Leaving the path...

I've been running a weekly role playing campaign using the Fantasy Flight Star Wars rules: Edge of the Empire. When it started I wasn't much up for planning and running a whole campaign, so I got hold of one of the FFG campaign books, Mask of the Pirate Queen.

This could have been a review of Mask of the Pirate Queen, which is the campaign I had fully intended on running, but we left the path pretty quickly, and to be honest, we never looked back.

This is no criticism of the campaign itself, I'm sure it's well written and well plotted, but is a by-product of my mind-set when coming to run it. In short my mind-set was that the campaign setting at the start of the campaign was exactly as is laid out in the book: the characters accepted a job to pursue the mysterious pirate queen, at the beginning of the book seemingly in hiding on the planet of Saleucami. But that the characters actions, choices, and behaviour would change what followed, and the various players, powers, organisations, and people around them would react in ways that suited their own interests.

The characters followed the first few breadcrumbs pretty much as laid out in the book, but things took an unexpected turn when they decided to infiltrate the organisation (the Veiled Sorority in the campaign) by working for them (this option was not in the book). Now, Edge of the Empire has an Obligation system that the GM rolls every session to see if any of the characters might have something pop up as a result of a choice they made in the past. This is a system I have a love/hate relationship with, but is meant to reflect things like Han Solo being chased by random bounty hunters at various points over unpaid debts, and so on. For the first 5-6 sessions every single time we rolled Obligation something related to the Empire came up. Every single time. I started with just flavouring: that the Imperial presence here has stepped up patrols of the space port. But as the players kept rolling the same result again and again, I decided to escalate.

As the characters worked through a few sessions infiltrating a criminal group connected to the Veiled Sorority, the Imperial focus tightened, what started as background details (patrols are increasing) became more and more focused on the areas the characters were interacting with, and the characters themselves. At this point in the campaign I was wondering how I might massage things more in line with the campaign as written, but in the end I decided to abandon the path altogether. A decision, I might add, that was strongly influenced by me rewatching Andor, and watching what was/is taking place in the US, which seems to be mirroring the same playbook: how to do a fascism.

I came back to my original mind-set: what is it these groups are doing, what are their goals? For the Veiled Sorority and the people who had hired the characters I already had a good idea, but I hadn't really considered the growing Imperial presence. All of this came to head when the party was split, the Imperials had locked down the spaceport, and half the group outside the spaceport used a mix of stealth and violence to reunite the group. This was exactly what the Imperials had been after, I decided. Much like Andor's depiction of the Ghorman Plaza, the goal of the ISB here, tightening restrictions around the space port, was to push for a confrontation they could use as an excuse to assert a more dominant role in the planet's politics. Allowing them to strengthen their military presence, and exploit the local industry (which I decided, based on some research, was pharmaceuticals they needed to support the ongoing war effort against the Rebel Alliance). 

The characters escaped the spaceport, and used the contacts they had made infiltrating the Veiled Sorority to meet up with the shadowy pirate queen. But by this stage they were in the news, they were on the holoscreens: they had been declared terrorists who had attempted to stage a violent attack on the busy spaceport, only to be foiled by the valiant efforts of some doughty Imperial troopers.

The Empire's goals here became clear: they would hunt the characters, sure, but a majority of their focus would be on the exploitation of the pharmaceutical industry on Saleucami, and sweeping away any political resistance. The stage was set for the characters too: stay on Saleucami understanding that the oppression they were watching unfold would get worse, or flee. They elected to stay, and a nascent rebellion was born. 

We played this campaign for about a year and a half, with the characters going into hiding, finding a place to lay low, connecting with sympathisers, dealing with gunrunners and gangs, seeing the propaganda machine of the Empire smear their names and deeds. In that time they built an off-the-grid  comms network, made contacts and friends, built up an armoury to equip them, and work out what the Imperials really wanted with the planet. There was a major battle when their safe-place, a small farming community that had sheltered them, came under attack. It was an attack that resulted in the deaths of many of their closest friends and allies, but it also showed the rest of the planet what the true face of the Imperial presence on Saleucami looked like. After this they went into hiding again, dissent grew in the population, and they connected with a group of real Rebels. The campaign culminated in an instrumental attack that helped destroy the orbiting fleet, and end any tangible presence of the Empire on Saleucami, which (in the game world), is now in territory held by the Rebel Alliance.

