Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Wed May 06, 2020 6:29 pm**

Have you played Talisman?

Posted: **Wed May 06, 2020 6:53 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 6:29 pm Have you played Talisman?

Have it on my iPad. It’s an RNG nightmare, but I find it fun.

Posted: **Wed May 06, 2020 8:09 pm**

As long as you know what you're getting.

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 10:46 am**

I'm actually a fan of Talisman. It's a fun Beer and Pretzels game. Turn your brain off, roll some dice, laugh at other people getting turned into a frog. What's not to like?

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 12:16 pm**

hentzau wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 10:46 am I'm actually a fan of Talisman. It's a fun Beer and Pretzels game. Turn your brain off, roll some dice, laugh at other people getting turned into a frog. What's not to like?

Have had soem of the guys in my gaming group really enjoy it, but god do I hate it. <sigh> I'll play it, but I suck at these random type of games... Always feel like I want more control.

But I think that is a good way to describe it, beer and pretzels and roll dice and don't take it personally when you get shafted by the RNG.

Posted: **Fri May 08, 2020 11:26 am**

Dungeons & Dragons dice are more beautiful than ever — and a big business

Really love these......

Posted: **Mon May 11, 2020 3:47 pm**

Wasn't sure if I should just post this in the e-Book deals, but this maybe seems like a better place. Not sure for how long but The Monsters Know What They're Doing is on Kindle sale for $2.99. I'm old enough to remember voraciously reading "The Ecology of..." articles in Dragon magazine. This seems to be done in that spirit, though seemingly a bit more crunchy. It's also focused on implementing practical interpretations for how to handle 5E D&D monster behavior based on their stats, so I don't know if there's much value in reading it outside use in that system. However, the price is really good, so I share. I'm torn on getting myself a copy mainly because I know I'll never play 5E, but I like the idea of what the book is trying to do.

Posted: **Wed May 13, 2020 12:59 pm**

Small World of Warcraft will soon be a thing.

Posted: **Wed May 13, 2020 2:27 pm**

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 12:59 pm Small World of Warcraft will soon be a thing.

I honestly don't see any theming here. Just a change of art.

Posted: **Sat May 16, 2020 3:08 pm**

Well, my gaming group just imploded due to a fairly impressive meltdown by one member (who is married to another, thus taking two of four players.) Details in R&P.

I just finished transferring all the RPG files off of my laptop and onto my storage drive, netting myself about 80 gigs of space (I was down to ~30gb left.) I closed my OneNote notebooks associated with running games, cancelled my Roll20 and Syrinscape subscriptions, stored all the papers and notes I had around, and moved all my RPG books from around the house back into the storage shelf in the closet. I then switched my miniature painting lineup away from RPG stuff and toward board game and 'artistic inspiration' painting.

Honestly, after the past month, punctuated by the weird meltdown at the end, it's kind of nice. A breath of fresh air.

So for now, it looks like I'll be focusing more on solo boardgaming and painting for fun, given that only one of my kids will board game with me (my eldest has decided he doesn't like tabletop gaming, as it is too much work compared to video games.) I'm actually looking forward to the freedom to follow my whims instead of taking a group's likes, dislikes, and needs into account.

Posted: **Sun May 17, 2020 4:12 pm**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 3:08 pm Well, my gaming group just imploded due to a fairly impressive meltdown by one member (who is married to another, thus taking two of four players.) Details in R&P.

I just finished transferring all the RPG files off of my laptop and onto my storage drive, netting myself about 80 gigs of space (I was down to ~30gb left.) I closed my OneNote notebooks associated with running games, cancelled my Roll20 and Syrinscape subscriptions, stored all the papers and notes I had around, and moved all my RPG books from around the house back into the storage shelf in the closet. I then switched my miniature painting lineup away from RPG stuff and toward board game and 'artistic inspiration' painting.

Honestly, after the past month, punctuated by the weird meltdown at the end, it's kind of nice. A breath of fresh air.

So for now, it looks like I'll be focusing more on solo boardgaming and painting for fun, given that only one of my kids will board game with me (my eldest has decided he doesn't like tabletop gaming, as it is too much work compared to video games.) I'm actually looking forward to the freedom to follow my whims instead of taking a group's likes, dislikes, and needs into account.

That sucks, BH. Sorry to hear that. Hate it when a gaming group breaks up. Been on the receiving end before.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:11 pm**

And Gencon 2020 is officially cancelled.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:13 pm**

Beat me by seconds.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:14 pm**

I'm going to let my ticket roll over to 2021.

