Malifaux 2ed: Narrative Somer vs. Sonnia

This Sunday, I had a chance to have my first game of Malifaux 2nd Edition at Game Citadel in Bangor, ME. Great bunch of guys, good tutorial style game with minimal crews and rules, but definitely shook the rust of my Malifaux gears.

I managed to win the game, and as it will no doubt become obvious, I like making narratives to go with the games I play. As such, here are the final moments of that Som'er vs. Sonnia battle;

Som'er dove behind the pile of red rocks, cursing as he landed on one of the bullet wounds he had just taken from the man in a wide brimmed hat. The day had been good so far, but just as it looked like things could be wrapped up and his boys could get on their way, things got messy. 

They'd been wandering through a arid canyon, when they'd seen them; five figures casting long shadow in the noon sun. Three were hunched, covered in thick robes, and had glowing eyes that spoke of power Som'er didn't really want to test. A tall woman smoking a cigarette stood over them, and a trail-beaten man had quickly retreated to cover. Adjusting his hat, Som'er had told his boys to "Git up around dem ruks and flank e'em out eer!" This had worked for the Robed men, who had been filled with lead from a couple of lucky shots. Som'er himself had turned one into (strangely electrified) red mist, and Bub Walkens had filled  another with shot. Of Course, he'd also filled himself with shot in the process, but no matter. 


After a rabid piglet had managed to rip out the last Stalker's throat, it was just the lady and her man. She'd managed to rain fire down on Som'er and his boys, and He'd already taken one bullet that he still couldn't work out; It had seemed to bend around corner as if it here a skeeter thirsty for blood and fire. Witch or not, the woman had slumped to the ground under an excessive amount of gun fire had been pointed her way. 

Now, it was Som'er, Wally  and Jenkins against the man in the wide brimmed hat. He seemed determined to end Som'er's life (no doubt as Som'er's hat was bigger and he wanted it for himself), but Som'er had unceremoniously removed himself from the line of fire as quickly as possible. Wally and Jenkins had rushed him in that breif pause as the man cursed, proceeding to pelt him with fists, rocks, and more than a few inventive curse words. They wouldn't last long, but they had tied him up. Chuckling, and chomping on his cigar, Som'er creeped around the other side of the outcropping. 

As he whirled around the corner, he saw the man; Samuel Hopkins, renowned Witch Hunter of the Guild, was in a bad situation. He'd managed to trap one gremlin under his boot, but that had'nt stopped the crazed gremlin from biting nearly through the man's boot-soles. At the same time, he was furiously trying to prevent the other gremlin from stabbing his eye's out with a rusty pen knife while his hands wrapped around its neck, the gremlin starting to turn a sickly shade of purple. 

Som'er paused for a moment. He wanted to do something; the two Gremlins would no doubt be dead in seconds at the hand's of Hopkins, and he couldn't get to both of them in time. One would have to die. Time seemed to slow as memories of boat rides, moonshine and cookouts filled his head. Jenkins and Wally hadn't been his favorites, but they had been loyal. 

Or had they? Hell, were they even his friends?! Snapping out of an odd moment of emotions, Som'er squinted his beady eyes, smiled and said,

"Eh, Y'all got cousins"

Lowering his boomstick, the gun roared, scarring the entire area with pellets, nails, and embers. Wally,  about to loose consciousness on account of being nearly chocked to death, was liquefied.  He has probably saved Hopkins life, as his small body took the brunt of the shrapnel pointed at the man's chest. Hopkin's was still sent flying and smashed into the hard sun-bleached earth, bleeding from hundreds of cuts and wounds, and loosing consciousness almost immediately. 

Jenkins was less fortunate, and Hopkins had, quite literally, been blown out of his boots. The large, steel toed boot was still planted firmly on his throat, stuck in place due to inconvenient placement of a rock and scraggly root, and as Som'er Teeth Jones walked forward,  Jenkins gave a stuttering squeal before dying. 

Chuckling, Som'er shoulder his gun, turning eastward. Behind him a lone piglet trotted out of the valley sniffing Hopkins curiously before rushing to catch up with its master. Noting the piglet, Jones muttered  with a grin, 

"Luuks lyke ool the bacon is myne tunite!"

#governmentshutdown

Since everyone's talking about.....

TBH, I'm happy that the government shutdown. I'm not happy people have been furloughed, that government is at a standstill, or that the senate/house/american people are more partisan than they've ever been before. But something needed to happen. Something drastic. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the kick in the pants the government needs...