It was a hell of a campaign. It was exciting, emotional, explosive, and a whole lot of fun. The characters got the chance to see their names dragged through the mud, and the chance to shine as heroes. I think it really felt like Star Wars, and has probably been some of the best GMing I've done. All of it, really, down to staying true to the idea that the NPCs and powers of the world around the characters all want different things, and that their actions and choices are generally in pursuit of those things. Oh, and Andor, Andor especially, for showing that side of setting: what fascism looks like in action. That, and the accompanying hope that it can be defeated.

Leaving the path led to a longer journey than expected, but the trip was more varied, unexpected, exciting, and memorable as a result...

Mouse Guarding

Mouse Guard is, unsurprisingly, set in the world of David Petersen's delightful Mouse Guard comic book series. What follows is, at best, something of an early review, or at least, some random thoughts.

Let's start with a gripe, because while there is one, it should be said that I am enjoying this game and looking forward to learning it more. I want to finish on a positive note, so let's get this out there now.

My gripe with Mouse Guard is how the rules are presented. At times I felt like I was trying to piece the rules together like a puzzle: You think you are reading the rules for how skill tests work, but wait a hundred pages and there's another layer or three, and actually the rules for how this leads to advancement are to be found in another elsewhere, don't ask me to be specific about where... Yes, this is where we define the thing, but the rules about the thing are in a different chapter, or maybe you've read them already, or have you (mysterious wink)? 

The index is not entirely useful in dealing with this issue, mostly because the rules are spread out like seasoning on a hot chip from the middle of the bag. Trying to find something specific feels like trying to single out the squeak of a mouse in the midst of an enthusiastic orchestra.

All that said, the rules are interesting, and I think once we have a better grasp of how everything stitches together, it will run smoothly. The core of the game system asks the players to roll a number of D6, counting successes to meet or beat either a difficulty level, or an opposing roll. From this stand point the system is relatively simple and easy to implement. Combat (or other forms of confrontation) is particularly interesting, with participating players rolling for their collective 'health', choosing an approach they want to take (attack, defend, feint, maneuver), and then trying to wear down the opposition before they themselves are worn down. We haven't played enough to give a fair analysis, but I like it, and I want to keep playing to learn how the semi-rock-paper-scissors choice to approaches can be leveraged by clever play.

The element I am most keen to come to grips with is the way in which the game tries to mechanise a lot of narrative elements. Mouse Guard asks the players to lean into doing things like using their traits against themselves, pitting their goals against their beliefs and so on. It feels like there are multiple levers here a player can manipulate to gain benefits and develop their characters, at the same time as creating a layered story. I really like how these narrative elements are sewn into the fabric of the rules, and setting comes through strongly in how goals, beliefs, instincts, and traits can be used and set against each other or the actions of the character. They can be a great benefit, but they can hinder the character, and when that happens growth occurs. 

I enjoy narrative style games, and this game, like the more recently published Blades in the Dark, seeks to bring this to the fore by creating a scaffold of rules and sub-systems that enable and encourage the story of the characters' internal struggles, victories, and growth. I really do enjoy reading and playing systems where the designers have been deliberate and purposeful in the mechanisms they create to help engender a style of play or reflect a setting or theme through their game. In many RPGs narrative elements, tropes, or themes rise as a sort of emergent property of the play group; an expected natural consequence of the setting or genre. In Mouse Guard these elements are there for the players to lean into mechanically, and can be of great benefit, or if set against the character's intentions, can lead to growth. I like that.

Lastly, and by no means less significantly, is the setting. David Petersen's Mouse Guard is a stunningly illustrated comic book series. Loyalty, duty, honour, betrayal, and sacrifice are all strong themes in the comics, and are lifted into the Mouse Guard role playing game by the clever implementation of the Burning Wheel system. Small heroes struggling in a world where danger is bigger than they are, is one of the things I love about anthropomorphic stories like Mouse Guard, and the comic books capture this well. 

