Game Design #49: Musings about Activation Pools & Resource Management
Most game designers are now aware that IGOUGO doesn't cut it anymore. They (in the least) do alternating units (like Chess discovered 2000 years ago) and most are experimenting with other ways to...
View ArticleCampaign Balancing - the 20/20 of Hindsight (Mordhiem Musings #2)
Several months ago, I did an article discussing Mordhiem-esque campaigns. This topic fits well with the recent release of Frostgrave (reviewed here) which seems to aim itself squarely at the Mordhiem...
View ArticleWhen is a Game "Supported" - and does it matter?
Thinly disguised rant incoming...Often when I am on forums, when people ask others about a game, I see people commonly respond with: "this game is great - it's really well supported." "The designer is...
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Clix Superheroes for Savage Worlds - with a Guest Star Painter
I hadn't really intended to post up these guys (after all, they hadn't even been rebased properly) but they come with an amusing story...Here's my latest batch, laid out as I waited for the glue on the...
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Clash on the Fringe - Sci Fi Skirmish (Review)
No, this is not the name of a boy band, a race horse, or a trendy hairdresser. This set of rules is clearly a love-letter to the Rogue Trader era of 40K - aimed at 2-3 squads per player, a few heroes...
View Article"Types of Magic" - Advice Wanted
For a small blog, I reckon we have the most energetic "commentators" I've come across (the comments word count usually exceeds the post itself!) and I'm seeking the collective wisdom once again, on the...
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Rogue Planet - Sci Fi Skirmish Rules Review (Derelict Planet Edition)
Note: This is a review that has been sitting in my draft box for a while. Usually, Bombshell Games have 3 review stages(a) Sticker Shock - i.e. "wow, these mechanisms are unusual"(b) Easy after All -...
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Judeo-Christian/Angelic RPGs
I commented here that I cannot see many wargames (apart from Helldorado - but they're French!) with an explicit focus on either Christian or Judaisitic myths. I thought it was surprising due to the...
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Hollow Earth Settings - Victim to Stereotype?
When I think "Hollow Earth" I think Jules Verne-style pulp/VSF adventurers encountering lost tribes, dinosaurs, giant apes and bizarre life forms in a pulpy, Boys-Own adventure.I know that there are...
View ArticleGame Design #50: Focussed Fluff, Generic Fluff & the Shiny Factor
This is going to be a look at the merits of "Focussed Fluff"(tm) vs the Generic Fluff common in most indie rulebooks - and the impact of "shiny" on the chances of your fluff succeeding.Generic fluff...
View ArticleLuminiferous Aether - VSF Magic?
I've noticed that VSF tends to embrace "weird science" and the odd occult dabblings rather than straight out magic powers. Maybe the odd psychic pterosaur in a Lost Word. I'm wondering why more isn't...
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15mm Sci Fi - Task Force Weasel
I actually painted my first 15mm sci fi in years (I overdosed on playing/testing 15mm hard sci fi platoon games - of which there are 10 zillion rulesets) so I thought I'd share.I named the platoon in...
View ArticleRegular Gaming - Picking the Poison
I need to get out more, as since my kids were born I find I'm spending more time playtesting new games than actually playing "normally"(aka losing touch with reality.) As a result, I've made a list of...
View ArticleGame Musings - Boutique Wargames, Privateer Press, Model Pricing and Pay to Win
Boutique WargamesI've noticed, outside the indie Wargame Vault scene, this is a majority of Kickstarters etc.So what's a boutique war-game?I define these as having(a) primarily "named" heroes or...
View ArticleGame Design #51: Intellectual Theft i.e. "Someone Will Steal My Idea"
I see my fair share of playtest and "alpha" rules and one thing that makes me smile is the paranoia some people display about their ideas. They make a few assumptions such as:-Other people actually...
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Magic the Gathering - Market Economy in CCGs
An interest in CCGs was sparked by a visit to a local game store. I raised an eyebrow when gamers bought half a dozen $20 packs at a time. (I live a sheltered life, OK!)The fact they were trading...
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Recommended Reading: Ancillary Justice - (Anne Leckie) - Sci Fi
Usually I don't do a stand-alone review of a book, unless it really catches my attention, like Traitor's Blade or Retribution Falls. This is one of those books.Lately the Hugo sci fi awards have been...
View ArticleGame Design #52: Casual vs Competitive Game Design
When I review rules, I usually subconsiously lump games into two categories - competitive or "casual."The first category, synonymous in many minds with the cheesy 40K powergamer, includes games like...
View ArticleDelta Vector - Gaming Chat Group
For a relatively small blog, the Delta Vectors readers are quite energetic. Usually the discussions and ideas in the comments section dwarfs the original post (and has more useful content!). When I...
View ArticleFollowing on from Mordhiem/Necromunda - Campaign Skirmish Games
Ah, nostalgia goggles! They make everything look so rosy!Mordhiem (and the similar, sci-fi Necromunda) seem to retain a cult following long after they "died" and though GW is returning to a...
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