Apr/100
New Games in the House
I noticed that my favorite company was going out of business; Boulder Games. The owner was retiring. This was sad but I am happy for him. So my retirement present to him was to buy up some of games! I got the following:
Columbia Games Napoleon, Waterloo Campaign 1815: I opted for this as my first block game. I've played them before but never owned one. This is a subject I'd always wanted in an easy to play format. The complexity is fairly low but it is a well known battle and a good way to get new gamers started.
This is the third edition of the rules and I have heard they are quite good. Ultimately there are only a couple of actual strategies but I am not expecting to play this game dozens of times. Ideally it will give me a feel for the campaign and inspire me to consider doing something in miniature...
Next up was another Columbia game, Liberty, The American Revolution 1775-83. Again, for the same reasons. I am interested in the period but I don't do any miniature gaming in it. I like a nice simple introduction to the whole period. Again with Columbia games, the Fog of War element makes the game play really engaging. The blocks make record keeping simple too.
I picked up Price of Freedom from Compass Games. This is a card driven game of the Civil War. It looks great. I tore into it first and the components are very nice and the cards are very interesting. You keep track of a lot of political states and have to choose when you change them. For example the emancipation of the slaves. In real life that was carefully timed for when the war was losing support in the North. I think this is brilliant and shows the game authors are quite well read on the subject.
I have had other, monster sized games of the Civil War. This is a lot more compact and faster playing. The appeal for me is I might actually get to play it. Most of the time it is hard to get interest in a boardgame in my circle of friends. However so long as they aren't likely to take several sessions to play and can be explained in short order they can happen. 3 hours with 132 pieces seems just about right to me.
Finally I picked up Okko: Era of the Asagiri. This is a Japanese myth based game that is very miniatures like. I am not really sure how it plays but the figures are awesome and have colored high quality cardboard stands for use as well. I'm still waiting for the main game to show up. I got the supplement first, Yakuza Hazu Akai, which adds lawless and godless mercenaries to your clan. OK sounds good! The game is based upon a comic produced in France. I expect it to seem a little weird but in a good way. I love the AT-43 and Confrontation worlds so I know the French have what it takes to interest me. I like weird games in general. I thought once of doing an RPG set in Japan with a theme similar to "Delta Green" where the players are quasi-official forces combating the supernatural. This game seems to be more about clans fighting clans with supernatural forces. Check out the website for more details.
Apr/100
Morituri Te Salutant analysis of Attacks
I took a hard, statistical look at the attacks in the game Morituri Te Salutant which depicts historic gladiator fighting in the 1st century. My group has been playing it at Wargames in Nashville this year and have started a campaign this past Saturday. It did not go well for my school as I lost two gladiators in the two fights I was in. So I took a look at the complex combat matrix that determines the results of comparing attacks and what I found was eye opening and useful. In one game I chose a "kick" attack even though I had many others available to me. When looking at its level of difficulty and expected damage I found it is truely one of the worst attacks in the game! This kind of understanding will help me better choose my attacks in my next game.
Difficulty is an absolute number derived from the total difficulty of the manuever and it's likely hood of being blocked. Damage looks at all possible damage outcomes and the likelyhood the attack will be damaging. This is an absolute number. Finally the best vs. is useful to see where the attack can get you an easy hit with greater damage.
This information doesn't preclude you from knowing an opponents weaknesses and it only looks at attacks. For example if you are up against a Sagitarius with a bow your best bed is to block all of their incoming fire with a Shield manuever if you have a shield. The Sagitarius is going to be hesitant to close with a better protected gladiator such as a Samnite.
