What should I work on next?

Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts

06 January 2018

Review of 2017

   Well, it's that time of year again. For those of you still following, if you haven't noticed a distinct downward trend over the past year or two, I'm surprised. Still, while 2017 was not the best year I've ever had in regards to my Victorian Science Fiction gaming, there was a bright spot.

   The biggest thing for me this year was running a convention game. I did this once at Historicon, several years ago, in 15mm using the Battles by GASLIGHT rules. That was an okay experience, but not a rousing success. I do recall that a few of my minis went missing afterwards as well, and several pieces of terrain were damaged in shipping. Both of these incidents soured me somewhat on running a convention game. But, I decided to try once more, this time at a much more local convention, MillenniumCon, back in November. I used the In Her Majesty's Name rules, and cards for the individual model types. It went well, and I got some very useful feedback on the game for possible future conventions. Plus, I finally got the Quadcycle on the table!

   I'm a bit perturbed at what's happening with Dystopian Wars, as well. I played in two games of DW at Historicon back in July, and had a good time. And then the bombshell: Spartan Games went out of business. I know a new company has picked up the IP, but from what I see heading out of their shop... well, I'm not as excited about it as I would like to be. Time will tell. 

   On the painting front, virtually nil in VSF, and little enough in other genres. I can't recall painting a single figure that was specifically for a VSF game. I did manage work on one of the pair of very nice Martian Skiffs I got from Red Vectors. Just needs a bit of finishing work to be done.

   The only terrain pieces I worked on were some nice desert building bits for SAGA that I used for the convention game. They were already colored, all I had to do was assemble and paint the white foam edges. Took a day. The latter third of the year was eaten up by a hurricane, of course (darn you, Harvey!), but still, that level of lack of progress is daunting. Granted, I am working on a few other projects now, most especially some forces for a Bolt Action ruled Very British Civil War.

   So, what about this new year, eh? Well, if we get moved into the new house by end of February, I hope to have my stuff sorted. That would let me work on a few projects that are currently packed away in boxes. I think blog-wise, that I would like to post at least six polls this year, something I haven't done in ages. In fact, I think I will post one today, just to get the ball rolling. So please vote on it.

   Anyway, thanks to any and all who still follow this blog. It's not totally moribund. I just have moved the significant focus of my gaming away from VSF for now. If you want to see a bit more of my wit (the half I have) and wisdom (or lack thereof), I post more frequently on my general gaming blog, The Scattergun Gamer.

Cheers, and happy New Year!

11 September 2017

IHMN at MIllenniumCon XX in Round Rock, TX

   I will be running a game at this year's MillenniumCon XX, held in Round Rock, Texas, the second weekend of November. I'm running a game of In Her Majesty's Name, my current favorite skirmish VSF rules. Here's the basic story:

  After weeks of exploration in the desert, the Tomb of the Lost Pharaoh was found. Unfortunately, the myths about the Regalia of Osiris being hidden there were just that: myths. Even worse, your rivals followed you and one of those fools triggered the Lost Pharaoh's Curse. Now, a storm of flesh-eating scarabs pursues you across the arid wastes. Your only hope is to be the first to reach the safety of the coastal town of Al Maja, where you can board a ship and escape the doom which follows close behind you!

  I plan to have four Adventuring Companies in this game:
  • Lord Curr's Company, 
  • the Society of Thule,
  • the Servants of Ra (naturally), 
  • and either the Sapphire Club or Otto Maton.

   I also have the figures for a werewolf company, or a Scotland Yard company, but they don't seem right for an adventure in the North African desert. My other mad scientist company, belonging to Professor Vardu, isn't ready yet either, and I don't think they'd fit in very well anyway.

   The scenario is pretty simple: 9.1.7: Death at Your Heels, with the following modifications:
  • Table size: 4' x 6', with coastline along the long edge.
  • Two boats, not one, each having a jetty 18" from the table edge
  • Must convince captain to sail*

*Convince the Captain to sail: any figure with a Leadership characteristic can attempt to get the Captain to cast off, but only if there are no enemy figures on the boat. To make an attempt, roll a die in the figure's Movement phase. Add the Leadership characteristic and the total number of figures on the boat. Modify the roll by +1 if the scarabs are past the center of the table; add +2 if they are within 12" of the boat. A total of 8+ indicates the ship leaves, stranding anyone not aboard. The ship will automatically leave when the scarabs would reach it.

