I mean, it's not too surprising as I didn't find the gameplay enjoyable, but it's still another game to joined the list of cancelled games that could have succeeded. My only real complaint with this game is that it got some of the Vampire classes wrong, sticking them to Clans that didn't work that way. I feel sorry that this project is over and for those who worked hard on it.
Once again, a Legacy of Kain project is scrapped. I fear that when we finally get that long awaited sequel, we'll end up with something akin to a disaster worse then the collapse of the Pillars.
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Quick AoS Update
So to just throw in my original Skaven plan, to have my themed army is still a long way off. In the meantime, I do have a back-up plan. Adding more Skaven over time will happen, but that may end up still being some time due to my financial situation. However, I do have some Chaos hanging around and by Chaos, I mean Tzeentch. See, I did start working on a Tzeentch themed force, but never got around to it. As such, I have some based painted Chaos Warriors, a box of Horrors and a Chaos Lord conversion that I never finished. With some new bases, I can work on these on the side to build up a usable force should I ever need to play a game.
That said, don't expect Pink Horrors, but more on the lines of 'what the hell type of paint scheme is that' Horrors. I just want to paint theme in just a fun way then in an accurate way. That way I can do one here or there in between my Malifaux models (Got one Coryphee done today and nearly finished the Viktoria of Blood).
That said, don't expect Pink Horrors, but more on the lines of 'what the hell type of paint scheme is that' Horrors. I just want to paint theme in just a fun way then in an accurate way. That way I can do one here or there in between my Malifaux models (Got one Coryphee done today and nearly finished the Viktoria of Blood).
New Gremlin Master Revealed
So Wyrd finally revealed the Gremlin Master: Zipp the Sky Pirate.
So who is Zipp? We know little apart from Zipp being Captain of the Sky Pirates and he owns an airship. Beyond that we'll have to wait for the books release.
Rule wise he is very interesting. He seems to have a good set of stats and keeping Masks for his defense means he can get out of combat. Flight obviously has the advantage on tables with various height terrain and I can assume his crew may also have a similar rule, making it more interesting if your opponent has characters with a similar ability (rooftop battles, here we come).
What is more interesting is that he counts as being Insignificant, so not only is he unable to drop scheme markers, but that also makes him ineligible to take certain schemes and strategies. This could be seen as a bad thing, but given his movement speed, it certainly seems to be more of a balancing adjustment. This is somewhat made up thanks to his Constant Yammering ability, which forces opponents withing six inches to discard two cards or they cannot perform Interact Actions. So while he himself cannot perform such actions, he can also stop his opponents from doing the same. Can see this guy would be useful against a Colette crew with the right models in his own.
Can't wait to see his crew box, plus he will probably be the third Master for my Gremlins.
So who is Zipp? We know little apart from Zipp being Captain of the Sky Pirates and he owns an airship. Beyond that we'll have to wait for the books release.
Rule wise he is very interesting. He seems to have a good set of stats and keeping Masks for his defense means he can get out of combat. Flight obviously has the advantage on tables with various height terrain and I can assume his crew may also have a similar rule, making it more interesting if your opponent has characters with a similar ability (rooftop battles, here we come).
What is more interesting is that he counts as being Insignificant, so not only is he unable to drop scheme markers, but that also makes him ineligible to take certain schemes and strategies. This could be seen as a bad thing, but given his movement speed, it certainly seems to be more of a balancing adjustment. This is somewhat made up thanks to his Constant Yammering ability, which forces opponents withing six inches to discard two cards or they cannot perform Interact Actions. So while he himself cannot perform such actions, he can also stop his opponents from doing the same. Can see this guy would be useful against a Colette crew with the right models in his own.
Can't wait to see his crew box, plus he will probably be the third Master for my Gremlins.
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Malifaux: A Brief Intro to Gremlins
So as far as factions go in Malifaux, Gremlins seem to keep coming in dead last. At first this might mean that they aren't good at winning games, but from all I've seen and heard, it's more of the fact that people prefer the other factions. As such, I'm writing this little article to help promote the wacky green hillbillies.
A Quick Look at Lore:
As I mentioned above, the Gremlins are mostly based on the American Hillbilly stereotype, for the most part. They live in the Bayous that are located on various sides of the city of Malifaux, and for most of time that the Gremlins have existed it has always been an eat or be eaten life with the other Bayou creatures. When Humans came to Malifaux more recently, the Gremlins weren't really hostile and were more curious. They studied them and learned a number of things, such as they could breed and raise pigs instead of trying to hunt them. They also learned a lot about clothing (thank goodness for that), even coming to the conclusion that those who wore the biggest hats were the most important.
Not everyone is a hillbilly. The Brewmaster and his crew are drunken ninja themed, Ophelia and the LaCroix are parodies of various characters of other Malifaux factions, Wong is clearly inspired by the movie Big Trouble in Little China and Mancha Roja is a Luchador.
A Quick Look at Masters and their Playstyles:
So both Somer Teeth Jones and Ulix can play an offensive or summoner style, with one focused of Bayou Gremlins and the other is Pigs. Both are good, but you need to pay attention to the strategies and schemes to decide which one is more useful to play. Ophelia LaCroix is very much a ranged damage character and Mah Tucket is a melee focused character. The Brewmaster is more focused on the poisoned condition and you defiantly want models that dish out poison in his crew. Wong is a more versatile character (based on which upgrades you choose) and is good at removing enemy scheme markers. There is a new master coming, but we don't know much on them yet.
Gremlins are very much a Risk vs Reward style of group. Abilities such as Reckless (take damage to gain a free action point) and triggers (like the one that does double damage, but that model takes half) mean that you have to decide when is the right time to use them. If you don't care too much about winning and just want some good old crazy fun, then go all out. If you are more focused on a strategic win, then figuring out the best time to use them is a skill that will take time to learn. Sometimes a little damage early on can make the difference (say, to take out Francisco Ortega before his buffing becomes a major problem). Many animal models (like the Pigs and Roosters) can also start rampaging through your own crew if not kept in check, so always make sure they are either closer to the enemy or they have a controller in range. This faction are not the best when it comes to defense and resilience, but with the right movement (some have good abilities to move themselves or others around) and targeting the right targets, your crew can certainly stand toe-to-toe with any other faction in Malifaux
Picking a Henchman (Shifting Loyalties):
So this question came up more recently with the Shifting Loyalties campaign, with players picking a Henchman to lead their crews and not getting access to Masters until halfway through the campaign. Players were having trouble picking a Henchman that was useful for the points cost (In a normal game, a leader's soulstone cost is not taken into account, but in a Shifting Loyalties campaign it is added to the crew total) and so a few suggestions were given.
McTravish - Probably the most popular option from various forum posts, McTravish has a good defense and wounds stat, does good damage and has a few useful tactical actions. If you keep a few models with the Swampfiend tag near him, that can always help.
Mancha Roja - Has good defense and wounds, but is more melee focused. Applies a negative flip to any wound flips against him and can use impassable terrain to give himself a larger charge range. His tactical actions can be use to benifit him or draw attention to him.
Sparks - I'm just throwing this one in here, he doesn't have as good of a defense and wound numbers, but does have Armor +1, which can help. Despite having really only a melee attack, he does make a good support character, particularly if you have the right models join his crew.
Best Crew Models to Pick:
To tell you which models to pick for your crew isn't the best thing to do, you really need to try out a variety and see what works best. Check the conditions of strategies and schemes to see which ones would best suit them, but also consider how they would work with other models in your crew and your Master. If I am to put a few on here, then the first I would consider is the Slop Hauler as he is great to keep near a summoning Master to heal models they summon. Another is the Bushwacker as in missions where your opponent can score points for killing minions, her natural cover with a defensive stance can keep her alive longer. Plus, should a model fail in a shooting action, she can take a single shot at that target as long as she has sight and range to them once a turn.
Master wise, models that dish out poison work well with the Brewmaster and any Pig type and Hog Wisperer's can work well with Ulix.
