tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45110086811794748732024-03-13T17:09:51.063-05:00Sphere of AnnihilationSphere of Annihilation - a blog about tabletop gaming, comics, and other nerdy stuff that I like!Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-87803350111143471132019-05-27T13:46:00.002-05:002019-05-27T13:46:56.575-05:00MuseOn Con<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
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This weekend I attended MuseOn Con, a local convention that is put on by <a href="https://www.museonstore.com/" target="_blank">Muse On Minis</a>. Muse On Minis is a company that makes tokens and accessories for various miniatures games such as Infinity, Guild Ball, Warmachine, and the Batman Miniatures Game. This is the fourth year that they have put on this convention in West Des Moines.</div>
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I discovered the convention when I was browsing the internet one day. I reached out to the organizers to ask some questions. I wanted to know if there was going to be any open or casual gaming, or if it was going to be all tournament gaming. The person I talked to was friendly and told me that there was some open gaming and that I could come down, meet some people, play some demos, and hang out. </div>
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I headed to the convention Friday after work, paid for a day pass, and walked around the convention. There were people playing Warmachine, Malifaux, Guild Ball, and the Batman Miniatures Game. There were also huge tables set up for <a href="https://infinitythegame.com/" target="_blank">Infinity</a>. These looked awesome, as Infinity is a game is a game that requires a lot of buildings and terrain and the tables were full of beautiful cyperpunk style buildings.</div>
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I walked around and chatted with people. Eventually I found a friendly gamer named John (pretty sure that was his name) to give me a demo of <a href="https://www.knightmodels.com/en/batman-miniature-game/" target="_blank">Batman</a>. I played a team with Batman, Nightwing, and three Arkham guards. John played a gangster crew with the Ventriloquist, some thugs, and Clayface. We played without a lot of the rules which was nice. Since it was my first game I was little confused but I had a great time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my borrowed Batman crew. Thanks John!<br /></td></tr>
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I also played a demo of the game <a href="https://judgement.game/" target="_blank">Judgement</a>. Judgement is a MOBA inspired miniatures game that uses 54mm figures. The models for the game look amazing. The object of the game is to battle with a team of figures and to either collect souls or or destroy the opposing team's base. I have no experience with MOBAs, but I could see the video game influences on gameplay. Dead characters respawn at their base and there are game mechanics that involve pushing characters around the field. The demo game that I played used MuseOnMinis tokens and neoprene playmats which made for an aesthetically pleasing experience.</div>
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On Saturday I headed back down to the convention to try some more games. I played a demo of the new version of <a href="http://monsterpocalypse.com/" target="_blank">Monsterpocalypse</a>. The game was fun as we threw our kaiju into buildings and caused much destruction. I also played <a href="https://aristeiathegame.com/" target="_blank">Aristeia!</a>, a board game published by Corvus Belli, the company that produces the Infinity miniatures game. Aristeia! is an arena combat game that takes place in the same universe as Infinity. The game involves fighting with a team of miniatures and trying to score points by occupying zones on the board. You have a have of cards that allows you to play certain tactics during the game. I really liked this game and have put it on my wishlist. I finished off the night with another game of Batman Miniatures. A guy named Jason lent me a Poison Ivy crew and I played against his Gotham City P.D. crew. We played on a neat terrain setup that was a sideshow carnival. The Batman game is very thematic, as Poison Ivy sprouted killer plants while Commissioner Gordon called in helicopter support to shot at the bad guys.</div>
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Overall, MuseOn Con was fun! My goal is to return next year with either a Batman crew or an Infinity crew. Muse On Minis' tokens are really nice and I recommend getting some. Check out their <a href="https://www.museonstore.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. I don't have any pictures of their stuff so here is a video of Guerrilla Miniatures reviewing their latest tokens for the Batman game:</div>
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Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-72904002423730413572019-03-26T20:26:00.004-05:002019-03-26T20:26:54.453-05:00Blood Red Skies: First ImpressionsBetter late than never, I was going to post this entry back in July.<br />
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<b>Blood Red Skies: First Impressions</b><br />
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This Fourth of July I was visiting my parents and I played some games with my dad. I picked up a copy of the WWII dogfighting miniatures games <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/236370/blood-red-skies" target="_blank">Blood Red Skies</a>. Specifically, I acquired the <a href="https://us-store.warlordgames.com/collections/blood-red-skies/products/blood-red-skies" target="_blank">Battle of Britain</a> beginner set. The beginner box cost $50 at my dad's FLGS. I asked a couple of questions of the store owner about the game and his answers helped to sway me to make my purchase. I asked if there was any model assembly required (There is not, the airplanes just pop into the custom bases) and what the required table size was (whatever you got, dinner table is fine, his group played on 4'x3').<br />
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Your $50 buys you the base game which comes with 12 airplane miniatures, custom stands, rulebooks, dice, measuring tools, cards, tokens, punch out clouds, and everything else you need to play the game. The miniatures come in two sculpts. You get six Spitfire IIs and six BF-109 Es. The models are unpainted but they are cast in colored plastic. The British planes are brown and the German planes are grey, so you don't need to paint them if you don't want to. You also get a couple of bombers represented by flat cardboard tokens. I have not played the scenarios with the bombers yet but it is nice to have the variety.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A box full of goodies!</td></tr>
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I definitely felt like the box is a good value. The quality of the components is very good. The cards have a nice linen finish, the cardboard tokens a feel thick and sturdy, and minis look great. The custom stands move as intended and the custom dice, with etched tally marks for numbers and an ace symbol for sixes, are great. The box is compact, measuring 10 1/4" square and 2 1/2" high, so it is not an inconvenience to carry it to my local game group.<br />
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Blood Red Skies has a unique approach to representing airplane combat on the tabletop. Each airplane has a special stand that is designed to tilt back, stand straight, for tile forward. These positions correspond to the aircraft being advantaged, neutral, or disadvantaged. These positions are an abstraction that represents a combination of the plane's altitude, moxie, and location. An airplane needs to be in a superior position to its target in order to shoot at it, and an airplane can downgrade its position on purpose to gain speed or maneuverability. It is an interesting mechanic that plays fast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The position stands in action. The two Spitfires on the left are advantaged, the one in the middle is disadvantaged, and the Messerschmitt on the right is neutral</td></tr>
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I found the game to be playable and fun. The rulebook is short and my dad and I were dueling very quickly after opening the box. The models look nice on the table as is, although I could see myself painting them one day. I would recommend this to someone looking for a casual dogfighting WWII game.Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-39367634411987282002018-06-30T12:49:00.001-05:002018-06-30T12:49:37.484-05:00I Played a Miniatures Game and I Liked It!<br />
