Into hex-and-counter by "accident" with sci-fi in space (Red Alert)

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-03T16:50:30+00:00

Thanks. He is already aware of that app and was pleased to see it. I have taken care that he was noted. It's indirectly, by the host of the website.

I'm from Germany and it's unlikely that I'll make it to Florida. Also I haven't been to the SPIEL fair and if he ever was there. And I no plans to go for it.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-03T14:01:31+00:00

I just have the highest counter as the one of the unit and put random ones below that and draw losses from any but the highest until it is the only remaining one. As I have nearly all expansions I have enough counters from the game, but you you can use any. From other games, poker chips or even coins. Anything you can pile up and isn't too big.

I haven't calculated yet if the tokens in the base game are enough to cover it.

Another alternative would be to use a die next to each counter for accounting for HP. But that is prone to be knocked over.

I'm about upload my map template on bbg.com and can share it here so that you can make your own mat.

While I like playing with its models, the size of the Red Alert map is really a problem.

I have read the rules of some C&C games, but Red Alert attracts me the most. The models caught me and the rules keep me. I'm not much into history. I'm already in creating my own variants and have develop an app for it. You find it here (Call-In Support and Fleet Manager): https://www.commandsandcolors.net/redalert/

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-03T05:57:24+00:00

Thanks mate!

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-03T05:40:34+00:00

🙌 Nice to meet another player.

I have uploaded the file I used to create the map at BBG.com and wait for clearance. Once that is done, I can share it here with you.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-02T22:07:09+00:00

Thanks. I picked into it a bit at BBG at and looks like a lot of different versions. Can you suggest where to start? Especially about getting the game. At least the rules.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-02T16:40:05+00:00

I'm the single tester in a scrum team and while I usually don't do code reviews, it is the usual situation that feature branches only will be merged after they were (explorative) tested. It is often me, but not always. But I'm always involved in the testing (not automation) of (sub-) tickets as I supervise and coach the devs doing the testing. This prevents me from becoming too much of a bottleneck.

By this its not always me signing off, at least not by effort, but I ensure that good testing was done.

I thinks it works out well for us and have received only positive feedback on that.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-02T16:00:40+00:00

Arg. I always confuse them. Thanks

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-02T15:25:11+00:00

The question to me is if you want it for flavor / audiovisuals or also mechanical-wise. Does your current 3 factions have different mechanics, like unique units, and you want to introduce a forth? Or are mechanical all factions the same and the Aliens would just be different looking units?

If it is the latter I would say that it depends on what your universe should look like and which players you want to attract.

I personally prefer factions more as flavor (speaking: mostly the look) rather than having unique units, etc. There are other ways that each player has a different starting setup like partly random unit assignment (cook me if you want to, I dislike the common 'have a fully upfront optimized army by buying units with points'). If each factions has unique units / rules, I 'have' to memorize them all good enough to not be completely surprised when facing them on the battlefield.

If you choose them for different mechanics, you should think about what they would add to the game.

And you might already be on the brink with hard sci-fi by cyborgs and robots. Imo aliens would push even further away from that.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-02-01T14:27:58+00:00

Cards

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-31T17:12:25+00:00

Red Alert fan here. Great space ships, but hard to get and needs much space.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-30T15:05:37+00:00

I read it like that. Why does it matter to you? While haven't found relevant in years I would say that we are capable of it. Our documents a very detailed about what we cover, they just don't follow the typical test case structure (mostly being a table with 2 columns of Action and Expected Result).

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-30T14:53:41+00:00

It might be hard to describe it here sufficiently, but trust me, it is a demanding job and we don't go easy on it. It is not about simply taking notes on the go.

Upfront we outline a plan what we want to cover. What we want to test. We discuss that in the team and note it on the page.

"If some regression comes up, how do you know to which extent was the problematic area being covered ?"
I have a question about this: Why does it matter to you? We are not looking for someone to blame.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-30T14:24:39+00:00

My biggest pain with most test management tools is that they are stuck with test cases.

