This week’s challenge: Star Trek

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Star Trek: Into Darkness. If you’re in a self-imposed media blackout until you’ve seen the film, you may want to bookmark this for reading later.

I’ll begin with a confession. I have not seen as much Star Trek as people might think. Yes, I’ve seen most of the movies (I’ve missed one or two of the worse ones) as well as several episodes from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, but there are still large gaps. The reason for this is mostly one of timing. Here in New Zealand, TV stations used to air genre shows at unusual times. For almost the entirety of its run, Babylon 5 aired in the early afternoon on a Saturday. Far from ideal timing if you enjoyed sci-fi, but also took part in sports events, or had parents who liked to get out of the house on weekends.

Recently, TV stations have been more realistic in their scheduling of genre shows – though they still have to compete with the endless stream of singing and cooking contest shows. OnDemand services also make it possible to watch a show when and (almost) where you like. If this had been an option 20 years ago my gaps would likely be much smaller.

Despite having missed so much of the franchise’s run, I can still make my way through most conversations due to the show’s pervasiveness within out culture. Terms and ideas have made their way into popular culture to such an extent that people will reference Star Trek without even realising it. Admittedly, I have seen enough to distinguish myself from most people, but I don’t have the depth and breadth of knowledge that I have for shows like The X-Files and Stargate SG-1 (both of which aired at much friendlier times throughout their runs).

I think it’s because of all of this that I don’t have as adverse a reaction to J.J. Abrams’ two Star Trek movies that many of the ‘hard core’ fans appear to share. I can understand their disappointment, to an extent, but I genuinely think that his offerings have been some of the best the Franchise has had to offer in a long time. Yes, it’s a departure from much of the aesthetic of the original series, and Abrams does get a little trigger happy with lens flare, but that’s okay. If a franchise is to succeed and grow, some change is required, even if it’s only to keep up with filmmaking technology.

That said, not all change is good.

After the success of Star Trek, I thought the die-hard fans would be more accepting of Into Darkness. Sadly, I was wrong. It appears J.J. Abrams has made the fatal mistake of reusing an iconic character from the original series. Here’s the big spoiler: Benedict Cumberbatch is playing Khan, genetic Übermensch and chief antagonist of what is considered the best Star Trek movie. On top of this, they’ve changed the characters back story and appearance considerably.

I could kinda understand the outrage if they’d cast the woman in the role and not provided an explanation for the swap in the movie, but this just comes across as petty and complaining for the sake of complaining. To explain why, let’s take a look at at Khan’s background. According to the Star Trek Wiki, Memory Alpha (which I’m sure is a clever reference, even though I don’t get it): “Khan’s background was suspected to be Sikh, from the northern region of India.”[1] Okay, so Khan is Indian. Well, not quite. In the original series, Khan was portrayed by Mexian actor Ricardo Montalban who is about as Indian as I am Middle Eastern (the TSA might be convinced, but that’s about it). We can pass this off as the producers being a little cheap when it came to ethnic diversity outside of the main cast.

It doesn’t count as blackface if they’re aliens

Because Montalban was so iconic in the role they bought him back for Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan and, I guess, just hand-waved away the fact that he still didn’t look very Indian. Warp forward 30 years and it comes time for Into Darkness to go into production. Apparently, the producers originally wanted Benecio del Toro to play Khan. His Puerto Rican ethnicity gives him a similar complexion to Montalban, but is also about as convincingly Indian. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d played a different ethnicity, though. He played Raoul Duke’s Samoan attorney in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – despite barely looking or acting Samoan. For one reason or another, del Toro had to drop out of Into Darkness and the producers recast Khan, this time bringing in the comparatively new Benedict Cumberbatch. Between Sherlock and the upcoming part 2 of The Hobbit, he’s already got an impressive acting resume. He’s also a hit with women (and some of the men, no doubt) so his inclusion might sell even more tickets. The only thing is, he’s white – whiter than both Montalban and del Toro, and much whiter than someone of Indian stock.

So. Very. White.

Apparently this is a step too far for some people. Forget that the production hired a brilliant actor who is more than a match for the film’s protagonists. Forget that the event which opened the previous film has caused massive changes in the timeline. Forget everything. Cumberbatch is too white to play Khan, and this is a terrible thing.

Except it’s not.

