Alex Schroeder asks a few questions on his blog/site to folks who've been running their campaigns for awhile. With ten years going and three active games within the campaign (plus wargames!), I thought I'd answer him about Etinerra!
How many sessions have you been playing, more or less?
Tabletop: 92 (we play monthly and I took a break for some time)
Online: 24
Play by Post: Running 2009 to 2011, then 2015 to present
Conventions/One Shots: Under 20
How long have you been running this campaign?
Ten years, although I took a break from July 2011 to Jan 2015. There were a few sporadic games at conventions during that time.
Have you had long breaks? If so, how did you pick it up again?
Yes. I spoke to existing players, I picked back up where I left off in both play by post and tabletop.
How many people are at the table when you play?
4 to 8. I average 4 players/session for 2019.
How many characters are in the party when you play?
Same number of characters as players. Average of 3 henchmen/hirelings per party.
How many players have you had in total over that time period, not counting guest appearances?
I would estimate 50, between regular tabletop, online and pbp players.
Have you had guest appearances? How did it go? Did you gain regular players that way?
I would count both guests to my regular games and one-shots. It's gone great, for 99%. The ones that weren't so great, they just didn't have fun, so they didn't come back. I have gained regular players!
What have the character levels been over time?
1st level up to 6th.
What classes did the players pick? Did you add new classes over time?
We use the core classes from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition, with the exception of assassin. No dwarfs, gnomes or half-orcs in my campaign. I have not added new classes, though I've modified aspects of paladins and now about to do same with monks.
Tell me about some adventures you ran over that time that I might enjoy hearing about?
I've blogged about that quite a bit!
Have the rule changes over that time? Do you maintain a house-rules document?
I've stuck with 1st edition, although I've changed some things. We're more by-the-book with combat now. For the most part, I've stuck with the same rules, with tweaks here and there. I have a house rules document!
Has the setting changed over time?
Define changed? It's expanded as players have explored and new games started, or I've played wargames within the world. It's the same world/setting/themes, if that's what you mean.
How much in-game distance did the party cover, how big is the area they have visited?
The continent that the players are on is roughly the landmass of Russia. I'd say the players of all 3 games have covered maybe 10% or so of the available landmass.
Have you used proprietary setting books? Like, could you publish your campaign or would you be in trouble if you did?
It's completely homebrew, no inclusion of other settings, though heavily influenced by almost everything! I'd probably be in trouble in that I can't imagine doing a book on my setting or people wanting to read about it and I wouldn't make a dime! It's strange, I guess. I am so proud of my world, and yet I constantly feel like an idiot compared to some of the other awesome cool worlds that I read about. I compare myself to others and always feel like I come up lacking.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Buds, Blooms, And Thorns Review Of Dawn: Rise Of The Occulites By Eagle-Gryphon Games
Buds, Blooms, and Thorns Review of Dawn: Rise of the Occulites by Eagle-Gryphon Games
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Vitals:
Title: Dawn: Rise of the Occulites (with three tribe expansions - Floris, Ignis, Nimbus)
Designed by: Ben Boersma
Publisher: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Year Published: 2014
MSRP: $275 painted, $175 unpainted
2-4p | 60 min | 10+
Introduction:
DisclaimerSupport me on Patreon!
Title: Dawn: Rise of the Occulites (with three tribe expansions - Floris, Ignis, Nimbus)
Designed by: Ben Boersma
Publisher: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Year Published: 2014
MSRP: $275 painted, $175 unpainted
2-4p | 60 min | 10+
Introduction:
Deep in the Australian Outback a tiny new species has been discovered by a young boy named Darwin. These Occulites aren't of Earth, and they're very primitive. However, Darwin discovers that they are intelligent and have begun to form tribes. Dawn: Rise of the Occulites is the first in a series of games that follows these minute creatures as they develop a civilization, from the beginnings of the earliest tribes to their technological future. As of this writing, this is the only published game from the series. A second title was on Kickstarter in 2018 but was unsuccessful in its funding attempt.
Dawn: Rise of the Occulites is a 2-4 player skirmish game that comes with a bunch of different scenarios. Most of the scenarios are for two players, but a handful are for more. The stories in each scenario range from competitive combat, to area control, and even to cooperative adventures. Each scenario ranges in length, with most being about 60 minutes. The first scenario is a multiplayer tutorial that teaches the core mechanics, but leaves out a ton of features. As you learn more about the game you can progress through the scenarios, adding complexity.
Blooms:
Blooms are the game's highlights and features. Elements that are exceptional.
