What I've been up to

[josta59]

Just checking in since I don't post nearly as often as I used to. Besides the usual working, reading, listening to metal, and playing music like I always do, I have a couple of projects going.

For gaming, I've been working for a few weeks on a conversion of NordicWeasel's FiveCore Company Command, a company-level miniatures game, into rules for solo hexmap board gaming. It's kind of a big project and is taking some time. I'm hoping it will amp up my own gameplay, and maybe someone else will enjoy it too.

Next is not so much a project but more of a collection. I had been interested in collecting miniatures, but I kind of lost interest in that and am now more interested in collecting old books and magazines with lots of pictures of combat vehicles, particularly from the late Cold War era when I grew up. I just bought a couple of warplane books that I had when I was a kid, and the nostalgia factor is high! I'm particularly interested in Combat Weapons magazine by Omega Group publishing and the very similarly titled Combat Weapons magazine by Soldier of Fortune publishing. I have an issue of the former on the way to me right now, published in 1986. These things aren't cheap!

I also plan to start collecting and reading books on the many missions of Delta Force. This has a lot to do with my lifelong interest in 1980s G.I. Joe, which was partially based on Delta Force. I'm interested in what G.I. Joe would be like if it were based more on reality. It might even lead to a fun writing project.

[Whiterook]

Thanks for checking in, Scott! Yes, we’ve most definitely missed you around her and your past prolific posting   …I sincerely hope that perhaps at some point, we’ll have the benefit of that once again, as I know I’ve always enjoyed what you share and bring to the table, as well as peeks into your design mind on games, which is always fascinating. I believe the best aspect of this forum is paying forward our knowledge and interests in gaming and modeling.

NordicWeasel's, FiveCore Company Command is a very cool system. I’d love to see you post how you are approaching and developing it for solo hexmap board gaming… that’s been an interest of mine, too! …the Game Design Zone in the War College would be a great place for that! General Design Zone would greatly benefit from aspects of what you find in Cold War mechanics and theory.

Anyway, just a pitch 

[josta59]

Hi! Just want to check in again and say that I'm working on this FiveCore project every day! So although I've been very quiet, I've been keeping very busy in the hobby.

Maybe at some point I'll talk more about how I've approached this project. But for now I want to focus on completing it, and then playing it!

[josta59]

I finally started playtesting my new rules this weekend! Very fun, and I'm already seeing lots of ways I can improve the rules.

It never fails--any time I decide not to bring anti-air missiles so I can be ready for the ground vehicles that are more likely to show up, of course the enemy sends in aerial vehicles right away! It's turn 2, I haven't even seen any troops yet, and a MiG-29 just showed up! I'm gonna have to get as many of my guys indoors as I can to break line of sight. And then a mortar round came out of nowhere, sending one of my squads in the open scrambling for cover!

[josta59]

In turn 3, I managed to get almost all my squads into buildings for concealment from the roaming MiG, and all my vehicles off the bridge. But we've definitely been spotted. I have two wounded in the back of my company, from artillery shells and an air-to-ground missile from somewhere, despite being indoors.

But we've spotted some of them, too, thanks to drone surveillance. We know they have a GAZ Tigr in the upper left corner, as well as a rifle squad and a light mortar crew in that same area. Now we know who fired the mortar. Still no direct contact with the enemy on the ground yet.

Have you seen rules that can handle all of that before? I'm so happy with these rules.

I know this is turning into a play by play and not really in the category of general discussion anymore, but it kind of happened that way. At least I'm posting!

Oh, and I also started playing a unique type of fantasy game today. I've known about it for years but never tried it. It's here: www.angelfire.com/games2/warpspawn/BMQ.html