There will be plenty more GOSS videos to come, which will hopefully give you a closer look at the system. If the size of GOSS games is the prohibitive factor, you may want to check out the World at War issue (#80) with the Hannut intro GOSS game included. Hannut leaves out a lot of the GOSS rules and subsystems, so you don't get the full experience, but it is only 1 map in size, with a modest counter count and short scenarios. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned!
Thanks! Just calling it like I see it. I will say that my opinion of GOSS has evolved greatly from last summer, before I sat down to begin this series. I have not had the time I wanted to create more episodes in this series, but I am still planning on doing more (I hope to get at least one done in January). I want to discuss each major subsystem of GOSS in some detail. I also plan on having some content related to my upcoming Wacht Am Rhein game at Wintefest in February. It took several attempts over about 2 years (and the latest rule book from Lucky Forward) to finally crack GOSS. It was frustrating at first when I was grappling with the rules, but slowly the pieces began to fall into place. And as more and more pieces came together, the learning process accelerated. I am at the point now where I feel pretty comfortable with the rules, but I am just beginning to see a lot of the beautiful subtleties in the system and how they work together to give you an operational experience like no other system I've played. The next episode in the GOSS series will likely be on the supply and logistics systems, followed by the artillery, and then ground assaults. I doubt I'll be able to get all three of those completed before I head to Winterfest, so there will probably be some short WaR game updates sprinkled in among the next few regular GOSS episodes. At some point in the future, I may well do a playthrough of a GOSS campaign using the same format I've done for Last Blitzkrieg (BCS) and World in Flames. The playthrough would likely be of WaR, simply because it is the shortest (in terms of game turns) of the GOSS games published so far. And it might prove to be an interesting comparison to the LB playthrough. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned!
Thank you for the kind words! I have every intention of continuing with more GOSS content. There is a lot I have left to say about this series. Unfortunately, some real world issues have really reduced my opportunity for filming and creating videos. The good news is that these conditions are temporary, the bad news is that they might last another several months. I have about 6 projects I want to start/continue (and GOSS is one of those), but am being held up by the lack of filming opportunity. I'll continue to upload videos as I'm able, but it may be at a very slow pace until late summer.
@@thetabletopsedge That is great news. We have similar interests. Challenging board games and Baseball. I appreciate the response. Clear and safe skies!
@@thetabletopsedgeThanks from my side as well for those video’s and well done so far! It feels like you are the experienced player you mention that’s explaining to me (the newbie). Your video’s keep me motivated to dig on into the system. Wonderful you are still planning to do more of them. I will be patiently waiting for them. Will attempt the Hannut game first, but also enjoy the journey towards the big games. They are a leap forward for me coming from medium complexity games, but I like the subjects so far and with the Market Garden game coming…
Finished the video late last night. Great job! I'm not a GOSS expert and your explanation of exploit mode gave me a better insight into its possibilities. I've used it sparingly as a way to exploit on the offensive. Its use as defensive support/reinforcement had totally escaped me. Thanks for the videos! You are doing a great job covering the possibilities of this system!
Glad to hear the video was helpful! Were it not for my previous experience with "Reserve" mode in the Reaction Phase in OCS, I don't know that I would have thought about employing Exploit units in GOSS that way. "Exploit" is a term that makes you think offensively, so it's a tad misleading in GOSS. However, I can't think of a better term they could have used, and it does accurately reflect the use of the units in the Friendly Exploitation Phase. The detail in GOSS is something I'm really enjoying. As I mentioned in the video, I love how the system allows you to not just have generic "reserves", but to assign your units and formations more discrete roles. Local reserves (Combat Reserve) to assist in divisional attacks or defense, Tactical reserves (Exploit mode) to either shore up threatened sectors or widen a breach in the enemy lines, and Operational reserves (Maneuver Reserve mode) to fully exploit penetrations in the enemy lines. These options encourage the player to think more in terms of the historical commanders. Trying to juggle your resources to ensure you can maintain your front lines, while also optimizing your force to penetrate and overthrow your opponent's positions. Both Combat Reserve and Exploit mode encourage a defense in depth, where possible. Plenty more GOSS content to come. I am looking forward to discussing things like the Supply & Logistics systems, as well as the combat system. I think the combat system has a bit of a reputation for being too complex and clunky, so I'm hoping my episode on that will help dispel that myth. Thanks for watching!
