A new Specialist Game?

I don't usually react to rumours. But I will now. Faeit 212 has reported the possibility there'll be a new GW Specialist Game released. That's big news for a lot of us I'd bet.

Apparently it's not a rerelease of Blood Bowl, Man O'War or Warhammer Quest, or even a supplement for Space Hulk. Then again why would it be a rerelease, not wholly new?

Perhaps wishful thinking, given some of our happiest gaming experiences might have been with the past games. I'd guess most players who've tried one or more of these, or Necromunda, Gorkamorka, Mordheim or Inquisitor say, have fond memories, and the 6mm Epic system was for a time near equal of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

Epic itself seems an unlikely choice. After all, we have Apocalypse nowadays, which has a similar scope with a higher price per model in real world currency. Warmaster seems unlikely for the same reason, if that's what the coming Storm of Magic means.

Surely the right answer is Killzone? A Necro-Gorka-Mordheim approach blended with wider 40K. It would offer a path into what many see as an increasingly costly hobby, quieting critics on price and simplicity and opening the door to new players, the future.

But then I thought, well, why do we need GW to release that particular game? We already have it. In fact, why do we need a company to release any game if we can just make it ourselves? A public limited company has shareholders to please as well as us.

I really can't answer that. Higher production values maybe, but personally I'd still prefer multiple smaller designers sourcing art or card elements than one large.

A wider player base? Well, we've been there - one guy picking up a less expensive game system can more cost-effectively run demos and get a group interested.

Future support? I don't see much for the Specialist Games. Pure passion seems a better guide to that. Look at the D&D OSR. That's what player love can do. They still have a whole community of new ideas, and revisions and releases, decades later.

Maybe love is all you need?

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40K OSR? (7)

This week's update on a possible 40K OSR. What is it? Some potential definitions here.

If you identify with the concept, especially if you're putting out new ideas, feel free to use Colonel Kane's 40K OSR logo - to the right.

If you do, consider crediting Kane and adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll.

It's a great blog; up at the moment are some orc pirates, and this week Kane and Martini Henrie gave their thoughts on Old School gaming.

And here's more good stuff, alternative ideas old and new and hands-on creativity.

• Atrotos at Rules Manufactorum asks whether 40K should be more like Magic the Gathering in terms of composition and theme. I'm intrigued.

• The second and third parts of the in-depth battle report have now gone up at A Gentleman's Ones, and in the latter Brian reflects on the impact of that alternative approach to deployment.

• Von has reflections at the new GAME OVER, on the hobby over the years, with links to four thought-provoking posts, including Brian's intro to the report.

• Lantz has wonderful conversions at The Magnet Pro of a tech-priest transmechanic and a Leman Russ burrower. Yes, you read it right - the shells burrow. Sound familiar? Check the AdMech FanDex for details...

• And if that's got you excited about Squats and/or Demiurg, Mik over at Mik's Minis gives us a link to a new blog - You Ain't Seen Squat! - building a new force and considering counts as options. It all excites me, but the living ancestor pushes a special button by using an Epic mini.

• On the subject of counts as, Andy has the second part of an Apocalypse battle report at Creepy Corridor with a scary biotitan and some great Ork vehicles; first part here, set up here.

• At Strictly Average Brent gives us an update on his ongoing Brotherhood project, a fantastic mix of old elements and new.

• Commissar Carrie at Inquisitork has put up an index for the growing Radical and has the ninth instalment, Rest, bringing another force into the mix...

As for me, I'm not sure what's up with the Orkosystem series at Roll With It - a squig is due to follow the snotling sabbatur, but must have flown off. I hope the ladz can get him back. When the current run of flash fiction for Heroes of Armageddon finishes I'm planning to expand on the hive interior supplement with something very Orky...

As ever, if I've missed anything - and this week I think I must have - feel completely free to leave recommendations and links in the comments. Better still put something up.

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The power of ideas

I admire Sidney Roundwood at Roundwood's World, and I'd bet you do too, or will as soon as you visit the blog. I think he has what many of us aspire to, a full approach.

