“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

It certainly feels like that at the moment. A crisis certainly brings out the extremes of human nature. The selfishness with those panic buying and hoarding, and putting vulnerable people at risk by ignoring advice about gathering in groups. Which is counter balanced with examples of people’s generosity and caring for others.

There are even examples of corporate acts of kindness. Which in the longer run will hopefully reflect on them in a good way when times get better. One such example is game publishers making their digital versions of board games free or greatly reduced in price.

Let’s face it gaming sessions wherever you are have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. So unless you like playing solo games (or games that support solo play) this social hobby of ours is not a thing.

But all is not lost. People are turning to digital alternatives.

Role players are turning to the likes of Roll20, Skype, Google Hangouts, and others to keep playing.

Board gamers also have digital versions of some of their favourite games. Plus the likes of Tabletopia and Table Top Simulator that allow you to play digital representations of board games as if you are playing the physical version.

I have a few board game apps on my iPad. The majority I’ve bought but not played. Yeah I know. Majority of the time the only app I’m playing is Star Realms with Epic now starting to get some love.

Many of these app versions support online play with friends. And that’s the bit that people are now making use of to fill that void left by the cancelled game nights. Especially with the majority of the apps allowing cross platform play. So it doesn’t matter if I’m on my iPad whilst my friend is on their Android device or even a PC.

Last night for instance Jonathan and I played a couple of games of Onitama. Naturally I was using my iPad (after all it is my main computing platform these days) and he was on his Android device. Worked perfectly, despite me losing 2-1 in a best of three.

Despite having a lot of apps, I still lust after one that isn’t out on iOS yet. It’s stuck on steam and the PC. It’s my favourite game of all time Scythe. If it was on iOS I’d be all over that. On a plus side I do believe Charterstone is hitting app stores everywhere next week.

I’m even using this time to learn two games I’ve always wanted to try but not pushed the button on buying physically. With the generous drop in price I’ve decided to let the app versions do the heavy lifting and teach me. Those games being Through the Ages and Race for the Galaxy.

Anyway I’ve updated my online play page (link at top of the blog page) with the games I have and my id/in game name. So if you fancy an online game or two hit me up.

I’m totally enjoying my games of Epic Card Game digital against my friends. And that includes my losing streak of having never won against one of them.

Our format of choice is Dark Draft. Which I’ve said many times I think that this is my favourite format for the game. Unlike a regular draft, you have an idea what cards your opponent has but you don’t know exactly. Mainly because you know what four cards they were given but you don’t know which two they kept and which two were discarded. I like that mystery.

Sometimes though due to the nature of the game type, luck of the draw, etc. More time is spent drafting than actually playing.

Once it was an option to purchase (you only pay for cosmetic stuff like this and to enter official events/tournaments) using my credits I hit on my avatar for the game that won’t change.

I love the pack alpha art. It fits me as leader of my own “wolf pack”.

The other thing I’m currently spending my hard earned Kickstarter credits on are the foil versions of cards when they become available.

I like how foils work in Epic and Star Realms. For the concept works better digitally than in a physical version. Although they are pretty cool in real life.

I actually like how the actual game looks during play. Granted it doesn’t have those flash animations of the likes of MtG:Arena and Hearthstone. But you don’t miss them or need them. Unlike the two mentioned competitors this is completely free to play. And the bit I like a lot, just like Star Realms, when playing against friends you get 48 hours between turns. It means playing can fit in around what you are doing in the real world, and allow you to play with friends in different time zones.

Granted games take longer to play this way. But that’s a price I’m willing to play. Plus you can play in real time if you wish. It’s nice to have the choice.

This is definitely my preferred way of playing the game. It means I get to play it for starters. That’s always a good start.

You can find me on Epic and Star Realms as Whitespider.

Last night I finally caught up with a YouTube video or two from my subscriptions and one of them was a video by the Nerdarchy guys about hidden gems in the DMG.

The basic summation of this video is that they went through Appendix A – Random Dungeons of the DMG. Which is basically a collection of tables you roll dice for to generate a dungeon.

