tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-367599202024-03-07T02:18:52.038-05:00Jabberwock's RestHome of a sleepless RPG author.
Welcome.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-48221629673007621182018-01-07T22:09:00.002-05:002018-01-07T22:25:16.950-05:00Game Review: Clank!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
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<b>This weekend I gave the board game <i>Clank!</i> a go for the first time.</b> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/201808/clank-deck-building-adventure" target="_blank">Clank!</a> is a board game with a deck building element in which the players are adventurers exploring a dungeon inhabited by a fierce dragon—their goal: escape alive with the most treasure!</div>
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As usual, I’m not providing a <a href="https://youtu.be/EZQyr5JkbBY" target="_blank">rules summary</a> here but simply my impressions (in this case, after a single three-player game).</div>
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<b>Components:</b> The components of Clank! are nice. The illustrations are good and the game board is two-sided, providing a more advanced side for when players are more familiar to the game. Some cards contain a variety of numbers that could possibly be confused by players in cases when a card has a cost number, skill point number, and victory point number on it, but the designers have color-coded the various values for more clarity.</div>
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<b>Style and Theme: </b>The theme of Clank! is well done. The illustrations and chits and board all together are both functional but also evoke a somewhat light-hearted dungeon romp. The game board appears a bit dry to the view—mostly occupied by pathways and shapes that represent rooms—but I think any additional illustration or embellishment there would probably come at the expense of functionality.</div>
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<b>Overall Play:</b> Lots of good stuff here.</div>
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<b>The deck building mechanic is fun</b>, and as a player what begins as a simply exercise playing a few cards grows as the game continues, adding more choices and card combinations. Likewise, there are many strategy options available to players—grab an easy artifact and rush to safety or risk delving deep? Purchase Market items to aid your play or forgo them? Concentrate on moving quickly or defeating monsters or building up gold? I love games that cater to different strategies and Clank ! manages to do this while still keeping the rules approachable enough that parents can play this with children.</div>
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<b>At times the deck building mechanic took a bit of getting used to.</b> My impulse when acquiring a new card was to think I could use it immediately, rather than folding it into my deck. Starting with a small “deck” of nine cards at the outset also means a bit of “deck juggling” to keep your hand, private discard pile, and private draw pile separate early on, though we did get used to this after a few rounds. We also ran into an issue where some cards tend to bunch up and the feeling that purchasing cards later in the game was likely purposeless because those cards would be unlikely to “work their way up” to the top for use before game-end. I think this last problem might be solved by having certain events, like dragon attacks, mandate that all players shuffle their private draw decks.</div>
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This game does suffer from what I find to be a common “Eurogame” issue—it’s hard to know who is ahead. In our game, all the players were fairly certain one player would win, only to be surprised to see that player come in last! Again, it’s a common problem among games in which you slowly accumulate victory points from different sources but I wish there were some easy way to track who was (generally) ahead.</div>
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Clank! adds a little bit of “screw your opponents” activity but not too much, which is good. The game never feels overly combative or mean-spirited and lends itself well to family play—indeed, it’s often your own decisions that come back to bite you in this game, and therein lies the fun.</div>
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This game also is a perfect example of the “push you luck” game type, balanced with lighter strategy options. Although card draws are random, the lack of dice kept things from getting <i>too</i> random— and playing Clank! I felt that if I won or lost it was primarily due to my own decisions. Some comparisons to the <i><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43868/adventurers-temple-chac" target="_blank">Adventurers</a></i> games are warranted here, as both games involve a “get out alive with the most treasure” theme. Comparing the two, the Adventurers games have nicer bits, but I felt that Clank! makes up for the difference in more strategic gameplay.</div>
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<b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Final Thoughts.</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;"> Clank! looks good, has a fun theme, and manages to present a variety of lighter strategic options while remaining very approachable. This game will definitely hit my table again. In addition, the design of the game begs for additional cards and similar expansions (as of this writing there is one major undersea expansion to the original game and a second stand-alone Clank! game set in space, but sadly no smaller card pack expansions). <i>Clank! is a keeper.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Components: B+</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Theme: B+</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Gameplay: B</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Overall: B+</b></span></div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-7074830925936261592017-08-20T12:45:00.002-04:002017-08-20T12:55:12.809-04:00Game Review: Cry Havoc<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Cry Havoc</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;"> is a rare case of a game that I like in a great many ways, yet also didn’t really leave me satisfied as a gamer. I'll try to explain. My experience with the game is based so far on a two-player game and a three-player game. No rule summaries here as usual (I highly recommend <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/">boardgamegeek.com</a> if you need that) just analysis and opinion.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><br />
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<i>First the good, and there’s a lot of it: </i></div>
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<b>Components:</b> The game components are gorgeous. The board and pieces are nicely illustrated, distinctive, and vibrant. Each position has unique miniatures with snap on colored bases that can easily be distinguished from one another—a great boon for a player that has suffered through various RISK and RISK-like games that had armies with colors a tad too similar. Opening the box, this was a game that I definitely wanted to play.</div>
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<b>The rulebook is solid.</b> Some things, especially combat, are easier taught live or via video (more on combat later). But the book covers all the bases and has an excellent section on setting up the game.</div>
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The design of the game shows a lot of care, and some game elements such as an on-board round marker make play easier. Card symbols are distinctive. The designer clearly has played many board games and incorporated some neat mechanics that game presentation makes easy to implement.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Style and Theme: </b>The theme here is good, however I think card wording and other things could have brought it out more.</span></div>
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<b>Overall Play:</b> Each player controls a distinct race, and each race is different when it comes to abilities and game play. After playing one race, I was anxious to try out another and see how it played. Varied special “add-on” abilities for each race and randomized map chits add to the replay value. Considering how very different the races were, both of my games were pretty close affairs. (I’ve seen a number of complaints about the strength of the Trogs race, but as my two games had less that four players I never got to see that race controlled by a player.)</div>
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One area that left me less satisfied was combat—both the process and the act of taking over the board. The diceless combat system was unique and creative in design, but also felt, well, weird and left more than one player confused. I found myself yearning for a touch of randomness—an add-on dice roll or something that would add a bit of unexpectedness and luck to the proceedings—but players who prefer a more calculated, nonrandom affair will enjoy it. But again, it’s clear thought was put into design choices here too; the decision of “take prisoners or just kill the enemy solders” became a nice tactical choice—do I kill enemies for a quick victory point boost and allow the other player to get the troops back into their reserve, or do I forgo points but potentially deprive the opposing player of troop pieces they'll need? I like having to make these hard choices.</div>
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Combat across the board left me unhappy. The majority of the game was players waging fairly one-sided battles against the non-player Trog positions. Player vs player action really only reared it’s head very late in the game, and then the limited number of troop pieces—twelve I believe—left me feeling hamstrung. Mustering troops to attack positions held by other payers pretty much meant vacating a position I already held and leaving that spot open to easy attack, because I couldn’t generate new troops to protect it. This design choice may have been made to avoid RISK-style turtling, etc., but as a player it presented me with no good expansion choices late in the game, since risking a new combat to take a new region pretty much meant leaving another region I held extremely vulnerable. I ending up staying put. (I played the Pilgrims, which likely do better strategically by squatting down and simply generating crystals after a while in any case, given their opponents’ combat abilities. So maybe my choice wasn’t that bad.)</div>
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I also need to mention the Events mechanic, which just didn’t seem to work well or provide any excitement. As I understood the rules, the event markers (which are shuffled each game) are triggered if a player gets a specific number of victory points and lands their victory point marker exactly on a space marked with an event marker, otherwise the event marker moves down to “double up” with the next event marker. In my two games, the players typically leapfrogged the events. And when the events were finally triggered, they were boring. The game would have done better with stack of event cards (with more interesting events) and a rule that you simply trigger an event at the start of each turn, period.</div>
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<b>Final Thoughts.</b> This game has excellent production values and shows great care in it’s design. It offers unique positions with unique abilities for each player, and lots of discovery. I love games with different factions to play, and this game offers that in spades. The game makes the player make some hard decisions —capture troops or kill them? —give up a card for the icons or hold it to play in battle? </div>
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Combat across the board is less fulfilling however, and what began as a really fun start eventually bogged down into a hesitant, measured, and less fun affair. A single card another player holds can ruin your day, and the simple decision of player to enable scoring one turn can push their final score into victory. I won the game via the Pilgrim’s crystal-hoarding ability, yet I really didn’t see anything wrong in the way my opponents played and never felt like I was winning when looking at board dominance—victory felt a bit too arbitrary and not earned.</div>
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I would play Cry Havoc again, if only to try our each race at least once, but in the end I found myself yearning for a somewhat more traditional take-over-the-board combat experience.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Components: A</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Theme: C+</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Gameplay: B–</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Overall: B–</b></span></div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-23925483838414389792015-05-03T19:28:00.004-04:002015-05-03T19:44:47.814-04:00Game Review: Dead of Winter<div class="p1">
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I’m a huge fan of <i>The Walking Dead</i> (comic first, TV show second, mind you) so my collection of zombie-themed boardgames has grown. Plaid Hat’s new game, <b><a href="http://www.plaidhatgames.com/games/dead-of-winter" target="_blank">Dead of Winter </a></b>(DoW) caught my eye immediately. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the PH booth early Saturday morning at Gen Con to be informed their entire complement of DoWs for the weekend had already been sold out! Flash forward to April, when I spotted DoW in a local Barnes & Noble. Score!</div>
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Dead of Winter is a “semi-cooperative” game. The players must work together to survive a harsh winter in zombieland, scavenging for food and medicine, building barricades, and killing off zombies while trying to complete a overall mission goal (which changes each game). At the same time, each player has a secret goal. And you must complete both group and secret goals to win! There’s also a chance a traitor lurks within the group, a character whose goals conflict with the overall mission. A the start of each game, you don’t know whether a traitor exists, unless of course you are the traitor!</div>
