The Role Playing Public Radio Forums
General Category => General Chaos => : CADmonkey October 22, 2017, 07:38:38 PM
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I was going to post something in HAY GUYS HAVE YOU SEEN THIS THING, but I thought that I was posting a bit much about wargames in that thread and since the RPPR crew are talking about wargames on thier podcasts, I'd start a new thread:
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Here's a podcast interview with Jon Tuffley, the proprietor (and sole operator) of Ground Zero Games: Meeples & Miniatures – Episode 230 – Ground Zero Games (https://meeples.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/meeples-miniatures-episode-230-ground-zero-games/)
The interview begins at about 36 minutes in.
GZG published a number of sci-fi tabletop wargames rules in the 90's: Full Thrust (starship fleet action); Dirtside (6mm ground combat); and Stargrunt (25 mm ground combat), and sells miniatures for all of those game lines and others. I own copies of all of Tuffley's rules and have played a lot of Full Thrust, and even after all these years FT is still my favourite sci-fi fleet action ruleset. And pdfs of their rules can be downloaded for free from the GZG website, there's a link on the podcast blog post.
As discussed in the podcast, GZG is a rare long-time survivor in the wargaming industry who (unlike other companies that have come and gone over the years) haven't tried to become "the next GW" and burnt out as a result.
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One thing I'd like to hear about is people's introduction to wargames and their experiences in the hobby.
I began wargaming in '84, shortly after my friends and I discovered rpgs. There was a hobby store in the local mall which sold rpgs, wargames, dice & miniatures in addition to models & model making supplies. While browsing the rpg shelf, we noticed notice some little boxed games with names like OGRE, G.E.V. and Car Wars nearby. I was immediately hooked on Ogre/GEV and one of my friends was smitten by Car Wars. I've played plenty of other wargames since then, both hexmap and miniatures, but you never forget your first love, and I still get in a game of Ogre at least once a year at a local gaming convention.
Since first playing Ogre/GEV and figuring out that Car Wars was just too damned complex, I've played a fair number of wargames. I haven't kept track of hours played, but all told I'm probably more of a wargamer than a roleplayer.
I've gotten into historical wargames, but mostly of the WWI/WWII variety, and mostly of the microarmour (6mm) and naval wargaming scales. For a while in the 90's I played quite a lot of Spearhead (http://spearhead.wargaming.info/), a WWII microarmour game, until the day the president of the club walked in wearing a "2nd Waffen SS: European Tour" t-shirt and a shit-eating grin, and that was the end of that gaming club. >:( I haven't played much in the way of WWI/WWII skirmish games, though I did pick up a copy of Crossfire (http://crossfire.wargaming.info/), a very interesting looking skirmish game with a unique initiative/action system form the author of Spearhead a while back, but I haven't actually had the chance to play it.
In sci-fi wargaming, I've played a fair number of games. As I said above, I've been an Ogre/GEV fan for over thirty years, somewhere in storage I have a full set of Ogre Miniatures (http://www.sjgames.com/ogre/miniatures/) from the early aughts, and I'll probably be buying the new Ogre Minis (https://twitter.com/SJGames/status/912803528946667522) when they come out too. As mentioned above, I've played GZG's Full Thrust, a game which really has everything I want in a sci-fi fleet action experience. There was a fellow who used to run FT at local conventions and the FLGS downtown regularly, and I got into his games quite regularly for years there. I never got into 40k, but I have played a bit of Epic, the microarmour scale version of 40k. The sci-fi wargame I've played the most would have to be Heavy Gear, a mecha game from a little gaming company out of Montreal called Dream Pod 9 (I've also played Battletech, but never really got into it). The 1st & 2nd editions of Heavy Gear had gorgeous artwork & mechanical designs and a very well fleshed-out setting; I had a lot of fun playing it, particularly the skirmish/Gear duelling rules. Unfortunately, the local HG scene fell apart after DP9 put out a new edition which most of the existing playerbase (myself included) hated, and which also failed to attract a new, sustainable playerbase. These days, I'm not wargaming as much as I used to. I get in some games every year at CanGames, the local & long-running gaming convention, and I've been demonstrating and organizing games of Mobile Frame Zero (http://mobileframezero.com/mfz/), a mecha skirmish game where you build your giant robots (and the terrain) out of lego. MFZ is heavily influenced by the sort of "Real Robot" anime that I'm a fan of, and the creators are unrepentantly clear about their politics (http://www.mobileframehangar.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4219) (tl;dr: no space nazis).
