Software:Vassal Engine
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| Developer(s) | The Vassal Team. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2002 |
| Stable release | 3.6.19
/ May 18, 2023 |
| Written in | Java |
| Operating system | Any |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Available in | Multilingual (English and 6 other languages) |
| Type | Game engine |
| License | GNU LGPLv2+ |
| Website | vassalengine.org |
The Vassal Engine is a game engine for building and playing online adaptations of board games, tabletop games and card games. It allows users to play in real time over a live Internet connection, and also by email (PbeM). It runs on all platforms, and is free, open-source software.[1][2] For example, there is a Star Wars Miniatures module, where players can play with up to three others in a digital replica of the table-top game.
It is written in Java and the source code is available from GitHub under the LGPL open source license.[3]
History
Vassal began as VASL (Virtual Advanced Squad Leader), an application for playing Advanced Squad Leader.[4]
Available modules
Vassal modules exist for over 1000 games, some of which are listed here. A more comprehensive, but not exhaustive, list of modules exists on the Vassal module site list.
Tabletops
- Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game Presently the most commonly played Vassal module, with over 30% of total traffic.[5]
- V40k, a Warhammer 40,000 module.
- Star Wars: Armada
- Warmachine and Hordes[6]
- Malifaux
- Battlefleet Gothic[7]
- Star Wars Miniatures
Boardgames
- Advanced Squad Leader (VASL)
- Twilight Struggle
- Monopoly
- Diplomacy
- HeroQuest
- Pandemic
- Space Hulk
- Shadows over Camelot[8]
- Memoir 44
- Victory in the Pacific
- World in Flames
- Gloomhaven
Card games
Copyright and licensing
In September 2008, Games Workshop issued a cease-and-desist order regarding V40k to Tim Davis, the V40k module maintainer at that time.[11] The module is still played.
Games Workshop has also issued a cease-and-desist order regarding Space Hulk.
Similar projects
Similar engines for making board games include ZunTzu[12] and Boardgame.io.[13]
References
- ↑ Geryk, Bruce (August 2007). Green, Jeff. ed. "Line of Attack: Your monthly guide to hard-core wargaming" (in English) (Print Magazine). Games for Windows (Ziff Davis Media) (9): 92. https://archive.org/details/games-for-windows-2-jan.-2007/Games%20for%20Windows%20August%202007/page/92/mode/2up. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ↑ Ardwulf's Lair (7 October 2015). Exploring the Vassal Engine for Online Boardgaming and Wargaming. Retrieved 22 Jul 2021.
- ↑ "Official Vassal Website". https://vassalengine.org/.
- ↑ "The Master and His Vassal". 14 December 2010. http://iltredicesimocavaliere.wordpress.com/info/the-master-and-his-vassal-in-english/.
- ↑ "VASSAL". https://vassalengine.org/status.php?when=month.
- ↑ "Warmachine&Hordes Vassal Module Download". http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?13w2v664cbjywpx.
- ↑ "Download Source for Battlefleet Gothic Module". http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=45e70f8805b982808c9e7c56ba37815fe8c93d33a60c787b.
- ↑ "Module Shadows over Camelot Download". http://www.mediafire.com/?ek4mfbltomg.
- ↑ Playing Cards
- ↑ Module Site
- ↑ "GW V40k Legal Action". http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg246/Dezartfox/scan0001copy-1.jpg.
- ↑ "ZunTzu - the Online Boardgaming Platform". http://www.zuntzu.com/.
- ↑ "Boardgame.io - Open-Source Game Engine for Turn-Based Games". http://boardgame.io/.
External links
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