I completely agree. Each new release has seen improvements. The 2020 GOSS series rule book is a big step forward over what has come before. I still have some issues with the order in which some information is presented (the first 20 pages are a nightmare for a brand new player...), but the rule book is highly functional. I can find whatever I'm looking for very quickly in most cases. The play aids that came with LF have a ton of great information on them. They are even organized in a semi-sequence of play order. While excellent, and a huge leap forward, they can still use some refinement. A better graphic design on the play aids would make them easier to read and keep organized (I photocopied my originals onto cardstock, and then numbered them all to help me keep them in order so I can find the one I need faster). It would appear that Douglas Johnson is making an effort to make GOSS the best system possible, and I appreciate that. I very much look forward to future releases. Speaking of which, it would appear that GOSS games currently in development include a Market-Garden game, a Sicily game, and something from the Western Desert. I would love to see how GOSS plays on the Eastern Front, too.
@@thetabletopsedge I would agree with pretty much all that, yeah I would love some east Front and the desert for sure, but I hear they talk about changing the scale for east front? Just talk on the groups, but I hope they dont, Id rather have them focus on a smaller area and keep the scale as much as possible, I love the scale. As for the rules I love having a pdf version, so i can search for rules, really helps me find stuff fast, I get to skimming to much unfortunately and miss stuff. :)
@@lbwstrategygaming I'm with you. I hope they don't change the scale! If they increase the scale, that's going to have a ton of rippling effects throughout the system. Not to mention the fact that we already have operational level games at a slightly bigger scale (OCS, Europa, EFS, etc.). What we DON'T have, is some good East Front operational games at the current GOSS scale. And I think there are a ton of fantastic topics that would fit this scale, especially since DG isn't bashful about publishing big games (just look at AW, for instance). They could do a "Drive on Stalingrad" game, covering July-November. There was A LOT of fighting west of Stalingrad in the Don bend during the summer, which could carry through right into the attritional city fight and wrapping up just prior to the big Soviet counteroffensive. At the other end of the front, they could easily do a game in the Leningrad sector which could include the Germans' last gasp effort to take the city in 1941, continuing right through the numerous Soviet relief attempts with the Volkhov Front. I'd love to also see a game on the Rzhev salient fighting in 1942 (both the initial Soviet winter offensive, and then the failed Operation Mars). These are just a handful of examples of topics I think would make great GOSS games at the current GOSS scale, and for which no good game at the GOSS scale exists. GB2 covers the Rzhev fighting, but at a higher level. I think a more detailed look at those battles would be quite interesting and challenging for both sides. Given how GOSS handles artillery, I think it could bring a unique perspective to the Red Army's way of war. A couple of special rules could really capture the flavor of Red Army artillery, and be an excellent addition to GOSS.
I'm loving this series... In truth I'm loving most of what you post here in youtube, as they are bigger games that I'm usually unable to play and I like to know how they work out. Thanks to your "Last Blitzkrieg" playthrough I ended up buying "Panzers Last Stand", and I'm hoping to play it asap. So maybe after this I'll end up getting some G.O.S.S. games. Just one thing, it seems that you have an infiltrated video in the playlist, you may want to take it out of there :p. Thanks for all the good times you provided and Happy New Year.
Very happy to hear you are enjoying the series! I think you will enjoy PLS. It's a late war situation where both sides have opportunities to attack, and the new activation rules add a nice wrinkle to BCS. Thanks for the heads up on the playlist. The stray video has been removed! Thanks again for watching, and stay tuned as there is a lot more content to come in 2023! Have a very Happy New Year!
