[RPG] Destroyer of Fun

I had a weird dream last night that my version of Ultimate Rival showed up at the FLGS.

Instead of being someone I want to destroy in game, my particular guy is the guy who ruins all my fun. What's really frustrating is that it's very subtle and I seem to be the only one that has him figured out as a ruiner of fun.

What makes it worse is that everyone else really likes him and thinks he's "great".

But he's not. He's a creep with a really good ability to disguise it.

So when I woke up, I checked to make sure he is still where he is supposed to be, and then giggled at the idea of turning him into a BadGuy in a game that I'm working on (I hope to be ready by summer).

Ultimate Rival, Destroyer of Fun, Closet  **&^%- what are the names of your opponents? Is it a joke, or is it for real? It'd be fun to hear your stories....

Adventures of Boss Lady

I am now a Boss.

This is, in many ways, the direct opposite of my usual way of operation. I'm accustomed to asking people to do things, or suggesting in a way that makes people think it is their idea. So the concept of TELLING people outright what to do is pretty foreign to me.

I am also notoriously nice. This has been one of my downfalls for many years-not being so good at being a badass and letting people get away with murder around me. Many of my essential duties as a boss are being wrapped in fluffy nice. Which, maybe isn't so good for my business.

This is my first week at being a boss, and I know I have a lot to learn. Like how to give directions rather than make suggestions (or ASKING Employee what he wants to do). I also have to work on addressing concerns and giving praise.

It is definitely an adventure. Tune in soon for reports from the field....

SinSynn dinna trust GW no more

Hey folks, SinSynn here.

There was a time, it seems quite long ago now, when GW would make an announcement for some upcoming thingy or another, and I'd be all like, 'Oooh- cool. this is gonna be da awesome.'

Heh.
Remember those days?

Nowadays, of course, whenever GW makes an announcement, they're usually pretty awful.
Or laughably bad.

Case in point:

*What were you thinking, GW?*

When Dread Fleet dropped, it pretty much killed any positive vibes I had remaining for GW.
Nobody asked for Dread Fleet, and I don't know anyone that purchased it, or even cared about it's release.
Personally, I wanted Blood Bowl. I was kinda surprised when it wasn't Blood Bowl, actually.
Blood Bowl would've been big, I think.
I mean, it seemed like a no-brainer to me. But then again, I have no brains, so...

Instead we got...well, whatever.
No one cares.

The reason I got kinda miffed wasn't all Dread Fleet's fault, however.
No, it was a culmination of things, and Dread Fleet was just the capper. The straw that broke the Xeno's back.

Years of looking in from the outside as the Imperials got spiffy new Codexes, while I STILL HAVE my 4th edition Tau book.
Price increases, Finecast, blah, blah, blah.

Then all these other new systems start gaining momentum, and they show me you don't HAVE to wait YEARS to get an army update, or a new figure for the collection.

Wait- they let you get free stuffs, right off their website?

For the love of- I paid good money for Army Builder!
These other cats built me a fancy flash webpage to design my army in...and it's FREE!

Sigh.

Hey, does anybody else get the feeling that GW is making Imperial Armour books part of the main system in an attempt to appear like they're...doing something?

Companies like Privateer Press, Spartan, Battlefront, Corvus Belli and a host of others are churning out new material, expansions and models at quite a clip.
In all honesty, they're making GW look really antiquated and sad.

When GW announced that the Imperial Armor books were getting integrated into the main game, and would be 'tournament legal,' I totally made this face:

*That EXACT face, in fact*

Part of me was like, 'Oh, I see what you did there, GW.'
This was GW's method of emulating the new guys, in a way.
'Oh, look- we can adds new stuffs! We can be all edgy and hip, too!'

Sigh.
It's like watching some old dude try to talk 'street' while they lecture you...about like, nutrition, or something.
It's just...sad.

