VBS2 Lite US Army: Distribution to Civilians is Legal According to One Source

There is quite a brouhaha regarding VBS2 Lite US Army. After the initial news about this simulation being available to civilians, some fans have indicated that the EULA contains very explicit language stating the contrary.

Bob Dalton, BCKS facilitator for the Official MilGaming Community of Practice (a joint partnership of BCKS, TCM Gaming and PEO STRI) explains in this thread at Military.com:

Regarding the VBS2 US Army Lite EULA: There was a question about the EULA and the fact that eveyone was told that there are no distribution restrictions and anyone can have a copy.

A question was posted about the conflict between the statement and the EULA at the official and restricted BCKS MilGaming Community of Practice on 9 Mar 2010.

Here is the unclassified reply that was posted the same day to that question by the Army Program Manager for VBS2 Lite at PEO STRI:

"Greetings from the VBS2 Program Manager (PM): We are in the process of changing the verbiage on the license agreement to reflect the actual ULA for VBS2 Lite. The new license agreement enables the Government to provide VBS2 Lite to anyone. VBS2 Lite is limited in that there is no SDK, it has no real time editor or AAR capability and players are limited to 12 or fewer linked in a game. We will post the new ULA as soon as we receive it from the vendor. For now we have multiple verbal and email confirmations of the agreement from the developer."

Need confirmation? This can be verified by anyone who is a member of the U.S. Army or the DA civilian workforce at the U.S. Army MilGaming Community of Practice at:

https://milgaming.bcks.army.mil

Cheers,

TacNuggets #2: My (AT) Gun is Bigger than Yours

It was about time for a second tactical snack!
(or for a new post, for that matter. I've been quite busy with other unhealthy distractions, like my day job)

Today, the sad story of how my borzois got trapped in a badly deployed defense line.

The game: Achtung Panzer Kharkov 1943
Topic: The use of AT guns in the defense.

Please click "read more" to see the full entry. Plenty of screen shots inside.

Tank-Infantry Teams in ARMA 2: Crossing Intersections (Part 2)

I sprint across the street onto the far side of the "left corner". As soon as I take a look on our left flank, an ATGM launcher pops into sight ...

Tank-Infantry Teams in ARMA 2: Crossing Intersections (Part 1)

After my shameful death at the gates of Chernogorsk, it's back to basics. This time, I'm in command of a  USMC tank-infanry team (1 M1A1 tank, 1 rifle fireteam) attempting to cross one of these kill zones that urban planners like to call intersections. :)

VBS2 Lite-US Army?

VBS2 is Bohemia Interactive's infantry combat simulation now used by the ADF, the British Army, the US Army and the USMC. A short while ago, the UK MoD released VBS2 JCOVE-Lite, a limited version of the real-deal VBS2 the British forces use for training.

In this board message at Strategypage, there is announcement that a VBS2-Lite (US Army version) will soon be made available to soldiers and DoD civilians.

The final paragraph of this gentleman's message has me hoping that eventually VBS2-Lite US Army will be available for anybody (bold is mine):

BTW the U.S. Army will soon be releasing VBS2 Lite, as the British Army has already for their own version called JCOVES, and this software will be available free for download to anyone who wants a copy. If the current schedule holds this will be in March 2010.

Cheers,

UPDATE: If you scroll down in the board message at Strategypage (links provided above), you will see that definitively this is going to be available to civilians. Quoted from that message:

The U.S. Army will be releasing VBS2 Lite very soon. Anyone, including civilians will be able to have a copy of it. At present there is no provision for this to be available on civilian accessible online sites but I am working on that. Perhaps at StrategyPage.com? Just keepm in mind its a 3-1/2GB downloadable file...

Rise of Prussia Released

The new war game from AGEOD/Paradox is out, fellows.
Reviewing this game right now (and thus the lack of posts since Friday), stay tuned.

Cheers,

HistWar Les Grognards got patched

Every time I sit down to play HistWar Les Grognards I find something I didn't know.

There is a new patch out. See announcement and link here.

There is a fantastic video in YouTube about the multiple choices you have while in command of a corps. This war game has more features than you can shake a stick at!



I continue with my lame attempts to wrap my head around Napoleonic warfare. A couple of days ago I had a rude awakening about the use of cavalry.

Cuirassiers, great for shock action in a reserve role but too cocky to screen your main body. Later in the battle, they charged on the enemy almost at fist sight.

More Cuirassiers at work on my right flank. 

Cheers,

Rise of Prussia Demo Available

Rise of Prussia is the latest game from AGEOD, poised for release next Tuesday, March 9.

A demo is available now. See a complete list of download links here.

Cheers,

Achtung Battlefront!

Elsewhere I am reading comments from very smart people saying that Achtung Panzer Kharkov 1943 (APK43, by Graviteam) is a breakthrough war game. Although I reckon APK43 as the best 3-D tactical war game experience I had since Combat Mission Beyond Overlord/Barbarossa to Berlin/Afrika Korps (by Battlefront), in my agenda APK43 scored just two inches short of becoming a classic. One inch for the lack of multiplayer. Another inch for the lack of a map editor. But Graviteam fired this shot from a mile away, so let's keep things in perspective.

Graviteam came out of nowhere and kicked down the chits and board of a game that Battlefront has been playing solo since the year 2000. And did so in such a humble, un-assuming and polished way that will double the shock to Battlefront. Pay attention to the words "will" (is Battlefront aware of the new competition? Will Battlefront admit it publicly?), "humble"/"un-assuming" (compare to Battlefront's relationship with their old guard fans) and "polished" (do you remember the sorry state and horrible review scores Combat Mission Shock Force got upon release?).

And speaking of the old guard Combat Mission fans, I'm sure they will tear APK43 into pieces. And I'm not saying this with a negative connotation. Their analytical talents and knowledge have no apparent limits.  Also, keep in mind that even after all this years, they continue to do so with the very Combat Mission itself! Sometimes these fellows are like an old elementary school nurse I had back in Argentina: she would shake you like hell to make you spit that marble choking you. I take it like though love. Unfortunately, Battlefront takes it like sexual abuse.  

Competition propels progress. So here is hope that Graviteam's success will continue to release  more tactical goodies. And that Battlefront will reckon there is serious competition out there, and do what needs to be done with their upcoming Normandy war game. Because this time around, a Combat Mission Shock Force painted with WWII lacquer may not be enough.

Cheers,

Rise of Prussia Screenshots

All screenshots below are from Paradox Interactive, used here with their permission.
Click on each image for an expanded view.