I never got into fantasy wargames. That's purely a matter of taste, the look of fantasy just doesn't appeal to me as much as sci-fi.
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So what's your wargaming story?
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I'm a brit so Warhammer was just there. The way D&D is in the US. My friends got into it and the older kids talked about it I got into it around the time of Warhammer Siege and when Space Orks went full Mad Max (Bad Moons!!)
After that I heard about other games (Confrontation!!) from a magazine called Harbinger. I don't think Ive ever really learned to play properly.
I had a demo of Warmachine and it was really fun and easy to learn (I went for Khador because I play the soviets in C&C Red Alert a lot).
Nowadays I really like the look of:
Infinity
Dropzone/ Dropfleet Commander
Wrath of Kings (by some of the people who did Confrontation).
Heavy Gear
Konflict '47 and Beyond the Gates of Antares (they gave me a free starter kit of Gates because I manage a comic shop!).
Mercs has pretty minis.
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I'm a brit so Warhammer was just there. The way D&D is in the US. My friends got into it and the older kids talked about it I got into it around the time of Warhammer Siege and when Space Orks went full Mad Max (Bad Moons!!)
I was tangentially aware of Warhammer & 40k in the 80's. I don't remember seeing them in the hobby shop in the mall, but there was a W. H. Smith (a British bookstore chain) in the same mall that carried Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and some other GW books, including Heroes for Wargames, an early GW book about fantasy & sci-fi miniatures for wargames & rpgs. Heroes for Wargames talked about Warhammer and had a lot of photos of minis, including the first published photos of the original space marine minis, a year before Rogue Trader was published*. In the mid-90's, I found a dedicated game shop downtown (that hobby shop in the mall had closed years before) and they carried a variety of minis and games, but Warhammer & 40k took up the most space on their shelves.
This reminds me, here's the transcript of an interview with John Stallard & Rick Priestley, a couple of early GW staff and founders of Warlord Games, one of the more successful of the game companies created by ex-GW people: https://web.archive.org/web/20110812101508/http://www.battlegames.co.uk/documents/BG_HH-RP-JS-interview_unabridged.pdf (https://web.archive.org/web/20110812101508/http://www.battlegames.co.uk/documents/BG_HH-RP-JS-interview_unabridged.pdf)
Stallard & Priestley talk about their own introduction to wargames, the early days of GW and the creation of Warhammer & Rogue Trader. I found it amusing that Rick Priestley said that he considered Warhammer to be a rather old-fashioned game when he designed it, considering how often I hear GW fans these days insisting that it was the cutting edge of wargaming in the 80's.
*those photos were labelled "Deep Space Mercenaries" in that book, and I like to joke about how I'll never forgive GW for that name change
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while i was tangentially aware of miniatures war gaming ever since i can remember, i never really got into it. that is until the ____Clicks line of minis came out. i enjoyed the strategy of miniature war gaming but i never had the patience or the dexterity for panting and putting together of minis. so when Heroclicks's came out i was thrilled. i played both heroclicks and mechwarrior clicks right up until the death of the original wizkids games company. it wasn't until x wing came out that i even got back into it, even then it was extremely casual gaming.
i figured out early that i loved the underdog niche teams. i would take the worst miniatures in the game and figure out a decent strategy with them. even still i usually only one 25% of the time, but when it did win the results were glorious. gaming with these teams were never boring, you just never knew if things would line up just right and the juggernaut of power would roll over your opponent. the most fun i ever had in a minatures game was sitting down in the worlds championship of mechwarrior with an army of construction mechs and watching the face the players around me had when i set, 8 mechs that were the literal worst in the game across from a single assault mech. or the pleasure of watching it hit them when my trash army force there army into retreat from a mistake or lucky roll of the dice.
to add a twist to this thread i add 2 questions. what is your favorite style of play? and what is your most memorable moment from playing minatures?
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BTW i actually recorded a konflikt 47 game - the intro and then each player commented between turns about what was happening. I took some photos as well. I'll try to post it next month after Patrecon.
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to add a twist to this thread i add 2 questions. what is your favorite style of play? and what is your most memorable moment from playing minatures?
I prefer a more 'casual' style of play. I've never gotten into tournaments or cared for the overcompetitive attitude many wargamers develop from being immersed in the "all wargaming is tournaments" culture that many gaming companies encourage these days. I also quite like games with interesting scenarios, ones that incorporate uneven/asymmetrical forces, or an interesting narrative element. I often see games like those still being run at one of the local gaming conventions.
