Global Politics, Gaming Reviews, Kant in Space, Social Life and Rodent News

[tcpip]

Scotland has had an election which has seen a plurality to the SNP. The Socialists in the upcoming French Presidential elections have received a late boost with the leader of the far-right, Le Pen, calling for a "mass absention" and the centrist François Bayrou declaring he will not vote for the right-wing candidate, Sarkozy. Australia however retains the title of the nation with perhaps the most idiotic politicians in the OECD with Bill Heffernan declaring that Deputy Labor Leader, Julia Gillard is unfit for public office because she is "deliberately barren".

In the parallel reality in RPG.net they've had a Superheroes week; not my favourite genre but any stretch of the imagination, but nevertheless did reviews for the first Superhero RPG, Superhero 2044 (with the lowest possible rating) and DC Heroes. In a comparison of tough fantasy scenarios, have also recently reviewed AD&D's Tomb of Horrors and RQ's Snake Pipe Hollow. I would love to expand the latter into a larger setting, but the way licensing has been set up RQ3e/Glorantha is sadly as dead as the dodo.

Interrupting my normal life, has been a rather significant debate on philosophy, where I was challenged with the new community rule kumite over Kant, causation and space-time. This has led to a follow-up post on causation in science and I have just posted on discourse ethics and 'kumite' and rephrased the questions concerning Kant, space-time and mathematics.

On May Day attended Keating! The Musical with tabouli, ananas2003 and caseopaya. Quite good, great musical parodies although some of the humour was a bit amatuer. The setting, the Comedy Theatre, is full of old-world charm. In rodent news; Vagabond has declined significantly over the past few weeks, apparently suffering from what I suspect is osteoarthritis. He's ridiculously happy with all the extra affection he's getting, but his movements are slow and of very modest distances. He turned on the charm for ser_pounce and hathhalla who visited on Friday night for an eve of fine Indian food and the delights of Munchkin Cthulhu.

Comments

[mikey-ob.livejournal.com]

Excellent and entierly justified review of S1. I remember playing through it "back in the day" - 1982 was my first encounter. It was cool to my 13 year old mind, which says a lot about the module. I liked your point about trying to remember how to not get killed.

On the other hand I see you play the woeful Munchkin, or its themed expansions. Funny ONCE, for about 5 rounds, then the joke is spent. I find it a very dull game with an uninspired system. The use of player spite as a balancing mechanic means that games tend to drag on until I cry with boredom.

Please Lev lad, there is a world of really good boardgames out there, you don't have to play Munchkin. We are in a wonderful age of boardgaming, you can do better!

Here are some games you might enjoy:
Tigris & Euphrates
Imperial
Die Macher
Arkham Horror (Revised FFG Ed.)
Yspahan
A Game of Thrones
Here I Stand

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Munchkin is the sort of game I play over dinner and several glasses of wine. It's rules lite, strategy lite and because we haven't gone through all the versions, still amusing. I do agree that it is overall a fairly limited product as Shannon A., makes clear in his brief but honest review on RPG.net

For in-depth strategy and setting goodness I am very keen on Here I Stand, having read through the ruleset you pointed me towards. I've heard lots of good things about Tigris & Euphrates and Arkham Horror, of course, is an old favourite.

One game I really want to spend a wet weekend playing is De Bellis Antiquitatis.

[mikey-ob.livejournal.com]

I have heard of WRG HOTT but not DBA. Although they are minitures games and, well, GW have really ruined me and put me off minitures gaming experiences.

For my ancients battles I am playing a lot of Command & Colors:Ancients with its wooden block goodness, and for when I want a more indepth and historically stronger fight I pull out my copy of Great Battles of Alexander from the GMT GboH series. Although I only play it solo because it is a bit too intimidating for most gamers.

I think you would really enjoy T&E, it's light enough for after dinner; and I have a sneaking suspicion that Die Macher is right up one of your particular fields of interests.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

My interest in DBA started with the use of a Hussite character in my Outbreak of Heresy roleplaying scenarios. DBA provided extensive notes on their formation and use. Personally, I don't particularly care about minatures as such; I can be just as happy with chits of cardboard.

WRT to Die Macher... I always believed I could bring the Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus to power...

I'll also look up T&E...

[ser-pounce.livejournal.com]

I love playing Munchkin because it is amusing and it is a game that is easy for non-gaming enthusiasts to play. Over dinner and wine, as you say.

I'm probably gonna get the recently-released version of Arkham Horror soon :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I have fond memories of Arkham Horror. It will be interesting to see what, if any, changes have been added.

Chaosium are not exactly known for big changes between editions.