Did I mention the art is amazing, and beautiful, and amazing, I think I did, but it deserves to be said again!

RPG Goals for 2026

Earlier this month I wrote about the RPGs I ran or played over the course of 2025. This post I am listing some of the games I am keen to run or play for 2026. As always, the list is longer than what is likely possible, and is presented in no particular order.

When I write about these games I'll add whether I want to play them as a one-shot, a short campaign (maybe 5-6 sessions), and medium campaign (10-15 sessions), or longer. Of course, these things may change in the course of play, if a game lands or doesn't land, or if a story/characters are particularly engaging.

Ryuutama is a game I've had for a while, and has intrigued me for longer. I had heard many good words spoken about this game, and particularly it's novel mechanics for travel. I haven't read it, but I am certainly interested to see how the game works. I'd be keen to run this for a medium campaign I think.

As a fan of prehistory, this is a game that has piqued my interest. The artwork is stunning, and while I have read that the system is quite simple, it's a unique setting that I think could be a lot of fun to play in. I think I'd only want to run this for a a one-shot or a short campaign.

I owned and played RuneQuest many many years ago, but don't really remember much of the system aside from it being percentile based. I love the idea of the Glorantha setting, bronze age fantasy is something that I think makes a great break from more traditional high fantasy. I have the core book and the starter set, and would be keen to run through the starter set at least, and see how we go with the setting and system. I started reading it a while back, and found the rules a little convoluted on the first pass, but perhaps 2026 is the year I bite the bullet and run this game.

I ran this for maybe 8-10 sessions last year, and came away with the impression that the many stunts were perhaps too many, and the game could be quite railroady. I think the sense of it being a bit of a rail road came from the campaign I ran, in which the characters were passengers on other ships (willingly and unwillingly) and therefore had limited agency. It's not like they could just leave if things weren't going in the direction they wanted. I think running this set mainly on stations, and with the characters having access to a ship, would make for a better experience. We'll see. I'd be keen to run this for a one-shot or a short campaign.

Quite likely to be the game that fills the newly created gap in our schedule (we just finished with Candela Obscura). I've had this game for years, and would love to play in a campaign. The artwork by David Petersen is absolutely gorgeous, and I've heard good things about the system. I would be a player in this game.

Sad space cowboys? I think this could be a lot of fun. I quite like westerns, and I like science fiction, so this seems like a solid pairing in my book. The system seems novel, and the book is well laid out. I think I'd like to run this for a short campaign.

Anthropomorphic animals in a post-apocalyptic future, yes please. I love the setting and art for this game, and the way the book is presented it's like the game system is intended to run through the campaign presented in the book - so if I run it, that's exactly what we would do.

Fate and Fate Accelerated is a game system that both intrigues me, and which I find a little intimidating. From what I've read it sounds exactly like the sort of thing I would enjoy, but I worry about messing up the aspects side of things. Masters of Umdaar is a setting for Fate Accelerated, and reminds me very strongly of 80s cartoons like DinoRiders. I think it could be a lot of fun if played in the right spirit. I'd run this for a short campaign.

Another Fate game, but this time leaning more toward hard sci-fi. I really like the sound of the star system building mechanics in this book, and would love to play something Traveller-esque. I really love the themes behind this one, and would run it for a short campaign with a door open to something longer if it stuck.

Speaking of Traveller-esque (minus the esque); this is the only game on the list I don't own, and coincidently, also the game I have been slowly talking myself into buying for the last month and a half. Traveller is an old game, but holds a revered place in the pantheon of role playing games. I love the idea of the life-path system, and the sci-fi setting is something that draws me in. Perhaps 2026 is the year I will cave-in and order myself a copy of this... Like Diaspora this is one I think I'd like to run for a short campaign with an eye to something longer if it was going well.

Fin

Well that's the list, as it stands right now in any case. Undoubtedly things will change, something new and shiny will come along, or the lustre will wear on something I am attached to at the moment. It's more games than I am likely to be able to run through 2026, even if the list stays the same. Hopefully at the end of the year I'll get an opportunity to look back and see what I have and haven't played, and what my thoughts are on those I have...