I like to play all types of games. I play board games, card games and CCGs, role playing games, play-by-mail games, and a few video games. One genre of game that I have always wanted to try out are miniatures games. I own several unpainted figures and rules, and I have even dabbled in Heroclix (which I define as a board game with miniatures, but that is for another post). The type of game that I am talking about involves moving figures around a table, measuring distances with tape measures, and looking on as the modeled terrain and painted minis create a gestalt of a tiny battle.<br />
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Last week I played <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/149138/flames-war-fate-nation" target="_blank">Fate of a Nation</a>, a variant for the popular <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11168/flames-war-world-war-ii-miniatures-game" target="_blank">Flames of War</a> rules that covers the Arab-Israeli conflicts. This was not a conflict I ever thought of simulating. However, I found a local wargamers club and one of the members graciously offered to bring his tank models and rules so that we could have a battle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up the table for the a desert battle.</td></tr>
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It was awesome that I could participate in a game that had painted models and ready-made scenery and terrain. Most of my own miniatures projects are languishing in the closet because I was overwhelmed with all the steps required to create a decent looking table battle. Another great aspect was that the owner of the models agreed to be referee between myself and another player. He explained the rules throughout the whole game, allowing me to focus on tactics and strategy rather that the minutia of an unfamiliar set of rules.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UAR forces prepare for their assault. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Israeli tanks hide behind a hill, waiting for battle.<br />
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I did not come totally unprepared. I brought dice and a small tape measure. The game was a blast (no pun intended). I played the Israeli side and I have two teams of tanks staring down a mass of invading enemy tanks. The referee explained that this was a classic case of one side having lots of numbers while the other side had less equipment of a better quality. My strategy was to roll my tanks to the edge of cover, fire, and then retreat behind the cover for protection. The Israeli units have a special ability that gives them an extra move as long as they make a roll. The downside to my plan was that my tanks could get bogged down in the covering terrain or they could fail their roll for extra movement. This would leave them stuck or exposed to enemy fire, and since my total number of tanks was seven any losses that I took would hurt.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tanks in firing position at the edge of the woods.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My other unit of tanks. Notice that one tank failed to navigate the hill and is bogged down.<br />
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My strategy worked well, mainly due to good rolls of the dice. I was able to pop up and back, taking shots at the advancing enemy. I hit many UAR tanks, causing at least one failed morale check that sent a bunch of units running. While a few of my tanks were hit, they we only bailed out and recovered on the next turn. I won the scenario by destroying all the enemies tanks or causing them to leave the battlefield due to failed morale checks. I would like to try a scenario where the Israelis are forced to take a more proactive role on the battlefield. I can already feel the tension imagining a unit of three tanks maneuvering through a battlefield while 20 plus enemy tanks fire on them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UAR tanks taking casualties as they charge the Israeli positions.<br />
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I had a ton of fun and definitely want to try Flames of War again. I liked the system and I liked playing a tank battle. I might look into the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/190700/team-yankee" target="_blank">Team Yankee</a> rules for Flames of War, which covers a hypothetical WWIII in Europe between NATO and Soviet Bloc troops. Overall it was a great game and I will need to get some tanks and paints! Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-80854715952376418492018-06-22T11:53:00.000-05:002018-06-22T11:53:09.500-05:00Game Review: De Profundis (first edition)<br />
I am a fan of unusual role-playing games. I recently acquired a copy of the first edition of <i>De Profundis; Letters from the Abyss, A Game of Mind-warping Horror in the Style of H.P. Lovecraft</i>. The game is credited to Michal Oraz and was translated from Polish to English by Maja Apollonia Pica. The book is a 32 page saddle stitched book with glossy cover pages and black and white interior pages. <i>De Profundis</i> is a role playing game that asks, "How would you like to play a Lovecraftian LARP by sending letters through the mail?"<br />
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This is a review of the first edition of the game which is currently out of print. There is a second edition that was published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment. The second edition is available as a pdf from <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/84298/De-Profundis-Second-Edition" target="_blank">rpgnow</a>. As far as I know the second edition contains most of the text from the first edition along with some expanded content.<br />
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<i>De Profundis</i> is written in a meta style. The text reads partly like instructions for a game and partly as the diary of a character plunging into madness. The narrator of the rules describes his descent into madness as he tries to decipher a text. I thought that this style fit the game well, as the rules of the game encourage the players to try to live out their character's madness through letters.<br />
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To play <i>De Profundis</i> a player creates a character and then writes a series of letters to someone from the viewpoint of that character. The person that you are corresponding with writes you back from the point of view of their character. The rules discuss creating characters either in the 1920s or the modern era. The author points out that there are many famous horror stories that are told using letters, such as <i>Dracula,</i> and shows how letters play important roles in Lovecraft's own tales. The characters are meant to mimic the types of people who exist in Lovecraft tales, i.e. normal people who begin to notice the horrible lie of reality around them.<br />
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The author of <i>De Profundis</i> describes an unusual method for making sure that your character is in the mindset of an unhinged Lovecraft protagonist. The technique is to observe the word around you, and then slowly use your imagination to allow snippets of illusionary horror to creep in. Go ahead and space out on the bus, did that passenger who just got off look like an alien? It is a type of method acting where you let your mind slip into the unhinged reality of a Lovecraft character and see your world through their eyes. The writing style of the rules helps you get into this mode as the author writes many sections from this viewpoint.<br />
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The author gives players some structure and rules for making characters and writing and sending letters. He gives suggestions for how the framework of the game should function as well as guidelines on how characters should interact via their writing. One thing that I liked was that the author emphasized the importance of physically writing letters. I believe that the second edition of <i>De Profundis</i> has rules for using email, which I think would take a lot of the soul out of the game.<br />
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The book has two appendices. One has a character sheet and information on how to join "The Society", which was a database of <i>De Profundis</i> players. I use the past tense because I believe that this information is out of date. The second appendix is an article on psychodrama, which is a type of improv larp. It is obvious that the author is a fan of psychodrama and that it heavily influenced <i>De Profundis</i>, so it is worth a read.<br />