Yes, it would have been great if they’d gotten del Toro to stick with the film. Heck, there are a number of Indian actors who I’m sure would have been happy to accept he role. The thing is, Cumberbatch was the one who got the role. Now, if it later comes out that the producers went with him over a darker skinned actor because they wanted someone with lighter skin I’ll be disappointed, but I simply don’t think that’s the case. Some people just need to accept that the people making a film often have different ideas to them, and are seeing a much bigger picture when it comes to making decisions. For instance, how many of us imagined that Anakin Skywalker would be such a whiny bitch, or James Bond would be played by an Australian? Film makers have to decide how to market their movie to the broadest market possible. You could say it’s a case of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few and the one.

Ultimately, the movie is there to entertain us. We might not all agree on all of its aspects. Some of us will like the updated sets and character changes, some of us won’t. We need to put our preconceived notions of what a Star Trek or Khan movie should be like and weigh the film on its own merits. If you can’t do that, then that’s your problem, not mine.

Update: I’m not the only one who knows less about Star Trek than people think they do:

• AEIOU had a bad encounter with The Motion Picture
• Dan James only really likes Enterprise
• The Lord of Dorkness is only here for the green-skinned women
• Miss M is only here for the toys
• The Goodwill Geek shares 5 things that are better than Star Trek
• Retro Toy Safari just prefers Star Wars

If you haven’t already heard, now that Iron Man 3 is in cinemas Robert Downey Jr is considering hanging up the red and gold armour for the last time. He may appear in the Avengers sequel, but that has not been confirmed. This is a pretty ballsy decision for the actor most responsible for getting Marvel’s in house Avengers franchise off the ground. He could make Iron Man movies for years to come and sell out theatres every time. Downey Jr’s screen presence is that powerful.

Personally, I think it’s a good thing that he’s thinking about stepping down. Not because I don’t like him as an actor (I do), or because the concept of Iron Man is tired and played out (it isn’t), but because it’s better to go out on a high than end up going the way of the 80’s/90’s Batman movies.

Nobody wants to see nipples on the Iron Man armour. Nobody.

Marvel have given Iron Man a strong three movie arc, four if you count Avengers (which you really should). We’ve followed him through both good times and bad, seen him face terrible foes, remake himself as a champion for good, and get the girl. As much as we could just keep watching, maybe it’s time to let him be and follow someone else for a while. We do have a second Thor movie releasing later this year, and Captain America returns next year, so it’s not like we’re going to be short on heroes.

As for bowing out of the Avengers franchise altogether, that is an understandable decision. As fit as he looks, Downey Jr is 48 years old, 50 by the time Avengers 2 releases in 2015. Stepping back also allows him to accept other film work and spread the RDJ love to wider audiences. Who can say they wouldn’t want more movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Tropic Thunder?

It also makes sense from a comic book perspective. The Avengers have been around for 50 years and, in that time, dozens of superheroes (and the occasional supervillain) on their roster. The comic is a bit like Glee, with heroes joining the team, serving their time, and then moving on to other things. It’s an easy way for Marvel to team up sometimes disparate groups of heroes and it works.

And this was only the first 30 years!

We’re starting to see hints of this as we move into Phase 2 of Marvel movies. We know there are movies coming for Ant Man (a foundation member in the comic) and Doctor Strange, as well as rumours that the sequel will include Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (which presents a whole raft of issues). While they’re part of the team in the comics, they’re very closely attached to the mutant side of the Marvel universe; a side that is almost wholly owned by Fox.

I suspect that we’ll see some changes in the line up in the future. Most actors don’t like being typecast, and new characters allow Marvel to create new fans for even more of their characters. It wouldn’t even be that hard to introduce the concept, either. Captain America could be elected President, Thor could return to Asgard as ruler, and Hulk could be lost in deep space, stranded on Planet Hulk. The options are there, they just need to be convincing on the big screen.

In the mean time, let’s make the most of what we’ve got. If you haven’t seen Iron Man 3 yet, make sure you do. It’s possibly the best of the three, and the spin they put on existing characters is both excellent and hilarious.

Theme: How to Keep a Secret

Character: The Bookkeeper

Line: “How hard can it be?”

Item: Casket

Personally, I felt my piece was a little rushed. Okay, it was a lot rushed, taking me only an hour or so to complete (while watching TV). It’s understandable that I was surprised when I ended up coming in joint first place.

