Ex-Teenage Rebel

Tree Fluffers

2009-12-10T19:27:00.001-08:00

Kate, my always awesome step-daughter, is turning 14 this weekend. I remember how mature I thought I was at 14 and I can only ruefully laugh at myself. Now Kate has grown up plenty. It used to be that I could make double entendres and the like for Nicole's benefit and they'd go right over Kate's little head. Now Kate makes a point of saying, "I understood that," and glaring at me disapprovingly when I'm too saucy. It's very cute.

But Kate is not all the way grown up just yet. Yesterday she and Nicole went shopping for a Xmas tree. We opted for a wee tree this year, which suits our house well. When they got home, Nicole explained it took them a while to find a good one. Apparently many of the trees had been crushed or bent out of shape or crushed when stacked up in storage.

"It was so sad," Kate said. "They really need a tree fluffer to fix them."

I smiled at her like she was being cute, while desperately holding in a belly laugh. "A tree fluffer?" I queried, meeting Nicole's eye.

"Yeah, you know," she replied. "Someone who can fluff the trees and get them back into the right shape."

"Ah, yes," I said, "an important job. I guess that'd be seasonal work."

"Yup!" she agreed. "You wouldn't need a tree fluffer in any other part of the year."

I let it drop there and Nicole and I managed not to fall over laughing. I was not about to explain to my step-daughter what a fluffer was. Nicole and I had a good laugh about it after Kate went to bed though.

Cider Quest

2009-11-27T18:27:00.000-08:00

I have never liked beer. To me it always seemed like a giant bait and switch scam. When I was a kid, I saw all these TV commercials that told me how awesome and delicious beer was. When I was 12 some of my cousins sneaked some from the keg at my Uncle Mel's place and we found a corner away from the adults to try it. It tasted like boiled socks. What the hell? Where was the refreshment? Why did adults drink so much of this swill? Since then I've tried dozens of different beers of all sorts in countries around the world. I've found a few I can abide but Belgian lambics are the only ones I can say I actually like and that's because they don't taste much like beer. No, beer isn't for me. I later discovered hard cider, however, and that became my brew of choice.

About 11 years ago I was home in Massachusetts for Xmas. I think it was the first time I brought Nicole east to see my old stomping grounds. We were out getting some libations for the holiday and I saw something I'd never encountered before: a mulled hard cider. It was a seasonal special, I think by Cider Jack. I got a six pack and drank it all in a couple of days. It was delicious, and the mulling spices added a lovely flavor to the cider. I said to Nik, "We'll have to get some of that when we're back in Seattle."

The problem was it never made it Seattle. I don't know if that was a regional test that didn't sell well or what, but in fact I never found that mulled cider again. And oh, I have looked. For over a decade I have haunted liquor stores and specialty shops, scanning the ciders from brewers big and small. I never found anything close. The only things I searched for that long were the Witch Hunt RPG and the "Kill by Remote Control" album by Toxic Reasons, both of which I eventually tracked down.

The other night Nicole and I went to a cider tasting at Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown. We tasted six ciders. Five of them were made here in Washington. The sixth was Scrumpy Jack, which I've had in England but isn't sold in the US. The woman running the tasting wanted to contrast a mainstream English cider with the local varieties. The tasting was fun and we got to try some different ciders. As we were browsing the store, it occurred to me to ask her about mulled cider. She seemed to know her business after all. So I told her my story and she said without missing a beat, "Try J.K.'s Solstice Hard Cider." I found it in the case (it's made by J.K. Scrumpy) and picked up a bottle to take home.

I am drinking said cider right now and it's delicious. It's the closest thing I've had to that mythical mulled cider of over a decade ago. It's spiced with cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup that enhance the apple taste and give it a very full flavor. The label has snow flakes which makes me wonder if it's also a seasonal variety. I think the only safe thing to do is go back to Full Throttle Bottles and stock up for the winter!

Pramas and the Olympians

2009-11-20T00:24:00.001-08:00

In my "free" time I've been boning up on my ancient Greek mythology. I had an idea for a skirmish miniatures game set in the Age of Heroes. The idea is that the captain of your warband is a hero like Achilles or Perseus. You play a series of battles with other heroes and monsters and try to win enough glory to become a demigod like Heracles. Not sure I'll do anything with the idea, but it's simmering on the back burner.

In my research I ran across a reference to some novels by Gene Wolfe set an ancient Greece. I'm reading the first one, Soldier of the Mist, right now. It's about a Roman mercenary named Latro who fought for the Persians during their invasion of Greece. He receives a head wound which causes the loss of his short term memory. By the morning he forgets the events of the previous day. He thus keeps a journal and that supposedly provides the text of the novel. The premise is reminiscent of the movie Memento, but the book came out long before the film (1986).

I'm about halfway through and enjoying the book quite a bit. Due to his head wound, Latro can see the spiritual world that lies hidden from most mortals, so he has many encounters with gods and spirits. Wolfe evokes the beliefs and superstitions of the ancient Greeks vividly and I'd recommend it to gamers looking for a good portrayal of day to day polytheism. He stresses the idea that gods are strange beings and hard to understand. Their actions may help you, but showing mercy to mortals is an alien idea to them.

My only complaint is that Wolfe chose to use the literal translations of all the place names in ancient Greece. This is certainly evocative and reads well, and it would not bother someone who doesn't know much about the history of the period. I have read a fair bit about the Persian invasion of Greece, however, and the naming conventions are throwing me. I had to figure out that the "Rope Makers" are Spartans and "Thought" is Athens, for example. I was overjoyed to discover a glossary in the back, but it was no help in that regard. It would have been nice if at least the glossary clued you in on the more common names. Overall though, this is good stuff and I look forward to finishing it and moving on to the sequel, Soldier of Arete. You can get both in one trade paperback called Latro in the Mist.

A Story for Veterans Day

2009-11-11T14:22:00.001-08:00

My middle name is William, which is my father's name. He was named after his uncle, a Greek immigrant who fought in the American army in World War 1. When I was home a couple of years ago, my dad showed me a folder of paperwork regarding my great uncle. There was very little family lore about him because he died young on the Western Front. My father said he always wanted to know more, particularly how he died. In the folder I found his unit information and his date of death. I said I'd take to the internet and see what I could find out. My dad scoffed (to say he's not Mr. Computer is an understatement). "What are you going to find there?" he asked.

My great uncle William had been a private first class in the 3rd Infantry Division. He died on July 15, 1918. Finding out what happened to him was not too difficult as it turned out. July 15 was the first day the Second Battle of the Marne, which was Germany's last major offensive of the war. The 3rd Division, including William's 38th Regiment, was posted on the Marne River and here the Germans tried to break through to finally capture Paris. The units on either side of the 3rd Division fell back under the assault of German stormtroopers. The 3rd's commander, Major General Joseph Dickman, said to his French allies, "Nous resterons la." "We shall remain here." The 3rd held the line and earned a name they still bear to this day: the Rock of the Marne Division.

