Playing Scipio

The gaming experience is still principally that of Playing Rome:Total War. Current campaign is short one, with me as Scipio. I have just got to the Marian revolution, when the roman army converts from its three line organisation to that of legionairres. Am enjoying doing several hours a week, at my own pace. This game has been going since late October.

The miniatures project remains in a hiatus, really a case of finding time and motivation for next step - getting green beize table together. There's also model painting when I get some undercoat. I had hoped to get some more models to round out my armies when we are off to Melbourne over christmas, but 'Eureka Miniatures' is closed for the time we are there. Oh well, will have to get something organised in the new year.

Played one 'proper' three player game of UNO this month, I was the first to 500 against Nancy and Paul, coming from behind.

Rome: Total War

I've been playing this off and on since early this year. Picked it up as one of the two games I bought for $50 in the computer game shop at Arndale. For a couple years before that I'd been playing Medieval:Total War. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I'd not played a campaign through to conclusion. I'd learnt, however, that the game poses different levels and types of problem to solve at differing stages of the evolution of a campaign. The issues in the first turns are entirely different from those in the fiftieth, for example.

Anyway, Rome has been at least as entrancing though possibly not as much fun. The relative 'arcadishness' and board game style of Medieval kept it a simpler interface (both conceptually and aesthetically speaking) than Rome. The later, full of interactive detail and personifcation of the systemic structure of the game, adds a fair bit of complexity.

I guess that, once I reach the level of instinctive interactivity I did with Medieval, the deeper depths of the game experience will unlock themselves and I will be as infatuated as I am intrigued.

Current miniatures project

Sorry it's been awhile, the internet was down.

The present miniatures project is to convert a 7' x 5' sheet of chipboard into a green beige/felt battlefield. This will just fit in the room my wife has so conveniently allowed me the use of for gaming. On this table, I hope to spend many hours with friends pondering the tactical niceties of various miniature wargames. I am playing with 6mm figures and home made rules on a smaller table at present, ironing out the issues in the rules. By the time I have the real table together (there are already of lot of items of miniature scenery to place upon it) I hope to have ironed out the Spanish Civil Wargame rules system I have developed. Then I will gather my troops and we shall have fun.

Current Projects - computer based

Well, I should maybe contribute something to this so that those who visit don't lose total faith in a 'dedicated gamer's' dedication. A place to start might be what projects are underway at present.

On the computer I've got a copy of Pandago, which allows me to play the ancient game of GO against an AI that seems to play well except it scores like shit (stopping the game once I've passed a couple of turns and counting all spaces as contested that contain an opposing colour, no matter how doomed that stone would be should the computer not have passed). The program apparently is also useable as a client on the IGS Go server on the web, which is a pretty serious place that I haven't been able to work out yet. But will someday.

Have always enjoyed playing Talonsoft's Campaign Series of games, particularly East Front II. Although aging, it's still as good a long term proposition for the keen tactical WWII wargaming buff as any game I've seen. Recently played the scenario 'Bukrin Bridge' to a victorious conclusion, first time in several attempts across the years.

Have discovered Cyberboard a while ago, which is a freely downloadable application with which one can design and use 'gameboxes', digital representations of traditional boardgames and their componentry, and then play against opponents on the web by email. Haven't yet participated in a game this way, as am still learning about the latest Beta version of the product. I am part way through designing a Gambox for 'Barbarian', a monster game produced by KP in the early nineties, based upon Avalon Hill's 'Ceasar's Legions', reproducing the military campaigns of the Western Roman Empire from about 50 BC to 300 AD. The maps cover from Gaul to Byzantium at 10 km per hex, amazing! It's taking a while because it's such a big game.

Whole New World of Gaming

I might as well keep this going, anyone who reads the previous posts will thus be able to have an inkling about how I think during a game (if they can follow what I wrote). But I'm going to change the context, and thus the content, of this blog.

This site is now going to broaden its horizons to my experience of gaming in general. Thus, there will be a fair bit about tabletop wargaming with miniatures, the strategy classic of GO, boardgames (generally Avalon Hill games such as Civilization), cardgames (from Illuminati! to The Great Dalmutti to Gang of Four to Hypotheticals, 500 and Trumps), maybe computer games (so you know what I'm upto) and the hobby of gaming in general.

That's a pretty wide call, I guess it shows how much I enjoy games.

1344 Update

Quite awhile has passed since my last post. Sorry.

My outward position is much the same, territory from Jerusalem to Trebizond and Angora. Hungary controls Smyrna, Nicea and Miletus. Bavarian army in Bythnia. Byzantine in Byzantium, has almost reconquored the balkans and greek mainland. Horde now only has small force left in Achea. Venice has fallen to Bavaria. Castile has been eradicated. Poland and Bavaria had to counterclaim to prevent English victory last season.

Horde has done well to survive so far. If he had done just a little more damage to Bavaria/Poland, English would have won and the Khan have survived. Sadly, he is now at the mercy of the Byzantine.

Bavaria has sunk my fleet (again), but we might be able to reach an agreement as he wishes to pursue the English.

Castile collapsed very quickly after he attacked England. His division of forces to keep a presence in the East must have really disadvantaged him. I am pleased to say that he came unstuck at least partly due to my urgings. He was too arrogant for my liking - overly confident and demanding. At least his troops died in a good cause (screening my and the Hungarian's forces). Georgio of Hungary might end up surviving. That would be good.

As long as the game ends soon, I will survive in fourth place. Very honourable. My fear is that the greedy Bavarian and Pole will try and get all the victory points they can and prolong the game to allow this, should they knock out England in the next season or two. That would be sad. If that is the case, I will attempt to keep going as long as possible to make them pay for it...