Naturally as pointed out in the video the appendix is basically split into two parts. The first is about generating the dungeon structure wise, rooms, passages, etc. The second part is about stocking the dungeon. What’s in the rooms and passages.

You can use these tables anytime you want really (as pointed out in the video, well more suggested). In the video the example they give is the tricks table being used to “punish” a party for getting a puzzle wrong. But look at those dungeon dressing tables, particularly those that allow you to enhance descriptions of a room that describe what the senses are detecting like smells and noises. That’s two or three tables I’ll be using a lot more.

But the other Appendices are pretty useful also.

I particularly like the following appendix, Appendix B – Monster Lists. What I love about this appendix is the categorising of monsters by environment. Within each environments table the monsters are sorted by challenge rating. But I’m more interested in what monsters my party are likely to come across as they wander through that hilly forest on their way to the lost mine. Being able to look at this table and chose a monster that is in it’s correct environment is really handy. Although picking a monster that would not naturally be in say a mountainous environment might be a plot point, something for the party to investigate. Why was this monster here?

Appendix C – Maps falls into that Jim Murphy advice territory about collecting maps and having them on hand ready for use in your DM folder. But the advice at the start of this appendix is some of the most sage going “…unless you have something specific in mind, you’re better off conserving your time and energy by repurposing an existing map.” And reenforces that suggestion from Murphy. There are nine maps here for people to use.

I like videos like this. They remind you of the great stuff that is contained within the DMG and other books.

My final bandwagon post. It’s time to look at my game of the decade.

Honourable mentions:

Twilight Imperium 4 – an updated classic. The game that basically built FFG got updated, stream lined a little and included some stuff from the expansions. It’s a long game to play, but the time just flies by. You are constantly engaged, making alliances, breaking them. A great game to play.

Star Realms – such an amazing deck builder. The base game is cheap, replayable and portable. There are numerous expansions out for it now, that add more of the same and new mechanics (depending on the expansion). These are also cheap, and just shuffle in to the deck. It’s a fun, quick (around 30 minutes) game for two players. But can play more as well.

EDH/Commander – ok I know this is technically MtG but it’s the format for me that makes it here. Easily WotC most popular format, and in the last few years it has really taken off. A casual format that is multiplayer, has that whole social political element to it. My favourite way to play MtG.

D&D 5th Edition – another updated classic. WotC really did knock it out of the park with this update. They made it accessible, and free to play with free digital downloads of the basic core rules. Which was a fantastic decision. Plus the update and any planned rule changes get shared with the community for play testing and feedback. This involving the community is probably the best decision WotC made, building that brand loyalty. Tie in the meteoric rise in popularity online of D&D and other RPGs it was like the perfect storm.

Love Letter – 16 frickin cards! 16! That’s all it takes to create such a fun game. This game created the micro game movement. It’s fun, quick. My personal favourite version is the Batman themed one. I love the slight tweak to the rules, that when you guess another players card you get a point.

And my game of the decade is…

My favourite game of all time. Could it be any other game?

Variable player powers, action selection, resource management, area control. Scythe has it all. Great replay ability. Expansions that add to that, introduce new mechanics. Then add in the Rise of Fenris expansion you get a campaign, which can be replayed or used as modules to add in during a regular game.

The production quality is the usual Stonemaier high quality. There are some official component upgrades that really pimp out the game. Plus there are also third party component upgrades.

The art by Jakub Rozalski that inspired the game is just stunning. And really helps bring this alternative history to life.

The game definitely has table presence. The commanders and mechs look awesome on the game board. Throw on the airships from the wind gambit expansion that goes to another level.

For me this game has just the perfect mix of gameplay and mechanics that I enjoy a lot.

Welcome to my GOTY post for 2019.

The candidates for this were taken from the 35 new games I played in 2019.

These games were either brand new in 2019 or older games that were new to me.

Honourable mentions:

Tapestry – another stunning looking game from Stonemaier games that delivers a civilisation like game experience in about 2 hours. It’s turning out to be a bit of a marmite game. You either love it or hate it. I love it.

