A long time ago, the grim darkness of the far future and other geekery.

The gap between my last two blogs was greater than I planned but it wasn't from inactivity. I've been up to a bunch of game related stuff. So in the style of my favourite podcast The D6 Generation, I'll give you my Achievements in gaming!

Pulp

I haven't played much Dystopian wars lately but now that version 2.0 of the rules are out I need to grab them and try em out.
In its place I've been playing X-wing most weekends. I am just loving the easy to pick up but difficult to master rules system and the more equipment and upgrade cards you get can completely change the way the game plays. I just picked up two of the new TIE-Phantoms and one of the TIE-Defenders. The FLGS is dreadfully short on X-wing miniatures and I grabbed theses on the same day they came in so I sprung the new hotness on my unsuspecting gaming group. Unfortunately they had also grabbed a few defenders.
Now to try and resist buying Armada.

One of the players from my previous Rogue Trader RPG campaign has moved back to town and agreed to GM a Star Wars Edge of the Empire campaign. I am so pumped to be a player again, without the responsibility of GMing. We have had half a dozen sessions so far and they have been a blast. My character is a Rodian Scoundrel who was pretending to be a senator when Palpatine removed the senate. He now maintains his cover to avoid the numerous bounties issued by the IOCI for his capture. My hi-lights so far have been swindling a Hut, and causing a Dewback stampeded to distract some storm troopers. Also getting to be a pain in the GMs side, its good to be a player again.

Hobby

Progress on my new 40K army themed on the Rogue Trader forces from my previous RPG Campaign has been steadily ramping up. I have purchased a few boxes of infantry and worked on my list and figured out my purchase order. As well sketched out some ideas for conversions to personalise my little dudes. I ordered a whole bunch of guns from Anvil Industry and a heap of penal troopers from Victoria Miniatures with these combined I plan to make a large squad of 40K naval seamen. (snigger)  I also got one of my mates to draw up the house crest of the Havelock Dynasty, as it was described in play "A dive bombing eagle with a fist flying out of its wide open beak" I plan to use his designs to make up custom green stuff banners and units markings for the household guard. And of course the Havlock personal transport Rhino would be festooned with the house livery. The Rhino was a kit bash between an old Vindicator and a new Chimera. (of course under the new rules I could have just taken an actual Rhino). Soon I start the mammoth task of painting.

 

 

In preparation of painting my 40K army I have had to practice my long neglected painting skills. The task I set myself for improving my skills is painting every miniature I got in my Zombicide Kickstarter and I planned for the zombies to look like a true horde. I didn't want each sculpt to be painted in the same scheme. The progress so far is promising. Soon I start on the survivors.

Video Games 

I recently purchased a PS4 and have been enjoying the new system. But it heighted a dilemma for me, soon my PS3 will die or be retired and my chance to gain the trophies for my current games will be lost. I am a massive trophy whore. Not in the sense that I have a lot, but that I love gaining them. So I have spurned the new system and hunkered down and started replaying my existing games. The highlight of this was replaying the Mass Effect trilogy from start to end. Due to release times on the PS3 I played them out of order and I didn't carry my save over between games. I was surprised how much of a difference playing them in order with one continuous save file made. I always thought the games were ok, now I think they should be viewed as one huge excellent game.

I hope more games with sequels try this approach.

Other

I Finally decide to fill a gap in my geek knowledge I was at a book exchange, and I  picked up a second hand copy of Stephen Kings The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. I read it in one night and loved every word. Now I need to collect the other books. I also now have a burning desire to play Savage World Deadlands.

I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy. I went in expecting an excellent movie, something on the level of Starwars. Not Starwars with a lifetime of emotional investment but a fun, high quality, space fanacty, adventure movie.

My mates went in with less than optimistic expectations. But we all came out extremely surprised. One best mate took me aside and told me "you were right. That was like seeing Starwars for the first time."

The following weekend I returned to the cinema this time with my eldest son in tow. Some of the jokes went a little over his head, and he cried a little when Groot died. But he loved it, and hasn't stopped talking about it.

Well that's it for my achievements what kind of stuff have you been up too?