Buds are interesting parts of the game I would like to explore more.
Thorns are a game's shortcomings and any issues I feel are noteworthy.
Buds, Blooms, and Thorns Rating:
Pictures:
Dawn: Rise of the Occulites is a 2-4 player skirmish game that comes with a bunch of different scenarios. Most of the scenarios are for two players, but a handful are for more. The stories in each scenario range from competitive combat, to area control, and even to cooperative adventures. Each scenario ranges in length, with most being about 60 minutes. The first scenario is a multiplayer tutorial that teaches the core mechanics, but leaves out a ton of features. As you learn more about the game you can progress through the scenarios, adding complexity.
Blooms:
Blooms are the game's highlights and features. Elements that are exceptional.
- Incredible components!
- Innovative use of cards for multiple different uses.
- Probably the best dice based combat system I've ever played.
Buds are interesting parts of the game I would like to explore more.
- A wealth of scenarios can be played individually or as part of a campaign. When played as part of a campaign, your tribe improves in its stats over the course of multiple games.
- The initial scenarios are just the basic mechanics, but as you play more a ton of features get added, resulting in a very deep, strategically complex skirmish game.
- The backstory is very deep and the scenarios reveal more of this rich, imaginative world as you play more.
Thorns are a game's shortcomings and any issues I feel are noteworthy.
- Very high price tag.
- Very unique theme paired with the combat genre results in a very niche audience.
- The tutorial scenario is too long and doesn't introduce the game in as positive a manner as it should.
Wow, this is a gorgeous game. The cards, tiles, board, tokens, and all the other bits are phenomenal. The game board is gigantic! The artwork is fun and interesting, though a bit bizarre and very stylized. Some may like it, others may hate it. Even the storage is incredible, as I've found that all Eagle-Gryphon games have. However, the miniatures are the most amazing component. Whether you get the pre-painted minis or unpainted, the detail is incredible, and I guarantee you won't find another miniatures game with characters quite like the Occulites and Luftles.
I really like almost everything about the game. The depth to the more complex scenarios is something to look forward to and helps repeated plays remain interesting for a very long time. I love the multi-use cards. Each card represents a selection of possible uses, including activating figures, determining attack dice, defense dice, special abilities, and even combat boosts. Cards are used for one of these features, making you really choose which card to play and when.
The innovative dice combat system is a fresh way to use dice in combat without feeling at the complete whim of the dice. I think out of all dice based combat systems I've played, this is my favorite. Playing cards determines the number of dice you roll for attacking or defending. Then each faction's attack or defense strength determines what values on the dice count as a hit or block. Once the dice are rolled, then a combat chart determines which side loses health. So if I'm attacking, and my card has an attack value of 5, that means I roll 5 dice. If my tribe's attack strength is 4 that means every die that is a 4 or less is a hit. The defense will do the same thing, but using their card's defense value to determine the number of dice to roll and their tribe's defense strength to derminccessful blocks. So let's say I play a card with an attack value of 5, plus a boost card of 2. That means I'll roll 7 dice. 4 of those have a value of 4 or less. The defender plays a defense card of 4, but has a defense strength of 5. Of the 4 dice rolled, 3 have a value of 5 or less. That means there was one successful hit. Consulting the combat resolution chart, that means the defender would lose one health. Had I rolled 6 hits or the defender had only rolled 2 blocks then the defender would have lost 2 health because my number of hits would have been double the number of blocks. It sounds complex, but once you've played it a bit it makes sense and adds a lot of depth to the decisions and strategy without feeling like you're a slave to dice results.
I really like almost everything about the game. The depth to the more complex scenarios is something to look forward to and helps repeated plays remain interesting for a very long time. I love the multi-use cards. Each card represents a selection of possible uses, including activating figures, determining attack dice, defense dice, special abilities, and even combat boosts. Cards are used for one of these features, making you really choose which card to play and when.
The innovative dice combat system is a fresh way to use dice in combat without feeling at the complete whim of the dice. I think out of all dice based combat systems I've played, this is my favorite. Playing cards determines the number of dice you roll for attacking or defending. Then each faction's attack or defense strength determines what values on the dice count as a hit or block. Once the dice are rolled, then a combat chart determines which side loses health. So if I'm attacking, and my card has an attack value of 5, that means I roll 5 dice. If my tribe's attack strength is 4 that means every die that is a 4 or less is a hit. The defense will do the same thing, but using their card's defense value to determine the number of dice to roll and their tribe's defense strength to derminccessful blocks. So let's say I play a card with an attack value of 5, plus a boost card of 2. That means I'll roll 7 dice. 4 of those have a value of 4 or less. The defender plays a defense card of 4, but has a defense strength of 5. Of the 4 dice rolled, 3 have a value of 5 or less. That means there was one successful hit. Consulting the combat resolution chart, that means the defender would lose one health. Had I rolled 6 hits or the defender had only rolled 2 blocks then the defender would have lost 2 health because my number of hits would have been double the number of blocks. It sounds complex, but once you've played it a bit it makes sense and adds a lot of depth to the decisions and strategy without feeling like you're a slave to dice results.