This is going to be a huge blow to Indianapolis' economy.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:22 pm**

Yeah, but GenCon going bankrupt would be a bigger blow. And trying to run the con in that venue when only 2/3 of the companies show up, half of the visitors, and then having to try and demo and sell games, run seminars and events, all while meeting distancing guidelines would probably lose them gajillions.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:31 pm**

hepcat wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 12:11 pm And Gencon 2020 is officially cancelled.

Essen as well

https://www.spiel-messe.com/en/covid-19/

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:33 pm**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 12:22 pm Yeah, but GenCon going bankrupt would be a bigger blow. And trying to run the con in that venue when only 2/3 of the companies show up, half of the visitors, and then having to try and demo and sell games, run seminars and events, all while meeting distancing guidelines would probably lose them gajillions.

I wasn't questioning their decision, I was just stating that Indianapolis is going to suffer a great deal from this loss.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:37 pm**

Oh, I didn't think that you were. I was just continuing the discussion. GenCon was doomed whether by mandate or by money.

At least they stopped delaying and got the word out so that plans can be changed.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 12:43 pm**

And wow, GenCon reset the hotel lottery instead of carrying it over the way you can with tickets, and people are pissed, way more so about that than the cancellation itself. Some people try for years to get a room.

I'm not sure what GenCon's best choice was here.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 1:12 pm**

I just started playing Legacy of Dragonholt recently. And due to the changes in my gaming group, I just pulled Battlelore off my shelf to play with one of my kids (this is actually the first time I've ever had a two-person gaming 'group', which is actually nice.)

I did some reading and realized that Legacy of Dragonholt and Battlelore are set in the same universe. And it is the Runebound universe, which I also own but have never played due to some missing cards. I had absolutely no idea that these were all the same world, along with some others (including Descent and Heroes of Terrinoth, which I do not own.)

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 6:42 pm**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 12:43 pm And wow, GenCon reset the hotel lottery instead of carrying it over the way you can with tickets, and people are pissed, way more so about that than the cancellation itself. Some people try for years to get a room.

I'm not sure what GenCon's best choice was here.

I imagine they didn't have much say in the matter. The hotels probably didn't want to commit out that far in advance.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2020 7:29 pm**

Nah, from what I'm reading it was entirely GenCon's call. They likely have those hotel blocks on those days all the way through 2026 (which is their current contract with Indy.)

Posted: **Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:28 pm**

There is a really fascinating #tabletoppaidme hashtag on Twitter. Folks in the industry are posting about how much they've been paid during their careers and/or how much they make currently. Because most tabletop design/creative work is done by freelancers, most of it is project-based.

Posted: **Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:13 pm**

Apologies in advance, as I’m sure there’s probably been lots of discussion about this that I’m too lazy to try and fine.

Is there a preferred brand and/or place to get card sleeves? Thinking I need to start doing that, as my Clank and Hero Realms cards are already looking hammered (7 year olds are really rough with them).

Trying to find standard card size, then some for the smaller cards in Sword & Sorcery, Gloomhaven, etc.

(And telling me to just search Amazon is perfectly acceptable answer.

)

Posted: **Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:28 pm**

Like everything else, it comes down to personal preference. I would advise you to get premium or ultra versions of whatever sleeves you settle on. The reason is the thickness as it relates to being able to still (hopefully) fit them back inside your game box. I have come to prefer the sleeves made by Paladin and every time they have a KS, I end up getting an absurd amount for pretty damn cheap. I also like Ultra Pros and, though not as much as the Paladins. But when you're looking at prices for a brand and you see two in the same size and are wondering why one is more than the other, it's likely the thickness. The thinner sleeves are going to be more expensive, but I think they're worth it.

For Euro sized cards, I like Mayday, but they can be difficult to get - particularly as new games come out that require tiny sleeves.

In terms of quickly figuring out what you need, the person that created this BGG thread should be knighted.

Posted: **Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:52 pm**

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:13 pm Apologies in advance, as I’m sure there’s probably been lots of discussion about this that I’m too lazy to try and fine.

Is there a preferred brand and/or place to get card sleeves? Thinking I need to start doing that, as my Clank and Hero Realms cards are already looking hammered (7 year olds are really rough with them).

Trying to find standard card size, then some for the smaller cards in Sword & Sorcery, Gloomhaven, etc.

(And telling me to just search Amazon is perfectly acceptable answer. )

For standard-sized cards I would use either Fantasy Flight Standard Card Game Sleeves if you want a thicker, sturdier sleeve or KMC Perfect Fit if you prefer a thinner sleeve. KMC Perfect Fit sleeves are typically used as inner sleeves, but I've found they work really nicely as primary sleeves for board games. I've sleeved many games with them and they provide a layer of protection and comfortable handling properties without being quite so bulky and unwieldy.

