Force Operations Part II (Rolling some dice and stuff)

Hey Battletech Fans, we’re back with another look at using the Contract rules in Campaign Operations.  Check back through our blog for anything with a title like Force Construction to figure out how we got here.  It’s January of 3025, and the Tombstones are ready to roll for their first assignment from the Comstar Overlords...i mean mercenary work.  As a government force, they always have the option to take a garrison contract which pays all of their peacetime costs if a different contract is unavailable.  Let’s dig right in.

Adventurer's League Season 1, Part 6

ll right Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We are looking at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Today we’re going to check out DDEX 1-10 Tyranny in Phlan, and DDEX 1-11 Dark Pyramid of Sorcerer’s Isle

The Tome of Beasts (The Fey)

Hey Game Fans, Zardoz back to give you a closer look at the tremendously fantastic Tome of Beasts.  The Campaign setting I am working on is a Fey built world, and the Tome of Beasts from Kobold Press is absolutely bananas for filling in my fey setting.  Let's take a look at some of the fantastic fey critters banging around inside the Tome of Beasts.

100th Post (Sweet Zombie Action, how did we get to 100 posts)

All right, I'm going to make this one a quick one, since it's our 100th before resuming our regularly scheduled slapstick and hilarity.  Since we're having a  massive sale this weekend, we'll be out of the office tomorrow packing tubs and boxes of books for sale. 
 

Mitch Gitelman Interview

In our second of hopefully many interviews to come, we were able to borrow some time from Mitch Gitelman, the studio head at HareBrained Schemes.  He was nice enough to answer or questions and give us some insights on putting together a computer game, his love for it, and the passion he has for the fans of the Battletech universe.  Thank you again for taking the time to answer some questions from one of the fans.

 

World Building

Dungeons and Dragons benefits from the creativity of the people playing in it, and one of the most dramatic expressions of that creativity is building your own campaign setting.  There are a ton of entertaining settings that have cropped up for D & D over the years.  No really, a ton:

 

Organizing your gaming life Section 2

Hey Game Fans, I’ve got a quick breakdown for helping you organize another critical element of planning to run your game.  Time management.  Time management is a bugbear that will sneak up on you and ruin your fun for the game you run.  Time’s sneaky, and it likes to slip out when you’re not paying attention to it.  Scenes take longer than planned, combats start in unusual circumstances, and your players just started a bar fight that you didn’t plan for.  Time’s not going to wait around for you to figure out what you’re going to do.  Fortunately, there are some shortcuts that you can use to maximize your time usage.

Player's Choice (Halfling Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Adventures in Middle Earth (Player's Guide: Races)

Greeting Game Fans and welcome back to Middle Earth.  Today we’re going to cover the races offered in the Adventures in Middle Earth: Player’s Guide as part of our coverage of that fantastic book.  Ever wanted to play a Dunedain, or a Dwarf from the Blue Mountains?  Pondered being a hobbit embarking on his first adventure?  Has the Riddermark called you across it’s plains and valleys?  This book has you covered and more.  So let’s dig into the Races of Middle Earth.

Adventurer's League Season 1 (Part 5)

ll right Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We are looking at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Today we’re going to check out DDEX 1-8 Tales Trees Tell, and DDEX 1-9 Outlaws of the Iron Route.

Force Operations Part I (Reputation is Everything)

All right Battletech Fans, today we’re going to take a closer look at the Force Operations rules from Campaign Operations. Today we’re going to look at the first thing you need to do to get your shiny new force out and about in the universe, score their reputation.  Reputation does a lot of work in helping you as a player, or a GM figure out just exactly what kind of missions you can likely find during the game.  It’s essential to move deeper into the force operation rules, so let’s go through each step of the process.  

Organizing your gaming life (For the DM, mostly)

Congratulations, you’ve been elected Dungeon Master for your play group, and with this tremendous power and authority comes a lot of record keeping and paper shuffling responsibilities.  There are a ton of different ways to organize your thoughts and keep track of your notes, but we’ll pull back the curtain for how we do it personally for Adventurer’s League play.  Is this the only way to do it?  Not at all, but it’s the way we’ve found works best for us.  