-_-

I'm sure folks in Europe are kinda amped about IA books being table ready now (Ha! There's a stamp, sucka! No more 'opponent's approval required!'), but here in the US, well...

We don't really have access to Forge World stuffs.
You can't pick it off a shelf in a GW store here.

Let's just gloss over the fact that Forge World stuff is expensive, as are the Imperial Armour books.
Or that they're mostly pretty lame, competitively.
No surprise the most recent one has the first decent list in years- Eldar Corsairs.
After all, the books ARE available here now, and GW wants them to sell.

Ultimately, the whole 'Imperial Armour is Approved' thing is almost a good idea.
If Forge World stuffs was made in plastic, readily available and reasonably priced, or if Imperial Armour books were actually really good.
But...they're not, so...

Waddaya wanna bet that the next IA book is totally OP, though?
;)

So just a lil' while ago I read that GW is preparing to make an announcement about their line of paints.
It's gonna be exciting, they say.

Excuse me while I make this face:

*Not quite as cool as this guy does it, but whatevs...I try*

Like I said, a long (long, long...really long...super, crazy, stupid long) time ago, I woulda been a like, 'Oooh!'
Now I'm like, 'Oh, gee...price increase is coming. What favorite color of mine will they kill off and replace with something worse? How bad is it gonna be this time?'

I'm not sure if my somewhat reticent attitude towards GW in recent times is a result of being won over by a few of these up 'n' coming mini games companies (Battlefront and Corvus Belli- I heart you), or what.
Maybe I've just been treated like a 3 dollar hooker by GW for too long (my Tau Codex sure is old, you rotten sons of-).

I suspect it's a combination of both things.
*shrug*
Waddayagonnado?

Damn, I really used to dig GW, and now, well...
I kinda think they're lame.

I'm not even gonna front, and pretend like I'm happy about it, or anything, cuz I'm not.
I'm not a hater, out to wish doom upon them- I love my Tau. I love 40k, too.
It's the company, and their dumb-ass method of...whatever the hell it is they're doing.

Does anyone understand whatever it is they're doing?
The lack of marketing, the seemingly counter-intuitive decisions, the blatant disregard for...pretty much everything- from the internet, to modern methods of generating anything but scorn.
That they seem pretty good at.

Ugh...Riffing 'bout GW gives me ageda.
:P

Now if you'll excuse me, I hafta go find the Vellejo substitutes for my (formerly) favorite GW colors, washes and stuffs.
I'm not even gonna hang around for this most recent GW round of baloney, thanks.

Here ya go, GW...dedicated to you:

*Time to convince Lo' to add a 'multimedia explosion' label*

Sorry for the complaining, folks...it's just that every time I see that GW's gonna actually do something, or release something, or whatever...I just get all annoyed and whatnot now.
I feel like I've been waiting outside in the cold and rain for a bunch of years, just waiting for a friggin' army book update.
Worse yet, I have this feeling that when I finally do get one, it's gonna be 'meh.'

Sigh, GW.
Just...sigh.


Until next time, folks- exit with catchphrase!

-SinSynn

"I Roll to Disbelieve"

I said this somewhere pretty "normal" the other day and the person I said it to not only "got it", but they laughed as well. It struck me as just a little odd and made me wonder- has being a geek transcended our culture that much?

Is this a sarcastic remark or a social commentary on the state of gaming-indoctrinatedness our culture has become?

Will Wheaton and George Takei (and to some extent, William Shatner) have brought out a fairly popular and almost ubiquitous familiarity with that which is nerdy. (Check your Facebook and Twitter feeds- they are likely full of reposts/retweets of these guys' materials.)

Is this a good thing? Am I over estimating the impact of 'geek chic'?

Didn't Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World rock the theaters last year?

I'm having a hard time dismissing the fact that being a dork is not as bad as it used to be.