That was the action and the day my great uncle was killed. I also discovered where he's buried: the Oise-Marne American Cemetery, Plot B, Row 25, Grave 33. No one from my family has ever visited his grave. Included in that folder were letters from the government offering his mother a free trip to France to do so. Apparently in the 1920s this offer was made to the mothers of soldiers who died in the war. She was too grief stricken to take the trip and the letters went unanswered.

So I printed out what I had found online and brought it down to show my dad. He was impressed with what I had been able to dig up in just an hour. "See," I said, "the internet is good for something." I was glad my dad could finally find something out about his uncle and how he died. He had been wondering his whole life, but the family didn't like to talk about PFC Pramas. Too much pain I guess and I can understand that. I've since tracked down a history of the 3rd Division in WW1, published by the unit in Germany in 1919. I'm trying to learn more about where William's company was on that fateful day. Some day I'd also like to visit his grave. I feel that someone from my family should, since over 90 years have passed since his death.

I think of my great uncle when I see the anti-immigration bigots wrapping themselves in the American flag. William was a recent immigrant to the United States. He likely spoke little English and army life couldn't have been easy for him. But he joined up and he gave his life, as did many immigrants before him and as have many since. His willingness to do so did not diminish America, it enhanced it because we are fundamentally a nation of immigrants. Lets remember that this Veterans Day.

Leaving the Lab

2009-10-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

Friday was my last day at Flying Lab. I worked there on Pirates of the Burning Sea for three years and three weeks. I had not been happy in my job for some time. For starters I was tired of working on pirate material. It's been nine years since I wrote Death in Freeport and I've been working on pirate oriented stuff off and on for most of that time. After Pirates of the Burning Sea launched, I hoped to move on to a new game and get a chance to lead the narrative design effort from the ground up (PotBS was several years into development before I came on board). There were many proposals and many meetings with potential publishers, but none of the big projects ever got a green light. So it was just week after week of grinding out new content for the game post-launch. Once you've written over five hundred missions that involve a ship combat or a sword fight, it gets a little old.

On top of all that, I had of course been continuing to run Green Ronin and for the last year design the Dragon Age RPG as well. I worked just about every weekend of the last three years on GR and most of my "vacations" were conventions or business trips. At the certain point the weeks just began to blur together. What day was it and did it even matter? And even when I would take a day off for mental health, I just thought about all the work I had to do and usually failed at relaxing anyway.

I hung on and hoped something would break my way. But at Flying Lab the content team was at half its original size a year after launch. Some people left the company and others moved over to work on the kids MMOs the company is doing. We also decided to make the missions less cookie cutter by designing each from scratch instead of using templates. The upshot was we had fewer missions designers creating fewer missions and that meant less and less writing for me to do. At the end of the summer the content team and the design team were combined into one team under a new lead. We finished Black Flags and Dread Saints, an eight month serial story line I had conceived, and then started working on an expansion. With the state of the game and nothing else in the offing, there just wasn't enough for me to do. So here we are.

In the short term it's not so bad. I can concentrate on Green Ronin as we launch Dragon Age. I can maybe relax a little and take some weekends off. Health insurance is going to be an issue though and Nicole and I still need to figure out how we can afford to fix the heating system in our house (see her blog for that story). There's also the larger question of where I want to go from here. There are other forms of writing I'd like to explore, such as fiction and comics, that I simply haven't had time to consider the last few years. It may be time for that or something else. I'm sure it's going to make 2010 interesting.

Fund My Hobby!

2009-10-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

I want to get my 28mm Norman army painted and I know I'll never find the time to do it. I'm also on a never ending quest to get stuff out of my house. The solution? You buy stuff I don't need any more and I use the money to get my army painted. So there's a big list of stuff below. If you are interested, drop me a line at pramas [at] greenronin [dot] com. I'll figure out shipping and then you pay me via Paypal. Here we go:

Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition, Limited Edition rulebook, $50
Mutants & Masterminds Annual #2, $40
Vampire: Damnation City (White Wolf), $20
Witch Hunter: The Invisible World (Paradigm Concepts), $20
Original Dark Sun boxed set for 2nd edition AD&D (TSR), $35
Forgotten Realms: Empire of the Shining Sea boxed set for 2nd Edition AD&D in the shrink, $40

Inquisitor miniatures game (GW), $20
Epic Armageddon miniatures game (GW), $25
The Hills Rise Wild minis game (Pagan Publishing), $25

Blitzkrieg General boardgame, unpunched (UGG), $20
Autumn Mist: The Battle of the Bulge boardgame, unpunched (Fiery Dragon), $15
Tide of Iron boardgame (FFG), $55 (shipping on this may be a bear because it's huge; if you live in Seattle we could meet for a handoff)

Flames of War 2nd Edition hardback rulebook, $35
FOW D Minus 1 book, $15
FOW D-Day book, $15
FOW Bloody Omaha book, $15
FOW Afrika book, $15
3 FOW American M3 Lee Tanks, $21
1 FOW American Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel Boxed Set, $30

Flames of War American Airborne Lot, $95
* 1 Parachute Rifle Company Boxed Set
* 1 Parachute Rifle Platoon
* 1 Parachute Mortar Platoon
* 1 M1 57mm Gun blister (for Glider anti-tank platoon; 2 guns)

Catachan Imperial Guard Force for Warhammer 40K, $200
The following are metal minis:
* 8 guardsmen with satchel charges
* 8 special weapon and officer minis, including Sly and Straken
* 7 heavy flamers
* 4 autocannon teams
* 3 seated heavy bolter teams
* 2 standing heavy bolter teams with “Ox” from Schaeffer’s Last Chancers
*2 missile launcher teams

Then I have over 60 assembled plastic guardsmen. About half are primed and half have a few colors put on. They are a mix of regular troopers, special/heavy weapon troopers, and sergeants.

Bushido Miniatures (True 25mm), Ral Partha, $40
* 5 blisters of Samurai with Sword (30 minis total)
* 1 blister of Samurai with Naginata (6 minis)

The GR Summit

2009-10-07T00:35:00.001-07:00

We had our annual Green Ronin Summit this past weekend. Hal, Steve, Jon, and Bill all flew into Seattle and met up Nicole, Evan, Sparky, and I for several days of meeting, planning, eating, and even a little bit of gaming. We did a debrief on the last year, talking about what went well and not so well. Then we reviewed our various lines, brainstormed new ideas, and banged out a schedule through the end of 2010. After we adjourned the summit proper, some of us recorded new material for the Green Ronin podcast. All in all it was a productive and enjoyable weekend and it's always nice tohang out with the other ronins away from a convention environment.

