I was reading a post on the BAron's page and I ran across this blog on his blog list: http://dandddoodles.blogspot.com/
If you can't get excited/inspired/want to steal every technique/look in awe you just aren't human. So much RPG cartography genius here its unbelieveable.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Crossfire 15mm Sci Fi
So as I have built my 15mm Sci Fi armies, I have been struggling with the rules set to use. I was going to look at Force on Force, then the much awaited Tomorrows War came out. I will pick it up, but I was still looking. I have Future War Commander, but haven't played it yet. Its sounds ok. The combined arms aspect is good for involving a bunch of different troop types (which I like) and the Warmaster movement/morale system(which I am on the fence about). So I picked up off my shelf an oldie but a goodie. CROSSFIRE by Artie Conliffe.
Its such an abstraction from other games, but I really love the mechanics of fire and moevment, initiative, and good tactics or you will just plain lose. So right now, I am working on a Crossfire mod for 15mm Sci Fi. Since Crossfire is primarily an infantry game, won't be a lot of armor or APC's in the game. I will use either Tomorrow's War or FWC for that.
And while trolling the Yahoo group, I ran across an old post of mine about using Crossfire for HEavy Gear, since all versions of that game suck. How could an absolutely stunning miniatures line be so saddled with such a terrible game system. anyway, because of the way crossfire models fire and movement, it may be the best at modeling their universe, with the swings in initiative, furious combat and speed, slow ponderous infantry and vehicles(compared to the gears). So you would make the Gears the infantry, and the foot sloggers and vehicles all follow the vehicles rules. It would make the Gears feel that much more dynamic.
I have my Power Armored Arc Fleet guys mounted, and am ready to mount my recon guys. Do some unit designations and patches, and they are done. Pics when finished.
Not sure what I am doing next. I will have 3 15mm Sci Fi armies ready to play some small games, probably need a 4th so we can play at least 4 sided at the Baron's Chateau.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Happy (Belated) B-Day to the Baron
Happy (1 day belated) B-dauy to the Baron. http://baronvonj.blogspot.com/
Its his 41st. I already turned. We're gettin old.
I forgot, because, well I always forget bdays, names, dates, all kinds of things. If its not in my balckberry anymore, I don't remember. But I really have no excuse. No excuses, we all have very hectic lives. Just something I wish I hadn't done.See I have this little thing to help me remember. And I didn't.
You see when playing roulette, and picking random numbers, it always makes you feel better if you have a reason. So I use my b-day, my brother, my wife, and the boys, and the Baron's to fill the board out. And I have won a bunch on them all. Its totally random, and I don't really gamble anymore (especially roulette), but it helps me remember birthdays cause I can see the table laid out in front of me in my minds eye.
The Baron was the best man at my wedding, and our children have grown up gaming together. He is still my best friend, and will be for a long time I hope. All the gaming, rpging, card playing, drinking, float trips, parties, bachelor parties have added up to a pretty great life spent in pursuit of fun. Thanks for all of it Baron.
Ken
Its his 41st. I already turned. We're gettin old.
I forgot, because, well I always forget bdays, names, dates, all kinds of things. If its not in my balckberry anymore, I don't remember. But I really have no excuse. No excuses, we all have very hectic lives. Just something I wish I hadn't done.See I have this little thing to help me remember. And I didn't.
You see when playing roulette, and picking random numbers, it always makes you feel better if you have a reason. So I use my b-day, my brother, my wife, and the boys, and the Baron's to fill the board out. And I have won a bunch on them all. Its totally random, and I don't really gamble anymore (especially roulette), but it helps me remember birthdays cause I can see the table laid out in front of me in my minds eye.
The Baron was the best man at my wedding, and our children have grown up gaming together. He is still my best friend, and will be for a long time I hope. All the gaming, rpging, card playing, drinking, float trips, parties, bachelor parties have added up to a pretty great life spent in pursuit of fun. Thanks for all of it Baron.
Ken
Monday, October 11, 2010
Happy Gamer Dad Moments
I'm gonna steal this from Eli at his I See Lead People blog as an ongoing feature. Go to Eli's blog to read the inspiration for starting it here. http://leadpeople.blogspot.com/ He has been letting us readers know of his ongoing Gamer Dad moments. And great they are.