Ancillary to this thought is the "+1".  While we do have Google+ and Facebook that have helped these ideas along, the premise of adding a level is pretty intrinsic to games and gamers. But I hear and see "+1" all over the place- even on 'normal' websites- career advice blogs, cooking blogs, and dating sites.

Geeks have even come into sitcoms. I mean, damn near everyone knows who Sheldon Cooper is, and Stan Lee is some sort of pop culture hero...

I don't know what happened, but somewhere along the line I stopped being so "out there" and became mainstream... or

I roll to disbelieve

[WOD] Austin by Night: The Other Shoe

[This is a completely unauthorized and unapproved vignette written solely for my amusement.]

It's that early part of the morning where the numbers on the clock blur together, things are still dark, and little moves outside of streetsweepers and police. The new house is quiet and all The Lost are in their beds, sleeping for the first time in a while. The dream wars have slowed down, and their rest is uninterrupted tonight.

A small stream of brilliant white light spills onto the floor from somewhere in the kitchen.

The quiet, sleepy state of the house envelops all sound, muffling the very quiet footsteps coming across the floor to a noise just above a whisper. The steps move through the house, briefly visiting each room.

We see Alice, tucked in her canopy bed, with piles of stuffed animals surrounding her. Another room finds Waco, asleep in a hammock, with a pile of yard hounds underneath him. In another room, a small corner is stocked with art supplies, waiting for Avere to bring them to life through her creative process. Fizzlepop and his gang rest along the floorboards of the hallway, in various shapes and disguises; sock, dustbunny, soda bottle just to name a few. 

The last room finds Terrance, sleeping upright in an old style La-Z boy recliner under antique football pennants. The room is stiflingly hot, the temperature almost oven-like. 

The ever-so-quiet footsteps head further into the room, towards a darkened corner. The yet-unseen being makes its way to the small footlocker and opens it cautiously. Inside the case, there is a collection of items that used to belong to Eile. Several pairs of shoes, a small amount of clothing, minor personal items and general detritus from her short life are gathered in the box. The box is cloaked in shadows for a moment and there is a rustling, rummaging sound in the corner. 

From the darkness, a hoarse voice, almost barking in tone, whispers into the night.

"You; sent to do another's bidding. You; named for a memory. You; protector of the weak. You; my only friend and family. You have found the things I wanted so much. I  leave you a gift. Only you can understand what a great sacrifice it is for me to even give a gift; and this one is all the harder. 

[The voice pauses for just a moment, contemplating in the night.]

The shadows open up and light spills across the open box in the corner. 

"This is part of a pair. It's no good without its mate. Find the partner, and you'll have the key to finding me." 

The figure steps into the twilight, revealing a soft, fawn colored pelt and a long tail with a flash of white at the tip. 

Designing a Mission for Flames of War, SinSynn style

Hello folks, SinSynn here.

Okey dokie...serious post time....disregard the fact that I began this very serious post with 'okie dokie.'
:P

Here's the (very, extremely serious) deal:
I've decided to try my hand at mission design for Flames of War.
I'd like to apologize in advance- reading this will require some knowledge about the game.
With that being said, I'm gonna dive right in.

Simply put, there is only a single mission in the entire game- and this includes the new/updated missions in the upcoming 3rd Edition rulebook, that allows both players to deploy their entire army.
I find this...odd.
Seriously (okay I'll stop that now).

*Damn...there's a kitteh pic for everything!*

While admittedly I come from a 40k background (forced reserves as a game mechanic is an anathema to me), I have this feeling that a lotta gamers just wanna put their all of their lil' troopies and tankie tanks down on the table and go at it.
I'll say it straight out (cuz I'm all serious and whatnot), Free For All is the most popular mission in the game. It shows up at the majority of Tournaments large and small, and it's the easiest mission for 'one off' games at the FLGS, and hence the one a lot of players will become intimately familiar with.
Kinda begs the question- why is it the only one?

At first glance, designing a mission for any game system probably seems an easy affair.