Hanamikoji – this is an amazing two player area control card game that plays so quickly. If you play a lot of two player games then this needs to be in your collection.

Via Nebula – pick up and deliver with route building. Definitely worth tracking down a copy.

Penny Lane – a fun light weight worker placement, engine building game from the designer of Mint Works.

My game of 2019 is…

I think it’s an amazing achievement for a game that came out at the start of the year to hold that spot all year. Along the way it has had numerous reprintings that keep selling out. Picked up many awards such as the prestigious Kennerspiel des Jahres. Been covered in mainstream press. To cap the year of success an expansion was released that too has been well received.

Designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and art by Natalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, and Beth Sobel. This engine building game just knocks it out of the park.

As usual for Stonemaier the production values of the game are very high. The art for the birds is sublime and would not look out of place in one of the old Observer pocket guides. It’s that good.

The game has great table theatre, the bird feeder dice tower, the eggs, along with the stunning art just looks fantastic on the table, and attracts people to the table to see what you are playing.

Theme just shines through out the game, and makes a pleasant change from the usual almost tired themes of fantasy, sci-fi, and zombies that flood the market place.

A third party industry has sprouted up around the game allowing fans to pimp out their copies. That’s always a good sign for how popular a game is.

Such a worthy winner and totally deserves the success it has achieved.

Merry Christmas to everyone one of you.

Hope you have a great day.

I’ll leave you with this Charlie Brown funny to keep you going through the day.

We are entering that time of year where everyone and their dog (or cat if you are a cat person) will be producing their Christmas gift ideas for that special loved one into board games or role playing.

Not to be one to miss a moving wagon. Here is my general advice if you want to avoid that Amazon gift certificate or store credit route at your friendly local game store (FLGS).

For that Magic the Gathering player in your life your options are really easy. Forget the myriad of Planeswalker decks, gift boxes, bundles, deck builder kits, and whatever other product your FLGS is needing to clear off the shelf. Work out your budget and buy booster packs for that special person. Usually your FLGS will have a promotion on which will be something like buy three packs for twelve pounds. Which gives you a little saving. Depending on budget and number of packs buying you could buy a variety of packs from different sets. Once you hit the £90 mark, you might like to consider getting a draft booster box instead. That’s thirty six booster packs. The current set is Throne of Eldraine, which has a fairly Tales meets Arthurian legend theme.

And although I’ve specified Magic the Gathering above I’d use this advice for any of the trading card games like Pokemon etc.

Next up that role player in your life. Slightly harder to buy for because you need to know some stuff before hand. Do you know what role playing game they play? Is it Dungeon and Dragons, Pathfinder or some other one? Do they run the game or just play the game? With that information you can be a bit more specific in the present you buy.

If that special person runs the role playing game, a generic games master screen is a good idea. There are some basic ones, and there are some really lavish expensive ones available. Battle maps that can be used with dry or wet erase pens, dungeon tiles, plastic or cardboard standees of characters and monsters are also good presents to get. Once again let your budget decide for you.

If you know the role playing game they play I’d look at third parties producing accessories for that system, such as Galeforce 9 with their reference card packs for spells and monsters for Dungeon and Dragons. There are some official card packs for Pathfinder. Even FFG produce official ones for Genesys.

For both types of player fancy ornate notebooks with fantasy or sci-fi art on are always an option.

A good general gift idea if you can’t get answers for the above are dice sets. You can never have enough dice as a player. You will be amazed at the variety of dice available. However when you buy a set make sure it has a d4,d6,d8,d10,d12 and d20 as a minimum. If you are confused by what those numbers mean, they refer to the number of sides on the die. The d just stands for die. So d4 is a four sided die. Just as there is an almost unlimited variety of dice available, there is also a wide range of prices as well. With the metal dice usually being the more expensive. But you can find sets that fit most budgets.

Another general idea and this would also be an option for the next category of gamer we will look at are dice towers and dice trays. Like dice there is an incredible variety to chose from. And there will be dice trays and towers to fit most people’s budgets also.