He's done me the honour of building on a post I wrote a couple of months ago, Getting out of the boat (1), a post representing a part of what the Expanse is all about. He used the ideas in a Great War battle over his superb trench boards featuring a mix of rules.

This and one or two other things currently in the pipeline have left me in a happy stupor.

Why?

Setting aside even the fact that it's Roundwood and others I respect, I think it's about seeing a contribution recognised, its value acknowledged, and in blogging knowing something hasn't just fallen by the wayside. It's understanding in some small way we've added to the sum of thinking and experience.

Every one of us who creates, suggests or speculates in whatever form is contributing just like this. We all do it in some way, and it's a very precious thing. And key I think in keeping the passion high and keeping the contributions coming is feedback.

If you see something good out there in the blogosphere or elsewhere, I'd encourage you to use it, respond, praise the positives and help improve the rest. Leave a comment, write a post, recommend it, especially if the source has a smaller audience.

Get involved in the exploration. If you're not sure where, start with the blogrolls here.

Thanks again to Sidney and to everyone who's run with an idea they saw here, and most of all to everyone beginning, continuing or supporting that wider exploration in any way.

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Mapmaking merry (6.1)

Here's a variation on my system for random map creation. This time I need it to work for collapses, avalanches and the like, whenever characters could be trapped in new structures.

It's simple, but does build on the previous post so you'll need to read that to follow.

1. The initial choice of polygon should have a number of points (corners, perhaps also centre) at least equal to the number of characters if you don't know who'll be affected, or the number affected if you do. Mark each character as being at a single point, arranged as they are at the moment the landscape changes.
   
   
2. For who's affected, choose a die with a number of faces equal to or above the number of points. For a fair mass I'd suggest rolling it once per character and more dice for a greater mass or spread. The results indicate the points covered; results without points could be overspill. Repeat results could mean multiples of material finishing up in a location, for the purposes of injury and digging out.
   
   
3. For the connections the degree of complexity ought to be low, perhaps half or less of the usual die, and a modifier of -1 should be applied. This means there could be no connections at all, with every character potentially isolated.

Buried characters could be allowed to create new passages, deeper in or outwards, and for this and the rescuers you'll need an approach suitable for the game system. It could be a roll per turn, or a random number of turns per connection. Direction could also be random to represent disorientation, with modifiers or a reroll for voices or other guidance.

Hiding the map from rescuers means they'll have to guess where to begin digging, but a roll could also be made. You might even want to have them test when moving over the material, to see if they trigger internal collapse and injury, or fall in themselves.

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What's weird?

Beedo at Dreams in the Lich House asked what weird is, and I've read some of the insightful responses, including the usual good thought from Von, here, at the new GAME OVER.

My own interest is less in weird as a genre than the idea of weirdness itself. For me it's not so much combining elements - which is common, and even simple in the struggle to make fresh things - but more a suggestion of hidden depths and reframings.

Weirdness in this understanding becomes the creation of a new space in which existing knowledge is reduced in value or needs to be synthesised anew - and still comes up short - where presumed fundamentals are undermined or replaced and where the observer is challenged to engage to a high degree, quite possibly at a more intuitive level, at least initially. It's clear this is relative and depends very much on the observer.

It's also a greater task for the creator too, but potentially very valuable. It's rather like the change we make in our world when learning a new language, in that a language is less a naming system than an alternative set of interpretative tools which can show spaces we hadn't imagined exist; the whole a process in which we find more than we might expect.

The value is in intimations of something as yet unknown waiting, an encouragement to explore. Weird takes those intimations and runs with them, and the further, the better.
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Locks in space?

A question it seems a good time to ask: what's the space travel equivalent of the waterway lock?

It would be more than a simple drive of course, or a faster-than-light portal say, in that it's not about speed, though it might be linked with warping space. It seems more than maneouvring thrusters given we're looking at movement onto another level rather than laterally. It doesn't look related to escape velocity either - that would be pushing off into the stream.

Maybe we just don't have it yet?

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Interactive express elevator

Payákár is on the away team, and on board the shuttle for the wild ride down to the surface of Ice Planet Nine...