Interstellar Operations Book Review

Hey Battletech Fans, we’re back with our next book review.  We’re doing these in reverse order, so today we’re going to be covering Interstellar Operations (IO).   IO is full of interesting, optional rules and ways to play the game. It covers alternate historical eras of Battletech, strange technologies that are from those eras, and a couple of new and interesting ways to play Battletech.  Bear in mind that most of the technologies are covered in other sourcebooks, so if you’d been a faithful collector of the Battletech source material, you have probably seen this information before.  Having it all collected in one place is a wonderful index to finding the exact piece of tech you’re looking for and a discussion for the era surrounding it.  The second half of the book covers some advanced game ideas and a couple of gaming subsystems that can affect the way you play Battletech.  Without further ado, let’s dive right in.  

 

Player's Choice (Elf Edition)

(It’s Elf day)

 

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

 

Call of Cthulhu: Investigator's Handbook (First Look)

The Call of Cthulhu Investigator’s Handbook is the player’s guide for the 7thedition of the Call of Cthulhu.  It’s an essential book for players of Call of Cthulhu, and contains everything that a player will need in order to dig into the Cthulhu Mythos, explore strange places, and discover things man was not meant to know.  Let’s take it from the top and work our way down through it. 

Tome of Beasts for 5th Edition (Kobold Press)

The Tome of Beasts

Hey Game Fans, we’re taking a look at a Third Party publication for Dungeons and Dragons 5^th edition today.  Kobold Press has recently released their Tome of Beasts to some smash reviews.  We got our grubby little mitts on it, so we’re going to dive right in and see what fresh hellacious monsters we can add to our dungeons and dragons game. 

Player Choices (Dwarf Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

 

This is Not a Test (Warband Construction)

All right Game Fans, Today we’re going to take a nice long look at building your warband for This is Not a Test.  We’re going to go over the nuts and bolts of the unit entries and start to breakdown the important stats you’re going to need for understand for getting maximum fun.

Remember, you have six factional choices to pick from, but they all share some key characteristics.  Let’s take a closer look at putting together a warband for This is Not a Test.

Warhammer TV Live Streaming Events

The fine folks at Warhammer TV did something that we around the office have been hoping they would do for years.  They live streamed an Age of sigmar tournament that was being hosted at Warhammer World (the shop/bar/museum/entertainment center/oh my god it’s so pretty) in Nottingham.  Streaming war games has become increasingly popular in the last couple of years, and there are some excellent places where you can catch live streamed games.  You can also catch others on Youtube, but that’s a different article.  So how did those plucky chaps at Warhammer World do for hosting their first live stream?  Let’s dig in and find out.

A Case for Strahd (Opinion)

I Was banging around on Twitter last night and saw the Chris Perkins was basically fielding questions from fans, so i tossed him one.  

ChrisPerkinsDnD What's your personal favorite TSR module to run? How about playing?

Chris, being the kind soul that he is, replied.

(((Chris Perkins))) Retweeted Zardoz Industries The answer to both questions is Ravenloft. #WOTCstaff

This spawned some other questions that followed along this line of thought, but i have to admit, Ravenloft is one of my favorite adventures from the TSR period of D & D.  (My absolute personal favorite is Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, but that’s a different movie).  Ravenloft has spawned a campaign setting of its own, novels, and has been a touchstone of the Dungeons and Dragons experience since its release in 1983.  This module does a couple of things that are a different way of looking at how adventures could be written, and i would argue that the Hickmans gave Dungeons and Dragons its first, major marquee villain in Count Strahd von Zarovich.

It is very much an homage to the horror genre, and it plays like a horror movie, complete with spooky castle, terrified villagers, gypsies, and one of the most iconic vampires that no one (outside of our gaming circles) has ever heard of.  Playing through this adventure feels like surviving a horror movie, (if you make it of course) and like surviving the Tomb of Horrors, it’s a badge of honor to say you’ve taken the challenge of Ravenloft and survived to tell the tale.  

So what does Ravenloft do that previous adventures don’t?  Well, for one Strahd’s motivations aren’t certain when the adventure starts.  By interacting with the gypsy folk of Barovia, (the fictional village where this adventure takes place) the players can learn the story of Strahd and begin their quest to find their way out of Ravenloft  (Did we mention the entire border is covered by a killer no saves fog?).  Players will get to experience a wonder of Gothic monstrosities on their way to find the secret weapons that can help them defeat Strahd.  

The other thing that we really like about this adventure is that Strahd will not wait around for you to come kill him.  He’s an active part of the environment that you can encounter anywhere in his domain.  With the statistics to kill an entire party of characters (if he gets the drop on them), he’s as serious as the grave.  Worse, he’s an intelligent monster who will use what he knows to his advantage.  For the first time, we see what a thinking, intelligent monster is capable of doing in a Dungeons and Dragons environment.  

