Boardgames, Card Games, Gaming
Due to the high turn over of staff we’re once again in the market for someone to help out with Knavecon on the 4th. It’s a paid gig with pretty much no advancement prospects. So if you’re interested in working with a dynamic team of intelligent, motivated, mentors you’re shit out of luck.
Apply on Facebook messenger
Huzzah!
Boss Vic
Once again ZOOKY MODEL’S will be offering their services to pimp your minis. Diarmuid has generously donated a prize to the raffle of a minis makeover of your chosen minis (not your entire warhammer army). Have a look at the great stuff he does at the con and if you’re lucky enough to win be the envy of your “friends” with fully painted minis. Wow the girls/fellas. Delight onlookers. Let your opponents know you’re not to be messed with. Remember for all your painting needs ZOOKY. Tis a quare name but it’s great stuff
https://www.facebook.com/ZookysModels/
Huzzah!
Vic
I haven’t done this in a while, but I’m delighted to have a guest writer do an article on what is a very interesting subject. Boardgaming online. I’ve been a fan of VASSAL for a long time but haven’t delved into the newer online stuff. So whom better to speak about it but Leon Kelly who’s been playing quite a bit with a couple of regular knaves and ne’er-do-wells from the interwebs. Here’s his take….
Digitally playing board games? Hersey I say, Hersey
This is sometimes the reaction you hear from people when you mention playing some of your favourite board games online, surely this goes against the point of a board game? So one of the main reason I play games is that I enjoy the social aspect of it, the jokes about that last game you played or how such and such is always a Cylon etc. It’s an activity that doesn’t revolve around just drinking in a pub with the exception being Knavecon 8 where copious drinks were required to just get through the stress (and backstabbing) of a 6 player game of AGOT the board game…..Yes Mike king in the north and all that…..Go Canada!
However sometimes it’s hard to schedule a time that suits everyone to play a game and that’s where online playing of a board game comes in. Today I’m going to focus on Tabletopia as (A) it’s the one I have used the most and (B) we would be here all day if I was to mention all the others. Tabletopia is a virtual sandbox for board games with free to play with premium versions available ($9.99 P/M) and works on PC/Mac. Its 100% officially backed by the game designers so unlike Tabletop Sim where a “moder” workshop and community exists the games have all the official artwork of the finished product (most of the time). 300+ games already exist including some of my favourites like Champions of Midgard, Villages of Valeria & Scythe.
I have used the premium version of Tabletopia as well as the “fermium” and both have worked flawlessly, yes the occasional drop out of a person in a game has occurred etc but that’s more peoples WiFi connection rather than the programs fault.
The in game chat function works very well however my gaming group tends to use Teamspeak as it provides the most clear connection that is extremely stable. As soon as you enter one of the many current titles on Tabletopia and select from the broad range of online players to have a game with via its handy lobby system or add your steam friends directly, the game board replicates itself in virtual space so no large set up required which is great for some games, let’s use Scythe as an example as I’ve played it multiple times online and in the “real world”.
One of the best things about this system is that the rulebook is also replicated in digital format on the left hand side so you have access to this and it allows for you to learn the game and its phases not just tell you what to do. Interestingly enough I purchased Scythe but it was online where I had my first games with friends and we all learnt the system which meant when we played the “real version” everything was so much faster and smoother.
The pan, tilt, pick, flip, roll and all of the controls you use are obvious to any pc user and a neat controls page within the game explains how to do them all. All the images including the cards, boards, rulebook and more are created in extreme high detail so everything looks fantastic.
The physics based engine that runs the system allows for the game to feel more “real” as you pick pieces and stack them or hide cards and coins in your private digital “hand” space and all of this capable in a system that’s free! Yes premium allows for unlimited games to be played at once or gives you access to some expansions of games or extra games but the joy of Tabletopia is that only one member of the party needs this and invites all his friends to join him.
Another fun aspect of this online system is that you can have something like YouTube running in the background not effecting other players. I like to get into the theme of a game and a good friend of mine had the great idea of sending us all a link to a playlist of classical Russian music and WOW did it add to the theme of playing Scythe, and best yet players that preferred to not listen to music didn’t have to, it was my own personal “mod” to the experience.
I mean this system allows me to play games with my uncle in cork, me in Dublin, my Friend in London and others from all over Ireland at the click of a mouse……… so what’s the catch?
Well there isn’t one really. I mean it’s free what do you have to loose, download it via steam so give it a go. What I will say for its cons which aren’t many and are kind of obvious, is that it can never beat the “real thing”.
Those eyes of death another player gives you when you attack him to backstab your alliance, or the hysterics from a table when a young child assassinates the “secret hitler” just when we were going to win because he listened to his dad and never trusted Jimmy, can never be replicated in digital space. Games that require diplomacy or something like Sheriff of Nottingham where bluffing and bull**it are part of the game just don’t work online not just Tabletopia. Having a small pool of games is limiting Tabletopia at the moment but if the likes of Fantasy Flight, Asmondee or Z Man games were to get involved this system could become phenomenal due to the detail Tabletopia put into these digital sandbox recreations.
Overall Tabletopia is a well-polished system that’s enjoyable to play and as it’s free what’s the harm give it a go and see what you think! See ya online fellow Knaves…..
To quote someone I now consider a friend through a mutual appreciation of board games.
Huzzah!
Leon
The problem with Cards Against Humanity is after several games it can become a bit stale…
We can’t have that !
I’ve ordered 900 new cards for the game so we now have
That should make for one hell of a game come Knavecon 9 !