Which Crew Do I Pick?:
This one is purely up to you. I personally would pick ones that you like the look of and then look up how they work to see if they feel right for you. I suggest looking at this site to check out tactics and synergies for the various models:
Pull My Finger Malifaux Wiki - Gremlins
Playing Gremlins is no different to playing other factions with enough knowledge and practice, but they are a colourful faction and I've found them to by a joy to play. Take you time and in the end, just have fun.
Note: I know this is very short and if people have questions or want me to go into more depth, then feel free to ask.
A Quick Look at Lore:
As I mentioned above, the Gremlins are mostly based on the American Hillbilly stereotype, for the most part. They live in the Bayous that are located on various sides of the city of Malifaux, and for most of time that the Gremlins have existed it has always been an eat or be eaten life with the other Bayou creatures. When Humans came to Malifaux more recently, the Gremlins weren't really hostile and were more curious. They studied them and learned a number of things, such as they could breed and raise pigs instead of trying to hunt them. They also learned a lot about clothing (thank goodness for that), even coming to the conclusion that those who wore the biggest hats were the most important.
Not everyone is a hillbilly. The Brewmaster and his crew are drunken ninja themed, Ophelia and the LaCroix are parodies of various characters of other Malifaux factions, Wong is clearly inspired by the movie Big Trouble in Little China and Mancha Roja is a Luchador.
A Quick Look at Masters and their Playstyles:
So both Somer Teeth Jones and Ulix can play an offensive or summoner style, with one focused of Bayou Gremlins and the other is Pigs. Both are good, but you need to pay attention to the strategies and schemes to decide which one is more useful to play. Ophelia LaCroix is very much a ranged damage character and Mah Tucket is a melee focused character. The Brewmaster is more focused on the poisoned condition and you defiantly want models that dish out poison in his crew. Wong is a more versatile character (based on which upgrades you choose) and is good at removing enemy scheme markers. There is a new master coming, but we don't know much on them yet.
Gremlins are very much a Risk vs Reward style of group. Abilities such as Reckless (take damage to gain a free action point) and triggers (like the one that does double damage, but that model takes half) mean that you have to decide when is the right time to use them. If you don't care too much about winning and just want some good old crazy fun, then go all out. If you are more focused on a strategic win, then figuring out the best time to use them is a skill that will take time to learn. Sometimes a little damage early on can make the difference (say, to take out Francisco Ortega before his buffing becomes a major problem). Many animal models (like the Pigs and Roosters) can also start rampaging through your own crew if not kept in check, so always make sure they are either closer to the enemy or they have a controller in range. This faction are not the best when it comes to defense and resilience, but with the right movement (some have good abilities to move themselves or others around) and targeting the right targets, your crew can certainly stand toe-to-toe with any other faction in Malifaux
Picking a Henchman (Shifting Loyalties):
So this question came up more recently with the Shifting Loyalties campaign, with players picking a Henchman to lead their crews and not getting access to Masters until halfway through the campaign. Players were having trouble picking a Henchman that was useful for the points cost (In a normal game, a leader's soulstone cost is not taken into account, but in a Shifting Loyalties campaign it is added to the crew total) and so a few suggestions were given.
McTravish - Probably the most popular option from various forum posts, McTravish has a good defense and wounds stat, does good damage and has a few useful tactical actions. If you keep a few models with the Swampfiend tag near him, that can always help.
Mancha Roja - Has good defense and wounds, but is more melee focused. Applies a negative flip to any wound flips against him and can use impassable terrain to give himself a larger charge range. His tactical actions can be use to benifit him or draw attention to him.
Sparks - I'm just throwing this one in here, he doesn't have as good of a defense and wound numbers, but does have Armor +1, which can help. Despite having really only a melee attack, he does make a good support character, particularly if you have the right models join his crew.
Best Crew Models to Pick:
To tell you which models to pick for your crew isn't the best thing to do, you really need to try out a variety and see what works best. Check the conditions of strategies and schemes to see which ones would best suit them, but also consider how they would work with other models in your crew and your Master. If I am to put a few on here, then the first I would consider is the Slop Hauler as he is great to keep near a summoning Master to heal models they summon. Another is the Bushwacker as in missions where your opponent can score points for killing minions, her natural cover with a defensive stance can keep her alive longer. Plus, should a model fail in a shooting action, she can take a single shot at that target as long as she has sight and range to them once a turn.
Master wise, models that dish out poison work well with the Brewmaster and any Pig type and Hog Wisperer's can work well with Ulix.
Which Crew Do I Pick?:
This one is purely up to you. I personally would pick ones that you like the look of and then look up how they work to see if they feel right for you. I suggest looking at this site to check out tactics and synergies for the various models:
Pull My Finger Malifaux Wiki - Gremlins
Playing Gremlins is no different to playing other factions with enough knowledge and practice, but they are a colourful faction and I've found them to by a joy to play. Take you time and in the end, just have fun.
Note: I know this is very short and if people have questions or want me to go into more depth, then feel free to ask.
Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience
So yesterday I went to the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience and it was amazing. The event is a tour through World War One (a.k.a The Great War) and is done through a head set narrative. What does that mean? Well, you go from room to room looking at exhibits and artifacts detailing the time from the start of war to it's end from the Australians side. You where a headset that plays a narrative (or sometimes a repeating ambient noise) as you go through that tells not only the story of the war through key events, but recounts tales from those who were in it. Each are has a narration of around 3-6 minutes, but it is very informative.
There are a few sections that can really effect you emotionally, particularly the trenches section and the memorial section. I have no shame in saying that more so in those sections I was near brought to tears and had I been alone, I probably would have cried. Such an emotional journey. The audio was near perfect and I would really love a copy of the whole thing just to listen to again.
The trenches really brought out the horror of war, seeing those trying to sleep in dug out tunnels, trying to sleep while constant sound of shelling brings it to life. Trying to imagine the nightmare of spending time in a hole with the constant sounds of shelling, wondering if at any moment the place could collapse on you and bury you alive. There was one tale of the witnessing of men going mad, spending days hiding with all that shelling before loosing it and running towards enemy lines, wanting to end the shelling, but instead ends up ending their lives. Watching as people lay slowly dying in constant agony. Truly this was hell on Earth.
My brother and I soon discussed as to whether or not the media (such as shows and games) a moving towards glorifying war as oppose to showing how bad it is. We both agreed that more needs to be done to discourage the glorification and people need to be reminded of what war does to people.
A very worthwhile experience and more Australians need to check it out.
There are a few sections that can really effect you emotionally, particularly the trenches section and the memorial section. I have no shame in saying that more so in those sections I was near brought to tears and had I been alone, I probably would have cried. Such an emotional journey. The audio was near perfect and I would really love a copy of the whole thing just to listen to again.
The trenches really brought out the horror of war, seeing those trying to sleep in dug out tunnels, trying to sleep while constant sound of shelling brings it to life. Trying to imagine the nightmare of spending time in a hole with the constant sounds of shelling, wondering if at any moment the place could collapse on you and bury you alive. There was one tale of the witnessing of men going mad, spending days hiding with all that shelling before loosing it and running towards enemy lines, wanting to end the shelling, but instead ends up ending their lives. Watching as people lay slowly dying in constant agony. Truly this was hell on Earth.
My brother and I soon discussed as to whether or not the media (such as shows and games) a moving towards glorifying war as oppose to showing how bad it is. We both agreed that more needs to be done to discourage the glorification and people need to be reminded of what war does to people.
A very worthwhile experience and more Australians need to check it out.
Monday, 20 June 2016
Overwatch Players Hate Me
Wow, some people just can't take a little criticism of a game. I played it, I got bored of it and I think the story and game simply don't work together. I never said the game was bad and if you like it then more power to you. It's my opinion and I'll stick by it despite the abuse I got.
It's a game, lighten up people.
It's a game, lighten up people.
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Skith 2.0 Update
So here's an update on the new and improved Forgemaster Skith Warpclaw 2.0.