I have trouble picking out a most memorable wargaming moment. It's games I ran (which I haven't done for years, other than demos) which I remember best:
There was a scenario a friend & I ran at a local convention after the Colonial Expeditionary Force Sourcebook (https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/49970/colonial-expeditionary-force-sourcebook) came out for Heavy Gear. The CEF forces were so horribly unbalanced, we gave them victory conditions that had nothing to do with destroying the enemy. We explained this to the CEF players before the game, but they got so excited wiping out the Terra Novan forces, they forgot about their actual mission and lost the game!
Then their was a Heavy Gear capture-the-flag game another friend and I ran using the Duelist's Handbook (https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/46692/duelists-handbook-1st-edition) and Tactical Dueling (https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/52137/tactical-dueling) supplements. We created a 'maze arena' that was "in-scale" with the miniatures, which meant that weapons ranges and movement allowances were scaled up on the tabletop. Some players were so excited by the "in-scale" movement rates that they ignored our warnings and tried to race through the maze at 72-84kph! 90 degree turns are rather difficult at such speeds, and a number of spectacular crashes were the result.
One of the last big convention games that I ran was Monster Island (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3700/monster-island), Using action figures and paper buildings. I let the players crush the paper buildings whenever their monster destroyed one, that was a big hit. I should run that again some time...
BTW i actually recorded a konflikt 47 game - the intro and then each player commented between turns about what was happening. I took some photos as well. I'll try to post it next month after Patrecon.
I've seen youtube battle reports done that way. Civilian Gamer (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnKNGxGfsx5xApnHwtNVYEw), a youtube channel run by a gamer who used to live around here, has quite a few video battle reports like that.
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Reminds me of how SUSD did their report for Twilight Imperium.
1) Definitely a more casual player myself. But then I never found a game to sink my teeth into yet.
2) The first time I killed an Avatar of Khaine for the first time (40k 3rd ed.)
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So while waiting for Gaslands to come out later this month, some friends and I got together to try another "post-apocalyptic vehicular combat" game: Axles and Alloys II - Dork Future (http://axlesalloys2.blogspot.ca/2014/10/new-rulebook.html), a game with rules loosely based on GZG's Full Thrust. I brought a bunch of (unpainted, unconverted) hotwheels & matchbox cars and we used minimal terrain from the supply at the FLGS, and I took a few photos:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4520/26549506809_0840f8f12e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gs6app)
Axles and Alloys II - Dork Future (https://flic.kr/p/Gs6app) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
Rules, dice, terrain & a bunch of hotwheels & matchbox cars (also some dropped weapons templates that we never used).
I saw the skull terrain piece on a shelf and said "this has to be the centrepiece of the table".
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4577/38268344816_73b3290949_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21iDgEy)
First Turn (https://flic.kr/p/21iDgEy) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
Dindo (Van), Lucas (Sedan) and I (VW Buggy) accelerate from our respective corners. Some shooting, no damage.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4585/37607701154_7c782abc48_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ZigijA)
Second Turn (https://flic.kr/p/ZigijA) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
I skid, almost going "off table" & fail to line up a shot on Dindo. Lucas & Dindo exchange fire and Dindo rams Lucas.
photo from mid-turn, before the ram
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/26549504109_f6594eb849_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gs69AR)
Third Turn (https://flic.kr/p/Gs69AR) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
I don’t skid this turn, but overshoot my targets (should have decelerated). Lucas & Dindo exchange fire and ram each other, Lucas’ sedan is almost destroyed.
The game was called at the end of the third turn on account of time (the FLGS was closing). We all agreed that Dindo was clearly the victor.
Fun, simple rules: three turns in under an hour. Almost all the damage came from ramming, and we agreed the skidding rules didn’t make sense, but I’ll be happy to play A&A again.
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Nice! I want to try that but I think we will delve into Dracula's America as our second skirmish game.
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I think if I have any money left over from Dragonmeet I'm going to buy the Infinity: Operation Icestorm starter set.
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4581/38613095032_681386a986_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21Q7cTN)
Demo Setup (https://flic.kr/p/21Q7cTN) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
I was at Fandom II, the FLGS in centretown Ottawa, to run MFZ:RA demos today. My friend Jon showed up, and since he's played a demo before I wanted to run something a little more like a full game for him. I hadn't actually brought two full companies, and Jon hasn't built his own company, so we had a game that was basically just a larger demo: three frames each and one demo-style station to fight over in the centre of the battlefield.