Which means the real action is starting at Spaceswords & Glory, the blog hosting one of the two Humanspace Empires games being run online. If you haven't heard yet, HE is a pulp science fantasy roleplayer by The Drune at ix, reviewed here.

You can read up on everything that's happened so far and follow all the action through the posts and comments.

There's some more general info here, with a brief summary of the second of the two games, Ancient Astronauts.

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40K OSR? (6)

The latest update on the possible 40K OSR. What's that? Some potential definitions here.

Feel free to use Colonel Kane's 40K OSR logo - eyes right - if you identify with the concept, especially if you're putting out new ideas.

If you do, please credit Kane and think about adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll, for reasons that will be clear; there's an excellent rogue trader bridge crew up at the moment.

It's a varied week, with a good mix of rules, fiction, modelling and suggestions.

• Master Bryss at Rules Manufactorum has encouragement and a full example - disciples - for creating new troop types.

• Ricalope has his Quadruped at Ricalopia, a fast armour-hunter with rules.

• Lantz announces the four-strong writing team for the AdMech FanDex.

• One of the team, Commissar Carrie at Inquisitork has been productive, putting out two new instalments for Radical - Rain and Resurrection - this week, with a new menace, well-adapted combat and some strong language.

• At Warp Signal James S also wrote some background for key characters, heroes of Iybraesil, inspiration for some painting.

• Back to the adeptus mechanicus with Mordian 7th Regiment's battle report over gorgeous terrain; the set-up and advice on the same was here.

• There's more great terrain in the first part of a battle report with an alternative approach to deployment from Brian at A Gentleman's Ones.

• Staying with battle reports, Warpaintguy played his first games with Orks, using Killzone no less, three battles altogether.

• Over at Warpstone Flux jabberjabber has the last of the five horsemen of Chaos, with Slaanesh, Tzeentch and the icon bearer now complete.

• Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze has a converted Trojan recovery vehicle.

• Apocalypse 40K shows a conversion of a current rhino to the original pattern, a potential kit, and plans for an Epic space marine lander in 40K.

• CounterFett at All Things Fett has a suggestion for an alternative to the standard terminator design, borrowed from Dust Tactics.

It's worth mentioning too that Von has moved GAME OVER to Wordpress, and the new address is http://kaptainvon.wordpress.com/. His week takes in the key events, first the Blogger outage and then the Games Workshop news - his discussion of new army choice gave way to a decision to limit GW gaming to the Specialist Games.

At Galaxy in Flames too Big Jim too tells us he'll be playing some Battlefleet Gothic.

You might also like to know that Miniature Wargame Conversions has compiled a list with links to online activity inspired by the dissatisfaction with GW's behaviour.

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Flash Fearsdelayed

Here's this week's Flash Fearsday. I'm late. It's a writing challenge hosted at Lunching on Lamias, an attempt at horror in 140 characters exactly, line breaks counting one.

Last week I tried my hand at gamer horror, and this is perhaps a little more.

They don't make me do things, but they make me want to.

They encourage me.

Oh, those logos...

My mind - it's branded!

Like a head of cattle.

Yikes. Would any of us let that happen? Thought not.

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Light in the dark

Another video, with a connection of sorts to the last. This time the Star Wars prequels, which I also have little to say about in general. Another of those complex subjects.

Recently though I had a chance to watch certain scenes again, and rediscovered an effective sequence, part of the 'duel' between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul.

It starts at 1:48 and runs through to 4:08. In my view what goes on in that 140 seconds falls down only for the not-quite-perfect acting - luckily just one word is used - as well as a lack of identification with the characters, and maybe one or two odd movements.

On the upside, we get some good characterisation, well chosen shots, spaces that play a role, and references to the wider narrative I'm willing to believe were thought through.

At any rate, however well or badly the individual elements work in the context of the film, prequel trilogy and entire series, I do think the sequence as a whole deserves praise. To my mind too its overall minimalism is a good route in to a critique of the larger project.

It's 12 years today. It was a moment in many of our lives. What do you think?

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Most reasonable and wide-ranging response

Yep, the most reasonable and wide-ranging response I've seen. I don't agree with it all, the comments on player base say, and optimum length of business activity, but I have a much greater trust for this kind of holistic approach, a studying of the wider picture.