Here's one from this weekend that made me want to write about them.
I have written over the last few years about my sons (3 of them) adventures in gaming. Best gamer Dad moments so far:
Oldest (17): We went to the Recruits Convention this year(as we do evey time) and we got to sit down and paint a couple of figures at the paint and take, together, without our phones interupting us, looing at each others work, being critical and complementary. "Look dad, I painted mine (The Reaper Sgt Stone figure we were both painting) to be like Robert Downey Jr. Character from Tropic Thunder". "I painted mine for my American guys for Weird World War II". It was great. He then went and painted at another table by himself and cranked out a super subtle gargoyle that was great. He was very proud. We also talked to a fellow BAsement General about an ongoing WHFRP that all three of us were in, but hadn't played in a while. It was so cool to talk like an adventuring party, and he was one of us.
Youngest (8): The Speed Painter, the Muscle - You know that you may have an indecisve RPG group when the most active player is the 8 yr old. When a door needs busting, or a cavern needs jumping, the boy is fearless. It must be one of those innocence of children thing cause this kid gots no fear. And while at 8 he still would rather be playing with LEGOs and Halo, slowly, he is playing more and having fun. The risjk/reward nature of roleplaying is really fun for him. And the hearing cheers from the other characters at the table for a job well done makes him beam.
The Middle Child (10): HE really is too much like me. And really, I had had Video Games like Halo and World of Warcraft, who knows if I would have ever RPG'd or Wargamed. He shows the most real interest in gaming. there are a million stories about him. One of my favorites is his 2nd level Barabarian getting chased through an orchard by a Bullete as a distration so everyone else could find safe ground. A real hero move. As the Bullette approached with his doom, the boy says "I'm going to leap up to the cloest branch on that tree so the Bullette will go past me." HE rolls to grab it and does. The Bullete erupts out of the ground to eat him like a fishing lure and misses and crashes into a stone wall. The boy then dops down on the Bullette's back and tries to drive a spear into his head. Dexterity check - very hard - Passed. Attack Roll- Natural 20, critical strike. Damage Roll - Full dmg x2 plus dmg bonus. Some days the dice gods sing your praises.
Some days they don't. Satruday we went to the BAron's house the roleplay for a couple of hours in his Beyond the Wall sandbox campaign. Fun as ususal. but the boy had the unfortunate luck of walking into the den of Guard Giant Ferrets. They critical striked him for 24 hp of dmg before he even got a swing. The poor dwarf Dimzad was bitten in half and swallowed. He was unsure of whether to be sad, cry or what, until everyone at the table began laughing and patting him on the back and telling him it was good death. A warriors death. Better than most had ever seen. It helped losing his first character easier. He later asked me "Have you ever gotten killed as good as I did?" I confessed "Never".
On sunday, I was out back doin yard work after the KC Cheifs lost to the Colts. I was pissed, tired and frustrated at the labor of the work and loss of my beloved Chiefs, when the Boy comes out and yells across the yard, "DAD, WHAT DICE AM I SUPPOSED TO USE TO ROLL FOR A FIGHTER'S HIT POINTS?" At first I was annoyed. I was working hard, and the Chiefs lost, then it dawned on me what was happening. "D8" I shouted. He said ok and walked away. The smile on my face must have been huge. "The Force is strong with this one."
Here's one from this weekend that made me want to write about them.
I have written over the last few years about my sons (3 of them) adventures in gaming. Best gamer Dad moments so far:
Oldest (17): We went to the Recruits Convention this year(as we do evey time) and we got to sit down and paint a couple of figures at the paint and take, together, without our phones interupting us, looing at each others work, being critical and complementary. "Look dad, I painted mine (The Reaper Sgt Stone figure we were both painting) to be like Robert Downey Jr. Character from Tropic Thunder". "I painted mine for my American guys for Weird World War II". It was great. He then went and painted at another table by himself and cranked out a super subtle gargoyle that was great. He was very proud. We also talked to a fellow BAsement General about an ongoing WHFRP that all three of us were in, but hadn't played in a while. It was so cool to talk like an adventuring party, and he was one of us.