My first thoughts were, 'Pfft! Just throw some objectives in the middle of the table (Free-For-All places two in each army's deployment area), and have a meeting engagement! How simple is that?'

Well, as a guy that runs an infantry force, I'm a lil' suspicious...

*From the look on this guy's face...I'm guessing 'no.' He plays German Infantry, clearly*

All manner of horrible things are gonna happen to infantry advancing on those objectives.
My poor lil' grenadiers would be shot up by Stewarts or pounded by artillery batteries on the way in. They'd never be able to 'get there' and dig in (which is what infantry forces need to do) before a mech or tank list absolutely demolishes them with machine gun fire, or arty reduces them to uselessness, moral checks are forced, etc.

Obviously, the 'defensive battle' special rule won't help here- they gotta get outta those foxholes and march.
As for using a balancing factor like, say, giving the defensive player an 'ambuscade' outside the defined area for placing objectives, or an 'easy out' like 'night fighting'....I don't think so.

Part of Free-For-All's charm is it's simplicity- it uses just two of the Mission Special Rules: Fair Fight (to determine a victor, duh), and Mobile Battle (to prevent alpha strikes, basically).

That means I won't be 'inventing' any rules here.
Not due to any unwillingness to do so. Quite the contrary, in fact- inventing a rule like this would make my job easier:

'Be on the lookout!'
-For the first two turns of the game, infantry platoons are considered concealed during the opponent's turn, even if they moved, as they put their heads down and carefully approach possible enemy-held positions.
-If shot at, they gain gone to ground status as well, as the alert soldiers immediately dive for any cover available!
-An infantry platoon that gains GtG status loses it if they fire during their subsequent turn, naturally, but retains concealment until turn 3 arrives, then 'Be on the lookout' is no longer in effect.

Granted, it's a quick and dirty rule of sorts, but whatevs.
It doesn't have the wacky table of night fight, nor is it a 'pre-game platoon tradeoff' like ambuscade is.
It would allow infantry platoons to deploy forward and race towards the 'middle of the board objective area' in relative safety, I guess.
Unless of course someone brings recce stuffs, and takes that GtG away.
*shrug*
That's the balancing factor (bring a balanced list, buddeh!), in a sense, but I don't like when mission rules 'force' list design, and consider that more of a 'scenrio' thing than a 'core mission' thing.

My goal this time (I'm sure Battlefront will immediately hire me to redesign their entire system, so fear not- SinSynn special rules are coming! Heh) is to employ an old military-born acronym as my FIRST RULE:

*My salary is negotiable, Battlefront!*

So with that one rule to guide me, and Free-For-All as my example, my GOAL is pretty simple:
Create a balanced mission with no more than two special rules that allows both players to deploy their entire forces prior to beginning the game.

Flames of War, with it's baseline method of parity (aka defensive battle in most cases, forcing reserves in others) for balancing Tank, Mech and Infantry forces, makes designing a mission with the parameters I've set an interesting challenge.

So, I'm off!
I'll be posting stuffs here as I 'think out loud,' and once I've got it play-tested and fine-tuned I'll post it up in the FoW forums.
That's the plan.

It goes without saying that anybody wishing to offer help, suggestions or criticisms...or simply wanting to call me an idiot, during this process is welcome to.

Until next time- Exit with catchphrase!

- SinSynn

Because it's relevant

Many of you may know that I'm writing a series on Intelligent Design over at HOP.  

I'm interviewing various folks, talking about the various aspects of design and their takes on them. In doing so, I've checked out a lot of awesome work that I want to share. 

Before I quoted a single person, shared a single image, or used a single comment, I asked permission. Mostly because I am nice; but because I don't want to infringe on anyone's copyrights. Why? Well, because it's the *^%$ law. Wanna see more about this?  Check out the utterly awesome article written by Lauby here. 

I hope you enjoy this article- it's well written and well researched. Plus, it's by Lauby; so it's double awesome.