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Post by Finarvyn on Apr 2, 2023 12:04:49 GMT -6
Re-watched the John Carter movie again the other day, which led back to the rabbit hole which is Barsoom.  Naturally, one of my first stops was to re-read Warriors of Mars. Naturally, I wonder more about this game and its creation. I don't think that increment (Jon) says much about WoM in Playing at the World, but I will dust it off and look again. Some of what we know: (or stuff I think we know) 1. We know that it was published in 1974, roughly at the same time as OD&D. I'm not sure of exact months of publication. 2. The book says "Gygax & Blume" but I think that Brian Blume had done the leg-work before Gygax got on board. The forward mentions starting with a "variation of his rules" referring to Blume's contributions. I assume Blume started the project and Gygax finished it; Gygax seems to have done this with many projects. 3. WoM was done at the request of a miniatures company. Heritage? 4. Looking at #1 above, did the individual rules come before or after OD&D? WoM does have levels, it has experience points, it has many of the base rules that an OD&D campaign might require. The combat system is certainly a variant, however. 5. OD&D has references to Barsoomian creatures in the wandering monster tables. We know that Gary sent some characters to Mars. Do we know any more about potential crossovers between the two rules sets? 6. I have seen two different numbers (3000 and 5000) regarding the number of copies printed. Anyone have better info on this? Did TSR destroy unsold copies or did they sell until they were done with no reprint? Anything else we know? Discuss! |
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Post by tdenmark on Apr 2, 2023 14:00:12 GMT -6
It is an odd duck. I've read it several times and played a few short sessions with it. Mechanically it is somewhere between Chainmail and OD&D, not quite an RPG. So that supports the idea it was likely in development before OD&D was published.
I thought 2000 were printed, but don't count on that, it is hard to find numbers on it.
Warriors of Mars was printed in August 1974.
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Post by Finarvyn on Apr 2, 2023 18:36:44 GMT -6
I've played it a few times as well. I really wish I had picked up the set of Barsoom minis when the 2s20 John Carter RPG came out, but I hesitated and by the time I was ready to buy they were sold out. Barsoom minis are on my bucket list, but maybe I can try to design some cardboard cutouts instead.  |
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Post by chicagowiz on Apr 3, 2023 13:13:31 GMT -6
I've played it a few times as well. I really wish I had picked up the set of Barsoom minis when the 2s20 John Carter RPG came out, but I hesitated and by the time I was ready to buy they were sold out. Barsoom minis are on my bucket list, but maybe I can try to design some cardboard cutouts instead. Not that I'm trying to help you spend money, but Jacob Fathbruckner/Ral Partha Legacy recently announced they're (re)releasing Parroom minis, which have a really sweet Barsoomian Martian-looking contingent www.dropbox.com/s/gldpukja4v7biid/Parroom%20Announcement%20PDF.pdf?dl=0 |
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Post by Finarvyn on Apr 5, 2023 14:10:15 GMT -6
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Post by chicagowiz on Apr 6, 2023 7:00:22 GMT -6
Printing tabletop/average quality minis is certainly within pretty easy realm, but the fancy stuff seems - to me in my limited experience - to require a level of skill/machine, or using a more expensive process like resin printing. It is amazing what they can do. And the terrain possibilities for a WoM table? :chef's kiss: |
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Post by Finarvyn on Apr 6, 2023 15:20:57 GMT -6
My son has occasionally said he wanted a 3D printer. Maybe I should buy him one if he will print a bunch of WoM figures. _Then_ I work on the terrain.  |
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Post by chicagowiz on Apr 6, 2023 22:36:20 GMT -6
My son has occasionally said he wanted a 3D printer. Maybe I should buy him one if he will print a bunch of WoM figures. _Then_ I work on the terrain. 3d printing and terrain have come a long way in the past few years. I struggled in 2018/2019 with my first 3d printer and didn't have much luck. Now, 5 years later, the one I got for about the same price as 2018 is printing like a dream. I've been working on the dungeon of the Moathouse from T1. Here's the first third - not yet painted, but coming right along. photos.app.goo.gl/8a8bAHDC8pJVB6ir5So highly recommend them for your WoM ventures AND the terrain. You could print out some seriously cool looking Barsoomian craft and conveyances... |
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Post by soundchaser on Apr 10, 2023 6:04:37 GMT -6
I have an Anycubic resin 3D printer. The details on the more complicated minis are amazingly good. A 28mm but runs me about $0.70 in resin.