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Overall, I really like <i>De Profundis</i>. The game has more than a hint of mystery. There is enough missing from the rulebook to let your imagination run rampant, and there is enough of a framework to provide ample inspiration. The most difficult part of the game would probably be finding players who are willing to actually put pen to paper and send letters through the mail. I have started a game with one player and it has been enjoyable. If you are a fan of Lovecraft, writing letters, or bizarre games that are off the beaten path, then I recommend <i>De Profundis</i>.<br />
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<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-63997742923058690682018-05-18T19:16:00.000-05:002018-05-18T19:16:06.534-05:00Cool Free Stuff on the Internet: Warning Order Magazine<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I grew up reading gaming magazines. My dad had a subscription to The General, Avalon Hill’s house magazine. I would pick up issues of White Dwarf and Autoduel Quarterly from the game store and devour them. I have been pleasantly surprised to find out that there are a large number of game magazines that are published in digital format and that are released for free on The internet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One magazine that I have found is Warning Order. Warning Order is a free magazine published by the <a href="http://www.wfhgs.com/" target="_blank">Wasatch Front Historical Gaming Society</a>. They have just released <a href="http://www.wfhgs.com/PDFFILES/wo48.pdf" target="_blank">issue 48</a>, and their entire backlog is available for download from their website.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Warning Order focuses on miniature wargaming and board wargames. Each issue usually has some battle reports, game reviews, and other miscellaneous articles. One cool feature that started in issue 36 is the inclusion of scenarios for miniatures games. I also enjoy looking at all the pictures of painted miniatures set up for battle.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The latest issue (48) has a review of Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition, a review of GMT’s Next War: Poland, an interesting article on the current state of hobby gaming, and some battle reports. If you are a fan of miniatures and Wargames I would check out Warning Order. All 48 issues are free to download at </span><a href="http://www.wfhgs.com/wrngorder.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.wfhgs.com/wrngorder.html</span></a></div>
<br /><br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-78740278879802123342018-05-13T16:35:00.000-05:002018-05-13T16:35:59.790-05:00Book Reviews for Gamers: Retribution Falls by Chris WoodingFirst a shout-out to the <a href="http://www.manbattlestations.com/blog/" target="_blank">Man Battlestations Podcast</a> for recommending this book. They described this book as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Golden Compass</a> meets <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, and that is a fitting description. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6285903-retribution-falls" target="_blank"><i>Retribution Falls</i></a> is a book about airship pirates and the swashbuckling adventures that they engage in.<br />
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<i>Retribution Falls</i> takes place on an Earth-like planet. The geography is such that airship is the most convenient form of travel. There is also some magic throughout the setting. I would describe it as steampunk, although airships and planes are powered by some type of resource specific to the setting that is vaporized via electromagnets into lighter than air gas. The steampunk feel comes from the airships and the fact that all other technology is from the eighteen-hundreds.<br />
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<i>Retribution Falls</i> is a fun read that follows the crew of the airship Ketty Jey. The crew is a mix of dastardly characters who engage in pirate hijinks. There is just the right mix of guns, swords, and magic. The world the the author builds is intriguing. There are different factions fighting for power and vertical cities built for the convenience of airships. Giant airships fire cannons at each other while fighter planes engage in tense dogfights. I recommend this to any fan of genre fiction.</div>
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<b>Gaming the Book</b></div>
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Retribution Falls is a great inspiration for gaming. The world of the book would make a great rpg campaign world as is, and it has tons of ideas that gms can borrow. So you have read R<i>etribution Falls</i> and you are inspired to do some airship pirate gaming. Where do you start.</div>
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<b>Card Games</b></div>
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Retribution Falls has rules for a game in the back of the book. How cool is that! The game is a poker variant called Rake. Rake is a variant of stud poker where the final cards of the hand are dealt in the middle of the table, and the players take turns taking them into their hands. I like poker and this variant looks fun. Rake is played throughout the book, and if you decide to run a campaign based in this world you should definitely have the characters play a hand of Rake.</div>
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<b>Board and Miniature Games</b></div>
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When I was reading <i>Retribution Falls</i> I was thinking of games about air piracy. The first game that I though of was the old FASA game <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3855/crimson-skies" target="_blank">Crimson Skies</a>. I had never heard of this game until I went over to a friend's house and he had it set up on his table. He explained that it took place in an alternate history where the US became balkanized and air piracy was big as people used air shipments to smuggle cargo across the fractured political landscape.</div>
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There were no airships in the scenario we played but it was enjoyable. We each had two fighter aircraft. The game used pre-plotted movement. Whenever an airplane was hit you put a clear template over your plane sheet used it to mark off damage that was done to your aircraft. This was interesting because you could pick different types of ammo that did special damage. For example, armor piercing rounds would go straight through the body of the aircraft while explosive rounds would take out shallow, broad chunks of the aircraft. The game is now out of print. WizKids published a version with airplanes that had heroclix style bases but I never played that edition. If you want some air piracy and are lucky to find a copy, check out FASA's Crimson Skies.</div>
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There are a few miniatures rulesets that deal with airship combat, although I have not played any of them. One that comes to mind is <a href="http://www.spartangames.co.uk/products/dystopian-world/dystopian-wars" target="_blank">Dystopian Wars</a>. The original owners of the game have gone out of business and the IP is being transferred to a new company. The game is in limbo right now but if you want to have some airship fleets attack each other it is worth checking out. Note that Dystopian Wars also involves naval units and land units. <a href="http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/ImperialSkies/index.html" target="_blank">Imperial Skies</a> is a game published by Brigade Models. They publish the rules and sell miniatures for the game. It looks like pre-WWI airship combat with ships and fighters. <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17143/ironclads-and-ether-flyers" target="_blank">Ironclads & Ether Flyers</a> is a set of miniatures rules that was written in the <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpg/718/space-1889-original-edition" target="_blank">Space 1889</a> universe. The rules can be purchased in <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/59096/Ironclads-And-Ether-Flyers" target="_blank">pdf</a> from rpgnow and in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1930658052/helioinc" target="_blank">print</a> from Amazon. You will have to find/build your own miniatures for these rules. Any of these games should allow you to have some nice airship combat on your tabletop.</div>
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<b>Role Playing Games</b></div>
