All posts by Darren

Well hello…

life, the universe, and everything, still alive

Dolly!

Yes I went there with the obvious.

Yesterday I got up early, drove down south to literally meet a lady about a dog.

The dog in question was a seven year old pug named, you guessed it, Dolly.

Naturally the owner needed to meet me and make sure I was going to give Dolly a loving home.

I think it’s stating the obvious to say Dolly’s owner was very upset having to find Dolly a new home. I’d be the same.

In the run up to this day I’d not said much about it. I was trying to manage my expectations and hopes. If it fell through I knew I’d be heart broken. I wanted to try and limit the amount of hurt.

But I passed the test both by the owner and Dolly.

Dolly did amazing on the way back. The M25 was horrendous as was the bit of the M1 that I take. I think the M25 from basically the M3 junction where I got on to the M40 junction took nearly two hours.

So when I got a chance to stop at a services on the M1 I did so. Dolly really needed a moment to answer the call of nature and stretch her legs.

When we eventually got home the boys were following Dolly around as she explored her new surroundings.

Considering how stressful the day was for Dolly she had a pretty good night. Only a couple of “accidents” downstairs to clean up. I woke up with Dolly cuddled up to me on the bed.

I know one thing Nico and Loki need to up their meal time game. Dolly is a food hover. And blindingly fast. They won’t be able to just eat when they want now. If it’s left Dolly will have it.

We are now learning how to live together as a pack, learn each others routines, get used to being comfortable together. It’s a good start so far. But it’s a long journey.

Welcome to the family Dolly.

The Big Day

life, the universe, and everything, still alive

I survived the last four days at work.

I think that’s the best way to describe them.

Obviously the days got busier as it got closer to the big day. They also got more challenging as my chest infection has not started to clear up. But my energy levels have gradually improved thankfully.

Instead of finishing at midday Christmas Eve, I took a two hour break and then did a four hour shift at a local express store. So I finished actual work at 6pm last night.

Having started at 5am that morning as I had my other shifts since returning from illness (except Sunday store opens at 7am then). Yesterday was a bloody long day and this may be stating the obvious but I was to say the least very knackered when I got home.

But now I’m looking at a nice break from work and not back until the 8th January. Which if the next bit of this post comes off is great timing.

My planned gaming session for this Friday might not being going ahead, and need rescheduling. Instead I may have to be making a journey to take a step closer to a possible major big news announcement.

Yes I know that’s a big tease. But I’m trying to manage my own expectations and hopes so if it doesn’t happen I’m not too heart broken over it.

Anyway it’s that big day every kid, big and small has been waiting for. Which leaves me just to say to every reader of this blog from myself, Nathan, my Mum, and the two attack chihuahuas Nico and Loki.

Merry Christmas

The Road to UKGE 2025 #5

life, the universe, and everything, still alive, UKGE

Holiday from work booked and approved – check

Campsite booked – check

Yes that’s right I’ve booked my pitch at the camp site.

I have paid the 30% deposit for an electric grass pitch. The rest of the payment goes out at the start of May.

Yes the price I paid is about the same as a Travelodge for the same period (minus breakfast and other optional extras like WiFi) if you managed to get a bargain deal of £35 a night. Which is very very rare these days it seems.

Despite the expo being nearly 6 months away. I’m starting to get excited about going.

On the life front I returned back to work Friday after technically 2 days off. I wasn’t recovered or even close. But well enough to drive safely.

I’m getting stronger but the chest infection itself is still there draining my energy.

Meantime despite my best efforts not to pass on to mum she now has it. Luckily thanks to the flu jab I think not as worse on the symptoms front. She seems much more functional than I was at similar stages.

The main aim is that we are both well enough to enjoy the big seasonal day.

A live just

life, the universe, and everything, still alive

A brief update.

Monday at work I started to feel what I thought was a cold coming on. So I bought the usual cold/flu capsules, and chewable high strength vitamin C tablets. Popped some capsules, and chewed a vit C.

But I got worse during the day once home.