I recommend watching as much as you can; jump in anywhere - it's all high quality.

I've said elsewhere we each make our own decision on when things have gone too far, affordable or not. The last few months have persuaded me the gaming models of GW's two big systems no longer match my interests. There are plenty of alternatives.

As Shawn says: "it starts with us, and not with animosity".

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Rising with the tides

Yesterday's post on Hogintu, themed around 18.

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The age of maturity among the troobloo is 18, for life is hard and short in the cobalt desert in pursuit of the Blootrio. Eighteen months means the first steps will have been taken, and when a speckle - as the extreme youth of the troobloo are known - is able to walk, he or she can learn the dangers and destinations first-hand; learn how to draw skrabs, circle haaks and bow to delves, how to flay stasis tech from the fallen space elevators and see the sacred gyres where a troobloo may live for-never in untime.

Rule: Troobloo are eerily calm, highly focused and excellent learners, as they must be. When the result of a roll made for a troobloo is just one point from success, make a note. When this next occurs, there is a 50% chance the troobloo is in fact successful. If this second instance also results in a failure, the third will be an automatic success.

 - - - - - -

If you've just come into this, I'm using the month to fill out a setting I've been building up the past few weeks. The best starting points are probably the Hogintu location index and the recent conspiracy tables, which link plenty and give a sense of current complexity.

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Hello, little beastie... - Living table (1) - Entries 74-80

If you read my recent post on spectral creatures, you might have thought of something I didn't, that the ideas would make good entries for the table of small creature concepts.

You can find the full table here at DM Muse, ready for rolling. It's a living table, meaning anyone can add entries. There are 11 living tables so far, and new can easily be started.

Here are the latest seven then, making 80 in total.

1. This creature exists in this particular stream of light and will defend itself by striking at the visual organs of any individual observing it.
2. This creature inhabits the current light conditions at this specific location, and as the conditions change, it will follow, vanishing if they cease to exist; if an observer can manoeuvre closer, roll again on this table, treating the same result as the creature transferring to another set of these conditions elsewhere.
3. This creature exists only at the edge of sight, and maintaining it in the peripheral vision requires concentration; any individual approaching will seem to move to the edge of sight too, and if such an approach is made, roll again on this table.
4. This creature appears to exist within a reflective surface, such as a mirror, window or puddle, which is in fact a portal of some kind; if physical contact is attempted, roll again on this table, with the same result indicating the individual attempting physical contact is drawn through the portal.
5. This creature ordinarily inhabits the shadow of the individual discovering it, but has become briefly disoriented; it will attempt immediately to reenter the shadow; if prevented, the individual will undergo minor personality changes.
6. This docile creature navigates darkness by emitting light from an unusual organ.
7. This creature is in fact a colony of sparks of light inhabiting a precious stone.

I've added them to DM Muse, so they'll be visible a little later. Go ahead and add more.

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Keep plugging or pull the plug?

The Stylish Blogger nominations have died down now I notice. But how? Surely they multiply until the internet collapses? Have they left our part of the blogosphere? Did they get deleted by Blogger last week?

Wherever, after the dust has settled I have five more to turn the mind to. I'm very grateful to John Lambshead, jabberjabber, Ricalope, James S and Brian for thinking the Expanse is worthy of them, and especially for the generous words that were written.

But what to do now? After the first from The Angry Lurker I passed the award on to 15 blogs, and very gladly, but if I do that five more times, that's 75 more blogs nominated.

Can Blogger hold up? Can we?

I do want to nominate more, and would willingly nominate even more than I can. It's fair more of the great blogs out there get the attention they deserve. That said, I realise patience, time and probably also value have been stretched. Should a break of some kind be made? Maybe there's a more intelligent approach I just can't see?

I've been looking, but no revelations. Any thoughts?
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Writers and the world

Thanks to Bibliophile Stalker I found a set of interview excerpts running from 1987 to 2001, with Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, J. G. Ballard and Kurt Vonnegut. I recommend them to anyone wanting a look into their worlds and ours.

If that interests you, and Ballard's thinking in particular, or simply life, I'd also point you to this post at Science Not Fiction on a possible hidden meaning in Pixar's films.