Youngest (8): The Speed Painter, the Muscle - You know that you may have an indecisve RPG group when the most active player is the 8 yr old. When a door needs busting, or a cavern needs jumping, the boy is fearless. It must be one of those innocence of children thing cause this kid gots no fear. And while at 8 he still would rather be playing with LEGOs and Halo, slowly, he is playing more and having fun. The risjk/reward nature of roleplaying is really fun for him. And the hearing cheers from the other characters at the table for a job well done makes him beam.
The Middle Child (10): HE really is too much like me. And really, I had had Video Games like Halo and World of Warcraft, who knows if I would have ever RPG'd or Wargamed. He shows the most real interest in gaming. there are a million stories about him. One of my favorites is his 2nd level Barabarian getting chased through an orchard by a Bullete as a distration so everyone else could find safe ground. A real hero move. As the Bullette approached with his doom, the boy says "I'm going to leap up to the cloest branch on that tree so the Bullette will go past me." HE rolls to grab it and does. The Bullete erupts out of the ground to eat him like a fishing lure and misses and crashes into a stone wall. The boy then dops down on the Bullette's back and tries to drive a spear into his head. Dexterity check - very hard - Passed. Attack Roll- Natural 20, critical strike. Damage Roll - Full dmg x2 plus dmg bonus. Some days the dice gods sing your praises.
Some days they don't. Satruday we went to the BAron's house the roleplay for a couple of hours in his Beyond the Wall sandbox campaign. Fun as ususal. but the boy had the unfortunate luck of walking into the den of Guard Giant Ferrets. They critical striked him for 24 hp of dmg before he even got a swing. The poor dwarf Dimzad was bitten in half and swallowed. He was unsure of whether to be sad, cry or what, until everyone at the table began laughing and patting him on the back and telling him it was good death. A warriors death. Better than most had ever seen. It helped losing his first character easier. He later asked me "Have you ever gotten killed as good as I did?" I confessed "Never".
On sunday, I was out back doin yard work after the KC Cheifs lost to the Colts. I was pissed, tired and frustrated at the labor of the work and loss of my beloved Chiefs, when the Boy comes out and yells across the yard, "DAD, WHAT DICE AM I SUPPOSED TO USE TO ROLL FOR A FIGHTER'S HIT POINTS?" At first I was annoyed. I was working hard, and the Chiefs lost, then it dawned on me what was happening. "D8" I shouted. He said ok and walked away. The smile on my face must have been huge. "The Force is strong with this one."
Friday, October 8, 2010
Played C &C Fantasy (Not BattleLore) Last Night, and some progress
The BAsement Generals played Commands and Colors last night at the Barons Castle. Its our 4th play test. We haven't played enough to make sure we have covered all the rules yet, and left several out that I know of: evade, breakthrough attack, etc. but we are getting there.
We decided to use C&C Ancients instead of BAttle Lore now because the troop types were just too limiting in BL. And we like a historical bent to our fantasy. Afterall, Elven bowmen are really just pretty English Longbowmen with really good hygeine. So we are converting them and will have army lists and cards for each unit tupe that spells out movement, results, etc.
Pics over at the BAron's Blog: http://baronvonj.blogspot.com/2010/10/thursday-c-fantasy.html
After that, I need to finish my Garn native troops and finish their bases. Then I will have 3 small/med size forces to use for 15mm sci fi. Still looking for the right rules. Maybe Crossfire.
Later.
We decided to use C&C Ancients instead of BAttle Lore now because the troop types were just too limiting in BL. And we like a historical bent to our fantasy. Afterall, Elven bowmen are really just pretty English Longbowmen with really good hygeine. So we are converting them and will have army lists and cards for each unit tupe that spells out movement, results, etc.
Pics over at the BAron's Blog: http://baronvonj.blogspot.com/2010/10/thursday-c-fantasy.html
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As for my Critical Mass guys, I have my first 4 sticks of Critical Mass Recon Troopers base painted and highlighted. Detail painting this weekend so I can finish them and get them mounted. I finished their 2 fire support automatons(old Battletech Rocket tanks), and their fire support/mobile command post 6 wheel MICV. I have to do one last layer of highlights for the drop ship, and it will be ready. I haven't started their 3 walkers yet. Hopefully I can finish the majority of them this weekend.After that, I need to finish my Garn native troops and finish their bases. Then I will have 3 small/med size forces to use for 15mm sci fi. Still looking for the right rules. Maybe Crossfire.
Later.
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