A Role Playing Games Blog
Non-RPG
Plastic Crack is Wack!
1May 26, 2011
As I’ve said before, miniatures in my games a relatively new addition, only since 2001 when we started playing Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition. I was not weaned into gaming through minis; I did not migrate from wargames to RPGs, instead I jumped right into gaming and was pretty much self-taught, so I never used miniatures. In fact I resisted! When D&D 3rd edition came out I realized the game required some sort of miniatures or counters (the arguments can be made that it CAN be played without them but indulge me for a minute) so I reluctantly dug out my old HeroQuest and Battle Masters miniatures and got to playing.
I figured I had a pretty diverse set of miniatures from these two games. True the Battle Masters minis had unit bases with various miniatures grouped together, but I solved this by getting some foam board, cutting out bases and inserting the miniature on the base. I packed them on some craft supplies boxes and I was set. I told myself I needed no more minis.
See, I had friends who owned a LOT of minis. I had played some Battletech and Epic but always with their miniatures, and I had seen the obsession with these little then lead, and later pewter, figurines. I had flirted with the idea of painting them, actually ordering a set of dwarves and skavens and trying my hand at painting them… Let’s just say the results were less than flattering. Unpainted miniatures looked so, unattractive that I was uninterested in them, so I figured that with no natural talent I was immune to the lure of miniatures.
How we buy games… A retrospective!
5May 23, 2011
This week I purchased some digital RPG supplements in PDF, pre-ordered a book, and I got home today (Saturday) from the Puerto Rico Comic Con (shameless plug) to find a box from Amazon with the copy of Traveller by Mongoose Publishing. As I sat down with the book to reminisce about that system in particular (and that’s a whole other post, and hopefully the last parenthetical interruption) I found myself travelling down memory lane to how we buy our gaming books and how times have changed.
When I first got into gaming the first place I remember seeing RPG related books and boxed sets was a small quirky book store in Old San Juan, The Book Store. The owner sat behind the cashier and knew almost all his clients, they had a small sci-fi section in the back and under the shelves holding these books were some baskets holding the aforementioned books and boxed sets along with several assorted war games.
When my mom brought me the red box Basic Set I got it at this place. I remember it being dimly lit and musty smelling, which added to the mystique of getting the game. Later I learned that a local hobby shop which mostly carried models had a shelf with RPG modules and books piles together haphazardly in the back. Likewise the local K-Bee Toy Store had a bunch of books there hidden among the board games. I was soon rifling through these stacks to get my grubby little hands on them. And then I discovered the gaming sections in B. Dalton Booksellers and Bell, Book and Candle (a local book store) with their organized well stocked gaming sections. I was in nerdvana!
The pros of Cons!
0May 12, 2011
Last weekend I attended a convention. This was not a gaming convention per se; we haven’t had that down in Puerto Rico to the best of my knowledge. I remember hearing about a gaming convention being held at the Universidad de Puerto Rico around 1990 or 1991. Back then I had just started going out with my first girlfriend and let’s be realistic, hormones trumps gaming. If anybody from Puerto Rico can confirm if that convention happened I would really appreciate it. But I digress…
We have cons, but they are a different affair. For the longest time they would be dealers of collectibles gathered in one location, it would be purely commercial. Then they became affairs where they would bring some famous (or semi famous guests) to draw people in and there would be a dealer room. Things have evolved and currently we have at last three established cons, two are really centered round cosplay, anime and manga. Including dance routines, skits and competitions, with various other hobbies represented in the mix, from CCGs, to model builders, Star Wars and historical re-enactors, and now role-playing enthusiasts. There is another convention more centered on comics and media (movies and TV) but I have never participated as a presenter.
This past weekend the latest Kaisen convention, Kaisen: Infinity, was held, the eighth the organizers have put together. I have gone to five of those, and on the last two the Puerto Rico Role Players Facebook group has participated. I have written about the group before, and specifically about one of the games we played this week. One of the things we do is spread the word about just what RPGs are and encourage people to game. This weekend was no exception, we ran two demos games, Sailor Moon (yes we did, I guess it was the right venue for it) and a Weird West game. I had also planned a Resolute, Adventurer & Genius game I did not get to run due to time constrains.