In this pic you can see a lot of the conversion work for the new Forgemaster including the lower half of his new base. Not all the parts are sticking too well as you can see by the banner and I still need to touch up the greenstuff work on areas like the head and claw. Also, removed the hand warpfire thrower and instead made it an attachment to the halberd, it seemed appropriate since really it's just a one-shot use. Hopefully I'll get more work done on him within the next few days.
In this pic you can see a lot of the conversion work for the new Forgemaster including the lower half of his new base. Not all the parts are sticking too well as you can see by the banner and I still need to touch up the greenstuff work on areas like the head and claw. Also, removed the hand warpfire thrower and instead made it an attachment to the halberd, it seemed appropriate since really it's just a one-shot use. Hopefully I'll get more work done on him within the next few days.
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Skaven crew thought
Ah Skryre, what will I do with you.
So the whole Cohort of Doom thing will be much further off then I had originally thought, but I can still do a small force to game with. I should have the Warlord done by the end of the week and will have at least one ten rat strong clanrat group along with a poisoned wind mortar team as well. This is because their base painting was done prior to the End Times and I just stopped working on them after that. I do have a few more clanrats, but I don't have the bases. I am going through my 8th edition crew to see what was never used and see if I can re-base those miniatures. If I was never going to use them in my force, then I can use them now.
Due to my incredible, non-existent cash flow, I probably won't be gathering a huge number of models in the future. My guess is apart from Skryre Acolytes and weapon teams, not much else is foreseeable. If they do produce a Skryre book in the future I'll probably grab it and see where the force will proceed from that point.
That said, I do have some Tzeentch themed Chaos I can do here and there. In particular, I have some Horror, which I want to paint up in a bizarre array of colours and patterns just for fun, but they could also be used in a game if needed.
So the whole Cohort of Doom thing will be much further off then I had originally thought, but I can still do a small force to game with. I should have the Warlord done by the end of the week and will have at least one ten rat strong clanrat group along with a poisoned wind mortar team as well. This is because their base painting was done prior to the End Times and I just stopped working on them after that. I do have a few more clanrats, but I don't have the bases. I am going through my 8th edition crew to see what was never used and see if I can re-base those miniatures. If I was never going to use them in my force, then I can use them now.
Due to my incredible, non-existent cash flow, I probably won't be gathering a huge number of models in the future. My guess is apart from Skryre Acolytes and weapon teams, not much else is foreseeable. If they do produce a Skryre book in the future I'll probably grab it and see where the force will proceed from that point.
That said, I do have some Tzeentch themed Chaos I can do here and there. In particular, I have some Horror, which I want to paint up in a bizarre array of colours and patterns just for fun, but they could also be used in a game if needed.
Monday, 13 June 2016
New Prey Game Announced, I Hate It
So Bethesda released a trailer for the new Prey game and it turns out I'm not impressed. In fact, I bloody hate it.
First off, it's got nothing to do with the original Prey game, it's a bloody re-imagining of the franchise. The franchise has had one game and a cancelled sequel, it doesn't need re-imagining. One story about a Native American coming to grips with his peoples culture and ways while fighting an alien force which is harvesting humans. The sequel was said to follow one survivor from the plane that crashed in the original game as he finds himself on an alien world as a bounty hunter. Hell, the end of the first Prey has the government pretending the events never happened so you could have had this game connected to it, but nope, it's a re-imagining and not a sequel.
So after all the waiting, after all the hints of a return, we finally get a new Prey game. A game that has nothing to do with the original. A game that would have been better off being called something else other then Prey. A game that has now disappointed me to the point that I now see it in a negative light because of this.
This isn't Prey, this is a cash in on the name. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play the original Prey and enjoy what was one of my favourite first-person shooters.
Edit: Ok, so perhaps I need to better explain a bit better now I've calm down a bit. What I was saying is that I'm not bagging the game out for being bad or anything (Hell, the trailer really doesn't show any actual gameplay or real story and is more of a mess if anything), but rather that it has nothing to do with anything that is the Prey universe. A re-imagining still has to somehow remain loyal to the original series. Star Fox Zero is an excellent example of a good re-imagining, which still sticks faithfully to it's original series, but still introduces new ideas and gameplay. The new Prey feels more like taking the original Mario Bros and making a Sonic game, calling it a Mario Bros re-imagining. It's going to upset fans of the original.
What is even more insulting is that there was already a great idea in production called Prey 2 that Bethesda owns and would have full control over. It was still set in the same universe, was connected to the original and was going to feature the original protagonist at some point in the game. You would play a bounty hunter with par-core skills and an array of gadgets. The trailer was amazing and people were hyped for it, so why not simply take what was already made and get another company to continue production on it. As many people who weren't fans of the first game still stated that they were more looking forward to Prey 2 then this new game based on the trailer alone.
The fact they cancelled what was to be a great sequel to do a somewhat confusing re-imagining that has nothing of the original about it just seems to infuriate me more then anything.
First off, it's got nothing to do with the original Prey game, it's a bloody re-imagining of the franchise. The franchise has had one game and a cancelled sequel, it doesn't need re-imagining. One story about a Native American coming to grips with his peoples culture and ways while fighting an alien force which is harvesting humans. The sequel was said to follow one survivor from the plane that crashed in the original game as he finds himself on an alien world as a bounty hunter. Hell, the end of the first Prey has the government pretending the events never happened so you could have had this game connected to it, but nope, it's a re-imagining and not a sequel.
So after all the waiting, after all the hints of a return, we finally get a new Prey game. A game that has nothing to do with the original. A game that would have been better off being called something else other then Prey. A game that has now disappointed me to the point that I now see it in a negative light because of this.
This isn't Prey, this is a cash in on the name. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play the original Prey and enjoy what was one of my favourite first-person shooters.
Edit: Ok, so perhaps I need to better explain a bit better now I've calm down a bit. What I was saying is that I'm not bagging the game out for being bad or anything (Hell, the trailer really doesn't show any actual gameplay or real story and is more of a mess if anything), but rather that it has nothing to do with anything that is the Prey universe. A re-imagining still has to somehow remain loyal to the original series. Star Fox Zero is an excellent example of a good re-imagining, which still sticks faithfully to it's original series, but still introduces new ideas and gameplay. The new Prey feels more like taking the original Mario Bros and making a Sonic game, calling it a Mario Bros re-imagining. It's going to upset fans of the original.
What is even more insulting is that there was already a great idea in production called Prey 2 that Bethesda owns and would have full control over. It was still set in the same universe, was connected to the original and was going to feature the original protagonist at some point in the game. You would play a bounty hunter with par-core skills and an array of gadgets. The trailer was amazing and people were hyped for it, so why not simply take what was already made and get another company to continue production on it. As many people who weren't fans of the first game still stated that they were more looking forward to Prey 2 then this new game based on the trailer alone.
The fact they cancelled what was to be a great sequel to do a somewhat confusing re-imagining that has nothing of the original about it just seems to infuriate me more then anything.
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Future Skaven Projects?
So that last post had me doing a Skaven Warlord in an Age of Sigmar style, so one might be asking then: "If you did one in an AoS style, why don't you do a group and stop bitching hating AoS".
Firstly, your a very rude person and that was mean to say, secondly I never said I hated Age of Sigmar. I am very angry about the End Times and feel betrayed, plus the lack of lore for everyone is difficult to makes it harder to get into, but that shouldn't prevent me for still playing a game. Malifaux is still my main game, but the thing is that there are very few places to play games and sadly my only opponent really is my brother, who has to travel a fair distance just for a game or two. As such, I have to consider an alternative option for games. My local store is run by a guy who has worked for the company for years and is someone I trust to ensure things can go smoothly. I want to have a game here and there and sadly, I just can't get many Malifaux.
So I have to look to an alternative option and that just leaves Age of Sigmar. This is simply because not many miniature games can grab me (not even 40K) and at least with AoS I can still play Skaven. After discussing the situation with my GW store guy, I have chosen to keep my current based Skaven as square/rectangle to keep playing classic with my bro's High Elves. As such, I'll need to build a Chaos: Grand Alliance from scratch.