He’s one of the earliest named villains that i can remember from Dungeons and Dragons.  Some folks might remember Tiamat, or Demogorgon (You Stranger Things kids are welcome to the party).  Very few old gamers will remember the name Eclavadra (she’s the bad girl in the Queen of the Demonweb Pits supermodule).  If you mention the name Strahd around a certain age of gamers, you will get a reaction.  He’s the first TSR created bad guy that could really make that claim.  (The Hickmans along with Margaret Weis would go on to create Lord Soth, the tragic dark knight of Dragonlance)

Ravenloft has spawned numerous adaptations and treatments, and is one of the touchstones of the horror genre Dungeons and Dragons games.  His most recent return comes in the Curse of Strahd book, released for the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons.  Conveniently, this book was written by Chris Perkins and his deep love of the setting shows in that majestic adventure.  

Warhammer 40,000 Factions (Part II)

Afternoon Game Fans, today we’re going to take a deeper look at the various armies you can choose from for the wargame Warhammer 40,000.  There are a variety of choices you can select from, so we’ll look at each faction along three ideas.  Army aesthetic, play style, and numbers are all important characteristics when looking at your first army for warhammer 40k, all though i suggest new players look at the army aesthetic first.  If you don’t like the look of your army, it’s going to detract from your involvement from the game.  

Campaign Operations Part VII (Working for the Weekend)

We’ finally completed the construction of a Battletech military unit using the campaign operation rules set.  Today we’re going to look at some of the other optional rules that are available to use with the force construction system, and take a look at getting started with the force operations system.  We’ve got some ideas for where to go next, but we’d like a little input from you guys, so if you have the time, go ahead and answer the little poll over on the right hand side of the blog.

Adventurer's League Season 1 (Part IV)

All right Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We are looking at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Today we’re going to check out DDEX 1-6 The Scroll Thief, and DDEX 1-7 Drums in the Marsh.

Quick Question (we made a poll)

We're putting together a poll to help us figure out what you guys would like us to write about.  Take a minute and fill out our easy survey.  Thanks for taking a minute to take our survey (It's literally one question).

Thanks Game Fans


 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/88R6HHX

Marvel Universe Miniatures Game (Mutants)

As part of our series on the Marvel Universe Miniatures Game, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the factions and their available models.  Last week we covered the new releases (including the Dark Avengers, Dr. Doom, and the Thing). Today we’re going to cover the mutants, and it’s a good starting point for a new player, for a couple of reasons.  There are two starter boxes for the mutant faction, allowing you to pursue either the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or the X-men.  In addition to the starter boxes, both groups have additional blisters you can pick up.  On top of that are a group of neutral mutants that you can use to flesh out either side.  With 14 total models, this is probably the largest group available that has both good guys and bad guys in it.  

 

Battletech: The Game for PC (Coming in 2017)

All right game fans, we’re going to knuckle down and talk about one of our favorite things, and the only thing we’ve personally backed on Kickstarter, Battletech.  Aiming for a release window in 2017 (we’re not completely sure when in 2017, but i have faith that they will deliver “the goods” in a timely fashion) Battletech returns to the tabletop as a turn based strategy for the first time in a very long time.  Battletech has been used as source material for a lot of games over the years, and a fair number of players get their start from the computer and console games before coming over to the tabletop side of things.  We’re going to do a brief cover of what we know, and what we hope to be true for this game.  

Adventures in Middle Earth: Player's Guide (First Looks)

Cubicle 7 Entertainment took on a daunting task worthy of Fellowship and adventure.  They put together a campaign setting that uses the Middle Earth from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series using the fifth edition rules for Dungeons and Dragons.  What they’ve accomplished is an amazing interpretation of the source material that provides you with an excellent game setting to tell your own adventures in the wild places of Middle Earth.  

Getting Started with the Fictional World of Battletech

Morning Game Fans, Today we’re going to take a slightly different look at the Battletech Universe.  We’re going to put together a beginner’s guide to the fictional universe of Battletech.  If you’re looking to start with novels, We recommend the following novels to give you an idea of the universe from a couple of different viewpoints.  We make no claims about the quality of the writing, but if you're looking to get started with the Battletech Universe's fiction, here's our suggestions

 

Getting Started as the Dungeon Master

Realistically, we should have put an article like this together sooner.  It’s nearly impossible to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons without a Dungeon Master, and we’ve got some ideas and suggestions to make your first game go off without a hitch.  Being a Dungeon Master can be tricky, so you need to figure out what things you might need in order to make the job easier for you.  Remember, it’s just a game, and if you aren’t having fun, you might not be seeing the point the way the rest of us do.  

