Is V2 worthwhile?

[Fluffy]

Because I'm a student and because of exchange rates, buying a new rulebook is not something I can do on a whim or before I'm sure it is worhtwhile.

First up, how long before V3? I need a few years service before yet another book.
How big is the difference? Will getting the new book make the game more enjoyable or historically accurate or is it about the same?
Is there a cheaper alternative? Like a list of changes that I can get for cheaper or get by proving that I spent money on the old book?
Can I get a list of changes so I can try out the new rules (even a limited version) and decide if it is worthwhile?

[ravenflight]

Hi Fluffy,

What I'm going to do is wait until my friends have copies (which they will soon enough) and play a few games and make my decision.

For me it's:
1) similar to you - cost related (limited budget - don't mind spending the money but don't need another dead tree sitting on my bookshelf); and,
2) slightly jaded about V1 so need to overcome that before I buy.

I'd say if you can get some friends who have the rules then your V1 knowledge would help you quickly grasp V2 concepts and make the relevant shift quickly.

[Polkovnik]

If you are happy playing FOG1 and you are not playing in tournaments then I would say that it is not worthwhile. You may as well stick to FOG1 and save yourself the money.

[Polkovnik]

It would be easy to incorporate some or all of the V2 changes if you want to try them out before buying. A pretty comprehensive list of the changes is here :
http://www.fieldofglory.com/news/2

Under the section headed : [12 Jul 2012] More details on FoG V2.0

[Fluffy]

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for. I'll decide on V2 after a few V1 games with those changes.

[bahdahbum]

I think V2 speeds up the game . Well that is my feeling . The problem being at the beginning it's slows the game as "old hands" have to reread the rules to be sure they do not play a strange mixture V1 and V2 we need just time to adjust .

[ravenflight]

as "old hands" have to reread the rules to be sure they do not play a strange mixture V1 and V2 we need just time to adjust .

This is definitely going to happen.

A part of the reason I will NEVER (never say never) be a play tester again is because I play tested the DBM/DBMM/DBMMMMM/DBMM3.1.1.4 etc and found when the published set of rules came out I would do some weird things that were legal (I would have been stopped otherwise) but that would not produce the results I had hoped for, and so became a worse player for it.

With V2 now on the offering, I'm sure I'll do some weird things, or not count on an opponent doing something because they couldn't under V1, or would have to do it differently. Eventually the V1 bug will be beaten out of me as my rating gets lower and lower

[stecal]

I think V2 speeds up the game . Well that is my feeling . The problem being at the beginning it's slows the game as "old hands" have to reread the rules to be sure they do not play a strange mixture V1 and V2 we need just time to adjust .

oh definitely. -1 CT for each 25% lost & unable to rally from broken at 50% or more casualties no matter if you are sup/elite means units just GO AWAY. In my game today we had CT tests on -5 or -6 several times. I've never seem more than -4 in V1

[Polkovnik]

I've never seem more than -4 in V1

Really ? Fragged, 25% casualties, Hpb and losing by 2 gives -5. Happens lots of times - probably at least once per game.

[hazelbark]

First up, how long before V3? I need a few years service before yet another book.
How big is the difference? Will getting the new book make the game more enjoyable or historically accurate or is it about the same?

I would predict at least 5 years if ever before version 3.

The differences in some areas were technically small but significant impact on overall game feel.

I think more enjoyable, more historical, more balanced.

Enjoyable = The default that lots of LH was really an important decisions is less so. The dominance of pure LH is clearly reduced. That makes the relative mix of armies more even.

Historical = Well this depends a bit on your view of history. The barbarian hordes are a bit more of a threat. The free wheeling manuvering that is clearly ahistroical is curbed.

Balanced = This does remain to be seen if there were unintended consequences. But a new range of armies is clearly coming in.