I'm a staunch Libertarian, so this whole event is rubbing 3 particular issues the wrong way for me: 1) The Budget, 2) Obamacare  and 3) Government being too big. Time to rant a little bit: Nothing long, or too in depth, just some thoughts on recent political events.

Issue #1: The Budget

or the lack there of. We haven't had a budget in over a decade. Is it any surprise shit like this is happening? The American financial machine is stuck in a ditch and the dollar is diving. Our economic solvency should be our top concern; over defense, over education, over social welfare because of one fact: If we let it get too bad, and take the dive into complete bankruptcy (and don't say it'll never happen....it's naive.), then none of the rest matters. We won't have the money to run the military. We wont have the money to fund any education. We wont have the money to help anyone. On this point, the GOP are 100% correct for fighting, and fighting hard. It's a nasty skeleton in our national closet, but it needs to be hauled into the sunlight and dealt with.

Still My Favorite Outcome of the Shutdown....hehehe. Grumpy.

Issue #2: Obamacare

The American Medical System, as it is in its current form, doesn't work. Premiums are too high, there's no easy way for hospitals to bid down costs of equipment/service, and there's a good hunk of people without coverage.

The Affordable Care Act is not the Solution.

I'm not saying a government system cannot work; I lived in Canada for 4 years, and their system works just as well as ours (though everyone who says it is "free" has their head up their rear: I refer you to beer and gas taxes...). I'm philosophically opposed to a government system, based on my free-market, keep-your-hands-of-my-body beliefs, but I'm willing to discuss the idea of it.

The ACA however, is a broken, hypocritical mess that is poorly implemented, a technological mess, and just plain badly planned. The fact that business and congress-peoples are getting added leniency while the individual mandate is pushed through is a crock of shit. The GOP is right to fight this, but I can't help feeling it's due to a blind rage that isn't as reasonable or as focused as it should be.

Issue #3: Dat Government

It is, plainly, to fucking big, bloated and out of control. Additionally, it has become far too partisan, but this sin't the heart of the problem. The real problem in DC now is the lack of respect, and I can't help but feel that Republicans have a little bit more than Democrats. The GOP has continually sat down and said "We're Ready to Talk". Sure, they'll be as bull-headed and potentially as unmoving as ever, but at the very least they say they are willing to talk, sit down and try to negotiate. The Dem's however, have responded by saying "Give us a new CR and we'll talk"....

That new CR, which would extend federal funding for a while, is basically everything the Democrats want...

That's not who a give-and-take negotiation works......

BOTH sides are being pig-headed. BOTH sides are being unwavering. BOTH sides are fucking this all up because they can't admit the other side is full of actual people, who happen to have different views. Not, you know, Evil Commie Bastards or Neolithic Zealots. And, btw, Third Party Candidates are not all crazy....

Sit down. Have a Scotch. Talk it out respectfully. You won't agree on every point; that's what makes our country great, but you can have a reasoned discussion and come to some sort of agreement. Democrats are not Evil. Republicans are not Evil. There's just way too much hate hovering over Washington like a cloud of biting insects.

Malifaux: Dusting off the Gremlins

Like I mentioned previously, I'm getting back into Malifaux with the near impending release of the Second Edition. Back in the very first iteration of 1st edition, I tested the waters with this game, and picked up some of the Gremlin Faction models (though they were Outcasts back then, not their own faction...). I'll picked up my brushes once again, and started painting. Here is a sample of what I've retouched and painted a new!

A selection of Regular Bayou Gremlins. I've gone for more "Maritime" and less "Bayou" as a theme.

Two Slop Haulers. Pretty Proud of These Guys!

Raphael LaCroix, A Named Gremlin. His Big Honkin' Gun just wasn't big or honkin enough for me, so I swapped it out for an even bigger, honkin'er one!

The Crew as it stands now. Note the Pig Whisperer and his Piglets in the back left side. 

Next Up: Lenny, More Bases and the Boss...

Back to Malifaux

I've got a nostalgic relationship with Tabletop Games: as much as I talk, write, and think about video games, I got my start with Games Workshop. I played them all; Warhammer Fantasy, 40k, Mordhiem, and Blood Bowl, but what really kept me involved in the miniature Wargaming scene was the painting. Even after I got into gaming, MMO's and consoles, there's no substitution for a afternoon painting.

Yet, four years going to university in a different country will stifle your ability to 1) transport models across borders, 2) Explain why you have to have rare-earth magnets, ex-acto blades and acetone to a border patrol agent and 3) lug a separate suitcase full of paints and green stuff. Ultimately, underwear was deemed more important than Ultramarines.