   For terrain, I don't have much, all of a sudden. Dammit, Harvey! I have a Cigar Box Battle Mat desert mat, and a few desert palms. That's about it for 28mm compatible desert terrain. I just ordered a number of Plastcraft Colored Desert houses to build a small village along the coast. I think I am going to embellish this with the addition of a few fishing nets hanging to dry, easy enough to make a simple frame and net. I do have some of the sand colored cobblestone roads and some older dirt roads to put out, as well.

   So, any ideas for improvements? Especially terrain. I was hoping to put some sort of ruined wall up on the desert side.

03 January 2016

Is VSF Fading Away?

   I'm curious as to what the rest of you think.

   For the past couple of years, I thought interest was climbing. The In Her Majesty's Name rules surely seemed to have injected some life into the genre. But it seems to me that perhaps we have reached the summit of interest, and other genres of gaming are replacing VSF. Much the same thing happened with pirate and zombie gaming in the past, so the historical precedent is absolutely clear.

   I know that I am spending less time working on VSF projects. Part of that is because I feel very much as if my creative juices have been wrung dry in this genre. Note, if you will, the failure to produce even a single issue of The Aethergraph this year as an example. I have had a few submissions from other writers and artists over the past issues, but the majority of the content has always been my own. Partly this is a result of having a bit more work to do this past year with my new job and then the change in texts and so on, but mainly - I'm just not producing much.

   Maybe it is this failure to produce that has me pessimistic today. Maybe it's just the end of a year and the start of a new that has produced this melancholy.

   I gamed only a bit in VSF this year. Perhaps two or three small Dystopian Wars actions, and a couple of IHMN skirmishes. That's about it. I did paint the Bobbies, and put together (as you most recently saw) one structure. So a bit of project progress, I suppose. A couple of small vehicles half completed (one Martian, one Maton). A couple of large creatures for Doctor Vardu's yet-to-be-seen forces painted. I suppose I could stat them up for IHMN and field a small Varduvian force, just to get them on a table.

15 June 2015

28mm Project Review: Her Majesty's Forces

   Just to keep track of what's going on, I worked up a bit of thought on just what I wanted to accomplish for 28mm VSF forces. Thought I would share that with you all, starting with the British.

   The basic idea is to create factions large enough to fight platoon-level games. That is, I want to have at least four units of troops, plus some leaders, support weapons, and vehicles for each faction. Using GASLIGHT as my template rules, that means some 40-50 figures, plus the support weapons (and crews) and vehicles (and crews).

   At any rate, here are the units and odds and ends which I have, mostly completed.

  • Gurkhas (x10)
  • Sikhs (x20)
  • Martian Sepoys (x20)
  • Martian Sepoy Gashant Cavalry (x10)
  • British Line (x20)
  • British Line, Venusian Uniform (x20)
  • British Ensign bearer
  • British Officer (x4)
  • British civilians (x4)
  • British Aerocav (x10)
  • British Airship (Aphid-ish) and crew
  • 9-pdr Gun and RA crew
  • Hale Rocket team, RA crew
  • Gatling Gun and RA crew
  • SWORD Unit (x15)
  • SWORD Artillery (x3, plus crew)
  • SWORD Scout Walkers (x2)
  • Metropolitan Police (x10)
  • Landship

   Note that these units do not include Lord Curr's Incorrigibles, an Adventuring Company with strong British ties, nor the Gentleman's Club for EotD.

14 July 2014

Working on These Projects

My two weeks away from home has seemed to refresh my desire to paint and build, and these are the projects I am prioritizing:

1) Gentlemen's Club for Empire of the Dead.

I haven't played a game of this yet, though I took part in the Requiem Kickstarter. The minis are all very nice, and I have already painted up most of the werewolves. I know I can use them as Adventuring Companies in In Her Majesty's Name as well, which is a really nice skirmish ruleset.

2) Prussian Airships for Dystopian Wars

I bought these back at Christmas time, I think. They are pretty simple to paint up - it just needs doing. Plus, it would be progress! And proof of progress helps to keep me motivated.