Exciting Alternity news!
7April 1, 2011
We’ve been sitting on this for a couple of weeks, dying to share it with our readers, but we couldn’t until all the details were worked out. Now that all that is taken care off we can share some exciting news… Here is the press release going out to gaming magazines (the two left) and gaming blogs later today.
PRESS RELEASE
Wolf-Micheri Ltd. Publishing
Löhnberg, Germany
San Juan, Puerto Rico
editorinchief@wmltdpub.com
April 1st, 2011
The much beloved sci-fi game Alternity is back with a vengeance! The RPG originally published by Wizards of the Coast in the late 90s continues to have a huge fan base online, long after the line was discontinued by its publisher. The fans have clamored for a new edition and we listened. The newly formed Wolf-Micheri Ltd. Publishing has acquired the rights to publish Alternity materials.
The publishers have confirmed they are working on a second edition of the game integrating years of fan developments. They also intend to integrate the best innovations in game design theory that has developed since the line’s cancellation.
The stated purpose is for all past Alternity products to be partially compatible with the new edition with minor conversions. The new books, to be published in electronic form first and via major POD services in the coming months, will continue to be developed around the core two books; one aimed at players, the other at game masters.
The development team is composed of the best and brightest game developers in the blogosphere and Mr. Micheri has confirmed the new edition of Alternity will integrate elements modern gamers have come to expect: tactical combat rules, rules for the use of miniatures in the games, an upcoming miniature line, random collectable cards for skills, psionics, bionics and special equipment. The publisher went on to say, “Just because we criticize others for doing, doesn’t mean we won’t milk this baby for all its worth!”
Stay tuned to the blog for the launch of the official website coming soon.
Be ready for a new, exciting Alternity RPG. Not your father’s sci-fi game!
Have a great first day of April…
Japan Disaster Relief at DriveThruRPG
1March 21, 2011
I am pretty sure most of you are aware what has happened in Japan recently. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the ocean near the eastern coast of Japan on March 11 and caused massive damage. The tsunami caused by the earthquake caused even more damage in Japan and other countries all around the Pacific ocean. Currently over 8,000 people lost their lives and over 12,000 are still missing.
DriveThruRPG is currently raising funds to help those affected by this terrible disaster. You can help either by directly donating $5 here, or by buying one of the special Japan Disaster Relief products listed on this site.
By the way, one of our team members here at Stargazer’s World is currently living in Tokyo. Gregory Schuster aka Shinobicow and his family were alive and well the last time we talked over Skype but he reported about gas shortages, blackouts and the aftershocks.
Our best wishes go out to all people living in Japan. Hopefully our small donation can help to bring some relief.
Lazy Friday Video Post: “She don’t like Firefly!”
8March 18, 2011
It has been quite some time since the last “Lazy Friday Video Post”, but I thought I should resurrect this tradition. This week’s video is not really RPG-related but I know that a lot of gamers also like Firefly, so it’s not totally off-topic.
By the way, this song is definitely fun to listen to, but I doubt it’s based on a real story. Would you leave your girlfriend because she doesn’t like your favorite TV show? Discuss!
Bachelor Party RPG!
2March 14, 2011
“Rick Gassko is settling down… But before he walks down the aisle with Debbie he’s having on last fling. Accompanied by his friends, some dice, the Necronomicon and his favorite game designer and wild party animal Ed “The Beard” Greenwood, Rick will have an adventure he will never forget. Literally… Bachelor Party RPG!”
No, I’m sorry to disappoint, this post is NOT about a role playing game based on the “classic” Tom Hanks movie Bachelor Party. This post is about something much more personal. On a recent post where I reminisced about Alternity, talked about gaming and how what we play becomes intertwined with what we are doing in real life and, at least for me, are part of the memories.’
When I got married I decided I wanted to do something special for my gaming group. After a botched “traditional” bachelor’s party, the day before the wedding I gathered up all of my friends and we drove out to the small local hotel up in the mountains where the wedding would be held. While family and friends got busy prepping for the next day’s celebration we took out our gaming books and die and sat around a table to role-play.
(Hey don’t look at me like that, it was my wedding… I was entitled to relax, have fun, and not work before the wedding!)
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