In the first issue of the DC Conscripts newsletter, John Slotwinski published an article on learning ASL--a list of 15 tips (which can be found here). Reading the rulebook is an obvious tip, but he also says that we should "make the effort to read chapters A - D carefully at least once per year." I'm going to go one better (or three better) and read A-G.
Why? Well, I want to get better at The Game; furthermore I want at least passing familiarity with all the rules in ASL. Sure, I'm not out to master every miscellaneous rule, nor am I particularly enthused about playing desert scenarios, but I'd like to know what's out there. I'd like to know what the possibilities of the game are, so that even if I don't remember exactly how to Mop Up, I'll know that it's possible and look it up during a game.
I've read most of the rulebook before: last summer I had lots of free time and read all of A, all of C excepting the OBA rules, and most of D; I read about half of G, because I was playing lots of PTO, but I never read Caves or Beach Landings. From E I only read the weather rules; and B I read as the terrain came up iun scenarios (oh, this board has a valley and a gulley, I better read up on those).
I was thinking of waiting until January '11, and making it a great 2011 ASLRB year; but I figure why not start this month, while I'm thinking about it? Plus, I might want to have a go at the 2011 VASL tournament, so I better get started now. My plan is to read about 3 or 4 pages a week--I don't have the time to sit and study hardcore right now, considering the fact that I'm doing other, more important research. But this way I should have everything read by next October, and if I'm still obsessed with The Game then I can stick to A-D every year after this.