Thanks again. I was waiting for this new video. You are keeping me interested into this system. So i decided to invest again on it and i was able to find a used copy of Hurtgen in UK (it's quite impossibile to find this game in Europe). while digesting the rules piece to piece also thanks to your videos, i look forward to the next one. See you in 2023 😉. Happy New Year.
Hurtgen is a nice entry to the GOSS system. It has only 2 maps, and there are only 7 pages of game specific rules to learn in addition to the GOSS series rules. Be sure to download the latest series rule book and the latest HHF game specific rule book from DG's website (they are free to download). The current series rule book is a big improvement over the one that comes in Hurtgen. Good luck with your GOSS adventure. Thanks for watching, and have a Happy New Year! Ciao!
@@joehaag4392I really like the airborne drop mechanics in Atlantic Wall. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the amphibious landing mechanics. They work fine for a small beach like Utah, but on the others (especially Omaha) they become pretty tedious really quickly. I can't help but think that there is a better way to get the same end results without all that work. The good news is, though, that once you're through the landing you don't have to go through it again the rest of the game. It's certainly not something that puts me off Atlantic Wall, but it is the part of the game I least look forward to. Hopefully, you don't let it discourage you from pressing on with your game.
The SoP is an even bigger challenge to get right in AW as there are quite a lot of continuing beach assault and airborne steps to slot in at various stages even after you have finished their discrete sub-systems at the start of the game. I am still playing AW solo and have not used CR or MR modes yet but I will now! I am a bit of a D-Day nut and when I started AW I assumed that after the landings were established I would probably take it down as by then all the rules would have been figured out and I would be ready to play it opposed. In fact I am unable to stop playing AW as it is just such an entrancing system - so many options and it all just has the right feel. Having said that, the Death Ride Normandy system is definitely calling!
I agree. Until the paradrops and amphibious invasions are cleaned up, there are a few extra steps in the SoP you have to be aware of. Usually, the amphibious invasion stuff is wrapped up by the end of 06JUN, but the paradrops can drag on for several days. I don't blame you for being able to stop playing AW. It's a beautiful game that really does the campaign justice. It was orginally the game of choice for my upcoming February GOSS game, but it's length (and player count) caused us to switch to WaR. However, I anticipate getting a game of AW underway next year, perhaps shortly after returning from the February game. AW is a candidate to be the next game that goes (back) on the big table, once I've wrapped up the current WiFCE/DoD III game. If AW does end up going back on the table next spring, you can be sure I'll have content for it on the channel. Thanks for watching!
Note that the Joint Fuel Value Determination Phase, just like the Joint Weather Phase, is conducted in each of the three daily game turns before the Allied player turn. You will potentially have different movement allowances for your units in each daily game turn.
It's funny you should ask. Just yesterday I was contemplating a video on this series to illustrate how combat works. Some real world issues have eliminated much of the time/opportunity I used to have for filming and editing videos. However, those appear to be winding down and I'm hoping I can get back to a more regular release schedule of videos for the channel. Thanks for watching, and know that there will be more videos in this series (I just can't promise exactly when)!
![Megan Thee Stallion - Mamushi (Remix) [feat. TWICE] [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5c0_u9PsrsQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I'll never be able to play a GOSS game, but it's fascinating to learn about it from such a good teacher. Thanks!
There will be plenty more GOSS videos to come, which will hopefully give you a closer look at the system. If the size of GOSS games is the prohibitive factor, you may want to check out the World at War issue (#80) with the Hannut intro GOSS game included. Hannut leaves out a lot of the GOSS rules and subsystems, so you don't get the full experience, but it is only 1 map in size, with a modest counter count and short scenarios. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned!
You articulated well the things that make GOSS unique and stand out from other games.