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If you want to run a campaign set in the world of <i>Retribution Falls</i> there are a few games that come to mind. The main thing is that you will want a ruleset that can cover swashbuckling action, magic, and most importantly airships. The company Cakebread & Walton publishes a game called <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/95166/Abney-Parks-Airship-Pirates?manufacturers_id=4595" target="_blank">Abney Park's Airship Pirates.</a> The game is based on the music of the Steampunk group Abney Park. I have not played to game but it has airship pirates in the title. It also has time travel and dinosaurs but any good gm could hack this game to fit the setting. Cakebread & Walton have also a version based on their simple and excellent <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/139799/OneDice-Abney-Parks-Airship-Pirates?manufacturers_id=4595" target="_blank">OneDice engine</a>.</div>
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FATE would be another game that I would consider using if I was going to run a <i>Retribution Falls</i> game. I think that FATE handles swashbuckling action well, and there are a few FATE settings that have airships. The one that I would use would be Kriegszeppelin Valkyrie from <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/119383/Fate-Worlds-Worlds-on-Fire" target="_blank">FATE Worlds: Worlds on Fire</a>. While this settings is more of an alternate WWI with huge blimps and biplanes, with some magic thrown in and a few hacks here and there it would work well to run a <i>Retribution Falls</i> campaign.</div>
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My personal choice for running a Retribution Falls game would be <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/133481/amazing-adventures-siege-engine-game-pulp-era" target="_blank">Amazing Adventures</a> from Troll Lord Games. This uses the SEIGE engine which runs their Castles & Crusades game. It is basically a streamlined version of the d20 system. Amazing Adventures has magic rules already built in. I would recommend using the <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/182710/amazing-adventures-companion" target="_blank">Amazing Adventures Companion</a> as it has some character classes (pirate, soldier) that would work well.</div>
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So check out <i>Retribution Falls</i> and then go game some airship piracy!</div>
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Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-77385704715153836522018-03-21T08:11:00.001-05:002019-12-27T09:46:52.641-06:00Rolling Wednesday: Free Dice Winner!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Rolling Wednesday shall end with free dice!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of my dice collection</td></tr>
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The winner is Thriftomancer. You will be receiving this eclectic mix of dice. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who entered.<br />
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<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-88210296766545281002018-03-14T10:26:00.001-05:002018-03-14T10:26:29.945-05:00Rolling Wednesday: Free Dice Contest still going!Last Wednesday I announced the retirement of the Rolling Wednesday posts. In celebration I decided to send some free dice to someone. There are no claimers yet so here is what I have decided. I will continue this contest for another week. I will add more dice to the pot. If there are no winners by next Wednesday, I will add even more dice to the pot. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Soldiers playing dice in a tavern</i> by Adriaen Brouwer </td></tr>
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Here are the rules to the contest.<br />
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If you would like me to mail you some free dice, here is what you need to do:<br />
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Send an email to nedpatrick ( AT ) yahoo ( DOT ) com.<br />
Put "I love Dice" in the subject line.<br />
In your message include your name and your favorite kind of die.<br />
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That's it. Next Wednesday I will pick a winner. If I get no entries then I will add more dice to the pot and continue the contest. There are currently 12 mystery dice in the pot.<br />
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Good luck and happy rolling!Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-46827237556867740512018-03-11T11:53:00.002-05:002018-03-11T11:53:47.243-05:00"Game" Review: The Tragedy of GJ 237b<i>The Tragedy of GJ 237b</i> is a game that I would not have know about if it wasn't nominated for a Nebula Award (although it did not make a spot on the finalist list).<br />
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You can read the full text of the game for free at <a href="https://medium.com/@balehman/the-tragedy-of-gj237b-928cfeae460b" target="_blank">medium.com</a> and you can obtain the pdf on a pay-what-you-want basis at <a href="http://www.tao-games.com/the-tragedy-of-gj-237b/" target="_blank">tao-games.com</a>. The game text is very short and there is no way I can avoid spoilers in this review so I suggest that you read the game for yourself or be ready to have the contents spoiled.<br />
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<i>The Tragedy of GJ 237b</i> is a science fiction role-playing art piece about the negative consequences of human contact with alien ecosystems. The game mainly consists of a description of the inhabitants of GJ237b. Those inhabitants where irrevocably changed by contact with humans.<br />
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I will repeat that I cannot finish this review without spoiling what is in the game, so either go read it yourself or be prepared for spoilers.<br />
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The alien life on GJ237b was destroyed by the arrival of humans. The game sets up a sort of Schrodinger's cat scenario. The game materials are put out in a room and then the room is sealed with no one inside of it. When the door to the room is opened, the game ends.<br />
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Sounds weird, right? I will say it again, read the game for yourself. I enjoyed reading <i>The Tragedy of GJ237b</i> and I ask myself, "Is it really a game?" I would say that it is game adjacent. <i>The Tragedy of GJ237b</i> is more of a piece of art than a game, and I think that this is what makes it interesting. I challenge you to have your game group read the rules and then debate whether or not <i>The Tragedy of GJ237b</i> is a game.<br />
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The main theme of the game, that human interaction will fundamentally change ecosystems, is a thought-provoking science fiction trope. Kim Stanley Robinson explored this topic in his book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77507.Red_Mars" target="_blank">Red Mars</a>, and it also touches on issues of colonialism. It is a heady theme and one that will elicit lots of opinions and discussion. <br />
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Is this game worth playing? Can you even play it? I think that this game is worth reading for the fact that it is trying to do something different. I would love to see it set up at a convention, or in a spare room of a house during a game night. The alien culture of GJ237b is truly unique and will be an inspiration for science fiction fans. I recommend it, and if you decide to stage a "playing" of the game, let me know how it went. Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-51294906504648116652018-03-07T09:23:00.001-06:002018-03-07T09:23:33.316-06:00Rolling Wednesday: Free Dice Giveaway!Rolling Wednesday is going away!<br />
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I am retiring my experiment of trying to post a picture of a die or a dice-related post every Wednesday. I may bring it back, but for now this will be the last Rolling Wednesday post.<br />
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Let's end it with free dice!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtPvmmAcRug/WpwfR6P_8lI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/h81is-Xsawokz4qniJbuLJ3ZJUpo906CACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtPvmmAcRug/WpwfR6P_8lI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/h81is-Xsawokz4qniJbuLJ3ZJUpo906CACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1975.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portion of my dice collection</td></tr>
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I love dice. I love buying them, collecting them, rolling them, and giving them away. Do you want some dice? I will go to my local game store and a few other locations and pick up some dice. There will be polyhedrals. Other than that it will be a random hodgepodge of dice. Will there be nothing but d4s? A misshaped d12? Whatever they are, you can have them for free.<br />
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If you would like me to mail you some free dice, here is what you need to do:<br />
