tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post4160615975822208795..comments2024-03-29T07:15:31.520+00:00Comments on Warhammer For Adults: Warhammer for ChildrenWeazil the Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00151330356478295441noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-55475716752666253132012-02-16T21:47:27.991+00:002012-02-16T21:47:27.991+00:00I remember a house in redhill a borrowed 3rd ed bo...I remember a house in redhill a borrowed 3rd ed book and photostatted templates from a rule book :) however once more compus mentus I shall pass a sensible.commentary on why I moved away from fantasy to 40k post 5th edition.teh_n1gzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10898397986823215558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-17121476197119124122012-01-27T17:59:26.561+00:002012-01-27T17:59:26.561+00:00@knobgobbler - Wow - this is a really insightful c...@knobgobbler - Wow - this is a really insightful comment, and a very clear and succinct way its written too! I absolutely agree with you. It's so well written, I don't really think I can add anything - <br /><br />'...Creating an audience more concerned with playing the game 'right' than doing what's fun...'<br /><br />just +1, really. Thanks for this contribution!Weazil the Wisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00151330356478295441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-44585936920850706822012-01-26T22:07:37.353+00:002012-01-26T22:07:37.353+00:00'Tournaments' seem to stomp all over the f...'Tournaments' seem to stomp all over the friendly DIY aspects of the hobby... and I'm very much a fan of the DIY ... coming up with new unit types and making land speeders out of deodorant bottles.<br />Besides GW's own obvious attempts to discourage a DIY approach to their games I'm wondering if it's also a matter of the artwork/graphics looking... too professional.<br />I was looking at the 2nd edition of WFB this morning and thought about how 'basic' most of the design/layout/illustration was... most of it is at or below the level I could produce at home. This kind of puts me in mind that I'm on an even level with the game itself... if I want to tinker with it, change things here and there... well, that's OK... I'm not messing with a masterpiece. <br />Looking at the newer versions, I get the impression of something handed down from the mountaintop... something so refined that I am barely even worthy to view it... let alone handle it. Don't even think of messing with any of it's solemn truths. <br />All that graphic pizzazz seems to convince people that 'official' equals 'sacred'. Encouraging the sorts who won't consider going off the rails and making the game their own. <br />Of course, I think the same goes for a lot of newer games that toss big bucks into the marketing... Privateer and WOTC and so on. Creating an audience more concerned with playing the game 'right' than doing what's fun.Timmy Crabcakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14737954661234574830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-70530958641186510412012-01-25T17:19:08.006+00:002012-01-25T17:19:08.006+00:00@Coopdevil - actually - you've hit the nail on...@Coopdevil - actually - you've hit the nail on the head - the books are just a big toolbox of ideas - not limitations, but ideas. Very well said, sir, those are the simple words I was scrabbling around for yesterday when I wrote the post :)<br /><br />I agree with you about Realms of Chaos - hailed as masterpieces and much in demand, one has to admit it can't be for the rules. They really are purely for inspiration and a loose link between the madness proposed within and the common warhammer rule set. That is even evidenced now, in that one could probably use almost all of the 'rules' without any change in Warhammer 8. I also get the impression that the authors just wanted to see how many different types of dice they could get someone to use in the random generation of ...well, anything, really. <br /><br />Also, a good shout about the Black Powder. I've been keeping a keen eye on the adventures of young Giglamps over at http://mcmdgames.blogspot.com/, where the proprietor of said blog uses narrative to great effect. The whole thing is set in the Flintloque universe, which really, really appeals to me. Assuming the House of Lords (well, my wife) approves the 2012 wargames budget, I might be looking in that direction very, very shortly...<br /><br />The thing that really stands out about MC Monkeydew's blog is that his storyline is continuous, and the actual rule systems underneath the narrative change depending on what stage the story is in.Weazil the Wisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00151330356478295441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-57968450672892431722012-01-25T17:08:35.407+00:002012-01-25T17:08:35.407+00:00The good Doctor has raised an excellent point. Of ...The good Doctor has raised an excellent point. Of course, there could very likely be times where such a thing as you've described could happen. I suspect, however, that most (non-competitive) players might check their understanding with the other player (even if it would be in a circumspect way in order not to reveal the master plan) before they committed to that course of action. <br /><br />The reason I say this is that in my experience, the reason players DON'T check it out with the opponent is that they are hoping to argue their point successfully when they get there. This sort of behaviour is most typical of players that have constructed a fairly tenuous link between certain rules and magic items or characters and are planning to exploit a 'rules interpretation' rather than a legitimate battle tactic that has genuinely outsmarted the opponent.<br /><br />Also, I've experienced the situation that you've described myself, and I would love to believe that all non-competitive players who are looking to have fun over victory would react the same way I did - laughter - bountiful and light, enough to help your non-competitive opponent to show some good grace as he beats you into the floor now that he knows you had no idea what you were doing...Weazil the Wisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00151330356478295441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-83187729340296914972012-01-24T20:54:34.671+00:002012-01-24T20:54:34.671+00:00Excellent post.
I always felt that WFB3 was more ...Excellent post.<br /><br />I always felt that WFB3 was more about "my Goblins and John's Wood Elves clash but there is a mad Elementalist in the centre who summons loads of Earth Elementals to attack both sides in the defence of his tower - that sounds like it might be an interesting game". This was probably even more true in the WFB2 days where the list of magic items seemed to be aimed not at souping-up armies but as a centre piece to an unusual scenario. A big toolbox of ideas so to speak.<br /><br />And then you'd find out. And maybe next time gang up against the rogue Elementalist. We once did a four player game of Epic (2nd edition I think - the one that came with Marines and Orks in the box with the cardboard buildings with plastic roofs) on a desert table with randomly appearing Sandworms that would swallow the nearest unit because we'd just seen the Lynch version of Dune and though it might make a good game. That was followed by a game that pitted a host of Capitol Imperalis (actually 1:72 Airfix Shermans with the turrets removed) against Imperial Guard in a deliberate attempt to have a game that resembled OGRE. Ah, happy days.<br /><br />As for Realm of Chaos I always read it as almost, but not quite, saying "look, none of this is play-tested but we think it's all cool stuff. Have a play with it and see what you think. Think outside the box". Most of the stuff published in WD was the same.<br /><br />While it covers historic warfare from 1700 to about 1890 and most definately not fantasy, I think you might like Black Powder. It's Rick P and Jervis returning to their roots with a real "make it up as you go along" attitude.Coopdevilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16219253658967958289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034522422050340887.post-15228250666632796402012-01-24T18:23:06.631+00:002012-01-24T18:23:06.631+00:00"... players use narrative in order to compen..."... players use narrative in order to compensate for the rules. Do you play Warhammer 6? You could use narrative to compensate for the rules. Do you play Warhammer 8? You can use narrative."<br /><br />Thumbs Up.<br /><br />But one thing about rules arguments - it isn't always competition that drives the need for such clarification (though it usually is). Consider the situation where one player has planned a carefully laid trap, based on interpretation A (probably of line of sight!). The other has walked right into the trap, unable to even see the trap, as he is interprets the rule as B. The trap springs, except it doesn't. Now this could be settled by a roll-off, but that would be *narratively* unexciting - the game settled by one roll, unconnected with player skill, the characteristics of the armies, or anything else. Of course, I'd be happy to roll off in these situations if I played WFB two or three times a week. But I don't, for shame. If interpretation A or B is agreed before the game, then the game will be far more satisfying. That's not to say that I need Jervis' ruling on something, just that nothing breaks the narrative of the game more than a disagreement about how the basic 'physics' of the game world operate.Andy Bartletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06683770320671028815noreply@blogger.com