Symbaroum

There is a beautiful majesty to art, the way it can represent mood and atmosphere to inspire emotion and imagination. Symbaroum is a Swedish role playing game produced by Järnringen in Swedish and distributed by Mōdiphiüs in English. What drew me to this game more than anything else was the art. Evocative and otherworldly, it paints, in muted tones, a world and setting which is wild and mysterious, fay and dangerous. 

The setting itself is a fantasy built into the vacuum of a collapsed great empire, the main protagonists are people fleeing their old lands which were corrupted by death. The themes are environmental, primal and elemental. Much iconography and mood feels drawn from old myths and stories like the Edda and the Kalevala. The wild is unknowable and dangerous, corrupting and vigilant. The forces of the world are driven by powers that mere mortals do not, and perhaps can never understand. 

The artistic style carries through into the muted tones of the maps and book, naturalistic colours dominate the palette. The history and setting match the visual style beautifully, and while the tropes common to fantasy are present, they hearken back to their primal roots more than they lean on modern variations. Elves and trolls, wild beasts and dragons, all are there in plenty if you venture into the forest deep enough, but they are not the elves and trolls of the Lord of the Rings, nor those more modern versions typified by Dungeons and Dragons or Warhammer. They are the elves of folklore, elemental and fay, wild and dangerous. Dragons will as soon manipulate, fool and trick as they will roar with fury and power. There is much to like in this setting.

The rules are light and easy, encounters dangerous and over quickly, even between powerful adversaries. Special abilities allow characters unique talents that can be fun and interesting when employed well, and provide lots of ways to substitute one stat for another, meaning combat doesn't need to be the exclusive province of the stereotypical tank. It is possible to game the system to some extent, and GMs and players alike need occasionally to be ready to make a best judgement and move on. But it is an engaging and quick moving game engine that allows heroic action and story to come before the minutia that dominates many game systems.

I won't go much further in detailing the mechanisms and setting, Symbaroum is a game with an evocative and stylized world. A setting that is challenging, dark and fay. The rules are relatively simple, roll a D20 and get below your modified stat. One of the more unique elements is that only the players ever touch the dice: they roll for the damage they inflict while enemy armour simply soaks X, they roll their armour while enemy attacks simply inflict X. It is a system that took a game or two to get used to, but works, and works quickly and well. This is a game I have thoroughly enjoyed, and while we're only around 8 sessions in, I am looking forward to playing more.

As of writing this Järnringen are running a Kickstarter for their version of a Monster Manual. It looks great. If you're interested at all in the game - I'd recommend checking it out!

I should note - while I freelance for Modiphius I have never worked on the Symbaroum line (though of course, it would be awesome to do so), I am recommending this game purely as a fan. 

Writing about writing

The last two to three weeks have been a huge challenge for me. For a few years I have been working as a freelance writer for Spartan Games and Modiphius Entertainment. It's something I enjoy doing a lot, but it can be draining, especially when writing is not my main job. This last month was one of those occasions where everything just happens to land at once.

Freelance writing, at least in my experience, is a funny gig. Both the companies I have worked for produce licensed products I have worked on, Halo with Spartan, and Infinity with Modiphius. A typical job runs through multiple stages, first the offer of doing it (of course). The outline, which then is approved/improved by both the company you work for and the license holder. Then the draft, which is then approved/improved by both the company you work for and the license holder. Then the drafts following...

This process can be quick, and it can be lengthy. I have been writing for the Infinity: The Role Playing Game line, published by Modiphius and licensed from Corvus Belli, since the latter part of 2015. This year that work has taken a sharp upturn in speed and quantity, and this last month has been one of those wonderful occasions where everything seems to land at once.

The last two or three weeks have been a real challenge for me. At the start of September I was twiddling my thumbs, enjoying Netflix, blogging and putting together a bunch of miniatures for Kings of War. About a week and a half in, everything landed. Outlines had been approved and dates for draft submissions set. New jobs offered and dates set. All of it landed quickly.