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We played the game a spin last night with three players. I won’t rehash the rules—you can download them <b><a href="http://www.plaidhatgames.com/games/dead-of-winter" target="_blank">here</a></b>—but rather I’ll provide my customary post-game thoughts. This review is based on a single game, so keep that in mind. (No doubt I’ll have a better idea of game play after a few more are under my belt, but I want to publish my initial thoughts while they’re fresh.)</div>
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<b>Style and Theme: </b>The theme here is solid. The artwork invokes some humor but also has the blood spots, etc., customary to zombie games. The crossroad cards provide flavor text and snippets of dialog. The color of the board and components is black, grey, and yellowish; which evokes a wintery feel without looking too bland. Some classifications were probably made for sake of game play, but seemed weird; a hammer is a tool but a lighter is a weapon?!?</div>
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<b>Components:</b> The components are also solid. The game board has a nice feel and the cards seem to be a decent stock weight (and size). Standees are provided instead of plastic figures, but honestly it didn’t hurt gameplay any and probably prevented a $60 purchase being inflated to $80+. A lot of cardboard bits are included, stopping just short of the amount found in your typical Fantasy Flight game (do those guys own a cardboard factory of what?). Also included in the box was a set of small plastic baggies meant for holding the pieces once punched, a unexpectedly classy touch. </div>
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<b>Overall Play:</b> What appeared at first to be a fairly complex game was actually pretty easy to master once the game was up and running. Plaid Hat has introductory videos on their website, and I highly recommend them. There are a lot of things to remember, and it’s easy to forget a character’s special ability, etc., in the heat of game play, but summary sheets are provided (which I love) and when we slowed down and went through the lists, we quickly got the swing of things.</div>
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Some dangers seemed unbalanced, but it could simply be a factor in this particular game. The zombies also weren’t much of a threat—their numbers increased but it never got to be panic. Starvation and mounting garbage was a far more serious threat to our victory. Likewise, the zombies never became a problem at the outside locations, though that could have been a result of our more conservative searching (which, in turn, may well be the reason we lost). I would have liked it if the zombie fights were somehow more cinematic and not “automatically eliminate the zombie and check for bites.” I prefer my zombie games to feature the zombies as a main threat—exposure and starvation seemed to be a far greater threat for us in this game. At times, feeding the seeming endless stream of helpless waifs arriving at our colony doors and cleaning up after ourselves occupied much of our time; from a strictly thematic point of view, I'd rather lose a zombie game from a horde of undead breaking down the gates than by being buried in garbage. But a think the more aggressive game play that is needed to win the game probably steps up the undead threat level considerably.</div>
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Overall, game play was smooth and not fiddly, and the rules provided a good number of character play options without getting complex. Our during-play rules questions were few.</div>
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<b>So what’s my final take?</b> Dead of Winter is a keeper. The large amount of crossroads cards (a cool design idea) and varied group missions allows for a lot of replay value. The theme is solid, and the winter/exposure threat puts a slightly different spin on the usual “zombies on Main Street” genre. Most importantly, the secret victory conditions and traitor possibility allow those not enamored with cooperative games to strike out a bit. We’ll definitely be bringing this to the table again.</div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-24218495018462518792015-02-01T17:27:00.003-05:002015-02-01T17:28:04.629-05:00Appreciate Those Dungeon Masters!<a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/appreciate-your-dungeon-master" target="_blank">Worth sharing</a>, and not just because I usually DM. ;)<br />
<br />
DMing (or GMing) can be a lot of work, whatever the system, so reach out to your friendly DM and thank her or him for the many hours of work and thought that goes into your campaign. They'll just be galvanized all the more the next time you meet.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-2974555690899947522014-10-15T23:34:00.002-04:002014-10-17T14:04:39.339-04:00Game Review: Bang! The Walking Dead Survivor Showdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHk_dlANVp2Wu0ggM4idhjG29G3CkTEE5jVWnqI0aNyMySB3EwsBY9Ju9HTO6WQjZTB2OyDIuwHTy65mltOpJXMFIxEVR6H9fogEknq75VQpQ3pFaIPKb0F1AP1S24FkcAvW87A/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHk_dlANVp2Wu0ggM4idhjG29G3CkTEE5jVWnqI0aNyMySB3EwsBY9Ju9HTO6WQjZTB2OyDIuwHTy65mltOpJXMFIxEVR6H9fogEknq75VQpQ3pFaIPKb0F1AP1S24FkcAvW87A/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" height="320" width="270" /></a></div>
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After witnessing a near-immediate sell out of <i>The Walking
Dead</i> Bang! Game at Gen Con 2014, I blundered into it at a Barnes & Noble
shelf this week. Sold!<o:p></o:p></div>
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So how is it, you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Read further, gentle reader.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The rules of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bang! The Walking Dead Survivor Showdown</i> (hereafter referred to as BWDSS) are
extremely similar to the original Bang! game. I’m going to assume most are
familiar with those rules, but in nutshell: The original evokes a Western feel
and players randomly draw secret positions with varying goals—except the
Sheriff, who is known to all and starts with a <i>big</i> target on his or her back,
but also starts out stronger and has allies. Each player also draws a
specific cowboy, which gives them a unique ability. The players draw and
discard cards to gain equipment, such as handguns or barrels to hide behind, or
to trigger events. Players “shoot” at other players—sometimes before they even
are certain if they are shooting a friend or foe—and their attacks may be
countered with the right cards. Eventually (and sometimes it can take quite a
while) players start going to that great stagecoach in the sky and the
survivor(s) win. Latter expansions, especially High Noon, added additional
characters and cards into the fray, and increase the fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the case of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bang!
Walking Dead Survivor Showdown,</i> it’s all about theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a geek and you’ve lived on Earth
for the last few years, you’re familiar with Robert Kirkman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Walking Dead</i>. This licensed version
of Bang! lays on a healthy dose of Walking Dead theme. It’s important to note
that The Walking Dead referenced here is the comic, <b>not</b> the AMC television
series. Fans of the TV series will recognize many characters and can certainly
play along, but fan favorite Daryl is absent (his closest cousin from the
comic, Dwight, may serve as a replacement). </div>
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If, <a href="http://jabberwocks.blogspot.com/2009/01/geek-gifts.html" target="_blank">like me</a>, you’re a fan of the
comic however, you’re in for a treat. The previous The Walking Dead game
(Z-Man) incorporated game art, but the comic has understandably progressed far
beyond the game art and the game feels out-of-date. Newer heroes like Jesus and
new villains, like Governor-next-up Negan, are absent. Happily, BWDSS is
extremely up-to-date with the comic, a much as could be hoped for, and the
comic fan will delight in references to the Hilltop or Saviors, or by playing
Jesus or Dwight. If you were lucky enough to stop by the <a href="http://usaopoly.com/games/bang-walking-dead" target="_blank">USAopoly</a> booth at gen
Con 2014, you may have netted the bonus weapon cards, featuring Michonne’s
katana and Negan’s barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat Lucille! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Style & Theme:</b>
The theme here is great. All pieces in corporate art by comic artist Charlie Adlard.
Unlike the original Bang! game, this BWDSS also includes illustrated play mats.
Most of the art used seems to be repurposed from the comic itself, but the
selection and cropping is done well. New art, such as that on the equipment
cards, was either done by Adlard or someone skilled at mimicking his style.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Components:</b> The
components are good, similar in standard to the original Bang! game. The cards
are a decent stock and should last.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcXjf5uU0-NtDcXtfFySThleKxtu3Vybg8HiNw_aEpjPCnBVZtJQBX5lO2wI02rxutpxvw3OZLU6WDHSc4W52kUUbd0Uu_2mveqCRL5QJ-nuJvWB8fuzcJBMdQRA2IyIG4lbKXA/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcXjf5uU0-NtDcXtfFySThleKxtu3Vybg8HiNw_aEpjPCnBVZtJQBX5lO2wI02rxutpxvw3OZLU6WDHSc4W52kUUbd0Uu_2mveqCRL5QJ-nuJvWB8fuzcJBMdQRA2IyIG4lbKXA/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Overall Play:</b> Very
similar to Bang! If you’ve played Bang!, you’ll be up and running in minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Final Take: If you enjoy the original Bang! game (or similar
games) and have nothing against zombies, you’ll enjoy this. If you’re a fan of
the comic series, oh my will you enjoy this. Theme aplenty for Walking Dead aficionados.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Components: B+<o:p></o:p></div>
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Theme: A<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gameplay: B<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Overall: B+</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-73217160501332356662014-08-31T13:51:00.000-04:002018-01-07T22:13:34.468-05:00Game Review: Level 7 [Escape]: Did We Escape the Maze?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMUzvNGdrj0fmc3Ez3iyhc2xbP68IdNAXO4tScczim2YYKX9Wo8vlGMfbf1EoDNlCFxXagSQkqnmr3KO763XYZCE5sarQa1FIQ-x_K5_HcR8_nq0wApaws6vE0RHmc1ZEveP8jg/s1600/IMG_6839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMUzvNGdrj0fmc3Ez3iyhc2xbP68IdNAXO4tScczim2YYKX9Wo8vlGMfbf1EoDNlCFxXagSQkqnmr3KO763XYZCE5sarQa1FIQ-x_K5_HcR8_nq0wApaws6vE0RHmc1ZEveP8jg/s1600/IMG_6839.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last night we gave <b><a href="http://privateerpress.com/level7/level-7-escape" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Level 7 [Escape]</span></a></b> by Privateer Press a go.
Reviews of the game on <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/">boardgamegeek.com</a> seemed mediocre, but I liked the theme
enough that I wanted to give the game a try. This year at <a href="http://jabberwocks.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-obligatory-post-gen-con-post.html" target="_blank">Gen Con 2014</a>,
I broke down and purchased a copy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As usual I won’t go into a rules summary here, but rather
present my thoughts of game play, etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Style and Theme: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Theme in Level 7 [Escape] was very good. </span>The artwork is great, and
very horror-oriented, as befits the theme. What great cover art! The aliens, guards, and rooms are
all creepy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Components:</b>
Overall, the components were good. The “board” tiles are made of a decent grade
cardboard, and printed on both sides. The hybrid clone (alien) figures are
physically larger, evoking their greater menace, which is a nice touch. The smaller chit and markers are well illustrated as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My only complaints are that 95% of the room tiles look
extremely similar, all utilizing the same greyish-blue color palette, and a bit of color
variation would have gone a long way toward making the game more visually
interesting. Likewise, it wasn’t always easy to determine doors or vent
openings at a glance and some distinct color there would have helped. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The character and enemy (clones, guards, and hybrids)
figures are stand-up cardboard in plastic stands. Plastic figures would have
been a cooler edition (especially because the character figures are easy to confuse with
one another), but that’s a minor grumble.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jxBfkm8h1af6q6lGiMbBn5jKpxLI9QyXv8HNBi0-sz6YqVGMN0hgPympvrVNuIk2tQRybUdRHXDbin5DyhZGrsPKuOXXXAEqY_qb7MzDjHKwmt389NniZ_McJo6Zq7e8YbhhnA/s1600/IMG_6835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jxBfkm8h1af6q6lGiMbBn5jKpxLI9QyXv8HNBi0-sz6YqVGMN0hgPympvrVNuIk2tQRybUdRHXDbin5DyhZGrsPKuOXXXAEqY_qb7MzDjHKwmt389NniZ_McJo6Zq7e8YbhhnA/s1600/IMG_6835.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Overall Play:</b> I’ll
say upfront that Level 7 [Escape] falls largely into the <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1339/dungeon" target="_blank"><i>Dungeon</i> board game</a> “see what’s in the next random room and deal with
it” style of play. As the characters explore the underground facility, the
players place random tiles, some of which trigger various events or contain random equipment, etc. As I’ve grown
older, I’ve distanced myself from these sort of games, because of the sheer randomness—as an old <i>Dragon</i> magazine
review of the aforementioned <i>Dungeon</i> stated (paraphrasing), “… turn over a tile,
maybe get a monster, maybe get a treasure, and maybe stop caring after a
while.” The randomness doesn’t feel quite that bad, because the whole theme is
about running around an unknown, underground labyrinth in search of an exit.
Exploration and the threat of unknown danger around each corner fit the theme.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We enjoyed the game, but there were shortfalls.
