Monthly Archives: April 2020

Santorini App

apps

One benefit of the lockdown is that I’m discovering that there have been app versions of some of my favourite board games released that I somehow missed.

A good example of this is that I missed Santorini hitting the App Store.

In physical form this is a great abstract game that looks beautiful on the table. It’s quick to teach and learn. But that hides a complexity especially when you are using the God cards with their different and unique powers.

This app version of the game looks beautiful and captures the real game fantastically.

For your initial investment you get 34 of the Gods selected from the base game, Golden Fleece expansion and a promo. You can also buy a further 24 Gods in-game.

I’ve only played against the AI so far, there is online play. The AI can be set at various difficulty levels, which includes a God level. Which I haven’t been brave enough to try yet.

You can rotate the board around easily to get different views of the board. Which you will have to do. It’s just a nature of this 3D game as an app and in real life.

I really like the job the developer has done with this. I’m glad I came across it.

In response to Jonathan’s comment:

Carcassonne 2.0

apps

Carcassonne has been on iOS for years.

I’ve owned it for years, had all the expansions they added.

It was a good implementation of a board game classic.

But things change. Never developers pick up licenses, old ones lose them.

For whatever reason a new version of Carcassonne got released, and given a make over.

Where the previous version was a good looking game that accurately represented the physical game. The art used was the art from the tiles. With a 2D top down view.

This new version adds an isometric camera view (bottom left) to go alongside the 2D top down view and other graphical flourishes that make the game seem fresh.

Naturally you can easily swap between the two views to your hearts content, and settle on the one you prefer.

Some of the flourishes include animating the meeples so that they bounce on the board in the isometric view. Or at the press of the button you get to see which areas of the board are covered by farmer meeples(top left). Or the dragon tokens that keep count of the number of moves the dragon has taken, along with possible moves and where it has been (top right).

I also like how a city only gets built once it has been completed. Until then it is just a muddy outline.

I’ve only played against the AI at the moment. Which was something that wasn’t possible in the previous version (there were puzzles/challenges you could do, but that didn’t work for me). Sometimes the AI can take a couple of minutes or longer to make a move, which is annoying. But on the whole I’ve found the AI challenging but not over powering.

There is online play across platforms. However I’m not one for playing against strangers. I much prefer playing against friends. Said friends have not got this app yet. So this isn’t something I’ve used in this version. There is also a text chat option to. But I refer you the just made statement about online play.

The main drawback for me with this new version is that I’ve had to buy everything again.

But it does have my favourite expansions as in app purchases. These are The Abbot, The River, Inns & Cathedrals, Traders and Builders, The Princess and Dragon, and the Winter Edition (not purchased yet). I like what these add to the game, they extend it’s playing time. But that’s a compromise I’m prepared to make, as they add so much.

I really like this new version.

D&D Free Stuff From WotC

D&D, news, RPG

After a couple of days break I’m back. I’ve got my mojo back.

WotC have joined the throng of designers and publishers giving away free stuff to help out during these unsure and worrying times.

D&D (and any RPG) is one of those games that plays really well remotely using the various tools out there. I’m not going to go into the options and how to here. There are some great videos and articles (D&D Beyond, Sly Flourish, and Matt Colville to name a handful) out there on the interweb that cover all that.

But once you have chosen your path to online play (or it could be round a table if playing in the home). You are going to need the rules and a scenario.

That’s where WotC come in.

WotC each week day are releasing an Adventure League scenario and other content for free. The other content is usually a colouring page for younger people (although it can be used by more mature folks if that’s your thing).

“Content will be added daily, Monday-Friday. Check back each day for the latest free, downloadable content. Please note that certain adventures are being made free on the DMs Guild for a limited time, so be sure to grab them now while you can!”

Also on the page are links to the basic rules and pre-generated character sheets.

By visiting the page and picking up the free goodies you basically have everything to play D&D (except dice, pencil and paper and friends).

I’ve also included a link below to the Unearthed Arcana rules for sidekicks for anyone that wants to play D&D at home with their partner/room mate. It would have been nice of WotC to have released the final version of this as it appeared in the Essentials Kit alongside some sidekicks. But we can’t have everything. Maybe that’s for another day.

Just remember to grab the stuff off the DMs Guild now, even if you don’t think you will need to right away. It’s not staying free for ever.

Here is the LINK you need to get the free goodies.

Unearthed Arcana Sidekick rules.

Random Dungeon #6

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

For this latest random dungeon instead of using the quick and easy dungeon map cards. Which do create pretty looking dungeons. I’ve decided to go “old school” and use the tables in Appendix A: Random Dungeons of the DMG along with the tables from Chapter 5: Adventure Environments pages 99 – 101 of the same publication.

