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Post by jmccann on Nov 17, 2011 21:39:27 GMT -6
My group was probably in the minority - I was introduced via Holmes, and the PH and DMG had not yet come out when I started in '78. We used Holmes for up to level 3, and then used the LBBs for higher levels and just winged it until the DMG finally came out. We found the LBBs a little opaque but it was no obstacle to play.
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Post by jmccann on Nov 16, 2011 10:11:20 GMT -6
I like your approach, that is how I plan to run my od&d campaign (as soon as I find players and time), except I plan to have a very strong military aspect (along the lines of FFC).
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Post by jmccann on Nov 16, 2011 10:06:01 GMT -6
I've noticed they are hard to find as well. Any new sets sold have the new-fangled non-platonic (I know, but in this case I think it is LESS fun) 10-siders, 1 with 10s and the other with units.
I have thought about using shapeways.com for creating dice, somewhere there I saw a full set of platonic solids. My 3-d modeling skills are sadly almost non-existent.
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Post by jmccann on Nov 14, 2011 21:02:31 GMT -6
Flames of War and Field of Glory (ancient/ medieval) are the 2 minis wargames which are widely marketed and currrently popular.
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Post by jmccann on Nov 12, 2011 12:22:17 GMT -6
When I think of a "wargame" I think about the old Avalon Hill or SPI games with a hex map and cardboard counters ... Squad Leader isn't a wargame to me, either, even though it was an AH product. Huh??? ? SL is the archetypal wargame, hex map and counters out the wazoo. Its direct descendant Advanced Squad Leader is probably the best known, most widely played wargame at this time, with dozens of modules and entire companies (well, they're little hobby outfits) devoted to just this one game. A definition of "wargame" that doesn't include SL is a pretty dubious one in my view. Is it the presence of the RPG-like optional rules for playing a linked campaign of scenarios that makes you say that? By the way, if you want I'll make you a leader counter w/ your name on it. Let me know the nationality, name and rank
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Post by jmccann on Nov 9, 2011 23:10:09 GMT -6
Where is Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes? I have some questions about the veracity of this.
It would be interesting to go back through old SRs and The Dragons to figure out from the announcements when they appear to have been published. I suspect Spells& Swords was not that early (although my memory of that time is pretty hazy, I think we were pretty clued in about when things were coming out and spent a lot of time at hobby and game shops).
-- edited for spelling
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Post by jmccann on Nov 9, 2011 21:28:23 GMT -6
There are very few wargamers left today, most being over 60 years old or more, and predominantly located in the UK. I think you are wrong about this point. The point that wargamers are not young is true, but there is a very large contingent in my cohort (mid-40s). And wargamers are well represented on both sides of the pond. The big annual wargame convention Dragonflight here in Seattle (and there are others each year) has 2 large hotel banquet rooms full for an entire long weekend with official events, and while the average age is probably in the 40s there are some younger as well. So there is a point to be made here but what you have stated is wrong.
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Post by jmccann on Sept 11, 2011 22:11:44 GMT -6
There are 8 orcs which can be possibly hit. An 8-sided die is rolled to determine which have been struck. Assume a 3 and an 8 are rolled. Orcs #3 and #8 are diced for to determine their hit points, and they have 3 and 4 points respectively. Orc #3 takes 6 damage points and is killed. Orc #8 takes 1 damage point and is able to fight. I like this. It is a little like quantum physics - the quantity is not known until it is measured, then the set of possible results collapses to the answer. It is also very practical - don't waste time rolling up stats till you know you need them. Edited for markup fail.
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Post by jmccann on Aug 28, 2011 22:19:35 GMT -6
RL Humanities should merely serve as a source of ideas for inclusion in a fantasy/S&S campaign, and not be used to impose boundaries. Rigid adherence to documented history is a hallmark of wargaming, not FRPGs. And what is wrong with that pray tell? <fierce look> Just kidding, each to his/her own.
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Post by jmccann on Aug 28, 2011 22:14:52 GMT -6
I am located in Seattle.
I see a few recent postings from Seattle - any interest in a (heavily house-ruled, variant) OD&D campaign?
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Post by jmccann on Aug 17, 2011 21:49:30 GMT -6
Seeing the low price on this and some other games, I wonder if the recession is making for some good buying opportunities. 3 hardcover AD&D 1e books in what look like mint shape for $38 is a really REALLY good deal.
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Post by jmccann on Aug 13, 2011 0:00:56 GMT -6
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Post by jmccann on Jul 31, 2011 21:15:38 GMT -6
If you use gimp, there is a feature you need to know about that I learned about from Cartographer's guild - it is life-changing. Maximize the image window and then to pull up the tool menu, hit TAB-TAB. Before I knew about this I would arrange the tool windows and then have the image window smaller so the others were always visible, but that is not necessary.
Short version: maximize your image, hit TAB-TAB.
And for preparing to scan, did you do the map in pencil? Using pen results in much better scans than pencil.
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Post by jmccann on Jul 23, 2011 23:29:46 GMT -6
I do like some of the other critter sculpts though, thanks for pointing them out.