 

Storm King's Thunder (Review)

Today we’re going to take a long look at Storm King’s Thunder, the latest adventure from Wizards of the Coast.  Giants have cast a long shadow over Dungeons and Dragons, and this is a fine addition to that legacy.  Set in the Forgotten Realms, Storm King’s Thunder continues the overall story from the Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat.  Giants are on the move in the Forgotten Realms, and the Small Folk have to deal with the consequences.  Let’s dive in and see what sort of trouble we can get up to.

 

First of all, this is probably our favorite adventure that Wizards of the Coast has released for 5th edition.  It’s majestic in its scale, and is a world altering epic that has the potential to change the face of the Forgotten Realms.  It’s got cloud castles, and giants, an ancient dragon slaying war machine, did we mention giants?  From the start to the thrilling conclusion, Storm King’s Thunder is a thrill ride with mighty foes, epic locations, and a story that will pull you in and keep you enthralled.  

Weekly Review

All right Game Fans, we’re going to engage in some chicanery today because we’re working on different equipment than we’re used to.  With the untimely demise of Work Horse 1, we have to adjust our article writing and publishing schedule a little bit.  That’s all right with us, but it means we’re covering things a little differently.  So moving forward we’re going to be doing a combined week in review, week going forward so that you can catch up on what were talked about last week and what we’re going to be talking about for this week. Let’s get this thing started, shall we?

 

Op-Ed The Wrong Way to Play Dungeons and Dragons (Spoiler alert, there isn't one)

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the growth of people playing Dungeons and Dragons, but there are a couple of things that we need to discuss so you get the most out of your experience and actually enjoy the game you’re playing.  We around the office are of the opinion that you should probably enjoy the game you’re playing, it’s better for everyone that way.  

 

The Call of Cthulhu (First Look at Old Classic)

Chaosium Inc has recently released their 7th edition of their groundbreaking horror role-playing game the Call of Cthulhu.  Based on the shared horror universe of H.P. Lovecraft and his contemporaries, the Call of Cthulhu is a game of sinister cults, secrets man wasn’t meant to know, and the existence of entities so powerful and so dangerous that the idea of their existence drives mere mortals to madness.  It’s a dark and sinister world full of questions you shouldn’t ask to people you shouldn’t see.  Let’s take a closer look at the newest edition of Call of Cthulhu

Campaign Operations (Book Review)

Morning Battletech Fans, we hope you had a grand old time at PAXwest, or DragonCon, or the NOVA open last weekend.  Today we’re going to dive into the latest book in the Operations series for Battletech, Campaign Operations.  Originally intended for inclusion in the Interstellar  Operations book that came out a couple of years ago (and yes, we’ll cover that one as well in time), it turned into just too big of a book to manage, so it was split off into its volume.  Let’s not waste any time and dive right in.  



The Grey Death Legion are here

The Army Painter (First Serious Looks)

Today we’re going to take a look at one of the many companies that produce the tools to put together your tiny plastic soldiers for you fantasy and science fiction battlefields.  We really, really like The Army Painter.  WIth a range of tools, paints, and other scenic elements, The Army Painter provides the full set of equipment you’ll need to take your models from their bare plastic sprues to looking like tabletop heroes in no time.  

With a hobby like tabletop wargaming, it’s always important to make sure that you’re getting the best value for your money.  The Army Painter is an incredibly economical choice.  We all want our models to look the best they can.  Army Painter does it at a very reasonable price.  Today we’re going to look at their painting system, so grab your paint and brushes, and let’s get decorated.  

Shows you Should be watching (Part III)

As we get better at integrating Youtube and twitch.tv with our growing digital empire (seriously, we have a camera and a tablet) we are always looking for new and interesting shows that are games, gamers, or game related.  This week brought us some new friends on twitter, a new discovery on youtube, and a couple of new episodes for some of our favorites.

Marvel Universe Miniatures Game pt 2

Our idea for last week was to show off the powers and to go over the turn cycle, but that got a little side tracked with new releases.  So we’re back with that initial idea.  Abilities represent the superhuman capabilities (offensive and defensive) that help to define a character.  Some characters don’t have a lot of abilities, but all characters that we’ve seen so far have at least one.  Before we get any further, let’s break down the components of an ability.  