| Attack | Difficulty | Damage | Blocked | Best vs. |
| Lunge | 61 | 25 | 33% | Getup, Charge, Cut |
| Swing | 57 | 32 | 24% | Cut, Getup |
| Slash | 59 | 26 | 29% | Ssmash, Lasso |
| Cut | 61 | 26 | 33% | Swing, Slash, Getup |
| Thrust | 52 | 31 | 24% | Cut, Charge |
| Jab | 57 | 18 | 33% | Move F/Stand |
| Charge | 56 | 30 | 24% | Cut, Getup |
| Sh. Smash | 62 | 17 | 38% | Cut, Getup |
| Butt End | 64 | 16 | 43% | Jab |
| Lasso | 55 | Special | 14% | Getup, Reclaim |
| One/Two | 60 | 26 | 29% | Jab, Swing, Getup |
| Riposte | 64 | 16 | 43% | Lunge, Charge, Entangle |
| Hook | 67 | 17 | 57% | Lasso, Entangle |
| Entangle | 53 | Special | 14% | Swing, Charge, Getup |
| Kick | 73 | 10 | 62% | Getup, Reclaim |
| Throw | 49 | 38 | 5% | Getup, Cut, Reclaim, Move Back |
| Shoot | 46 | 29 | 5% | Getup, Reclaim, Move Back |
Feb/100
Days of Glory
Pete English, a good friend of Victory Points has given us a preview of his new supplement to "Check Your Six!" aka "CY6". This supplement takes us to the early days of WWII when the French faced the German in the sky. I got a chance to play a couple of the scenarios and while you may think they would all be cake walks for the Germans and impossible for the French - nothing could be further from the truth. These are historically accurate scenarios that for our gaming group were real nail biters. Here is the info blurb we got concerning this new supplement:
DAYS OF GLORY is a scenario and campaign book for the popular CHECK YOUR 6! Air Combat and Campaign Rules. The book provides three campaigns and 25 scenarios under one cover. The first campaign of 9 scenarios follows the beginning of the German air campaign over Belgium and France from 10-23 May 1940. The second campaign, recreates the intense combat above Dunkirk from 27 May to 1 June 1940 with 9 scenarios. The final 7 scenarios focus on the German drive to Paris from 3 June during “Operation Paula”, the attack on French airfields defending the City of Lights, and the last forlorn attacks by French squadrons up to 25 June 1940. The book also features some of WWII’s legendary aces including Helmut Wick, A.G. “Sailor” Malan, Robert Williame, Werner Mölders, Ian “Hack” Russell and Rene Pornier-Layrargues.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH: This book includes several introduction sections containing campaign historical background, organizations, formations and tactics of the French, German and British air forces, plus a bibliography for further reading.
AIRCRAFT STATISTICS and CAMPAIGN INFORMATION: This book contains aircraft statistics for 15 French, British and German aircraft in CHECK YOUR 6! format for use in the scenarios. The book also contains detailed notes and rare pictures of the various aircraft featured in the campaign.
CHECK YOUR 6! CAMPAIGN SYSTEM: This book includes a CHECK YOUR 6! campaign that allows the scenarios to be played individually, linked to form three mini-campaigns, or combined as one grand campaign.
Feb/100
The Broken Earth Campaign
I am starting a new Hero System 6th Edition campaigned called The Broken Earth. It takes place 4 centuries from now on Earth after the planet has been wiped out by an interstellar attempt at takeover. The players are a team of scientists, technicians, leaders and explorers who were frozen prior to the doomsday event and revived with a mission to rescue what is left of humanity.
The Team (Alpha-3) will have an armored personnel carrier, links back to vault 0126 and plenty of high tech gear. Still they will need their wits to survive the wasteland. It just so happens that the ever vigilant overlord computer will be a sort of invisible NPC there. This well intentioned dictator will offer as much of a challenge as any danger the wasteland holds for Alpha-3.
Right now I have 5 players at Hero Central, 4 of whom have created characters. I am hoping to get the 5th to finish his. I can accept up to 8 characters in this run and if it works well I might attempt running multiple teams at the same time.
The story borrows from a lot of my favorite post-apocalyptic and sci-fi favorites. Aliens, The Long Afternoon of Earth, Mad Max, etc. I also borrow elements from The Morrow Project and Paranoia. There are many sources of information I have used. As the campaign materials are finalized I will put them up on this site for easy access.
Many thanks to Dan Simon for creating Hero Central and giving free access to this valuable PBEM RPG support system!
Aug/090
More reactions to Hero System book 1
I've read further, and it turns out I was 1 page from where Steve describes the major differences between 5th and 6th. Honestly, I expected more changes, but it looks like some changes negated the need for other changes. There are fundamental changes - to be sure. A standard Hero is built upon 400 points now. This does not mean they are more powerful, but that the things are a bit more expensive in 6th edition.
This book does a HELL of a lot better job at describing character creation than the 5th edition book. I am enjoying reading it and I think new players to the system will have a leg up on the Grognards. The description of the guidlines for creating characters exists in both 5th and 6th but I think the version in 6th is better written. It gets more to the point about how to develop your concept before delving too deeply into the mechanics.
Package Deals have been replaced by Templates. Compared to the 5th Edition these seem a bit watered down with a suggested maximum of 15 character points. Eh? Some 5th edition package deals were North of 50 character points! Funny how on the next page (6E1 p.37) the two examples given show 17 and 27 character points each! Now they also come with complications (the new Disadvantages) and these are within 2-3 points of the benefits given.