So, computer gaming took over as my major, nerdy hobby, and I started writing about games, and gaining traction as a video game journalist. I went to cons as press, talked with devs, and acquired many a nerdy business card. Yet now, as I've settled down (at least for now), and don't intend to move to a foreign country anytime soon, mini's have returned to my life....

All thanks to Malifaux.

Malifaux, produced by Wyrd Miniatures, is a Skirmish Game set in a, *clears throat*, "gothic, steampunk, Victorian horror [world] with a dose of the wild west to inject fun and depth into the magical lawlessness...rife with monsters, necropunks, man-machine hybrids, gunslingers, and power-hungry politicos." Yes, this game actually exists, and yes, it is as awesome as it sounds.

Also; Ghost Rider Brought his Friends to the Guild in 2ed.

While I had gotten a few pieces from the time of Malifaux's release and the pre-release of the first expansion, Rising Powers, I'd never played that many games, and had forgotten all the rules after over a year of beig absent from Miniature Wargamming in ANY form. So, the near-approaching release of the Second Edition of the game is a perfect opportunity for me to dust of my crew, give them a fresh coat of paint, and shuffle my fate deck. There's a local gaming shop down the street from me, and they run a Monday Night Maliaux League, so I can be sure to find players.

My Master of Choice: Som'er Teeth Jones, the Hillbilly Gremlin with a BoomStick

I'll be posting pictures of my crew, battlereports, and more about Malifaux at this blog....

...I'm Back, Baby!

A Field School in Lordran

As much as I am trying to push forward with an in-depth play through of Bioshock, there is another game that is rapidly ascending my list of my "Best Games According to Jacob" list.[The fact that this list isn't an actual, hard, written list is somewhat surprising to me...]

That game is Dark Souls.

Dark Souls is an interesting, mysterious and incredibly frustrating beast. The gameplay is superb, there's a great sense of achievement and progression, and PvP is exciting and tense. However, more than anything else, I've been drawn in by the lore. It's a dark, miserable, hopeless world full of sorrow, betrayal and misfortune, but goddamn if it isn't expertly made. Everything is presented in little puzzle pieces, which never really seem to give you a full picture of the game's world.



I was trying to think of how best to describe this type of lore, and wouldn't ya know it, someone had already come up with the best way to say it: A form of Archaeology. In his 2012 article on Forbes, "The Wonderful Archeology Of 'Dark Souls' Lore", Erik Kain basically put my thoughts to the page;

Discovering the story and history and mythology of this game is sort of like an archaeological dig. You dig up the buried ruins of Lordran, Oolacile, and the figures who give life and meaning to these places. But you dig them up in little, obscured pieces. You discover the world and its past through the opening cinematic, through brief snatches of dialogue with NPCs (some of whom you may never encounter on your first playthrough) and in item and spell descriptions.
It’s inscrutable and wonderful and perhaps it inspires curiosity and a sort of exploration of story that no other game really possesses. Like the rest of the game’s secrets, you will be hard-pressed to understand or even ask the right questions about the game’s lore if you don’t occasionally delve into these YouTube musings or hop aboard a forum or wiki. What other game requires this much collaboration in order to simply parse out its story? None that I can think of.

Seriously, If you like a good story, get invested in Dark Souls. Don't just play the game, get involved into the lore. Read the Wiki, watch the videos of VaatiVidya, enjoy it. 

Well, unless you hate spoilers...

A Bumpy Start to Bioshock

I made the statement on Twitter a while back that I would be playing a bunch of Bioshock after getting back from PAXPrime, proverbially "Returning to Rapture".

I'm also going to be hitting Bioshock hard on my Youtube channel on my return to Maine....
— Jacob Wood (@JMWormwood) September 2, 2013

Rapture, for those who haven't experienced the game,  is the Objectivist-Paradise/Dystopia the game is set in, and the main point I'd like to try and defend is that it isn't the fact that Rapture was run as an Objectivist city that caused it to fall (quite horrifically and wonderfully), but rather that it started as an Objectivist city and then abandoned the principles that made it a boom-town. I'll be writing about this further later on.

So, last night I get all ready to start streaming, or as a back-up just record with FRAPS, and nothing works. The resolution is off, alt+tab-ing out of the game sets into to an unchanging windowed mode, and FRAPS doesn't even pick the game up. I'm not alone in this issue, at least, as myriad internet help sites have post asking why Bioshock refuses to cooperate. I've got a few other things to try, so we'll see if I've got any success tonight.