3) 15mm Spanish Civil War

My friend Zach is very interested in playing some Spanish Civil War. I have chosen the Carlistas, who supported the Nationalists because the Nationalists supported Catholicism. I picked up several packs of Peter Pig's Carlista requetes while in Weymouth. I'll paint up a few bases's worth and see how they look. You'll be able to follow that project more closely on Scattergun Gamer.


4) New Issue of The Aethergraph

I wanted to get another issue out back in May, hoping to do a quarterly schedule this year. Grad school sort of got in the way of that. But, I think I am ready to try and tackle finishing the issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated, naturally.

   So I am going to work on these projects for the next few days. Hopefully by end of the week I shall have something to share.

21 June 2013

German Plan 13-25/28

  Somewhere in the depths of the Imperial German General Staff Headquarters, a stocky Prussian Junker of a Feldmarschall orders a lowly staff officer to work:
  "Der Kaiser has ordered that we prepare for him an outline of our forces presently available and planned for the future. This will be done immediately!
 "Zum befehl, Herr Feldmarschall!"
  The results are thus:
VENUSSTAADT / EARTH
High Command
  Duke Heinrich von Reichwald, Viceroy of Venusstaadt

IR.32
    Leutnant
    Feldwebel
    Gewehre (x9)
    Gewehre (x9) (Additional req'd to complete platoon. Parroom Station Prussians)
KFG Schutzenkompanie
Members of 1. Aetherbattalion's Special Weapons Company, armed with the latest in experimental German military hardware.
    Leutnant
    Feldwebel
    Gewehre (x8)
    Flammenwerfer
    Granatenwerfer
    Rakatengewehr
    Mortar (and Crew) (x2)
Feldbatterie
    C90 (+4 crew)
    Elektrokanone (+ Crew) (Kickstarter from Curious Constructs)
Fliegerjagerren
  Jaegers mounted with clockwork helicopter backpacks, from Eureka Miniatures. Armed with recirocating carbines (SMGs).
    Leutnant
    Feldwebel
    Jaegerren (x3)
    Jaegerren (x5)
1.Aetherbattalion
    Leutnant
    Feldwebel
    Gewehre (x8)
    Gewehre (x10)
Pappegaivolk Askaris (Parrotmen)
    German Officer
    Parrotfolk Chieftain
    Askaris (x18)
Society of Thule
    Count Friedrich von Strรถheim, Grand Master, Society of Thule
    Feldwebel Krieg
    Herr Doktor Kobalt
    Jagerren (x4)
    Tod-truppen (x4)

Kaiserlich Luftkreigsmarine
    KLS Kolberg

Kaiserlich Panzerkampfwagon Regiment
    PzKw II #9 (Ironclad Miniatures Steam 13)
MARS
IR.41
    Leutnant
    Feldwebel
    Gewehre (x8)
Feldbatterie
  Elektrokanone (+ Crew) (Kickstarter from Curious Constructs)

2. Aetherbattalion
    Leutnant
    Feldwebel
    Gewehre (x8)

Martian Allied Contingent (Parroom Station Martians)
    Martian War Leader
    Martian Askaris (x19)

Kaiserlich Luftkreigsmarine
    KLS Kolberg

Kaiserlich Panzerkampfwagon Regiment
    PzKw II #9 (Ironclad Miniatures Steam 13)
[Editor's Note: More dastardly plans, this time Germans in 25/28mm. Germany is more focused on control of Venus than Mars, as you can tell. Again, forces based for Venus are pretty much interchangeable with Earth bases.]

