Shorts 2 - Tabletop Wargaming - Losing

I don't mind losing. Really, I don't.

My problem is the little guys on the battlefield who get axed because I roll dice so poorly :D

But provided an intriguing battle has played out, that's a win, and the effort was worthwhile.

I was contemplating the following concept; you don't really know if you like a game or not until you lose.

And not just losing because you're learning and don't know how it works, but once you know the rules, have an idea of some basic and intermediate stuff, and then still lose.

At this stage (once you have a clue) you may find there's more of one than the other going on...

a) you lost because you made bad decisions, or to a lesser extent because luck really wasn't with you today.

This is fine. You made a mistake and little plastic people died because of that (I'd make a terrible general). Sometimes the dice favour your opponent (or hates you) and stuff just goes wrong.

b) you lost because your force was not a viable match for whatever it was facing. 

This is less fine. If you have to have specific counters to certain army types or weapon types then the game becomes less about what happens on the board and more about meta (sometimes called pay to win - where weapons or units can be bought that are hard to counter with established forces).

An example, Epic...

Certain forces seem to have more flexibility and capability, especially when matched against certain other forces. Sure, people say that lists are balanced and whatnot, but the complexity and wide variety of options can make the system difficult to navigate.

Your choices are to match known strong forces with other strong forces or counters, or certain factions are more or less guarantee a poor results.

An example, Infinity...

Similarly, certain factions and units have a preponderance of 'tricks' that, while there might be some counter-tricks, can be hard to manage depending on what force you have.  So learning rules to neutralize tricks is... well, difficult to remember and cater for.  I don't doubt that is part of the author's intention but it's more about stats and management than it is playing the battle. If you're building a force to neutralize an opponent's tricks then... dunno, seems like a crappy way to go about making your force, where you should actually like what you're running rather than just trying to win.

In both cases, in a tournament setting where you're building a single list that is trying to deal with the widest range of opposition it's certainly possible to have a sub-standard force that deals with nothing effectively.

If you're playing the same people with the same forces constantly it's less of an issue, but for a casual player it can highlight the 'do I actually like this game?' aspect.

Sounds like sour grapes perhaps, but I personally like a game where e.g. positioning and activation selection is more important that tricks and counters, or fielding a 'winning list'.

We all try to maximise effective dice against the enemy of course but in OPR you have more or less dice (and AP and some minor modifiers) and that's about the extent of the differences. All forces are more or less the same, though there are some less significant army traits (i.e. orks have ferocity which gives an extra attack dice when charging).

Anyway, I still think the concept stands. Find a game you like and don't mind losing when you play it, hope your local crew like it to, and enjoy the wargaming.  It's meant to be fun.

Until next time...

Shorts 1 - Tabletop Wargaming - Simpler is Fun...ner

I like tabletop wargaming.

Objectives, terrain, characters, critters or an opponent, suspense, and of course narrative make for a fun activity that allows ones imagination to roam within a fantastical landscape for a while.

As time goes on I've found myself wanting the simplest expression of this as possible. Measuring distances is fine. Dice to add randomness is fine. Complex calculations to resolve an interaction are less fine.

Simplicity in One Page Rules (OPR)

This is one reason OPR appeals.

You have a character, is has a 'to hit' roll and a weapon that does n possible hits.

The target is either hit or it is not. The weapon does (or doesn't do) a viable amount of damage no matter what it's pointed at.

There is armour check which is variable and modifiable - fair enough. Then the target takes a wound or it doesn't.

And that's that.

By comparison, Necromunda...

The added level of 'weapon damage' where you compare the weapon's strength vs the target's 'toughness' is an extra layer that adds complexity and doesn't add to the flow of the game (in my opinion).

I could also add that rolling for accumulating damage effects. OPR (skirmish version) does have a wounds system but it is simpler.

By Comparison, Epic...