I volunteered to drop to second since I was a little late getting my entry in, but one of the judges shot that down saying I’d earned my place.

The rest of the entries are up on the Malifaux forums. I’ll let you judge for yourself whether this is indeed the case.

Garrett was enjoying a quiet drink alone one night when a well-built man approached him. “This seat taken?” the man asked. Garrett lazily gestured for him to sit.

They sat in silence for a moment before the man finally spoke. “You mind if I tell you something. I’ve got a problem and need some advice. Problem is, it’s a little sensitive. Can you keep a secret?”

Garrett was a little shocked by the man’s forwardness. “Umm… sure, I guess.”

“Tell you what,” the man continued, “how about I freshen your drink in return.” He gestured to one of the bar girls.

“Well, if you put it like that.”

The drink arrived as the man began to tell his story. Earlier that day, he had led a small group of men to some ruins outside of the city. Rumours were it was the location of a secret cache of riches and other treasure. The only reason it had not yet been plundered was due to a series of traps that protected the only known entrance. He and his men had attempted to either disarm or bypass the traps, but had been less than successful. In the end, he was the only survivor.

Garrett listened, enthralled by the story. When it was done he finally spoke. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“Tell the truth, I have nobody else to tell. Those dead men were the only people I knew in this godforsaken town.”

“So are you going back? Hiring more men and trying again?”

The man laughed, “Not if I had a hundred men do I think I could break through those traps. Who, or whatever, built them was just too good.”

“Well, that’s a shame,” Garrett said. “Still, at least the odds are good it will still be waiting for you should you get enough help.”

“There is that!” Both men laughed and clinked their mugs before parting ways.

Early the next morning, Garrett quietly left the town, heading for the spot described by the man the night before. After a few hours of walking, he found himself in front of a non-descript mound. One end had been heavily excavated, revealing a narrow passage that led down into its centre. Reaching into the bag he had bought with him, Garrett produced a lantern and a long-bladed knife. Lighting the lantern, he headed into the passage with his knife at the ready.

It didn’t take long before he came across the first body, a series of small wooden stakes protruding from his abdomen. From the way his face was twisted, Garrett guessed they had been tipped with poison, causing an excruciating death.

Taking the time to check for other hidden triggers, Garrett made his way more slowly down the passage. He prodded at anything suspicious, taking the time to make sure an area was clear before moving on. Further down the passage he discovered more bodies, each man having met his end in a way more gruesome than the last.

He was about to give up all hope of reaching the prize when he turned a corner and found himself in front of a large stone doorway. Piled up in front of the doorway were the bodies of a half dozen men, slashed across their necks by some hidden blade. Stopping a few feet short of the door, Garrett turned his attention to the surrounding walls. He used the blade of his knife to feel for any grooves that might conceal the hidden weapon, but there was nothing to find.

Having to resort to less savoury means, Garrett crept forward, keeping low, and dragged one of the bodies away from the door. Propping it back up on his feet, he carried it back towards the door, inch by inch. He was less than six inches from the door when a blade shot out from within the door itself. It slashed from left to right, barely missing the body.

With the trap revealed, Garrett dropped the body as respectfully as possible. Moving to the side of the passage, he edged his way around the bodies towards the edge of the trap. Staying low, he fetched a knife from one of the bodies and wedged it into barely visible slot that concealed the blade. To be safe, he fetched two more knives and added them to the first.

Finally assured that the trap had been properly disabled, Garrett examined the rest of the door. It was covered in intricate carvings, possibly hieroglyphs, but nothing that betrayed how Garrett could get it open. After a few minutes of poking and pushing, movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He had accidentally bumped his lantern and it was now shining on the body he had moved earlier. The hem of the man’s shirt was moving, as if being blown by some invisible wind.

Moving over to the body, Garrett placed his hand next to the fluttering shirt. Sure enough, there was a faint breeze. Moving his hand towards the source of the wind, he eventually found himself facing the wall of the passage. Fetching his lantern, he could see a tiny crack running along the point where the floor met the wall. Placing the blade of his knife into the crack, he ran it to one side as far as it could go. He then withdrew his knife and felt around for a corresponding vertical gap. Sure enough, there was one.

A short while later Garrett had exposed the outline of the true doorway to the treasure chamber, cleverly hidden within the wall of the passage. Pushing on the door it silently slid inwards, revealing a room that might not have been seen by mortal eyes for centuries.

