John Carter Warlord of Mars board game

 

So, I started to rework the old SPI boardgame about John Carter. Always a favorite game, in theory, but it has a lot of issues with it and needs to be brought into the modern style of games. I am looking at crossing the original with rules ideas from Flying Frog Games (makers of Fortune & Glory, and A Touch of Evil) Their games are typically fast play, action oriented, and theme heavy. I feel there are a lot worse games to emulate.

First up was a redrawing of the original map of Barsoom. I have added a lot more colour, and textures than the original had, and I have tried to add additional information not shown on the original (for instance Red or Green Martian cities etc.

It is a start. Next I really have to look at the rules and see what I want to keep, and what rules will need to be updated.

Why do I do the things I do...

So, I went to Fandom II the other day, For those not in the know, Fandom II is gaming store in Ottawa that has been around since the 70's and has been my go to store for my entire role playing life. However, as I entered into my retired life, and I started to assess my gaming needs, I had to take steps to reduce my gaming purchases. That has never been an easy thing to do. However thanks to covid I have been able to leverage the various lockdowns to restrict my shopping at any store and thereby reduce my impulse buying habit. It has been a year since I bought something right off the shelf. Any purchases that I have made were, for the most part, old games not currently in print. (one Kickstarter exception) 

Now I have read of a 21/90 day rule to change habits. Well a year is well more than 21/90 days. So why then did I then walk out of Fandom with a new RPG that I have never looked at, and that, technically, I had serious doubts about. In fact I felt a little embarrassed when I went to the counter with the game, that is how little I thought about the value of this game! Why do I do this!!! My bookshelves are chock a block full of un-played RPG's, I did not need to add to that. 

Arriving home with my various purchases for the day, I scornfully dropped the RPG on the couch, and picked up the magazine that I had also bought. Wargames 401 was not a bad issue, some good bit the pertained to my gaming interests, so a plus on that I figured, but does not make up for my waste of money on the RPG! Next up was another purchase, Adeptus Titanicus rule book. Sadly it was pretty much what I expected it to be, a typical GW gaming rulebook with not enough information in it for all the various titans that one could field. So far removed from the good old days of the original Adeptus Titanicus game that provided rules for building just about anything you want to. The rule book is ok, and gives me something to work with, but it is not spectacular.

So 2 out of three items dealt with, time to look at the real waster of money, Talisman Adventures RPG. Now Talisman the board game is one of those games that I have fond memories of, that is until I play it. Then all the problems with the game come to the surface, the long tedious play time, the complete randomness of the game play, the time wasted as players roll the movement die then have to count squares to determine which direction they will move, the frustrating endgame as the crown is used, (or worse depending on what add on version you play) and the imbalance that can quickly appear leaving certain characters as bottom feeders while others swoop around the board gaining more and more power.

It is not a good game.

So why the hell did I plunk out good cash, and I had to use cash due to an error with my bank card, on this game? I do not know. Some deep seated need to replace something that is missing in my life with a purchase of anything? A brilliant insight telling me that this was the game that I needed to buy to fulfill my life? Nope. There was no good reason for this purchase. It did not offer up some cathartic release of endorphins, rather to the contrary I felt miserable about the waste of money. This was the reason that I had tried to keep away from temptation, why I had avoided Fandom, apparently I just cannot help myself.

Meanwhile, I have had a pending order with Sarissa for bases to be used with some figures that are gathering dust on my gaming table. This order is a carefully considered order of what I require for my miniature gaming. Why is it then, that I cannot pull the trigger on that order but think nothing of dropping $55.00 on an unknown, unneeded game?

So in the end I picked up two items that I had planned to get, one good one not so good. I also picked up something I did not plan to on a whim. madness, madness, as I seem unable to change this habit. I did finally pick up the RPG and started to read it. Initially I was resistant to it, underwhelmed by the game. Then I hit the followers section, and realized there might be something here that I can use in a game that I am playing now. Then I looked deeper into the book and found some more interesting rules. Finally I lay down on the couch and just read the book from the start.

                                    Dammit it is actually a good system.

                                                    Dammit, my impulse buy was not so bad after all.

                                                                    Dammit so much for changing any habits 

See my RPG blog for a more proper review

                                                                                    Dammit

Newly arrived items to be built

 

Received my Kickstarter package a week or so ago, thought it was time for a post. The Lurkers from the Deep for 7TV by Crooked Dice is based on the type of New England villages as described by H P  Lovecraft. Along with the building they released a number of new figures to complement these models. They also included a funky VHS tape container, that holds the scenario rules, markers and additional cards to be used in a game of 7TV. I opted for the buildings only, as I already have plenty of Deep ones, and Hybrids. The lighthouse was the item that attracted me the most, but the overall look of all the buildings also had some appeal.

 I have had a scenario in mind for quite a few years involving a raid on Innsmouth, and these buildings will certainly help bring that project to life. They are a mix of dilapidated and intact buildings,  much like the people that hover between soundness and decadence. 

The buildings are by Sarissa, and promise to be relatively straightforward to assemble. The details on the 2 that I have opened looks good, and they should be fun to build and to use. The lighthouse is segmented, so each section can be separated from the other, thus giving full access during play, and will make it easier to store.