I have sometimes pondered handling this stuff via e-mail like we do most of our business, but it's really worth getting everyone in the same room at least once a year. There's a spontaneity you don't get in e-mail and sometimes it's the little asides that you wouldn't type that send the conversation off in a direction that proves fruitful. This year we had a particularly large knot to untangle and the solution we came up with was not something I had considered beforehand. It was the back and forth discussion during the brainstorming that led us to something I think will be really cool. That's the sort of result that makes the summit so worthwhile.

WFRP2 and the Storm of Chaos

2009-09-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

I did an interview earlier this week for the Open Design podcast and that’s up already at www.opendesignpodcast.com. One of the things we talked about was licensed games and the pitfalls of dealing with someone else’s property. Something that came up on an rpg.net thread is a case in point.

When I started designing the second edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, one of the biggest tasks was the presentation of the setting. The question was, what should the default era of the game be? My preference was for a period of time in between world changing events, so we could set a baseline of what the Empire and the Old World were like. However, Games Workshop was pushing one of their periodic big events for the miniatures game, Warhammer Fantasy Battle, at the time. It was called the Storm of Chaos and it was the story of a new Chaos incursion into the Empire. As far as GW was concerned, the Storm of Chaos was current events in the Warhammer world and it had to be reflected in the RPG.

So what would be the best way to use the Storm of Chaos in WFRP? What I wanted to do was set the game right before the incursion. Strange things are happening all over the Empire, there are grim portents of the future, etc. This would have allowed us to still establish the baseline of the setting. Nordland is like this, Averland is like this, and so on. We then could have provided material for playing through the Storm of the Chaos. Not in mass battles (that’s for the minis game) but certainly the disruptions of a major invasion and the sense that the End Times were here would have provided plenty of fodder for adventures. It would also have neatly separated that material out, so those not interested in using the Storm of Chaos in their campaign could build off the baseline their own way.

The snag was that by the time the RPG came out the Storm of Chaos was going to be over. GW thus wanted the RPG set in the post-invasion time period. I argued that doing so was like setting a WWII game in 1946 (by which I did not mean that WFRP was a war game, but that if such an event was to take place, you should give players a chance to experience it). That was the state of the property though so thus it had to be. So we forged ahead and I think the team did a good job and put out many excellent books. It just wasn’t an ideal starting point from my point of view. When we did the Empire sourcebook, Sigmar’s Heirs, for example, huge swathes of the northeast were described as being destroyed and depopulated. If you wanted to set your game in another period, the info provided about these areas wasn’t very useful.

Towards the end of our tenure on WFRP, Rob Schwalb and I spent some time kicking around ideas about a potential third edition of the game. We thought that a cool approach might be to present three different time periods in the core rulebook so GMs had options. I believe we suggested the Age of Three Emperors, the Enemy Within period, and then the post-Storm of Chaos era from second edition. With the end of our deal and then the dissolution of Black Industries though, that vision of third edition WFRP never moved ahead. The irony is that since then GW has stopped advancing their world timeline year to year, and now keeps the “official” year static. Such are the challenges of licensed games.

Hello, Georgetown

2009-09-21T23:21:00.001-07:00

Georgetown is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Seattle. It was originally a working class area near the railroad and Boeing Field, and was home to many saloons and the original Rainier Brewery. As urban decay set in, it became just the sort of place that attracted punks, artists, bikers, roller girls, and other counter culture types. Of all the neighborhoods in Seattle, it reminds me most of my beloved Lower East Side in New York. It’s home to the Fantagraphics store and Georgetown Records, cool bars like the 9 Lb. Hammer and Jules Maes, an underground punk club called the Morgue, and good eats like Stellar Pizza, Two Tarts Bakery, and the Hallava Falafel truck. Best of all, it’s quite close to my place, being down the hill and across the freeway.

The trouble with Georgetown was that it wasn’t well-served with public transit. When Nicole or Ray would drive, it was a snap to get down there. If I wanted to go on my own, it was a big pain that required taking the bus to a different neighborhood and then backtracking to Georgetown. I was therefore delighted to discover on Sunday that the new route for the 106 bus now goes through Georgetown instead of going on the I-5. This means I can hop on a bus a few blocks from my house and go directly to Airport Way, the heart of Georgetown. The timing is excellent too because this weekend Italian hardcore legends Raw Power are playing at the Morgue and now I know I can get down there easily. Thanks, Seattle Metro!

Summer's Over?

2009-09-10T23:42:00.001-07:00

Weeks continue to fly by. Last weekend was the Penny Arcade Expo, which by all accounts was a huge success. My PAX was more miss than hit. I woke up Saturday feeling crappy. I made it in to the con in the afternoon because I had a meeting and needed to touch base with a few people. I did what I had to do, spent maybe an hour in the exhibit hall, and then went home. Nicole and Kate stayed out for the Jonathan Coulton show and didn't get home until 3:30 am. Sunday was a bit better but let's just say it was no GenCon for me. Next year I need a better strategy for PAX (and not getting sick would also help). They are doing a PAX East in Boston in March and I'm considering going to that. My family is in the Boston area and I have a bunch of friends there I haven't seen in ages. Do some business, see some people; seems like a reasonable idea.

This weekend is GwenCon, which is basically a big weekend of gaming at my former co-workers Gwen Kestrel and Andy Collin's house. It's a good time and chance to catch up with people from the WotC diaspora, but I think I'm going to have to skip it this year. It's been incredibly difficult to get any good work done the past month and I really need to have a solid weekend of that if I'm going to get out from under my current task load. Three years of the two job thing is wearing me thin.

Oh, and I'm really behind on e-mail at the moment. If I owe you one, I apologize. I am trying to catch up.

I guess summer's officially over, though it doesn't really feel like I had one.

For Our Freedom and Yours

2009-09-01T02:31:00.000-07:00

Seventy years ago today World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. You will likely see a lot of news items and articles that talk about the war in general and its awful cost. And that's as it should be, but I want to talk about something that often gets lost in the big picture. We remember that the war began with the invasion of Poland but forget that six years later the UK and America themselves betrayed Poland while seeking to appease Stalin.

It is ironic because the UK and France went to war over the violation of Poland's borders. The Soviets, while eventually joining the Allies after Germany rolled east in 1941, invaded Poland from the other side on September 17, 1939 and soon after massacred 10,000 Polish officers in the Katyn Forest. Meanwhile, those Poles who escaped continued to fight on. Polish fliers played a key role in the Battle of Britain. Polish ships fought with the British Royal Navy. Later the Polish II Corps fought in the Italian campaign and it was they who finally captured Monte Cassino. Another Polish army fought under the Soviets. And no one can forget the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 or the Warsaw Uprising of the Polish Home Army in 1944, both brutally surpressed by the Nazis.

