Historicon 2018 - My Games (Shameless Self Promotion)

Yes this is my annual plug for the games I running at Historicon.  Its all very self aggrandizing and such but there you go.  You can pre-register for games at the Historicon site







I've got six games on the Event List (PEL) which you can register for:

T:125:10 DAK & Dragons

T:145:14 SOCOM & Sorcery

F: 143:10 DAK & Dragons

F:146:15 SOCOM & Sorcery

S:144:10 DAK & Dragons

S:147:15 SOCOM & Sorcery

These are games will be improved versions of last year's games which were very well received.  At let I think they'll be improved - I guess we'll all find out in July.

I'll also be running pickup versions of the games each evening but prefer not to be tied down to a set schedule - that allows me a bit of a break and time for a longer dinner.

Below are the descriptions of the games that can be found in the PEL listing.  As you can see, I have adhered strictly to running very serious and historically accurate simulations.

T:125:10 DAK & Dragons 2.0Thursday, 10:00 AM, 3 hrs, Players: 8, Room: Distelfink, Table #: D26GM: Miles ReidySponsor: None, Prize: Beyond the Dreams of AvaricePeriod: World War II, Scale: 28mm, Rules: DAK & Dragons
Recent reports from the local Berbers indicate something ominous is happening deep in the Egyptian desert. It must be something big as both the Axis and Allied high commands are dispatching teams of crack troops to find out exactly what is going on. DAK and Dragons is THE definitive historical simulation of WW2 squad level tactics vs. the Dark Gods of Egypt. Perhaps you can answer the age-old question - can a Panzer III take on a Dragon? DAK and Dragons 2.0 is an improved version of last year's very popular game and uses simple homebrew rules. Children are welcome w/ Parent

F:146:15 SOCOM & Sorcery 2.0Friday, 3:00 PM, 3 hrs, Players: 8, Room: Distelfink, Table #: D26GM: Miles ReidySponsor: None, Prize: Beyond your dreams of avaricePeriod: Modern, Scale: 28mm, Rules: Homebrew
Recent aerial reconnaissance has discovered ominous Egyptian ruins near the head of the Nile River. It must be something big as multiple teams of crack troops are being dispatched to find out exactly what is going on. SOCOM and Sorcery is THE definitive historical simulation of modern squad level tactics vs. the Dark Gods of Egypt. Perhaps you can answer the age-old question - can a TOW missile take out a Dragon? SOCOM and Sorcery 2.0 is an improved version of last year's very popular game and uses simple homebrew rules. Children are welcome w/ Parent.

What are the Planned Changes for this Year's Historicon Games

This's year's convention game will be a revised and (hopefully) improved version of last years "DAK & Dragons" and "SOCOM & Sorcery" games.  The games were A LOT of fun to put on but there are also a lot of improvements that can and need to be made to improve both playability and appearances.


Lets list out the changes in this post so I don't forget.

1) Make the center section a Jungle.  OK given the previous two posts, this shouldn't be a surprise.  The game rules I use really emphasize cover and having such a sparse center section where all the side collide was a bit stark for me.  I'll need to tweak the rules to ensure things don't completely bog down.

2) Add a 6th, 2x2ft catacomb section.  Last year I didn't have enough Egyptian themed dungeon section to build out the 6th section.  I used some Dwarven Forge cavern tiles which worked fine but looked a little out of place.  I've got enough now (thanks to Lunesdargent Workshops recent kickstarter).

3) Redo the oasis terrain plates.  These were done at the last minute (two days before the con) and really showed it.  I was kind of embarrassed to have them on my table.

4) Simplify the rules.  I used a homegrown set of rules for the game which were essentially a love child from a dalliance between Warlord's "Bolt Action "and The League of Augsburg's "Donnybrook" rulesets.  While most people grasped the concepts, a few really struggled with the rules, which means they are still too complex for a con game.  There will be a separate post that details the rules and how I may change them.

5) Movement Trays for the troops.  One thing that slowed both game play and setup was having all the troops move individually.  I purchased some skirmish infantry movement trays and will need to prepare them for play but they will speed up game play immensely.  The trays will not work in the catacombs but most players forces are pretty thinned out by the time they get there.
:)

6) Better Objective Markers.  Last year objective markers were dime sized plastic discs in different colors:

- yellow for treasure
- red for monsters
- blue for objectives

They were functional but looked awful.  I've got the time to make some WAYYYY better markers and have down some tests during this year's painting challenge - as you can see in the following picture:

7) Improve the random encounter table.  The one I used became very cumbersome as the game went on and didn't scale as well as I hoped.  There were also, at times, too many monsters so the players factions rarely focused on fighting each other.

8) Better special objectives for each faction.  I really like secret objectives for players in a game that is umpired and didn't put a lot of effort into fleshing that out last year.  The suspense of not knowing if one of your allies is really on your side is a lot a fun in a game.

9) Kid-Player objectives.  I have a rule that any kid players always win - always.  But that can be done without throwing the game in their favor so I'll come up with some special objectives for them and let the game play out for the rest of the players.

I've Been Banned from TMP and I Feel Fine

I have managed to get myself banned from The Miniatures Page (TMP).  TMP used to be a great source of hobby information (and really still is) but the recent tone and dwindling user participation levels have made it less interesting of late.  It's always been a fractious place which was a guilty pleasure watching people fight furiously with words on the proper location for Historicon or the true shade of white for a lapel color on a 17th century dragoon.

What the cause for this development?  The owner / editor of the site recently put up a post asking for comments on the question "Are British gamers are arrogant?"

Think red cape / bull.

Anyway, he seems to be banning anyone who challenges the usefulness of such discussion - including advertisers!  I couldn't resist making a post pointing out that promulgating a post that creates divisiveness on a dying forum is the exact wrong thing to do and now I'm banned.

Hopefully, after a proper period of grieving, I'll be back on my feet - Oops grieving's over and I'm fine.

In some ways this is a shame and a lesson.  I know TMP can be a rather rude place filled with people practicing recreational outrage but it also was a wonderful source of obscure miniatures information.  Want to know how to paint a 13th century man at arms - it's somewhere in TMP.  Given the lower traffic trends and declining advertising mix, I think it will will continue to decline for a long time (kind of like Sears) and then one day **Poof** disappear.

TMP should also serve as a lesson in civility,  Internet miniature forums are wonderful places to meet new people and exchange ideas about our rather obscure hobby.  I've met some wonderful people across the globe and now count them as true friends.  How we choose to comport ourselves while on line is something we should always bear in mind.  I would be deeply disappointed in myself if I contributed to the creation of another TMP-Like environment because I choose rudeness over civility.

Goodbye TMP, hello Lead Adventurers forum.

PS:
A few comments below have asked for a link to the thread.  As stated in my comment below, I can't provide a direct link and should reflect the site owners wishes and not figure out a work around.  I can provide a link the the topic that has the thread which is: Wargaming in America.

Look for the label "Arrogant American Wargamers" - the tile is misleading as its really a slight to out British cousins.