Seasonal Conditions for Works-in-Progress

(Image from "ThursonTalk" taken by Douglas Scott

It's been unseasonably warm throughout this week.  Despite the nights getting cold, the daily temperatures are near 70 degrees.

So I took advantage of the mild weather to do some projects in my "outside workshop."

On the table are some barricades for Warhammer 40K, some metal bases and a plastic office desk tray that I'll be converting into a futuristic building.

I don't have any place indoors to do any spray painting or priming.  This is a "seasonal" job for me.  From what I've observed, paint doesn't adhere well if the temperature is below 65 degrees.  While during the summer it's too hot for me to paint outside in the first place.

Flocking (adding terrain material to a figure's base) can also be a seasonal job.  I do this on my garage desk/workbench.  (This was part of a larger desk my second ex-wife gave me, but is too large to fit in the house).  The reason I do my flocking in the garage is because no matter how neat I try to be, I end up getting bits of stuff scattered everywhere, as you can see here:

Seen in the picture are some Warhammer Epic-scale Imperial Guard infantry figures, a couple of Chimer armored personnel carriers, two Planetary Empires terrain pieces, some World War II micro armor figures, along with some buildings made for Battletech.

Product Reviews: Mongoose Publications' Traveller, 2nd Edition

Several months ago, I stumbled across the Traveller Starter Set at The Game Matrix.

I can't claim I've been a Traveller fan since it's initial release, but I can say I purchased the little black box...

...containing the three little booklets...

...within three years after it's debut publication.

Since then, I've collected most of the subsequent editions, ending with the GURPS and "T-20" versions.

I've seen Mongoose Publishing's version of Traveller for the past decade, flipped through some books at game stores, but nothing really motivated me to buy anything new.

So when I bought the Starter Kit on a whim, I didn't think it would lead to anything significant.

Yeah.

This turned out to be the gateway drug to reigniting my dormant interest in Traveller.

I was impressed by the production quality, because in the past, I've found Mongoose Publication's quality control to be hit-or-miss.  This is Mongoose's second edition of Traveller, and they've done a lot to bring the game up to date from "The 80s With Starships!"

Misgivings aside, and not satisfied with the Starter Set, I purchased the 2nd Edition Core Rulebook.

This in turn, triggered a buying spree of both old and new Traveller material, starting with the Game Master's Screen.

Classic Traveller (starting in the year 1105 on the Imperial Calendar) primarily focused on the Spinward Marches of the Third Imperium.  So I decided to revisit this sector by buying the The Spinward Marches Book...

...along with the map...

...the Spinward Encounters Adventures Book...

...and the Tripwire campaign.

Now here's where my misgivings about quality control became justified.  While 2008 Edition of the Spinward Marches got decent reviews, I thought a lot of readers were pulling their punches.

While the content in every Third Imperium publication I bought was good, I found there was a complete lack of editorial oversight.

Just about every page, in every book contained a grammatical or syntax error.

It's as if the material was written then sent off to Mongoose Publications without anyone bothering to edit or review it.  

The number and consistency of errors made the material hard for me to enjoy reading.  But if you're more concerned about getting material for game mastering a session than you are about the proper use of written English, then Third Imperium books won't be a waste of your money.

These mixed feelings didn't stop me from buying material on the Spinward Marches' "next door neighbor," the Deneb Sector

After reading through all the new material--and hoarding my money for new purchases--I decided to "take a look back" and buy material (now out of print) I couldn't afford to when they were initially published.

For that "big picture" look, my first purchase was the Fifth Frontier War (which erupts in the year 1107).

Since player characters, or "travellers" as they're called in the game, journey around in starships, I thought getting the games Brilliant Lances...

...and Battle Rider would add to any game session.

The rules to both games are complex and actually set in post-Imperial collapse of The New Era (starting in the year 1116)--but the counters look cool!

It's 1105 again, and Mongoose Publications continues to make products set in the Spinward Marches, like the introductory adventure High and Dry.

In this book, the travellers are given the chance to find and return an abandoned starship.

However, this is a classic case of "easier said, than done."

Most of Mongoose Publication's attention seems to be focused on The Great Rift, a vast volume of space with very few star systems--and refueling points.

There's even "rift-version" of the High and Dry adventure--Islands in the Rift.

In this case, not only will the travellers have to find and return a starship, but they'll have to contend with intrigue and skulduggery in the Old Islands and New Islands subsectors.

 Overall, I'm happy with all my out-of-print and up-to-date Traveller purchases.

Now all I need is some free time to "travel" among the tabletop stars...

Product Review: Firefly Adventures

A couple weeks ago, during my enforced "radio silence," I ventured to The Game Matrix.

I stumbled across Firefly Adventures: Brigands and Browncoats, which is the latest release of Gale Force 9's:  Firefly, The Game.

(Box art image from:  Gale Force 9)

Since I often buy games with other uses in mind, I spent a long time in the store debating on whether or not to buy the game.  I was primarily concerned if the figures were compatible with the rest of my 25-28mm sci-fi miniatures collection.

The gal at the register went on line and found a discussion about the figures' scale.  The consensus was they're taller than average 25mm, but smaller than "heroic scale," such as Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K, and Wizards of the Coasts old line of Star Wars Miniatures (which can vary between 28-32mm).

Despite my misgivings, I bought the game.

When I got home, and opened the box, I was elated at my latest purchase.

And it wasn't about the figures either.  Which by the way, the four Firefly characters included come in two poses:  casual and heroic.  Bad guy figures, representing thugs and cowboys, are also included but with in just single poses.

No, what impressed me the most were the open-top, pre-assembled cardboard buildings.

(Image from:  Boardgame Geek review)

These also double as storage bins:

(Image from:  Boardgame Geek review

Even the main box's inside cover is a building, painted both inside and out.