Having specific weapon types, where anti-personnel, anti-tank or anti-aircraft weapon types can only be used on appropriate target types adds complexity to list selection and potentially makes a chunk of your force situationally unviable.  Ok, that's a strategic consideration, but does it make the experience better?

Sure, it would be boring if all games were the same, and I guess authors write things to be slightly different or quirky to make them different from the next game.

But a novel approach to some aspect of the battle mechanics doesn't necessarily make things better. Some people like the micro-management aspect and fair enough.

As I've tried more and more games the quirkiness, complexity, tricks and counter-tricks takes away from what I want to be doing, seeing a battle or story play out as smoothly as possible without the interruptions of extensive calculations, chart checking and rules look ups.

A reasonably rebuttal would be to learn the rules better or memorize stats and charts.

However, if you play 3 or 4 different systems then that becomes more and more difficult and frustrating and confusing.   AND because wargaming is a niche activity if you want to play a game (ANY game) then you need to be versatile and play a few different games based on what your fellow gamers also like.  Otherwise you're waiting around for your game to cycle through again and that could be months.

I'm glad that other games do exist, for comparison, and because if everyone like the same thing that would be boring too.  I've just been thinking about what I want from gaming, and why OPR is so appealing.

Brain dump complete.

Until next time...

Zona Alfa - Just A Wee Bit More Terrain

Sigh... well I'll put it down to "I had space in my extra box."

Only a couple of small projects really.

First off some little 'modern' villas.  I just wasn't liking the 'adobe' style houses. I like them, but not in my particular Zona.

Started with a little prototype with scrap MDF.

The 'western' houses are ok but i wanted something a little more modern. Shown for scale.

I whipped up 3 small villas, and 1 larger one.

Models for scale.

Painted up, just basic. Rattle can, washes, then brushed on some grime.

The roof is removable and wasn't hard to do.  That was something putting me off a bit. I made the old 'shop' ages ago, but it's solid, so no inside to play with, no box storage etc.

And that's that.

Second, I was gifted an mdf industrial building... last game day. Gave it a simple repaint and reglue. Turned out suitable for the setting, and definitely useable.

Bit of scuff and grime on the inside floor, cos why not.  Reminds me of the photos I took some time back of the abandoned coal mine building.

And that's that.

We're doing some One Page Zona at next club day this weekend coming. I'm hoping to get some of these out. 

So yeah, just small projects, didn't order any kits or anything (win), just kind of finishing off stuff that was sitting around or playing with little scratch builds.

This gets the backup/extra terrain box close to full, so no more now.

Until next time...

Zona Alfa - hmmmm... AI.. Stories... hmmmm...

There's some aspects of hobbying that are just dull.  Some people probably like them, but there's no accounting for taste.

When you're painting, blocking in colours is pretty dull, but then when you add the washes and dry brushing and the models start to pop it starts to feel like it's all worthwhile.

Similarly when you play a mission and have a cool little narrative to tell that's fun, but then writing it all up can be a bit tiresome, draft, hunting typos, coming up with ideas even. 

Well, recently I was investigating an AI site/online thingime... I was actually looking at the code/programming it produces, but i also had a poke at the 'wordsmithing' capabilities.  It's... not overly bad - but that is conditional.  Anyway, I'm still contemplating but thought I'd present a little result I got. 

The source material I'm working off is the very first OPZ test battle I did. It was a super simple encounter.

STALKERS on the trail, investigate the outpost, find bandits, find bandits nearby as well.

So I thought... how about if I feed some of that into the AI and see what it makes...

My input is in bold, and the output are in italics. I only included the 'final' results from the AI but there were some intermediate story steps along the way. 

- i'm going to enter a series of statements and i want you to build them into a story.

- the story is set near an abandoned apartment block. the area is overgrown with vegetation.