Thanks! Just calling it like I see it. I will say that my opinion of GOSS has evolved greatly from last summer, before I sat down to begin this series. I have not had the time I wanted to create more episodes in this series, but I am still planning on doing more (I hope to get at least one done in January). I want to discuss each major subsystem of GOSS in some detail. I also plan on having some content related to my upcoming Wacht Am Rhein game at Wintefest in February.
It took several attempts over about 2 years (and the latest rule book from Lucky Forward) to finally crack GOSS. It was frustrating at first when I was grappling with the rules, but slowly the pieces began to fall into place. And as more and more pieces came together, the learning process accelerated. I am at the point now where I feel pretty comfortable with the rules, but I am just beginning to see a lot of the beautiful subtleties in the system and how they work together to give you an operational experience like no other system I've played.
The next episode in the GOSS series will likely be on the supply and logistics systems, followed by the artillery, and then ground assaults. I doubt I'll be able to get all three of those completed before I head to Winterfest, so there will probably be some short WaR game updates sprinkled in among the next few regular GOSS episodes. At some point in the future, I may well do a playthrough of a GOSS campaign using the same format I've done for Last Blitzkrieg (BCS) and World in Flames. The playthrough would likely be of WaR, simply because it is the shortest (in terms of game turns) of the GOSS games published so far. And it might prove to be an interesting comparison to the LB playthrough.
Thanks for watching, and stay tuned!
These are great videos. Any chance they will continue?
Thank you for the kind words! I have every intention of continuing with more GOSS content. There is a lot I have left to say about this series. Unfortunately, some real world issues have really reduced my opportunity for filming and creating videos. The good news is that these conditions are temporary, the bad news is that they might last another several months. I have about 6 projects I want to start/continue (and GOSS is one of those), but am being held up by the lack of filming opportunity. I'll continue to upload videos as I'm able, but it may be at a very slow pace until late summer.
@@thetabletopsedge That is great news. We have similar interests. Challenging board games and Baseball. I appreciate the response. Clear and safe skies!
@@thetabletopsedgeThanks from my side as well for those video’s and well done so far! It feels like you are the experienced player you mention that’s explaining to me (the newbie). Your video’s keep me motivated to dig on into the system. Wonderful you are still planning to do more of them. I will be patiently waiting for them. Will attempt the Hannut game first, but also enjoy the journey towards the big games. They are a leap forward for me coming from medium complexity games, but I like the subjects so far and with the Market Garden game coming…
Always excited for more GOSS content.
Finished the video late last night. Great job! I'm not a GOSS expert and your explanation of exploit mode gave me a better insight into its possibilities. I've used it sparingly as a way to exploit on the offensive. Its use as defensive support/reinforcement had totally escaped me. Thanks for the videos! You are doing a great job covering the possibilities of this system!
Glad to hear the video was helpful! Were it not for my previous experience with "Reserve" mode in the Reaction Phase in OCS, I don't know that I would have thought about employing Exploit units in GOSS that way. "Exploit" is a term that makes you think offensively, so it's a tad misleading in GOSS. However, I can't think of a better term they could have used, and it does accurately reflect the use of the units in the Friendly Exploitation Phase.
The detail in GOSS is something I'm really enjoying. As I mentioned in the video, I love how the system allows you to not just have generic "reserves", but to assign your units and formations more discrete roles. Local reserves (Combat Reserve) to assist in divisional attacks or defense, Tactical reserves (Exploit mode) to either shore up threatened sectors or widen a breach in the enemy lines, and Operational reserves (Maneuver Reserve mode) to fully exploit penetrations in the enemy lines. These options encourage the player to think more in terms of the historical commanders. Trying to juggle your resources to ensure you can maintain your front lines, while also optimizing your force to penetrate and overthrow your opponent's positions. Both Combat Reserve and Exploit mode encourage a defense in depth, where possible.
Plenty more GOSS content to come. I am looking forward to discussing things like the Supply & Logistics systems, as well as the combat system. I think the combat system has a bit of a reputation for being too complex and clunky, so I'm hoping my episode on that will help dispel that myth. Thanks for watching!
