MAS: Too Much Fun

Discuss the tactics and strategy of operating your own personal mercenary air squadron. Pilots, to your planes!
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Von_Recktoften
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MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by Von_Recktoften »

Hello to the forum.

MAS should come with a Surgeon General's Warning: This Game is Too Much Fun, and May Take Over Your Life.

I don't usually waste bandwidth simply to say 'I love this game!' but for this one, I just had to.

Mercenary Air Squadron, in the few weeks I've owned it, has me inspired and excited about gaming again in a way I haven't felt for many years. It may be true that I need to get a life, but in lieu of that, MAS will do nicely.

Kudos to the designers and developers for that rarest of things, a game that is immensely fun, full of atmosphere, and still easy to play without being totally lacking in realism or coming down to 'luck above player skill or tactical choices'.

Cheers
LF

P.S. in case anyone is wondering I am not affiliated with the designers, VBAM products, or anyone else involved in the design/promotion/selling of this game, and they didn't pay me for this post. It had to be said.
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MarkG88
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Re: MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by MarkG88 »

Glad you enjoy it so much! I had a blast playtesting and editing it, it is a very fun game system I agree :)
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mwaschak
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Re: MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by mwaschak »

Welcome to the forums. We had a lot of fun developing this one and it still sees a lot of play with the local gamers so it is nice to hear that you are enjoying it as well.

How is your squadron faring?

-Jay
Von_Recktoften
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Re: MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by Von_Recktoften »

Thanks for the welcome.

My first 'let's see how this game works' squadron was retired after about five missions; I realised I'd been making several errors (easily corrected by thoroughly reading the rules after the initial 'skim'), and also took a while to get a 'feel' for the game. At this point I decided to shelve these chaps and start over with a 'let's play it properly' squadron.

That lot did rather well; I got them through the first three campaigns in the rule-book with a LOT of luck and a touch of good management, but they were ultimately obliterated in campaign four. They have two pilots with no aeroplanes, a couple of ancient AAMs, and about $5 and twice that again if they sell everything left. Instead of desperately buying a Mig-17, I decided these types would simply merge with whatever other squadron(s) end up in similar circumstances, until they can afford something remotely decent.

A third squadron is generated but is waiting on their moody and fickle squadron leader to actually accept a contract and get them off the ground. This weekend, probably.

Cheers
LF
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MarkG88
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Re: MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by MarkG88 »

Happy Hunting! And I like how each squadron takes on its own personality based on skills and the aircraft they get, fun stuff :)
Von_Recktoften
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Re: MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by Von_Recktoften »

Yeah, it has flavour alright.

I'm very impressed with the basic stats and general 'KISS' theory behind the game. It's quite adaptable to air force play simply as a combat game, and has potential for easily tying in to a war-game/role-playing type hybrid thing, both of which are as appealing to me and some of my pals as the base game as written. I'm sure even when the novelty wears off it will have many applications for future gaming projects.

Cheers
LF
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mwaschak
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Re: MAS: Too Much Fun

Post by mwaschak »

Von_Recktoften wrote:Yeah, it has flavour alright.

I'm very impressed with the basic stats and general 'KISS' theory behind the game. It's quite adaptable to air force play simply as a combat game, and has potential for easily tying in to a war-game/role-playing type hybrid thing, both of which are as appealing to me and some of my pals as the base game as written. I'm sure even when the novelty wears off it will have many applications for future gaming projects.

Cheers
LF
Thanks! We still have plenty of fun with it here. We have talked about expansions for it too. The Worlds of MAS material turned it in to a very big economic game and a lot of the "future" warplanes got very drone heavy. All unfinished playtesting aside it becomes a much different experience than MAS or MAS WW:II that Charlie wrote.

-Jay
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