The station was a cottage in the woods in which two genetic engineers who had developed a new strain of peach* were hiding out, waiting to defect to the free colonies or be captured by UMFL forces.
Jon, upon hearing my explanation, supplied the title for my battle report:
Bigger. Juicier. Plumper. (http://www.mobileframehangar.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7913)
You can click that link for the full battle report I posted to the Mobile Frame Hangar forum, but here's a few highlight photos:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4539/38613093772_024ce95cf2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21Q7cw5)
The Bright Seraphim (https://flic.kr/p/21Q7cw5) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4573/38613093182_ebdd1d0ce4_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21Q7ckU)
The Dragons (https://flic.kr/p/21Q7ckU) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4541/24773078898_2146d29952_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/DK7vgY)
First Blood (https://flic.kr/p/DK7vgY) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4539/37927957664_1a498a650c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ZMyGqy)
4th Round (https://flic.kr/p/ZMyGqy) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4585/37927956384_562db67652_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ZMyG3u)
Awaiting Evacuation (https://flic.kr/p/ZMyG3u) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
*Fighting over peaches is a running gag from the first edition of the game, so I try to work peaches into the objective of all my demo games.
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And while I was at Fandom yesterday, I also picked up the December issue (https://www.wargamesillustrated.net/shop/wi362-december-2017/) of Wargames Illustrated. There was an article by the author of Gaslands that I wanted to read, but I think Ross might find some of the other articles interesting. The theme for this issue is "Machine Gun" and there's an article about WWI machine guns which even has a sidebar about Zeppelin gunners! And there's also an article about using WI's Django miniature (https://www.wargamesillustrated.net/shop/django-and-coffin/) in Dracula’s America!
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Here's an interview with Mike Hutchinson, the author of Gaslands: Meeples & Miniatures – Episode 235 – Gaslands (https://meeples.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/meeples-miniatures-episode-235-gaslands/). The interview begins at about 45 minutes.
Good interview by the sounds of things. I didn't quite follow the description of the movement rules but they sound like they could be interesting. The shooting rules sound like another variant on the Full Thrust beam cannon rules (though a little different from Axles and Alloys). And I heartily agree with Hutchinson's comments about campaign rules and especially the Necromunda-style injury rules that people always say they want, even though no-one actually likes them in play. I've tried running a few wargaming campaigns & leagues, and they all* fell apart when players found themselves falling behind with no possibility of catching up.
I have a copy of the Gaslands pdf now, and I'll be reading through the rules soon.
*with one notable exception: there was a Heavy Gear Duelling league which I repeatedly rebooted with new houserules as one of the players kept abusing the team creation rules and bringing utterly broken teams that ruined everyone else's fun to the games. Years later, that munchkin player revealed to me that he had been a playtester on the HG Duelling supplement we were using, and had warned the publishers about all the loopholes he had found prior to publication. But apparently he didn't see fit to discuss this with me as I was trying --and failing-- to get that duelling league started. >:( ::)
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*with one notable exception: there was a Heavy Gear Duelling league which I repeatedly rebooted with new houserules as one of the players kept abusing the team creation rules and bringing utterly broken teams that ruined everyone else's fun to the games. Years later, that munchkin player revealed to me that he had been a playtester on the HG Duelling supplement we were using, and had warned the publishers about all the loopholes he had found prior to publication. But apparently he didn't see fit to discuss this with me as I was trying --and failing-- to get that duelling league started. >:( ::)
what a lame-o
Jason is going to start a Konflikt 47 campaign this month. Should be fun!
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what a lame-o
It was wierd, he's a nice person (We're still facebook friends & I've invited him to my next MFZ demo) but for whatever reason, he has this blindspot where he doesn't think twice about exploiting terribly written, game-breaking rules; until people tell him to his face that he's ruining their fun, and then he's genuinely distressed at finding that out.
Jason is going to start a Konflikt 47 campaign this month. Should be fun!
Looking forward to hearing about it!
And also, another machinegun themed article in this month's issue of WI is about the development of WWI fighters and has a sidebar about the Ross Interruptor Gear*, a type of interruptor gear which had the feature that it could be disengaged in flight, allowing the pilot to fire his machinegun at it's full rate, with the possibility of shooting off his own propeller!
*mistakenly called "Sychronising Gear" in the article.