In the last two weeks I have managed, just, to pen some 30,000 words (that's around 60-70 typed pages). It has been a real challenge. I realise that for full-time writers this amount may not be very much, but it is the most I have written in such a demanding time-frame, and has been tough. No Netflix, no miniature assembly, no gym, no game nights, no anything other than sitting down at my desk every night and pushing on with the job at hand. It was a challenge, but I managed it, I am proud of it (and here's hoping Modiphius and Corvus Belli feel the same). It has been intense, but I have loved it.

I learned a lot in the last few weeks.

One: I can manage 20,000 in a week if I really push myself, but it is exhausting.

Two: Most nights I worked between 3-5 hours, and managed a rate somewhere around 800-1000 words an hour (some nights more, some nights less - and these are words that I am happy with having on the page).

Three: No distractions, no procrastination. Even half an hour lost is too much time lost. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to start.

Four: If you're stuck, start some other section. Don't waste time staring at the screen and wondering what to do. A lot of the time your subconscious will keep at the problem even when you're thinking of something else - then at some point it will ring the consciousness doorbell - Ding. Hi, I'm the subconscious, I'm here to tell you how to deal with that problem... Or, go for a walk, throw some darts, do something mindless for a short period of time to let your brain clear and mull things over.

Five: I have been writing for a role playing game - so the key question is always: How would this be interesting or useful to the GM or players? How would this make the stories they tell, the adventures they experience more exciting and nuanced?

Six: Writers research some weird stuff. Common Latvian surnames? What conditions in the ionosphere cause microwave beam attenuation? Types and effects of different necrotic poisons? What would the word 'condolences' be in Persian? What biological systems allow an insect to breathe? What is the structure of the UN Security Council? Seriously. My search history has me flagged as a seditious terrorist, I'm sure of it. Irrespective of the watch lists you might end up on, writers research. I was lucky enough to have the Infinity books published by Corvus Belli, the Graphic Novel Outrage, the Infinity RPG Core Book and so on to call upon. But we don't just get information, we apply it. How does that information change, mutate, alter and make more interesting the thing we are sculpting with our words?

Seven: Reread and edit. Chances are at that at some point you were three sentences ahead of your fingers and you accidentally typed to to or or and and when when. Chances are you mistook one name for another, or rewrote something you had already described. Chances are a convoluted sentence can be rewritten to be more clear. I read my writing aloud to myself. If I stumble as I read I stop and look to see why, most of the time it's because the sentence structure needs work, the phrasing is confusing, or too much has been packed into a single sentence.It seems obvious to write this, but it takes time and needs to be done.

Eight: Ask questions. If you have an editor, liaison, or group you're working with and you're stuck on something, ask (for me this was regularly something like: Wait. What did you want with this bit?). They want what you want - the best danged piece possible.

Nine: More. Much more. It was a real challenge this last two and a bit weeks, and I have more projects to finish yet, but I have a better understanding of my capabilities and limitations now than I did at the start of the month.

I'm not sure what the purpose of this was... but there are some thoughts regardless.

Gaming Star Wars...

Well, one of the largest game conventions in the world, GenCon, has come and gone. In past years I would have been eagerly pouring over the list of new releases and announcements, keeping abreast of my favourite companies and looking eagerly forward to the games shown and talked about. I am not disinterested this year, but some of the flame has dimmed, I have shelves of games and some of them sit, as yet, unplayed.

Nonetheless, it is an important time for the hobby, and I was thrilled to see Modiphius walk away with a swag of Ennies. I read that, from a trade perspective, this year was an absolutely bumper one for game sales, with many publishers underestimating the stock they would require. This can only be a good thing for the hobby!

Two games announced recently (one actually at GenCon) have me most keenly interested. The first is the publication of the 30th Anniversary Edition of the Star Wars Role Playing Game. First published by West End in the 80s, this RPG has a seminal place in my own gaming history and I have very fond memories of playing it.

More recently I have enjoyed the newer FFG Edge of the Empire Star Wars game, but the West End system holds a special place in my nostalgic heart. I think I'll be picking it up for this, if for no other reason. I'm thrilled to see FFG releasing this anniversary edition - it looks good.