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Send an email to nedpatrick ( AT ) yahoo ( DOT ) com.<br />
Put "I love Dice" in the subject line.<br />
In your message include your name and your favorite kind of die.<br />
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That's it. Next Wednesday I will pick a winner. Your odds of winning are good, since this blog is mainly read by my dad. Shout out to Dad, whose Avalon Hill wargame collection inspired me to become a tabletop gamer.<br />
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Good luck and happy rolling!Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-89358233850361684352018-01-11T13:36:00.001-06:002018-01-11T13:36:48.565-06:00Gaming Wisdom: Use What You HaveI admit that I am a games collector. My shelves are full of great games that more than often sit unplayed. I consistently challenge myself to use to stuff that I have. The other day I received a karmic lesson.<br />
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Last year I ordered the <a href="https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Storm-of-Sigmar-ENG" target="_blank">Storm of Sigmar</a> starter set and the <a href="https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Age-of-Sigmar-Citadel-Essentials-Set-USA" target="_blank">Age of Sigmar: Citadel Essentials</a> paint and tool set from Games Workshop. The Citadel Essentials set comes with a set of clippers, glue, a brush, and 3 mL pots of paint for the figures in the Storm of Sigmar set. I assembled all of the figures from the Storm of Sigmar set. Then I packed everything up for our move.<br />
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I have written on the trials and tribulations of our move. All of our stuff spent about a month and a half in a Houston warehouse during the hottest months of the summer. A few days ago I pulled out my Sigmar figures and paints and decided to put a coat of Imperial Primer on one of the figures. This was the result.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3D2ixGzWdq8/Wle59UFyUBI/AAAAAAAAB2A/DWYR2LW2jKUMBD8iIfeFADw0PgeZKlK0gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1457" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3D2ixGzWdq8/Wle59UFyUBI/AAAAAAAAB2A/DWYR2LW2jKUMBD8iIfeFADw0PgeZKlK0gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1949.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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The miniature is supposed to be coated in black. The paint I was using was not doing a good job of covering the figure. The covering is patchy. When I looked in the pot I saw that most of the paint had dried into a huge lump on the side of the pot. The lesson learned is that I should have used my paint right away. The paint would have been still usable.<br />
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I went to my local game store to buy a pot of Imperial Primer. The store was out. The Games Workshop site currently does not list Imperial Primer as a product, and Games Workshop is notorious for changing their product line. Maybe the store will be able to order another pot or maybe I will need to buy a different brush-on primer (I can't use spray primers).<br />
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This is a good learning experience. Use what you have. Don't worry about saving things for tomorrow. Enjoy what you have today!<br />
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<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-71154575345176373622018-01-07T09:57:00.001-06:002018-01-07T09:57:56.746-06:002018: No Resolutions!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we enter a new year I would like to take a look at my gaming habits in 2017 and reflect on the state of the blog.<br />
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<b>Boardgame Highlights in 2017</b><br />
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One of my struggles as a game collector is finding a multitude of great games but then not actually playing them. For years I have been interested in the game lines from Starfleet Games, such as Star Fleet Battles and Federation Commander. Both of those games have free print-and-play demos and I have tried both of them solo. This year I convinced a friend to try out the Federation Commander demo. We ran a basic Federation vs. Klingon scenario. I now own a copy of Star Fleet Battles so my goal for this year is to find an opponent for that game.<br />
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Returning to Magic the Gathering was another gaming highlight. I have always been curious about Magic and I found someone to teach me the game about six years ago. At that time I had steady opponents. I played for a few years but them my Magic playing trickled to a drip, and Magic is a game that requires practice in order to be proficient. In 2017 I started playing more and I even participated in a sealed league, which is a format that was new to me.<br />
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<b>Play-by-Mail Highlights in 2017</b><br />
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I continued to experiment with play-by-mail in 2017. I dropped Duel2, the gladiator combat game run by Reality Simulations. I enjoy the game, highly recommend it, and will probably return to it again. I just needed to spend my time and financial resources elsewhere. I am still playing Hyborian War, a grand strategy wargame in the Conan universe. Once this current game ends I will sign up for another one. I have started a science fiction game called Starweb run by Flying Buffalo. Starweb is an exploration/trading/combat game. I plan on writing reviews for both Hyborian War and Starweb this year.<br />
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<b>Role-Playing Game Highlights of 2017</b><br />
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I was reviewing my rpg plays over at <a href="http://rpggeek.com/">rpggeek.com</a> and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I started 2017 by running a Pathfinder session. I have wanted to return to Pathfinder as the first time I ran it I didn't feel that I knew enough at the time to make it work as smoothly as it should. That session ended in a TPK! I continued to be a player in a D&D 5ed campaign in 2017. I enjoy playing and I think that every gamemaster needs to play a lot in order to understand gaming better. However I am definitely getting the urge to run a campaign and I ended the year running a <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/94027/black-crusade-core-rulebook" target="_blank">Black Crusade</a> scenario.<br />
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<b>Life Highlights of 2017</b><br />
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We moved! Moving has put some chaos into my life. We moved into an apartment and my gaming space shrunk. I have two FLGS in the area, both that have game nights. I have not been to either game night yet. I also applied for a job in the tabletop game industry. I did not get the position, but I did make it to the second round of applicants. Not bad for someone with no profession game industry experience.<br />
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<b>State of the Blog in 2017</b><br />
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I did not write as many entries in 2017 that I would have liked to. I had 35 posts, which is the 2nd lowest total for a year. I was hoping to keep up Rolling Wednesday throughout the year. I thought that posting a picture of dice wouldn't be too hard. Well, moving really messes up our life and my Rolling Wednesday experiment did not post every Wednesday. I also failed to make any big changes to the visual look or design of the blog.<br />
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<b>No Resolutions!</b><br />
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We are in 2018 and like the title says, I have no resolutions. My goals are what they always have been, try to play and create more. I will continue posting to the blog. I will continue writing reviews. I am consciously trying to limit my acquisition of game products and enjoy what I already own. In fact, I have a bunch of unpainted miniatures that I hope to paint soon. When I do I will post pictures! Game on!Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-14873536742881194182017-12-06T12:02:00.002-06:002017-12-06T12:02:47.540-06:00Rolling Wednesday: Random d12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is random d12 from my collection. I'm hoping to resume regular posts soon. Happy Wednesday and game on!Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-68432840833461800722017-11-29T08:34:00.001-06:002017-11-29T08:34:31.308-06:00Rolling Wednesday: Custom Game Store Dice<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I haven't done a Rolling Wednesday in a while. Today I want to show what I think is a cool idea, making custom dice for a game store. I have some dice where the owners have put the logo of their store on the six side of a d6. I'm not sure how much it costs to order a batch of custom dice but I think that this is a great way to advertise a store.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are from the Dice Dojo in Chicago. Illinois</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are from Excalibur Comics, Cards, and Games in Shreveport, Louisiana</td></tr>