"As the sun set over the abandoned apartment block, the area was cast in an eerie shadow. The once well-manicured lawns and gardens had become overgrown with weeds and wildflowers. The windows of the apartment block were shattered and the paint was peeling from the walls, giving it a desolate and abandoned appearance. Despite the derelict state of the building, there was a strange allure to it, as if it held secrets that were just waiting to be uncovered. As the night fell, the only sound that could be heard was the rustling of the grass in the gentle breeze."

- 3 armed explorers approach the building. their mission is investigate it's state and possibly clear out any monsters that have taken up residence inside.

- the apartments are being used as a squat by some bandits. the explorers are combat veterans and defeat the bandits when the bandits attack.

- change it to 2 armed explorers.   after they win inside the building they are attacked by more bandits outside. although they defeat them too, they decide they should leave the area quickly before any more arrive.

"As the two armed explorers made their way through the abandoned apartment block, they were startled by a group of bandits who had been using the building as a squat. The bandits, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the armed group, quickly drew their weapons and attacked.

But the explorers were no ordinary civilians. They were combat veterans, with years of experience fighting in some of the most dangerous places in the world. They quickly took control of the situation, outmaneuvering and defeating the bandits with ease.

Breathless and adrenaline-fueled, the explorers emerged from the building, ready to report back to their superiors about the success of their mission. But as they stepped outside, they were met with yet another group of bandits, this time even larger than the first.

Despite being outnumbered, the explorers fought with determination and skill, taking down one bandit after another until they stood victorious once again. But they knew they couldn't stay there for long. It was only a matter of time before more bandits arrived, drawn by the sound of the gunfire.

With their mission complete and their lives at risk, the explorers made the difficult decision to leave the area and report back to base. As they disappeared into the overgrown vegetation, the abandoned apartment block was left to the bandits once again."

And... there you have it.  It's... not... terrible.  It's far from great too, but it's something.  I wouldn't have included some of the stuff (i guess it was guessing regarding filler), but conversely I wouldn't have thought to include some of the stuff either.

Doesn't match the battle report exactly but broad if you put strokes in, you get broad strokes out.

Having written a bunch of low-grade fiction filler blurbs, it doesn't feel like my writing style.  It's... quite stereotypical... I guess, in a few places, but then the input I gave it was also spare.... and I probably could have continued adding further details to fill the gaps and I think it would come up with something better or at least more of what I had in mind.

I don't know man... I'm actually confused about this. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if a lot of books and especially TV scripts are made this way.

On one hand, the technology that gets this done is actually kind of cool, it's perhaps not matured but it's definitely functional and being able to grasp the meaning of my slop input and make something... anything cohesive from it is impressive.  sure it's based on learned patterns and so on, but, yeah, still impressive.

I can possibly see myself using this to make filler stories from battle reports in the future.  Perhaps I am using one to write this post now...

Nah, definitely not.

LATER:  I'm going to add some more details and edit it and see what I can come up with.  I'll just present the end result.

...

After a few attempts at providing just specific suggestions, the going was slow. So I copied out the text, made a bunch of changes I wanted enmass and then plugged it back in for review and suggestions (i.e. typo checking, but there were also a few suggestions that, if not 100% what I wanted, then they at least prompted me to review and rethink a sentence or statement). I also had it try to change it from third to first person narrative, and from past to present tense. Not 100% successful, but not bad for AI.

This is the final result, with a dozen (or two) revisions...

"The sun is low in the sky, casting deep shadows from the stark, abandoned apartment block. The once well-manicured lawns and gardens around the structure are now wildly overgrown with tangled weeds and wildflowers that sway slightly in the breeze. The windows of the apartment block are shattered and peeling paint covers the walls, giving it a desolate and abandoned appearance.

The estate's grounds are level but the surrounding trees have grown unchecked, evolving season by season into a suffocating wood, threatening to overwhelm the once high-traffic clearing. The predominantly deciduous trees block a lot of light, giving the approach a perceived green glow.  In winter visibility would have been far greater, but assignments were executed near instantaneously, without that kind of strategic forethought.

