Andean Abyss PBEM

I posted this on FB so I'll post here as well.

I'm looking for an Andean Abyss game PBEM VASSAL. I can process a log a day usually but not live, as I am GMT +3 and don't have the block time available. I can share a folder in Dropbox if I can get another three of you together. If we use Dropbox it should be easy enough to monitor and enter the next log file. I've played several solo and one or two ftf but I wouldn't call myself experienced.

I was thinking of sharing a Google doc where we can post messages to each other that others in the game could see. Public negotiations for this game I think. It would also allow someone to give due notice of dropping out of the game, so the rest of us can decide whether to replace with a bot or search for another player.

I think a certain amount of 'trash talk' from the Communists/Fascists/Government/Drug Cartels will all go to making it a worthwhile experience. Bit of role playing never does anyone any harm...

Sign up below. You'll need VASSAL 3.2.15 and AA Module 2.4 and Dropbox

I have a copy of the game and would like to play. I haven't had a chance to play Andean Abyss yet so if you want three players with more experience I would be happy to yield my spot.

Sounds good (fuck me, that was quick!). Don't worry we will take it slow.

PM me your email for the invite to Google Docs and Dropbox.

One space left.

Anyone up for it???

I'll give it a try.

I've got all the tech pre-reqs, but I haven't played before.

Check your email. Accept the invite to Google docs and accept the Dropbox invite.

Read the Google doc.

We're off, El Presidente's first move is in the history books.

I sure hope this isn't the sort of game I can lose really early on, because I'm not sure I'm fit to lead even a banana republic at the moment.

I think I'll pick up the flow in a bit, but strategy may elude me for a while. Government seems like it's got a big hammer, but it takes at least one turn to set anything up to be squashed. By then, the wily insurgents may have moved around...

Reporting on the on going struggle in Columbia:

With elections just around the corner it is quite difficult to find out what the people want.

An early attempt to expand the Cartel's empire initiated wholesale spraying, with Agent Orange, of the eastern forests by the Government. The Cartels responded by making business links with the Mexican dealers to consolidate their cash flow, a long term arrangement which will see more money in the Cartels pockets over time.

Into the power vacuum came FARC, slowly building support within the traditionally conservative mountain regions. This initiated military action by the Government, determined to neutralise the Communist threat. Hard on the heels of this deployment of troops came the death squads of the fascist AUC who proceeded to eradicate the threat posed by the Communists using all available means, including bombings and public executions.

Who knows what the election will bring as the Government rapidly runs out of funds to continue the fight and illegal groups fight for control.

I chew coca leaves and brew Columbian coffee while following this thread.

Second Propaganda round came very fast, disrupting FARC's power grab in the southern mountains. The Government troops anticipated this, and airlifted a group into the jungle to attack and destroy undermanned FARC bases.

On the heels of a new election, the Government restored order to a large swath of the central grasslands, boosting Support in former FARC territory. A followup airstrike in Ecuadorian territory removed a coca field, but this was later deemed a diplomatic gaffe. Should have quietly sprayed defoliant instead, it would have been more effective and garnered US dollars to boot.

AUC consolidated their forces, and are now on the brink of victory, but the Cartels have so much money they need their own banking system. FARC also has an enormous army in the Huila-Tolima mountains, and the Cartels are likely to stir up some trouble in Cali.

Still anyone's game. AUC are on a win condition, but that may not last.

I'm finally picking it up, and now have some understanding of how to score points with the Government. Probably too late, and I should have put more police on the board in the early rounds.

I've been following this thread because I'm interested in the COIN system. I'd like to try one soon. It almost sounds like you have to learn how to earn victory points for each of the four factions in every game because they all play differently and have different synergies with each other. Here's my question: does the rule book cover how to play each of the factions or must you learn by doing and do learner games until you figure out the strategies that lead to victory?

Rulebook is very well written. Playbook is even better giving a walkthrough and a discussion of tactics for all four factions.

You need to know win conditions for all four factions so that you know when someone is close to winning.

It has been a very frustrating but fun first game for me, learning the game and Vassal at the same time and trying to maintain a blistering pace by PBEM standards. I can't see how FARC (with two direct competitors) and the Government (more resources but fighting all three other players) can ever manage to win.

I know I have made some mistakes. Some of the event cards were just too tempting to pass up but I probably should have. And I should have written off some bases and saved some guerillas at one point. But I am enjoying it and look forward to playing more after this one wraps.

The win conditions are easy to see,I just had trouble understanding how to get there as the government.

Gov in this game is rich but slow. You have to set things up a couple of moves in advance, and if the action order doesn't come up for you then your plan may come to nothing. However, when you actually drop an Assault action on someone that you flushed out with a Sweep, they just go away, with no pesky dice rolling. Burn their puny bases to the ground!

Scoring points for the Government is primarily a function of getting troops out in the sticks to gain control, then moving police out there to hold on. After that, the troops and police can work together to secure the areas and gain Support. I didn't Train enough police in the first few actions, and it's hurting my options now. I feel like I've been stuck with crap options in the turn order a lot, but I don't have enough experience to tell if it's actual bad luck or just normal play.

It really does take like four successive actions from the Government to actually score any points, though.

(and yeah, this game is flying... everyone's on top of it.)

The other thing I like is that if you are running one of the non-Government factions and you aren't sure what do on your turn whip out the NPC flowchart and see what it recommends.