Walking inside with his lantern held high, Garrett realised that the fabled treasure what not nearly as impressive as he had been led to believe. He had expected piles of gold and jewels, but instead was presented with what looked more like an ancient library. Shelves lined the walls, each filled with scrolls. In the centre of the room was a large casket, not long enough to be a coffin; at least, not for a human.

Moving into the centre of the room, Garrett paid closer attention to the casket. It appeared to be carved out of stone, but not the same stone used in the construction of the false door. The side of the lid facing the door featured more carvings like those on the false door, equally incomprehensible to his eyes.

He was about to try opening the lid when he heard a sound behind him. Worried he had missed a trap, he turned quickly to discover the man he had talked to the night before.

“So nice of you to open the door for me, I knew I could count on your curiosity and for you to be discrete.”

“But, what? How?” Garrett was shocked, starting to wonder if he’d just been used to open the door.

“Don’t worry, I knew you’d come here,” the man continued as he walked into the room. “Why do you think I told you so much? I was hoping you would succeed where my men had failed.”

“Good to know I didn’t disappoint then, I guess.” Garrett knew he was in trouble. All he had was his knife and this man was cleared armed with a pistol. “Not exactly the treasure you were hoping for, is it?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” The man walked over to one of the shelves, “These scrolls will fetch a high price, to the right bidder. Who knows what secrets are contained within this room.”
“And the casket?”

“That is a mystery. The map I found made no mention of it. Why don’t you be a pal and open it and see what’s inside.” He drew his pistol but kept it by his side.

“I’ve opened every other door for you,” Garrett said, “what’s one more.” He gave a lid a shove, but nothing happened. Next, he tried lifting it, but it was far heavier than he expected. “Looks like you might need to give me a hand with this one.”

Annoyed that he might have to get his hands dirty after all, the man put his pistol back in the holster and joined Garrett at the casket. “Right then, on three. One, two…”

They lifted together, finally moving the stone lid. Seeing an opportunity, Garrett only lifted his end a little. As the man lifted his end, there was a groaning sound and a blast of dust hit him in the face.

He dropped the lid and staggered backwards, clutching his face. He pulled his hands away and Garrett could see that his skin had been eaten away, exposing his flesh and bones.

Letting go of his end, Garrett walked over to the now incapacitated man. “When will people learn, there’s always another trap.”

After collecting the man’s gun, Garrett perused the scrolls on the shelves. They certainly were a treasure.

It’s a simple way to help out those affected by this tragedy, while getting a little something for yourself in return. Oh, and check out JL8 while you’re at it for an amusing take on DC’s premiere supergroup.

The project has not been without controversy, however. Early on, there was much discussion and debate about the look of some of the models. Luckily, everything is being sculpted in a computer, allowing Prodos to take on backer feedback and make alterations as appropriate. This has been particularly evident with the germanic-themed Bauhaus Megacorporation. Almost all of their models went through multiple iterations, with people debating back and forth over details such as whether helmets should have spikes or gas mask filters. All in all, it has actually been great to see the company respond to feedback in this way. There are a good number of people out there who loved the look of the old models and a good number who want to see something new and updated (and these numbers change from model to model). Personally, I’ve liked most of what I’ve seen in the new models. Some changed more radically than others, but none so much that I was disappointed with the result. Here are some examples.

First, let’s take a look at the basic trooper from the Cybertronic Megacorporation – the Chasseur:

It hasn’t aged well. There isn’t a lot of detail, and the poses are rather limited. Now, let’s take a look at the new Cybertronic Chasseurs:

Click for full-size goodness

A vast improvement over the original. Much more in line  The models are also multi-part plastics, which Prodos claim can be assembled in 700 different poses. Not all models are this variable. The big figure at the back, a new unit called the Everassur, has a single fixed pose, while the Terminatoresque Cuirassier on the right has a limited variety of poses.

Let’s take a look at another model that is getting a major upgrade. This is another Cybertronic model, a personality named Dr. Diana (one of Cybertronic’s medic clones):

If you hadn’t guessed, that’s the old Dr. Diana model in the lower-left corner. Pretty big difference, right? Sure, not everybody was happy with the new Dr. Octopus Diana, and that is completely understandable. That said, most backers favoured the new sculpt, especially the optional second head – as a clone, you can have more than one of her in an army. Further, the arms connected to her back will be fully posible, making her perfect for conversion and inclusion in dioramas.