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Post by jmccann on Jul 23, 2011 23:27:08 GMT -6
Hm. Those are really bulky and the prices are in GBP. I am thinking I might convert some figures - dark age spear or something similar - should be easy to do big ugly heads. I'll see if I can get some 15mm wolves for wargs.
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Post by jmccann on Jul 22, 2011 23:30:14 GMT -6
I think you could probably track the changing nature of the game on a more granular level by reading the first 80 or so issues of Dragon ... That sounds like an interesting project. It would be a bit of work but one could come up with some categories and code each article, then analyze the coding. It would also be interesting to see how the other topic articles change over time - the early issues had articles on straight wargames, including hardcore stuff like Third Reich (strategic WWII, pretty heavy duty), and Air War (beyond the grasp of all but the most dedicated grognards who are interested in modern air warfare).
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Post by jmccann on Jul 21, 2011 23:50:54 GMT -6
I have been looking around for 15mm orcs and other critters to use for my vaporware planned OD&D / minis campaign, but I have not found any I like. I don't like the cartoony look of a lot of minis - I am looking for something like the ape/ hominid guys Frazetta sometimes painted (usually accompanied by entirely human women).
Does anyone have any suggestions?
I realize 15mm is not usual for D&D, but I have a bunch of ancient and dark age minis I plan to dual use.
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Post by jmccann on Jun 29, 2011 20:05:34 GMT -6
These are nice, you have a good vibe with these.
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Post by jmccann on Jun 20, 2011 23:33:42 GMT -6
At long last after a several month hiatus, I am nearing completion of Blackmoor. I have the cleaned up scans laid out, and am printing out a copy now to find any last minute changes, which I should be done by Friday. Like before there will be an imposed printout with a cover having a white background for printing on tan or brown cover stock. A difficulty I have had is that the margins are much smaller for Blackmoor. I have to print using Gimp with "ignore margins" in high quality mode. I am considering doing additional formats - a 6x9 which could be printed at Lulu for instance. But printing this would require trimming, and perfect binding for people at home (I am thinking of a 2 volume perfect bound set - original 3, with another volume containing the supps. Or maybe 3 LBB + Greyhawk, and v2 has BM - EW). What formats would be useful for people? Sorry for the delay on this. After Blackmoor, Greyhawk will be up next followed by EW. And I've been poking on ebay for Holmes and DDG, so who knows what might follow ...
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Post by jmccann on May 16, 2011 22:42:17 GMT -6
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Post by jmccann on Mar 15, 2011 20:52:44 GMT -6
OK, I will take that as a resounding NO.
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Post by jmccann on Mar 4, 2011 10:38:29 GMT -6
Thanks coffee! I am getting close to completing my Blackmoor imposed file too. I plan to do the first 3 supplements.
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Post by jmccann on Mar 3, 2011 23:49:24 GMT -6
I have posted a link to a different scan of the lbbs. It is in a certain shady place (PM me if you don't know where). The PDF is imposed (ready for printing as a booklet) and the covers are in a separate file. The resulting printout is very nice, especially if you get some heavy light brown cardstock for the covers.
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Post by jmccann on Feb 28, 2011 1:10:07 GMT -6
I've never been able to find, or even figure out the name of, the font on the cover of Boot Hill.
Some substitutes you might consider are: Cottonwood, URW Wood Type, Saloon Girl Inline, Pointedly Mad. They aren't the same but they definitely all have a 1800s western vibe. The last one listed is legally free (I think).
PM me if you decide to use a substitute and have trouble locating any of these fonts.
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Post by jmccann on Feb 27, 2011 22:57:15 GMT -6
It seems to me that there might be enough artists on this forum to have an art sub-forum, but I am not sure. There are a few art threads scattered throughout the forum but they are hard to find because they are not grouped. It could also contain graphic resources (map textures, symbols, clip art) that people want to sell or give away, and be a place for artists to post links to their sites, publishers to seek artists and so on.
What do people think of this? Has it been tried here?
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Post by jmccann on Feb 26, 2011 23:39:35 GMT -6
Dragon Magazines #25 & #29 show some Gygax vitriol I just scanned through those two issues - what are you referring to? I recall some rants of his but those two don't have any that I see.
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Post by jmccann on Feb 26, 2011 16:52:11 GMT -6
I have some large files I'd like to make available somewhere other than my home network. What are the pluses and minuses of the various file hosting sites like MediaFire and so on? I use S3 for my own stuff, but I don't want to pay any money to host and for bandwidth for these files.
Thanks!
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Post by jmccann on Dec 1, 2010 22:43:08 GMT -6
The problem I have is that I've read some of the stories so often that I feel like I know too much of what is going to happen next. Usually if I put a book aside for a while I can go back and still be "surprised" by what happens, but for some reason I remember these too well. In my case the last time I read them was in college which was let's see 5, 10.... Uh never mind. It was a long time ago! I did remember bits of the books, including some of the plot twists, but I have forgotten enough that remembering really did not detract from my enjoyment.
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Post by jmccann on Nov 30, 2010 23:14:39 GMT -6
Interesting idea to read these in chronological order of publication or writing. I have been reading them slowly sequentially over the past couple of years. Maybe after running through them all I'll start reading them in some chronological order.
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Post by jmccann on Nov 24, 2010 19:53:48 GMT -6
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