By the end of the war the Poles had the fourth largest force under arms after the Soviet Union, America, and the UK. And yet none of these soldiers, sailors, and airmen were allowed to march in the great victory parade in London lest Stalin be offended. By this point Churchill and Roosevelt had written off Poland at the Yalta Conference, conceding it as a buffer state to Stalin. So while Poland's freedom was worth going to war over, in the end it was given away as a bargaining chip.

The motto of the Poles was "For Our Freedom and Yours." By helping to defend England and defeat the Nazis, they hoped to liberate their own country as well. It was not to be. So while we should remember all those who suffered and died in WWII, on today of all days we should remember the Poles, their contribution to the end of Nazi tyranny, and the terrible price they paid.

This Is Tyranny?

2009-08-31T09:14:00.001-07:00

The health care "debate" has been a sad spectacle. The insurance company executives must be laughing their asses off at the sight of so many people who can't afford health insurance standing up for the rights of their companies to make staggering profits from human misery while denying sick people coverage. What truly boggles my mind is how universal health care is now being portrayed as tyranny by the right wingers, with the obligatory pictures of Obama as Hitler to punctuate the point.

So this is tyranny, huh? Funny, I don't recall Hitler's infamy arising from his desire to give health care to Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and communists. Leaving aside the fact that no one is suggesting that the public option be compulsory (that's why "option" is right there in the phrase), I find it interesting it interesting that all of a sudden the right wingers are afraid of tyranny in America. So let me get this straight, tea baggers:

You didn't protest when the Bush administration lied us into a war in Iraq with tales of phantom weapons of mass destruction.

You didn't protest when people rounded up in the wake of 9/11 were imprisoned for years without any charges being filed against them or when Guantanamo Bay was turned into a legal limbo that made a mockery of the idea of American justice.

You didn't protest when the Bush administration began an illegal program of torture.

You didn't protest when the CIA began to rendition prisoners to black hole prisons in other countries where they could be tortured even more brutally.

You didn't protest when the government began an illegal program to wiretap the phones of all Americans and the telecom companies played right along.

You didn't protest when stop-loss was used to involuntarily extend the service of American soldiers so they could serve additional tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But now, now you get up frothing at town hall meetings and wave your placards. Now you protest and posture that the tree of liberty must be watered with blood. And why? Because somehow making sure that every American can have affordable health care is tyranny. Where were you, tea baggers,when Bush and Cheney were asserting that the executive branch could do anything and because they did it, it could not be illegal? Oh, that's right, you were out there chanting, "USA! USA!" and telling those of us who did protest that we were commies undermining the president in a time of war.

So don't talk to me about tyranny. You know nothing about it.

GenCon Report

2009-08-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

I finally got back from GenCon last night at 9 pm. It was a successful and fun show and as is usually the case it helped recharge my creative batteries. It’s really nice to spend the week with other passionate game enthusiasts and see the cool stuff going on in all aspects of the hobby. The focus of my con was, of course, the Green Ronin booth and I spent most of each day there pimping our wares and talking to people about Dragon Age. We did a DA promo flier for the show and there was a lot of interest in the game, which made me happy. I don’t have the time or energy for a day by day breakdown but here are the things that stand out in my mind.

Ice and Fire: This is the first GenCon since the release of A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying and it was great to see the depth of interest in the game. We sold out of core books and the new adventure Peril at King’s Landing by noon Sunday. Jim Kiley ran demos at our booth three of the four days and all slots filled up easily. And it won two ENnie Awards. The game has got legs and once we get the Campaign Guide out it’ll really be cooking.

Girl Scouts Gone Wild: GenCon did a program with the Girl Scouts this year. I donated five copies of Faery’s Tale Deluxe for GMs and an adventure. The demos went over so well that many of the girls and their families came to our booth and bought us out of the game. I love the idea of Girl Scouts learning to roleplay at GenCon. Thanks to Faith Felice for organizing this very cool program.

Punking the Punk: After our post-ENnies dinner, I ended up at this horrible dance club with Nicole and Paul Tevis. There was a party for the Brave New World movie there and Nicole wanted to drop by and congratulate Matt Forbeck. You could hear the music a block away and inside you had to yell to talk to anyone. We found Matt and the last holdouts of the party in a small room off to the side. After a couple of minutes, Nicole went out to the main room and the others followed. This left Tevis and I alone in the room. It didn’t take long for other patrons at the club to discover it. As Paul and I tried to have a discussion about wargames, the room filled up with dancing drunks taking pictures of each other. Imagine trying to talk about PanzerBlitz and For the People over thumping house music as club kids gyrated all around. Then they started taking pictures of us and still our friends were nowhere to be found. Finally, I yelled, “Are we being punked?” We were not but we didn’t stay too long either.

Sympathy for Monte: Fantasy Flight announced Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Third Edition at the show. I, of course, designed Second Edition so this was of some interest to me. To be clear all I know about it is what was said at GenCon. I heard rumors it was in development but no one from FFG ever contacted me about it. It’s taking an interesting approach, but my gut reaction is that they should have called it something else. There have been many, many games using the Warhammer IP. If they had called it Warhammer Uberquest or something, I doubt anyone would have cared. Calling it WFRP 3E invites comparisons to the previous editions, however, and seems bound to create the same sorts of tensions that are tearing up the D&D fanbase right now.

Grub Quest: Indianapolis loves its chain restaurants, which is bad news for people who want to eat good food. I made an effort to find some decent places to eat this year, though lunches still ended up being Chick Fil A more often than not. Finds included Café Patachou, which was a good spot for breakfast; TaTa Cuban Café; and Maxine’s Chicken and Waffles, a great soul food restaurant whose only downside is its distance from the convention center. We did our end of con GR meal at Barcelona Tapas, which was also quite good. Weirdly enough, the only disappointment in the meal was the sangria, which tasted like it was missing an ingredient or two. Their tres leches cake, which I dubbed by 20th GenCon cake, was awesome though.

A Night with Dr. Evil: Rob Schwalb ran a D&D game Thursday night in which I played my minotaur barbarian. Eight players plus a bottle of brandy made it a raucous affair. We all had a good time, though I think Rob regretted running for level 21 characters. He says I’m on the hook for next year, so maybe I’ll run Dragon Age. Hal and Adam AKA “Tennessee Hal” need to sit apart though.