All in all, things are looking pretty good for the reinvigorated future of Warzone. There’s a RPG on the way from Mophidus Entertainment (creators of the soon-to-finish Achtung! Cthulhu), and both Mophidus and Prodos are working together to make sure that the setting’s details are consistent. They’re entering a much tougher market than the one Warzone first existed in, but I have hope that the game will succeed. It’s integrated card mechanic sets it apart from most other games on the market, and if they maintain a high quality in the miniature sculpts people should stick around. All they need to do is erase that terrible Thomas Jane/Ron Perlman movie from existence somehow.

Head on over to their Kickstarter, check out the rest of the sculpts (including some painted examples), and if you’re in the mood for some high action warfare, well you know what to do.

To celebrate 10 years of being in the business of making games, Exile Game Studio are giving away the PDF version of their award-winning Hollow Earth Expedition RPG. All you have to do to get your free copy is visit DriveThruRPG.com using this link on Valentine’s Day. Those of us west of the International Date Line may need to wait until later in the day.

This is the perfect opportunity to pick up an excellent game for literally nothing (unless you’re paying for bandwidth). While you’re on DriveThruRPG, you can also purchase the other books in the HEX line: Secrets of the Surface World and Mysteries of the Hollow Earth, as well as four stand alone adventures. On top of that, there are a number of free adventures available on Exile Game Studio’s own website, including two Free RPG Day adventures (one of which I wrote) which include an introduction to the rules.

If you’re at all a fan of pulp action and high adventure, you’d be foolish to pass this offer up. The rules are easy enough to understand that the whole family can play and everyone will have a good time.

Remember, it’s only free for Valentine’s Day, so don’t put this one off until later.

• Theme: To the Stars
• Character: The Glass Man
• Line: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
• Item: Clockwork Pistol

The competition was pretty strong, and I ended up neither winning nor placing, but I’m still happy with my entry. I guess there’s always this month’s round.

Mission Report

Date of Events………: 7 October, 114 P.F.
Location………………: Quarantine Zone, Sector 11
Agent(s) Present…..: Mr Glass
Mission Result………: Partial Success

After three days of “questioning” locals, I received the location of the sanctum of Michel Ardan, Arcanist inventor. Located deep in the Quarantine Zone north-west of Southgate Station, in the basement of a ruined building.

The building was only lightly guarded, three lackeys at most. I quickly dispatched them before entering the building. Aside from the guards, the building was otherwise deserted. Locating the stairs to the basement, I descended into Ardan’s sanctum.