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Gamers always need more dice and custom dice are great conversation starters. I approve of game stores advertising with dice. Game on!</div>
<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-55863659775558958512017-11-28T21:20:00.001-06:002017-11-28T21:20:54.063-06:00The Move is Done!This summer we moved to another state. I wrote a blog post with some advice on <a href="http://sphereofannihilation.blogspot.com/2017/06/moving-your-game-collection.html" target="_blank">moving a large game collection.</a> The move is done and I have some more advice.<br />
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1. Do your research! We went with a broker instead of a regular moving company. We did this to save money. In hindsight we would not do this again. All a broker does is hire a cheap mover to move your stuff. These cheap movers are often of dubious quality and operate in the grey areas of moving laws and regulations. I don't think our move would have been perfect if we went with a mainstream company, but I definitely would not use a broker again.<br />
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2. Be prepared for stuff to get messed up! Before the move I read many articles on how to pack. They said things like, "Label boxes with fragile tiles TLO for top load only." I wrote TLO on many boxes. When the movers showed up they did whatever the hell they wanted. They ignored labels and put boxes where ever they wanted. They didn't even have stickers to mark our stuff. If there is something that is extra-special, take it with you and don't let it go on the truck.<br />
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3. Get heavy duty boxes! I bought moving boxes from various stores. When I was at Lowes there were two kinds, regular and heavy duty. The heavy duty boxes were about double the cost of the regular. However, they are worth it for keeping your stuff in good condition. As I stated above, the movers threw boxes into the truck with no regard for what was in them. Almost all of the regular boxes were sunken in by the end of the move. This resulted in some bent books and game boxes. The few heavy duty boxes that I bought kept their integrity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AXvrdtq1cE8/Wh4mBYFN6NI/AAAAAAAAByk/PMy_QEOMnMoy1ZzOJjIbWFfMbz-9FmBVwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AXvrdtq1cE8/Wh4mBYFN6NI/AAAAAAAAByk/PMy_QEOMnMoy1ZzOJjIbWFfMbz-9FmBVwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1896.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could say that the Axis got "crushed." Despite the battered box all of the game components were unharmed and are in playable condition.</td></tr>
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Moving is rough. Next time I have to move I will do things differently. Now we are set up in our new place and are in the process of adjusting to our new lives. Hopefully when things are more settled I can post more. Game on!Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-15623178761750755462017-09-12T20:22:00.000-05:002017-09-12T20:22:12.287-05:00Suspense & Decision Magazine issue 17 is out, and I have an article in it!<i>Suspense & Decision</i> is a free web-published magazine dedicated to play-by-mail gaming. Play-by-mail is an old school style of gaming. Flying Buffalo, publishers of Tunnels & Trolls, started out as a play-by-mail company and is still running games today. If you want to gain some insight into the current state of the play-by-mail hobby, <i>Suspense and Decision</i> is a great magazine to read. Issue 17 is out and I have an article in it. It is a review of <a href="http://reality.com/dmprosp.htm" target="_blank">Duel2</a>, a pbm game run by <a href="http://reality.com/" target="_blank">Reality, Inc</a>. <br />
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You can download the latest issue, or any of the back issues, from <a href="https://suspense-and-decision.com/" target="_blank">suspense-and-decision.com.</a> You can read my review of Duel2, which is a great game for people who have never tried play-by-mail. Personally, I am intrigued by the ad on page 27 for something called Dark Commonwealth. It appears to be a pbm role-playing game in supernatural Olde England. Go grab a copy. It's free!</div>
<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-29086521483153367612017-08-17T12:18:00.000-05:002017-08-17T12:18:03.993-05:00State of the Blog: Not at Gen Con EditionThis blog has been silent for a while. The last post talked about how I was packing up my sizable game collecting in preparation for a move. Well, we have moved to our new destination. However, we still do not have our stuff. In fact, we have been without our stuff for 48 days. I will not bore you with the effects sleeping on an air mattress is doing to my spine or how many cooking uses I have come up with for aluminum foil. We have been existing in a state of limbo, hitting the point where we have begun to think, "Perhaps we will never see our stuff again."<br />
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While all the lucky gamers are running around Gen Con looking at the new edition of <a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/8/11/twilight-imperium-fourth-edition/" target="_blank">Twilight Imperium</a> or Paizo's new sci-fi rpg <a href="https://paizo.com/starfinder" target="_blank">Starfinder</a>, I sit in a bare room typing this post. I did bring my Magic the Gathering cards with me, as well as a copy of the new Conan rpg and my copy of Star Fleet Battles. I didn't pack the Magic cards because I wanted to have something to play while our stuff was in boxes, and the Conan rpg and Star Fleet Battles arrived in the mail after our belongings were carted off. However, without a table or a group, these games are sitting in the closet. Also, my energy has been drained by the move and it has been hard to think about gaming.<br />
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I am still playing two PBM games, Hyborian War and Starweb. I hope to head down to the local game stores and play some Magic, but right now we are at the mercy of other people's agendas and schedules. In fact, this move reminds me of an online Diplomacy game that I am playing. I have one Austrian army that is being pushed around between Italy and Turkey. Maybe one day I will get one of my home centers back, just like one day we may get our stuff delivered.<br />
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I hope this post leads to more. Good luck and good gaming to everyone! Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-38668225213093236532017-06-26T15:59:00.000-05:002017-06-26T15:59:27.707-05:00Moving Your Game Collection!There hasn't been a post for a while as we are in the process of packing up our house. So today's post is a warning to all the collectors out there. Moving a huge game collection is no joke. Here are some tips.<br />
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<b>1. Stop buying games right now!</b><br />
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Seriously, do you need more games? How many rpg splat books do you own already? Look at your collection. Have you played all of those games? Start enjoying what you have. At the very least think about buying PDFs instead of game books. I will admit that while I have been packing I have received my copy of the new Conan rpg and a copy of Starfleet Battles.<br />
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<b> 2. Give games away!</b><br />
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I did follow this rule. Are there games you will not play again? Games you won't play? Spread the love and give them to someone who will enjoy them. Sell them, trade them, give them to a teacher. Every game out of the collection is one less game you have to pack up.<br />
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<b>3. Use all available space!</b><br />