Opportunities to make the game better were missed. Although characters all
start with two randomly drawn Skill cards, customizing them somewhat, the four
starting characters are otherwise identical; some small variation would have
been nice. (I suppose one could argue that the Skill card variance provides the
same difference, but the Skill cards were very luck driven and often led to
very one-sided “brainy” or “brawny” characters.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq6MMuChwhvAqE-GwRTpFN12D0-DFZqalfM9bAUx5ftgnbQzD6YO9iz5khRHzSdt7NjagNzund_JA_62mlTmni2c5UNcmLkq_21bclr6Sf3d97EPIPuznoMJMxii80BkopMX7BQ/s1600/IMG_6838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq6MMuChwhvAqE-GwRTpFN12D0-DFZqalfM9bAUx5ftgnbQzD6YO9iz5khRHzSdt7NjagNzund_JA_62mlTmni2c5UNcmLkq_21bclr6Sf3d97EPIPuznoMJMxii80BkopMX7BQ/s1600/IMG_6838.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We also ran into a lot of <i>“We just drew that event!”</i> type of
card repetition—though I haven’t played enough to determine how many different events there
are. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One area where more variance would have been appreciated was
the clones (aliens) and guards—they’re all 3 strength and toughness 3; as far
as I can tell, except for movement (clones can move through air shafts) aliens
and guards are mechanically identical. There should be a discernible difference
between them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last, but definitely not least, the rules are “fiddly” in
places. The little rules, like gaining a threat when you attack a guard or
increasing your fear when you enter an air shaft, all make sense, but
remembering them is a chore for new players and some sort of summary card would
have been appreciated. And as I expected, my players got confused with regard to the whole air shaft movement thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The rulebook, although very pictorial, can also be
confusing. Finding the bit of info you’re searching for can be a chore, and
there is no index. At one point, anther player (who happens to be an editor by
trade) and I both searched in vain to discover exactly what condition triggers
a trip to the infirmary. There was a nice sidebar about what happens when you
go to the infirmary, but no sign of what sends you there! (We found our answer
on a player-written rules summary at Boardgamegeek.) Likewise, determining a
character’s starting fear level (3?) was something we had to guess at, because
if it’s in the book we didn’t find it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So what’s my final
take?</b> It’s a cool game. The theme is there in spades, and although very
random and possibly confusing the first time through, the gameplay is decent.
Things can be uneven—I escaped in Scenario One before I encountered a single
enemy, which made that game rather anticlimactic for me. Some players may finish (escape) and have to wait o the sidelines for other players to finish. But I think we’d play again, if only to
work through each scenario at least once. </div>
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This is one of those games that could really benefit from a revised edition; replace the cardboard stand-ups with plastic figures, add more different colors to the tiles, add some new cards and missions, and (most importantly) revise the rulebook for clarity and we'd have a solid, thematic winner here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Components: B+<o:p></o:p></div>
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Theme: A<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gameplay: C+<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Overall: B–</b> </div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-53660511588588685342014-08-22T23:03:00.002-04:002014-08-22T23:12:11.838-04:00The obligatory post-Gen Con Post<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, Gen Con 2014 is a wrap, and one 14-hour car ride later
I’m back in civilization unscathed except for an improving case of <span style="color: #38761d;">Con Crud</span>. (I
vow no handshakes next time, I’ll never learn…)<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pO_Y3y-gm0gwbx5Dl4k0HSh9ni84Fvsfhq5yY2OjxVI77RRPn1_d17SmKCWHd3GHh7YRMfAD-QJjnbU6m9THGUK7oonlQJgQl7TW9fL_VHfSCcaZpkRJx-JIOs1AHv4wrngU0A/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pO_Y3y-gm0gwbx5Dl4k0HSh9ni84Fvsfhq5yY2OjxVI77RRPn1_d17SmKCWHd3GHh7YRMfAD-QJjnbU6m9THGUK7oonlQJgQl7TW9fL_VHfSCcaZpkRJx-JIOs1AHv4wrngU0A/s1600/photo+2.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Give this guy whatever game he wants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
The New </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lots of cell phones. And tweeting. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And everywhere was talk of Kickstarter or crowd-funded
projects, which also led to more than one incident of disappointment when a vendor had limited stock of a game and only distributed copies to backers
(which is I guess as it should be).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Lots</i> more people.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
The Good</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I participated in
more events than usual, and the folks I gamed with were awesome.</b> I would
happily play with any of these groups again. Gamers are, despite the stories,
pretty awesome people. How nice to walk into those large rooms and see so many
people passionately playing games—no odd questions or looks, just mutual love
of the act of playing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Met with connections & old friends. </b>The nice thing is that my "connections" and "friends" are largely getting to be the same thing. Some were old RPG designer comrades, met new folks, missing meeting new folks (sorry Len!), and—most importantly—rekindled that creative fire. The passion for the hobby this convention represents is the reason I write game material, period.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Indy has improved.</b>
After some 5 years away—Gen Con 2009 was my last visit—I noticed new skywalks
and other downtown improvements. And the local restaurants, especially that
gamer-staple the RAM, were as welcoming as ever. According to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2014/08/19/gen-con-attendance-records/" target="_blank">Forbes</a>, Gen Con
2013 brought more than $47 million to the city, so the welcoming attitude is
perhaps to be expected, but it’s still nice. And the locals are cool folk.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lots of new, cool
games!</b> Alas, some of my "targeted" games—see my <a href="http://jabberwocks.blogspot.com/2014/08/stuff-im-looking-forward-to-getting-at.html" target="_blank">last post</a>—were sold out. <a href="http://www.plaidhatgames.com/games/dead-of-winter" target="_blank">Dead of Winter</a> was sold out, and when I inquired with the good folks at Plaid Hat
Games, they told me they had sold all 450 copies! Likewise, the Walking Dead
version of Bang! Was completely sold out by 10:30 Saturday morning! (Damn!) But
many other tempting offerings were to be seen, some of which I purchased.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Es-Cbcih940qkwBkzPb9yhDx_YIpoCwWVfohWi4v-o9zcf7pOavv2gIPGuBhN8_9sVoSVg5qooZOBRmJ6afIcGEcPjsO35hpByAhGfCUWgMxRuGPX36RVMo6-f6WMc1ejbMEZg/s1600/photo+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Es-Cbcih940qkwBkzPb9yhDx_YIpoCwWVfohWi4v-o9zcf7pOavv2gIPGuBhN8_9sVoSVg5qooZOBRmJ6afIcGEcPjsO35hpByAhGfCUWgMxRuGPX36RVMo6-f6WMc1ejbMEZg/s1600/photo+5.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a whole lot 'o zombies games right there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The costumes were as
great as ever.</b> I hesitate to post some of the great photos I took without
the permission of those involved, but the Gen Con crowd is a clever bunch, as
and always, they didn’t disappoint.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW1hdGpR6hWbSQOifQ2xsaKOfGwAa9JjSh1Yzq-72RJdks8jfhdhFVmZrzBKUfdL5YJmEZM4LHmOssfJpHEqh-w-VawgTcKIzOoUM3W1Yh-BmQvpmpinQSe7JUuZwxIU2AZOYCg/s1600/photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW1hdGpR6hWbSQOifQ2xsaKOfGwAa9JjSh1Yzq-72RJdks8jfhdhFVmZrzBKUfdL5YJmEZM4LHmOssfJpHEqh-w-VawgTcKIzOoUM3W1Yh-BmQvpmpinQSe7JUuZwxIU2AZOYCg/s1600/photo+3.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAM Hot wings!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Beer and the RAM!</b> Nuff said! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
The Bad</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lots more people.</b>
This isn’t really bad, as more people makes for Con longevity, but navigating
the ICC hallways and dealer hall on Saturday afternoon became a tiring exercise
after a while. And a half-hour wait to get into the Fantasy Flight booth was an
unwelcome surprise (and I heard of waits for the Paizo booth of over an hour,
which is insane). Again, a double-edged sword—I’d <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rather</i> them feed folks into the retail space gradually so you can
breathe while you shop, but it was something new for me.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
The Ugly</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There honestly was no ugly, monster costumes aside. It was a
great con.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
The Swag/Goods</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite, easiest free score—available to anyone—was a
free Legendary card from Upper Deck. The card was a “Wound” card, and you got
to pose, be photographed, and have your picture printed on a card. Most people
got solo shots, sometimes holding their head or neck, and the Photoshop artist would
add a blood smear in (a Wound card, remember?). Luckily for me, an eerily good
Wolverine cosplayer was in line right in front of me. He did a shot with a
friend, and, with his permission, the artist merged his image with mine to have
me getting the old <i><b>SNIKT!</b></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Purchases included the following:</b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Random d20s<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131357/coup" target="_blank">Coup</a> game (Indie Boards and Cards)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://privateerpress.com/level7/level-7-escape" target="_blank">Level 7 Escape</a> game (Privateer Press)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://privateerpress.com/level-7/level-7-invasion" target="_blank">Level 7 Invasion</a> game (Privateer Press)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cbIBz13vYpE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41010/kids-carcassonne" target="_blank">My First Carcassonne</a> aka The Kids of Carcassonne (Z-Man
Games)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/150997/shadows-brimstone-swamps-death" target="_blank">Shadows of Brimstone: Swamp of Death</a> (Flying Frog
productions)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtlNeiV0GKv_yUFlrjSmHTEs3hi0vfEurCfPco2k8KILYIDbz4BOMusykDqyp04aZegVD6vtYWsOeY2g6NfJNg6gUVTaZ89LlR9fEUsVP7MtBgEPtpXBBnGLanhkopQl9rQhBsQ/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtlNeiV0GKv_yUFlrjSmHTEs3hi0vfEurCfPco2k8KILYIDbz4BOMusykDqyp04aZegVD6vtYWsOeY2g6NfJNg6gUVTaZ89LlR9fEUsVP7MtBgEPtpXBBnGLanhkopQl9rQhBsQ/s1600/photo+2.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/europe/" target="_blank">Ticket to Ride Europe</a> (Days of Wonder)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.montecookgames.com/product/the-strange-corebook/" target="_blank">The Strangecorebook</a> (Monte Cook Games)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, of course, Dungeons & Dragons (5e) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook" target="_blank">Players Handbook</a></i> (Wizards of the Coast)</div>
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A good haul, I’d say. Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne were
presents for my young son.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet another great Gen Con. Big thanks to my driving buddy and great conversation partner, Ken. Can't wait for the next one!</div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-62121411806543584672014-08-09T19:19:00.001-04:002014-08-09T19:19:17.376-04:00Stuff I'm Looking Forward to Getting at Gen Con 2014The time is almost here! After not attending for a number of years, I'm very much looking forward to <b><a href="http://www.gencon.com/" target="_blank">Gen Con 2014</a></b>!<br />
<br />
Here are a few items I look forward to checking out (i.e., buying) while I'm there:<br />
<br />
