Operation Game Collection 1

Since I have some time to kill why don't I get this puppy started?

My first RPG entry is:
Legend of the Five Rings

Game Summary: Legend of the Five Rings is an RPG in a fantasy world. The land the game takes place in is Rokugan, a fantasy Japan almost. PCs are Samurai, Shugenja, Ninjas and such. The quickest idea to explain the game and its setting is to take 1 part World of Darkness (politics and factions), 1 part Warhammer (evil corrupted realm of nasty things trying to kill and corrupt everyone else), and 1 part Kurosawa films (the Samurai and other asian elements).

1: Amount I play it.
N/A. I don't actually OWN the rules to this RPG.

2: Desire to play it.
N/A. I need to... own the game to see if I like its mechanics and all.

3: Popularity in my area.
Low. I am sure someone is into it someplace. The minis game and the CCG in the same universe had a fanbase of some kind.

4: Amount I own.
Medium, but I paid Low. I played the CCG and the decidedly UNFUN minis game (Clan War) back in the late 90s and fell in love with the universe and backstory. Outside of 1 book at MSRP every other book I own was bought at a substantial discount. I got so many of them I kind of want to get the game itself instead of just supplements.

5: Stuff I may still want to buy.
Low. Ebay and Noble Knight games have what I think I actually need for a game. The GM's kit with Screen, the rulesbook for the edition I want, and the 2 or 3 sourcebooks from the line I want even if I never play just to read for the fluff.

6: In Print?
Yes, but No in the edition I want and have stuff for. Currently L5R is in its 3rd edition Revised incarnation with the game's fluff (aka story and background), but the books I have are for the original 1st edition of the game, as are the books I still want. And why pay 40 or so for the current rulesbook when the one I want can be had for 10? Plus the story era I care about is contemporary with that edition of the rules.



Miniatures entry 1 is:
Uncharted Seas

Game Summary: Uncharted Seas is a recent miniatures game involving fantasy naval ship combat. I have done a blog entry or 2 on the game so go look it up. (Sorry I have no idea how to get Blogger to let URLs actually work so why cut n paste text you can't click on anyhow? I'm lazy!) Its a great game and the developers seem insistent on upgrading it.

1: Amount I play it.
Medium. I've actually played it within the last 6 months. Twice even!

2: Desire to play it.
High. I really like this game. Its fast, fun, and strategic.

3: Popularity in my area.
Low. I know really only of one group who plays it, who are out of my driving range really.

4: Amount I own.
Medium. The game is relatively cheap, so I own 2 fleets of ships and the rulesbook. Its a little over 100 bucks, but not by much. I might actually have spent in Low category, but I will call it Medium anyhow.

5: Stuff I may still want to buy.
Low. Its not all that popular yet, no stores actually stock the damned game yet, and I really don't NEED anything else outside of maybe under 60 bucks of ships to fill out my 2 factions. Or less for the 2 existing factions and get the newest faction as well because its an Undead fleet. WITH ZOMBIE WHALES.

6: In Print?
Yes. I have the previous edition of the rules which is getting revamped, but it currently seems as if they are putting up all the rules from the new book online. The thing is they have done this so much they all but need to make a new rulesbook!



My first Board/CCG/Card entry is:
Munchkin

Game Summary: Munchkin is a quick and dirty silly fun themed card game where players compete to level up by fighting monsters, getting treasure, and generally behaving like retarded power gamers in every RPG campaign ever. The game has endless expansions for almost every major RPG genre type out there. And somehow the truly mad can integrate them all.

1: Amount I play it.
Low. Maybe once a year if not less.

2: Desire to play it.
Low. While its amusing and kind of fun as a quickie game, its joke wears thin FAST and every version plays like every other one. Plus apparently it makes so much money for its publisher (Steve Jackson Games) that they ignore their better games like Ogre and Car Wars to just keep pumping out more of the same for it. Which makes me want to play it less in a childish form of protest.

3: Popularity in my area.
Medium. Its a rather popular game and quite a few people like and play it. But being a card game its not like there are big organized playgroups.

4: Amount I own.
Low. I bought Star Munchkin for 25, and a friend of mine I haven't seen in 5 years or so now let me hold on to the original fantasy and the Kung Fu versions as collateral so he could borrow Halo. I'm not sure which of us got the worse end of that deal...

5: Stuff I may still want to buy.
N/A. I don't want any more. 10 bucks for a few more jokes in Star Munchkin isn't worth it. I could go see a movie or buy a Transformer or something. Plus its a moral thing as I wish to encourage Steve Jackson Games to make more Ogre and Car Wars and not the endless line of samey average card games with cute pictures and nerd humor on them. Seriously. Every version of Munchkin is basically the same game with new pictures and words on them.

6: In Print?
Yes. Oh god is it in print. Fantasy Munchkin has like 7 dedicated expansion sets plus one that easily lets it link to other Munchkin core games.

Gaming Update for the Last Two Weeks

Sadly, this little installment is kinda dumb. Last 2 Wednesday Sarge's runs involved big 1000 point per player 3 players per side Warhammer 40K games. Last week's one had my side lose, this week the other way around. Except we never got to actually FINISH either game, merely get through 3 or 4 turns of amusing mayhem. Both games my poor Tyranids got shuffled off in a corner, only to much some Imperial Guardsmen and get shot at quite a bit. But it was entertaining and fun and that is what matters most.

Tuesdays have been odd. Last week was MagicDrew and myself mostly shooting the breeze. This week Starfury showed up and before gametime we had to drive to Groton to do car paperwork. Who knew me selling him a 13 year old car for 200 bucks would require so much effort? But as the bank was right next to Citadel Games, we stopped in and I saw many new and out of print goodies I wanted. But being more stingy and reasonable these days I merely chose 2 issues of Autoduel Quarterly, and 2 Battle Lore Expansions. Call to Arms, which is a new system of army deployment/selection for the game, and 100 Year's War which adds more historical units to the game, most notably Polearms. I haven't had much chance to play Battle Lore itself or read the new expansion rulesbooks in depth, but they look pretty cool.

Actual gametime involved a couple games of King's Blood which is very fast and fun. Its speed Uno with a royal bloodline feel, cards that get placement on the table, and adorable manga artwork. Following that was the start of character creation for my massively houseruled AD&D 2nd edition Forgotten Realms campaign. Starfury started work on a character, MagicDrew seemed overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice I gave everyone, and my NPC character got built rather quickly. A Mul Gladiator from Dark Sun sans Psionics or Dark Sun construction rules. I rolled some heat and have a 20 Strength. An 18 roll plus 2 for being a Mul makes for one heavy hitter. He will be the dependable NPC with the Polearm rampaging about Phlan's seedier areas in the days before the Time of Troubles.

But more AD&D 2nd edition stuff will follow in another post. I am houseruling like a maniac. Its closer to Basic D&D, but with as many AD&D options as I feel like using.

And people claim only OD&D is the D&D for do it yourself rules tinkers!

Now if Troll Lord Games would hurry up with Castles & Crusades Castle Keeper's Guide I could have my ideal D&D without having to make it myself.

But I need lots of race and class options that right now 2nd ed provides without the annoying stuff I hate in 3.x.