Battletech 25th Anniversary

I have been interested in Battletech for a long time, before MechWarrior, before the clicky figures, before I got some figures for Dirtside II.  I am not even sure how I heard about the game in the first place, but it must have been in some game store I visited, or online or something.  A freind of mine had some of the RPG books and novels, so it may have been from that. [that would have been in 1996 or so]

Anyway, with the re-release of the boxed game, and the Total Warfare hardbound rulebook, my interest hit the level that I put them on my Amazon list. [which is absurdly long and comprehensive].  I thought that at some point, I would buy the boxed set, see how I liked playing with the 'mechs in the box, buy a few more units and have a little side game with my Dirtside stuff, and that would be it.  I read the basic rules online, I looked over camospecs [ok, looked at everything on camospecs], I got a little more interested. Then the box went out of print.

Now, finally, the 25th Anniversary boxed set is close to release.  Only two years late!

Maybe this time I should get it, instead of wishlisting it forever.

Five Games...

Concept cribbed from American Barbarica: Five roleplaying games I would like to run if I had the time and the players group.

1) Deepest Sea - A OSR game, using a slightly modified Labyrinth Lord engine and my own home made setting of, well, the Deepest Sea.  A grity low powered dungeon crawl, with a few sandbox elements, and some political hooks for those who are so inclined.
2) Wandering Weißenland - WHFRP sandbox game set in eastern Weißenland, exploring the ruins left from the destruction of Solland, the local politics, and whatever else the players would fancy.  The WHFRP game is pretty low magic oriented, and deadly, so cautious exploration would be key.
3) Skype/Electronic tabletop dungeon crawl - A game played with friends online, using some of the various electronic tabletop replicators out there.  Would probably devolve fairly quickly into a silly inter-party bash like most of our games played in high school.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.
4) Dark Heresy/Inqusimunda skirmish/role play hybrid game - Battling teams of Inquisitors/Rogue Traders/gangers, on a declining world, combat played using Inquisimunda rules, running around looking for clues, and hopefully roasting each other.
5) Dank Medieval city game - Massive rotting city, inspired by the Lies of Locke Lamora, highly political, complex multifaceted religious situation, and low magic.  neighborhoods with different customs, complicated guilds for all aspects of the economy, alchemists, corrupt nobility, etc.  Players as rogues/bravos, trying to make a big score, and escape a debt.  Would have a heavy reputation factor.

Come to think of it, most of my imagined settings are pretty low magic gritty settings.

Also, spent some time today looking through Rolang's Creeping Doom.  Lots of excellent ideas there, including a cleric class which worships a pantheon of gods, but only one per day, which one determined by a d6, with completely different modes of worship and rewards for same.

Photography

Today I had the help of my lovely wife in taking a few pictures.  The new and improved (?) header is a direct result.  It is amazing what a quality camera, tripod, lighting, and a skilled operator will do for you.

As an example, here is a new picture of the giant. Compare to this old one.

Games Workshop News

As you are probably aware, Games Workshop(GW) produces a game based on the Lord of the Rings (LotR) movies, and later got the licence for pretty much all Third Age related material. The release of the LotR movies, and the resulting boxed games and figures for the game was a HUGE boost to GW's business, and has resulted in the LotR game becoming one of the "core" systems pushed by GW. It has even spawned a mass battle version of the game, which I have not played, but which is supposed to be pretty good.

Now, GW has signed an agreement to make games based on the two new Hobbit movies. This should be good for the company, and seems pretty exciting to me as well. A Hobbit based version of the basic LotR game would be great, more interest in the Battle of Five Armies would be great, and figures would be great too! [maybe they will even re-release the Bo5A metal figures!?] So a pretty exciting, if not unexpected announcement.

Also, the Warhammer Orcs and Goblins are getting a new book soon, and in GW language, that means new models, and specifically, new plastic kits. This seems to mean mostly savage orcs, which interest me not at all, but the Skulkers and huge spider could be interesting.

Unfortunately, there are no new common or forest goblins on foot, which is what I was really looking for. Maybe those will come out in the "second wave".

Online but "in person"

Sorry for the silence lately, but I was in a car accident, and totaled our old car. After a couple of weeks of looking around, and lots of online review reading, we got a new vehicle, so things are back to normal. (and I am fine, only bruised my knee)

Anyway, last weekend, my wife and I had an enjoyable video chat with some friends of ours via Skype. During the end of the conversation, we added my friend's brother to the conversation using the new multiple person video chat(which is a paid aspect of the service). We BSed a bit, and then someone (maybe me) mentioned that it would be fun to play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) using this sort of technology. I did endure some ribbing with regards to having time to RP online, but not to play in the D&D online game that they already participate in. (my friend, his wife, his brother, and his brother-in-law all play)

As you might expect, there are already many ways for people to play games, and in particular role playing games online. Besides the obvious MPORG type situation (back to D&D online), which certainly skew more to "roll playing" than "role playing, there are dice rolling tools, specialized chat boards, and the like. Beyond that, there are entire mapping programs that allow for the DM to set up a map, and have players negotiate it. (and similar ones aimed at board games)

Still though, there is something to be said for seeing and hearing someone while you play, after all, the social aspect is what makes RP games so much fun, and conversely so hard to get going sometimes. What do you think? Would you, or have you, played a game online?