Campaign Operations Part VI (Hey look, we caught a math error )

All right battletech fans, we're back with another part in our series on the new Battletech Campaign Operations.  We're still digging into the rules for constructing your own force and today we're going to show off our new spreadsheet, fill in some blanks, and do some of the record keeping that's essential from moving to the constructing a force stage to running a force.

Some extra special updates:

Drewbacca has done his rolling and came up with around 50 million C-Bills to purchase his starting force for House Davion.  He assures me he's looking at the charts, making his list and checking it twice. 

We made a goof in the math on our side, more to follow below the jump.

Hopefully we'll have time to finish painting/taking pictures of our Tombstones this week so you can see them up in a gallery soon.

Look forward to a broader book review on the Campaign Operations book itself next week.

Without further ado, let's build some units.

Warhammer 40K quick looks (Surprises)

Warhammer snuck in a couple of surprises on us in the last couple of weeks.  

They re-released an updated Kill Team rules set.  If you buy the new starter, you can pick up a Space Marine tactical squad, a Tau fire warrior squad, the new Kill Team rules booklet, and the small book version of the Warhammer 40,000 rules.  That’s a stupendous value for $65.  If you’re interested in getting into Warhammer 40,000 but are overwhelmed by the options, this is an excellent starting point for two people.  

Traitor’s Hate opens up a new set of army choices for the Chaos Space Marines.  This looks like it could be a lot of fun and may introduce the army to new players.  We like introductions, and this looks like it could be another good start.

The full Deathwatch release is out, and it looks like it could be a lot of fun for people looking for a finely tuned, precision army.  With incredibly small units that don’t break the bank, you can put a lot of specialists together for exactly what you want your army to do.  Looks like fun, we may tinker with it next week.  

New Chaos Psychic powers.  THey’re not new, but they are skinned a little differently from their loyalist psychic powers.  The deck is very helpful for people who want to be able keep track at a glance, and we think that’s pretty sweet.

Theoretically, next week has a Blood Angels rules update, but we’ll have to see what the future holds for that.  


All right game fans, that’s our quick looks at what is new in the Warhammer 40K universe.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen Review (It's a little late)

Hoard of the Dragon Queen is the first adventure published for the latest edition of Dungeons and Dragons.  Set in the fantastic world of the Forgotten Realms, Hoard of the Dragon Queen (HotDQ) is a throwback to the printed adventure/campaign sets of yore.  It’s built to take characters from level 1 all the way up to level 8, and then segues into Rise of Tiamat for levels 9-15.  We’re covering this book almost two years after its release (and we’re doing that for the sake of completeness), so spoilers are coming.  We’ll discuss some of the major plot elements of the adventure and look at some of the hijinks you’ll encounter.  

Op-Ed (Don't be the socially mal-adapted children you want to be)

Op-Ed

“You’re doing it wrong.”

“That’s not how that works”

“You’re rolling your dice wrong.” 

“Who the hell taught you how to play this game?”

“Your Fun is Wrong and you should feel bad for doing it that way.” 

How many times have you heard one of those thoughts escape from someone’s mouth?  How many times have you said this to someone at a shop, or your gaming table, or any of the myriad places you might end up catching a game?  Now we’re not saying there aren’t valid times and rationales that mandate correcting a mistaken rule, or checking with someone to make sure they understand the mechanics of a system.  However there are very rarely reasonable justifications to self-insert into someone’s game to “Fix Them.”

Adventurer's League Season 1 (Part 3)

All right Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We are looking at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Today we’re going to check out DDEX 1-4 Dues for the Dead, and DDEX 1-5 The Courting of Fire.

Role-Playing Game Survival Kit (How to be sure you're ready for that Dungeon and/or Dragon)

All right Game Fans, we’re off to the races with a quick reminder of the things that we’re sure you’re going to absolutely need to enjoy a session of your favorite RPG.  This is written with an eye towards Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, so adapting it to your favorite game system may be a little different, but we’re sure you fine gamer folks will be able to substitute in the things that you do or don’t need.

Western Themed Skirmish Wargaming (3 Flavors to choose from)

I swear the Enraged Wookie and i were having a conversation less than a month ago about a distinct lack of Western themed miniatures games, and evidently the universe agreed.  Within the last two weeks, i’ve seen Kickstarter campaigns, news stories and general snooping that have found three interesting miniatures games that have a decidedly Western theme.  Hang on to your spurs, we’re going to take a closer look.  