This wasn’t a cold. It was a chest infection. I was coughing, being sick. I was shaking from feeling cold but my forehead was hot.

I gathered the strength to put the attack chihuahuas round with mum. Then collapsed on my bed. Fading in and out of sleep.

That was my Tuesday.

Wednesday wasn’t much better but I was able to start getting some diluted squash to drink.

A new twist to the symptoms is the lower left arm feeling bruised/sore. That happened after the heat returned to them.

Currently I’m trying not to talk or move so I don’t spark a coughing fit.

I hope this improves soon.

My last gaming of 2024?

Fenland Gamers, Game day, game night, Halo Flashpoint

I think that possibly this weekend saw my last gaming of 2024.

This time of year just so happens to be the busiest time of the year for those working in retail.

Which is why after Tuesday I am working 7 days straight without a break. Not only that but for 5 of those days I’m starting an hour earlier (5am) but also finishing an hour earlier (midday).

But on the plus side once I step outside of work Christmas Eve I’m off until the 8th January. Yeah a nice break.

With that earlier start I won’t be making the lcg/ccg/tcg evening Tuesday. Not the “get it to the table” night next Friday. I need to be getting to sleep a bit earlier than I usually do. Which makes evening gaming not an option. Or I could but I’d be shattered the next day.

This past Friday was the regular club game night. Although the discord event only showed 4 interested we ended up with 9 attending. So one of the better attended club nights of recent weeks.

We split into 3 tables of 3.

On my table we started off with a game of Ra.

I do like this auction, push your luck, set collection game. That’s why I backed the last kickstarter to get the Ra Traders expansion. Which I’m looking forward to adding to the game once it comes out.

Luckily I won this game of Ra.

Next we followed up with a couple of games of Cubed: Next Level Dominoes.

This was Colin’s game.

Yes it’s dominoes like but with colours and height involved when placing your tile. But in reality when playing I did not think dominoes.

It was fun, and the player with the lowest score at the end wins. How do you score? Each tile you are left with at the end is worth points depending on number of colours on it.

I didn’t win either of the two games we played.

Our final game of the evening was Splendor Pokémon.

Once again the losing streak continues. I was one more turn away from grasping victory when Colin triggered the end of the game with 18 points. My next turn if I’d had a chance to take it would have netted me 7 points and a total of 20 points. But alas I never got to pull off my power play.

Master Chief broken?

Saturday saw Dave and me playing Halo Flashpoint.

Our first game was a capture the flag game. I had the newly arrived Master Chief on my squad.

This game had a maximum of 8 rounds. With the highest score winning if neither player got to 3 points first. Which I won by a single point. And that was because I actually captured the flag and got it back to a scoring zone in the last round.

Our second game was using the oddball scenario. This is a 6 round game with the winner at the end with the highest score winning, or the first to 11 points.

Dave had Master Chief on his squad for this game.

Once Dave claimed the oddball with Master Chief it was nigh on impossible to get the oddball back.

Master Chief is sooo hard to take down.

I think he’s too powerful. That or I was rolling badly against him.

Definitely for organised play (coming early next year) he needs banning. Without the figure being easily obtainable he is just too much of an advantage to those that got him as the pre-order reward or in the limited supply paint kit.

With the points racking up fast with the oddball in Master Chiefs hands it was an easy victory for Dave.

So that was possibly my last bit of gaming for 2024.

The Road to UKGE 2025 #4

UKGE

With the tickets for the 2025 expo now on sale. You can buy them early. But I see no reason whatsoever to do so. There is no early bird discount. They won’t sell out. So getting them just before hand or even on the day makes no difference. You still have to queue.

In the last couple of weeks I put in my holiday request to cover the dates of the expo, and it has been approved.

This is the only holiday dates I care about. The rest of my holiday and when I take it off doesn’t really bother me.

But now knowing I have the time off work I can now go ahead and book my accommodation. Which as my previous posts have highlighted will be under canvas at a campsite within striking distance of the expo.

Yes I have a campsite in mind.

