Archive For The “Features” Category
Jim Owczarski, 23 August 2019
I would like to get a few things out of the way before I become rant-y.
Ooh, that’s a rant. It’s very rant-y. — Depending on the day, either my editor or Pikachu.
I like Professor Marco Arnaudo both as a game reviewer and as a voice within the wargame community. I am a subscriber to his channel, a listener whenever he reviews wargames, and my family will tell you I have filled many hours between Origins and my home with extended listening sessions. My son does a passable impression of his delightful diction and inflection.
Moreover, his tastes and mine often align and he has championed not just good games but good topics for games. I have even gone so far as to adopt his definition of what is and is not a “wargame”, but that is another discussion.
Moving on, I want to be very clear that I am a fan and friend of David Thompson, game designer and all around good fellow. In other circumstances full disclosure would have required me to mention that I was a playtester on his Undaunted when it had a different name and was in a different set of hands. He has been a guest of the Armchair Dragoons at Origins and puts a great deal of effort and thought into his designs. Nothing I write here should be taken as diminishing that.
Michael Eckenfels, 19 August 2019
When we last let off, BanzaiCorp had founded Smith, an uninspired-named yet first Colony of mankind, among the stars. I also took the lead in scoring, 50-48. This game is like a tennis match when it comes to scoring – back and forth, back and forth, and it always feels like both you and the bot are in the game at all times. It’s very tense and immensely gratifying.
Now, it’s the Competition’s turn; let’s see what they’re up to.
I drew Gliese 1, another until-now unoccupied star system. A Competition team gets placed there right away. Gliese 1 is at the top center of the following image.
Michael Eckenfels, 12 August 2019
To recap, in the last turn, the Competition placed one of their teams on Ross 780. They have nine teams deployed to the board right now, while I have four. Mankind as truly stretched to the stars, as of the 13 existing star systems in the Starfarers era (not counting Sol, which isn’t a playable area for building and whatnot), all but three are currently occupied by one or more teams.
Michael Eckenfels, 5 August 2019
BC’S TURN
Last time, the Competition gave me a thwack by taking a Breakthrough card and clearing out all the Offers, as well as following that up with an Edge that screwed up my infrastructure.
Friends of the Dragoons, 4 August 2019
Just because we’re not at GenCon doesn’t mean we don’t have a recon element out there to keep you informed with some great photos at the show. We’re still got some photos coming in from other friends, so check back with us for some updates.
Michael Eckenfels, 29 July 2019
Let’s recap from last time: the Competition currently has five teams out there, while all three of mine are deployed. Two of the star systems my teams are in are also occupied by Competition teams. Only one star system has been explored thus far (Alpha Centauri, by a BanzaiCorp team thankfully), so there’s no Bases nor Colonies out there…yet.
This era of the game, as you might have seen in the previous installment, ramps up the tension significantly. Whereas in the previous two eras you could move a team right to where you wanted to go (with the right number of Move points, of course), in this era, you are subject to the star tracks in each star system, which means any move you make will quite literally take four of your turns. Fortunately, this move is automatic and happens at the start of your turn, so once a team reaches a system you could maybe take advantage of that, as long as the Competition hasn’t done so in that time you were waiting!
Here’s a picture of the map at it stands now.