Terrain Suggestions for Multiverse Gaming

Terrain Suggestions for the Tombstone range for Multiverse Gaming Terrain

The question came up this weekend about what terrain pieces i think were missing from the Tombstone line.  After taking a look at the line, we’ve got 5 or so suggestions that will help flesh out this western town.

Week in Review 9/5/16

Week in Review 9/5/16

All right Game Fans, we’re bringing you our week in review for the week ending Monday, September 5th.  It’s Labor Day here in the states so we’re running a little later than normal.  It’s been a busy week around the office and for the gaming hobby in general. The sooner we get this started, the sooner we can get the rest of the week started.  

Fantasy Grounds (We like Apps, we're more familiar with the edible kind)

Afternoon Game Fans, today we’re going to take a look at a different product than we usually feature, we’re looking at the Fantasy Grounds application.  One of the defining traits of Taletop Role-playing Games is well, the Table.  Traditionally these are games that we gather on a weeknight or a weekend afternoon to play.  Whether we’re at a house gathered around a table, meeting at a shop, a game cafe or a community center, these games require a social gathering point to get started.

Warhammer 40,000: The Factions, Part I

Evening Game Fans, tonight we’re going to take a deeper look at the various armies you can choose from for the wargame Warhammer 40,000.  There are a variety of choices you can select from, so we’ll look at each faction along three ideas.  Army aesthetic, play style, and numbers are all important characteristics when looking at your first army for warhammer 40k, all though i suggest new players look at the army aesthetic first.  If you don’t like the look of your army, it’s going to detract from your involvement from the game.  

Remember, all of the factions we’re going to look at can be found at www.games-workshop.com.  All you need to do is select the warhammer 40,000 tab, and scroll down until you see the list of armies on the left hand side.  We’ll take it from the top, but we’re going to cover the broad groupings rather than each individual sub faction.

Death From Above ( A Closer Look)

Last week, we talked at your general direction about a show we like on Twitch called Death From Above.  A Battletech Role-playing show, Death From Above features Innovative game options, a different way of playing the game, and a cast of interesting characters.  Let's dive right in, and get you ready for catching up on the show we're going to be looking at.

Tombstones (Now with Pictures)

All right Game Fans, We promised we'd get pictures taken of some battlemechs, and well, we did our best.  This a rundown of the Tombstones Battalion with pictures.  Yes, we know the models aren't completely finished, and we're also aware that we are not professional painters of tiny plastic robots.  Let's get started with our picture show.

Tombstones for Battletech and Alpha Strike

Thoughts on Measuring Success in the Games we play

Thoughts on Success (and the mechanics of proving it in Gaming)

 

All right Game Fans, we’re about to look at some deep thoughts about what success is as it relates to a couple of different ideas.  The first half of this we’re going to talk about how success is measured as an outcome in terms of game play.  The second half we’re going to look at the underpinnings of the statistical basis for why those are good metrics for success (unless they are bad metrics, and if they are we’ll look at why they aren’t good metrics.  Finally, we might just take a look at how similar the underlying components of game design and educational theory might be.

 

Campaign Operations Part V (Finishing up the Creation process)

Good Afternoon Battletech Fans, we're back with another part in our series on Force Construction.  Remember, we're using the rules in the Campaign Operations book for Battletech published by Catalyst Game Labs.  We've got some quick updates on things in motion, and then we'll hopefully get this portion done so we can show off the force operation rules soon.  First, a few quick notes

Note 1:  Drewbacca has risen from his slumber and rolled his dice. With a budget of around 50 million C-Bills, he should have enough currency units to put together a Federated Suns light/medium combat group.  We'll have more on this next week

Note 2: Hopefully (and we mean it this time) we'll have pictures of the Tombstones by the end of the week.

Note 3:  We'll be adding our worksheet at the bottom of this post so you can tinker with it.  As a bonus, we'll also toss out the one for the Tombstones so you can see the working process. 

Now that that's out of the way, ready for some 'Mech mayhem?

A Closer Look at This is Not a Test (TNT) Part I

A Closer look at This is Not a Test.

All right Game Fans, we’re on another excursion into Post Apocalyptia today and we’re going to take a longer look at This is Not a Test (TNT) by Worlds End Publishing.  If you haven’t checked out our first looks, hop back to the main blog page and check last week’s offerings.  This is Not a Test is skirmish wargame set in the ruins of a world destroyed by nuclear destruction.  Players take control of a warband of survivors who are fighting for control of their environment and trying to scavenge a living from the ruins of the old world.  Today we’re going to look a little more closely at some basic rules and the breakdown of a character.