Stuff and Things: It wouldn’t be GenCon without bringing home some swag, though this may be the first time I didn’t bring home even one miniature. I bought Kate a Dr. Who graphic novel and myself Chronica Feudalis, which was a pretty easy sell to me considering my history with Ars Magica. I finally got Trail of Cthulhu, as well as Shadows Over Filmland and Mutant City Blues from Pelgrane. I did a trade with Richard Iorio of Rogue Games for Colonial Gothic, Thousand Suns, and their various supplements. I got the boardgame Ubongo from Z-Man Games, which looks right up Nicole’s alley. Andrew Hackard of SJG also dropped by copies of their boardgame Revolution and the card game The Stars Are Right. I played the latter with Evan Monday night and it was fun. Lastly, I picked up the second edition of Reaper’s Warlord miniatures game. I set up a trade for Starblazer Adventures and then forgot to go to the Cubicle 7 booth to make it happen. D’oh!

A Small Thank You: It’s always hard to know how much stock to bring to the show. You don’t want to run out of a title early but neither do you want to pay to ship a lot of stuff back. On Sunday a couple of the big consolidators came buy, asking if we wanted to sell our overstock to them. I could have taken the princely sum of 5 cents on the dollar but instead Steve Kenson and I carried four boxes of books to the GenCon office. These books were given away to the many volunteers who staff the convention. I figured they deserved our thanks for making the show run so smoothly.

Twenty Years of GenCon

2009-08-10T00:50:00.000-07:00

It was 1989 and I was looking for distractions. I had just finished my second year at NYU and I was in a bit of a haze. The first great love affair of my life had ended badly and I was messed up about it. I decided I need to do something different and it had to be fun. It so happened that my roommate in Hayden Hall was from Milwaukee and earlier in the year a couple of his friends stayed in our tiny dorm room for a week. Before they left, they told me I could crash with them if I ever came to Milwaukee. I'm sure they thought they'd never see me because what were the odds of a New Yorker vacationing in Wisconsin? I thought to myself, "Milwaukee, isn't that where GenCon is?"

GenCon, for you non-gamers out there, is the biggest game convention in America. Gary Gygax (of Dungeons & Dragons fame) started it in Lake Geneva, WI in 1968 with 100 attendees. It grew year to year and changed locations many times. In 1985 the show moved to Milwaukee and remained there until 2003. All throughout my teenage years I had seen endless ads for GenCon in various D&D publications. Dragon Magazine used to do an insert that listed all the events. Even though I couldn't go, I'd read over all the events and marvel at all the cool stuff that seemed to go on there. I always wanted to go but it was beyond my means.

If I had a place to stay though, that would reduce the cost of going enormously. So I called the guys in Milwaukee, confirmed that I could indeed stay with them, and booked a flight for August. The convention was held at the Milwaukee Exposition & Convention Center & Arena. That's right; I was making a pilgrimage to MECCA.

So I went out there for a week. I crashed on a couch, took the bus down to MECCA each day, and ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches. I didn't know anyone at the convention. The guys I was staying with were, in fact, gamers big into Call of Cthulhu but they never went to GenCon despite it being in their home town. So I just explored the con on my own and it was by far the biggest one I had ever been to. I played a ton of RPGs and minis games over four days. I experienced the awesome auction (this was pre-Ebay remember). I went to seminars. I drooled over things I couldn't afford in the dealers' hall. Every company I had ever heard of and many that I hadn't were there. This was before you could order whatever you wanted online, so just being able to find some of these games was a treat, never mind meeting folks from the companies that produced them. The whole experience was awesome and when I got back to NYC I told all my friends about it.

Then a funny thing happened. After hearing my tales of GenCon, they wanted to go in 1990. So the next year I found myself back again. It soon became a tradition with my gaming friends in New York. We eventually started renting a van and turning it into a massively fun road trip. After awhile going to GenCon each year was no longer a question. It was just something I assumed I'd be doing one way or another. Now all of a sudden it's 2009 and I'm about to go to my 20th GenCon in a row. I can count on one hand the number of things I've done every year for twenty years.

Looking back on it I can see that my impulsive decision to go to GenCon in 1989 had a major effect on my life. I had wanted to try my hand at game design for years, but it was my trips to GenCon that made it happen. It was there I met people from various companies and hustled for freelance work. There I started my career as a publisher. There I met my future wife face to face for the first time. There Green Ronin won the Best Publisher ENnie Award three years in a row.

Tuesday night I'm heading out again. These days the show is in Indianapolis and it attracts more than 25,000 people each year. In many ways it'll be a GenCon like any other. I'll be at the Green Ronin booth with my friends and colleagues selling our wares. There will be business meetings, late night drinking sessions, and as much gaming as I can squeeze in. I'll attend the ENnie Awards Friday night and if I'm lucky take home one or two. I'll see many old friends and not have nearly enough time to spend with them. I'll have spent all year thinking about GenCon and then the show will go by in a flash.

It may seem the same, but this one is going to be different. I'll be celebrating 20 years of great memories, fun times, and enduring friendships. There won't be a party and there won't be cake, but it'll be special nonetheless. Thanks for everything, GenCon.

We Have a Winner

2009-08-09T17:00:00.001-07:00

With GenCon coming up and the deadline past, it was time to pick a winner in the Make My Character contest. Thanks to everyone who participated. The winner is Bryan Smart, who Minotaur barbarian with the vicious executioners axe +5 pushed the right buttons. When will I rage? Later this week, thanks. Congrats to Bryan. I'll contact you privately about your prize.

Bay Area Weekend

2009-08-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was down in the Bay Area for Endgame's 8th Anniversary party. I decided to make the most of my three days by flying down really early on Friday and coming back late Sunday night. This proved a good plan and I was able to pack a lot into the trip.

I was in San Francisco by 10 am Friday. Took the BART downtown and met up with Aaron Loeb, an old and dear friend that some of you may remember as the author of Book of the Righteous. We had lunch at a tapas place called Bocadillos near his office and then I headed off. I hit the City Lights bookstore and spent some time browsing. I could easily have spent $300 there but since I had much walking ahead of me, I settled on only one book (The Many Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic).

After that I walked up the Embarcadero to Pier 45 to tour the Jeremiah O'Brien and USS Pampanito. The O'Brien is a WWII liberty ship that was part of the D-Day invasion. It's one of a handful of surviving liberty ships and the only one still in its WWII configuration. It's docked right across from Alcatraz, so I got a great view of that and a chance to climb all over the O'Brien. It was particularly cool to go all the way down into the engine room, which made me feel like an extra in the Poseidon Adventure. The Pampanito is a submarine that prowled the Pacific during the war. Just a couple of months ago in NYC I toured the USS Growler, a nuclear sub from the late 50s and there were many similarities between the two.