Finally let’s look at that board gamer who somehow has managed to take over half the spare room with their cardboard boxes. I’d generally avoid buying this person a game or expansion, unless you really know that they want the game/expansion you are thinking of buying.

You could go with the dice tower and dice tray suggestion above. I’d continue that theme and go with accessories that enhance or make the gaming experience more enjoyable. Such as a neoprene playmat for the table. It protects the table and the game being played. Or little trays/bowls to put tokens in while playing. You’d be surprised how useful these are.

If you know their favourite game (and they own it), many popular games have upgraded components available from third parties. Or if you know that they really like a particular artist you could look into getting a piece of art from that artist. Or maybe a print of the game box art made.

I’m not sorry I didn’t link to specific items, and not handing things to you on a plate, so you don’t have to think. This was meant to stimulate ideas, or promote specific items. Which by the time you went to buy them may well have sold out anyway. The above seemed the most sensible option. I hope you found the ideas useful.

What is it I like about certain games in particular?

Let’s look at the one I’ve been writing a lot about lately, D&D.

In D&D as a player I love the sandbox nature of the game. That unlimited possibilities, I can do anything I can think of (dice rolls permitting). I also like that you build up a relationship, an attachment with the character you are playing. It’s not an instant thing. But something that grows over time as you both experience the world as it reveals itself.

As a DM I get something different out of the game. I get to stretch my creative muscles. Which I really love. You get to create a world for the players to explore and have adventures in. Not only that but to tell stories. For me as I’m creating my campaign as I’m coming up with ideas those ideas have to have some sort of authenticity. A reason that logically explains why that idea makes sense for the campaign. I just love that whole process. Then seeing the party explore and enjoy the world and story you have created. That’s a great buzz to have. But you also enter in a feedback loop where what the party does in the session generates new ideas and plot lines. Which just feeds that whole creative process.

Another game I write about a bit, but not so much lately is MtG.

MtG is another game where I get to exercise those creative muscles. But in a different way to D&D. In MtG I’m building decks. Decks that allow you to express yourself, your play style, explore ideas and mechanics. All within the restrictions imposed based on the format you are playing. Instead of handicapping the creative process those restrictions aid it, force you to focus, and make difficult decisions.

MtG is also an amazing game. There is so much going on during a game. You are having to make decisions constantly based on imperfect information and the cards you have in your hand and on the battlefield. Add in the different mechanics, being able to pull off combos (which is really satisfying), set themes, and the beautiful art. You really do have a near perfect game for me.

Finally for this post let’s briefly look at my favourite game of all time, Scythe.

Scythe is a bit different to the other two games that I have looked at in this post. There is no creative aspect to the game.

But it’s the game play and aesthetics that appeal to me here.

I just love the mix of action selection, resource management, and area control. There are variable player abilities. The game just looks stunning, and has an amazing table presence.

Plus the expansions add to the enjoyment without over complicating things. I particularly love the alternative end conditions from the Wind Gambit expansion. Which definitely can affect the focus and tactics that you use through out the game.

Even without the expansions there is a lot of replay ability. But with them that goes through the roof. That no two games being exactly the same really helps to keep the game fresh.

So there you have it a brief look at the aspects of three games that I enjoy. Which games do you like and why?

The early hours of every Sunday, which people would commonly describe as Saturday night. BBC Radio 5 Live host Dotun Adebayo runs a segment of Up All Night called the Virtual Juke Box.

For a couple of hours listeners call, text and email in musical suggestions to be considered for the Virtual Juke Box based on the theme for the week. The song with the most votes at the end of the segment gets added to the said Virtual Juke Box.

Over the years I’ve texted in suggestions. But never had one used. I have a lot more success with other shows on the network. I even got to ask Stan Lee a question on air back in 2009.

In last nights show the theme for the Virtual Juke Box was, “what is the one song that defines your era?”

So I sent the text below in. Fully expecting my usual lack of success.

As I was listening to people’s choices, I started to drift back to sleep. Suddenly I was wide awake. There coming out of my phones speakers was the Thing on a Spring theme.