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"Ross Interruptor Gear*,"
8)
"allowing the pilot to fire his machinegun at it's full rate, with the possibility of shooting off his own propeller!"
yesssssss
this pleases me
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yesssssss
this pleases me
Thought you'd get a kick out of that. :)
In personal wargaming news, I had scheduled another MFZ:RA demo/game day at the FLGS downtown, but it was bitter cold in Ottawa yesterday and (understandably) none of the regular players showed up, but a couple of Magic players from the front room came over for some demo games. Here's a photo from the end of the first round of the second demo game I ran:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4691/38855367914_3a2a637afb_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/22cvVbs)
2nd Demo Game (https://flic.kr/p/22cvVbs) by Bryan Rombough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38593597@N05/), on Flickr
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Finally got a chance to play Dracula's America - 4 player brawl. I got my ass kicked due to high risk attacks and poor rolling. Still fun though - interesting rules and fun gameplay.
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Finally got a chance to play Dracula's America - 4 player brawl. I got my ass kicked due to high risk attacks and poor rolling. Still fun though - interesting rules and fun gameplay.
Cool, will you be doing a battle report game?
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I was clearing out my youtube subscriptions and I noticed one of the wargame places had an AP of it. I almost picked up a copy at Dragonmeet but I had other things I needed more.
I'm trying to get back into wargames but I'm not sure where to start again. I know I want to play skirmish games because I don't have the time or money for the bigger ones right now.
It's hard to figure out which ones have rules sets I like and minis I find aesthetically pleasing.
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Finally got a chance to play Dracula's America - 4 player brawl. I got my ass kicked due to high risk attacks and poor rolling. Still fun though - interesting rules and fun gameplay.
Cool, will you be doing a battle report game?
Eventually - gotta start our K47 campaign first though.
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Looking through the February issue of WI (https://www.wargamesillustrated.net/shop/wi364-february-2018/), I was wondering if there's been any squeals from one of the RPPR players* over the new Japanese units for Konflikt ’47? I also noticed an article about giving awards to miniatures for their "service" in wargames. I immediatley had a flashback to an issue of KotDT where the guys started giving themselves medals for their own actions in RPGs! :D
*one of you has a Japanese army, right?
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Renee has a Japanese army. We keep up with new K47 developments via their Facebook group, which posts pics of new sculpts etc on a regular basis. I think we will start our campaign in March.
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Oh dear, I may be buying this (again):
http://youtu.be/FTx4fsA73gU (http://youtu.be/FTx4fsA73gU)
http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/earth-shaking-announcement (http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/earth-shaking-announcement)
I'm a little torn on this. I bought the original pre-painted, blind-box, "collectible" Monsterpocalypse when it came out a decade ago. I love kaiju, and mecha, and skirmish wargames, and I loved the game itself, but I didn't care for the local tournament scene. I'll try not to get my hopes up, but I might not be able to resist.
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I realise these forums aren't well traffiked anymore, but I wanted to keep sharing my wargaming experiences with you folks, and this didn't seem quite right for the facebook group:
I ended my summer MF0 gaming hiatus this past Saturday. I had scheduled an open demo session at Fandom II, the downtown FLGS. Dispite some interest on facebook, no-one showed up looking for a demo. But Jon and Xenovorous showed up with their frame companies, so we had an impromptu 3 player Rapid Attack skirmish.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/45111318842_c82dca9d96_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2bJkirm)
My Company (https://flic.kr/p/2bJkirm)
My frame company, The Dragons.
In the rear, a support Hi-Leg:
d6Ra d6Ra d8Ra d6B d6G d6W d6W
Then from left to right, a battlefield salvage Chub:
d6Rd d6Rd d6G d6Y d6Y d6W d6W
and 3 hand-to-hand soldier Commisars:
d6Rh d6Rh d6B d6G d6Y d8G d6W d6W
d6Rh d6Rh d6B d6G d6Y d8G d6W d6W
d6Rh d6Rh d6B d6G d6Y d8G d6W d6W
Two Stations. In the foreground, an electochemical fuel cell (for powering something big!); and behind that, a forest shrine.
By bringing a company with the most frames & the most systems, I had a 'score per asset' of 3 and my starting score was 21, the lowest of the three, and so my position was 'point offensive' player.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1913/31286413078_8161f6a776_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PEF3B9)
Xenovorous' Company (https://flic.kr/p/PEF3B9)
Xenovorous' company was tied with Jon's for the least number of frames, but it had neither the most nor the least number of systems, so his 'score per asset' was 6 and his starting score was 36, which made his position 'offensive' as well.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1903/45160011341_fc1319686c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2bNCS2c)
Jon's Company (https://flic.kr/p/2bNCS2c)
Jon's company had both the least number of frames and least number of systems, so his 'score per asset' was 7, giving him a starting score of 42 which put him in the 'defensive' position.