I do already possess a number of miniatures in that regard and am willing to re-base a few of my Chaos miniatures for this purpose. I still want to focus on a Skryre themed group, though throwing a few Tzeentch allies would fit the storyline I was running with. As for the Skryre theme, I got to look at the formation that it involved and I have some views on it.
The Cohort of Doom would let me theme my force better. First off, Forgemaster Skith Warpclaw would be the Arch-Warlock and that I could theme each of the Trio of Terror as leaders of their own Enginecovens. Snikkitch could lead the Gascloud Chokelung (the poisoned globe group, he's dedicated his art to true treachery through gas), Gnithnik would lead the Arkhspark Voltik (he was associated with the warp-lightning cannon) or the Rattlegauge Warplock (cause he was also a gun nut) and Snikkotto is obviously the Whyrlblade Treshik (cause he loves the wheels). As to why these characters are still alive, that much I've already worked out and I'll explain at a later date.
Of course, this is still a long way off. While I can use my old miniatures, though I admit, I was pressured to re-base them. I guess with the cannon and doomwheel I could set up maybe a special pinning or magnet spot to help switch bases for games, but that would still take some planning to pull off (though cheaper then buying new models). What I do need to get even two of these Enginecovens is at least one-to-three boxes of Stormfiends. I want to equip one to represent each of the Trio of Terror (so Windlaunchers for Snikkitch, Ratling Cannons for Gnithnik and Doomflayer Gauntlets for Snikkotto). At $99 for a single box, getting enough just to complete all three Enginecovens is a long way off. This wouldn't be too much of a problem except that Stormfiends are a minimum of three in a unit and so I'd need a box for each one where as if it was a minimum of one per unit it would have been better. As to which two that will be the first, it will be the lightning cannon and poisoned wind ones, as that will be the best ones for me to start off. The Acolytes (Globadiers) are ones I can get here and there and I do still have a free mortar to use.
Still need some Warlock Engineers to represent the three and that means more conversions. I guess in time we'll get new Skryre stuff (each faction seems to be getting focus on set realms, like Nurgle, Clan Pestilens and Forest Spirits in the Realm of Life) so my guess is that they may get a book, a new contraption or two and a new Warlock Engineer.
Again, Malifaux is my main game and Skaven/AoE is a side project to it.
Firstly, your a very rude person and that was mean to say, secondly I never said I hated Age of Sigmar. I am very angry about the End Times and feel betrayed, plus the lack of lore for everyone is difficult to makes it harder to get into, but that shouldn't prevent me for still playing a game. Malifaux is still my main game, but the thing is that there are very few places to play games and sadly my only opponent really is my brother, who has to travel a fair distance just for a game or two. As such, I have to consider an alternative option for games. My local store is run by a guy who has worked for the company for years and is someone I trust to ensure things can go smoothly. I want to have a game here and there and sadly, I just can't get many Malifaux.
So I have to look to an alternative option and that just leaves Age of Sigmar. This is simply because not many miniature games can grab me (not even 40K) and at least with AoS I can still play Skaven. After discussing the situation with my GW store guy, I have chosen to keep my current based Skaven as square/rectangle to keep playing classic with my bro's High Elves. As such, I'll need to build a Chaos: Grand Alliance from scratch.
I do already possess a number of miniatures in that regard and am willing to re-base a few of my Chaos miniatures for this purpose. I still want to focus on a Skryre themed group, though throwing a few Tzeentch allies would fit the storyline I was running with. As for the Skryre theme, I got to look at the formation that it involved and I have some views on it.
The Cohort of Doom would let me theme my force better. First off, Forgemaster Skith Warpclaw would be the Arch-Warlock and that I could theme each of the Trio of Terror as leaders of their own Enginecovens. Snikkitch could lead the Gascloud Chokelung (the poisoned globe group, he's dedicated his art to true treachery through gas), Gnithnik would lead the Arkhspark Voltik (he was associated with the warp-lightning cannon) or the Rattlegauge Warplock (cause he was also a gun nut) and Snikkotto is obviously the Whyrlblade Treshik (cause he loves the wheels). As to why these characters are still alive, that much I've already worked out and I'll explain at a later date.
Of course, this is still a long way off. While I can use my old miniatures, though I admit, I was pressured to re-base them. I guess with the cannon and doomwheel I could set up maybe a special pinning or magnet spot to help switch bases for games, but that would still take some planning to pull off (though cheaper then buying new models). What I do need to get even two of these Enginecovens is at least one-to-three boxes of Stormfiends. I want to equip one to represent each of the Trio of Terror (so Windlaunchers for Snikkitch, Ratling Cannons for Gnithnik and Doomflayer Gauntlets for Snikkotto). At $99 for a single box, getting enough just to complete all three Enginecovens is a long way off. This wouldn't be too much of a problem except that Stormfiends are a minimum of three in a unit and so I'd need a box for each one where as if it was a minimum of one per unit it would have been better. As to which two that will be the first, it will be the lightning cannon and poisoned wind ones, as that will be the best ones for me to start off. The Acolytes (Globadiers) are ones I can get here and there and I do still have a free mortar to use.
Still need some Warlock Engineers to represent the three and that means more conversions. I guess in time we'll get new Skryre stuff (each faction seems to be getting focus on set realms, like Nurgle, Clan Pestilens and Forest Spirits in the Realm of Life) so my guess is that they may get a book, a new contraption or two and a new Warlock Engineer.
Again, Malifaux is my main game and Skaven/AoE is a side project to it.
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Skaven Scratchings
So I tried desperately to get some painting done, but alas I could not. So instead I was just going through a box of old projects and found this one. Decided to give it a shot and in the new Age of Sigmar style (I already have enough old ones for my classic Fantasy force).
You may notice it's a little shiny around the cloth and rock, which was an accident with the plastics glue as a glob spilled over it. Doesn't look too damaged and should be good to paint after I base it.
You might also noticed that Skith 2.0 has slowly been worked on, but I still need an appropriate sized base to place him on before I can work on him further. Don't worry, The Forgemaster will return.
You may notice it's a little shiny around the cloth and rock, which was an accident with the plastics glue as a glob spilled over it. Doesn't look too damaged and should be good to paint after I base it.
You might also noticed that Skith 2.0 has slowly been worked on, but I still need an appropriate sized base to place him on before I can work on him further. Don't worry, The Forgemaster will return.
Review/Rant: Deponia Doomsday
Warning: This review/rant is spoiler heavy, not only for this game but also for the original trilogy. I have to spoil some parts from the original (particularly it's ending) as it's vital to some of my complaints with this game.
So what to make of this one? I can't tell if this game was made in jest or to insult. I was a big fan of the original trilogy and while I didn't like the ending, I accepted it. What I don't accept is this game, which if it was ment to be a light heartened jest, then it has rubbed me the wrong way. A cross sequel/ prequel (time travel is always confusing), this game was advertised as:
Except that's not what entierly happens, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
So let's first start with the gameplay. It's your standard point-and-click adventure style you'd expect except they've added one new feature: Clicking! That's right, there are sections that will ask you to click a button for an action to take place. Not sure why it was added into a game like this when there was already a perfect formula, but at least it wasn't a quick-time event with random button combinations.
Graphics wise the game looks as beautiful like it's predecessors and the sound and music are great. At least, for the most part. See, one of the staples of the Deponia series is the Hazzah songs that a played at the start of the game, as intermissions between parts of the story and it's endings. They are catchy, entertaining and a great story summary's done in a fun way. Except in Doomsday they have only one song, the introduction Hazzah song and that's it. It really takes away from the experience of the first three games as this feels like a watered down version. It's a great song, though I have my issues with it.