On the subject, mainly for 40K fans, is Auberon's interview with Dan Abnett at Digital Waaagh!, which focuses on Abnett's contribution to the shared universe.

And following up all of that, you might well like this, a stimulating post and discussion at Astrogator's Logs, on the nature of fantasy, coincidentally quoting Douglas Adams.

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Spectral entities: sun dogs; lens flayers; bokeh-men

This is inspired by the spaceport people table at Lunching at Lamias, a good source of ideas.

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Sun dogs flash from their kennels beyond ken and into existence wherever light shines and is refracted through ice crystals. Their bark is worse than their bite if the attention ought to be elsewhere, but they may well do direct harm to the incautious if incited through staring.

Lens flayers burst into reality on streams of photons running between light source and observer, and hang in the air, perhaps in numbers, latching onto a lens and bleeding contrast. They are believed to be vassals only, used to add a sense of truth to creation, and are captured by arcane means by certain artists for the same, perhaps as devotion.

Bokeh-men wait in the background of the observed world and emerge the moment focus is lost, growing to fill space even as they become more diffuse, surrendering their energies to feed a dominant central figure. Like the lens flayers they are easily made cliche, but it is conceivable they submit to this so as to lull the observer into a sopor.

- - - - - -

I don't have game stats, but if they jump you, a good defence may be closing the eyes.
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40K OSR? (5)

Warhammer 40,000 we know, but an OSR?

It can be an Old School Renaissance, an Other School Renaissance, even an Optional School Renaissance, or something else entirely. How about a Review, a Revolution, or another 'R'?

There's this 40K OSR logo now too thanks to Colonel Kane at Tales from the Maelstrom. Feel free to use it if you identify with the concept, especially if you're putting out new ideas.

If you do use it, I'd ask only you credit Colonel Kane and give some thought to adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll, for reasons that will be clear if you visit. Check out the rogue trader conversion up now.

This week we're a day late of course, but all good things...

• Almost no new mechanics this week, with just Big Jim at Galaxy in Flames and his house rules for large games...

• ... and arguably Mik at Mik's Minis with rules for the Sons of Minos for Deathwatch. Have a look at the converted team, with an early techmarine.

• Lantz has been as busy as usual, showing us at The Magnet Pro a titan tech priest conversion and a batch of ad mech miniatures painted by Mr. Lemon, including two gants, a unit of praetorians and some characters. Re the comments to the first, C'nor is on the case with the non-Chaos daemons.

• Commissar Carrie will be providing material for Lantz's AdMech FanDex, which is good news, as the latest instalment of Radical shows.

• At Craftworld Iybraesil HurricaneGirl has a story of her own, one featuring a radical tactic and illustrated with a pic of the original land speeder.

• On old pics, Unite All Action looks at the origins of Ghazghkull in White Dwarf 134 and wonders what can be learnt from older armies. I get a buzz out of that final photo I just don't get today; I think it's numbers and space. There's also a painboy using more original battlewagon kit parts.

• Re the past, Hungry Ghosts at his Chaos Squat blog has a look at a pre-Rogue Trader sci-fi ruleset from GW, Spacefarers.

• Back to writing briefly, Auberon at Digital Waaagh! yesterday published an interview with Dan Abnett, one of several big names in the series so far.

• And modelling again, to Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze, who's now working through a massive Orkified stormhammer, maybe my favourite old Epic superheavy, and some renegade rough riders on steeds of Slaanesh.

• On the subject of big Ork vehicles, John Lambshead at John's Toy Soldiers has scratchbuilt chinork transport, otherwise available from Forge World.

• For a big vehicle full stop, take a look at Gotthammer's stunning phantom titan at Collegia Titanica, inspired by Tron. He's also just posted two names using Tolkien's Quenya, as well as some 40K haikus.

• Back to Chaos, at Warpstone Flux jabberjabber is putting together a lord on horseback for each of the four powers - Khorne and Nurgle so far.

Linked with this is a wild card for this week, the Miracle Workers rules for Mordheim at Liber Malefic. Possible inspiration given the links between game worlds and systems. Also a wild card is CounterFett's suggestion at All Things Fett for alternative marines.

