiment I therefore took Napoleon's Battles, which although 35 years old, has had a wide diffusion (including on my games shelf) and as far as I know is still "alive" and is continuously updated. This rulebook has received criticism, because it uses at brigade level the maneuvers (in line, in column...) that belonged to the battalion level. But it works, it's simple without being simplistic, and it allows you to reproduce all or almost all of the great battles of the Napoleonic era in a reasonable amount of time and all with the same rules.
The result I obtained with the conversion is naturally a compromise, it has some small limitations. But it seems to me that it gives the idea (approximate, okay) of what a miniature wargame is. I think ZunTzu served its purpose well: maybe I would have liked filling out a form within a ZTB to be easier.
Massimo
I've been thinking about a rather particular ZT module for some time. Of course I know very well that the pleasure of seeing the little painted soldiers lined up on the battlefield is the fundamental reason that drives players to dedicate themselves to miniature wargaming. However, it is also true that, from a practical point of view, just setting up a game requires a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of space, and the players must necessarily be physically present in the same place. Definitely, something that is not for everyone.
For my experiment I therefore took Napoleon's Battles, which although 35 years old, has had a wide diffusion (including on my games shelf) and as far as I know is still "alive" and is continuously updated. This rulebook has received criticism, because it uses at brigade level the maneuvers (in line, in column...) that belonged to the battalion level. But it works, it's simple without being simplistic, and it allows you to reproduce all or almost all of the great battles of the Napoleonic era in a reasonable amount of time and all with the same rules.
The result I obtained with the conversion is naturally a compromise, it has some small limitations. But it seems to me that it gives the idea (approximate, okay) of what a miniature wargame is. I think ZunTzu served its purpose well: maybe I would have liked filling out a form within a ZTB to be easier.
Massimo