So let's talk about my issues with this game and boy do I have some issues. As mentioned above, the game is advertised in a way that makes it feel that you can change a characters fate, except that by the end of the game not only have you not changed that fate, but the story seems more muddled then before. See, at the end of Goodbye Deponia, Rufus was placed in a position and had to make a choice. Rufus, Argus and Cletus (all dressed as Cletus) were stuck and Goal could only save one of them. Given that their transport was about to collapse and they needed to get back to Elysium to save Deponia, Rufus pointed to Cletus as being the real Rufus and chose to fall. Goal (now knowing that it was Rufus who sacrificed himself) rescues Cletus and they return to Elysium where Cletus, now dressed as Rufus, does his best Rufus impersonation and trying to think of Rufus ideas to save Elysium while Goal goes outside to look down on Deponia and of Rufus' true fate. It was sad and many fans felt that for a guy who one fell from a great (mountain like) height into a pile of needles and recovered from it fast enough, there was a possibility he could of survived (that and there was still a cloning factory).
Now enter Doomsday, were despite his sacrifice, Elysium still falls killing nearly all of it's residence. Some sacrifice huh. But now we see a frozen wasteland with monsters and an old Rufus using the last bomb to blow up Deponia. Why? How? Well, that's what you play the game for. We get into a story about time travel and while the first act uses it in a unique way, the rest of the game falls flat on it, going into a linear path. The Hazzah song at the beginning of this spells out the above quotes lie as that it belatedly points out that you can't change his fate, stop trying to find look whole, he's dead so just deal with it. They might feel this is a light heartened jab at fans, but it feels more like a middle finger (even if the song is good). Honestly, Day of the Tentacle did it much better in my opinion, but that's minor complaint. No, it's the build up of the story until you reach the Paradox City and once there the whole thing goes downhill. There's suppose to be meaning and connection in it, but one you get deep into it and them finally leave you get to one of the games big problems; The Utopians.
What was the purpose of these guys? I mean, they just seem to show up for the purpose of screwing everything up. Yes they don't want Rufus to go away from the original timeline, but how does saving Rufus cause the destruction of the Utopian homeworld and if it was that bad, would you not want a more positive outcome instead of being straight up jerks about it. They act so villainous that you can't take them seriously and just want to strangle them yourself. Also, why does their hair look like the same as Rufus and Goal?
Then there's the ending. So Rufus still falls and this time we are expected that he is dead-dead. Problem is, you just created a few time paradoxes and since the universe hasn't implode, that means we're getting down to the whole multi-verse theory. If we are to go there, then don't be surprised to see a multi-verse traveler Rufus who goes there to save Rufus just before he is killed. Seriously, that's what it's asking for.
As great as it was to hear the Hazzah crew, to hear Rufus and Goal's awesome voices, this game was completely unnecessary. It feels like it was made more out of spite then of love. If they just wanted Rufus to be dead, then just leave the series at Goodbye Deponia. Fans will always speculate and find loopholes, it's what fans do. This doesn't add to the series, it only takes away from the original trilogy. That and the steam brief just feels like a lie:
Can you change Deponia's Fate? -No you can't.
Do you have what it takes to change Rufus' past, present and future without accidentally destroying the whole planet? -No, cause nothing you do can change it.
Given that this game was a one off, that only makes it worse as if this was a more blown out trilogy (such as I mentioned above with the multi-verse idea) then perhaps it would feel more like it was leading up to something, but as a standalone it just simply does not live up to the originals. As a time travel story, there were many missed opportunities as well, such as going back and meeting the original whom Rufus was a clone of and the launching of Elysium. There was a bunch of history that was hinted at, but none of it was even touched on in this game. The game is still funny, there are plenty of great gags and still has much of the Deponia humour and moments the series is known for (for the most part anyway), but the game as a whole just felt a little misguided.
If anything, I highly recommend you play the original trilogy (it has a complete set on Steam, which is very handy) as it is a fun adventure to enjoy....even if I did just ruin it's ending for you...
...Yeah, sorry about that.
Edit: So it just occurred to me, in the introduction after Deponia's destruction and then time goes back, Rufus remembers that event. However, when the time traveler hits the glasses and breaks them, their conversation means that this was their first encounter. Meaning that until this point the two had never met, even with the time loop. This was their first encounter, meaning all that stuff in the intro with the Fewlocks and Deponia's destruction would have had to of happened before this all started. In other words, for a game to state that Rufus had died at the end of the trilogy, they clearly made a plothole that said Rufus would have to have survived it in order for these events to occur and the Fewlocks would have to have existed without the events in Chapters 3 and 6. This is why you don't do stories about time travel without going over the story a few times before releasing it.
So what to make of this one? I can't tell if this game was made in jest or to insult. I was a big fan of the original trilogy and while I didn't like the ending, I accepted it. What I don't accept is this game, which if it was ment to be a light heartened jest, then it has rubbed me the wrong way. A cross sequel/ prequel (time travel is always confusing), this game was advertised as:
Can you change Deponia's fate? Do you have what it takes to change Rufus' past, present and future without accidently destroying the whole planet? Fight time itself in this action-packed, platypus-tastic and insanely hilarious story.
Except that's not what entierly happens, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
So let's first start with the gameplay. It's your standard point-and-click adventure style you'd expect except they've added one new feature: Clicking! That's right, there are sections that will ask you to click a button for an action to take place. Not sure why it was added into a game like this when there was already a perfect formula, but at least it wasn't a quick-time event with random button combinations.
Graphics wise the game looks as beautiful like it's predecessors and the sound and music are great. At least, for the most part. See, one of the staples of the Deponia series is the Hazzah songs that a played at the start of the game, as intermissions between parts of the story and it's endings. They are catchy, entertaining and a great story summary's done in a fun way. Except in Doomsday they have only one song, the introduction Hazzah song and that's it. It really takes away from the experience of the first three games as this feels like a watered down version. It's a great song, though I have my issues with it.
So let's talk about my issues with this game and boy do I have some issues. As mentioned above, the game is advertised in a way that makes it feel that you can change a characters fate, except that by the end of the game not only have you not changed that fate, but the story seems more muddled then before. See, at the end of Goodbye Deponia, Rufus was placed in a position and had to make a choice. Rufus, Argus and Cletus (all dressed as Cletus) were stuck and Goal could only save one of them. Given that their transport was about to collapse and they needed to get back to Elysium to save Deponia, Rufus pointed to Cletus as being the real Rufus and chose to fall. Goal (now knowing that it was Rufus who sacrificed himself) rescues Cletus and they return to Elysium where Cletus, now dressed as Rufus, does his best Rufus impersonation and trying to think of Rufus ideas to save Elysium while Goal goes outside to look down on Deponia and of Rufus' true fate. It was sad and many fans felt that for a guy who one fell from a great (mountain like) height into a pile of needles and recovered from it fast enough, there was a possibility he could of survived (that and there was still a cloning factory).
Now enter Doomsday, were despite his sacrifice, Elysium still falls killing nearly all of it's residence. Some sacrifice huh. But now we see a frozen wasteland with monsters and an old Rufus using the last bomb to blow up Deponia. Why? How? Well, that's what you play the game for. We get into a story about time travel and while the first act uses it in a unique way, the rest of the game falls flat on it, going into a linear path. The Hazzah song at the beginning of this spells out the above quotes lie as that it belatedly points out that you can't change his fate, stop trying to find look whole, he's dead so just deal with it. They might feel this is a light heartened jab at fans, but it feels more like a middle finger (even if the song is good). Honestly, Day of the Tentacle did it much better in my opinion, but that's minor complaint. No, it's the build up of the story until you reach the Paradox City and once there the whole thing goes downhill. There's suppose to be meaning and connection in it, but one you get deep into it and them finally leave you get to one of the games big problems; The Utopians.
What was the purpose of these guys? I mean, they just seem to show up for the purpose of screwing everything up. Yes they don't want Rufus to go away from the original timeline, but how does saving Rufus cause the destruction of the Utopian homeworld and if it was that bad, would you not want a more positive outcome instead of being straight up jerks about it. They act so villainous that you can't take them seriously and just want to strangle them yourself. Also, why does their hair look like the same as Rufus and Goal?