So what have I missed?

Maybe you've seen more new rules out there, or another variation of some kind? Maybe you posted something? If you have OSRy material to share, don't be shy - just leave a link. Put the logo up too if you want to, or just do things your way.

Update: Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze has now put up the first on a converted Trojan.

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Mapmaking merry (6)

Here's an idea for drawing a quick random map, for entering undesigned settlements or complexes spontaneously during a wargame or roleplaying session. Choose your die.

1. Lightly sketch a quick polygon with a number of points or sides equal to the number of faces on the die, i.e. a standard six-sided die needs a hexagon.
   
   
2. Roll that die once per degree of complexity wanted, i.e. for a simple map once.
   
   
3. Roll again a number of times equal to that result, i.e. if a D6 is rolled and the result is a 4, roll again 4 times. Each result from this set of rolls corresponds to a point on the perimeter, e.g. with a D6, 1 is 2 o'clock, 2 is 4 o'clock etc. Mark them. Re-roll or ignore duplicates, as preferred for speed and complexity.
   
   
4. For each point marked roll once more. This is the number of lines branching from the point, either to other points on the perimeter, into or across the centre, or outwards. If you wish, you can roll for direction, as if determining points again.

Any non-connections can be assumed to mean connections by other means, maybe through buildings if a streetmap, over the surface or through rooms if a tunnel complex, or by secret entrances, potential breakthroughs or only teleportation of some kind.

For entrances to buildings and rooms, you'll need more time, but could roll the die for each line, once for one side, once for the other. The number on the die could be the number of entrances, or you could divide, or there could be a 50% chance, as preferred.

A D4 will produce a map to a square grid of course, while higher numbers will increase the range of possible axes and give something more organic. Use multiple tessellating polygons for larger maps. The D6 is the largest die for regular tessellation.

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Flash Fearsdelayed & taken over - Higher random

It's Friday the thirteenth, and Blogger's been down, not to mention all the usual horror. But yesterday was Thursday and that means Flash Fearsday at Lunching on Lamias.

Join in; write a terrifying tale in 140 characters. A new genre this week, gamer horror...

He rolled the die, very well. It skipped, danced. Six. 

"Four," I said. "Two," came the reply. 

We settled on one.

And thus it became serious.

How about a bit of propluristemic content to go with it? Propluristemic content is a rule for adaptation to various systems and settings, for this context any dice-using system.

Higher random

It's very simple: roll the die; decide you like another result more.
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We're back, almost

Things are up and running again, superficially at least, but there's posted material still missing. I'm assuming Blogger has this somewhere and will be restoring it soon.

If you're not sure what's going on, neither are most of us; Blogger has been read-only for the best part of the last day, with surprisingly little information forthcoming.

An argument for looking into Wordpress, or even a personal domain and hosting? Free service or not, there are options, and the paid options needn't be expensive.

In the meantime, the posting schedule here is out. If this has published and all looks stable, I'll start catching up.

Update: I have my missing posts back. There was one problem I could see, the addition of some odd characters to the labels. I deleted these, but when I published the changes the posts became the latest, as if published for the first time, and comments were lost.

Update: I've just found another post lurking unpublished in the editor which I'm fairly confident I had actually published; now it's up for sure. Worth having a rummage.

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24-hour spaceport people

The spaceport's up to 192. Come on in - the air's breathable, gaseous anomalies aside.
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Growing a tabletop (2)

I've given a bit more thought to the living terrain game, the playful, vengeful timeless spirit idea.

Current basic, model-free thinking on gameplay is a series of dice, each representing an aspect of the local landscape, say initially soil, plants and animals. These would sit together keeping score.

The two mid-range numbers, i.e. 6 and 7 on a D12, would represent an equilibrium, and be the scores face up at the beginning, while the higher numbers would represent higher activity, the lower numbers lower. Each player would have the ability to modify a die by a given amount each turn, according to kind of power wielded, as the spirit bends the realm to its will. A change on one die would cause a change in others, so an increase in plant activity would see an increase or decrease in animal activity.