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Post by Desparil on Apr 25, 2023 23:17:39 GMT -6
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Post by tombowings on Apr 26, 2023 1:54:50 GMT -6
I miss internet 1.0...
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rayotus
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 122
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Post by rayotus on Apr 27, 2023 8:36:28 GMT -6
I have a Mars 2 Pro - resin 3D printer. You can get amazing results with a fairly low investment (say, under $400). My only complaint is how fragile resin is. You spend the money on the equipment and materials, then the time on learning how to print, printing, and painting a fig. Then, you drop it once and ... shards.
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Post by chicagowiz on Apr 27, 2023 13:16:52 GMT -6
I have a Mars 2 Pro - resin 3D printer. You can get amazing results with a fairly low investment (say, under $400). My only complaint is how fragile resin is. You spend the money on the equipment and materials, then the time on learning how to print, printing, and painting a fig. Then, you drop it once and ... shards. That's good info to know. Do they make more sturdy types of resin? |
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rayotus
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 122
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Post by rayotus on Apr 27, 2023 14:53:05 GMT -6
I have a Mars 2 Pro - resin 3D printer. You can get amazing results with a fairly low investment (say, under $400). My only complaint is how fragile resin is. You spend the money on the equipment and materials, then the time on learning how to print, printing, and painting a fig. Then, you drop it once and ... shards. That's good info to know. Do they make more sturdy types of resin? I think so. I'm not an expert. The resin I buy is kind of the run-of-the-mill stuff. A $20-30 bottle will print probably 100 minis. There are ALL KINDS of resin. Some are more flexible. Settings matter too I think. But there's always a give and take. For instance we upped our "layer count" but the the supports were much harder to remove and left more of a mark. Someone who knows more than I could probably get better performance for a comparable price. That being said, I've heard many others - some who print a LOT - complaining about resin breakage as well. |
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Post by rsdean on May 4, 2023 2:34:14 GMT -6
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Post by angantyr on Jul 3, 2023 0:36:21 GMT -6
It is an odd duck. I've read it several times and played a few short sessions with it. Mechanically it is somewhere between Chainmail and OD&D, not quite an RPG. I second this observation - the individual battle system looks very much like a highly evolved variant of the Chainmail Fantasy combat system - the basic table concept is there, but much more nuanced. As opposed to CM's one hit = kill, you have the ability to kill outright, wound (and each figure can take a certain amount of wounds; a White Ape can take 6, for example), or panic, along with notating any special abilities. In addition, a separate Man to Man section is integrated into the main table as well - man type figures are referenced to a separate section to resolve combat with weapons. Might be interesting to take these WoM concepts and use them to make a revised Chainmail that would be more tightly integrated than the original version of that game with its mostly disconnected sections. |
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Post by soundchaser on Jul 18, 2023 9:36:58 GMT -6
My son started using a resin that you clean with water. It has a more ‘rubber’ sort of feel. No shattering when dropped, though it can chip or break off a fine but.
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Post by delta on Aug 23, 2023 8:32:40 GMT -6
I have a Mars 2 Pro - resin 3D printer. That seems highly ironic!?  |
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rayotus
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 122
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Post by rayotus on Aug 23, 2023 10:11:38 GMT -6
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Naturally, one of my first stops was to re-read Warriors of Mars. Naturally, I wonder more about this game and its creation. I don't think that increment (Jon) says much about WoM in Playing at the World, but I will dust it off and look again.