Then there's the ending. So Rufus still falls and this time we are expected that he is dead-dead. Problem is, you just created a few time paradoxes and since the universe hasn't implode, that means we're getting down to the whole multi-verse theory. If we are to go there, then don't be surprised to see a multi-verse traveler Rufus who goes there to save Rufus just before he is killed. Seriously, that's what it's asking for.
As great as it was to hear the Hazzah crew, to hear Rufus and Goal's awesome voices, this game was completely unnecessary. It feels like it was made more out of spite then of love. If they just wanted Rufus to be dead, then just leave the series at Goodbye Deponia. Fans will always speculate and find loopholes, it's what fans do. This doesn't add to the series, it only takes away from the original trilogy. That and the steam brief just feels like a lie:
Can you change Deponia's Fate? -No you can't.
Do you have what it takes to change Rufus' past, present and future without accidentally destroying the whole planet? -No, cause nothing you do can change it.
Given that this game was a one off, that only makes it worse as if this was a more blown out trilogy (such as I mentioned above with the multi-verse idea) then perhaps it would feel more like it was leading up to something, but as a standalone it just simply does not live up to the originals. As a time travel story, there were many missed opportunities as well, such as going back and meeting the original whom Rufus was a clone of and the launching of Elysium. There was a bunch of history that was hinted at, but none of it was even touched on in this game. The game is still funny, there are plenty of great gags and still has much of the Deponia humour and moments the series is known for (for the most part anyway), but the game as a whole just felt a little misguided.
If anything, I highly recommend you play the original trilogy (it has a complete set on Steam, which is very handy) as it is a fun adventure to enjoy....even if I did just ruin it's ending for you...
...Yeah, sorry about that.
Edit: So it just occurred to me, in the introduction after Deponia's destruction and then time goes back, Rufus remembers that event. However, when the time traveler hits the glasses and breaks them, their conversation means that this was their first encounter. Meaning that until this point the two had never met, even with the time loop. This was their first encounter, meaning all that stuff in the intro with the Fewlocks and Deponia's destruction would have had to of happened before this all started. In other words, for a game to state that Rufus had died at the end of the trilogy, they clearly made a plothole that said Rufus would have to have survived it in order for these events to occur and the Fewlocks would have to have existed without the events in Chapters 3 and 6. This is why you don't do stories about time travel without going over the story a few times before releasing it.
Saturday, 4 June 2016
Welcome to Winter
So winter really started this week as we got one hell of a downpour here in Brisbane. My area was lucky and we got a lot of rain, but little flooding. My family members weren't so as lucky, getting flooded back yards.
Was a little surprised to see just how much rain fell. Had to walk to the shops at one point and found my only way there involved walking in ankle deep water, which is always enjoyable when it isn't clear.
Still, can't complain as others got it worst then we did.
Was a little surprised to see just how much rain fell. Had to walk to the shops at one point and found my only way there involved walking in ankle deep water, which is always enjoyable when it isn't clear.
Still, can't complain as others got it worst then we did.
Friday, 3 June 2016
June Projects Update
So I'm just going to keep this one brief. I haven't been to active on these as of late, but I'm hoping the cooler weather will make it easier to focus on painting.
Malifaux
Will get some Gremlins pics up next week. Working on the Coryphee's at the moment. Still not sure which set of miniatures I'll do after that.
Mordheim
I've got a number of miniatures to use for the project, which are as follows:
1 Assassin with Fighting Claws
1 Sorcerer
1 Black Skaven with Halberd, Light Armor and Helmet (Stormvermin Model)
5 (around that - could be more) Verminkin with assorted gear (Clanrat Models)
2-3 Giant Rats
1 Rat Ogre
I'm not sure how it all works so I'm just making this group more for show then anything else.
Skaven (Fantasy/AoS)
Watch this space....
Other
Got a number of plans, but still not ready to release details just yet (want to be certain that I have everything and to be confident that they can go ahead).
Malifaux
Will get some Gremlins pics up next week. Working on the Coryphee's at the moment. Still not sure which set of miniatures I'll do after that.
Mordheim
I've got a number of miniatures to use for the project, which are as follows:
1 Assassin with Fighting Claws
1 Sorcerer
1 Black Skaven with Halberd, Light Armor and Helmet (Stormvermin Model)
5 (around that - could be more) Verminkin with assorted gear (Clanrat Models)
2-3 Giant Rats
1 Rat Ogre
I'm not sure how it all works so I'm just making this group more for show then anything else.
Skaven (Fantasy/AoS)
Watch this space....
Other
Got a number of plans, but still not ready to release details just yet (want to be certain that I have everything and to be confident that they can go ahead).
Thursday, 2 June 2016
Games Workshop and Me - Negatives and Positives
You may have noticed a bitter tone with the last GW post I did and yes, there is bitterness there. The thing is, I still have not forgiven GW for nearly destroying the hobby for me. However, I feel I haven't given proper justification to explain this, to give my point of view. I am aware that the leadership of GW has changed and they are slowly beginning to make changes to improve, but they still have a lot to do. So here are a few negatives and positives (cause I'm trying not to be too negative) to better explain my feelings:
Note: I will avoid the usual rants on costs and business decisions as they are the common complaints. While these do make up a good portion of my distrust and disdain for the company, I've already gone on several rants about it already.
Negatives:
Let's start with the End Times and the decision to destroy the world. Yes, it pissed me off, but more so was that we didn't have a choice. I mean, why not bring out these books and let the players battle it out, with the outcome determined by their actions. At worse, the world ends and at best, the world is shattered by the cataclysm and the old world is torn apart and redesigned to still be a world where the Age of Sigmar rules can be used. Sure fans won't be happy, but at least all those characters and stories could continue without killing everyone off. Point is, this was the ultimate event in Warhammers history and we never got to take part in it. In the words of the Orcs, "Wez waz robbed".
So that briefly covers both the game issues and the Lore issues I had with the End Times, so now on to the next problem, the free rules. The so-called 'free rules' was a bit misleading. Yes, the standard rules were free, but problems start to arise when you want more. There is only so much you can do with those rules and GW did bring out expansion rules, at a cost. I don't get why. I mean, why do this? You want rules to help theme a force, buy the book. Want rules to make your games more fun or competitive, buy the books. I feel that this was some underhanded tactic, a twisted means to convince players they don't need to buy an armybook, yet making you feel like you need to buy the equivilant of several armybooks to complete the game. That and given that there is little Lore out there, it really doesn't help to convince me to return to it.
And so we get to the final and probably a rather big problem that hinders my enthusiasm to return to Warhammer: The Fanboys. To think in my younger years I was one of these moronic cretins. Now being a Warhammer fan is not a problem or even a bad thing and I'm sure a number of these people are great people, but as with all fandom's there is a toxic environment in each and the GW one is probably the worst one I've ever experienced. You so much as point out a problem or a flaw and you will be jumped upon like a pack of rabid wolves on a wounded hare. Facts are irrelevant and a civilized debate simply does not compute in their simplistic minds. Worse is that they refuse to accept that their world could be altered like others had been done in the past. Some of the worst come from the 40K sector. I recall a few individuals who savagely attacked the Fantasy players for morning the loss of the Old World and the changes to Age of Sigmar, many telling them to get over it (well, that wasn't their words, but I won't dignify them by repeating what they actually said) and they should love Age of Sigmar for saving Fantasy. Soon after when the Lore of 40K indicated that they were heading for what appeared to be their own End Times, these same people shouted how GW would never do this to their game and when people commented about the success of AoS and it was the way of the 40K future, those fanboys went off on defensive rants and attacked those commenters. I mean hell, just look at the comments on the website Bell of Lost Souls, that place is a toxic nest of the worst.
Some can say just don't let them get to you, but it's a little difficult when they are not only on the Internet, but in the stores themselves. I'm talking about some of the players and not the store staff, my main staff member in Brisbane is a great guy, though the store guy on the Gold Coast was a total dick to me and I've never gone back since. I no longer feel comfortable in playing anyone else any more given a number of incidents that I've had. To simply put, GW needs to help quell this poison or it will stop new players (or even old players) from being a part of Warhammer.