Bioshock, would you kindly let me share you with the world?

So, while I was delayed in my actual main task, today I did take the first step in another Bioshock-related project. While at PAXPrime, I managed to pick up 2 posters from the 2K booth of the 1959 Rapture New Years Eve Ball. I picked up the frames for these two poster today, and while one will remain pristine and pretty, I've got violent and combustive plans for the other. If you know the background of that fateful night in Rapture, you might be able to guess where I am going...

PAXPrime 2013: Day 2,3,4 in Review

As you might surmise from the lack of separate Daily reviews, PAXPrime 2013 was insane. Insanely good, insanely busy, just...insane. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't at the very least discuss the best bits of the convention.

DAY 2:

After being delayed at the entrance to press (Srsly. If I have proof of a media Interview at 10, you should consider that before yellling 'NO ADMITTANCE BEFORE 10:30!' at me...) We got a chance to hit the press demo of The Elder Scrolls Online yet again (first time was at PAXEast - Read my impressions here!). Generally, the game is well made, looks pretty great, and feels very, VERY much like an Elder Scrolls game. However, I am still unsure about this game as an MMO and multiplayer game. Granted, Seven and I did manage to team up and defeat a cult of Daedra worshiping cultists, but we still ran into more than a few issues involving phasing. TL:DR? I'm intrigued, but still not sold.

Next big event was the Guild Wars 2 Anniversary Bash, which already had a line for the evenings party oing out the door when we showed up... at around noon. At that time, there was a massive showing centered around the new Tequatl the Sunless fight, which was insane to say the least. the additon of giant tidal waves, a much bigger pool of health, and multiple phases makes Tequatl the Raid that was never in GW2 at launch. With the addition of him droping new crafting stuff and ascended weapons, I expect this to be a hub of activity in Tyria. RaidWarning will have video up of the second attempt at this fight within a day or so.

Finally, on the evening of day 2, I was please to be one of the panelists on the "AppJunkies: The Worst Apps Ever Made" panel. Again, we somehow managed to fill a theater, which we also did at PAXEast 2013. The show was, more or less, a Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment of terrible apps. We managed to get a complete recording of this show, so expect video within the next little bit.

DAY 3:

So, day three was when we started hitting Indies. Along with RaidWarning and AppJunkies, Seven had the brilliant Idea to start courting the indie side of gaming with a new site (currently under construction) called IndieHangover.

After 1 day of working on content, I knew we had hit something.

At the very first part of the day, I managed to talk with Stephen Frost of Carbine and get a few questions answered about Wildstar (Read his responses => HERE!). Stephen is an excellent fellow, and while I didn't get as many answers as I wanted (DARN YOU CRAFTING!!!), it was still insightful.

Then, came the Indie Megabooth. This crowded labyrinth of indie games is chaotic, amazing and confusing all at once. This, along with the 6th floor of the building, and the Seattle Indie Expo were our haunts for the day: we ended up getting 14 video interviews, talking with a ton of developers and making a ton of contacts.

What was most surprising though was the fact that indies were coming TO US. This is why I've got high hopes for IndieHangover. We were the only crew to cover the SIX (Seattle Indie eXpo) with video, and lots of developers were eager to work with us then, and in the future. I won't touch on the individual games too much here, since they'll be reappearing later this month as the first wave of content from IndieHangover.

Of course, 14 interviews poops you out pretty damn well, and we ended the night chilling out with some beers and Cards Against Humanity, which is becoming a PAX tradition.

DAY 4:

This was the first PAX to go 4 days, and while they obviously can justify it (it was just as packed as any other day = $$$), I'm not sure that I was super effective that day. Luckily, since we had nearly 3 weeks worth of footage, we decided to make contacts and set-up indie interview for later. Another 6 interview scheduled made me feel pretty accomplished, and I had an awesome chat/demo with the guys behind Nekro.

Oh right, I also played Titanfall. And was #1 player on my team. I was pretty smug about that. What's that? Me, abuse a grenade launcher and an alleyway? Psssha! No, never.  Yeah, I totally did Hint: If an enemy squad of 4 titans is walking by, and you can get on their flank or rear with a rapid fire, tracking grenade launcher, you can do a lot of good, or a lot of bad, depending on your perspective I suppose.

PAX seemed to wind down earlier that the other days, which I was okay with since my knees and feet were killing me. It worked out well too, since I was able to meet a bunch of cool people in the Media room in the last hour and a half.

All in all, a Superb First PAXPrime. Expect content to filter in this week!