Huzzah!
Vic
Not exactly boardgaming but the newest Nintendo console the Switch is going to be launched the day before Knavecon (I told them that would be ok). Two of the attending Knaves who are massive Nintendo fans have theirs ordered and will be collecting them both day 1 and will be bringing them to Knavecon 9.
Since we have a projector at our disposal it would seem churlish not to show them off on the day
Huzzah!
Vic
Cough. I’ll just leave this here….
Skull and Roses and Perudo are games with extremely simple components (beermats and dice) but gameplay that far outshines their humble components.
Chances are you already own perudo in it’s unassembled form. All you need is five dice per player (you’ve loads of dice I’m sure) and something to shake them in (plastic cups would be perfect)
Perudo is a push your luck game. Each round players roll their dice then hide the results from everyone else. Starting with the last player to win or lose the last round they call out how many of a particular dice they think is on the board having only seen their own roll. So it might be “I think there’s four fives between all the dice on the table” and so on. The player to the left then either ups the bet “really? I think there’s six threes on the table” or calls BS on the previous player’s bet. At this point all dice are revealed and either the bet is correct (the person who called BS loses one of their dice) or it can’t be fulfilled in which case the person who called the bet loses one of their dice. The game continues like this until one person only is left with dice. It’s that simple. It shouldn’t be that good but it really is.
There’s a bit of depth to this. There’s a bit of psychology. You could play this for money and I’m sure people do. To add a bit of spice to it ones are wilds and there’s a few minor extra optional rules in there but the core is solid.
This is a great game. I was delighted to be reacquainted with it recently. I’d forgotten how good it was. I urge you to assemble your copy of it when a bunch of your friends are around. Or enemies. You know what I meant.
Huzzah!
Vic
Ok Knaves I’m adding
Secret Hitler is a refined version of The Resistance. Posh resistance if you will. I’ll be honest I got bored of The Resistance having played a few dozen times so this was a welcome replacement.
Interestingly you can download a print and play copy and make your own for free but I went all out and was lucky enough to snag a copy of the Kickstarter version which comes in a protective wooden case which itself should be protected because it’s only gorgeous and far too good for the people I game with. Myself included
I like a good hidden Identify game. Werewolf is always a hit at Knavecon and spyfall is a right laugh let’s see how the new kid in town stacks up
Players randomly and secretly take the roles of fascists (who want to elect Hitler Chancellor), Hitler (also a fascist) and liberals. When the game starts the fascists (except Hitler) look around and Identify the other fascists (including hitler who still has his eyes shut but has his thumb up).
Now the game is afoot and the liberals are racing to score all their agendas before the fascists score three and elect hitler. (Or the liberals shoot hitler or the fascist score six agenda)
Unlike say werewolf. Players actions should be more obvious OR ARE THEY? Whereas liberal agendas are just notches on the score post, fascist agendas allow you a bit more power. So you could use a fascist agenda to look at a players party or later on are kill a particular player. Powerful stuff if you have Hitler in your sights OR DO YOU?. Often a liberal will allow or help a facsist agenda to happen to help them corner Hitler. Be careful when fighting monsters lest we become monsters ourselves or more accurately win the game for the fascists.
Each round the President’s role is passed one to the left and they elect the chancellor. The group as a whole vote ya or nein at once visibly and if the majority votes no a new chancellor has to be picked by the President. Rinse and repeat
Once the chancellor is elected the president draws three agenda cards (there’s more fascists ones in the mix than liberal one). He then picks one and discards it face down and passes the remaining two to the chancellor who picks one. So it’s either a fascist one or liberal one goes on the respective scoring track.
The fascists agendas as they get scored give the current president more and more powers starting with looking at a players alignment up to executing a player and vetoing agendas. Fascists are so much cooler than hippy liberals
There’s a lovely air of paranoia, fear and mistrust, something which I like immensely and possible warrants professional evaluation of my character but until that’s mandatory I’ll continue to enjoy this type of game.
The game is fast. Ten mins or so but you’ll play it several times in a sitting. It’s big time moorish
The Kickstarter version is a thing of beauty. The matryoshka doll center of this game is very high quality. Solid thick cards. Nice heavy wooden pieces. Suitable artwork. It’s real Purdy.
I can highly recommend this game. Figuring out what’s going on is magnificent. Being a fascist just like being a werewolf is a blast.
The current Kickstarter is pricey. The print and play a bit dull. The sweet spot will be when the standard edition comes out. Which should be soon.
Every game group should have a copy. It rocks
Huzzah!
Vic
O.K. let’s stoke the Smoldering fire that is the Knavecon Raffle and add something else. You thought New Angeles was good? wait til’ you get a load of this
I was able to secure a copy of this much sought after and out of print masterpiece Forbidden Stars. It’s currently retailing for over a hundred euros and rising. This copy has been opened, bagged and played ONCE, is in absolutely perfect condition and can be yours for €1 or more.
Let’s not forget we also have New Angeles in the mix (told you it was going to be a great raffle) and more to come……
MORE TO FOLLOW
SO! how do I get tickets early and beat the rush on the day and benefit from the 2 for 1 offer before the friday before the Knavecon? Simples just paypal my Swiss bank account at
victorgannon@yahoo.com
Prices are currently
Should you feel inclined, feel free to pre-book your tickets for the event too. Tickets will be available on the door on the day as usual. It’s going to be a busy con!
Huzzah!
Vic
Victor Gannon Games 