This game is very, very close to a Bloom game, however I think there are a few things that hold it back.
The price tag is going to be a huge turn off for most people. There are a lot of miniatures games, combat games, and other similar games available at a fraction of the cost. This game is great for what it is, but I'm not sure if the price is justified for anyone but the most serious gamers interested in this type of game. That said, I'm not sure there are a whole lot of people that are interested in this type of game. While the theme, mechanics, and experience all blend together very well, I think the theme is probably a mismatch for the game's intended audience. I think most people interested in this type of combat, skirmish, campaign game are either looking for military or Tolkienesque fantasy themes. The Occulites are interesting, but probably for a more niche audience.
I also wasn't happy with the tutorial scenario. It's a big hill to climb. Not so much because of any complexity; the tutorial does a great job of just introducing the core mechanics and other scenarios gradually add more complexity. However, the tutorial scenario ends up being a very long game. I played the initial scenario twice with different people and both times it took well over 2 hours. Part of that was for learning, but that should be expected in a tutorial scenario. I'd expect the initial scenario to be much faster than the other scenarios, not more than twice as long. Because of this, I've had a hard time getting this back to the table. I'm not interested in investing another 2-3 hours playing the tutorial again and those that I did play it with aren't interested in playing again because the tutorial overstayed its welcome.
Overall, Dawn: Rise of the Occulites is an amazingly ambitious game project. It's apparent in everything about the project that it's a labor of love from designer Ben Boersma and his partners at Eagle-Gryphon Games. Unfortunately the great mechanics, deep lore, and immersive scenarios are held back by a very small target audience and high price tag. I think if this were re-released and rethemed as generic military or standard fantasy it would be blowing up the Kickstarter hype train. A more streamlined tutorial that can be played in 30-45 minutes is a necessity, too. For now though, Dawn: Rise of the Occulites is an underrated gem. If any of this has piqued your interest, and the price doesn't scare you off, you won't be disappointed in the game. It won't be leaving my collection, even though I can't get it to the table as often as I'd like.
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| Bud! This game definitely has some great moments. It's good for several plays and should appeal to most gamers, especially if you enjoy other games like this. |
Pictures:
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GJJ Games Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with my family and friends. Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some were provided by a publisher or designer for my honest feedback and evaluation. I make every attempt to be both honest and constructively critical in my reviews, and they are all my opinions. There are four types of reviews on GJJ Games: Full Reviews feature critical reviews based on a rubric and games receive a rating from 0 to 100. Quick Reviews and Kickstarter Previews are either shorter reviews of published games or detailed preview reviews of crowdfunding games that will receive a rating from 0 to 10 based on my impressions of the game. Buds, Blooms,and Thorns reviews are shorter reviews of either published or upcoming games that highlight three aspects of a game: Buds are parts of a game I look forward to exploring more, Blooms are outstanding features of a game, and Thorns are shortcomings of a game. Each BBT review game will receive an overall rating of Thorn, Bud, or Bloom.
, like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter . And be sure to check out my games on Tabletop Generation.The End Of Familiarity (Tradecraft)
When you walk into my store and look to the right, the designated direction Americans gaze when entering a store, you'll find a plethora of familiar game titles. Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scrabble, all the usual suspects. This is what is known as a "merchandising expense," games I stock that I would rather not, that indicate to the uninitiated that I am a safe place with things they are familiar with. This is a game store with games, you know, game games, as one customer recently described it. This practice is now coming to an end.
Here's how that works. First, hobby games have penetrated the mass market and they've been there now for a good, long time. Unless you're living under a rock, if you've been to Target and WalMart in the last decade and care even an inkling about games, enough to roll your red or blue cart past them, you've seen Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and other former hobby game store exclusive titles.
These titles have declined for us significantly since their introduction in mass market, with the promise they are gateways to good times for us later. Perhaps this is true, perhaps not, but board games are booming. These titles are now familiar to consumers. They've become evergreens on the shelf of mass market stores. This means hobby game stores don't need to work as hard with our garbage merchandising expenses to show familiarity. Chess sets and Hasborg products can be dropped, if you feel your community have these touchstones in their lives. And what community doesn't?