1. <b><a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook" target="_blank">D&D (5th Edition) Players Handbook</a></b> (Wizards of the Coast)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBetA3FwEuTsj0RzHG8hC4rT9uj17V7OqN1VNR-3Qoy77zZ_rkkZGIAyIwHgZ9pweI9V0crGQ15286XN3pvVZGWzj5RIUFT_r0SqEvNECglRDSkUAnHN0neudeoh1E26lA_T-wpw/s1600/DnD_PHBTH.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBetA3FwEuTsj0RzHG8hC4rT9uj17V7OqN1VNR-3Qoy77zZ_rkkZGIAyIwHgZ9pweI9V0crGQ15286XN3pvVZGWzj5RIUFT_r0SqEvNECglRDSkUAnHN0neudeoh1E26lA_T-wpw/s1600/DnD_PHBTH.png" /></a></div>
<br />
Rather a no-brainer I would think. Although my feelings on early view of the new D&D have been mixed, no self-respecting geek could pass this by. (And yeah, I know it's available for sales in stores as I write this, but it's really a Gen Con release and I'll treat it that way!)<br />
<br />
2. <b><a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/157969/sheriff-nottingham" target="_blank">Sheriff of Nottingham</a></b> (Arcane Wonders)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxnmvzS4fj9BcBRGMH69zba1y6vW692wG37Ub8JT3ulFK32m2HSYOKom5hov25mJo5AvPV7H69Y4yCtbgGimgf7RjmtWaaJNQAnX8iJRtS3cJNIwUvn35mJIWeSibtkl0hZbWzw/s1600/Sheriff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxnmvzS4fj9BcBRGMH69zba1y6vW692wG37Ub8JT3ulFK32m2HSYOKom5hov25mJo5AvPV7H69Y4yCtbgGimgf7RjmtWaaJNQAnX8iJRtS3cJNIwUvn35mJIWeSibtkl0hZbWzw/s1600/Sheriff.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Let's see: The art looks gorgeous, and the game involves bluffing and lying aplenty. So what's not to like? This first game in the Dice Tower essentials line has gotten a good amount of early buzz, and I'm very intrigued.<br />
<br />
3. <b><a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/150376/dead-winter-crossroads-game" target="_blank">Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game</a></b> (Plaid Hat Games)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jg-lgk5cfUNkPWhUgj_lyQSyFlbiPs_aYYpTfvgXxI2zFTUW-g8LxQ9uIackckGCKhlkAP4Ny1d30DJqt8K2Z-wHoGf69Iwe69nLxf9W5ENSg3vUKjH3ek-u1hMUS2umGpCD9g/s1600/DeadofWinter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jg-lgk5cfUNkPWhUgj_lyQSyFlbiPs_aYYpTfvgXxI2zFTUW-g8LxQ9uIackckGCKhlkAP4Ny1d30DJqt8K2Z-wHoGf69Iwe69nLxf9W5ENSg3vUKjH3ek-u1hMUS2umGpCD9g/s1600/DeadofWinter.png" /></a></div>
<br />
While perhaps yet another zombie board game at first blush, this game has some intriguing possibilities. The "crossroads" mechanic provides an evolving character mechanic, and the game is cooperative, yet each player has a secret victory condition (some of which may not help the overall group one bit). The theme also, although undead are present, seems more post-apocalyptic and survival-oriented in nature.<br />
<br />
I'm sure I'll have more additions to this list, but there are three early starters.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-65077202462441509002014-06-28T17:21:00.001-04:002014-10-15T23:02:11.843-04:00Game Review: Lord for a Day<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzU5-CVJLzj5XjPG4lIyAfp0LjiAPBSBSbHCZ6VOhw4aV2ftoILXTTJAANHAQp9dccfLOdfQKnaH_1FpB6c8OAUeiWULfJx9AuUmzvQ6TaIEVeB163W4_EbMUTYnBSYl4T_y3fQ/s1600/WD1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzU5-CVJLzj5XjPG4lIyAfp0LjiAPBSBSbHCZ6VOhw4aV2ftoILXTTJAANHAQp9dccfLOdfQKnaH_1FpB6c8OAUeiWULfJx9AuUmzvQ6TaIEVeB163W4_EbMUTYnBSYl4T_y3fQ/s1600/WD1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I tried the board game <b>Lords of Waterdeep</b> for the first time
recently.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In this board game, produced by Wizards of the Coast,
players assume the role of a lord of Waterdeep—“Waterdeep” in this case being
the key city in Ed Greenwood’s <i>Forgotten Realms</i> setting, as most D&D
players would know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not going to provide a full synopsis of game play here,
merely my impressions of the game and how play went. (You can find more
detailed info on the game <b><a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/110327/lords-waterdeep" target="_blank">here</a></b>.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Style and Theme:</b>
The theme here was good. The art and maplike board affect a good fantasy feel,
and any fan of the Realms will betreated to many familiar characters and place
names. Our group had at least one player completely unfamiliar with the Realms,
and the theme didn’t put him off any.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is important to note that, at heart, this is really a
more “economic” or “resource allocation” style game, and gameplay here has a
very Eurogame feel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Cubes—your main resource—are color coded to represent
fighters, clerics, wizards, and thieves (D&D’s four food groups) that you, a hidden lord of the city, can
dispatch on quests. Although the cubes represent adventurers, they’re still
basically just colored cubes similar to those in many other eurogames, so the
theme there was a tad like for me. White cubes for wizards and black cubes for
thieves seemed apropos, but orange for fighters? (Maybe red would have been
better?) After while, I didn’t play thinking “I need two more wizards to
complete that quest” but rather “I need two more purple cubes.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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A sample quest might require, say, two gold pieces, three
purple cubes (or, ahem, wizards), and two black cubes (thieves) to complete.
Completing a quest earns you victory points, key to wining the game, and
sometimes earn you other fringe benefits as well. One relatively minor quest I completed
early on granted me a bonus Intrigue card every time I received purple cubes,
which was often, and I soon found myself rolling in Intrigue cards! The
aforementioned Intrigue cards spice up play, granting bonuses or hampering
other players, so even though this is primarily a eurogame in feel there is
some “take that!” element present. The game is not combative in feel, however,
like the various RISK offshoots and such, which makes it very approachable to
mixed group play.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Components:</b> The
components were top notch. The art was nice, the components and board were well
produced, and the box tray was carefully designed to hold all components and
cards. The card wells even have those wedges beneath, so a tap of a finger
pivots a deck upwards for easy grasping—well done, WotC!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMePtVgIv2tPpxcOMoC75GI9p2YNmvA3wIWaMqAND6BXan3QDwoqFAScoN2qkpjegS1eI1IfUyDt144mycACwq6yUGFIyGkJTvxJkPWnVRkrdyWoWhqiAf30OLc5Vq8UmIIchPw/s1600/WD2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lords of Waterdeep" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMePtVgIv2tPpxcOMoC75GI9p2YNmvA3wIWaMqAND6BXan3QDwoqFAScoN2qkpjegS1eI1IfUyDt144mycACwq6yUGFIyGkJTvxJkPWnVRkrdyWoWhqiAf30OLc5Vq8UmIIchPw/s1600/WD2.jpg" height="300" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<b>Overall play:</b> Overall play was fun, and made me want to play
again soon. We played with five players, the maximum number, and everyone
seemed to enjoy the game and everyone agreed they would happily play again. We had a mix of players with different game preferences at the table, so this is not insignificant. Moreover,
it was a close race to the finish. We had a clear leader when points were
tallied, but different players led in victory points at different times and it
had the feel of a balanced, close game. The game’s first (only?) expansion Lords
of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport is also now being sold, and what I’ve
read about it sounds extremely promising. So some longevity of play is there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’d recommend this game to anyone who likes lighter resource
management games, such as Puerto Rico or Settlers of Catan, or lighter fantasy
games. And any Forgotten Realms fan will appreciate the theme and names
dropping therein, to be sure. Lords of Waterdeep solid thumbs up from me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Those interesting in seeing the game in greater detail or
getting an excellent overview of play should watch the <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d1LZ9Q4YU0" target="_blank">video here</a></b>, hosted by
one of the game designers, Rodney Thompson.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Components: A<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Theme: B+<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gameplay: B<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Overall: B+</b></div>
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-17503540823611690812014-03-30T14:13:00.004-04:002014-06-28T17:43:29.515-04:00R.I.P. David Trampier<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtQksJvsXjeQZpxqtOOWHr0P9tVjPOfl4HFLiPToW13IYeBsKoi-vlEFB1AEfkmkCme1ssvaq4d6lgJZTOZLK9iLtRyfwed2fCYENEYkaCti_JIayQIUBAb7jTzmi9e7Rn_PDiw/s1600/remorhaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtQksJvsXjeQZpxqtOOWHr0P9tVjPOfl4HFLiPToW13IYeBsKoi-vlEFB1AEfkmkCme1ssvaq4d6lgJZTOZLK9iLtRyfwed2fCYENEYkaCti_JIayQIUBAb7jTzmi9e7Rn_PDiw/s1600/remorhaz.jpg" height="200" width="163" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is with profound sadness
I read about the death of David Trampier aka "Tramp"—an individual
that, with a few other key artists such as Dave Sutherland</span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Caldwell, Elmore, Easley, Fields, and Parkinson, really
established the look of Dungeons and Dragons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Certainly the duo of Trampier and
Sutherland, or Dis & Dat, set down the 1<sup>st</sup> Edition style that so
many have come to recognize.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trampier’s work was always my personal
favorite. His iconic work that adorns the cover of the original Player’s
Handbook (below) is emblematic of D&D itself to me. Surely, his unique
woodcut-like style, featuring heavy ink lines and bold characters, helped
define a number of Monster Manual critters for generations of players and RPG
adventure writers such as myself for years to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever the tragic circumstances that
led to his mysterious and abrupt departure from fantasy illustration (which I
think is well-known and need not be repeated here), be it drugs, mental
illness, or simply bad feelings toward the industry, the loss of this artist
will now be felt two-fold. Greater still is the tragedy, given that he was
rumored to be returning to art in recent years. Wherever you are, Mr. Trampier,
you enriched and inspired this gamer with your work and I’m forever thankful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-4985707099128008882014-02-03T22:01:00.001-05:002014-06-28T17:42:49.618-04:00The Lost Lair of DrecallisWell, well, it's out! <i><b><span style="color: #4c1130;">The Lost Lair of Drecallis</span></b></i> is an OSRIC adventure for levels 4 through 7, published by Expeditious Retreat Press (XRP). I'm very happy to have completed my first project for XRP, and I hope it's but the first of many.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Troglodytes? Check. Caves? Check. 1e vibe? Oh yeah.<br />
<br />
So if you're looking to re-live a bit of that old school magic, check it out & let me know what you think. (Not familiar with <a href="http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/a1.html" target="_blank">OSRIC</a>? You can read about it <a href="http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/a1.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) You can pick up an electronic copy <b><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/125858/Advanced-Adventures-%2331-The-Lost-Lair-of-Drecallis" target="_blank">here</a></b> at <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/125858/Advanced-Adventures-%2331-The-Lost-Lair-of-Drecallis" target="_blank">RPGNow</a>, or read about it at Joseph Browning's <a href="http://josephbrowning.blogspot.com/2014/02/2-new-pdf-adventures-1-osric-1.html" target="_blank">blog</a>. Here's to 1e style action!Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-3730144218554921192013-12-08T20:24:00.000-05:002013-12-08T20:33:43.159-05:00Examing RPG Player TypesHas it been that long since my last post? <i>Yikes</i>. Sorry, gentle reader; occasionally life gets in the way of blogging.
Now back to our semi-regularly scheduled program...<br />
<br />
I've been considering player breakdowns I've seen.
There is, of course, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_Test">classic Bartle breakdown</a>, which separates players into the camps of <i>Killer, Socializer, Achiever,</i> and <i>Explorer</i>.