The other big game announced at GenCon was Star Wars: Legion. A ground based miniatures game set in the Star Wars universe - more specifically the first trilogy era (IV, V, and VI). Many moons ago I played and rather enjoyed the West End Star Wars miniatures game, and this new offering has me interested.

The box comes with a variety of goodies, specifically 33 miniatures and all the accouterments required to play. Orders look to be given through token placement, and there are special movement rulers and dice, not unlike what we have seen with X-Wing, Armada and Runewars. I'm not adverse to these elements, but one thing does hold me back: the use of special cards and powers. I like a good special rule in miniatures games - it helps add flavour without front loading complexity, but I'm not a huge fan of how it was carried through in X-Wing - with certain cards only available in certain expansions, and a tendency in the competitive arena to buy boxes of stuff for a handful of cards.

I'm also a little hesitant given FFGs history of having new models out-compete the older ones. I don't begrudge a company for making money, far from it, and I'm not the sort of person who is much interested in building a highly competitive force - enough to have fun is what I'm after. Still, these elements have me pausing. Perhaps they are concerns for naught - Fantasy Flight make some excellent games and I'm sure Legion will be one of them. The Star Wars IP is one that I enjoy, and so I may end up getting Legion, but I think I'll wait for now...

Photos from GenCon do look particularly awesome though...

Ramblings...

It's been a little while since I last ventured to the castle cabinet to compose a post, the grounds have needed tending, and the smaller members of the castle staff have required attention. Much has happened in the meantime, however, games have been purchased and played, events run and plans made.

A few weeks ago the inaugural Shepparcon took place, a board game convention in my humble town, and was a smashing success. It was a lot of fun to be a part of the organising committee, and while my contributions were limited, the rest of the crew did a fantastic job. We had close to 90 people come through over the course of the weekend, and much gaming was had by all. The event may well be the subject of a future post, but suffice to say I had a blast. Some of the standout games I managed to play included Eye for an Eye (a prototype of the highest quality), Santorini, and Red 7.

Eye for an Eye is, in some ways, a bizarre game. It's a real-time miniatures game - something I would have considered impossible, but the frantic rolling of action dice, the placement of the dice, and the spending of said dice to move, attack, defend and perform other actions was a huge amount of fun.  Ben Boersma, the designer, is an Australian with several other games to his name. Eye for an Eye is set in his Occulite universe, and is an absolute blast to play. A game that conceptually I thought could not possibly work, Eye for an Eye is, instead, a raucous roller coaster of silly fun. I will certainly be getting a copy when it makes its way into production. If you're interested, you can get the print and play version here.

Santorini is a lovely looking game that ran quickly, had a simple rules set and was easy to play, for those reasons it was highly enjoyable. Some might argue it is very much a poster child of form over function, but the nice pieces really do make the game that little bit more fun.

Red 7 is a strange card game, at the end of every one of your turns you need to be winning, and you do that by playing cards in front of you to match the rule, or by modifying the rule (or both). It's one of those games where every turn you survive you feel like you've managed to do something clever, it was an excellent game, and one I'll be chasing up.

All in all Shepparcon was a success, and we're very much looking forward to what next year will bring. I'm sure the Con is going to grow, and it will be fantastic to be a part of that.

On the podcast front I have been decidedly slack, it's been tough to coordinate a recording time, but finally we have a new episode up (and plans to record another very soon). The latest episode of the On Minis Games podcast can be found here. We talk about Drop Fleet Commander, Drop Zone Commander, Kings of War, and a multitude of Kickstarters.

Lastly, I have been making slow plans to get my RPG group back playing, for a while our games centered around testing adventures for the upcoming Infinity RPG, and I want to take a break from that and try something different. My shelves are over stocked with a variety of games I either haven't played in a long time or ever, so it was to those I went looking. Being the vacillating type, I am still swinging between two options, but I think I have managed to sort out in my mind what I want to run.

I think we'll play through a few short campaigns of 3-5 adventures each, across a couple of different game systems. To begin with I think we'll run with Symbaroum, which is a dark and strange fantasy setting with gorgeous art. The setting is excellent (and very evocative), and the game system seems interesting enough - so we might kick off with that.