So for this random dungeon I used graph paper, pencil, and dice along side the above mentioned sections of the DMG.

Starting Area (1d10): 7

Dungeon Location: 59

Exotic Location: 4

Dungeon Creator: 17

Dungeon Purpose: 20

Dungeon History: 12

The entrance to our dungeon is in a mountain pass buried under an avalanche. The dungeon had been created by a liche to hold its hoard of treasure and magical items. The liche was destroyed by internal conflict. That conflict could be underlings rising up hoping to take the treasure for themselves.

Taking into account the entrance is under the debris of an avalanche any party wishing to enter must either enter through the secondary entrance if they can find it. Or successfully complete a group challenge or skill challenge to clear away the rubble to get to the entrance.

Starting Area (Room 1: 20) – Trap or trick designed to kill or capture creatures that enter the dungeon.

This room has a well in the centre.

Current state: 10 – pool of water, chamber’s original contents are water damaged.

Room 2: 1 – Antechamber for visiting dignitaries.

Current state: 5 – Holes, floor partially collapsed.

Room 3: 6 – Guardroom to defend against intruders.

Current state: 9 – used as a campsite.

Room 4: 4 – Barracks for guards.

Current state: 16 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 5: 14 – Strong room or vault, for guarding the treasure hidden in the dungeon, accessible only by locked or secret door.

Current state: 19 – stripped bare.

Room 6: 10 – Kennel for trained beasts used to guard the treasure vault.

Current state: 15 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 7: 2 – Armoury containing mundane and magic gear used by the treasure vault’s guards.

Current state: 12 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 8: 11 – Kitchen for feeding guards.

Current state: 16 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 9: 15 – Strong room or vault, for guarding the treasure hidden in the dungeon, accessible only by locked or secret door.

Current state: 12 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Obviously there are a load more tables to use in Appendix A to determine obstacles, traps, monsters, treasure and magic items, plus how the rooms are decorated.

Yes my map isn’t the prettiest to look at. But it’s functional and does the job. And boy is that cross hatching boring to do.

Hope you liked the change,

Random Dungeon #5

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

Back to the random dungeon posts.

For the second time since getting them I’ve used the Deck of Many Dungeons to create this random dungeon.

I didn’t think when I was drawing the cards and had what was a “completed” dungeon that with a side entrance a goal complete card wasn’t required.

This struck me as a simple tomb for a party to stumble upon and explore whilst looking for the main dungeon.

Update on planning session 8 #4

D&D, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.

Considering the current events in the world, it will come as no surprise that our session 8 has been postponed until at the moment an undetermined date in the future.

There was one suggestion about doing the next session online but I’ve not found anything yet that I’m happy with that works well on an iPad (my main device).

I’m a big fan of Twin Peaks the tv show. It was so inspiring and ahead of its time back in the late eighties, early nineties when it was first aired. Reading the book The Diary of Laura Palmer (basically this was meant to be a copy of her diary the characters were reading on screen) while the series was on really drew me into the Twin Peaks universe. I had never felt that sort of immersion before. It was incredible.

But why am I telling you all this? During this lockdown we are meant to be observing (although one or two seem to be ignoring it) I started watching rewatching the original series. It’s still great tv.

However there is the scene below between a shot Agent Cooper and a mysterious giant in his hotel room at the start of the second season. Luckily for you, you don’t have to read me explaining it, you can watch the YouTube clip below.

While watching that episode and scene it struck me this would be a fantastic way to deliver clues/hooks to the players.

I have previously mentioned using a particular players unconscious prone state during combat as they are making saving throws as an opportunity for a devil to tempt them with an infernal contract.

But I also love borrowing this idea of spirits inhabiting living vessels. With the spirits becoming “real” in our realm of existence under certain conditions. Like a player being near to death.

This dual existence could be something a player or npc has without being aware of it.

I love the idea of using a players saving throw turn as an opportunity to give plot hooks or clues.

Another thing I’ve been looking at that also falls under planning for the future is a labyrinth design to use when the players encounter an island inspired by the Cretan Labyrinth of the minotaur legend. Naturally there aren’t any “maps” of that. It’s a myth, although the labyrinth may have existed.

However initial google searches show that the Egyptians were also labyrinth/maze builders. So I might with a bit more digging be able to “borrow” one of their ancient designs.

But I did come upon an ancient British labyrinth design that is from the Bronze Age and can be found in Cornwall.

This labyrinth carving can be seen at a place called the Rocky Valley near the alleged home of King Arthur Tintagel.

If I had to chose one today to be used straight away I’d go with the home grown Rocky Valley one. So that is telling me It e found my labyrinth to use when the island is found.