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There is a popular board game podcast called The Dice Tower. The host, Tom Vasel, moved a large game collection from South Korea to Florida. I listened to his podcast during the move and he talked about fitting games inside other games. Think about all the empty space in those game boxes. Shove a few card games in there.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnI9VY7Ex20/WVF0eAiGa8I/AAAAAAAABqA/fjR2UelmWdo-8aa5Jfluqs-QqZ_aza4bQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnI9VY7Ex20/WVF0eAiGa8I/AAAAAAAABqA/fjR2UelmWdo-8aa5Jfluqs-QqZ_aza4bQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1610.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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In the above picture I have placed the My Little Pony ccg inside a wargame box. Strange bedfellows for sure, but the more I can condense the better.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZou3ebiaHg/WVF00KOR4WI/AAAAAAAABqE/dFV-sar_3cASwy8oEuN13VHByv0e3oh5QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZou3ebiaHg/WVF00KOR4WI/AAAAAAAABqE/dFV-sar_3cASwy8oEuN13VHByv0e3oh5QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1614.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is another example where I fit my Heroclix maps inside another wargame.<br />
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For all of you who have moved a game collection, I salute you. It is a tough task. I leave you with a few more photos of the job.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A table full of games!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many they spill onto the floor!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si0XwHUiqJU/WVF1RSuPAII/AAAAAAAABqI/fSDY27GZuEQhEqMWjK-N9-VQ47NPkD1zgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si0XwHUiqJU/WVF1RSuPAII/AAAAAAAABqI/fSDY27GZuEQhEqMWjK-N9-VQ47NPkD1zgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1613.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tightly packed box!</td></tr>
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<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-41239383887530754442017-05-02T18:39:00.003-05:002017-05-03T06:56:19.173-05:00Rolling Wednesday: Quickest Kickstarter Ever!I got my <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1398817948/the-diminishing-knight-die" target="_blank">Diminishing Knight</a> dice in the mail last week! I would have posted them last Wednesday but I already had a post ready to go. They are nice and big and I even got a cool fridge magnet. Hats off to Black Oak Workshop. This is one of the fastest Kickstarter fulfillments I have ever had.<br />
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Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-10409526144889746422017-04-24T14:49:00.001-05:002017-04-26T21:27:51.871-05:00Rolling Wednesday: Random.org<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There are various dice rollers on the internet. Today I wanted to share one of my favorites, <a href="http://random.org/">random.org</a>. This site is actually a site for generating random numbers. They explain how most computer programs use pseudo-random methods to create random numbers. Random.org uses "atmospheric noise" to produce truly random results. There are some great articles explaining how the site works and how it achieves randomness. My favorite is the <a href="https://www.random.org/analysis/" target="_blank">article</a> that shows two bitmaps side by side; one generated by random.org and one by the Microsoft Windows random number generator.</div>
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There are two ways that you can use random.org as a dice roller. They have a <a href="https://www.random.org/dice/" target="_blank">dedicated die-roller page</a>, where you can roll up to 60 six-sided dice at a time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmGwNCkazVI/WP5UdQFHV3I/AAAAAAAABkA/EEMXqfctpHIQR2EpS9fHBp_MP4lyIaRCwCLcB/s1600/random.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmGwNCkazVI/WP5UdQFHV3I/AAAAAAAABkA/EEMXqfctpHIQR2EpS9fHBp_MP4lyIaRCwCLcB/s640/random.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I rolled boxcars on random.org<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
If you want to roll other types of dice then you have to use the <a href="https://www.random.org/integers/" target="_blank">integer generator</a>. You can have it generator a number between 1 and 20 for a good old d20 roll.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've set it up to generate a d20 roll. Note that you can have it generate more than one number at a time.</span><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I rolled a 4</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://random.org/">Random.org</a> has other great uses. You can use it to randomize lists, shuffle a deck of cards, pick lotto numbers, and even white noise. I use it in education to randomize lists of students and answer choices. They have an app that you can download. The app has a coin flipper that allows you to pick different coin images. You know nerds made it because one of the coins that you can use is Two-Face's double-headed coin. The app gives you the coin flipper for free and for a small fee you can unlock the other features.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJvP2RDiohw/WP5SpYKxeJI/AAAAAAAABjw/UD0u_T86R9AhwDtF_uktqtseI7VOXNarQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1528.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJvP2RDiohw/WP5SpYKxeJI/AAAAAAAABjw/UD0u_T86R9AhwDtF_uktqtseI7VOXNarQCLcB/s320/IMG_1528.PNG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two-Face's coin on the app</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling character stats on the app</td></tr>
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<a href="http://random.org/">Random.org</a> is a cool website and it is worth a visit to see what it can do. I recommend it.<br />
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Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-9982646513926631892017-04-19T16:46:00.001-05:002017-04-19T16:46:08.242-05:00Rolling Wednesday: Stone DiceToday's dice is a set of stone six-siders that I picked up at the Natural History Museum in Houston. They are nice and hefty. I don't dare roll them because I am afraid that I will either break the dice or the table. They look cool and make great props, though.<br />
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<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-13603617220133503562017-04-12T06:24:00.000-05:002017-04-12T06:24:23.125-05:00Rolling Wednesday: Round DiceThis is a round die. It belonged to a pair but I lost the other one long ago. The die has a weight inside of it. You roll the die and the weight eventually brings it to a stop. I loved my round dice when I was a kid. I thought they were really neat. The problem with them is that the results are not always clear. Sometimes they will stop "in between" numbers, Anyway, it is a cool die to have in the collection.<br />
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Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-30050049501280668022017-04-08T14:13:00.002-05:002017-04-08T14:13:51.125-05:00State of Gaming: Play-by-MailI have been very busy. Real life events are drastically cutting into gaming time. I would love to have 3-4 hour chunks of time to dedication to a board game or an rpg session. Instead, I am getting 15 minute chunks of time sandwiched between frantic activity and exhaustion. I began some play-by-mail games in order to get my gaming fix while real life devours my time and energy. They work well because in my 15 minute chunks of free time I can prepare my turns, send them off, and then all I have to do is wait for my turn results to arrive. I am currently playing two games and I signed up for a third.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-54jnUhR4udk/WOkjJRtJDUI/AAAAAAAABhw/zTCwXkXWIV0KnfdT5M-ykdoYrH06n1R0ACLcB/s1600/800px-France_in_XXI_Century._Air_postman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-54jnUhR4udk/WOkjJRtJDUI/AAAAAAAABhw/zTCwXkXWIV0KnfdT5M-ykdoYrH06n1R0ACLcB/s400/800px-France_in_XXI_Century._Air_postman.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Your play-by-mail turn has arrived!"</td></tr>
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<b>Duel2</b><br />
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Duel2 is a game of gladiator combat run by <a href="http://reality.com/" target="_blank">Reality Simulations</a>. In the game you have a stable of five gladiators in a fantasy world. There are elves, orcs, and other fantasy races but magic and spells do not factor into the gameplay. Each turn you pick one to five of your gladiators that you wish to fight. You arm them and pick their fighting strategy. You can also challenge warriors and avoid challenges, which adds some strategy to the game. Each turn you receive a print-out describing the fights.<br />
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I like the game. It is simple and fun. I have graduated from the newbie arena and am currently fighting in Aruak City. I plan to write up a review of this game soon. If you are new to play-by-mail Duel2 is a a great game to start with.<br />
