One of my hobby goals for 2011 is to continue experimenting with new game systems, even if only to learn the rules as an excuse to paint different sorts of miniatures. Last year I really enjoyed delving into Hordes especially although I did begin peeking into Warmachine and Malifaux a little as well. Early on I even made a decent start on painting my Circle Orboros army before running out of steam and resuming work on GW projects. I believe those are games I'll have fun with for quite some time to come so I'm happy with the investment I made in learning them.I would therefore like to again expand my gaming horizons and so I've been looking around at what's available, mainly with an eye toward the miniatures but also with some curiosity regarding their rules too. There are quite a few systems that I'm considering but at this point I still do not know which appeals the most to me. I suppose I've already started in with Super Dungeon Explore very recently but I don't count that as it lacks the army collecting/list building elements that I want in a new game. What follows is a list of those that have caught my attention for various reason and from which I expect to further pursue at least one or two of them.
I really don't know much about any of those yet except what I've found out about them poking around their primary websites and a few very tentative visits to some of their forums. If anyone has any experience or opinions concerning these games, I'd really appreciate hearing them. I am particularly keen to learn more about the three from Spartan Games and would be very interested in hearing about how those games actually play. Also I'm always eager to find out about other games people are playing so if there's anything else you really enjoy, I'd love to hear additional recommendations.
Okay, that's it for tonight... miniatures await!
You should look into Dust Tactics too. I'm thinking about getting it, and the feedback I've heard from friends has all been very positive. It's more a boardgame/miniature than tabletop wargame, but you can customize your army a bit. Not real expensive, either.
ReplyDeleteCool, thank you very much for the recommendation. I've only heard a little about Dust Tactics but it definitely looks like a badass game. I'll be sure to find out more about it and check out the game if I get a chance, I had forgotten to look it up when I was making this list of games. Thanks, CounterFett!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to post it here so as not to make it look like spam, but if you contact me (morkin) on the Freebooter Miniatures forum, I'll be more than happy to send you a list of links to online reviews of the Freebooter's Fate game in case that's any use to you. (The list will be published on our website in the near future.) And, of course, I'm always willing to also answer any questions you might have about the game. :-)
ReplyDeleteGood list. I hope Spartan gets the critical mass if it hasn't already, and that the smaller companies can also get a comfortable foothold. We need more significant producers to keep standards high and the ideas flowing.
ReplyDeleteWait for a new game called Cutlass! by Black Scorpion Miniatures. http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/index.php
ReplyDeleteWhat is it you are looking for in a new game? You've said these spark your interest, but why was that?
ReplyDeleteOf your list I play Flames of War, only because it is so popular and "everyone is doing it".
I also want to give Firestorm Armada a chance. It looks great and everything I've heard makes it sound even better. Everything else on your list has either snuck under my radar or simply eluded my "dude, that sounds cool" nerve.
Since recommendations are being pitched around I'd heartily recommend Strange Aeons. Small, indy company, solid rules, skirmish level, pulp Lovecraftian horror. It delivers big on a small scale, plus it's miniatures-range neutral. Games end up being stories, not competitions.
You forgot to add drinking to the list.
ReplyDeleteEvery time a mission is left incomoplete during a Space Hulk game, the loser has to drink a vodka/whisky shot!
Dystopian Wars also caught my attention. I might convince some friend, someday... and try that game =D
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your choices!
D'oh! Sorry guys, I just wrote out a really long response to Gyro's question about what has me interested in these games so of course the comment got lost to the web. D'oh, d'oh. d'oh! Due to the frustration this has caused this will be a little more succinct than usual. Sorry... :( I am grateful however for all the input, thank you!
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous - Fantastic, thank you very much! I really appreciate you offering me access to such great resources. I'll be sure to get on the forums and look you up as soon as I can as it definitely looks like a cool game. Thanks!
@ Porky - I'm with you 100%. A thriving and vibrant gaming and hobby industry benefits all of us. Kudos to Spartan Games for hanging in there, I'm glad to see that Dystopian Wars seems to have been fairly well received. Thanks, Porky!
@ Big Bad Garou - Wow, that does look like an exciting game! Thank you very much, I look forward to finding out much more about that one. Thanks, BBG!
@ Gyro - Sorry man, I had originally planned on writing at least a little about each game saying what had interested me about them. Unfortunately it was already fairly late when I started writing this post and was soon eager to get back to my hobby desk. It does appear to be a fairly random and eclectic mix of genres for my list of games and in fact there's no real theme to my choices beyond what looks cool to me. Maybe if time allows I'll write out some of my thinking about each of the games in a new post but right now I'm still a little steamed from having lost my earlier comment on here. Nonetheless I really appreciate your recommendation of Strange Aeons, I do love that cosmic, Lovecraftian horror. That sounds like a really interesting and different approach to gaming, I'll be sure to find out more about it. Thank you very much, Gyro!
@ Bartender - Hahahahaha! That was indeed a grave oversight on my part, I assure you will not do so in the future. ;) And if we ever get the chance I now really want to play Space Hulk with you, I really do like those house rules of yours! Thank you for the good humor, Bartender!
@ Nesbet - Right on, be sure to let us know what you think of the game should you take the Dystopian plunge and I will do the same too. My main problem now is that I don't know which Nationality's forces I like the most, plus there's the promise of future releases to consider as well. That's probably a good sign however when looking at new games. :) I think Dystopian Wars and Firestorm Armada are competing for the top spot at the moment. Hmm, tough choices... Thank you, Nesbet!
My experience with your proposals:
ReplyDeleteAnima Tactics
I confess I hated assembling the models, small pieces, fragile, odd proportions on some models... it was a commission and hated every moment of it.
Dystopian Wars
It's very, very tempting. Prussians for me. Probably end of march I will get them.