GOSS got a bad rap due to the early rulebooks but they are pretty good now and the new player aids rock.
I completely agree. Each new release has seen improvements. The 2020 GOSS series rule book is a big step forward over what has come before. I still have some issues with the order in which some information is presented (the first 20 pages are a nightmare for a brand new player...), but the rule book is highly functional. I can find whatever I'm looking for very quickly in most cases. The play aids that came with LF have a ton of great information on them. They are even organized in a semi-sequence of play order. While excellent, and a huge leap forward, they can still use some refinement. A better graphic design on the play aids would make them easier to read and keep organized (I photocopied my originals onto cardstock, and then numbered them all to help me keep them in order so I can find the one I need faster).
It would appear that Douglas Johnson is making an effort to make GOSS the best system possible, and I appreciate that. I very much look forward to future releases. Speaking of which, it would appear that GOSS games currently in development include a Market-Garden game, a Sicily game, and something from the Western Desert. I would love to see how GOSS plays on the Eastern Front, too.
@@thetabletopsedge I would agree with pretty much all that, yeah I would love some east Front and the desert for sure, but I hear they talk about changing the scale for east front? Just talk on the groups, but I hope they dont, Id rather have them focus on a smaller area and keep the scale as much as possible, I love the scale. As for the rules I love having a pdf version, so i can search for rules, really helps me find stuff fast, I get to skimming to much unfortunately and miss stuff. :)
@@lbwstrategygaming I'm with you. I hope they don't change the scale! If they increase the scale, that's going to have a ton of rippling effects throughout the system. Not to mention the fact that we already have operational level games at a slightly bigger scale (OCS, Europa, EFS, etc.). What we DON'T have, is some good East Front operational games at the current GOSS scale. And I think there are a ton of fantastic topics that would fit this scale, especially since DG isn't bashful about publishing big games (just look at AW, for instance).
They could do a "Drive on Stalingrad" game, covering July-November. There was A LOT of fighting west of Stalingrad in the Don bend during the summer, which could carry through right into the attritional city fight and wrapping up just prior to the big Soviet counteroffensive. At the other end of the front, they could easily do a game in the Leningrad sector which could include the Germans' last gasp effort to take the city in 1941, continuing right through the numerous Soviet relief attempts with the Volkhov Front. I'd love to also see a game on the Rzhev salient fighting in 1942 (both the initial Soviet winter offensive, and then the failed Operation Mars). These are just a handful of examples of topics I think would make great GOSS games at the current GOSS scale, and for which no good game at the GOSS scale exists. GB2 covers the Rzhev fighting, but at a higher level. I think a more detailed look at those battles would be quite interesting and challenging for both sides.
Given how GOSS handles artillery, I think it could bring a unique perspective to the Red Army's way of war. A couple of special rules could really capture the flavor of Red Army artillery, and be an excellent addition to GOSS.
@@thetabletopsedge Totally agree with all of that, here is to hoping they leave the scale where it is at.
I'm loving this series... In truth I'm loving most of what you post here in youtube, as they are bigger games that I'm usually unable to play and I like to know how they work out. Thanks to your "Last Blitzkrieg" playthrough I ended up buying "Panzers Last Stand", and I'm hoping to play it asap. So maybe after this I'll end up getting some G.O.S.S. games.
Just one thing, it seems that you have an infiltrated video in the playlist, you may want to take it out of there :p.
Thanks for all the good times you provided and Happy New Year.
Very happy to hear you are enjoying the series! I think you will enjoy PLS. It's a late war situation where both sides have opportunities to attack, and the new activation rules add a nice wrinkle to BCS.
Thanks for the heads up on the playlist. The stray video has been removed!
Thanks again for watching, and stay tuned as there is a lot more content to come in 2023! Have a very Happy New Year!