I had finally had a text used for the Juke Box.

As my tweet straight after shows, I was a bit happy.

Let me expand a little on my reasoning.

As I said in the text to the show, I could have easily chosen a heavy metal song as my song for my era. It would most likely have been a KISS song, probably Detroit Rock City or I Love It Loud. More likely I Love It Loud.

Back in the early 80’s before MTV and satellite tv, all we had in the UK were 4 channels! Seeing my favourite group on any of those was a rarity. In fact extremely rare. It wasn’t until a tv show called Entertainment USA was on the BBC (which was a Friday evening iirc) that I got to see them. And the first video of theirs I saw I Love It Loud off the Creatures Of The Night album.

However during my teenage metal years the British home computer revolution was taking place. My parents had bought me a ZX81 for Christmas one year. Which within months I had replaced with an Oric-1 (that I later on had upgraded to an Oric Atmos). From there I went the Commodore 64 route whilst my brother got a ZX Spectrum (that I would later own as well).

Some of my favourite gaming memories are on the C64. And a major part of those memories are the iconic 8 bit chip tunes created by the under appreciated genius of Martin Galway, Rob Hubbard, Ben Daglish, Whittaker et al. What they did in 5k or less with the SID chip on the C64 was amazing.

My era was the home computer boom of the 80’s, I am the first generation of gamer. I had to choose a tune from those memories.

The first one I thought of last night was Thing on a Spring. So instead of thinking it over, and trying to decide what was the “best” SID tune from a game (there are so many great tunes) I went with my gut and first thought.

It’s a fun bit of music. Even decades after it was written it brings a smile to my face. And when I create a SID playlist is always included. And yes I have CDs of their music from C64Audio.com and other places.

Thing on a Spring was a great platform game (ZZap64! Sizzler iirc). The titular character from the game went on to join Rockford (from the Boulderdash games) as humorous margin art in ZZap64!

How impactful was this music on me? Even now I can’t watch the 80’s action movie classic Commando without the music from the C64 port of the unrelated arcade classic with the same name.

To this day I still remember loading Hyper Sports on the C64 and hearing the Chariots of Fire theme blasting from the tv speakers as the game loaded. Or ghostbusters being shouted out as the game Ghostbusters played the theme tune from the movie.

And the C64 demo scene was amazing at extracting the music and sfx from games so that you could listen to just the music from a game. And thanks to CNet (I think it was called that) the Commodore bulletin board I had a few 5 1/4 ” floppies worth of those demos.

So you can see I had to no choice but to nominate a SID chip tune as my song of my era.

What would be your nomination for the Virtual Juke box?

As a break from all the boring #RPGaDAY2019 stuff I thought I’d share some thoughts about my current reading material.

As you may have guessed it’s MtG related.

Thanks to my friend Duncan I was put onto this a couple of weeks ago.

Generation Decks by Titus Chalk brings to the collectible card game world it’s version of Masters of Doom and Jacked by David Kushner from the videogame world and The Monopolists by Mary Pilon.

Where Generation Decks differs from those books, is they are more biopic with a sprinkling of dramatic license? Generations Deck is more factual events broken up by the authors personal journey and memories of playing MtG.

I’m about three quarters through the book, and it’s enjoyable. The factual parts are part retelling the key events from MtG history peppered with quotes and recollections of events. I think it would be fair to describe the style of writing as very journalistic. Unlike the books already mentioned above or the likes Of Dice and Men, I don’t come away from this book feeling that I know anything more about the brains behind the game than I already knew.

The personal reflections of the author are interesting, and do a good job putting over what the game means to so many. That sense of belonging, community and friendship, all bought together by these bits of rectangular cardboard.

I have spotted the odd annoying grammatical error, that should have been picked up in proof reading and editing. But long suffering readers, and ok even recent ones, will know that’s a bit hypercritical of me to mention that.

Overall this has been an interesting read so far. Definitely worth picking up by fans of the game. Can I recommend it to a wider audience? I’m not sure I can.