2019 Top Board Game Plays

2019 Top 10 Board Game plays

Here is a top 10 list of the board games, by number of plays, that I played  in 2019:

1.) Men At Work - 10
2.) Gloomhaven - 8 
3.) ICECOOL2 - 8
4.) Betrayal Legacy - 6
5.) Nanty Narking - 6
6.) Charterstone - 5
7.) Don't Break the Ice - 5
8.) Glorantha:  The Gods War - 5
9.) Scythe - 5

Kickstarter: Tang Garden Boardgame

I recently received My Kickstarter copy of Tang Garden from Thundergryph Games.  The company website states that "Tang Garden is a Zen-like game that will take you to the first golden age of China."  That is an accurate description of the game.  A one to four player game where each player takes on a character (Soldier, Hermit, Emperor, etc) each with different abilities that can affect the in-progress game and possibly the final game score.

I will start with the contents of the game box.  The amount of parts and component for this is game is astounding.  you get the game board, tiles, and more tiles, trees, pagodas, bridges, and then to top it all of...minis of each character!  You might think that the with this many components that they might have gone cheap on quality...I say Nay!  The punch out components are thick and sturdy.  As are the impressive pagodas and bridge (some assembly required).  The mins are small but well made.  I am not one to paint all my game minis, but I imagine that these would look very nice when painted.

We read the manual and sat down to figure out how to play this amazing looking game.  This is where the Zen claim was put to the test.  We had a zero session, that lasted for over an hour and had to be called due to frustration with understanding the rules.  The rule book looks nice, but despite several examples in the book, it was vague on several aspects of the game mechanics.  So we decided to call it a night and try again the next day.

With a good nights sleep and a couple of hours of digging into the game online, big thanks to the folks over Boardgamergeek and their assistance, we started our second game of Tang Garden.  I even broke out the music sound track provided during the Kickstarter.  The second go-around went very well, the game took around 2 hours but we did several rules checks and took our time deciding actions on our turns.  The game has several choices available each turn, you can choose and place a tile, decorate the garden, and depending on how your player mat progresses you may influence other characters to join you and/or place some of those nifty landscape backgrounds.

Over all we enjoyed the game and look forward to our next session.  The game is a tile placement, decoration placement, and a little bit of a worker placement (not really) game.  It offers several varied paths towards victory and a lot depth of strategy.  I would recommend game for any fans of slower pace and less stressful game of creating a beautiful garden.  I recieved my copy via kickstarter and the Thunder Gryph website show the pre-order is sold out right now, so I am not sure where you can currently find a copy outside of Ebay.



Pros (Things I like)

• Amazing game pieces
• Not only are they amazing, but wow you get a bunch of game pieces
• Online support is very strong
• The creators provide a original music score and sound track for the game with the Kickstarter campaign 

Cons (Things I don't like)

• In game instruction manual is vague and hard to follow
• The manual has an updated version online as well as a player guide.  I wish these had shipped with the game.

Glorantha: The Gods War Kickstarter (Reprint)

I know its been awhile since I last posted, but this is something that I want to share with everyone.  One of my first Kickstarter project that I backed was Glorantha:  The Gods War, A Sandy Peterson game.  The original Kickstarter was new version of the rules used for Cthulhu Wars but with a Gloratha/RuneQuest setting.  The project took a long time to be delivered...but when it finally was complete we had a fantastic game.  Now they are running a reprint of the game with new expansions.  If you are interested this is a great opportunity to back a great game and receive an amazing set of miniatures for that game!

If you are interested, follow the link below:

Glorantha: The Gods War Kickstarter (Reprint)

GENCON 2019 Event Wish List Submission

I am planning on attending GENCON 2019 in Indianapolis, IN this year.  This will be my fourth year in a row and something that I look forward to every year.  The parts that I don't enjoy are the hotel registration process (aka the housing lottery) and event wish list submission.  The fist one, hotel registration is a pain, my wife and I love to get a down town hotel next to the convention center. 

To secure one of these coveted hotel slots you must first have a badge to attend.  Then you have to enter into a random lottery to receive a time slot or window that you can log into the GENCON housing portal and hope there are rooms left downtown.  If the star align and the time slot works out...then you can secure a room at a downtown hotel. 

The next part is related to the picture for this blog.  Event wish-list submission.  So GENCON releases the event cataloge of all the different types of events available during the convention weekend.  Everything from board-games, game demos, role-playing games, author book signings, LARP events, to how to cook seminars.  You have two weeks to look through the catalog and fill up your wish list.  Then on the day of wish-list submission you wait nervously to see how many of your chosen games will be available.