More to come as I plow through the books!
Pete
Aug/090
Hero System 6th Edition is available now!
Anyone who knows me knows I am a fan of the Hero System. Started in the early 80's as Champions, this role playing system has evolved into a powerful game that handles more than just superheroes. While there was a decade where I didn't play it at all, when the 5th edition came out in 2003 I picked it right back up. Now in August of 2009 the 6th edition is here. I am currently reading the PDFs and waiting for my printed copies. I also have the newly updated Hero Designer software (one of my favorite software packages for character design.)
I haven't finished reading it yet but I still wanted to let everyone know it is out there and available to purchase and download. The books are on a slow boat from China. So here are my first impressions:
- Improved Layout: While very similar to 5th Edition the use of color and more consistent artwork is a huge improvement.
- Crystal Clear Prose: Steve Long is an excellent writer. So far I like what I am reading. He gets to the point and uses his skillful writing to carefully explain the system. I am forced to read all of it because there have been some fundamental changes and so far I've enjoyed what I've seen.
- Streamlined: It appears so far that a lot has been done to streamline the system. I'll do a full write up on this when I've finished reading V1 and then again on V2.
- What I haven't seen is a page on "You've been playing for years, here is what's changed." I've been keeping up with the discussion boards on Hero Games but I'd still like to see it in the book. Perhaps I just haven't reached that point yet.
I'm planning on running a one off game with the system as soon as I've read both books and had time to create a couple of characters. My partner in crime here, Vincent, will be involved so I'm sure we'll both be able to give separate accounts of how the game works. I plan on doing your very basic 4-color Supers scenario with a mix of fighting, rescuing and disaster aversion! All to be reported here!
Pete
Jul/090
Back from Historicon – see the video
I am back from Historicon but I won't blog much until I've caught up with real life. I've been really busy the last 2 weeks and I've fallen behind on a lot of stuff I need to get done. However, in lieu of reading me yakity-yak about it check out the news coverage! All in all it was great. I gave a lecture that was well attended and had some great questions thrown my way. I got interviewed twice, once for an Oral History project and once for the Weider History Group's podcast. When I can finally figure out where they keep their podcasts I'll post here - there are at least two that they did that weekend I want to hear and from my discussions with Dana Lombardy there are many more I will be interested in. Check out Greathistory.com, armchairgeneral.com and historynet.com for more information.
Jul/090
"District 9" – creative Sci Fi
If you were disappointed by Transformers 2 (visually great but storywise a complete mess) then you need to get off the Hollywood Habit and start looking around the globe for creative upstarts that, while rejected by Hollywood, had found a home in other areas.
"District 9" is Neill Blomkamp's first feature length foray. After getting so much priase for his Halo 3 advertisement work (previously featured here) he was considered too much of a risk for a feature length production. Many fans disagree with that sentiment, feeling his prior work, while short, was so compelling it begs for longer treatment.
Peter Jackson, of Lord of the Rings fame, who worked with Mr. Blomkamp on the Halo work has once again opened up WETA studio to him and together they have produced "District 9" which features a storyline somewhat similar to Alien Nation but with a darker, South African twist to it. All we have so far on District 9 is a prior short film and the new trailer (presented below). Trailers are a terrible place to judge if a movie is going to be good. Many times a trailer is many times better than the original film. However, they can whet the appetite. So, without further comment, enjoy the District 9 trailer.
Jul/090
New Wargaming Video
Done with 1/285th scale GHQ miniatures - this combines standard video, stop-motion, animation and other techniques. It is quite interesting. It has a pretty interesting look to it. I highly recommend watching it. It depicts Brits vs. Germans contesting a bridge head. It has quite a bit of "humour" in it.
Jun/090
Leading Edge Alien Warriors for sale – hard to find!
Hello! I am selling off some of the more interesting things from my collection to help pay bills. Today I am selling off Leading Edge's Alien Warrior set. These are 6 licenced miniatures of the creatures from James Cameron's film "Aliens." They are faithful reproductions and in some dynamic poses. I had thought about doing a full scale mockup of the major fights in Aliens and using these but times are hard right now so they must go.
The link above is an eBay auction. If you don't like eBay and want to tempt them away from me in private contact me and we can see if we can come to a deal. If you are a miniatures collector and have a keen interest in these figures now is the time to get them. I know how hard it was for me to find them the first time around!