Later I walked back down the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building, which has turned into a real foodie destination. I had some terrific oysters at Hogg Island, a "salumi cone" at Boccalone, and then a bit of gelato from Ciao Bella. That night I took the BART out to Endgame in Oakland and met up with Chris Hanrahan. We then grabbed Chris Ruggiero and drove to San Rafael for dinner at Original Buffalo Wings. The wings were good but it was actually the chips that were great. Hand cut and cooked to order.

I had been up since 5 am and walked over 20,000 steps throughout the day. Still didn't sleep too well though, and was up at 7 on Saturday. Chris H. and I went over early, as he had prep work to do before the party. I wandered the empty store looking at games and minis and snapping a few pictures. At 10 the doors opened and happy gamers began to arrive. There were games and raffles throughout the day. Green Ronin and many other companies donated prizes. I was pleased that the German edition of WFRP I provided actually seemed to go to a guy who could speak German. I played in a Flames of War game that largely consisted of my Russians being gunned down by a wave of big Nazi tanks. I had a chance to chat to TS Luikart for a bit and finally meet his daughter, who was terribly cute. Then I went off to lunch with Bruce Harlick and Brian Isikoff.

I always try to research interesting restaurants before a trip so I was ready with a Peruvian place that seemed walkable from Endgame. It was but no one had heard of it. We gave it a shot anyway and I'm glad we did. The food was delicious, particularly the mixed ceviche that Bruce and I had for an entree. We then returned to the store for the rest of party. Chris R. taught us how to play Dominion, which I had heard a lot about. It is indeed a very clever design and we enjoyed two games before Endgame closed its doors.

As you can imagine, Bruce and I were not very hungry after our big lunch, so we went to a small plates Mexican restaurant called Tamarindo for dinner. The queso fundido was divine, and they had outstanding guacamole. So much better than your typical family Mexican joint. Bruce dropped me off at Hanrahan's place and Chris showed up about 10 minutes later from a going away dinner for Endgame founder Aaron Lawn (who is moving to Boston, my hometown). We talked about watching a movie and I even looked through two big cases of DVDs, but in the end we spent two and a half hours talking instead. Turns out we both want to strangle the same d-bag. Who knew?

Bruce was back Sunday morning and the three of us headed up to Napa Valley. Our first stop was Brix, another choice from my research. They do a Sunday brunch and it was fantastic (better than Salty's for you Seattle-ites). It was an all you can eat affair but there were no steam trays. Food was cooked in small batches and put out on plates that were rotated out regularly. Everything was fresh and delicious. I ended up making myself five courses: breakfast, cheese and charcuterie, lunch, seafood, and dessert. We sat on the back patio with a gorgeous view of vineyards and nearby hills. Big thumbs up for Brix.

The plan was then to do some wine tasting. After a navigation fail and a double I-Phone fail, we took a 45 minute detour up Route 29. I told Bruce I was beginning to think the Dutch Henry winery was like the Flying Dutchmen and we'd never find it. We did finally get there though, and it turned out to be a nice little place. Friendly staff, many pours, and good product. Then we drove over to BV and that place was the polar opposite. It was big, corporate, and impersonal. Not really my scene.

At this point we had a bit of a scare when Chris got a flat tire, but he got it changed pretty quickly and it was sturdy enough to get us back to his place. Bruce then kindly drove me to SFO and I was there in plenty of time for my flight back. Good friends, good food, good games--an excellent weekend all around. If not for the big bag of shit I had to eat right before the trip, it would have been a perfect getaway.

Party Time in Oakland

2009-07-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

EndGame Oakland is, simply put, one of the best game stores in the country. This isn't just a matter of product selection or location. No, what makes EndGame a great store is that it is a center of community. Through its game space, mini cons, and knowledgeable staff, EndGame became a true destination store and one that pulled gamers together. These days it's fashionable for many gamerati to scoff at retailers and ask what they can possibly provide that competes with discounts on the internet? EndGame and stores like it are an answer to that question. They promote the hobby, bring enthusiasts together, and put gaming out in front of people who have never heard of a 12-sided die or a zone of control. Doing this day after day, year after year is not an easy task so we must pause from time to time and recognize them for their good works.

August 1 is one of those times. EndGame is celebrating its 8th anniversary with a day long event. It's also a bit of a going away party for founder Aaron Lawn, who is leaving his baby for new endeavors. I will be flying down to the Bay Area for this event and I'm bringing some fun prizes from Green Ronin. Come join me and raise a glass to EndGame Oakland for 8 great years. Now more than ever, we need stores like it to show how gaming retail can be important and vibrant. See you there!

http://endgameoakland.com/

Kate Rocks Out

2009-07-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago Nicole and I took Kate to see a documentary called Girls Rock. It's about the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls, which started in Portland in 2001. Kate loved it and was totally inspired. She wanted to go but didn't have much experience with music at the time. Through the video game Rock Band, however, we discovered that she had a talent for drumming. Nicole took her down to the Seattle Drum School in Georgetown and signed her up for some lessons. Last year she did a day camp there but it was mostly boys and there were less than ten kids. She did really well and her teachers down there started tossing around the phrase "drum prodigy."

So last month Nicole and Kate spent a week in Portland so Kate could go to Rock 'n' Camp for Girls. She had a great time. During the camp the girls form into bands, and each band writes and rehearses a song. They also take workshops on screen printing, zine making, self-defense and other useful arts. The week culminates with a big show, held this year the Bagdad Theater.

I worked during the week but on Friday night Ray and I drove down to Portland so we could see the show Saturday. Kate was nervous because she was going to be playing in front of 700 people. And indeed it was quite a scene. There were sixteen girls bands to play and another that was made up of older camp volunteers. The bands had great names like the Bionic Poodles and the Thunder Bats. Kate's band, Employees Only, was the last of the girls bands to play, and the other bands took over two hours to do their songs. Some of them were fun and energetic, others sort of fell apart onstage, but all of them had spirit and it was pretty awesome to see them rocking out at such a young age. My favorite of them was Vent, who did a song called, "It Came from the Vent."

Finally Employees Only hit the stage. It then became clear why they had the last slot. They were tighter than many of the other bands and the song was catchy and speedy. Kate fuckin' rocked the drums. She was really awesome and we were ridiculously proud of her. I remember thinking that Kate was clearly the best drummer of the girls bands, and then realizing this was a totally dad thing to assert. I stand behind it though; Kate has mad skills for a 13 year old.

After the show we took Kate out for a celebratory sushi dinner. She was jazzed by the whole experience and wants to go back with her friend Gloria next year. Big thumbs up to the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls. They are doing something truly cool there and tomorrow's music scene will be better for it.