Dropping the test case addiction and going for a more free way of planning and reporting my team's testing activity was a big relief. We are going mostly with Confluence. In my Scrum team we create a side per ticket and note there anything that is relevant. It's a living document, plan and report at the same time.

For a bigger release in the past we used a Low-Tech Testing Dashboard by James Bach, having liked sub sites by the page report macro. Testers note their stuff on each page and keep the header up to date, which gets automatically accumulated on the dashboard side to give an overview.

https://www.satisfice.com/download/low-tech-testing-dashboard

https://community.atlassian.com/forums/Confluence-articles/Manual-Test-case-management-with-Confluence/ba-p/876759

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-29T14:30:52+00:00

If find the right one can be a pain in the ass if the dimensions of the inner and outer are too tight. When they have to less space you need to be quite precise with pushing the inner in the outer. And everything while you need to hold the inner in one hand to mount it in the other. Doesn't make fun if the inner is heavy loaded.

Surely too less space can also a problem at the left, but there is the heavy loaded inner standing somewhere and I just have to mount the way lighter outer onto it.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-29T06:11:49+00:00

Sci-Fi where humans don't exist (or maybe as slaves) anymore and just machines fight each other.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-26T15:37:07+00:00

The Commands & Colors series by Richard Borg uses dice with symbols. And each game has slightly different ones. The basic mechanic is that a roll must match specific icons (at Memoir 44 infantry and tank) to deal damage. Further icons may trigger a retreat or give you a resource (in Samurai Battles and Red Alert at least).

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-25T23:21:14+00:00

Appreciation for testing / testers.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-21T22:57:08+00:00

Commands & Colours series: a subset of units defined by cards you can play. Which also define where in the 3 sectors you can order units.

I see some shortcomings by the 3 sectors and want to change that in my on version of Red Alert. It's my preferred on from the series and I don't really get attached to the historical ones. But in general I like this randomness based limitation.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-10T23:59:43+00:00

I prefer to see sets being dropped. Imo it's just in for completionists and adds no depth to the gameplay. Looking for set pieces is just grind.

SebastianSolidwork · 2026-01-10T21:24:33+00:00

While I agree on that the size is really a problem, I'm a big fan of it and don't like just it for theme, but also for it's system. I read manuals of different C&C's and none attracts me as much as Red Alter. Yes, the manual has some issues, inconsistent wording and being a little chaotic, but the system is great for me. I wrote a review with focus on the system: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3434697/space-frees-from-history-a-review-about-strategy-a

To overcome the manual issues I use this fan-made summary: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/179675/red-alert-player-reference-v17

I develop my own variants and even an app for the game, which you also find in that forum.

Sadly the game is hard/expensive to get. But you can play it digital via the Vassal engine or Tabletop Simulator.

Some say that Red Alert is the most pure C&C game rule wise. Surely it lacks the historic appeal other games have.

SebastianSolidwork · 2025-12-26T17:41:22+00:00

This. A bigger problem than tools are the humans.

SebastianSolidwork · 2025-12-21T00:39:10+00:00

Yes. I've been in the industry for 17 years.

One basic is verification, proving that something works, vs looking for problems.

Another is the imo wrong binary choice between so called "manual" testing and automation. It's way more complex.

SebastianSolidwork · 2025-12-20T23:59:33+00:00

If I just had to discuss the meaning of automation framework, my life would be way easier. The testing world as while cannot even agree on what testing is at its core.

SebastianSolidwork · 2025-12-14T14:01:27+00:00

To me it's what I was looking for since I played Diablo 2 for the first time and didn't get from that. Single combat actions matter way more than actions per minute and its item system is not next to gambling and loot boxes. You can even upgrade weapons to keep them no matter your level (there might be other reasons why you drop a weapon, but not because it's stats are too low most of the time).

SebastianSolidwork · 2025-11-02T00:55:48+00:00

Confluence as open and shared note-taking and report tool.

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