<br />
<br />
Wizards of the Coast did their own player surveys in 1999 and they broke players down into the categories of Thinkers, Power Gamers, Character Actors, and Storytellers (see more information <a href="http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/gaming/BreakdownOfRPGPlayers.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
<br />
I've created my own, albeit flawed, chart:<br />
<br />
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<span id="goog_675080938"></span><span id="goog_675080939"></span><br />
<br />
I breakdown player types as follows:<br />
<br />
<b>Powergamers:</b> For these players, it's mainly about "winning" the game. Min-maxing, or exploiting the rules legally for maximum gain, is seen as the challenge. Character "builds" and optimization are the main pursuit here, a sub-game to itself, and the demonstration of the resulting build's success in play provides enjoyment. These players may feel constrained by roleplay-heavy scenarios or games wherein the GM limits access to magic items and additional player/character options.<br />
<br />
<b>Tacticians:</b> For these players, the rules are viewed in a tactical sense, much as in a wargame or certain boardgames. Enjoyment typically comes from combat and tabletop figure actions, movement, and defeating the opposition via strategy and shrewd moves. These folks can get restless if combats are spread out too far apart, and they often enjoy sub-games within the overall game, such as bargaining sessions or gambling games. Skill challenges via dice are preferred to the roleplay only style.<br />
<br />
<b>Thinkers:</b> For this player type, the game is often about figuring out puzzles or mysteries, and campaigns or adventures that contain an element or plot to be deciphered is key to the enjoyment. Battles are enjoyed, but ultimate enjoyment comes from the steady unravelling of the plot, providing of clues, a d the success of one's hunches. Character builds are viewed as less important to this player, as they trust their own (real life) brain power more.<br />
<br />
<b>Storytellers:</b> For this player type, the overall game goal and enjoyment stems from advancing the overall narrative, and in line with that establishing memorable scenes, NPCs, and an "epic" story. These players enjoy longer campaigns more that one-offs, and long advancement of levels and character growth is valued for the narrative more than the acquisition of power(s). Short, less meaningful battles that do not advance the story may be accepted but are not valued as much as key set pieces.<br />
<br />
There are some subsets to the above. The Storyteller quarter could actually be broken, subdivided, into halves—one half of which might contain an <b>Actor</b> subtype that focuses exclusively on the roleplay aspect, enjoying the game for the person-to-person (or PC-to-PC) conversation, the "be another person" escapism, etc.<br />
<br />
Unlike many charts of this type, you'll notice the dividing line between the blue and yellow boxes. This chart is more an arc than a square, truth be told, with the player type ranging from the pure "role"-player to the "roll"-player.<br />
<br />
I must think more on this, but here are my early impressions on a cold winter day.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-85433065549569171392013-09-22T20:34:00.000-04:002014-06-28T17:46:34.541-04:00M.A.Y.B.E a good time? Nah, definitely.I spend much of the day and evening today with an old friend at the Maybe Games event: MAYBE (Metro-Area Yearly Boardgame Event). It was a lot of folks sitting around playing boardgames, and it was a great place for me to both try out new games and meet new folks.<br />
<br />
As it turns out, every game I played was my first time with that game, so I certainly got exposed to a number of games I had been curious about. Here's the line-up, and some quick thoughts about each:<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://riograndegames.com/Game/240-Race-for-the-Galaxy" target="_blank"><b>Race for the Galaxy</b></a> (Rio Grande)<br />
<br />
Pros: Lots of options, and lots of expansions. No two games will be alike. And it's a fast game—truly a race, as my friend Dave said. The cards were nice illustrated and evokative,<br />
<br />
Cons: All those symbols! They make sense, but my eyes were still bleeding after the first game. Even without the expansions, this is a game that's probably going to take several run-throughs to get down, and I don't see into being very approachable to the more casual gamer.<br />
<br />
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2. <b><a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/37111/battlestar-galactica" target="_blank">Battlestar Galactica</a> (</b>Fantasy Flight<b>)</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Pros: An enjoyable, “who’s the traitor?” style game.
Resource management and teamwork are both key here, and it’s more thematic and
involving than, say, Pandemic. Slowly realizing the identity of the traitor (or
traitors!) is a blast.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Cons: I found myself wishing there was more to do, or more
room options. I sometimes found myself making repeat visits to areas and
wishing I had something else to do. Combat my starfighters outside the ship
also felt like more of an afterthought to me—fun, but hardly engaging or tense.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. <b><a href="http://riograndegames.com/Game/278-Dominion" target="_blank">Dominion</a></b><o:p></o:p> (Rio Grande)</div>
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Pros: Finally I see what the fuss is about. Play was fast
and fun, and lent itself to tat “just one more game” vibe. The overall rules
area easy to grasp, but you can take different paths or strategies to victory.
I found myself thinking about card combos, much in the way I would if I were
playing MAGIC: The Gathering. And of course, lots of game expansions await the
newfound fan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cons: Play was somewhat clinical, and very theme light.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I played other games as well, and I’ll try to add my
thoughts of them as well when time allows…<o:p></o:p></div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-36822399131710259192013-07-24T00:32:00.000-04:002013-11-13T11:37:46.716-05:00Zombicide: A Brief Review<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eeVwfYWYvJGNOdHRQ35KgY3obWJWOVJnT4KRhSTHGBQgqch_F6ABvLzaSA8nFSSolxUYUr3NtotfJDKK7rDwCQsxxFVh0B0f_Bzc7pMP3Fe0N-exp0OAHogDJjWtn7G7fqdREw/s1600/IMG_6311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eeVwfYWYvJGNOdHRQ35KgY3obWJWOVJnT4KRhSTHGBQgqch_F6ABvLzaSA8nFSSolxUYUr3NtotfJDKK7rDwCQsxxFVh0B0f_Bzc7pMP3Fe0N-exp0OAHogDJjWtn7G7fqdREw/s320/IMG_6311.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last night, at long last, I gathered a group of friends and
we opened up <b><a href="http://guillotinegames.com/en/" target="_blank">Zombicide</a></b>. The game was one of the initial Kickstarter <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coolminiornot/zombicide" target="_blank">success stories</a>, raising $781,597 against a $20,000 funding goal (3900% of target ain’t
bad).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Here are my thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Components</b>: The
components are top-notch. Detailed plastic figures are included for the human
survivors (all individuals) and the various zombie types: Walkers, runners,
fatties, and abomination. The plastic is tough, harder than the D&D figure
style. The common zombie type even featured three or so different designs,
so<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a horde of “walkers” didn’t look
identical to one another—a nice touch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The board components are gorgeous, and the cards, although
small, are full color and nicely illustrated. The entire game carries a
distinctive, humorous style that helps set it apart. This is a game that’s
about bashing in zombie skulls and not about greater <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War Z</i> –style politics or issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grasp: </b>Complexity
is medium, or on the lighter side of medium. You won’t have much trouble
grabbing the basics, though some rules require repetition to get down solid.
The rulebook, which is pure eye candy, could have been clearer about a few
things however.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gameplay:</b>
Gameplay was fairly fast. Rules for trading equipment and building weapons help
to encourage cooperation; the survivors that work together stand a better
chance of success. We often traded battle plans in an attempt to inflict
maximum damage on the undead or “clear out” a particularly crowded intersection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12jjXY3Z8uCYPlF0-NMmkFY3asHU0_PomppU-qwL2YJLHgdiHIrSr0pZNYWIH2fmVmezrgbLD_04aUs171ep1GX4v_RGuCViE7ikoYuGQl1a-j47NWEzeFlAGVTgZQtQ2BGSvvg/s1600/IMG_6313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12jjXY3Z8uCYPlF0-NMmkFY3asHU0_PomppU-qwL2YJLHgdiHIrSr0pZNYWIH2fmVmezrgbLD_04aUs171ep1GX4v_RGuCViE7ikoYuGQl1a-j47NWEzeFlAGVTgZQtQ2BGSvvg/s400/IMG_6313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Theme and atmosphere:</b>
I found the theme a bit lacking at times, despite the art. All the proper notes
were touched on, but at the end of the day the theme felt thin compared to,
say, Last Night on Earth. Shooting a target didn’t particularly feel like
shooting a zombie, but just shooting an opponent. The zombie could have been
criminals or bandits or goblins … it didn’t really matter. The theme is
purposefully light-hearted, but it still felt thin. Horror effects or random events with proper description might have added to the experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTp1dyeRonKYmXBZMeJx4Hb71uIzPJZ4G0CvbtPd0QMC56gEWNnrWvjpyF-DXpHYS2sgUvz4Tam_8VjYujwL3a7-OequBRP_1ePWonbVZOExRANiGsxeOA_ObMUTFlRLstlo_YQ/s1600/IMG_6317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTp1dyeRonKYmXBZMeJx4Hb71uIzPJZ4G0CvbtPd0QMC56gEWNnrWvjpyF-DXpHYS2sgUvz4Tam_8VjYujwL3a7-OequBRP_1ePWonbVZOExRANiGsxeOA_ObMUTFlRLstlo_YQ/s400/IMG_6317.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Final thoughts</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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We played once, and we had to cut out game short after about
two hours, so my reflections are based on but one experience and one game
scenario. That said, Zombicide is an enjoyable game. Based on my limited
experience (and I intend to play the game more in the near future), I prefer
Last Night on Earth in terms of theme but Zombicide is a fun romp. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I like the fact that no “bad guy player” or referee is
needed, but that means the accompanying problems are there. The rules address
this by having the zombies hone in on audible and visual cues, but it was still
confusing at time determining where so zombies went. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I also found the game kind of easy, even when the danger
zone amped up. The zombies hit characters in their zone automatically, but
because they follow an attack-move pattern rather than the reverse, there’s
rarely a situation where a character gets boxed in. Indeed, we had four
survivors with only one wound after two hours of play, despite the presence of
40+ zombies on the board. I never felt panicked or threatened or cut off—which
I feel is vital for the zombie experience. After all, a good zombie movie
doesn’t feature heroes on a hilltop sniping zombies in the distance, it
features heroes that barely stay out of the zombies’ grasp. Would the threat
level have increased? It seems so at the rate things were progressing and after
a while the zombies really litter the board. But again, we reached the “orange”
danger level and I still didn’t feel a real sense of urgency.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>I’d rate Zombicide the following:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Components: A<o:p></o:p></div>
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Theme: C<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gameplay: C+<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Overall: B–</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you’re looking for a deep experience, dislike
cooperative affairs, or dislike the zombie genre, it isn’t for you. <br />If you’re
looking for a lighter affair and just want to put down some zombies after long
day, you’ll probably like Zombicide. The art design is fun, and the game doesn’t
take itself too seriously. It’s probably one of the better zombie-themed board
games out there.</span><!--EndFragment-->
<link rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/102578146394367028519/" />
<link rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/RickMaffei01/" />
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-54730108259877503842013-07-07T14:49:00.000-04:002014-06-28T17:43:18.807-04:00Renting Software<div class="p1">
This blog has always been about gaming, and rarely other things such as popular media or holiday-related stuff. I try hard not to stray from that.</div>
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But recently one of the largest software companies, Adobe, has changed their overall software marketing plan to something I find greedy in the extreme, and damaging for most creative folks and self-publishers. So I'm going to chat about it here. I'll be back to the regular program next time, promise.</div>