Positives:
So....positives. What can I say?
Well, their books do still support a number of per-existing models (including the Empire) and that is always a positive. Renaming and giving some Lore to explain their existence in Age of Sigmar is a great thing and adding rules (even though they are in paid for books) to keep themed armies going is what they should be doing to keep face.
I have nothing against Age of Sigmar as far as rules go. After all, a large part of my time was spent constantly going back to check each turn on how to use my cannon and I can assure you my opponents would find that annoying (I don't have the best memory when it comes to complex rules). The rules presented in AoS are easy for me to learn and we can spend more time moving units and rolling dice, it is less rule intrusive. Were I to go back, I'd have to set any new units to round bases to reflect the change, but only new miniatures (would probably need to get a few round/oval bases as I do have a few unfinished models I could still use). My only complaint is the lack of backfire events for my Skaven. Now I'll never get to experience the joy of watching my Warp Lightning Cannon blow itself up on turn one, followed by my Poisoned Wind Mortar going boom on turn two and ending it off with my Slaves breaking in turn three, killing my Rat Swarms that were next to them.
Ah, those were good times.
~Grey Seer Skratchnsniff
If they can bring out more themed books (Seriously, Pestilens got it's own book, but not Skryre or Moulder, are you kidding me!) and keep the digital versions available then I can see it getting more attention. Given I've heard people talking about what the Clans Skryre (Yes Clans apparently, which suits me just fine) themed rules have, you really can have a nicely themed army with all the Skryre-ness a techno-sorcerer could desire without the need for a huge amount of troops. The fact you can still make a useful army without the need for large blocks of troops is great in that I don't need to buy lots of clanrat boxes (that and I can still use my old troops) which would also make the time needed spent into painting more manageable. That said, they need to bring the Grand Alliance books into ebook format as it would make it cheaper to buy and I might actually consider getting it (Given I don't see Skryre getting one on the horizon), plus there is a possibility that future games or events may not let me used my current square/rectangle based models which would be a big problem for me.
Conclusion:
So, would I ever consider ever playing Age of Sigmar? Of course I would. Would I ever consider permanently returning to Fantasy? I don't know. Like I said, when the Old World ended, it ment the end of my Skaven. It ended those characters, the stories and all my future plans for them. While I could write up a story that could explain them now existing in that time period (it isn't that hard, they are Techno-Sorcerers after all), I would have to be committed and at this point the pain is still raw. To me, creating characters, stories and all that goes with them is very important to me and to have it ripped from me without even getting the chance to fight for it was a real kick in the guts. I would love to return and I could still do it along with Malifaux, but for the time being I'm going to do what any smart Skaven would do, by sitting in the shadows and wait for my moment to come. That or I'm just going to squirt the musk of fear and run away screaming, which ever comes first I guess.
Note: I will avoid the usual rants on costs and business decisions as they are the common complaints. While these do make up a good portion of my distrust and disdain for the company, I've already gone on several rants about it already.
Negatives:
Let's start with the End Times and the decision to destroy the world. Yes, it pissed me off, but more so was that we didn't have a choice. I mean, why not bring out these books and let the players battle it out, with the outcome determined by their actions. At worse, the world ends and at best, the world is shattered by the cataclysm and the old world is torn apart and redesigned to still be a world where the Age of Sigmar rules can be used. Sure fans won't be happy, but at least all those characters and stories could continue without killing everyone off. Point is, this was the ultimate event in Warhammers history and we never got to take part in it. In the words of the Orcs, "Wez waz robbed".
So that briefly covers both the game issues and the Lore issues I had with the End Times, so now on to the next problem, the free rules. The so-called 'free rules' was a bit misleading. Yes, the standard rules were free, but problems start to arise when you want more. There is only so much you can do with those rules and GW did bring out expansion rules, at a cost. I don't get why. I mean, why do this? You want rules to help theme a force, buy the book. Want rules to make your games more fun or competitive, buy the books. I feel that this was some underhanded tactic, a twisted means to convince players they don't need to buy an armybook, yet making you feel like you need to buy the equivilant of several armybooks to complete the game. That and given that there is little Lore out there, it really doesn't help to convince me to return to it.
And so we get to the final and probably a rather big problem that hinders my enthusiasm to return to Warhammer: The Fanboys. To think in my younger years I was one of these moronic cretins. Now being a Warhammer fan is not a problem or even a bad thing and I'm sure a number of these people are great people, but as with all fandom's there is a toxic environment in each and the GW one is probably the worst one I've ever experienced. You so much as point out a problem or a flaw and you will be jumped upon like a pack of rabid wolves on a wounded hare. Facts are irrelevant and a civilized debate simply does not compute in their simplistic minds. Worse is that they refuse to accept that their world could be altered like others had been done in the past. Some of the worst come from the 40K sector. I recall a few individuals who savagely attacked the Fantasy players for morning the loss of the Old World and the changes to Age of Sigmar, many telling them to get over it (well, that wasn't their words, but I won't dignify them by repeating what they actually said) and they should love Age of Sigmar for saving Fantasy. Soon after when the Lore of 40K indicated that they were heading for what appeared to be their own End Times, these same people shouted how GW would never do this to their game and when people commented about the success of AoS and it was the way of the 40K future, those fanboys went off on defensive rants and attacked those commenters. I mean hell, just look at the comments on the website Bell of Lost Souls, that place is a toxic nest of the worst.
Some can say just don't let them get to you, but it's a little difficult when they are not only on the Internet, but in the stores themselves. I'm talking about some of the players and not the store staff, my main staff member in Brisbane is a great guy, though the store guy on the Gold Coast was a total dick to me and I've never gone back since. I no longer feel comfortable in playing anyone else any more given a number of incidents that I've had. To simply put, GW needs to help quell this poison or it will stop new players (or even old players) from being a part of Warhammer.
Positives:
So....positives. What can I say?
Well, their books do still support a number of per-existing models (including the Empire) and that is always a positive. Renaming and giving some Lore to explain their existence in Age of Sigmar is a great thing and adding rules (even though they are in paid for books) to keep themed armies going is what they should be doing to keep face.
I have nothing against Age of Sigmar as far as rules go. After all, a large part of my time was spent constantly going back to check each turn on how to use my cannon and I can assure you my opponents would find that annoying (I don't have the best memory when it comes to complex rules). The rules presented in AoS are easy for me to learn and we can spend more time moving units and rolling dice, it is less rule intrusive. Were I to go back, I'd have to set any new units to round bases to reflect the change, but only new miniatures (would probably need to get a few round/oval bases as I do have a few unfinished models I could still use). My only complaint is the lack of backfire events for my Skaven. Now I'll never get to experience the joy of watching my Warp Lightning Cannon blow itself up on turn one, followed by my Poisoned Wind Mortar going boom on turn two and ending it off with my Slaves breaking in turn three, killing my Rat Swarms that were next to them.
Ah, those were good times.
~Grey Seer Skratchnsniff
If they can bring out more themed books (Seriously, Pestilens got it's own book, but not Skryre or Moulder, are you kidding me!) and keep the digital versions available then I can see it getting more attention. Given I've heard people talking about what the Clans Skryre (Yes Clans apparently, which suits me just fine) themed rules have, you really can have a nicely themed army with all the Skryre-ness a techno-sorcerer could desire without the need for a huge amount of troops. The fact you can still make a useful army without the need for large blocks of troops is great in that I don't need to buy lots of clanrat boxes (that and I can still use my old troops) which would also make the time needed spent into painting more manageable. That said, they need to bring the Grand Alliance books into ebook format as it would make it cheaper to buy and I might actually consider getting it (Given I don't see Skryre getting one on the horizon), plus there is a possibility that future games or events may not let me used my current square/rectangle based models which would be a big problem for me.