Also, when buying in bulk, I've found Potomac Distribution typically offers most brands of card sleeves at reasonable prices. SleeveYourGames.com is also handy for finding the correctly-sized sleeves for the game(s) you're interested in.

Posted: **Sat Jun 27, 2020 2:47 pm**

I tend to also like the KMC sleves;

Card Sleeves

I would not use them for high value or cards I want to preserve for a collection but I think they work very well to protect board game cards from wear and tear and getting dirty or smudged, they tend to fit, well, perfectly and they are fairly thin. They are also easy to shuffle. When I received my copy of Street Masters these were the only cards I could find that fit well. I tried FFG and Mayday and they were either too small or to large. I think FFG may have had the right size, forget which color pack, but none of the local stores had any and since I needed about 2,000 cards I didn't want to order online blind, so I went with KMC as I had a few laying around and they fit perfectly. I have also used them to sleeve a bunch of other games too.

I actually just ordered these sleeves specifically for Gloomhaven earlier today;

GH Sleeves

total impulse buy as I still have several packs of the KMC left but this set had the Euro mini sleeves so... will post how they work out.

Posted: **Sat Jun 27, 2020 2:51 pm**

And good designers these days make their boxes with room for their cards to be sleeved. You mentioned Hero Realms. Their storage boxes are designed to hold everything sleeved. I wasn't normally as sleever, but a couple of years ago a friend gave me a whole set of the official Hero Realms sleeves. Now I'll sleeve 'important' games (games that are hard to get or I have a big investment in.) Sword & Sorcery is one I still need to get sleeved. Conan. Gotham City Chronicles. That sort of thing.

What I have sleeved I've sleeved with Dragon Shield. I don't know that they're the best, but they were the first ones I tried and they did the job very well. I personally buy the clear/clear type to let the card back are show.

Posted: **Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:40 am**

The $500 D&D campaign.

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Platinum Edition is limited to 1,000 units

Posted: **Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:45 am**

Nothing has made me want to play D&D as bad as seeing that campaign announced. I love the Icewind Dale setting, and that just seems like a blast. Alas, I have no group these days, nor really the time to play.

Posted: **Fri Jul 03, 2020 11:30 am**

Warhammer 40,000 9th edition core rules are out now and free to download

The team at Games Workshop has given fans a little gift ahead of the holiday weekend. The new Warhammer 40,000 Core Rules were made available on Thursday, and are free to download. The 26-page document has everything you need to get started with the 9th edition of the science fiction setting’s tabletop ruleset.

Posted: **Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:11 pm**

Proud parent moment. I’m creating my youngest’s Tabaxi Rogue in Roll20, and she pulls up the claw attack with a 5 foot range. Her comment: “So if they’re not social distancing, I can claw them. Cool.”

Posted: **Fri Jul 03, 2020 1:10 pm**

Zarathud wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:11 pm Proud parent moment. I’m creating my youngest’s Tabaxi Rogue in Roll20, and she pulls up the claw attack with a 5 foot range. Her comment: “So if they’re not social distancing, I can claw them. Cool.”

Posted: **Thu Jul 09, 2020 7:07 pm**

Posted: **Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:48 pm**

This is a very cool site for those of us who listen to music while we game. Put in the name of the game you’re playing, and it comes up with a customized youtube soundtrack that matches that game. Tried a few different genres, and it came up with some perfect playlists.

https://melodice.org/

Posted: **Sat Jul 11, 2020 10:23 pm**

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:48 pm This is a very cool site for those of us who listen to music while we game. Put in the name of the game you’re playing, and it comes up with a customized youtube soundtrack that matches that game. Tried a few different genres, and it came up with some perfect playlists.

https://melodice.org/

Ok, that was cool as hell. I tried really hard to throw it, but it had almost every game I checked, and all of the soundtracks were good choices. I tried some that don't have obvious styles (Hostage Negotiator), and some that do but are similar (Specter Ops, Shadowrun: Crossfire), and they came up distinct and appropriate lists for each.

Posted: **Sat Jul 11, 2020 11:39 pm**

That is really impressive.

Posted: **Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:15 am**

The lists are apparently all user generated. So if you have a song or two you think would fit with a certain game, you can recommend it.

I did find a couple games that didn’t have any entries (Dungeon Mayhem, for example). Might need to work on that.

Posted: **Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:41 am**

Yeah, I found Tannhauser was empty, too.

Posted: **Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:56 am**

All you need for Tannhauser is Laibach.

Octopus Overlords

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