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You've probably heard about Adobe—it's hard not to. Photoshop is <b>the</b> image modification program. Likewise, InDesign is now one of the most popular (if not the most) desktop publishing software out there. </div>
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This May Adobe announced Creative Cloud, an online-only suite of their programs. Going forward you either pay a monthly fee—<b>forever</b>—or you stop using the newest version of those programs. So you're no longer buying software and updating to the next version if or when you like, or using those software disks as long as you like. Now you <i>rent</i> the software, and when you stop, you can't open all files you've make with that software. Period. Create a cool RPG book using InDesign (something many small RPG publishers do)? Well, you best keep kicking in that $50 a month, Mr. RPG man, because the month you stop your files are worthless. A glade at Adobe's Creative Cloud (CC) Facebook page or forums reveals the <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57406922-264/stormy-reception-for-adobes-creative-cloud/" target="_blank">passionate negative response</a> from their customers to this choice, as does a recent <a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/adobe-systems-incorporated-eliminate-the-mandatory-creative-cloud-subscription-model" target="_blank">online petition against CC</a> that garnered over 35,000 signatures in a few weeks. There's been lots of market speak about free cloud storage, exciting new features, and connectivity with ones peers, but most everyone sees this for what it is, a bold move to get their loyal customers on the gravy train forever. After all, why hope your customers will purchase each software update or your whole suite when you can force them to.</div>
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Imagine if the most popular car companies made leasing the only way to purchase a car. That's it in a nutshell.</div>
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<b>So why should you care?</b> For smaller RPG publishers that often depend on Adobe products to produce their books and websites, the economics are damning. Even programs as expensive as Photoshop can be purchased when a business budget allows and used for a long time, for years without updating, if things get tight. Whereas a monthly bill is unrelenting and cuts into the bottom line on an ongoing basis. It can never be paid off or paid down, it just goes on and on and on (which is the point). </div>
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Below I'll address some of the BS—and there's no other way to phrase it—solutions offered to the disgruntled loyal customers (often called "haters") by the Adobe fan-boy crowd. (And I suspect it's a small crowd.)</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Adobe is a company, they have a right to make money and do as they please. It's their software.</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Fair enough, even though this has become a standard fan boy response every time a company makes a dumb call. ("WotC is cutting off the print versions of <i>Dragon</i> and <i>Dungeon</i> just when Paizo is doing great things with them—well hey, it their decision!") What amazes me is that people will say this, but not understand <i>my</i> right to bitch. A company has the right to do anything that might drastically impact their customers but those same customers can't utter word about it? Owning something doesn't mean you can't make stupid or greedy mistakes, or that people shouldn't notice them. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
If I purchased the Mona Lisa tomorrow for 5 billion dollars and then chopped it into firewood, hey it's my property, but I'm stupid if I think more than a few art lovers learning about it won't (or shouldn't) complain.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As far as making money goes, I'm pretty confident without consulting their private records that Adobe is doing okay. They employ roughly 10 thousand people. <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/030411-adobe-narayen-compensation.html" target="_blank">Their CEO's salary jumped from $5 million in 2009 to 12.2 million the next year</a> (I wish I could get a raise like that!) and I'm fairly sure it's only gone up since then. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
There is making money, and there's raking your customers over the coals. I should needn't to explain it here, it should be common sense. If my store normally sells bottled water for 1 dollar a bottle and then a natural disaster strikes and I'm the only store in the area with any water, and I raise the price to $20 a bottle it's totally my decision—supply and demand, baby—but I'm also being a cretin. And a 5-year-old could see that. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Don't like CC? Use another program! </i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
How very helpful. I've spent the last decade learning Adobe's suite of products, with their unique feel and interfaces. Most employers expect proficiency in these programs and recognize them. So your solution is for me to toss aside my years of study, books, seminars, and practical use to learn a different program that a potential employer may not use or have heard of. Perhaps I'll just study dolphin training and look for a job at Sea World while I'm at it.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>The 'haters' are just pissed because they can't pirate Photoshop any more.</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
First off, it's insulting to assume that every unhappy person is a pirate. I've never pirated Photoshop, and have no intentions to. Just because I'm complaining doesn't make me a pirate.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I believe Photoshop is widely pirated because of the cost. Even now, Photoshop CS6 retails for $700 or more online, and I do believe that charging extremely high prices for your software—and Adobe charges some of the highest prices I know—encourages some folks to pirate what they feel they cannot afford. This is why Apple's song sales helped kill off Napster. When record companies were greedy, forcing folks to purchase a CD for $12-18 for the few songs they wanted, people quickly turned to Napster, despite dodgy song quality, quasi-legality, bad downloads, etc. But once a quality song file could be downloaded for a dollar, people raced to buy from Apple, who sold their 25 <b>billionth</b> song this past February. The moral of that for me is that it's all about price point. Would people bother to pirate Photoshop if it retailed for $250 instead of $700? Some probably would but I'm betting most wouldn't. And I'm betting Adobe would still be racking in the profit.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Lastly, Adobe themselves have said that the CC decision wasn't about combatting piracy. And I've read the system was <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57590213-83/that-was-quick-adobes-creative-cloud-already-pirated/" target="_blank">cracked two days after launch</a>. (And if I was a pirate, wouldn't I probably be taking advantage of that breach rather than moaning here? I'm writing and complaining because I want to <i>legally</i> be able to afford Adobe's software.)</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Don't like CC? Just keep using your current version (CS6 or older). Adobe won't update it but they promise to provide bug fixes.</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Oh great, so I get to use the latest version—for which I forked out over $700—while watching Adobe focus their efforts on the rent-a-model. Just how much energy will they channel into all those bug fixes? I wouldn't hold your breath. And will my software still work with the next major Apple or Windows OS update?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Adobe says: "</span>Adobe is currently planning to support Creative Suite 6 on the next version of Mac OS X. As Apple releases more specific details about the next version of Mac OS X, we may adjust our plans." If you missed that second line, it amounts to "We might just abandon it."</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The thing I hate most about this, and the general trend by movie studios and video game makers who want to adopt a cable TV model is that it's not sustainable. My cable TV bill climbed to over $150 this year. Adobe now wants $50 a month to use their suite, with no promise the price won't increase after the first year (and they'll bump it up, never fear). Other software companies are likely to jump on this bandwagon; Microsoft is already adopting a similar model with Office 365. So even if I deem $50 reasonable (and I don't), what happens when we add another $10 for this program per month and $50 for another suite per month? We'll all end up paying out $100+ per month just to use our software in 5 years, enough money to purchase a new laptop every year otherwise.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
So much for the potential solutions.<br />
<div class="p1">
This <a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_16662_5-innovative-ways-hollywood-screwing-you-over_p2.html" target="_blank">rent-a-movie</a>, rent-a-game, rent-your-software trend stinks. It reeks of greed, and it takes control away from the customer. And we need to fight it at all costs.</div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-87167419459567716502013-06-23T23:02:00.001-04:002013-12-08T20:34:39.894-05:00Steam engine time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO7lYcqUo_XR9xjZ9uFKJ0m2mJjFTOXpq9p0IZ6YENB0EapyCANAHJwvvomWxcd2fLYTWqqn_fJ01gSDzlKMaDQkqu-DwkXGtKaCHgevUFdxznwI6KMr0jUsLZCSUcEZgYxIkOQ/s1600/Steam+Engine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO7lYcqUo_XR9xjZ9uFKJ0m2mJjFTOXpq9p0IZ6YENB0EapyCANAHJwvvomWxcd2fLYTWqqn_fJ01gSDzlKMaDQkqu-DwkXGtKaCHgevUFdxznwI6KMr0jUsLZCSUcEZgYxIkOQ/s320/Steam+Engine.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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I occasionally read <i><a href="http://www.cemeterydance.com/" target="_blank">Cemetery Dance</a></i> to get my short horror
fiction fix. Tom Monteleone has a regular (and regularly amusing) column in the
magazine called the Mothers and Fathers Italian Association (that's M.A.F.I.A. to you) and he explores the
life of a writer therein, told with a healthy dose of personal experience. The
most recent column talked about so-called “<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=steam%20engine%20time" target="_blank">steam engine time</a>.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<b><i>Steam engine time</i>,
in writing terms, refers to a situation in which a writer comes up with a
“great” idea, only to find out someone else had the same great, (and often quite
specific) idea earlier.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Oh man, do I suffer from Steam Engine Time (capitalized on
purpose). My first SET event came when I was trying to come up with my second
Dungeon Crawl Classic adventure for Goodman Games. <i>The Scaly God</i> has been well received, both by Joseph Goodman and
the public, and I wanted a worthy successor. Scaly God really harkened in theme
to early TSR stuff, so I mentally turned back to my favorite classic modules.
As usual, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwellers_of_the_Forbidden_City" target="_blank">Dwellers of the Forbidden City</a></i> was on my short list. I love jungle adventures, and Zeb Cook’s work
quickly jumped to mind. In addition, I had an unpublished TSR Dungeon
submission with some promise sitting on the shelf—it would take some reworking,
but I thought I could get a real good Crawl Classic out of it. I spent a few
weeks prepping the outline, reviewing what I had written previously (and
tossing about 95% of that), and getting ready to write. At the time I still
didn’t know the whole Dungeon Crawl Classics line that well, so I decided to
check the latest offerings ... and then I found <a href="http://www.pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Mike_Ferguson" target="_blank">Mike Ferguson</a>’s <i>Curse of the
Emerald Cobra</i>. Oh hell.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Emerald Cobra
wasn’t what my new adventure would have been (especially after I read it) but
the setting, plot points, and obvious homage to Dwellers was enough to slay an
idea I had of a jungle adventure for a while.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I eventually got
back to work, puttering with an artic adventure that involved a crashed meteor
… just I time for Mike’s (then) new Talons of the Horned King to be announced.
Foiled again! I became referring to Mike as my nemesis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Eventually I read
Mike’s great adventures—he’s an extremely talented writer—and sometime after
that we became fast friends. Mike clearly knew nothing about my ideas and I
knew nothing about his, it was pure steam engine time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>I’ve since had further
moments of SET. It’s clearly a thing of mine.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I could tell you
about the time I had an idea for a great new network. I was enjoying a James
Bond marathon and I thought about “guy movies” and I said to some friends, over
a late-night game of Risk and many beers, that a “guy’s network” was in order.