The two STALKERS cross from the tree line to the structure quickly and enter the shadow of the building, weapons raised. The leader pushes one of the doors open quietly and peers inside. The interior of the building is dark and musty, the only light coming from the leaf-dappled sun filtering in through the broken windows.

Their worn but well kept boots tread carefully over the battered floor, littered with divots, loose tiles and crumbling plasterboard.  But even for seasoned combatants like the STALKERS, complete silence amidst such debris is near impossible and they soon hear a sudden, startled commotion ahead from a group of bandits who had been using the building as a squat.

The bandits, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the armed intruders, draw their weapons cursing, and attack.

Gun shots boom deafeningly within the hollow hallways, turning the ruined structure into a sudden maelstrom of deadly distractions, but the STALKERS are combat veterans with years of experience operating in some of the most dangerous places in the world.

The veterans duck into concealment and choose complimentary firing lines, quickly take control of the situation.  They manoeuvre fluidly, pushing forward unrelenting with controlled aggression. Short bursts of their assault rifles dropping the bandits efficiently, ruthlessly.

They move methodically through the building ensuring it is clear, expertly sweeping each rotting room and checking the body of each emaciated bandit to ensure it is no longer a threat.  The leader kicks over the last of the prone bodies, noting dispassionately the ragged clothes and the rust on the weapon that the lifeless hand holds.

With breath tainted by plaster dust and gun smoke and adrenaline rushing through their blood, the STALKERS emerge from the building, ready to report back to their superiors about the success of their mission. As they step outside, they are peppered with concrete splinters as bullets smash heavily into the wall, another destructive insult to what had once been home to several families.

A troop of dishevelled bandits approaches from the undergrowth, continuing the battle outside. The drab green of the STALKERS fatigues contrast starkly against the building's stucco exterior, making an inviting silhouette for the newcomers.  The STALKERS immediately drop into cover unphased, resuming the fight with practiced determination and skill, picking off the desperate but clearly inexperienced bandits one after another until only they remain.

Silence returns and they scan the surrounding area, knowing instinctively that it would be unwise to stay much longer, but waiting with drilled patience to ensure it is clear to move. There are still likely to be more bandits out there, drawn by the sound of the pitched gunfire.

The leader makes a quick hand gesture and they detach from their position to leave. Their mission is complete, they have collected all the intel they need and then some.

As they disappeared into the overgrown vegetation, the decrepit complex is again left to its fate, at least for now."

Fun stuff... the process... not the inexpert fiction.

And I guess that leads to my conclusion. Based on my experiment it provided not a complete story like i'd somehow expected (how could it possibly know what i wanted without detailed input) but a feedback mechanism to make me review and revise the story more.

As a writing tool it was helpful. The content it produced was not specifically what I was after but it did provide suggestions for areas that might be considered weak and suggestions for improvement - based on just one test I don't know how generic or otherwise that advise is.

It also provided motivation to review and improve what I was writing as real time feedback, in the same way that discussing or talking out the story with a real person might be help, but without snide organic criticism  haha  :p 

Anyways, until next time...  beep bop boop!

Zona Alfa - New Accessories - Sub-mats

As mentioned in the previous post I've really been enjoying the small/miniature games recently.

With that in mind I wanted to make some smaller 'nice' mats, as a step up from the cardboard with printed grass on it. It's not necessary of course, but it's something to do.

Rather than buying anything I decided to repurpose one of the neoprene mats I already have.

I picked up one several months ago from FLGS which has never had a game on it.  It's double sided (grass on one side, desert on the other),   so I figured I could cut out a few 'sub-mats' which would serve this specific purpose (and double sided adds options).

This all went to plan. Sub-mats boxed up and ready for use in due course.

I still have plenty of 6x4' floating around,  2x neoprene mats and 2x fleece mats,   should I wish to run a small event in the future. Never know but it's unlikely in the foreseeable future.

Until next time...

