tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7549299029929820831..comments2024-03-19T05:48:34.142-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: Behind Enemy LinesJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-56967391098847650952023-01-23T06:13:09.849-05:002023-01-23T06:13:09.849-05:00I got my copy for about .75, yeah three quarters, ...I got my copy for about .75, yeah three quarters, at a goodwill in Texas back when I was a senior in High School. It was missing counters and I think, refernce sheets or something...but I didn't care, it was the perfect game for a teen in love with armymen...did I play it? Once or twice...I remember using a comicbook..GI combat or Sgt. Rock, for the "story" and making most of it up on the fly with a pal who stayed overnight at my house...and armymen for miniatures. About the same time I discovered Battletech, and BEL got shoved on a shelf and forgotten...Brianne, You may call me Mistressynesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00855760861411516801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83915508527844786932012-06-19T18:53:39.480-04:002012-06-19T18:53:39.480-04:00I just found a copy of this game in my garage, and...I just found a copy of this game in my garage, and want to sell it... anyone interested...??<br /><br />DRosner (at) aol (dot) comDavid Rosnerhttp://www.facebook.com/david.rosnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27725199066451235012010-09-25T10:54:35.168-04:002010-09-25T10:54:35.168-04:00T2000 was a far better "militarized" RPG...T2000 was a far better "militarized" RPG than BEH. Had MANY Hours entertainment with that than this old gem.<br /><br />I also think that GURPS handling of WW2 with their line of books was far more flexable. Lots of background (even this aging WW2 'historian' found some nuggets I've never seen before....), the *normal* GURPS flexibility, and melding with other GURPS books make this system a better representation/"what IF" adjustment of the gerne. We tinkered with an Abwehr Kommando team landing on US soil, seeking to steal/destroy some new Top Secret technology. Oddly, it was in the region where we lived, and it was a great game...<br /><br />But, it was a good effort for what it portrayed - but didn't get the support which would have made it a better product.Sheep_doghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08446661779176619720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59560103478108787632010-09-24T21:32:09.914-04:002010-09-24T21:32:09.914-04:00Not at all. In fact, many of the game's missio...<i>Not at all. In fact, many of the game's missions would probably go more smoothly for the PCs if they don't kill anyone. </i><br />And my joke gets quietly ignored. Bah.Rachel Ghoulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04765944479141792643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-36663624006071758642010-09-22T23:41:09.268-04:002010-09-22T23:41:09.268-04:00"Most older RPGs were pretty broad in their f..."Most older RPGs were pretty broad in their focus. Even D&D, which is famously derided as being solely about dungeon crawling, was never just about dungeons and included rules from the start for wilderness and naval adventures, as well as building fortresses and ruling domains. Traveller too is similarly open-ended.<br /><br />"For my money, a "World War II RPG" needn't limit itself to a single type of military mission as its focus. I think the game could have covered a lot more ground in the initial boxed set than it did, even if it stayed focused solely on military matters. It'd have been nice to have included the possibility of playing spies or partisans, for example, both of which are important parts of the "mythology" of the Second World War."<br /><br />Ah, those are good points. Thank you.edowar39https://www.blogger.com/profile/10912208499660509384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83045010681659724202010-09-22T23:12:37.027-04:002010-09-22T23:12:37.027-04:00I also played this back in the day (and still have...I also played this back in the day (and still have it today). The laser-tight focus was the real advantage to my group back then; we wanted combat and nothing else. This may also have been because many of us were wargamers first and RPG players second (our RPG of choice being Traveller). Being WWII the whole "morality" issue was also side-stepped - we were the good guys and the NPCs were the bad guys. Some of our games were simple (seize the crossroads) or more complex (blow up the guns before the invasion comes ashore).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-4089289196381218512010-09-22T22:30:32.331-04:002010-09-22T22:30:32.331-04:00I played the hell out of this back in the 80s. We...I played the hell out of this back in the 80s. We never ran single PCs; it was always multiple characters to flesh out a squad and because of the high lethality.<br /><br />I liked the maps that came with it, too. And some of those adventures are classics. Even the shorter "incidents" like the Pillbox on Hill 409, or Deadly Crossfire.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90871884836555124832010-09-22T18:15:13.215-04:002010-09-22T18:15:13.215-04:00And yet, if it came out today, it would probably b...<i>And yet, if it came out today, it would probably be one of those clever indie-type games, most of which seem to have a similar focus. It's interesting how things change.</i><br /><br>Yep -- and that speaks to one of my biggest criticisms of most indie game designs: they're too narrow in their focus for my tastes. I like my games expansive.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50124427629380633752010-09-22T18:14:28.310-04:002010-09-22T18:14:28.310-04:00I'm not quite sure what this means. If you'...