The other game I am looking at is Heavy Gear. Heavy Gear is an old favourite of mine, so I am most definitely looking forward to playing it again. I have the second edition rules set, as well as the third edition SilCore set. After some research I think we'll run with the second edition rules, though we may pull a few tweaks from the SilCore rules as well. We'll see how we go!

Hobby Goals...

In 2016, when I wrote up my goals for the year, they were predominantly focused on games and gaming. Since I have already written up my goals in terms of my writing, I am rounding them out with my goals for the hobby...

Table Top Games Played

Last year I had the goal of playing 100 unique games, and managed it with some 15 or so to spare. This year I am going to simply replicate that goal. Having a voice in the back of my mind telling me to try and mix up what hits the game table was enjoyable last year, and made me break out some games I hadn't played in a while, rather than going back to some old staples. This helped me rediscover what it was I enjoyed about those games, and reminded me of some of those classics on my shelves that had been collecting dust for some time. Repeating what I did last year, I will also be recording the different games I manage to get to the table via a geeklist on Boardgamegeek, in fact, you can find the geeklist here, if you're interested...

Role Playing

Writing for both Infinity and Star Trek leads me to the obvious conclusion that I need to play more of both! I am hoping that this year that I manage to get a regular RPG group running. Whether we play Infinity, Star Trek, Symbaroum, Wyrm, MERP, Star Wars, FATE or any one of the dozen other games I have sitting there calling for attention - I don't care! Just something!

Painting

I have a host of unpainted models calling for attention, as well as a significant amount of scenery waiting to be built. My goal here is to build all the scenery I have still in wrapping, and to paint on a regular basis. I am hoping to complete my Heavy Gear army, get paint on some Infinity models, finish my Australian navy for Dystopian Wars, and much more. I think the key here is painting/building regularly more so than aiming to get specific models done. I do tend to push this aside when things get busy, but now I have a dedicated painting area... perhaps I will manage more...

On Miniatures Games

On Minis Games has been a project that a friend of mine (Quinton Sung) and I have been planning for a long time. With the last half of 2016 being as chaotic as it was, we managed to record only two episodes (which are currently available to listen to at the Inverse Genius On Minis Games page.

The aim for this year is to really get On Minis Games into gear, we've had feed issues (and if you have trouble subscribing, let me know at onminisgames@gmail.com), scheduling issues, and lots going on in our personal lives. Without the various excuses and put bluntly, we haven't done as much as we had hoped by now. We hope to remedy this in 2017! My goal is to publish at least one episode a month, and hopefully two... we shall see how we go!

If there is a particular focus, topic or concept you would like to see in a miniatures game podcast, please let us know! We are eager to more episodes recorded and available for download!

Game Design

I am lucky enough at the moment to have had the opportunity to work on a range of games: Dystopian Legions, Dystopian Wars, Fleet Battles, Halo: Fleet Battles, as well as write for Firestorm Planetfall, Firestorm Armada, Infinity the RPG, Star Trek Adventures, and to work as an editor on Firestorm: Taskforce and Achtung! Cthulhu the miniatures game. I'd really like to push this a little further this year, not only by continuing to write for the various games I have an opportunity to write for, but also to design and develop some games of my own. I have a variety of RPG and board game designs in various stages of completion in boxes, folders and on my hard drive. I'd like to aim to work on at least 4 different designs of my own over the course of this year... we shall see!




Well, that about rounds off my hobby goals for this year. Doubtless I have forgotten some things, but this is enough to begin with!

Looking Back at 2016...

My last post was a little past the  middle of November, and given the gap I must apologise, gentle reader (note that 'reader' is singular), but it has been a busy time.

Aside from the general business of the festive season, with family to visit, drinks to imbibe and food to relish, we have also been busy moving castles. Moving castles is not the most streamlined of processes, it is messy, tiring, and a lot of wandering around wondering which box contains the thing you want in any particular moment. Even having been in the new castle now for around a month, much of our lives are still hidden in some box or tub, probably under some other box or tub.