21 May 2013

Mod. 13 British Forces Plan - 28mm

   A fine spring afternoon in London, at Horse Guards, a meeting of Important Personages of the Realm. After a fine luncheon, the meeting begins.
   "Ahem! Pardon me, gentlemen. If you will all please take your seats for the briefing? Thank you. Welcome to the Ministry of Defense's briefing on force availability and build up plans for Her Majesty's Imperial interests in the solar system. We will be discussing today what forces we have, and those which we intend to establish in the coming year. Budgetary constraints may restrict this goal somewhat. Everyone has their drink topped up? Good. Waiters, you are dismissed. Corporal, please secure the door?"
   "SAHR!"
   "Now, if you will please open your briefing envelope, breaking the seal - you have all signed your Official Secrets Act Notice, yes? - we can proceed. Note that the unit entries are color coded. Green indicates units already in place. Yellow indicates units that are in process, and an approximate percentage of completion will follow the line item. Orange indicates units for which the requisite equipment has been acquired, but not yet prepared for service in any fashion. Red indicates a unit that is, at this time, purely theoretical."
   "Another notice, before we really dive in to the meat of the report. The organisation formerly styled the Royal Artillery Research and Development Center has been replaced by the Royal Special Weapons and Ordnance Research Division. They currently equip two platoons and a field battery for testing devices under actual field conditions."
MARS
30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot, 1st Battalion
  Company B, No. 5 Platoon
    Lieutenant
    Sergeant
    Corporal (x2)
    Private (x16) [xx%]
17th Lancers, No. 1 Squadron
  B Troop (Mechanickal)
    Mk. I Sentinel (x1)
17th Lancers, No. 1 Squadron
  B Troop (Aerocavalry)
    Lieutenant
    Sergeant
    Lancers (x8) [12%]
1st Victoria's Landing Rifles, 1st Battalion
  Company A, No. 1 Platoon
    Lieutenant (British)
    Havildar
    Sepoy (x18)
Royal Artillery, No. 5 Brigade
  Battery N [Replacement by Empress Miniatures pending]
    9-pdr gun
    Crew (x4)
Royal Special Weapons and Ordnance Research Division
  Field Platoon No. 1 (Special Weapons) [Replacing Praetorians with Victoria Miniatures]
    Lieutenant
    Sergeant
    Private (x8)
    Grenadier
    Portable Gatling
    Caloric Ray Emitter
  Field Test Battery B [Awaiting delivery of replacements, Curious Constructs Kickstarters]
    Tesla Gun
    Photonic Cannon
    Dual Automatic Cannon (3-pdr)
    Galvanic Gatling Gun
    Revolving Rocket Array
    Heavy Rocket Tube

Royal Aeronaval Service
  HMAS Dragonfly, Aphid-class airship
    
Royal Navy Landship Service
  HMLS WalesKingdom-class landship

VENUS/EARTH
22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot, 2nd Battalion
  Company A, No. 3 Platoon [Venusian Service Uniform]
    Lieutenant
    Sergeant
    Corporal (x2)
    Private (x16)
Coldstream Guards Regiment, 1st Battalion
  Company C, No. 8 Platoon
    Lieutenant
    Sergeant
    Corporal (x2)
    Private (x16)

17th Lancers, No. 1 Squadron
   B Troop (Mechanickal)
     Mk. II Sentinel (x1)
14th Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry (Ferozepore Sikhs), 1st Battalion
  Company B, No. 6 Platoon
    Lieutenant (British)
    Subedar
    Havildar
    Naik (x2)
    Sepoys (x15)
43rd Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry (Gurkhas), 1st Battalion
  Company A, No. 2 Platoon
    Lieutenant (British)
    Havildar
    Naik
    Sepoys (x7)
Royal Artillery, No. 5 Brigade
   Battery L
     9-pdr gun
     Crew (x4)
Royal Special Weapons and Ordnance Research Division
  Field Platoon No. 2 (Skywalkers)
    Lieutenant
    Sergeant
    Private (x8)

  Field Test Battery A [Awaiting delivery of replacements, Curious Constructs Kickstarters]
    Tesla Gun
    Photonic Cannon
    Dual Automatic Cannon (3-pdr)
    Galvanic Gatling Gun
    Revolving Rocket Array
    Heavy Rocket Tube

Royal Aeronaval Service
  HMAS Locust, Aphid-class airship [same airship as Dragonfly, different planet]


Royal Navy Landship Service
   HMLS Ireland, Kingdom-class landship [same landship, different planet]


[Editor's Note: These plans are subject to change. But it gives an idea of what is going on in my madness with just one force of my massive plans and collection. I have more Brits I want to field in 15mm and 6mm, as well as Dystopian Wars Fleet Scale. Then add in other nationalities, some in multiple scales as well: Germans, Texians, French, Russians, Japanese, Turks, Canal Martians, High Martians, Lizardmen, Parrotmen, Octomen, Confederated Italian States, not-one-but-two Mad Scientist factions, Americans...]