It’s weird where you find inspiration sometimes. It’s why I advise students to widen their horizons and have hobbies that are not just playing video games when it comes to game design. The same applies to being a DM. It’s why they include the inspiration appendix in the DMG and PG.

At least now I’ve captured my inspired ideas now.

Smashing Through The Ages

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Naturally instead of playing the apps I already have. I’ve bought one or two new apps to play during this period of lockdown.

A couple I’ve already mentioned in the post about my online id’s being updated. However I’ve added a couple more since then. One because a friend reminded me it was a thing and had been for a while (Smash Up!) and the other was a brand new release (Charterstone).

Although for the later I’ve not been successful in getting an online game with any of my friends so far. A combination of no Android version yet and the PC price on Steam putting them off.

One of the new apps I bought to play was Through the Ages. A game I’ve always wanted to try. For whatever reason I’ve not done. But this lockdown has given me the excuse to try the game.

I really did like the tutorial for Through the Ages. It was about the right length, had a little humour mixed in. And after completing it left me with a basic understanding of how to play the game. So a success.

I’ve not played the game against a real life opponent yet. I rarely play against random players online. I much prefer to play against friends. Which my current crop of online games for Star Realms and Epic Card Game will back up. Although I will sometimes pop into the Arena in a Star Realms to try and earn a foil version of a card.

So all my games so far have been solo against the AI. Which for the record I’ve not beaten yet. I’d like to say they were close. But I’d be lying. I think I have done respectfully by scoring over 100 points most times.

I actually like Through the Ages a lot. Which I thought I would. Naturally I can’t compare how accurately the conversion is between it and the physical. But I like the implementation, the interface and the look.

The game ticks a lot of boxes for me. I certainly feel like I’m building a civilisation, but I think the graphics certainly help on that front. It’s an engine builder. A mechanic I like a lot. I have one or two in my collection. The variable powers for each player achieved through leaders and government cards helps make your civilisation feel unique, and helps shape your plans.

One of the advantages of an app version of a game is that it does all the heavy lifting of doing upkeep such as generating resources, handling triggers, and any calculations. But the one I’m glad for and it would be such a chore and time consuming I’d imagine in the physical game is the constantly shifting market. Each turn three cards drop off the market and are replaced with new ones at the other end.

The other app I’ve played but also only against the AI is Smash Up!

I knew I liked this game, having played it in it’s physical form with Gavin a while back now (probably last year).

Once again I like the interface but I did struggle initially with the in game one. I loved the deck selection interface and it’s carousel, it felt very natural. Which isn’t surprising because it reminded me of when you used to select tunes on an iPod with the click wheel.

At its heart Smash Up! is an area control game. Another mechanic I like. What I like about Smash Up! is the choosing two themed decks and shuffling them together to get your final deck to play with. It’s a clever way to remove deck building from the game. Which can be a lengthy process and require knowing about all the cards and how they interact to do it really well. Which would favour the experienced player. This way is a great leveller, and reduces that advantage to a degree. It’s also a fun way to do things.

Again the tutorial is good. And does its job.

I can’t wait to play this game against friends. Despite not beating the AI, I like the game. I’m seeing a trend here with these two games. All hail our AI overlords.

Two great board game apps worth considering getting.

Free Frostgrave Rules from Osprey

news

Once again another publisher and designer have stepped up to the mark and been very generous. This time Osprey are giving away the digital version of the rules for Frostgrave and some solo campaigns.

I’ve not played this (yet). Only just downloaded the rules myself! But it looks fun, and another use for the miniatures I have.

Full details here.

Random Dungeon #4

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

Today’s random dungeon is different from the previous ones!

For today’s dungeon I am using a deck that arrived this morning from the US of A called the Deck of Many Dungeons.

Like the other deck Map and Dice Playing Cards it generates a random dungeon. Unlike the other it doesn’t simulate dice rolls. However it does have on the cards relevant tables to use to populate the dungeon with, along with a very handy joker card (see below). The Deck of Many Dungeons is more linked to D&D 5e than the other deck because of it’s tables. But you could always ignore them if using with another system or an earlier version.

Following the instructions on the second joker (above) for generating a dungeon you are creating a more complete dungeon.

Although I would be tempted to modify the instructions slightly for the no unconnected hall ways. I like having that dead end option. Something going nowhere. Also space allowing leaving one unconnected hall way would allow you to increase the size of the dungeon to a much larger size.

What I like about this deck are the tables. It removes that having to populate the dungeon on the fly (apart from the rolling against the cards table). However I find these cards less inspiring for telling a story around the dungeon. Something I found with the other deck flowed thanks to the names on the cards.

Two similar products filling the same role of generating a dungeon randomly. However taking slightly differing approaches.

With no further a do here is today’s random dungeon…

More very soon sadly!