Make My Character!

2009-07-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

When I first started going to GenCon, I got to play games wall to wall for four days and it was awesome. These days I spend most of my time working the Green Ronin booth or in meetings. I always try to get in at least one game though, because it wouldn't be GenCon without it. Oftentimes, it's a chance to get together with friends from my college game group. This year former Green Ronin developer Rob Schwalb is going to run a 4th edition D&D game and I need to bring my own character.

Rob is never a man to take the easy way out, so he's running the game for 21st level characters. One night I finally cracked open Player's Handbook II to check out the options there but looking through the powers of the different classes just made my eyes glaze over. I realized then that I did not have the time to dedicate to make a proper character of that level.

So I'm running a contest. Here's how it works:

* Make me a level 21 character you think will be fun to play.

* Magic items of level 22, level 21, level 20, and 225,000 gold pieces.

* Use the character builder or similar to make a character sheet. Pre-figured power cards are a big plus.

* Print the character and mail to the following address:
Green Ronin Publishing
Attn: Chris Pramas
3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100, #304
Seattle, WA 98108

* Characters must be received by August 1, 2009. I will then judge the entries and pick a winner.

* The winner will receive $35 worth of Green Ronin product. This can be print or PDF if you are in the USA, or PDF if you are in another country.

That's it. So what are you waiting for? Make my character!

Jingoism is not Patriotism

2009-07-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have always been reluctant to embrace the word patriotism. It's not that I have a problem with having some pride in where you are from or the impulse to make your country better. I just think it's a short step from patriotism to jingoism and people often conflate the two. Witness this recent quote from Liz Cheney:

"...I would say one of the things that is troubling to Americans, I think, is extent to which this administration is focused on the president's popularity overseas. We've now seen several different occasions when he's been on the international trips, where he's not willing to say, flat out, 'I believe in American exceptionalism. I believe unequivocally, unapologetically, America is the best nation that ever existed in history, and clearly that exists today.' Instead we've seen him do what we saw him do in the speech in Cairo, which is sort of, 'on one hand this, on the other hand that,' and then attempt to put himself sort of above it all. I think that troubles people."

For people like Cheney, it isn't enough to say, "I love my country." They must also assert, "And it's better than yours!" This may sound harmless enough at a summer BBQ, but jingoism and the whole idea of American exceptionalism are dangerous. When you take it for granted that your country is the best and that you are thus better than anyone from a different country, it has a toxic effect on the politics of the nation. It enables the sort of rank hypocrisy that has made America so despised in many parts of the world. It led to the "Bush Doctrine" of preventative war. It fuels the neoconservatives who believe that American diplomacy should be a dick swinging contest instead of a meaningful engagement with other nations. And it flies in the face of Thomas Jefferson's words, "All men are created equal."

Jingoism is not patriotism. On today of all days, let's remember that.

15 Books, Pramas Variant

2009-06-25T01:28:00.000-07:00

The original meme: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

In my variant I'm dividing the list into three parts. Five books I read from ages 10-19, then five I read from 20-29, and finally five I read from 30-39. It wouldn't be fair to do one for the next decade since I've been 40 for less than two weeks and the only book I've read in that period is Halting State by Charles Stross. I enjoyed it once I got past the wall of tech babble Stross seems so fond of, but I don't think it'll stay with me forever (but Githyanki will, so you're safe there, Charlie!). In any case, on to my list.

1. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
2. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.
3. Black Company by Glen Cook.
4. Living My Life by Emma Goldman.
5. 1988: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion by Caroline Coon.
6. L'Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory.
7. The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer.
8. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain.
9. God's Chinese Son by Jonathan Spence.
10. Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln.
11. Stalingrad by Antony Beevor.
12. American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857 by Sally Denton.
13. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman.
14. Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad.
15. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain.

One Ring to Rule Them All

2009-06-22T02:05:00.000-07:00

I've had a chance to play a couple of games of the War of the Ring miniatures game by GW and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. It's late so just a few points:

* The game plays quickly, in big part because you can you resolve an attack with one roll. While in Warhammer, you have to roll to hit, roll to wound, and then the enemy gets an armor save, here you roll to hit vs. the enemy's Defense and that's it. Skill gives can you more dice to throw but one roll resolves it.

* I like the hierarchy of melee attacks; monsters go first, then cavalry, then infantry. This really makes cavalry feel right, with crashing charges and sweeping advances. It also makes monsters fearsome despite them generally having fewer attacks.

* Movement by company makes it much easier to get your troops where you want them without a lot of mucking about with ranks, files, turning, and wheeling.

* I like that the rules for having allies in your army are generous. That fits the spirit of Middle Earth (Battle of Five Armies, Last Alliance of Men and Elves, etc.).

* You really have to be on the ball when using your heroes and their Might Points. Picking the right time for heroic actions is key and the game rewards good tactics in this regard.* I find it strange that longbows have the same Strength 2 as normal bows. Crossbows have a Strength of 4, so it seems like it'd make sense to give longbows a 3.

* It is also a little strange that the game has a "decree of rarity" to balance common and rare units, but allows you take as many legendary units as you want. Perhaps this is meant to encourage use of characters from the books.

I've dusted off old elf figures for the past couple of games but once I like a game it's almost inevitable that I get more minis for it. I am beefing up the Easterlings and the Riders of Rohan I had collected for the skirmish game, taking advantage of nice sets of plastic minis. I would love to do a Dol Amroth army but those figs are only available in pewter and thus too pricey for the numbers I'd need.

You may be wondering, why Dol Amroth? It's a good question and one I've been thinking about as I read through the army lists of War of the Ring. There are several secondary characters in Lord of the Rings that I thought were cool when I was a teenager. They don't have many lines and they don't do nearly as much as other characters, but for some reason I developed a fondness for guys like Elfhelm, Erkenbrand, and Prince Imrahil. The fact that I can field all those guys in War of the Ring is a nice touch and I find the idea of a huge wedge of Swan Knights of Dol Amroth quite appealing.

Party Like It's 1969

2009-06-13T23:08:00.001-07:00

I'm turning 40 in two days but Monday is no good for a party so Nicole threw me one today. Friends came in from San Francisco and Vancouver, BC and my evil friend Jim found a unique way to make his presence felt from Edmonton. Many great folk and tons of tasty food from Nicole. If friends were a measure of wealth, I'd be a rich man indeed. Thanks to everyone who came; I had a blast. Extra kudos to my awesome wife for putting together a memorable shindig.