As predicted, it was the size of a small warehouse, carved out of the rock underneath the building. Ardan’s latest creation lay in the far corner, partly covered by tarpaulin, where he was working on what I later learned was its engine. Off to one side lay the crates of stolen soulstones, one of which was open revealing its opalescent contents. I took two steps into the sanctum and announced my presence.

~~~~~

“Ahem.”

The Arcanist jumped at the sudden noise, his head colliding with the creation’s outer casing. “What the bloody hell do you want?” He turned to face Glass, “you’re supposed to be watch- Oh! Who are you?”

“Who I am is not important. Why I am here, however, should be of great interest to you.” Glass remained still, watching the Ardan’s every movement. “I have come with an offer from the Guild.”

“The Guild? Why should I even entertain an offer from those totalitarian thugs? They condemned me for my talents,” he glanced at the nearest crate of soulstone, “wanted to hang me from the tree, and for what? My magical ability, that’s all. I’m no worse than any of the other spell casters who have sold their souls and thrown in with them.”

Glass produced a notebook from his coat pocket and began to read: “Two counts of manslaughter, one count of grievous bodily harm, three counts of producing prohibited magical effects.” He glanced up as he read. Ardan was becoming increasingly nervous, he would have to watch for any sudden movement. Placing the notebook back in his pocket, he continued, “Add to that three counts of major theft and you are in some serious trouble.”

“Very clever,” Ardan replied, “so there were a few accidents. That always happens when you’re trying to push the boundaries of magic and science.” He began fidgeting again, this time reaching into his trouser pocket as he did so. “If you think I’m coming anywhere with you, you’re even stupider than you look!

With as much speed as he could muster, Ardan pulled his hand from his pocket revealing what he had searched for – a soulstone. Calling upon the magical energy contained within the stone he raised his other hand and pointed it at Glass. “Now to add murder to my rap sheet.”

Glass remained perfectly still as energy crackled around Ardan’s hand and then shot towards him. It leapt through the air, leaving the smell of ozone in its wake, before slamming into Glass’s chest… and passing right through. Behind him, chunks of stone exploded away from the point where the bolt hit the sanctum’s wall, but these bounced harmlessly off his coat.

“But- What- How?” Ardan looked at his hand in disbelief, unsure about what had just happened. He tried again, putting as much magical force as he could muster into the attack. The effect was the same; the bolt passed through Glass and impacted with the wall behind him.

Glass interrupted Ardan before he could try a third time. “Careful. Keep that up and you will bring the roof down on us both. With that our of the way, how about I explain the details of the Guild’s offer?” He produced a sheet of paper from within his coat and started to read the details of the offer to Ardan. The Arcanist was far too baffled by what had just happened to understand what he was saying.

“What are you,” Ardan interjected. “How did you do that? Some Guild trickery, eh? Tell me!”

Glass paused his reading of the offer to respond, “When you passed through the Breach, it awoke within you a latent magical talent. My journey had something of an opposite effect. I do not rightly know what it did, but as you just saw, magic no longer has any power over me. That is why the Guild sent me to deliver this offer. If they had wanted you dead, Criid would be knocking on your door, not me.”

Ardan gulped, he had heard about the fate awaiting Arcanists captured alive by Sonia Criid. He had no desire to end up as one of her Witchlings. “Fine, fine. You’ve got me. I’ll come along, just as long as the Guild holds up its end of the bargain and wipe my slate clean.” He knew they wouldn’t, but it was worth a try.

“Excellent,” Glass cracked a faint smile, “life is so much easier when people co-operate.” He walked over to Ardan and plucked the soulstone from his hand. As he did, its light faded as the last of the power drained from it. “Now, before I return you to the nearest watch house, one question. What exactly are you building here?” He gestured at the partially obscured machine.

“This?” Ardan replied. “This is the culmination of my life’s work.” He walked over to the machine and yanked the tarpaulin away, revealing a large metallic tube with a tapered end, much like a bullet. “This is the machine that will allow me to leave this wretched city, let me explore distant lands and perhaps… other planets”

“And the stones; there are more in those crates than most Arcanists would use in a lifetime. Are you using them to power this instrument of freedom?”

“Exactly! They’ll give me the power I need, once I have this finished, of course.” Ardan took advantage of the distracted Glass to slowly back towards his work bench and the large spanner that rested on top of it. “It won’t use all of them at once that would be far too wasteful. I had to make this big enough to bring some cargo along with me.” His hand now grasped the spanner. “It truly is an amazing achieve-MENT!”

With as much strength as he could muster, Ardan rushed toward Glass, swinging his spanner in an arc towards his head. Spotting the sudden movement in his peripheral vision, Glass ducked to one side, narrowly avoiding the blow. He quickly backed away from Ardan, producing a pistol from a holster at his hip. It was no ordinary pistol, but one that appeared to rely on springs and gears to function, not black powder. It truly was a clockwork marvel.

Glass levelled the pistol at Ardan. “Do not take me for a fool, Mr Ardan. We knew you would not be easy to recruit. I offer you one final chance to come with me before I move to Plan B.”

“Plan B? You officious oaf! You dare enter an Arcanist’s sanctum, threaten him with death or worse, then expect him to simply comply with your orders?” Ardan spat on the ground between them, “There’s my answer for your masters!”

“As you wish,” Glass replied. He pulled the depleted soulstone from his pocket and threw it over to Ardan who caught it. “You should have that back, you will need it.” Before Ardan could respond, Glass pulled the trigger on his pistol. Springs unwound, gears clicked, and the hammer fell into place at high-speed, propelling a single bullet straight into the Arcanist’s chest; killing him instantly.

Glass walked over to Ardan’s body and nodded to himself as he saw the soulstone begin to glow again. “Nothing wasted.”

~~~~~

After securing the crates and sealing off the sanctum, I returned to the nearest watch house for reinforcements. We retrieved the crates without further incident and no further loss of property.

