Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by Bren

We can be happy for you, while still being envious, can't we.

Two words: GaryCon.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Two words: GaryCon.

Gary Con would be two words. And that's almost a whole year away.

Three beers, dammit.

And if you come to GaryCon you can collect. Yes it's almost a year away, but alas, it's not cheap, so start saving now. The total for the trip was just about $500 and I didn't need to fly. Room and board for the con itself, my share, was about $330, and $65 for a badge (but as a referee I didn't need to pay for that).

But if you want that sort of Old School wargaming with those Old School wargamers, that would be the place.

Originally Posted by Big Andy

Since various other movies and what not have been mentioned in this thread for inspiration, check out the Pixar short Sanjay's Super Team. I love the Temple imagery and the way the weapons are drawn. I like to think that Warding spells look like when Vishnu blocks blocks all the missiles.

Which reminds me, did anyone ever carry or use a chakram (other than the Silver Halo of Soul Stealing )?

Great film choice! It's fun, and I think you're right about the 'warding' spell.

Nope. Nothing that exotic. The "Xena" series hadn't been done yet, more's the pity, as I would have liked to see what Phil could have done with it.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Two words: GaryCon.

Two words: Victor Raymond

For what it would cost me to go down to Lake Geneva for the weekend, I could pay you to come to Minneapolis and kick my balls down my throat for a week. I'd certainly enjoy that a lot more and Luke, Ernie, and the girls wouldn't have to deal the nonsense from that little carbuncle.

And there are a whole lot of new micro-breweries around here, too!

Now, having gotten that out of my system, I do agree with you about Gary Con - for anybody who wants to learn about the fun we managed to have all those years ago, it's the place to go. Worth it? You betcha. Just not for me, sorry to have to say.

Now, on to the good stuff...

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Glad you had fun, Uncle!

I'm sure you'd share the report on your blog, right? After yesterday, I feel I need more tips on Refereeing.

Well, I did, and you can ask away; I'm having issues with Blogger, tonight, due to the weather here, so the full report may get posted tomorrow...

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Three beers, dammit.

And if you come to GaryCon you can collect. Yes it's almost a year away, but alas, it's not cheap, so start saving now. The total for the trip was just about $500 and I didn't need to fly. Room and board for the con itself, my share, was about $330, and $65 for a badge (but as a referee I didn't need to pay for that).

But if you want that sort of Old School wargaming with those Old School wargamers, that would be the place.

If I may, I'd like to strongly second this. It's a good, solid convention, and I think that it is probably the only place where you can get a feel for the bubbling stew of creativity that was our gaming life in the 1970s and early 1980s. The events are a wonder and a joy.

Is it worth the cost? Yes, it is. If it weren't for the stupid people tricks, I'd be down there like a shot every year and running the very best games that I could muster, three times a day. I'd have to be cosseted like a prize race horse, but I can do it - I have the games, the gear, and the attitude.

So, anyway, yesterday was a exquisite day. Right up there with July 22nd, 1990, the day I married the Missus.

I had been feeling pretty cranky, as I had a very bad flare-up of the current attack of gout mid-week; I woke up at five in the morning in agony, and had to crawl down the stairs from our bedroom on the second floor to the medicine cabinet on the first - doing on my hands and knees was no treat, but I managed. Couldn't go into work that night, but that is what paid sick leave is for.

Got an invite from a local gent who runs the naval game "Close Action" to play in his game at the local miniature game club's quarterly micro-convention, which was seconded by none other then the redoubtable Dave Wesely - yes, that Dave Wesely. The good Major applied all of his forceful personality to persuade me to come and play, so I did. Had to get up at a silly hour to make the nine a. m. opening, but we got to playing on time.

The basic scenario was that the two of us French players had to get a captured ship back from the British player and his ship. Set in the mouth of Boston harbor during the American Revolution, it would be a challenge to play out, especially as we had two 32-gun frigates, and he had a 50-gun ship; it was like two destroyers going up against a heavy cruiser. The only good news was that we had a 50-gunner of our own, that the British had badly shot up but that was available as support.

I'd never played this game before, so my experienced colleague was our senior captain, and ran both his frigate and the 50. I had my frigate, and the Major had both the British 50 and the prize ship that we were supposed to recapture. (Oh, yeah, right, Your French Majesty, and what other miracles do you want us to come up with today?) We got out our packs of Galoises, bottles of Pernod, bags of baguettes, and prepared to die like men.