If a die reached the maximum a whole new die would be added representing radical branching, for plants maybe carnivores, giant trees or flying pods. The creating player would decide the links between dice by placement, so flying pods would be set beside plants and animals, but not soil. If a die reached the minimum, it would be removed.

Goals could depend on the nature of a spirit - to bring all dice to equilibrium, eliminate another player's realm, create a new and so on. Modelled terrain could be used, with that still to think about, most obviously by having the dice correspond to the terrain during a wargame or roleplaying session for those polycosmic ripples I mentioned last time, with activity translating into changing difficulty or danger for troops or characters.

There's lots of tending to do yet, maybe some weeding or pruning, or even replanting.

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Wherever next?

If you're enjoying the growing cross-blog adventure project, have a look at jabberjabber's very own one-blogger take at Astulae. It's a teleportation experiment gone wrong...

If you want to try your hand in the cross-blog, jump in anywhere. First scene's here.

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Necrons: living plastic?

So the Necrons are coming. Rumours are everywhere. Good news? Well, Necron players can buy new models, and be feared opponents, albeit in a community given to complaints about the power of new releases.

My question: how much will they still be Necrons?

There is a certain plasticity about army updates. Want a flying marine transport? Fine, have a stormraven. Land raider too slow? Why not deep strike it? Want Space Wolves like nob bikers? Thunderwolves. Want new units in general - no problem, although some may be the same kit.

Are things becoming samey? Look at the huge new Warhammer models. For Skaven? The hellpit abomination. Orcs and goblins? The araknarok spider. For Tomb Kings not in space? The warsphinx and, in the same kit, the necrosphinx. Aren't they all just essentially the same thing? A big monster because it's possible and we'll want it? Rather looks like it.

But do we really want it? When every army is more or less the same, what makes each unique, shapes a specific challenge for players? I like the fact that the Ork codex makes it so hard for Orks to damage heavy vehicles. Do away with that, as little as it is, and what are we left with? Should Orks be so rationalised, or aliens share universal rules, the FOC?

Every new army book or codex has new things, new options. Putting aside creeping changes in power, it needs them, or why would we agree to pay for it, suffer that possible internal conflict? But how many new things can the designers think up, or the game support? If you believe the rumours, the Necrons will have a new version of an old rule, almost but not quite the same as a current universal rule. I can believe that. Rules Manufactorum has just posted on more or less this subject.

Tied to this in my view - and I realise I'm in a minority here too - is the current approach to miniatures and design, which for me can also look rather anodyne. I look at Dark Eldar leather and spikiness and mentally yawn. I look at the Grey Knights and ponder how it can be that despite all the work that's gone in, they're just a space marine's space marine.

My first feeling is this has something to do with plastic as a material, in that the armies nowadays are generally built around plastic kits. There are thoughts on that here. Interestingly, plastic casting can impose a limit on certain kinds of detail, and it may be the extreme poseability of the modern kits is less intention than by-product. More on that here.

Although I love the options in the kits, I realise now we have to take a burden upon ourselves in exchange for that luxury. The burden of thinking like a sculptor, doing part of their old job instead of them. I'm willing to take that burden, and take it happily, and try to learn the sculpting skill, guiding that overpowering potential back down into a concrete form.

But if that's the way things work with miniatures, why not with armies? Do we need to grow there too, take on the rewarding burden of limiting the endless options, which the designers may not want to do, or which the model of a multi-million pound company doesn't necessarily allow? 

Whatever it is going on in this case, I do often feel that for a thing to be desirable - and a hobby surely ought to be - it must have limits imposed.
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The utility fog of war

I've brought up the subject of utility fog before, here, but not in the context of use in games.

A while back I was lucky enough to see some possible stats for an old school roleplaying game. But why is it not more widely used?

Have a read up on the potential - look at what it could do. Surely it would be come the default form of conflict and exploration? And general utility of course. Even in fantasy or a low-tech future, it could pop up as the tool of a higher power. Maybe it's what makes fantasy possible?

Players of Warhammer 40,000 might think immediately of chameleoline, a material allowing an assassin some degree of shapeshifting ability. There's a starting point. But AI would need to be high. And how would the material respond to weaponry? Could it defend itself in melee? The T1000 from Terminator 2 is another source of thinking. 