(I mercifully forget the name.) The network could play Van Damme movies, and
Jackie Chan and Three Stooges, and damn would it be a hit. My friends said I
was nuts. A month later <a href="http://www.spike.com/" target="_blank">Spike</a> was announced. (Insert a big sigh about here.)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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My recent project
is a new RPG, authored solely by yours truly. After struggling for some time
with the base dice system, I spent a few weeks creating what I felt was a new
dice system. The resulting system seemed to work, and playtested pretty well …
with one problem. One of my playtesters said he had played an identical system
while playtesting another game. The other game, penned by an acquaintance, was
something I had heard about because I also became involved in the typesetting,
but later took my name out of contention do to time issues. I knew little about
the game besides overall theme, nothing about the dice mechanics of crunchy
stuff. The game has since been released, and the dice mechanics are very close
to mine. And the game author told me they were also similar to another popular
RPG that I’ve never played or purchased. Double steam engine time!<br />
<br />
What’s the moral
here, besides my horrible luck? If you are a creative person, occasionally
someone will have the same idea as you, and vice versa. It happens. It’s not
psychic plagiarism, it’s simply the byproduct of lots of creative minds working
on one planet. On to the next idea!</div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-16223911333614251142013-05-12T14:22:00.003-04:002013-05-12T14:22:45.558-04:00Interesting OSR articleI found <a href="http://boingboing.net/2013/05/06/old-school-dungeons-dragons.html" target="_blank"><b>this article</b></a> today. Nothing Earth-shattering here, but some points with which I agree.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-55473589425496040402013-01-22T19:03:00.000-05:002013-01-22T19:04:01.238-05:00Been a while...Ye gods, has been really been <i>that</i> long since my last post? Fear not, gentle reader, I haven't taken a plunge into the Abyss or a tour of the outer planes. I've just been busy, mainly that good sort of busy that involves both paid projects for other publishers as well as a big project of my own. (Sorry, can't really talk about either yet.)<br />
<br />
One good bit of recent news: It appears Wizards of the Coast is selling PDFs again! Hooray. I wasn't terribly happy when they stopped. I understood the reasoning, but I felt bad that an easy way for some players to get exposure to some classic modules and such had disappeared. So this is a good development, methinks.<br />
<br />
I promise not to wait 2+ months before my next post!Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-36242131119044833802012-10-18T22:58:00.001-04:002013-12-08T20:35:03.503-05:00Ooo ... Scary! <div class="p1">
October is a good time to talk about scary RPGs.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
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Perhaps it's a reflection of the maturing gamer population or societal trends as a whole, but I've noticed an increase in the amount of horror elements present in traditional "fantasy" RPG scenarios.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYu0bYsJxX5qeB7GgisyoGvEqXXRamsgtw7LVe9L-zBYmUCG-qak2OeZdm5XOS3ROX6VbYBhlEZrZnXFPEzfppVmoJgx6gl22LP1ipdaDidTXAyFK4faDj00TdzT8X8XG5nej4Q/s1600/Jeepers-Creepers-horror-movies-7055681-1280-800.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYu0bYsJxX5qeB7GgisyoGvEqXXRamsgtw7LVe9L-zBYmUCG-qak2OeZdm5XOS3ROX6VbYBhlEZrZnXFPEzfppVmoJgx6gl22LP1ipdaDidTXAyFK4faDj00TdzT8X8XG5nej4Q/s320/Jeepers-Creepers-horror-movies-7055681-1280-800.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>
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This fascinates me. I love the horror genre, particularly horror short stories (both the venerable Lovecraftian as well as the very new). I do think there are more than a few RPG designers that share my tastes, so horror probably filters into what they do. Paizo has shown more than a fair amount of horror or gothic elements in their adventures, particularly in their adventure paths. (The Runelords AP is brimming with it.) Certain respected designers, such as Richard Pett and Nicolas Logue (mostly Paizo) and Adrian Pommier (Goodman Games) display an obvious affection for the genre, so again, it probably seeps into their work and if they are aware of this—and I'm sure they are—I doubt they mind. More and more, I read newer adventures and see little gory bits or frightening details; it's truly a groundswell of horror vibes within fantasy roleplaying.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Yet for all this, traditional horror RPGs still flounder.</b> <span style="color: #274e13;"><i>Call of Cthulhu</i></span> attracts a passionate, but still fairly small group of devotees in comparison with popular fantasy RPGs. Despite the huge resurgence in zombie-related movies, shows, and literature, games such as <i>All Flesh Must Be Eaten</i> still seemingly hold red-headed stepchild status in the industry. But why?</div>
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<br /></div>
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It's my pet theory that much of this is about expectations. Fantasy campaigns are very open-ended, and generally players can expect to "win" by completing adventures, punishing the bad guys, etc. When players think of a horror campaign, many probably envision a campaign in which their characters are more helpless or overwhelmed, and one where happy endings are not promised. Many regular players may be put off by this, and the powergaming crowd, now more numerous than ever (in part, IMHO, because of a tacit encouragement of powergaming stemming from the emphasis on character customizing and stronger PCs in latter editions), may hate the idea. Recent editions have focused more on a player-has-more-control and a rules-heavy/DM-lite approach, which is usually the opposite of that in horror RPGs.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Horror RPGs and campaigns can also go flat if not run properly. A campaign centered around a singular "monster" such as zombies or vampires can get old quick if variety is not introduced. Other, more broad horror RPGs, such as <i>World of Darkness</i> or the venerable <i>Chill</i>, can fall into a sort of monster-of-the-week pattern which is likewise undesirable. I think these common pitfalls haven't done horror RPGs much service.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Lastly, running a "scary" campaign is tough.</b> It's quite one thing to be scared alone in your basement late at night and quite another to be frightened or even have the proper mindset for horror when sitting around a table in a brightly lit room surrounded by joking friends woofing down Doritos.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>So what to do? How can we rescue the poor horror campaign?</b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>1. Mix elements.</b> The Ravenloft setting does this well. Find a group that doesn't mind some horror in their fantasy campaign—a bit of peanut butter in their chocolate, if you will—and amp up the horror elements. Introduce short horror-adventures or settings based within the larger world. If nothing else, it's a good change of pace.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>2. Encourage them to embrace the implied hopelessness.</b> Playing PCs in a horror game doesn't mean losing, but the victories are more fleeting. Even in <i>Call of Cthulhu</i>, infamous for its lethality and PC insanity, characters can hold the forces of evil at bay for yet another day, even if the rise of the Old Ones seems inevitable.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>3. Allow the more powergaming folks some good battles.</b> Most zombie movies involve a lot of zombie-stomping, even if one bite from one of the sluggards can fell a hero. Let your games be no different, and make it clear that playing horror doesn't mean running away 24-7.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>4. Be creative with your campaigns.</b> If the RPG focuses heavily on one monster archtype, introduce variants, power groups and secret societies (the Vampire game always excelled at this, I feel) and other non-monster challenges. </div>
<div class="p1">
For example, although the walkers—zombies in all but name—are the only fictional threat in the <i>Walking Dead</i> universe, they are certainly not the only villain or "monster." Just ask a WD aficionado about the Governor sometime! A focus on one monster type should not mean a boring campaign.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>Next time: </b>What makes an adventure truly scary?</span></i></div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-79631316456887550392012-08-12T12:50:00.002-04:002012-08-12T12:50:22.362-04:00A good turn<div class="p1">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2FHNH4qWhhS_FsW-Vo_kdX_MDPj4ISKuhITITpRGlb7wqWj9VhffVCq-gmYkurK3aJhJGMJxvgGkg5JP4NCRY9h_L2TBiAN_lX0vWDNhyH8EO7Y4AUyKvvZN7iuvQbV7eCsLOA/s1600/meeple.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2FHNH4qWhhS_FsW-Vo_kdX_MDPj4ISKuhITITpRGlb7wqWj9VhffVCq-gmYkurK3aJhJGMJxvgGkg5JP4NCRY9h_L2TBiAN_lX0vWDNhyH8EO7Y4AUyKvvZN7iuvQbV7eCsLOA/s1600/meeple.jpeg" /></a></div>
I'm an iPad owner, and I've gotten hooked on the Ticket to Ride app, the app version of Days of Wonder's <a href="http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/" target="_blank">popular boardgame</a>. If you haven't checked it out, you should—it's a perfect example of a boardgame port, done right. In fact, I enjoy it more than the boardgame because all the score-keeping is done for me and I can square off from opponents from all over the world. <br /><br />
I once played this train game onboard an actual train headed for Washington DC, my opponents being from Berlin, England, and Chicago! I still can't wrap my head completely around that. But I digress!</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Recently I downloaded the <a href="http://carcassonneapp.com/" target="_blank">Carcassonne app</a>. I've been a meeple mover for some years, so I thought it was time to give that port a try. It's another well done app, though it wasn't completely intuitive in all respects.<br />
<br />
My first opponent was patient as I blundered through the system, and I soon confessed it was my first online game. My opponent beat me soundly and fairly—not just a beating but a <i>thrashing</i>. And then, after a game of quick responses, after the last turn, when my fate was obvious, my opponent left the game even though that granted the victory to me by default (something my obviously experienced opponent had to know). My experience with these online games is that winning players rarely bail unless life intervenes, and never on the last turn. Was I so bad I drove him or her away? And then it struck me: <i>My opponent, knowing it was my first game, handed me a victory rather than sour my first experience with a sound drubbing.</i> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I'm a big boy, and a drubbing (probably my first of many) wouldn't dissuade me from playing future online games. But this act of kindness touched me. So thank you, my anonymous opponent. I hope we meet again so I can thank you and perhaps give you more challenge the next time around.</div>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-81308993111219694812012-07-21T13:18:00.002-04:002013-12-08T20:35:38.540-05:00Accepting the New<b>After reading countless posts by 4e fans complaining about D&D-Next (hereafter Next), I'm getting worn out. </b><br />
<br />
I hate to say it, but the majority of the "complaints" simply boil down to "Next isn't 4e." I've got news, folks, it ain't supposed to be.
Now take a deep breath, 4e fans. I enjoy the game too. But if you want Next to be a very slightly modified 4e, a 4.5e or 4.25 if you will, it just isn't going to happen. Without having access to private sales data, I can say with some confidence that if 4e books were roaring off the shelves, WotC wouldn't even be discussing Next right now. We probably wouldn't have heard talk of a new edition for several more years. But they are, ergo 4e probably isn't doing as well as hoped and they're probably trying to do something about it.<br />
<br />
A huge portion of have abandoned 4e (or never tried it) in favor of Pathfinder. Other folks stuck with 3.5e. Another segment has gone old school with retroclones, the DCC-RPG, or simply returning to their old 1e and 2e books. This is a problem for Wizards. They're apparently trying to do something about it, via Next.<br />
<br />
<b>Let's accept the obvious: This is a new edition.</b> It isn't supposed to be 4e, anymore than 4e was supposed to be 3.5e. If you expect it to be 4.5, you're going to be disappointed. I appreciate that 4e has many fans, many of which would probably rather see a 4.5e. Facing the fact that the official owner of your preferred game is no longer going to support your preferred game edition, well, <i>sucks</i>. I've been there. (Indeed, it's not without some cruel irony that I recall the many people telling 2e fans, "Well you still have your old books!" when 3e came out and took the game in a new direction. And then the 4e fans telling the 3e fans the same thing. It seems we all get our turn at bat.)<br />
There seems to be an urgent attempt by the 4e players to push WotC into making Next as 4e-like as possible, which really diverts the whole purpose of a new edition. The danger is that the WotC boards are mainly full of 4e players, whereas players who abandoned 4e for PF are probably on the Paizo boards or elsewhere, etc., so the designers are hearing more criticism because their active posters in the company boards are happy with the current edition. It's like walking into a Star Wars convention and saying that you're adding Klingons to the official SW universe—the complaints will fly because of the forum you've chosen. I only hope WotC is paying as much attention to the voices outside their own forums as to those within, because otherwise they're getting a skewed sample.<br />
<br />
The 4e fans (and not all of them, mind you, some are very open-minded) aren't the only ones demonstrating this style of "I want Next to be the edition I already enjoy" behavior. I purposely went to some of the more popular old-school boards to get the reaction to Next, given it's 2e flavor, and I was both surprised and somewhat disappointed. A number of folks there, the ones that didn't simply refuse to talk about it at all, made comments akin to, "Well next has Rule A, which isn't exactly the same as Rule B in 2e, so I'll never try it." Again, insert a big <i>sigh</i> here, it's a new edition, folks! It isn't <i>supposed</i> to be 2e.<br />
A lot of great, common sense innovations came about in the last twenty years—replacing THAC0 with a target's AC as the target roll needed to hit, for instance?—and it would be foolhardy to abandon those. If Next was supposed to be 2e in every way, shape, and form, WotC would simply reprint the 2e books and save themselves the effort. (Although there's a lot of 2e "feel" to the Next playtest rules, the majority of the rules actually seem 3e-inspired.)<br />
<br />
At this point, for better or worse, the D&D market is dreadfully splintered. Getting everyone under one tent is impossible, methinks. It's my own personal belief that WotC should, despite the splintering of R&D staff resources and ad budgets, try to support <i>two</i> editions. And by that I mean <i>actively</i> support them via regular new adventures and supplements (though I loudly applaud their reprinting the 1e books this month). They should make a true 4.5e, to keep the hardcore 4e fans happy, because ultimately that's all a good portion of those folks will accept. And they should make a real old-school D&D, a 2e with some important (but not flavor changing) innovations culled from the newer editions.<br />
<br />
Alas, that is a very doubtful scenario. So instead we must accept that Next is a new edition. What we get from it and how we shape it depends on us.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-63559786531929244392012-07-01T18:24:00.000-04:002012-07-01T18:25:07.904-04:00Player Knows Best? - Part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the more interesting things that has emerged, IMHO,
from the recent D&D-Next playtests are the opinions about DM power—that is,
the amount of “say” a DM has over the game and the players’ actions.</div>
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I’ve been playing D&D in one form or another for a long
time, since 1977 in fact, so it’d be foolish to think that my experience with
older editions hasn’t had an effect. It has. Some things in the recent
playtest, like getting back <i>all</i> hit
points after an overnight rest, seem ridiculous to me because I was “raised” on
a system in which you got back <i>one</i>
hit point per day (which now strikes me as equally ridiculous). But I digress.