While I was not able to recruit Michel Ardan, I believe the technology used in his vehicle will be of great interest to Captain Hoffman. I have contacted him directly with directions to the sanctum.

End of report.

The biggest change so far this year has been around my wife and I moving in with her parents. It’s a cunning scheme to help us save for our first house, while getting some home-cooked dinners at the same time. As part of this move, we’ve placed most of our belongings into storage, keeping only the bare essentials (clothes and the like). This has meant almost all of my gaming material got placed into boxes and probably won’t see the light of day until later this year. It was hard to do, but a lot of it was in boxes already, not having been unboxed after previous moves, and most of the stuff that had been unboxed hadn’t been touched in a while anyway due to spatial issues with out old apartment. A dedicated gaming room is high on the list of things we’re looking for in a new house, so I’m sure I’ll be able to spend some time catching up before Christmas rolls around this year.

In the meantime, I’m keeping up to date with the gaming news through sites like Tabletop Gaming News. Here are some games that have piqued my interest recently.

Wild West Exodus: First up is a game that looks like Deadlands meets Malifaux meets Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Basically, Wild West Exodus is a steampunk wild west game with four factions filled with real world historical figures given a weird twist. It looks like it has potential, except for one “big” problem: the miniatures are 35mm in scale, a full 3-4mm larger than ‘standard’ miniatures. It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes the models noticeably taller and bulkier than pretty much every other wild west miniature range out there. I don’t know why they went with the (slightly) larger scale, and I’m sure most people won’t notice the difference, but I do and it bugs for me for some reason I just can’t put my finger on. The weird west buildings releasing with the game would be great for a Firefly-esque setting, however.

Rivet Wars: Jokingly referred to as “Chibi Dust” by the hosts of the Game Classy podcast, Rivet Wars is a two-player boardgame set in a world apparently stuck in a perpetual First World War. Unsurprisingly, things have been given a dieselpunk twist, with large walkers and other fantastical creations. This isn’t a bad thing, of course, and the game does have some pretty impressive pedigree (the designer worked on Rise of Nations), and backed by CMON (which practically guarantees massive success on its Kickstarter launch).

I really like the look and feel of Rivet Wars, especially the ‘plug’ feature that allows you to customise certain vehicles with different turrets and characters, but it still didn’t grab me enough to get on board. I think part of it was due to the designers mention that the game was part of a larger world, with more factions appearing in the future. This confused me a little. Was his real intention to release a wargame, not a one on one boardgame? The setup made it feel like this might have been the case. I’ll certainly keep an eye on this in the future, just to see how things do develop.

Warzone Resurrection: Back in the 90′s, the wargaming scene was very different. There was no Privateer Press, no Fantasy Flight (at least in NZ), and Games Workshop was at its monolithic peak. And then a Swedish company, Target Games, released a game called Warzone. Based on a roleplaying game (Mutant Chronicles) and series of boardgames, it presented an alternate future, one where corporations had taken over, pushed their luck too far, unleased evil into the solar system, and were now desperately fighting against it and each other. For someone who had known nothing other than Games Workshop, it was amazing. Sure, some of the models weren’t quite up to GW quality (at the time), but the system was fun, the factions were unique, and it bought a breath of fresh air into the hobby. And then the game died.

Target tried growing faster than they could manage and ended up crashing. Hard. There have been many attempts to resurrect Warzone over the years, including a prepainted 54mm game and a movie (that not even Ron Perlman could save). Paradox are giving it one more go. They’re currently teasing a new version of the game on their Facebook page, promising a big announcement on February 15. We don’t know much yet, but based on the preview images, it looks like they’re on the right track. My prediction: They’ll announce a Kickstarter which will launch the game with at least 3-4 factions, possibly expanding to more factions through stretch goals.

Godslayer – Rise of Legends: Megalith Games’ Kickstarter project that has really got me thinking. It is a fantasy skirmish game that has a few similarities with Warmachine and Hordes. Armies will be of similar size and some of the mechanics feel inspired by Warmachine. But that’s where the similarities end. The game features six unique factions, some inspired by historical societies. These include the noble Halodynes (Greeks), necromantically-minded Mortans (Romans), and tribal Wyldfolk (Celts). More details on the setting and factions are available on their website.