OPR - One Page Zona - Homebrew Ruleset

I'm pretty wrapped with OPR; simple, quick, versatile, play big, play small, use whatever model you want/have.  So of course I think... can I make this work with Zona Alfa?

Turns out I can.  This is the link to the current rule which are kept updated as I make changes...

One Page Zona (pdf)

It's based around OPR/GFF as the main ruleset, and then adds some simplified mechanics for Hot Spots, Mission Objectives, Anomalies, Artifacts, Salvage etc etc etc.   It's not intended to crowbar every aspect of ZA into the game, it's intended to add enough (flavoured) exploration functionality to get a similar feel.    One could of course add more (or less) to taste.   Your game, your rules - as ever.

Over the new year public holidays I managed to play a few little test games - combined battle reports/results are here (pfd).

It worked quite well. I didn't encounter any glaring issues.  It was fun, it was intense, and it was still simple.

I started out super-simple.  This is a little 1.5'x1.5' cardboard board, just to kick things off and move models around.   2x Veteran STALKERs with base/default kit were able to deal with the Hot Spot and Mission object without too much bother.  I rolled up two batches of Bandits, and although dangerous at range they're relatively squishy targets - especially compared to some of the other hostiles types.

Next mission was much the same but with slightly different map.  Rolled up some rats and then bandits.

The bandits were a bit sporty but the STALKERS dealt with them without taking too much damage. Anomalies appeared from both points but ran out of time before I could search them.

The next three games were a series that I ran end to end, no equipment upgrades of anything like that in between though I did boost the crew before heading back out into the Zone.  Mainly I just wanted to reuse the map and not make a new one.   I put some printed grass colour onto the cardboard and it works well enough.    I actually really like this tiny format.  It's entirely immediate so you get into the action right away.  I'm kind of contemplating making a nicer board at this size, and perhaps a 2x2' as well. we'll see....

Anyways, I played 3 missions and tried out some of the different mission scenarios. 

And was able to battle... most of the hostile types (no dogs).

Zombies are tough but have weaker attacks.  Mutants are tough with hard attacks but there are only a couple of them.  Rats are time fillers.  Bandits can be a threat if there's other things going on.  Ghouls are fast, with more attacks but not as tough as the others.   It's an ok mix, I might tweak it slightly here and there, but it's more than good enough for now.

The first two (prior) missions were fairly lucrative for the crew so they hired a couple of Toughened STALKERS and geared everyone up a bit for these missions. Definitely helped, but I compensated with an extra HS and some (possibly) tougher mission conditions.  It's intended as a narrative builder so flexibility is pretty important.

I'd like to get some feedback from players of both systems, but that might be a bit difficult. In the meantime I'll keep pecking away at the document and hopefully having some games and developing it through testing and games.

The tiny maps are bloody simple to set up (for wargaming) so there's not much excuse not to.  I really do like this setting,  the fluff is so open for exploration and imagination. Now combined with super-simple mechanics it's even better.

I remember when I'd snub any game on less than a 6x4' board... times change no.  I probably should have some trial games on larger boards to see how viable this all is when played on a much large environment. even a 3x3' make travel/movement a far bigger consideration. should do a 6x4' as well.

Until next time...

Zona Alfa - New Accessories - Anomalies + Objective

Last year I saw a post on fb where someone made the black floaty rocks. Thought it was a good idea. Started the project. It stalled and I managed to finish it up over the last couple of days.

Quite happy with the result. Wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but that's usually the way. I'm more often than not happy to see what emerges.

Was relatively easy build. I straightened a thin-wired spring to get some wire that would be stiffer but still thin.

So I now have 6 anomalies (globe, whirligig, electro, tree-people, and these two).  Which is nice of course but they're all 60mm base... maybe larger (globe and the tree-people).

What I was after while playing some test games (more about that soon) was some small anomalies. I've been using a very small board and I just wanted something compact that wasn't going to have a huge footprint on an already limited area. 