(More comments about ‘Next to come soon, perhaps after the next playtest packet
later this summer.)</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The complaints of a return to “Mother, may I?” are a
frequent one. The attitude seems to be:<span style="color: #660000;"> <i>I don’t want much unknown. I want to know how fast I can run, how
far I can jump, whether I can leap from the balcony and grab that chandelier </i>before<i> I do it. I want to have a good
sense of the odds.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These folks also seem to be of the opinion that the DM is
there strictly as an atmosphere provider and bad-guy die roller, but little
else. The DM is not only neutral, but his job is to be the road the players
drag race on. Not much more.</div>
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I agree in spirit at least with the idea that a character
should have some idea of their own capabilities and the odds. In real life,
even if I’ve never jumped from the rooftop of one city building to another, <i>Walking Dead</i> style—and I certainly
haven’t—I could probably stand near the edge and have a decent sense of whether
attempting the jump was crazy or a decent risk. I know roughly how far I can
jump. In RPGs the referee is describing the scene, a scene the players can
rarely see first-hand unless illustrations are provided. And the players are
playing characters that are probably a departure from their real life form, and
guessing the ability of an imaginary person can be hard. This would seem to
make a good argument for a DM objectively calling the shots, yet shouldn’t
those players, if they are expected to play their characters well, know what
the characters themselves would know? The character would have a good sense of
their ability, just as I do standing near the edge of that rooftop, so a good
player should share in that character’s knowledge.</div>
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This is a solid argument. But like many points of view, I
fear it is often presented simply as a means to an end. If a DM is consistent
with their DC or skill-type rulings, assigning similar levels of success for
similar actions, the players swiftly learn the capabilities of their
characters. No, I fear many players are using this as a means to an end, the
end being overpowerful characters that fail at little. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I don’t blame newer players for this, because game editions have moved in this
direction. Characters now have more hit points, they have more abilities
(especially at-will type abilities), and they heal much faster than in earlier
editions. In addition, dying is much harder. In 1e, a failed save versus poison
meant you were <i>dead</i>, kaput, pushing
up daisies. Whereas in 4e a PC with 50 hp might actually have to be reduced to
negative 25 just to drop. The advent of monster CRs in 3e also led to more
balanced encounters, and the idea of characters running from an encounter to
save their hides is more a rarity these days. It’s a big difference from games
of old, and it leads to a different player mindset.</div>
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I don’t want to wield the wide brush and say newer/younger
players are all videogame-influenced, but I think that is also a factor. A
proliferation of RPG-style and FPS videogames has led to many players being
used to a gaming experience that often involves running and shooting things
with impunity (at least until you discover online multiplayer for the first
time and are swiftly humbled) and quick resets when things go wrong. Many RPG
players are also videogamers, so it’s foolish to disregard the influence one
style of play might have over the other. This isn’t denigrating the player,
merely acknowledging the way they were “raised.” If you grow up in a 40-room
mansion, a Cape Cod style house will feel small, whereas if you’re raised in a
one-room shack the reverse will no doubt be felt.</div>
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For me, much of the fun and fantasy aspect comes from the unknown.
This can certainly be taken too far, as in DMs or games that throw a constant
stream of “weirdies” or needlessly modified monsters at the PCs for sake or
surprise alone, ruining any chance to establish a more natural, known setting.
But some unknown is absolutely needed. If the players can beat everything and
know everything, where is the challenge? Whether most players realize it or
not, the pleasure comes from those difficult challenges. It’s fun to mow down
lackeys with your +5 sword, but that gets old faster than you’d think. The
memorable encounters are when you take risks with your characters and manage to
beat difficult enemies by the narrowest of margins. Those are the times my
players remember years later, always.</div>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-46903928573643500902012-05-25T22:26:00.002-04:002013-03-29T18:48:08.574-04:00Planning Versus RealityAs I've mentioned in this column, years ago I used to jock a blues radio show. Being a disk jockey is a type of performance art, like being a DM, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised when I see similarities between the two.<br /><br />One of the things I used to experience as an on-air jock was the oft-disappointing difference between <i>planning</i> and <i>reality</i>—that is, what I hoped for my show versus how the show <i>actually</i> went. Because the station was small, I used to do my own engineering—cue up music, set levels, run sound beds, talk with listeners, record calls, etc.—and it made for a crazy show. I used to arrive with a grand idea in my head of a perfect show: perfect song transitions, no dead air, good recordings, yada yada, but as you might expect, things rarely went according to plan. The reality was that I might have 7 minutes and 43 seconds before the top of the hour ID and needed to find two songs to perfectly fill that time slot, that went together, the first from the 80s and the second one current, picked from the limited rotation list, and I needed to do this while taking a listener request call and making hand gestures to the news talent through a window. My ratings were good and the listeners seemed happy, but I often left a touch disappointed that things didn't go exactly as planned.<br /><br />Well and good, you say, but what does this have to do with RPGs, Rick? Well, you can probably see were this is going. My DMing has turned out similar in practice to the radio show. Feverishly written notes, scribbled directions, drawn maps, Post-It reminders ... but in the end it comes down to what direction the players go, what they do, and how well I go with the flow. A part of good DMing is ad-lib and performance in the face of the unexpected. Sometimes I'm good, and can even make lemons from lemonade, but other times... In a recent session, a dreaded city session, the players asked about some folks in town and I needed a name and simply came up blank. That naming part off my brain, after spinning out a lot of names already that session, now had a BACK IN 10 MINUTES sign hanging where a nifty NPC name should have been. Most embarrassing, to say the least. I want every session to be killer, and it's damned hard to settle for less, especially when the responsibility is 95% mine.<br /><br />I'm now finally coming to terms with the reality of game performance. Those NPCs probably won't be voiced perfectly. I may not have a great name or new townsperson waiting in the wings for every occasion (though now I keep a list of names at the ready). But I've learned to be happy with my best effort, even if it doesn't live up to those pre-game aspirations. Keep your aspirations, honor them in play if you can, but if at the end of the day your players are raring for more and you had a good time, that's reward enough.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-8827389031826418542012-04-30T19:20:00.000-04:002013-03-29T18:48:15.503-04:00The In-betweeners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKyx68i68knTUrSXFtSd4citLUy2JGRiSIiDggB4xX92ZhwJOkSCAE-mQ3oXBBiuBFIuPQ4_yM_-85gvcho23PMeGCj0mfqPR9ULZaGlhvVX4zOLQwVN6c7MJZzdJvG0T1M2OCw/s1600/hourglass_00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKyx68i68knTUrSXFtSd4citLUy2JGRiSIiDggB4xX92ZhwJOkSCAE-mQ3oXBBiuBFIuPQ4_yM_-85gvcho23PMeGCj0mfqPR9ULZaGlhvVX4zOLQwVN6c7MJZzdJvG0T1M2OCw/s200/hourglass_00.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
My biggest problem these days with my gaming is not lack of good players or lack of a good system, it's a lack of time. As a 40-something parent, squeezing in even a <i>monthly</i> campaign session is tough. There's so many great games and adventures to be experienced (from both sides of the screen) that I simply can't work it all in.<br /><br />One recent tactic I've employed to battle this time deficiency is the use of chat sessions. Although there is some great software out there for holding games completely online, I'm still a big fan of face-to-face gaming. But recently I ran a group chat session with my players to cover a discussion with an NPC. It was an important, info-laden discussion, but it didn't involve much in the way of dice rolling or combat. We chatted for approximately 2 hours and it worked so well, we're doing it again this week to handle some town chores (more NPC talk, equipping PC and buying goods, selling unwanted magic items, arranging for transportation, etc.).<br /><br />Was the chat session the same as "being there"? Nope. But it did feel immediate in a way that simply exchanging e-mails never would. They were asking questions and getting answers in real time, and they knew their "question time" for this NPC was finite. The chat program in question (<a href="http://talkerapp.com/" target="_blank">Talker</a>) also allowed for graphic uploads and we were able to store the whole chat for later perusal—which was not only useful for the players but their DM as well!<br /><br />We'll see how the second chat session goes, but "meeting" online for a 1-2 hour chat late on a weekday evening has so far been easier than meeting in person, and it allows for more combat and dice rolling when we do meet in person. One more weapon in the fight against dwindling time.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36759920.post-87350683381371675152012-04-12T23:14:00.005-04:002013-12-08T20:35:19.782-05:00How deep is too deep?Recently my mind has turned to the subject of plots. I'm current running a <a href="http://ken-of-ghastria.livejournal.com/tag/rick%27s%20campaign">4e campaign</a> with a long overall plot and backstory. All the adventures are connected to the main plot, and the PCs are picking up clues as they go along and are slowly piecing things together.<br />
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So far things are going well, but my plot is a deep one. Red herrings and traitors and grey allegiances abound, and I wonder if the whole is a bit too complicated. It's been work for me, as DM, keeping everything straight as far as what the various bad guys are doing, so I naturally worry about the players. Can they figure it all out in the end? I should note that this particular group in composed of long-time roleplayers and more than one RPG industry professional, so I think they are up to the challenge (as do they). But how deep is too deep?<br />
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Deep background often makes fun reading for the DM, but is it really needed if the players often never penetrate beyond that first layer? I recall reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Dungeon</span> back in the day and skipping past adventures that had a page and a half of background. Those always got looked at later—I wanted to get into the room descriptions and "good stuff" quickly. I simply didn't have the patience for all that led-in material. As a player, I often have a "Where's the beef?" style of play too.<br />
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I'd say my initial anti-deep-background attitude came from the fact that I learned the game in the 1e days, but I doubt that accounts for all of it. And not all early adventures were simple, with regard to background material. Remember the <span style="font-style: italic;">Temple of Elemental Evil</span>? Good luck to any players that could piece together that infernal tapestry of demonic alliances pulling the Temple strings!<br />
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Recently I've scaled back my campaign from an end goal of 20th level to 10th level, so this also has me reconsidering the overall plot complexity. (I won't talk about that plot here, not yet anyway, lest my players be clued in.) I'm not planning any big changes, but a refinement is the order of the day because we'll have a good 20 fewer play sessions to work with. That's a lot less NPCs to meet! (My initial plan would have been great back in the days before most of my players were parents! Now, not so much. I tend to dream big before reality sets in.)<br />
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I'm not sure what the perfect balance of backstory to encounters is; I guess, as with most things, it comes down to what you and your players want from the experience. I was careful to repeatedly ask my players about their feelings toward an overall plot versus isolated adventures, so I recommend talking to your players too. In the meantime, I'll see how it goes for me and release actual campaign examples here when possible.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03832728583629714999noreply@blogger.com