Second, even if I don't have this market penetration that breeds familiarity, there are now enough regular folks who play hobby games to where I need the space taken up by oversized merchandising inventory. I may lose the completely out of touch customer, but my overall base is so much larger than a decade ago, I can afford it. What I can't afford to do is stock quaint product for muggles when I've got educated consumers flocking to my business and demanding games now. They will just as easily, and without a moment of regret, buy it online, so it better be there now.
In general, if you don't know or are frightened by products like Dungeons & Dragons, Ticket to Ride, Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, you are simply not worth any of my time whatsoever. Through mass market stores and the Internet, the public has been converted from suspects to prospects. In fact, it has turned many from prospects to customers, bypassing hobby game stores completely. I am at the tail end of this equation, taking in what I can of a cultural shift, in which a hurricane of customers have been created and I'm trying to fill up a thimble, arm outstretched into the clouds, while dying of thirst. As with all revolutions, you never know exactly your place in it until shots are fired.
Here's how that works. First, hobby games have penetrated the mass market and they've been there now for a good, long time. Unless you're living under a rock, if you've been to Target and WalMart in the last decade and care even an inkling about games, enough to roll your red or blue cart past them, you've seen Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and other former hobby game store exclusive titles.
These titles have declined for us significantly since their introduction in mass market, with the promise they are gateways to good times for us later. Perhaps this is true, perhaps not, but board games are booming. These titles are now familiar to consumers. They've become evergreens on the shelf of mass market stores. This means hobby game stores don't need to work as hard with our garbage merchandising expenses to show familiarity. Chess sets and Hasborg products can be dropped, if you feel your community have these touchstones in their lives. And what community doesn't?
Second, even if I don't have this market penetration that breeds familiarity, there are now enough regular folks who play hobby games to where I need the space taken up by oversized merchandising inventory. I may lose the completely out of touch customer, but my overall base is so much larger than a decade ago, I can afford it. What I can't afford to do is stock quaint product for muggles when I've got educated consumers flocking to my business and demanding games now. They will just as easily, and without a moment of regret, buy it online, so it better be there now.
In general, if you don't know or are frightened by products like Dungeons & Dragons, Ticket to Ride, Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, you are simply not worth any of my time whatsoever. Through mass market stores and the Internet, the public has been converted from suspects to prospects. In fact, it has turned many from prospects to customers, bypassing hobby game stores completely. I am at the tail end of this equation, taking in what I can of a cultural shift, in which a hurricane of customers have been created and I'm trying to fill up a thimble, arm outstretched into the clouds, while dying of thirst. As with all revolutions, you never know exactly your place in it until shots are fired.
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| Games in my parents guest room. One of these things is not like the other. |
Monday, March 23, 2020
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Friday, March 20, 2020
Clash Royale Rankings
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| Dale Spolander (Northcliff High School) currently leads South Africa's rankings for Clash Royale. |
As South Africa's oldest and largest membership based organization for esports, MSSA has been consistently delivering championships for the various esports titles.
As a result, many esports athletes have earned Regional, Provincial, National, and Protea Colours for many esports titles especially for the Clash Royale esports title.
Thus, even though the Clash Royale esports title is not played at IESF's World Championships, MSSA shall still selects Protea Teams for the title, which, at worst, play in online test matches.
The competition during 2019 proved to be fiercely contested with Dale Spolander (Northcliff High School) ending up as the highest ranked player for 2019.
In 2020, Dale further entrenched his position at the Online School Championships by winning every single round in the championship. By beating every opponent faced, Dale has streaked ahead in the rankings to entrench himself as the man to beat. Only, fellow club mate, Suene du Toit, is in striking range of his almost unassailable lead. Thus it seems as though Dale is on track to again take the laurels in 2020.
The current South African rankings for the Clash Royale esports title is as follows:
Also read:
- Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
- The road to Eilat
- IESF announces first three titles for 12th World Championships
- Esports: MSSA's 24th Western Cape Provincial Championships - 28 and 29 March 2020.
- Board gaming: MSSA's 23rd Western Cape Championships - 23 & 24 March 2019
- Rankings: DotA 2 rankings
- Rankings: First in Battle, first in rankings. (Paladins)
- Rankings: League of Legends rankings.
- Rankings: PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER (PES) rankings
- Rankings: Street Fighter V rankings
- Rankings: Tekken 7 rankings
- Video on NWU sponsorship.
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