There are three more items I am looking at for making my car camping experience a bit more “luxurious”. The first is a cool box, an electric hook up cable, and a folding camp bed.

Yes I can get a pitch at the planned camp site with an electric hook up point. So I could charge my devices, etc. That would take the pressure off having to try and power my phone or OutIn Nano.

Also the cool box I’m looking at is electric, running off the mains or car cigarette lighter socket. The nice thing about this is I can also use it when I’m off on training courses staying in hotels.

The camp bed I’m looking at getting is either a Naturehike or OEX one. They are low profile and something I could use when visiting Nath so I’m not sleeping on his sofa. Or after he moves have setup in his spare room.

I like having car camping gear I can use elsewhere. It makes me feel I’m getting value and use out of my purchases.

I’m starting to get excited about the camping experience. I’m hoping that this will be my most chilled expo.

Halo Flashpoint: FPS Multiplayer on the tabletop

Halo Flashpoint

Halo Flashpoint brings what used to be (and still might be, but there hasn’t been a Halo game for three years now, although I think one is imminent) the biggest title/series for the Xbox series of consoles. Only rivalled by the likes of Call of Duty or FIFA.

Over two decades old we now have a tactical miniatures game based on the Halo franchise called Halo Flashpoint by Mantic Games.

Previously the only real attempt to capture that chaotic multiplayer deathmatch style of gameplay from the fps video game genre was the rather fun Adrenaline. I’ve not played Adrenaline for a while but it did a pretty good job and was great fun.

There are initial two editions for Halo Flashpoint. A Recon edition and a Spartan edition.

After watching some YouTube unboxing videos I went with the more expensive Spartan edition.

I also ordered an extra set of player dice.

The Spartan edition gave me more minis, a better quality map board, some 3D printed bits. I also thought it gave me Master Chief.

But alas it did not. What the YouTube box openings didn’t say was the Master Chief mini was a pre-order bonus. They gave the impression that it was standard. I felt lied to. Mantic Games should have been on to them to get them to correct the record. It’s false advertising.

Anyway as the photos above show I got to play the learning game and a full blown game with Dave at the weekend.

Halo Flashpoint is based on the Deadzone miniatures game also by Mantic Games. Which to me means very little because I have never played Deadzone.

For me Mantic has done the “perfect” starter set(s). You have everything inside either box to learn and play together game. Not only that like Battletech these are starter sets a new player can purchase at their FLGS, open up the box there and within 20 minutes be playing the game. This sort of approach makes the hobby so much more approachable for noobs to miniatures gaming.

I also like that there is the starter scenario and one side of the thick paper map is for this with everything a new player needs printed on it. A very nice touch.

I like that players take turns activating a unit. Reminds me of Imperial Assault, but also Battletech.

Movement, range etc is super easy to understand. The game works around cubes (it’s a 3D game!) No need to measure stuff. I like the line of sight for determining if you can hit a target. The headshot or exploding die is fun. Roll an 8 (or 7 in certain circumstances) and you get to roll an additional die. Last game I played with this mechanic was The Others. It’s a fun experience rolling extra dice.

Combat is fairly straightforward with any modifiers increasing or decreasing the number of dice you roll. For example being crouched will give you extra dice to roll when firing a long range weapon. However if there is a friendly unit in the target cube you are firing into you lose a die.

In our second game using more of the rules like weapon drops, and team building we did have to look up keywords that got introduced by the new figures or weapons.

This is a fun skirmish game. Dave and I had a blast playing it.

In Too Deep (not the latest Jack Reacher novel)

Fenland Gamers, game night

Last night it was once again time for us to get it too the table. A club night specifically for getting those unplayed games from the pile of shame to the table.

This time saw Marcin bring the board game In Too Deep. A cyberpunk themed game with definitely some Philip K Dick A Scanner Darkly vibes.

In this game players play officers of the law infiltrating a notorious criminal gang, trying to collect enough evidence to take the gang down.

You do this by jacking into a criminal and taking over control of them. The perp is then manipulated into trying to complete the conditions of one of the two cards you hold. These cards are a main mission and a side mission.