Firestorm Armada
My plan is to focus on a single Spartan Games product. Dystopian Wars is winning, even if I already got a Thaniras elves fleet for Uncharted Seas
Flames of War
I'm trying to avoid army games and 15mm. Getting into 15mm might start a chain reaction with me ending with a DBMM ancients army and a napoleonic army for LaSalle
Freebooter's Fate
Werner Klocke is one of my favourite sculptors, but I've found the miniatures on the expensive side of the spectrum with no potential opponents on my local environment.
Heavy Gear: Blitz!
Same thing with Freebooter. Only I've been tempted to get into HG for the past ten years :P
MERCS
Models are great, got some CCC, mechanics seem interesting with the card movement, I also want to give it a try.
Pulp City
It's very fun and provides a totally different setting to fight in, the miniatures are very nice and you use only a few models per side with a very nice system that allows you to go cinematic.
Uncharted Seas
Nice models, resin and metal, they almost paint by themselves. This is a great fun game, but if you are looking for more 'simulation' on your playing experience theis is the wrong pick, along with other SG options.
Wow! That's a lot of great information, thank you very much for sharing your experiences with me, Andres. It actually sounds like much of that accords very nicely with my own expectations and thoughts. You've really helped me out with this. Also I will say be very careful messing around with 15mm miniatures, they are indeed addictive. For me the slippery slope was DBA... :) Thank you, Andres, I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteNo problem... I've re-read the post and maybe I'm putting a negative light on Spartan Games lines... not at all, they are amazing, but if you face an historical opponent with an eye for details and realism he will hate the experience.
ReplyDeleteAlso not included in the list, and a game that I really like is Infinity (they have free rules to check). It might be a little complicated at first but a few games and is a very challenging game and the miniatures are superb. They have some parts impossible to pin, but so far I haven't break one of them.
Andres
Cool, I'm not too worried about getting the level of detail normally found in historical naval simulations. For the Spartan Games I would be satisfied just with the basic feeling of naval maneuvering and such in which your ships move in curved arcs, etc. That's all, just fun really... sounds like I would be happy with them, too. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate the recommendation for Infinity, that's another game I had simply forgotten about. I've come close several times to buying a miniature or two for the joy of painting them. Since first reading your comment I have been looking at the different types of models available and am really impressed. They look beautiful! And right away I find a bunch of the factions (PanOceana, Yu-Jing, Nomads, Combined Army) strongly appealing. This is another I will have to look at more closely, thank you again for pointing out this game to me.
Thanks, Andres! :)
I love that you have hobby goals. That is a great deal of fun. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteDystopian Wars does look fun, as for Heavy Gear not a soul sells DP9 minis here in the UK tho I do miss A Call to Arms (B5) Had a huge Shadow Fleet but sold it to a friend where it would get better use.
ReplyDeleteWith Warmachine and Hords the cards are cool if its not on them you cant do it end of problem.
@ The Happy Whisk - Haha, you gotta have some goals, right? I had actually planned on making this one of my New Year's Resolutions but now that we're well into February it seems kind of late now for that... whoops.Thanks so much, Happy Whisk, I'm glad you approve! :)
ReplyDeleteOn a more sombre note, my condolences to you regarding this past Sunday. I would say there's always next season but unfortunately even that appears to be in doubt. Oh dear... still I'm sure it's worth holding onto whatever Terrible Towels you may have. Let's just hope it's not too long of an offseason.
Take care, Happy Whisk!
@ Derina - Interesting that there's no support for Heavy Gear over there, I wonder why. Is DP9 not that big of a company? Well I guess no gaming biz is all that big but relatively speaking. I've been reading more about Dystopian Wars and it does sound like it could be a really good game. As for the stat cards, I love 'em! When I first tried out Warmachine years ago I thought it was silly but since then I've really grown to appreciate them. They're such a handy resource, what's not to like? Good hearing from you, thanks Derina!
It's just so fun. Hobby goals. I love it.
ReplyDeleteJJ- I would second the plug for Dust Tactics. It's a strong contender for my giveaway -and then a copy for me. I like it THAT much!
ReplyDelete@ The Happy Whisk - Me too! Thanks, Whisk!!
ReplyDelete@ Loquacious - That is a very strong endorsement, especially considering your professional expertise. :) I'm still not too familiar with the game but I do know I like its style, those walker-tank things are really cool. Thank you, Loquacious!
I got asked to pin a warmachine army for a friend and in return im getting Dystopian Wars bits Blazing Sun and the FSA starter fleets and the rule book :P
ReplyDeleteVery cool! That's actually exactly what I'm now planning on picking up sometime soon. Once adepticon is over I want to build a little demo table to use with the starter fleets. I also like the ground forces for those nations and hope to get those starter boxes too. Best wishes with the pinning, it does sound though like you're getting good compensation... right on! :) Thanks, Derina!
ReplyDeleteAnd they arrived this morning (The book and the minis for Global Warfare in a Victorian Sci-Fi Age.)
ReplyDeletePaul said He will try to remember to post his warmachine and his LoD heavy flamer.
The word here is TRY!! what can I say men..
First off let me apologize for taking forever to respond to you, I really do appreciate hearing from you and hearing how things are going for you. This has been a brutal week for me and I've not had a moment for computering. I'm sorry. :(
ReplyDeleteThat is great news however about the arrival of your new minis and rulebook. Sweet, let me know what you think about them once you've had time to play around with your new toys. I still plan on collecting FSA and EotBS as well though news about the upcoming release of more nationalities has me excited to see what else will be available.
I hope to see those warmachine and LoD pictures you mentioned but I understand the challenges Paul will surely face. I TRY to be a better blogger and look at the results I've had... [Sigh] Haha, thanks for being patient with us, Derina!