Would it even need to do a thing as primitive as fight?

What set me off was the idea of a nano-cloud disguised as a bucket seat, just one of the weird flashes of inspiration the four of us have had working on C'nor's spaceport table. Utility fog could really go to ground, and could even be the entire landscape.

Conflict as we know it could vanish; maybe it already has?

How would you represent it? Deeper: how would it represent you?
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Bank - smoke

As you turn to follow the watercourse, the movement of one of the creatures draws your eye to the opposite bank. The far side of the clearing is also scattered with flowers, right up to the treeline. What you see then stops you. There, above the canopy, smoke drifts.

Continue along the stream   Blog One   Blog Two
Turn back to the bridge   Blog One   Blog Two   Blog Three 
Return to the oak   Blog One   Blog Two

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Rabbit - shock

At the instant you wonder how you might trap one, another of the rabbits bounds into view, immediately in front of you and no more than a stride away. What luck!

It pauses, as if surprised too, then leaps again... and freezes - in mid-air!

Stunned, you blink. The rabbit remains suspended, trapped in the moment of flight, high above the grass and with nothing at all visibly supporting it.

Approach and examine the scene.   Blog One

Move away from the creature.   Blog One   Blog Two
Look for alternative rabbits.   Blog One

Investigate the odd stump.   Blog One

Return to the streambed.   Blog One   Blog Two

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40K OSR? (4)

Warhammer 40,000, yes, but what's an OSR?

Could be an Old School Renaissance, or Other School Renaissance, even an Optional School Renaissance, maybe something else again. Could even be a Revolution, or another 'R'.

Don't forget there's a 40K OSR logo now too, here to the right, thanks to Colonel Kane over at Tales from the Maelstrom. If you identify with the concept, and especially if you're putting out alternative content or ideas, feel free to use it.

If you do use it, I'd ask only you credit Colonel Kane and think about adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll. Why? Take a look at the APC up now, have a browse.

This week's update then, and a good mix it is.

• Miniature Wargame Conversions has an interview with Big Jim covering the past and future development of the Killzone ruleset.

• Port Maw has a battle report using the Book of the Arbitrator ruleset, and also gives us an expansion of those rules, for campaigns. Can you help?

• More great terrain at Mordian 7th Regiment, in the set-up for a battle report featuring the adeptus mechanicus, with advice on the setting-up process.

• Mordian7th also posted his robot maniple complete, with one each of the classic minis. If you want to convert some up yourself, try Lantz's latest tutorial. As complex as the old rules were, pure robot on robot skirmish games using an updated version of the program rules could be cool.

• Staying with modelling, Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze has made some resin Ork glyphs, while Unite All Action has an Ork warboss using some of the glyphs from the original battlewagon.

• Especially inspirational modelling for me was this plastic Snikrot converted up at The WarBlog, an approach that may be more necessary over time.

• Some inspirational modelling now on the horizon is CounterFett's plan to build Forgeworld's Vraks Heretics from Skaven.

• A surprise entry this week could be Stelek's suggestions for new vehicle rules. It's similar to the way Lantz does things in his AdMech FanDex.

• Mik at Mik's Minis gives us an overview of his Sons of Minos space marine chapter following the Deathwatch RPG structure.

• This week I posted a new approach to 40K, designed to simulate hives and closed spaces. It looks complex because I try to cover as much of the translation as possible, but the core mechanism is simple.

• I've also been posting very short fiction for Heroes of Armageddon, five entries so far, which could be set in the 40K universe.

• Finally, for a bit of reminiscing, try Dylan Gould's primed marines, which I can almost smell, and look more tempting than if they were painted by the greatest. Check out the whole blog in fact if you love the early days.

And that wraps up my list. If you've seen any other great posts, more alternative ways of looking at 40K, feel free to leave the links. The project's all about openness, variety and breadth. Carry it on at your own blog, do things your way, put cool new stuff out.

Remember the logo's available too if you want to promote the concept.

Update: This post at Blue Table Painting seems to fit, on a hypothetical minis game.
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