Once you complete a main mission any criminals you are jacked into are released.

To say this game is chaotic is an understatement. You could try planning your movies whilst others take theirs. But often you may not even be in control of the criminal you had, let alone them being where you need them. The board state itself changes so much it almost feels like luck completing a main mission or side mission.

We did find in the later stages of the game that those of us still holding one of the stage three main missions that there was no way they could be completed. They required too many things to be in place that never would happen with the limited number of actions on a turn, and the constant changing board state.

I forget what the cards are called but when you complete either mission you get these cards that basically behave like corruption. Representing how deep you have fallen into the undercover role becoming that criminal you are meant to be bringing down.

This is an interesting little mechanic because at the end of the game the player with the highest score from these cards gets that deducted from their score (unless another condition isn’t met then they don’t). The cards also act as end game bonuses. You have a balancing act of trying to keep as low value cards as possible but getting the best end game bonuses as possible. Something not made easy with the better end game scoring being on the higher value cards.

I liked that when completing a main mission you got a choice of a safe reward or a risky reward. The risky reward drawing you more of the above cards than the safer option.

I think the theme came over nicely. The miniatures of the criminals were really good. Great sculps.

The game did take over three hours including teach. With some turns by players taking a looong time.

I really enjoyed the game. Plus I won.

It was a fun evening.

What am I missing?

Maths, tabletop

I recently bought the book Mathematics of Tabletop Games by Aaron Montgomery.

The book “…provides a bridge between mathematics and hobby tabletop gaming. Instead of focusing on games mathematicians play, such as nim and chomp, this book starts with the tabletop games played by avid gamers and hopes to address the question: which field of mathematics concerns itself with this situation?” Accessed 3/12/24 https://www.routledge.com/Mathematics-of-Tabletop-Games/Montgomery/p/book/9781032468525?srsltid=AfmBOoppHs-kRu-BHsRnkanT4JEnodORFs2Thgjq-J9q9bWxFkGCVpFC

I’m no mathematician, my maths skills are a bit rusty. But I’m getting very frustrated with the book within the first chapter.

After using the sum rule to determine how many cards are in the hard knocks deck in the game The Grizzled (I still need to get my copy to the table). The author Aaron Montgomery then poses the following question about the threat deck in the game:

“In the threat deck, there are 14 cards containing each of the three threats. How large is the deck of threat cards?”

So you stop and think what the answer could be based on the information given. Then instantly the author springs the following on you:

“While using the Sum Rule here might be tempting, that rule doesn’t apply since some threat cards contain more than one threat.”

This opening sentence of the author explaining the solution to me feels like the author is going “aha! You fell into my clever trap because you didn’t take into account …”

For me to have a proper attempt at answering the question you need to be presented with all the information. At no point in the question is it mentioned that cards could contain more than one threat. To me it implies that they don’t.

The example itself I like and explains the Counting with the Inclusion-Exclusion Principle very well. Well enough for me to grasp. But it’s that initial question not giving all the information needed that infuriates me.

My next bit of frustration is to do with applying the Permutation rule to the opening hand in a game of Scout.

“In the five-player game of SCOUT, each player is dealt nine cards from the deck of 45 unique cards and cannot change the order of the cards. A player will try to play a group of sequential cards in their hand stronger than the current combo (see page 82). The Permutation Rule can be used to determine that there are approximately 3 × 1014 opening hands:”

For me this only works and is correct if you deal the cards to each player nine cards in one go. But who the heck deals like this? I know it makes the maths more complicated for working out the number of combinations for the opening hand. But when normal people deal each player gets one card at a time. So the first player in a five player game would get cards 45, 40, 35,… not cards 45,44,43,…

Also doesn’t the example given only mean that this is the possible number of opening hands for the first player dealing in this abnormal way?

Is the way the cards are dealt irrelevant?

So what am I missing?

I’d ask the author but there are no social media or email details for the author. Maybe someone out there could explain to me in simple terms.