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<b>Hyborian War</b><br />
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<a href="http://reality.com/hwpcont.htm" target="_blank">Hyborian War</a> is a war game that is also run by Reality Simulations. As the name suggests it takes place during the Hyborian Age created by Robert E. Howard. Each player controls a kingdom, and you have the choice of playing a large, medium, or small kingdom. I am currently ruling <a href="https://hyboria.xoth.net/gazetteer/punt.htm" target="_blank">Punt</a>, a small kingdom. This game is a grand simulation. You engage in diplomacy, spying, and warfare. When battles occur you decide how to line up your troops, what strategy to use, and what spells to cast.<br />
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The big draw for this game is that it takes place in the world of Conan. According to the rules Conan wanders around the map and can show up in your kingdom. The game is a good low-fantasy wargame. I have the found the rules to be a tad confusing but I am having fun with the game. If you sign up to play I recommend the site <a href="http://www.warbarron.com/rok/index.php" target="_blank">warbarron.com</a>. It has forums for people playing Hyborian War and is full of advice and strategy tips. You will need to register for an account to view anything.<br />
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<b>Starweb</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/starweb.htm" target="_blank">Starweb</a> is a science fiction exploration/wargame run by <a href="http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/" target="_blank">Flying Buffalo</a>. I have read the rules and signed up for a game. That brings me to one of the downsides of play-by-mail, waiting for games to start. It can take months for companies to have enough players sign up before they can start a game. I encourage anyone reading this to try a play-by-mail game if only for the reason that we can get some games started faster!<br />
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Starweb is a game in which space travel takes place through a series of warp gates. You spend your time exploring gates, taking over planets, and battling and trading with other players. There are different roles, for example you can play a race of killer robots or a group of religious fanatics a la Dune. There is an interesting game mechanic where each player bids a certain number of points at the beginning of the game. Those numbers are averaged and then the game's stopping point is set from that average. When the game starts I will post more about my experience with it.<br />
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I have been happy with my play-by-mail experiences. If you want to learn more about the state of play-by-mail gaming check out the following resources:<br />
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<a href="http://www.playbymail.net/" target="_blank">playbymail.net</a><br />
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<a href="https://suspense-and-decision.com/" target="_blank">Suspense and Decision</a><br />
<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-91434300698393182492017-04-05T06:26:00.000-05:002017-04-05T06:26:29.122-05:00Rolling Wednesday: Pizza Dice (and more!) KickstarterThis is another shout out for a dice Kickstarter. Rick Loomis of Flying Buffalo (the company that publishes Tunnels and Trolls) is doing a Kickstarter to make more of his pizza dice. Pizza dice are a product that Flying Buffalo sells. The idea is that you roll the dice and they tell you what pizza toppings to get. The faces of the old pizza dice were printed. The esteemed Mr. Loomis is trying to raise money for a mold, so that the new pizza dice will be engraved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old pizza dice. The new ones will have the words engraved in the faces.</td></tr>
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You don't just get two pizza dice with this Kickstarter. For ten dollars you get ten dice. Two pizza dice, five adventure dice (for generating things like traps and treasure), a nuclear die, a monster reaction dice, and a fast food die. <br />
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My description does not do this project justice so please check out the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/994700393/pizza-dice-adventure-dice-and-more?ref=nav_search" target="_blank">Pizza Dice Kickstarter</a>.<br />
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I will end by saying that I have been ordering products from Rick over at <a href="http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/" target="_blank">Flying Buffalo</a> for ten years. He has some of the best gaming products for the best value around. His customer service is excellent. Plus, he sells one of my favorite rpgs (Tunnels and Trolls!).Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511008681179474873.post-65651769375660022972017-04-01T09:18:00.001-05:002017-04-01T09:18:10.999-05:00Adventures in Free Gaming: Federation Commander - First MissionsI love free games. This week I got to play another free game that I downloaded off of the internet. It is called <a href="http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/FCFirstMissions.pdf" target="_blank">Federation Commander - First Missions</a>. Federation Commander is a streamlined version of the Star Trek inspired wargame Star Fleet Battles. Just like Star Fleet Battles, the game's publisher has posted a beginner version of the game online. I have posted before about <a href="https://sphereofannihilation.blogspot.com/2016/03/adventures-in-free-gaming-star-fleet.html" target="_blank">Star Fleet Battles</a>. My advice is to start with Federation Commander first.<br />
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Federation Commander: First Missions is a 34 page PDF that contains all of the rules, maps, and counters that you will need to play the game. The rules include a Federation and Klingon ship and two scenarios. The rules are a stripped-down version of the Federation Commander rules, as rules for drones and seeking weapons (missiles) are removed and some of the more complex movement rules are missing. However, this does not diminish from the rich tactical experience that the game provides.<br />
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The game simulates space combat between a Klingon and Federation warship. During the game you use energy to power your ship's movement and weapons. The game reminds me of Car Wars in that you pick your speed and then that speed determines on which part of the turn you move. The game is very tactical as maneuvering your ship correctly can mean life or death. Weapons have certain firing arcs so you want to be in the right position to send your photon torpedoes down your enemy's throat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two ships fight it out. These counters are actually from the Star Fleet Battles PDF.</td></tr>
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Energy is the currency of the game. Your ship produces energy from its warp engines. Energy is used for movement, firing weapons, and reinforcing shields. This will put you in situations where you will have to make tough choices, such as do you save energy for firing your weapons or do you use it to repair that damaged shield? Also, if your engines take damage then you will produce less energy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Klingon Battlecruiser</td></tr>
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This game makes me feel like I am a true spaceship captain. I have to manage my ship while trying to outfox my opponent. The PDF comes with two scenarios. One is a ship vs. ship duel, which is what we played. The other is a convoy scenario. The PDF is easy to read and contains counters and a hex map that you will need to print out in order to play the game. My only complaint is that the PDF has a decorative border running down the side of each page. The border is a black strip with stars on it. It may look nice but it eats up ink when printing, so I went to Kinko's to print out my copy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My opponent shortly before being disintigrated</td></tr>
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If you are into Star Trek or space combat then I would check this game out. Also, if you think Star Fleet Battles seems too complex then try out Federation Commander first.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/FCFirstMissions.pdf" target="_blank">Federation Commander: First Missions</a><br />
<br />Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01148355883012293080noreply@blogger.com