Snapshots of New York

2009-06-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

Manhattanhenge: I happened to be in New York during the biannual occurrence of Manhattanhenge. Basically, the setting sun aligns with the east-west grid of Manhattan's streets. My friend Chesley and I had just finished a lovely dinner at a vegetarian teahouse on Park Avenue and we caught the event on 34th street. It was pretty cool watching the sun set between the buildings and shine right down 34th. People were in the streets checking it out and taking pictures and the drivers did not like that. Ches was trying to get a picture of us while a bus barreled towards us. It did not slow down, so she snapped a pic and we jumped aside.

Duck on the Beach: I took the B train out to Brighton Beach one day and spent some time walking around "Little Russia by the Sea." Then I stopped for lunch at a place called Tatiana, which was right on the boardwalk. I got pelmeni and duck with a cherry-wine sauce, which was delicious. I sat outside, enjoying my meal while a cool breeze came off the water. I could have stayed there for hours.

Meet the Author: At Book Expo they have this big area for book signings. Authors come in for an hour apiece promoting a new book. If you are willing to stand in line, you can get the book for a $1 donation. I'm not one for collecting autographs, but I noticed that Bryan Mark Rigg was signing Lives of Hitler's Jewish Soldiers. I had just read about this book and was interested to check it out, so I went to his line. When I approached the table, he looked at me and said very confidently, "I know you!" I was pretty sure he didn't, but I asked, "Do you perhaps play roleplaying games?" He didn't so I couldn't say why he thought he knew me. I gave him a card in case he figured it out. I'm reading the book now and it's quite interesting.

Dinner Music: My last night in the city I went to the Spotted Pig, a gastropub I've heard a lot about. It's open until 2 am, so I thought I'd go late so I could just walk in and get a table. No such luck. I got there at 11:15 and all the tables were full and both bars were packed. The staff found me a stool by a window and that's where I ate. It was busy and it was loud, but I didn't care once I was eating marjoram potatoes fried in duck fat. Then over the noise I heard a song come on: "I Love Livin' in the City" by Fear. The timing couldn't have been more perfect and I thought, "Goddamn, I do love living in the city."

Where I Get It From: My folks came down from Boston to see me while I was on the East Coast. We had several meals together, the last a breakfast at Junior's. I show them copies of my game stuff from time to time so they can see what I'm up to, but they are not gamers. I thought they might appreciate Hobby Games: The 100 Best though, as it's a book of essays. So I brought a copy and gave to them at breakfast. My dad looked at it and said, "Hobby Games, what am supposed to do with this?" I said, "You could read it." He looked at it again and then asked if it was one of my books. I had mentioned that when I pulled it out but he has two hearing aids and I think he missed it. "Yes, I published it and wrote one of the essays," I confirmed. "Oh," he said dryly, "then I'll treasure it."

I'll try to write more about my week in NYC when I have a chance. I squeezed a lot into my time there and I can't do it justice in one post.

Gaming Marathon

2009-05-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour writing this, only to have Livejournal eat it. This version is going to be briefer.I spent the weekend in Olympia at Enfilade, a convention put on by the NHMGS (Northwest Historical Miniature Gaming Society). This has become a yearly event for Rick and I, and I enjoy the opportunity to go to a con just for fun. No business, no booth duty; just playing games. This year turned into something of a marathon because we added in a pickup game of 40K. Rick, Jefferson, Stephen, and I brought down armies and threw down on Friday night in an empty conference room we found in the hotel. We started at midnight and finished up around 4 am. Then I was up at 8 for the first session. By the end of day Saturday, I had played five full games in 28 hours and then did one more Sunday morning. I certainly got my fix for minis gaming. Here's what I played (and there are pics on my Facebook page).

Kashgar, October 1920: A four way battle in Central Asia between Red Russians, White Russians, warlord Chinese, and Afghan tribesmen. We were all fighting to seize the lost gold of Alexander the Great, recently unearthed by American archeologists. I played the Chinese and it was a vicious battle. My "Dare to Die" troops overran the American marines and seized the pack mules with the gold, but then fell before White Russian firepower in their exposed position. The battle used The Great War rules by Warhammer Historical and most of the minis were from Copplestone Castings' excellent "Back of Beyond" range.

Unlikely Allies: This is the aforementioned pickup game of 40K. Jefferson's Necrons and Stephen's Black Templars (I said they were unlikely allies) took on the Imperial Guard. I think this was the first time I fought Necrons and they were disconcertingly tough. The Imperial Guard battle line held but it was a close run thing.

King Philip's War: A skirmish scenario set in New England in 1675 during this little known conflict. I was part of a force of American colonists and their Native American allies assaulting a Wampanoag village. The first part of the scenario was the advance of the attack force through the woods. Then we recycled our figs for the attack on the village (sensible, since we only had 3-6 minis each). The game used the Black Powder Battles rules and they had some peculiarities. Had the hang of them by the end though and we took the village for the win.

Von Lettow-Vorbeck's Cross Border: I've recently been reading a book called Tip and Run about World War I in Africa, so I knew I had to play this game. I commanded a German force attempting to capture a British train in East Africa. I think the rules were the GM's homebrew and overall they played quickly and were fun. He didn't expect much hand to hand combat though, so those rules were slight. Naturally, our guys did a lot of charging into hand to hand! We blew the tracks, stopped the train, and then successfully assaulted it in the name of the Kaiser.

Venus gehoert Uns!: Last year I played in a Sword and the Flame game set on Mars. This year Chris Bauermeister (a college friend I see but rarely) was running a sequel, a big game with 12 players on a 5' x 16' table. This time the colonial powers of Victorian Earth were trying to impose their will on Venus. Having just played imperialists in the last session, I opted to join the native resistance this game. The first hour was slow, as I had only one unit to command. As the game went on, Chris would periodically hand us additional units as more and more Venusians emerged from the fog and mud to attack the Earthmen. It was like the Battle of Isandlwana with scaly Venusians instead of Zulus. We gave those imperialist Earthmen what for too.

Punic War: My last game was a classic matchup of Rome vs. Carthage using Warhammer Ancient Battles. This was four players and two GMs, and it was a nice change of pace after the mayhem of the previous night. I played Hannibal and had a ball. I thought we might have lost on turn 2 when my co-general's cavalry assault went disastrously wrong and our entire right flank broke and began fleeing. Most of them rallied though and we were able to turn the tide. Our elephants and veterans punched a hole in the Roman line that they could not recover from. No salting my fields this time, Rome.

I had planned to try out Grand Armee, a Napoleonic game, in the final slot but Rick was beat so we headed back north early in the afternoon. We talked about maybe running a game at next year's show, and that reminded me of when I started going to GenCon. I just went to play for the first few years but then I started running my own games. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me to do that Enfilade, as putting on a big convention minis game is a lot of work and it would make the weekend less relaxing. Still tempting though.