Well today was that day, and out of the eleven items on my list...I got four of them.  The best part was the that I got my number one selection!  Playing Runequest:  Role-playing in Glorantha with one of the members of Chaosium!

Hogline Curling How to Video

A good friend of mine has created a new board game based up the real life sport of Curling!  His 2 minutes video on Youtube is a good description and sums up the game perfectly.  If you have a few minutes, go check it out.

Hogling Curling Video

New Marvel Campaign, Issues # 0 "The Cast of Heroes"

This past Sunday our gaming group decided to start a new Marvel Superhero campaign (TSR Marvel, aka FASERIP).  Our group consists of four players and in this post I am sharing our new intrepid heroes and their stats.


Superhero Name: The Conductor
Character Name: Lawrence Strausman III
Origin:   Mutant

F  EX (20) Health:  50
A  GD (10)
S  GD (10) Karma:  46
E  GD (10)
R EX (20) Resources:  MN (75)
I   TY (6)
P  EX (20) Popularity:  7  / 0

KNOWN POWERS: 

• Absorption:  AM (50) 
• Solar Regeneration:  GD (10)  
• Electrical Manipulation:  RM (30) 

LIMITATIONS: 

• None

TALENTS: 

• Business/Finance
• Archaeology
• Heir to Fortune 

CONTACTS:

• (Business/Finance)

Superhero Name:  Overload

Character Name:  Gwendolyn

Origin:  Induced Mutant

F:  TY (6) Health:  34  

A:  TY (6)  

S:  GD (10)   Karma:  84

E:  TY (6) 

R:  TY (6) Resources:  TY6  

I:  TY (6)  

P:  TY (6) Popularity:   7 / 0

KNOWN POWERS:   

• Neural Manipulation:  IN (40) -The hero can alter a target's neural activity. By changing nerve messages within the target's body, the hero can cause a variety of effects.
• Disruption: The target's body loses all sensations; it falls to the ground, a limp lump mass of flesh.
• Paralysis: The target body becomes completely rigid. No chemical can counteract the paralysis while the power is in effect.
• Seizure: The target's muscles spasm uncontrollably for as long as the Power is in effect.
• Exaggeration: Nerve signals are actually amplified, causing the target to overact when attempting any movement.
• Sense Alteration:  EX (20) - The hero can deliberately change the manner in which a target either receives sensory stimuli processes it within the brain. The simplest form negates one or more of the senses, producing instant blindness, deafness, numbness, and so on. More complex is the ability to modify the senses. The hero can amplify some elements and negate others. For example, the hero might make a target literally see red (and only red).  The most complex form is Hallucinations. By a Monstrous Intensity FEAT, the hero can transfer sensory information to others, making everyone share a common set of perceptions. These may be the hero's, or someone else's.  Sensory negation takes a Typical Intensity FEAT; sensory alteration takes a Remarkable Intensity FEAT.  The Power rank determines the range and duration of the effects.
• Danger Sense:  TY (6) - It is a combination of automatically functioning Psionic Powers (Telepathy, Empathy, and Precognition) that warns the hero about impending danger. 
• Martial Supremacy "D":  RM (30) - This form seeks out the opponent's weak points and strikes at them. The hero can ignore the effects of physical Armor when determining Stun and Slam results. Unfortunately, the hero must study his opponent for two turns before he can bring this effect into play.

LIMITATIONS:  

• None

TALENTS:  

• Martial Arts (D)
• Sharp Weapons

CONTACTS:

• None

Superhero Name: Aodhamair

Character Name: Aodhamair (Ad Mair)

Origin:  Humanoid, Seliee Fae (1003 years old)

F  GD (10) / IN (40) Health:  28

A  TY (6)

S  TY (6)                         Karma:  80

E  TY (6)

R RM (30)                 Resources:  PR (4)

I   TY (6)

P  GD (10)                 Popularity:  7 

KNOWN POWERS:   

• Hypnotic Voice:  RM (30) - Hero can control targets within range of her voice, -1CS when greater than 20’ away
• Martial Supremacy “A”:  IN (40)
• Hyper-Intelligence: EX (20) - Permanent version 
• Total Memory:  GD (10)
• Iron Will:  Ex (20)
• Linguistics:  RM (30)  Hero can know up to 30 languages

LIMITATIONS:  

• Power negation with contact:  Iron (Must be pure iron metal)

TALENTS:  

• Resist Domination 

CONTACTS:

• Seliee Court

Superhero Name:  Unknown

Character Name:  Eli Edwards

Origin:  Modified Human

F  RM (30) Health:  120

A  IN (40)

S  EX (20) Karma:  50

E  RM (30)

R GD (10) Resources:  TY (6)

I   EX (20)

P  EX (20) Popularity:  0 / 0

KNOWN POWERS:   

• Slavic Magic: Draw power from “Domob a krb” the realm of Rod-Rozanica (White God & Black God) of the Pre-Christian Slavic Faith
• Visage of the Psychopomps (P):  IN (40) - The hero can shape-shift in a Sparrow (Psychopomp).  The hero can shift at-will and return to his human guise at anytime.  He gains the following abilities while shape-shifted:
• Winged Flight:  FE (2) - speed 30 mph / 2 areas
• Telescopic-vision:  FE (2) - Range 2 miles
• Dimensional Travel:  RM (30) - The hero can move between his home dimension and the realm of Peklabog (Slavic Underworld) while shape-shifted into a Sparrow
• Curse of Pripegala (U):  Ex (20) - The hero can “curse” a target with -1CS to all actions.  This ability has a Range of 1 area and duration 30 days upon a single target.
• Pekelnik of Ny (D):  EX (20) - The hero can summon a corporeal spirit from the Preklabog that are property of Ny.  They frequently appear as serpent or humanoid shaped being made of fire.  Both smell strongly of brimstone.  The summoned spirits are cooperative and will remain until destroyed or released by the summoner.
• Shield of Ny (D):  GD (10) - The spirits of Preklabog will act as a shield for the hero

LIMITATIONS:  

• Slavic Magic and a strong tenant of their faith requires a balance in all things; light/dark, male/female, finite/infinite, good/evil, the elements (earth, air, water, & fire), etc.   A practitioner must strive to maintain a “True Balance” in all things.  A failure to adhere to these belief will cause a -1CS to all feat rolls for each weak of ignoring or failing to achieve balance.

TALENTS:  

• Occult Lore
• Fist Aid 

CONTACTS:

• Local EMS

City of Heroes MMO News!

 City of Heroes

Way back in 2005 I went and purchased a copy of City of Heroes developed Cryptic Studios and published by NCSOFT.  Since I am big fan of comics, Supers, and MMORGP (Such as World of Warcraft) I though why not.  I installed the game and loaded up the character creation screen...and wow it took my breath away.  The options were varied, in-depth, and seemed limitless.  I spent an hour just working on my first characters appearance.

Over the next year I lost myself into the game and enjoyed many an evening of fighting crime and defeating villains in Paragon City.  I continued to play the game off and on again for the next several years.  I wasn't a big fan of the expansion City of Villains but it was a nice addition to the game.  I did enjoy reading about the roll out party that took place at Alcatraz in San Francisco for City of Villains, it was a cool idea to promote the new expansion!

Here is the Wiki article for those that are unfamiliar with the MMORPG:  City of Heroes Wiki

Then in 2012 Paragon Studios announced that CoH would be closing its doors for good and the game was soon to be shut down.  I had not been active in the game for a couple of years but it was terrible news.  I immediately went and reinstalled the game and logged back in to my old Rad/Rad character.  As soon as I was logged in, i received a whisper from an old friend who still played...he had kept my characters name in his friends list for two years hoping I would log back in...we had never shared real life contact info prior to me drifting away from the game!

We spent the evening reconnecting, talking about old times in the game, and sharing real life contact info.  It was great nostalgic evening that put me back in touch with an old friend.  Now skip ahead several years....

I kept tabs on some of the old forums and even some of the newer sources of info on the game, Reddit, Discord, and such to see if anyone had any interest in creating a private server of the game.  Over the years it was commonly believed that the source code was gone for good and for a private server to exist someone would have to complete redevelop the game.  Which wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

So this morning when I was checking out my old and new sources of info on CoH, out of habit, I found that last night an individual had released the server source code out into the wild of the inter-webs!

And, not only were the files released, but there has been a secret private server operated by this individual and a group called SCORE (stands for Secret Cabal of Reverse Engineers).  Another person going by the name of Destroyer Stroyer had been invited to the secret private server but felt it was wrong to keep it away from large and loyal following that CoH still has online in 2019.  So he made a video and revealed the existence of the server to the masses.

You can find the full story here:  City of Heroes Private Server Leak

The online groups have been going wild with this info for the past 24 hours!  I am going to keep an eye on what transpires and keep my fingers crossed that maybe I can play City of Heroes again one day soon.