So the first post of 2017, in the true spirit of the Roman goddess Janus after whom this month is named, I shall be looking back at 2016. 'How quaint' I hear you murmur, 'nobody does reflections on the previous year in January' I hear you stutter, almost spilling your muscat down the front of your velvet monogrammed pajamas.

While you may think it true, careful examination of the interwebs will clearly show that this time of year typically sees bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, geeklist makers and people of all stripes create lists of those things that were best about 2016, and what they are looking forward to in 2017. Who am I to buck a trend?

In all honesty 2016 was an ugly, drawn out, painful and generally turgid affair. If it was a Beast, even Belle would have been urging Gaston to put the bastard down. But it is done, and while 2017 promises (on a global level at least) to be worse, it is here, and so has to be faced with whatever sense of optimism you can muster or whatever banal aphorisms will help you through.

But, I am not here to moan relentlessly from the comfort of my first world life about how tough it all is, I'm here for the gaming! Well, mostly.

At the start of 2016 I wrote a post covering some of my hobby goals for coming year... well, the end times have come and it is time for a reckoning.

The first of my goals was to play at least 100 different games over the course of 2016, which, surprisingly, is something I managed quite comfortably. I ended 2016 having played 115 different games. For those interested the geeklist I used to to keep track of them is here.

Some of my favourites from the year include Battlelore, which was nice to get back to the table again, and Shadows over Camelot, which is also an older game, but a thoroughly excellent one. The best 'new-to-me- game I played in 2016 was probably Codenames, which was a lot of fun, and something I am looking to playing more of in 2017.

In terms of miniature games, and aside from Spartan games such as Dystopian Wars (which I have worked on), I would have to say I was most excited to play Heavy Gear Blitz and Mordheim. Both games were new to me, and while Mordheim is an old game, it is truly a wonderful game. Heavy Gear is something I am hoping to get to the table more this coming year. The minis are great, and I am really enjoying it.

The Scions of Erasmus... my Mordheim warband...

A Hunter Squad for Heavy Gear Blitz...

My next goal was to reduce the number of unplayed games in my collection. This is a goal at which I failed, I'm afraid. I ended 2016 with several more games unplayed than I began it. Hopefully I will have better luck in this department in 2017!

I'm looking at you Sekigahara!

My next goal was to spend more time playing games with my family. I would say this goal has been achieved, I still want to make sure I take the time to play more with my wife and kids in 2017, but the grounding in 2016 was a starting place.

Song of Blades and Heroes with my son...

I had the goal of playing more RPGs in 2016, something I did not manage to do I'm afraid. I really hope that 2017 picks up in this regard... we have a maiden voyage planned for the coming week with the upcoming Star Trek game by Modiphius, so hopefully this is something we can build up!

I had a painting goal of getting a Squadron a month painted, and surprisingly I think I came close. Between my Covenant models, my Mordheim Warband and some Heavy Gears, I am pleased with how much I managed to get done...

Lots done by my own low standard... fingers crossed that I manage more in 2017!

My blogging goal was to write at least two blog posts a month. I think (if I've added correctly) that I managed some 36 posts over 2016, some months I was quiet, some silent, but overall I am happy with my blogging output. My posting is too haphazard in both regularity and subject matter to ever accrue many views, but writing is my goal, not building up my views stat!

My podcasting goal, of recording and posting something at least once a month, turned out to be impossible. With the Element 270 podcast winding up due to scheduling difficulties, and On Minis Games struggling this last month or so due to the move, I just haven't had the time and opportunity. Here's hoping that 2017 sees On Minis Games get going properly!

Lastly, I had a goal to read at least a book a month. Without a doubt the stand out book I read in 2016 was The Martian, by Andy Weir. It is an absolutely wonderful, totally engaging and brilliantly executed book, and I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone. If I was to include the books I had read to my class, this goal would be a shoe in, but considering only books I read for my own pleasure, I fall short of the mark. Again, I hope to make amends in 2017!

And that about sums up the obligatory reflection on 2016. at some point I'll get around to formulating goals for 2017, so until then...