Blog Archives
sWARGAME WEDNESDAY: Brian Train’s Colonial Twilight
Wednesday , 9, August 2017 Tabletop Games 3 CommentsGMT Games has by now released several COIN games covering all kinds of themes: the recent war in Afghanistan, the Vietnam war, the American Revolution, the Cuban Revolution, and more. These four-player games all possess a unique card-driven system that adds some uncertainty to who will go and when. Each card lists a sequence of […]
You’ve heard about Morgan Ironwolf, Black Dougal, and Aleena the cleric. What I want to know is… who honestly sits down at the gaming table and wants to play characters like that? Clean cut. Squeaking clean. Heck, even Borg the fighter is marked as being Lawful. Sorry, but that is not at all how the […]
When Gary Gygax penned the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, the world was very different. The fantasy role-playing hobby was an entirely different beast than it is today, for one thing. But even the term “fantasy” would have had an entirely different connotation. While it’s possible to dive into the old guide, take a random rules […]
The ardent space gamer will tear into this game and crunch through all the scenarios like it’s nothing. But how does it work with the average gamer that’s only just now testing the wargame waters…? Well I’ll tell you, the opening scenario which starts in media res tells you everything you need to know about […]
Many of us wargamers grew up playing the Axis and Allies boardgame in at least one of its incarnations–the original, Second Edition, Third Edition, Iron Blitz, Revised, 50th Anniversary (my favorite), or one of the big global editions. Many of these are still played in wargame clubs around the country, or in the basements and […]
ON THE TABLE: Journey to the Planet of the Amazon Women
Tuesday , 1, August 2017 Tabletop Games, Traveller 14 CommentsOkay, this was a really neat Traveller session. Yes, my character was in the hospital at the start of this one. And yes, the planetary authorities were not at all pleased at my having saved the world last time. Can you believe it? They actually credited us with turning the alien pyramid laser tower on, […]
Mark Kern is one of the biggest names in video game design. But in this latest episode of Geek Gab Game Night, you’ll hear him cover all kinds of gaming ground: He talks about the appeal of Classic Traveller, how new the concept of rpgs was in his scene, how enamored he was with the […]
Call of Cthulhu, Traveller, and Railroads
Thursday , 27, July 2017 Game Design, Games, Tabletop Games, Traveller, Uncategorized 13 CommentsJeffro has been covering the Call of Cthulhu game he’s been participating in and using it as an opportunity to discuss railroading and his various frustrations with the extent of player agency in the game as played. This has gotten me thinking about the topic since I have started running a Classic Traveller game but, […]
This game is something else! Not that it doesn’t come in for a lot of guff from the “real” wargaming set. You see, due to the command card system, you can’t always move the pieces you want. All the action might be happening on the right and you can end up being unable to respond […]
ON THE TABLE: Honest to Goodness Classic Traveller
Thursday , 20, July 2017 Tabletop Games, Traveller 5 CommentsHow role-playing campaigns finally click together is kind of a strange thing to begin with. This one, being a relatively rare “by the book” Traveller game is maybe a little more unusual. And the game in those original three Little Black Books is without a doubt a wide open sandbox campaign by default. Given that […]
Classic Traveller: Session Report
Thursday , 13, July 2017 Tabletop Games, Traveller, Uncategorized 3 CommentsI you have read my previous columns, I have covered a fair bit of background for my Classic Traveller game. So, how has it played? Pretty good so far. We’ve only had two sessions but, I am excited to see where the next ones will go. Session 1 summary: The first session starts on Ladfaus […]
Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Keeper Rulebook Chapter 10: Playing the Game
Wednesday , 5, July 2017 Tabletop Games 8 CommentsYou don’t need very much in the way of rules in order to play Call of Cthulhu as it is often executed. You don’t need a combat system because the monsters are unbeatable. You don’t need a magic system because spells are used by non-player characters to serve whatever purpose the plot requires. You don’t […]