<i>I'm not quite sure what this means. If you're playing a WWII RPG of any type, shouldn't there be a heavy focus on combat? Especially commando style 'Dirty Dozen' or 'Guns of Navarone' style missions as, it seems to me, those would work better in an RPG than a standard battlefield type scenario like 'take that hill.' Just curious, what other type of role-playing would you expect in such a game? Thanks.</i><br /><br>Most older RPGs were pretty broad in their focus. Even <i>D&D</i>, which is famously derided as being solely about dungeon crawling, was never just about dungeons and included rules from the start for wilderness and naval adventures, as well as building fortresses and ruling domains. <i>Traveller</i> too is similarly open-ended. <br /><br />For my money, a "World War II RPG" needn't limit itself to a single type of military mission as its focus. I think the game could have covered a lot more ground in the initial boxed set than it did, even if it stayed focused solely on military matters. It'd have been nice to have included the possibility of playing spies or partisans, for example, both of which are important parts of the "mythology" of the Second World War.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85079093963501725082010-09-22T14:21:09.924-04:002010-09-22T14:21:09.924-04:00Spot on, Kelvin! Spot on.Spot on, Kelvin! Spot on.AndreasDavourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17170806742393291962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-5971763545943012822010-09-22T13:33:04.021-04:002010-09-22T13:33:04.021-04:00If Behind Enemy Lines has a serious flaw, it's...<i>If Behind Enemy Lines has a serious flaw, it's, as I said, its laser-focus on its subject matter.</i><br /><br />And yet, if it came out today, it would probably be one of those clever indie-type games, most of which seem to have a similar focus. It's interesting how things change.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-58978564611982505522010-09-22T13:29:42.708-04:002010-09-22T13:29:42.708-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1577941962526500322010-09-22T13:21:07.425-04:002010-09-22T13:21:07.425-04:00"If Behind Enemy Lines has a serious flaw, it..."If Behind Enemy Lines has a serious flaw, it's, as I said, its laser-focus on its subject matter. This is not a game about roleplaying during World War II, despite its subtitle. It is a game primarily about playing out a very precise sub-set of military missions during the Second World War."<br /><br />I'm not quite sure what this means. If you're playing a WWII RPG of any type, shouldn't there be a heavy focus on combat? Especially commando style 'Dirty Dozen' or 'Guns of Navarone' style missions as, it seems to me, those would work better in an RPG than a standard battlefield type scenario like 'take that hill.' Just curious, what other type of role-playing would you expect in such a game? Thanks.edowar39https://www.blogger.com/profile/10912208499660509384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69066889153634612492010-09-22T12:20:12.334-04:002010-09-22T12:20:12.334-04:00I did buy a copy of this when it appeared, and we ...I did buy a copy of this when it appeared, and we played the Guns of Navarone adventure. It's an interesting set of rules; there's some clunkiness, and it's obvious that Traveller was an influence, but it offers some clever solutions to the unique problems of its genre. Guns of Navarone was perhaps a poor choice for an adventure because so many players are familiar with the movie, which means they KNOW that one of their allies is going to be a traitor. Still, we had a good time for the few sessions we spent with it, and we got to play with toy soldiers.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11677895164302972957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32686140649547264422010-09-22T11:29:01.718-04:002010-09-22T11:29:01.718-04:00I picked up the pdf of this a couple years ago. It...I picked up the pdf of this a couple years ago. It was great resource in helping me design a set of WWII skirmish rules for minis, which probably underscores the laser-tight focus you mention. If you are a WWII nut (as am I when wearing another hat) it's actually a quite well done little package of background, small weapons details, and interesting scenarios.<br /><br />And as far as "killin' Nazis", well it would be a mighty fine engine for recreating Inglorious Basterds indeed. "And once we're in enemy territory, as a bushwhackin' guerrilla army, we're gonna be doin' one thing and one thing only..."Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-25366152360702506782010-09-22T11:06:56.030-04:002010-09-22T11:06:56.030-04:00I played it "back in the day". A friend ...I played it "back in the day". A friend of mine owned the version published by The Companions Inc - which had an expansion to make Commonwealth characters - and we played it a couple times. I remember making characters more than actual playing... <br /><br />I picked up a copy at a game auction a couple years back. Partly for nostalgic reasons but mostly as a good reference and source for adventure/scenario ideas for other games (like Savage Worlds/Weird Wars)timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87327614363979900422010-09-22T10:17:36.511-04:002010-09-22T10:17:36.511-04:00Would it be fair to say that those who play this g...<i>Would it be fair to say that those who play this game are gonna be doin' on thing an' one thing only: Killin' Nazis?</i><br /><br>Not at all. In fact, many of the game's missions would probably go more smoothly for the PCs if they <i>don't</i> kill anyone.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-86332896662401967612010-09-22T10:15:57.060-04:002010-09-22T10:15:57.060-04:00So...
Would it be fair to say that those who play ...So...<br />Would it be fair to say that those who play this game are gonna be doin' on thing an' one thing only: Killin' Nazis?<br />...Bahahahahaha. I slay myself.<br />(I <i>WANT</i> my scalps.)Rachel Ghoulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04765944479141792643noreply@blogger.com