We waded in, and managed to get the weather gauge on the British; since he had to get to the open seas with the prize, and we were blocking the channel, we had him cold. A very tight little battle ensued, with my commander getting stuck in at close quarters and me using my faster and more nimble ship to dart in and out of the British guns' range and get in some nasty hits. My commander lost his frigate to the British 50, but his 50 recaptured the prize. My frigate was still in good shape, and I got a lot of praise for my ability to handle my ship: "Are you sure you've never played this game?"

At the end of the game, the GM asked me why I hadn't closed in to the melee; most players would have. The Major interrupted, and told the GM that as far as the Royal Navy was concerned, I had won the game for the French; yes, he'd lost the prize ship, and captured one of our frigates, but as I was still blocking the channel and had the weather gauge, it would be impossible for him to keep the new prize and it'd be very tough for him to get his 50 out to open sea.

It was a great game; well run, lots of fun, and a wonderful chance to talk with the Major - my fellow captain said he'd learned more about the Age of Sail in this one game then he'd ever been able to before.

Lots of other cool games running; I took lots of photos and I'll have them on the blog. One guy was running a game using 54mm figures!!!

The best part of the day came when I gave my commander a ride, and got invited in for water and a sandwich.I was there for the next six hours, as a lot of my old gaming friends were there, and I got to tell all sorts of stories. It was simply wonderful. I felt like I'd gone back in time some thirty years, to all those Saturday game sessions and the dinners afterwards.

It was glorious. And amazing.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

It was glorious. And amazing.

Sounds like a great time was had by all. I'm envious.

Shemek.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

So, anyway, yesterday was a exquisite day. Right up there with July 22nd, 1990, the day I married the Missus.

I had been feeling pretty cranky, as I had a very bad flare-up of the current attack of gout mid-week; I woke up at five in the morning in agony, and had to crawl down the stairs from our bedroom on the second floor to the medicine cabinet on the first - doing on my hands and knees was no treat, but I managed. Couldn't go into work that night, but that is what paid sick leave is for.

Got an invite from a local gent who runs the naval game "Close Action" to play in his game at the local miniature game club's quarterly micro-convention, which was seconded by none other then the redoubtable Dave Wesely - yes, that Dave Wesely. The good Major applied all of his forceful personality to persuade me to come and play, so I did. Had to get up at a silly hour to make the nine a. m. opening, but we got to playing on time.

The basic scenario was that the two of us French players had to get a captured ship back from the British player and his ship. Set in the mouth of Boston harbor during the American Revolution, it would be a challenge to play out, especially as we had two 32-gun frigates, and he had a 50-gun ship; it was like two destroyers going up against a heavy cruiser. The only good news was that we had a 50-gunner of our own, that the British had badly shot up but that was available as support.

I'd never played this game before, so my experienced colleague was our senior captain, and ran both his frigate and the 50. I had my frigate, and the Major had both the British 50 and the prize ship that we were supposed to recapture. (Oh, yeah, right, Your French Majesty, and what other miracles do you want us to come up with today?) We got out our packs of Galoises, bottles of Pernod, bags of baguettes, and prepared to die like men.

We waded in, and managed to get the weather gauge on the British; since he had to get to the open seas with the prize, and we were blocking the channel, we had him cold. A very tight little battle ensued, with my commander getting stuck in at close quarters and me using my faster and more nimble ship to dart in and out of the British guns' range and get in some nasty hits. My commander lost his frigate to the British 50, but his 50 recaptured the prize. My frigate was still in good shape, and I got a lot of praise for my ability to handle my ship: "Are you sure you've never played this game?"

At the end of the game, the GM asked me why I hadn't closed in to the melee; most players would have. The Major interrupted, and told the GM that as far as the Royal Navy was concerned, I had won the game for the French; yes, he'd lost the prize ship, and captured one of our frigates, but as I was still blocking the channel and had the weather gauge, it would be impossible for him to keep the new prize and it'd be very tough for him to get his 50 out to open sea.

It was a great game; well run, lots of fun, and a wonderful chance to talk with the Major - my fellow captain said he'd learned more about the Age of Sail in this one game then he'd ever been able to before.

Lots of other cool games running; I took lots of photos and I'll have them on the blog. One guy was running a game using 54mm figures!!!

The best part of the day came when I gave my commander a ride, and got invited in for water and a sandwich.I was there for the next six hours, as a lot of my old gaming friends were there, and I got to tell all sorts of stories. It was simply wonderful. I felt like I'd gone back in time some thirty years, to all those Saturday game sessions and the dinners afterwards.

It was glorious. And amazing.

Was this ReCon, by any chance? Attendance had dropped rather badly a couple of years ago, I'd be delighted if it were healthy again.