Thanks again. I was waiting for this new video. You are keeping me interested into this system. So i decided to invest again on it and i was able to find a used copy of Hurtgen in UK (it's quite impossibile to find this game in Europe). while digesting the rules piece to piece also thanks to your videos, i look forward to the next one. See you in 2023 😉. Happy New Year.
Hurtgen is a nice entry to the GOSS system. It has only 2 maps, and there are only 7 pages of game specific rules to learn in addition to the GOSS series rules. Be sure to download the latest series rule book and the latest HHF game specific rule book from DG's website (they are free to download). The current series rule book is a big improvement over the one that comes in Hurtgen.
Good luck with your GOSS adventure. Thanks for watching, and have a Happy New Year! Ciao!
sweet!! Love the videos as always
Would love for you to get back to this series and do several videos on the combat, logistic etc mechanics!
That's the intention. I hope to be able to get some more GOSS content on the channel this year.
Thanks for the reply. That is great news. Your Last Blitzkrieg videos really accelerated my learning of BCS. Keep up the great work!
Just getting into it myself with Atlantic wall. Some gameplay and explanation would be awesome! Love the videos so far very helpful
@@joehaag4392I really like the airborne drop mechanics in Atlantic Wall. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the amphibious landing mechanics. They work fine for a small beach like Utah, but on the others (especially Omaha) they become pretty tedious really quickly. I can't help but think that there is a better way to get the same end results without all that work. The good news is, though, that once you're through the landing you don't have to go through it again the rest of the game. It's certainly not something that puts me off Atlantic Wall, but it is the part of the game I least look forward to. Hopefully, you don't let it discourage you from pressing on with your game.
The SoP is an even bigger challenge to get right in AW as there are quite a lot of continuing beach assault and airborne steps to slot in at various stages even after you have finished their discrete sub-systems at the start of the game. I am still playing AW solo and have not used CR or MR modes yet but I will now! I am a bit of a D-Day nut and when I started AW I assumed that after the landings were established I would probably take it down as by then all the rules would have been figured out and I would be ready to play it opposed. In fact I am unable to stop playing AW as it is just such an entrancing system - so many options and it all just has the right feel. Having said that, the Death Ride Normandy system is definitely calling!
I agree. Until the paradrops and amphibious invasions are cleaned up, there are a few extra steps in the SoP you have to be aware of. Usually, the amphibious invasion stuff is wrapped up by the end of 06JUN, but the paradrops can drag on for several days.
I don't blame you for being able to stop playing AW. It's a beautiful game that really does the campaign justice. It was orginally the game of choice for my upcoming February GOSS game, but it's length (and player count) caused us to switch to WaR. However, I anticipate getting a game of AW underway next year, perhaps shortly after returning from the February game. AW is a candidate to be the next game that goes (back) on the big table, once I've wrapped up the current WiFCE/DoD III game. If AW does end up going back on the table next spring, you can be sure I'll have content for it on the channel. Thanks for watching!
Note that the Joint Fuel Value Determination Phase, just like the Joint Weather Phase, is conducted in each of the three daily game turns before the Allied player turn. You will potentially have different movement allowances for your units in each daily game turn.
Yes! Good point. I forgot to mention that.
Curious why you stopped this excellent series? But thanks for the great videos!
It's funny you should ask. Just yesterday I was contemplating a video on this series to illustrate how combat works. Some real world issues have eliminated much of the time/opportunity I used to have for filming and editing videos. However, those appear to be winding down and I'm hoping I can get back to a more regular release schedule of videos for the channel. Thanks for watching, and know that there will be more videos in this series (I just can't promise exactly when)!
@@thetabletopsedge Sounds great. Funny how the pesky (real world) issues get in the way of what's really important! Thanks.
Interesting
4:44 maybe BCS should just make a similar game covering June 6 - August 😊
Is there any chance for a new video from World in Flames before a new year? :D
ok so now I got to go play some GOSS LOL