What’s Going On?

What’s going on? A very good question. One I ask myself all too often at the moment!

So, seven long months have passed since my last post and it’s time to consider where I’m going with this, as things have changed and life has caught up with my hobbies and generally gotten in the way.

Yasmin is now at Liverpool University, so my gaming buddy is no longer on constant call. I did think this would get me back into having regular solo sessions, which is where I began, but what, with work and stuff, the time just hasn’t materialised.

I do wonder how I used to find the time. I always had a game set up on my table, either investigating something new or delving deeper into one to explore how the game mechanisms worked. I do miss getting fully intimate with a game in preparation of writing a review. It seems that the newer games I have I hardly really know, and every time I play something just lately I have to re-read the rules – I mean, who wants to be bothered with that!

I take a gander at my shelves and there are far too many games on there that I’ve yet to give a fair crack of the whip, but at least I have stopped myself from buying more… well, nearly… I did by myself Age of Comics for Christmas!

Here’s a run down of what I have managed to play recently, and what’s still waiting in the wings.

Skyrim The Adventure Board Game is a cooperative tabletop game that immerses players in the expansive world of Skyrim. Players take on the roles of iconic characters from the video game, completing quests, and battling foes. The game features a rich narrative experience, combining character progression, strategic combat, and exploration of diverse locations. Players can engage in quests that unfold over multiple campaigns, enhancing the storytelling aspect while navigating the challenges of the game’s mechanics. The objective is to work together to achieve the overarching goals, reminiscent of the beloved video game experience.

Just after we bought this, at the last UKGE, we managed to get the entire first campaign played in about a week, a couple of hours here, a couple of hours there. It was a reasonable experience, which we both enjoyed. Whilst I felt the game gave a fair representation of the video game, I was left wanting more. I thought the story and plot lines were quite good, as was the character progression, but I wanted more from the combat system and a little more freedom to explore the map. Still, overall experience of the game was good.

Star Wars Armada is a tactical space combat game set in the Star Wars universe that allows players to command fleets of ships in epic battles. Players take on the roles of fleet admirals, controlling iconic ships from the franchise, such as Star Destroyers and Rebel cruisers. The game emphasizes strategy and planning, with players utilizing maneuverability, resource management, and fleet composition to outsmart their opponent. Players engage in exciting scenarios and missions, combining ship movement with unique upgrade options for a dynamic and immersive experience. The objective is to achieve tactical supremacy by defeating the opposing fleet through smart positioning, effective use of special abilities, and teamwork.

Again, I got this to the table quite quickly after the UKGE. Yes, I know it has now been axed by FFG, but I got it secondhand along with a few extra ships. Since then, I’ve added a few more that became available and have a reasonable couple of fleets to ensure many fun games in the future. I played it solo twice and am looking forward to the next game, whenever that may be, as I really enjoyed the strategic side of the game, though I didn’t explore this too deeply, as I was still learning. I really wish I’d jumped on board years ago – I’d always held back because I was unsure how it would play solo – Doh!

Dinosaur Island is a strategic board game where players take on the role of theme park managers striving to create the ultimate dinosaur theme park. The game combines worker placement and resource management mechanics, allowing players to construct facilities, manage their dinosaurs, and attract visitors. Players must balance the thrill of their attractions with the safety of their guests, while also ensuring they have a steady supply of resources to build and maintain their parks. Unique dinosaur species can be created through genetic research, and the game emphasizes the importance of balancing excitement and danger to succeed. As players compete to build the most successful park, they will encounter challenges and opportunities that add depth and excitement to the gameplay experience.

Dinosaur Island – Really excited to play this one, however, only one quick learning game so far. First impressions were good and we intended to play again shortly after… still waiting!

Lots of games on the shelf of shame, still waiting to be played…

Thunderstone Quest – I’ve had this nearly two years now and whilst I did have it all set up ready to play at one point, something else cropped up and I needed the space. So away it went again. It’s a big game box and I need to take the time to relearn it again. I also need my gaming buddy back to give it a good shot at.

Root: The Clockwork Expansion and Eldritch Horror The Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion are still waiting, unopened, shame on us. Mage Wars Arena has been opened up, looked at, rules read and digested, and then put away for the last year – again, I need Yasmin, or a ‘rent a friend’ to get this to the table.

One or two other games have seen a little bit of play – Unmatched, Marvel United, and one or two shorter games – but we’ve not had a good gaming session for some time now.

On the painting front, I have been making steady progress. whilst things haven’t been coming out thick and fast I am pleased with the results.

For Marvel: Crisis Protocol, I knocked out Black Cat, Mystique, She-Hulk, and Thor. Black Cat and Mystique were painted mainly with Vallejo Xpress paint to get them done quickly, as we wanted them for a game. I hate Black Cat’s pose, it looks real odd when she’s in play, though she did turn out to be a quite a formidable character when handled correctly, as, surprisingly, did Mystique.

Not the best pictures in the world, but they’re what I have saved on my phone…

She-Hulk, one of my characters and the leader of A-Force. As a leader, I wanted to spend more time on her and I was happy with the results at the time. When I look at her now, I do think I could have pushed the highlights of her skin tones much further. This may be down to the fact that I’ve recently changed the location of where I paint and, along with my new daylight lamp, the lighting is quite different to what it was when I originally painted her. I’m not going back over her. but I’m sure it will annoy me when I get her into play!

Thor, another leader but this time one of Yasmin’s crew, and he also merited more time on him. This one I did paint in my new room and turned out one of the best I’ve done for a while. I especially like the way the cloak ‘pops’! Looking at the images, though, there doesn’t look as much depth in the reds as there actually is, and it looks a bit flat. I used Black Lotus Xpress for his suit, highlighted up, and I really like how it turned out.

I cracked out a few Walking Dead Zombies, all speed painted with Xpress, along with the Star Wars Legion barriers that had been sitting around on my shelf for several years.

I also completed my first unit of Bolt Action Russians. Once I got going with these I managed to turn them out pretty quickly. In fact, the basing probably took longer than the painting!

Well, that’s what I’ve been up to over the last several months, certainly not a lot in terms of hobby stuff. The want is still there. I’m itching to get some serious solo gaming done, but I just can’t seem to put any time aside to scratch the itch. Painting progresses slowly at a weekend. I usually get an hour or two on a Saturday and Sunday, but I currently have nothing primed and ready to go. I am trying to rectify this, as I have a backlog of MCP characters to paint, most of which I’ve already assembled. I also have the next batch of Bolt Action stuff assembled – this time Germans.

Anyway, all this leads me to where I am now. Today, I downloaded all my Site media to my computer, as I contemplate shutting down. I’ve got a few months yet before I have to renew my Domain and Site, but to be honest, I think it’s inevitable. I’m not playing or painting enough to be able to sit down and write creative content.

My intention is to see what the final few months bring. Whenever I have some free time, I want to make a concerted effort to get something played or a post progressed and we shall see what we shall see. I’ve also been toying with using AI to speed some things up, such as using it to give a brief description of what a game entails before I give my opinion. Either way, I will continue to post to my Facebook page, usually pictures of what I’m currently painting, and maybe increase my content there, though in a much more condensed form.

So, hopefully you’ll hear from me again in the next month or two. At the very least, it will be me giving my fond farewells if I go ahead and shut down. Whatever will be, will be – Oh! You could write a song about that!