So... I created 2 new small anomalies which are 'blood stones'. Nice small 32mm bases.

"Blood Stones: While Whirligigs and Burners are exceptionally hazardous due to being virtually invisible, STALKERS with superstitious tendencies fear the powerful quasi-magnetic effect of Blood Stones even more. Close proximity causes nausea, loss of balance and if an organisms stays too long near a Blood Stone anomaly witnesses say you can see a cloud of red mist being drawn from the victim to the Stones through the air. The anomaly literally sucks the body's blood through the victim's skin, leaving them disoriented, susceptible to collapse and the risk of becoming a dry, crispy husk."

I also made a generic mission objective marker. For similar reasons.  I wanted something slightly industrial looking: could be a table with 2 things one it, could be a battery, could be a (narrow) hatchway, could be a bomb, etc.

I was using crates in my test games and they didn't feel right. It's nice to have options.

All made from left over bits and bobs. So that's that.

Until next time...

OPR - Inquisitorial Warband

Some time ago i got it into my head to make an Inquisitorial Warband... initially it was intended to be for a Munda venator gang, but between starting the project and now I got into OPR so it seems more likely it would be used in that setting.   OPR even caters to Inquisitors in the army lists. Win. 

That's the thing about hobby, sometimes it's fun just to build something for the sake of it, even if it doesn't get used in games.... though now I think about it that's most of my projects. though I do intend to use them, it's just that dice rolling doesn't happen all that frequently.  anyways...

I had a fairly good idea of the composition of the warband, i have models that i like from all the other games i play, i made a list, i checked it twice, and over the course of months i gathered models from here and there, raided the bitz box on more than one occasion and eventually gathered all the models together.

This is the Inquisitor model (Rogue Trader from Blackstone fortress)...

There's a missionary with two combat servitor (Missionary and two negavoltists also from Blackstone fortress), and an enforcer from necromunda.

Here is the full crew, getting primed.  In addition to the above we have a Van Saar gunner, a trio of admech Sicarians, and a Psyker (genestealer cult).

most of the models had some level of kit bashing.

The Sicarians were mainly just head swaps of the 2 different types... which makes sense if you know admech. 

The Psyker had mutation bits carved off, and any GS looking icons removed. Added an aquila on the staff.

Enforcer needed upper leg extensions as he was ridiculously short.

Van Saar was a kit bash of spare parts over new legs and torso.

Inquisitor had gun swaps, removal of stupid feathers and other extraneous gubbins and I swapped the stupid spike leg for a real leg.

Only the missionary and the negavoltists were totally stock models.

This... is the finished results, ready for boxing...

Missionary... i was going for a greyscale palette for this one... aiming for austerity.

The missionary and negavoltists blob...

The Enforcers I quite like despite being relatively plain/unmodified... He has quite pale fleshtone and some black patches on the face. I'm not sure if these are plasma burns that imprinted on his face, or whether he was captured and tattoo'd by criminals early in his career and had the obscenities blocked over.  Those are the fun fluffy bits you can contemplate when kitbashing a unique team like this.

The Psyker model is great, very tall even without the hood.  I saw a dark skinned model like my one about 2 days after I finished mine, which is kind of annoying as I thought it was a unique idea. not so apparently.

The Inquisitor came out quite well. I had a plan for the shape, but not for the colour (like most things) and i'm relatively happy with the results. didn't want to go red like the Blackstone model I already did, so opted for a blue palette.  The Van Saar is ok, i like the colour, wanted to get away from my traditional colours for them. The model is a tiny bit shorter than i might have liked.

And the Sicarians were a fun build/paint. I haven't done any admech stuff before so it was a fun little excursion.  I really like the models but have no intention of doing more admech stuff.

So that's that.  I finished off the negavoltists today so that's first models of the year done, and first project of the year done.  Sure they were started and mainly done last year, but only finished projects really count... or something like that.  

Until next time...