(I didn't keep a record of the loadouts for Xenovorous & Jon's companies, sorry guys)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1933/43346248940_c709084567_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/293mRDE)
Initial Setup (https://flic.kr/p/293mRDE)
In a battlefield of short sections of walls & vegitation simulating ruins in the process of being overgrown, Jon set up a perimeter in one corner, with some fairly strudy walls to hide behind.
My 'point mobile frame' can be seen facing one of Jon's initial defense frames, with the rest of the company arrange behind it, making my intentions against Jon clear.
Xenovorous' company is to one side of my axis of advance, in postition to attack either of us.
Starting scores: Jon 42; Xenovorous 36; Myself 21
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1907/43346241090_6360ccd2b9_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/293mPjj)
End of First Round (https://flic.kr/p/293mPjj)
Jon held onto his lead. My frames pursued one of Jon's into his perimeter but couldn't engage it in hand-to-hand combat. A lucky hit from my support frame crippled Jon's support frame, while return fire from Jon's support frame lightly damaged mine. Xenovorous' frames advanced towards the centre.
No frames were destoyed, and no stations changed hands.
End of first round scores: Jon 42; Xenovorous 36; Myself 21
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1973/30221728367_cc2422877e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/N3AfWc)
End of Second Round (https://flic.kr/p/N3AfWc)
Early in the second round, Xenovorous captured on of Jon's stations, lowering Jon's score to 35 and raising his to 42, thereby giving Xenovorous the initiative. Xenovorous also opened fire on my support frame, severely damaging it.
With Jon's score still ahead of mine, I continued to concentrate on him. My support frame finished off Jon's support frame, reducing his score even further. My hand-to-hand frames continued their drive into Jon's perimiter (taking considerable damage as they went), finally catching up to his frame beside on of his stations.
Under pressure from both Xenovorous and myself, Jon's position was looking untenable.
End of second round scores: Jon 28; Xenovorous 42; Myself 21
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1926/43346229430_cf25be0db7_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/293mKRh)
End of Third Round & Game (https://flic.kr/p/293mKRh)
Fire from Jon's frames destroyed one of my hand-to-hand frames, reducing my score to 18, making it seem that I would remain in last place. Exchanges of fire between Xenovorous & myself and Jon & Xenovorous had no practical effect. But at the end of the round, my hand-to-hand frames finally destroyed Jon's frame (which they had been persuing for the entire game) and captured Jon's remaining station, finally dragging me out of last place.
The game was called at the end of the round on account of time, with Xenovorous the winner, myself in second place and Jon in third. We all agreed that it had been a good game.
End of third round & final scores: Jon 14; Xenovorous 42; Myself 21
It was time to pack up then, but I snapped a couple of closup shots of the aftermath:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1947/44248638305_2db036451a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aq6QyZ)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1945/44438420304_3b516a8465_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aGSw9q)
It was great seeing Jon and Xenovorous again, and even better having a full game, and a multiplayer one at that!
Regarding my performance in the game, while I did managage to lift myself out of last place, I got the feeling during the game that attacking Jon was a misstep for me. I've had very few multiplayer games of MF0, and in two player games where I've played point offense, charging into the defender's perimeter with a closely grouped section of soldiers has served me well. In this game though, I think that attacking Jon this way helped Xenovorous more than me. This thought occured to me partway through the second round, but I decided to stick with my original plan and see where it got me. If I had attacked Xenovorous from the outset, I would have put him in a position where he couldn't possibly win without attacking Jon himself. This strategy certainly wouldn't be a guarenteed win for me, but it could be something interesting to try next time I'm in a similar position. I aslo think my hand-to-hand section suffered from a lack of SSRs, which I normally spread through "assault" sections like these (not everyone had SSRs, so we decided to play without them). Next time I'll bring some extra SSRs for the use of other players.
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what game is this...been looking for a cheapish way to do mechwarrior with friends
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Mobile Frame Zero. http://mobileframezero.com/mfz/ (http://mobileframezero.com/mfz/)
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what game is this...been looking for a cheapish way to do mechwarrior with friends
Mobile Frame Zero. http://mobileframezero.com/mfz/ (http://mobileframezero.com/mfz/)
The pdf of the rulebook is available pay-what-you-want at that site. The rulebook has all the rules, and building instructions for for six "typical" frames (but of course, being built from lego, you can build frames in whatever shape you want).
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thanks i'll give it a try.