True, these can be something of a jigsaw puzzle to get back in the box.  However, this collection of buildings can easily represent any wretched hive of scum and villainy a gamemaster can concoct.

(Image from:  Across the Board Cafe)

My only Home Improvement suggestion would be to make roofs for each of the buildings.  This can be done simply, with matching-colored cardstock; or with more durable matboard, plastic or other material and painted appropriately.

My only quibble is that Firefly Adventures doesn't include the entire crew of Firefly, the starship.

The rest of the gang are due to be released this fall in the two supplements Wanted Fugitives (the "Tam Twins"), and Respectable Folk (Inara and Preacher Book).

Speaking of Firefly products:  In writing this post, I realized I've been remiss about posting product reviews of all the other supplements since I bought the original game over four years ago.

During these intervening years, I've purchased just about everything Firefly-related listed in the GF9 Store, except for:  The promo cards, the customisable ship models (I & II), the "Vera Edition" of the map, and the Crime & Punishment cards.

I like everything I bought.  I wish I could tell you how the game, or any of the supplements play.  Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity.

While I plan on getting the Crime & Punishment cards, I'm not too interested in the customisable 

ships.  They're more detailed than any of the other ship models offered.  

It's just that I already have a "mountain of shame" (unpainted miniatures), which I just added to because I'd love to have my Firefly crew and villains look like this:

(Image from:  Twilight Emporium)

Technical Troubles--Continued

(Image from:  Superpages--Top 10 Common Computer Problems)

Well folks, I know it's been over a month since I posted anything.

You see, shortly after my desktop was declared Dead on Arrival (DOA) by the nearby computer repair shop, my laptop need repair.

Technically, it was a simple problem:  Replacing the power receptacle that had come loose, which was only intermittently recharging the laptop.

As it turned out though, the part needed to be ordered from a warehouse in California.  But Californians are dealing with bigger wildfires than we are in Washington State.  So shipment of the new power receptacle was delayed until some of "the smoke cleared."

I'm still in the process of setting up my laptop with the additional functions I relied on my desktop for, along with trying to utilize my iPad Pro more effectively, so I can blog remotely.

I hope to get back into my haphazard blogging schedule shortly.

Thank you for your patience!

Desktop Now Deceased

(Image from Schuyler House)

Last week, my desk top, a 10 year old HP, began locking up.  Since I was on duty, I didn't have the time to deal with it other than attempt to go through on-line tutorials to figure out what was wrong.

Then one morning when I turned it on, the screen displayed the Mircosoft icon and the words:  Preparing Automatic Repair.

And it remained in this state.

Once again, I attempted another on-line tutorial fix, but to no avail.

So I took it to a nearby computer repair shop.  A couple hours later, my desktop was declared DOA.

Two capacitors on the motherboard were fried, and since the system was originally designed for Windows Vista, it wasn't worth replacing.

I'm also having some issues with my laptop:  The media player won't play, and the power receptacle seems loose.

Meanwhile, I can't manage to get my iPad Pro to do what I've had my succession of laptops, and desktops to do.

So the long delays between blogposts will be longer I'm afraid, as I embark on a quest to obtain a new desktop.

Product Review: Warhammer 40K 8th Edition

Shortly before 2017 came to a close, I took the plunge and bought Warhammer 40,000’s Eighth Edition (WH 40K 8E).

Prior to this, I scavenged through used book stores for earlier editions.

Not one early edition either.

As a latecomer to the “grim darkness of the far future...” I ended up with Edition 5, 6, and 7 of the core rulebooks.  (Edition 7’s three-volume set was purchased after Edition 8 hit the shelves).

I didn’t limit my dabbling in WH40K to old rulebooks.  While Edition 7 was in its heyday, I started buying just about every used Edition 6 splatbook (codexes—supplements containing the specific details of a select faction) I could find.

Since I have yet to play a single game of any edition of WH40K, I’m not in a position to make any comparisons, good, bad, or indifferent.

I have though, noticed significant changes have been made with each new edition.  And Edition 8 is no exception.  The rules seem to be the most streamlined of the lot.  The blast templates used for determining casualties caused by flame weapons or explosives have been eliminated.  Also there’s nothing in the new core rulebook to set up a “starter game.”  That is, there’s no crunch (game statistics) about any of the factions’ troops or weapon systems within the core rulebook.

So players are forced to buy at least one splatbook.

Since the bulk of my WH40K force consists of “ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances," I went ahead and bought the latest codex for the Astra Militarum, (formerly known as the Imperial Guard)

In this regard I’m one of the lucky players to have a new codex for my main force.  Other players are still waiting for theirs.

I’m still waiting for a codex for my small force of Adepta Sororitas (a.k.a. The Sisters of Battle, or “nuns with guns”).

Fortunately, in the Index: Imperium 2, consists of the basic data,without the fluff, for me to utilize for my Battle Sisters, along with the team of Inquisitors I purchased at a wargame swap meet a few months ago.

So that's three 8E books I've purchased right off the bat--and I want to buy the upcoming codex for the Adepta Sororitas, and the Inquisition.

And at the risk of implying "I can quit whenever I want to" I don't plan on buying any more 8E splatbooks.  While it's a good strategy to study the capabilities of your opponents' forces, I figure I can get the gist of things with the earlier edition splatbooks.

I'm also plan on keeping earlier edition core rulebooks, because there's still gamers out there who continue to play by the old rules.

So from what little I know about actually playing WH40K, I like the rules.

Maybe I'll even like the game--if I ever get a chance to play.

If you want an in-depth review of the good, bad and ugly of 8E, here's one review by Miniwargaming on what they love and don't love about WH40K8E.

(Image: Adepta Sororitas by Anna Steinbauer)