Their current Kickstarter is a little different to those run by other new companies. The game has already been released, along with a good selection of models, but the aim of this project is to get the game also released in German. It may seem like an odd choice, but once they meet that goal, further funds will be directed to releasing more models for each faction. They currently have just over 20 days to go and are almost 50% funded, so things are progressing well. I’m very tempted to jump in, but as I mentioned above, gaming is on the back burner for me at the moment. Who knows, if they do end up doing well enough and releasing a lot of new models thanks to this project, I might have to relent.

Convergence of Cyriss: Finally there’s the big news from Privateer Press. They announced at Temple Con that, later this year, the Cult of Cyriss will finally be making an appearance in Warmachine as a fully fledged faction. For those of you who aren’t familiar with them, the Cult worship Cyriss, Maiden of Gears. Her worshippers strive to better themselves through machinery, eventually transferring their own consciousness into metallic bodies.

What does this mean in the game? Well, we’re getting a faction composed entirely of robots. Unlike the clunky Warjacks of other factions, most of these robots are built with a distinctive design aesthetic and are much more elegant. They also operate differently to other Warmachine factions, with Warcasters directly affecting the models in their battle group, and some models being able to ‘transform’ to provide variety to their actions. It’s going to be an interesting faction to see in action, and one I am sorely tempted to get into. Fortunately, they’re not releasing until much later in the year, so hopefully I’ll be able to find a house and set up a gaming space before they arrive.

That’s my list. Which games have caught your eye recently?

The first of these branches is an article on Hand Cannon Online, a website for players of Warmachine, Hordes, the Iron Kingdoms RPG, as well as a few other games. The article shows you how to create your own standees for the Iron Kingdoms RPG. With a little tweaking, you could also make standees for other RPGs, as well as proxy figures for wargames (great for playtesting and unreleased models).

I had the idea for the article in the middle of last year, during the build up to the GenCon release of the Iron Kingdoms RPG. Privateer Press designed the RPG to work with their range of miniatures (though they aren’t required), so it made sense to have a variety of models on hand. Sadly, it would be prohibitively expensive to buy the full range of figures, and there are some NPCs and monsters in the IKRPG that are not available as miniatures. This article allows you to fill in the blanks (and save some money in the process).

I’m not sure when I’ll be branching out again. I’ve got a couple of ideas, but I need to find an appropriate venue for them first. I’ll be sure to let you know when I do.

I was going to use this post to take a look back at the New Years Resolutions I made a year ago and see how I fared, but that’s too way too depressing. Long story short, I failed at most of them. I would set new resolutions for this year, but I find the process a bit arbitrary really. I’ve never been one for setting my own goals. That said, if anyone has any suggestions, I’d like to hear them.

What I do want to talk about is a lovely email I received from WordPress. The email contained a link to a 2012 summary for Geek-Life Balance. I don’t recall receiving one last year, so I’m guessing this is a new feature. It’s a funky little infographic that summarises the last 12 months. The Mt Everest analogy is oddly worded, but once you get past that there are some tidbits I found interesting:

I posted twice as much as I did in 2011. A lot of this came from MyJanWriMo, but I’m still happy with the result. I wanted to write more this year, and I’ve certainly managed that. Not as much as I might have liked, but something is better than nothing.

Taking about topical subjects is a great way to get page views. This should be a surprise to nobody, but popular topics are, well, popular. I’ve seen a spike in hits on my two Hobbit-related posts since The Hobbit premiered mid-December. GenCon bought in another huge wave of hits. I’ll have to remember this for the future.

Search terms have been a source of private amusement for some time now. Sure, there’s the usual mix of people searching for “The Hobbit Soundtrack” and “GenCon 2012,” but also a surprising number of people searching for “embarrassing erection.” Seriously. I only used the term once in a caption for a photo, but it was enough to get it into the top five.

Unsurprisingly, most of my hits came from the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. What was a surprise was how many I received from middle eastern countries – including Syria. They’re in the middle of a civil war, and someone still had the time to pay a visit. Yes, I know some of these are probably spam bots or people using proxy services, but it is still a bit of a surprise.

And there we have it, 2012 in a nutshell. Who knows what 2013 holds. Right now, for me, it holds sleep.

* WordPress wants to auto-correct ‘Kardashians’ to ‘Carpathians’ and now all I can think of is Ghostbusters 2. Maybe they’ve got a long-lost Uncle Vigo.