Conclusion:
So, would I ever consider ever playing Age of Sigmar? Of course I would. Would I ever consider permanently returning to Fantasy? I don't know. Like I said, when the Old World ended, it ment the end of my Skaven. It ended those characters, the stories and all my future plans for them. While I could write up a story that could explain them now existing in that time period (it isn't that hard, they are Techno-Sorcerers after all), I would have to be committed and at this point the pain is still raw. To me, creating characters, stories and all that goes with them is very important to me and to have it ripped from me without even getting the chance to fight for it was a real kick in the guts. I would love to return and I could still do it along with Malifaux, but for the time being I'm going to do what any smart Skaven would do, by sitting in the shadows and wait for my moment to come. That or I'm just going to squirt the musk of fear and run away screaming, which ever comes first I guess.
Wednesday, 1 June 2016
Angry Joe is....Angry.
I feel for Joe Vargas, I really do. This is a guy who is just trying to do a review show with a standard for high quality. He does big reviews, rapid reviews and movie reviews. This takes time and when you have a period of time with a bunch of releases and that you are sick at one point and visiting your family and relatives on another, your available time is short to get things out.
It's no surprise then that some of these game reviews are done in the Rapid Fire series and even went out of his way to do a movie review while visiting family, he's a guy that takes pride in his work. The problem is that lately some of his so called 'fan base' (if you could call them fans) have been viciously attacking him for not getting any Angry Reviews out. Not only that, but some of those attacks were even directed towards his family/relatives in that movie review. People bagging the channel out for not being an Angry Joe channel and crap like that.
And yes, it's as stupid as it sounds. So it was no wonder that in his latest rapid review of Overwatch that all these insults and attacks finally caused Joe to finally respond:
So Fucking pissed looking at the comments after working hard to get this out. I'd love it if each person complaining that this review is a "Rapid Fire Review" and not a full fucking production with silly costumes and special fx just fucking unsub right the hell now and get the fuck outta here. Even if I end up back at 60,000 subs id be a lot happier and less stressed out 24/7. I have a fucking life and this is the FIRST MONTH in 7 years that I was away from my house for 2 consecutive weeks. 2 FUCKING WEEKS (while still trying to work every one of those days) and this is the shit I get.
During this month 10 high profile games came out. Battleborn, Homefront, DOOM, Stellaris, Overwatch, Total War Warhammer, Hitman: EP, TMNT, Witcher 3: Blood & Wine, some other shit. Not to mention all the Movies like Civil War, Xmen, and other crap - all while im on fucking family vacation im still working my fucking ass off ignoring my family to try to get out Reviews for you guys. FUCk sakes.
I KNOW it comes from you guys liking what I do, but you have to wake up and realize that IM NOT IGN nor GAMESPOT. IM NOT A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION WITH OVER 257 employees around the world. No matter how good you think my reviews are I CANT MAKE ONE FOR EVERY GOD DAMN GAME THAT COMES OUT. and im tired of trying to. IM ONE FUCKING GUY, with a life and a family that wanted to see me once in awhile and these videos are completely FREE. If you dont like the fact that I got slammed this May then unsub instead of complaining like a moron about your unrealistic entitlements. This is a SHOW. AngryJoeSHOw and it will always be even if I lose everyone and only have 1137 subscribers.
If you arent an asshole in the comments and really do want to see Angry Reviews more often then just wait till sometime after E3, where things will have calmed down a bit and ive caught up. shit.
I don't blame Joe for lashing out. If anything, I applaud him for doing so and throw my support for the guy. I mean, if you were in his situation you'd do the exact same thing. This guy works hard to produce great reviews that explores all the positives and negatives, putting time into producing a top quality review show. People demanded he get more reviews out in times that have so many games come out, so he did Rapid Fire to get them out. He's never paid big bucks nor would he sell himself short, but Youtube is a tricky device in order to make a living. He lacks the funds and the workers to pump out videos like the Angry Reviews all the time and as such, things like the shorter reviews are a means to help get those reviews out.
Yet people seem to want to act like a bunch of arseholes and throw around childish insults and threats just because they can't get what they want and what they want is simply not possible for Joe to do. It infuriates me that such people can act like this and I feel that a better system for dealing with this insufferable nonsense needs to be bought in.
And to Joe, you keep doing things that you want to do at the pace you want it at. I'm happy to wait for anything because I appreciate and respect you. Don't go burning yourself out or ruining your life just to appease a bunch of faceless whiners, it's not worth your time or effort. I enjoy your work and will continue to enjoy it and to hear your valid opinions on subjects. There may be haters out there, but we stand with you all the way man.
It's no surprise then that some of these game reviews are done in the Rapid Fire series and even went out of his way to do a movie review while visiting family, he's a guy that takes pride in his work. The problem is that lately some of his so called 'fan base' (if you could call them fans) have been viciously attacking him for not getting any Angry Reviews out. Not only that, but some of those attacks were even directed towards his family/relatives in that movie review. People bagging the channel out for not being an Angry Joe channel and crap like that.
And yes, it's as stupid as it sounds. So it was no wonder that in his latest rapid review of Overwatch that all these insults and attacks finally caused Joe to finally respond:
So Fucking pissed looking at the comments after working hard to get this out. I'd love it if each person complaining that this review is a "Rapid Fire Review" and not a full fucking production with silly costumes and special fx just fucking unsub right the hell now and get the fuck outta here. Even if I end up back at 60,000 subs id be a lot happier and less stressed out 24/7. I have a fucking life and this is the FIRST MONTH in 7 years that I was away from my house for 2 consecutive weeks. 2 FUCKING WEEKS (while still trying to work every one of those days) and this is the shit I get.
During this month 10 high profile games came out. Battleborn, Homefront, DOOM, Stellaris, Overwatch, Total War Warhammer, Hitman: EP, TMNT, Witcher 3: Blood & Wine, some other shit. Not to mention all the Movies like Civil War, Xmen, and other crap - all while im on fucking family vacation im still working my fucking ass off ignoring my family to try to get out Reviews for you guys. FUCk sakes.
I KNOW it comes from you guys liking what I do, but you have to wake up and realize that IM NOT IGN nor GAMESPOT. IM NOT A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION WITH OVER 257 employees around the world. No matter how good you think my reviews are I CANT MAKE ONE FOR EVERY GOD DAMN GAME THAT COMES OUT. and im tired of trying to. IM ONE FUCKING GUY, with a life and a family that wanted to see me once in awhile and these videos are completely FREE. If you dont like the fact that I got slammed this May then unsub instead of complaining like a moron about your unrealistic entitlements. This is a SHOW. AngryJoeSHOw and it will always be even if I lose everyone and only have 1137 subscribers.
If you arent an asshole in the comments and really do want to see Angry Reviews more often then just wait till sometime after E3, where things will have calmed down a bit and ive caught up. shit.
I don't blame Joe for lashing out. If anything, I applaud him for doing so and throw my support for the guy. I mean, if you were in his situation you'd do the exact same thing. This guy works hard to produce great reviews that explores all the positives and negatives, putting time into producing a top quality review show. People demanded he get more reviews out in times that have so many games come out, so he did Rapid Fire to get them out. He's never paid big bucks nor would he sell himself short, but Youtube is a tricky device in order to make a living. He lacks the funds and the workers to pump out videos like the Angry Reviews all the time and as such, things like the shorter reviews are a means to help get those reviews out.
Yet people seem to want to act like a bunch of arseholes and throw around childish insults and threats just because they can't get what they want and what they want is simply not possible for Joe to do. It infuriates me that such people can act like this and I feel that a better system for dealing with this insufferable nonsense needs to be bought in.
And to Joe, you keep doing things that you want to do at the pace you want it at. I'm happy to wait for anything because I appreciate and respect you. Don't go burning yourself out or ruining your life just to appease a bunch of faceless whiners, it's not worth your time or effort. I enjoy your work and will continue to enjoy it and to hear your valid opinions on subjects. There may be haters out there, but we stand with you all the way man.
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