QUIZES: Blogger Tagging...

Hi Guys,

The somewhat infamous Zac "Pixelgeek" Belado tagged my with one of those "travel the blog" questionnaires and I'm in a good mood so I'll play along. Normally, I'm not much for chain letters and their like, but Zac is an OK guy and wants to see this thing move on. I mostly watch gaming blogs, rarely anything else and at that, I don't check out other blogs very consistently (usually once a week). Well, here goes:

Four Jobs I’ve Had:
- Chef For a Nice Italian Restaurant
(It takes work to make pasta by hand!)
- ESL Teacher
(Have taught numerous immigrants how to speak English)
- Illustrator
(Illustrated for books and magazines some time ago)
- Military Interpreter / Translator
(Spanish while in Cuba)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
- Aliens
(A classic... love the heart-pounding end)
- Gladiator
(Makes me feel heroic while I do mundane tasks like laundry!)
- The Thirteenth Warrior
(Love the flow on this film, better than the book)
- Zulu
(The Welsh songs really make the film)

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:
- Lost
(I watch it with my sister... very cool X-files style mystery / drama)
- Battlestar Galactica
(Not too fond of the new Starbuck, but love the series overall)
- Invasion
(Who doesn't like sneaky invaders from space?)
- Just about anything on the History Channel
(I can flip to this channel just about anytime I want and catch something interesting)

I don't actually own a TV that has antenna, satellite or cable recption. Mine is hooked up to a VCR and a DVD players and that's it. I've always felt that too many people watch too much television alone... if I do it, I generally watch it at other folk's homes as a social activity. I don't ever want to let the boob tube dictate my schedule.

Four Places I’ve Been on Vacation:
- Suzdal, Russia
(The history in Suzdal is amazing, you can almost feel yourself back in time)
- Massada, Israel
(Another haunting place where you can feel the history...)
- Kiev, The Ukraine
(Kiev is an acient city and full of interesting historical sites...)
- Mexico City, Mexico
(Mexico has its own charm despite the crowding and filth)

Four Favorite Dishes:
- Mom's home-made Enchiladas
(My mother makes the best enchiladas hands-down of any I've ever tried... the trick is in the sauce... browned flour really makes it happen)
- Mom's Spanish rice
(She's a genius at this... the perfect mix of rice, tomato sauce and seasoning... I've been taught the recipe, but can't quite match her expertise with it)
- My blueberry polenta tort
(I used to experiment with polenta torts years ago and came up with this recipe which is scrumptious)
- My Scrambled eggs with the good mixed in them
(...a little pico de gallo seasoning, fresh veggies, left-overs, etc.)

If you couldn't tell, I enjoy cooking and baking...

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
- http://www.yahoo.com/
(I get my E-mail here...)
- http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/
(This is my blog, I try to update once or twice a week...)
- http://www.epic40k.co.uk/
(The Epicomms community has been my homes for years upon years...)
- http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mmScienceFictionWarGames/
(I run a number of Yahoo E-groups and this is one of my favorites)

Four Places I’d Rather Be:
- Karmiel, Israel
(Israel is beautiful in a way that words can't capture... you can palpably feel the warmth of the people of Karmiel)
- At my home
(...rather than work!)
- At my parent's home visiting
(I love my folks and enjoy visiting them when I get the chance)
- Visiting friends just about anywhere
(My friend Vince, sister, Dick, Daniel "Dafrca" C., Kimbo, etc., etc.)

I really think that people make the place and not the other way around.

Four Bloggers I’m Tagging:
- Jeffro's Gaming Blog: Car Wars, Star Fleet Battles, Ogre, Battletech, and More!
http://jeffro.mindsay.com/
- Ty Beard and his FFOT blog
http://fftows.blogspot.com/
- Yehuda Berlinger & The Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Club
http://jergames.blogspot.com/
- Zac Pixelgeek Belado at his blog Mini Crusade
http://crusades.blogspot.com/

I don't know if it's kosher to tag Zac back, but I do like to read what he writes.

Four of My Favourite Books:
- Any of the original Conan novels by Robert E. Howard
(Pulp adventure goodness at its best!)
- Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel by Jerry Asher and Eric Hammel
(The story of the near miraculous defeat of the USSR through its proxy of Syria on the Golan Heights in 1973)
- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
( I love almost every one of Card's novel... he is a genius at characterization)
- Any of the Hammer's Slammers novels by David Drake
(Gritty goodness!)

I'm an avid reader so this was a tough list to write.

Four of My Favorite Games:
- Command & Colors: Ancients by GMT Games
(I'm really starting to groove with this game)
- Dirtside II by GZG Games
(The run-away classic of sci-fi miniatures gaming...)
- HOTT by Phil Barker
(A fun, quick and simple way to relive those favorite scenes from Tolkien and other fantasy favorites...)
- Settlers of Canaan by Cactus Games
(Settlers is now a classic game and I really like this Biblical variant of the Cataan theme...)

This is a gaming blog community so it seems only appropriate to list games.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: 6mm GZG Infantry Miniatures.

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TOP: 6mm Japanese Corporate Mercenary troops (front view) from GZG.

Photo by Cuban Commissar.

Hi Everyone,

My friend Luis (Cuban Commissar) recently asked anyone if they'd seen or owned any of GZG's 6mm science fiction infantry so this is a post written for him.

TOP: 6mm ESU troops (front view - close-up) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm ESU troops (back view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

First off: Yes, I own many of GZG's 6mm sci-fi infantry figures and I love them! Many other Epicomms members own them too including Cybershadow (Iain), L-4 (Ralph) and several others whose names are escaping me at the moment.

TOP: 6mm FSE troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm NAC troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

Both of GZG's 6mm sci-fi lines had infantry packets although the majority of the best ones came from their Dirtside II line. I probably have a few of all of the packets by now and have posted photos of my Arab figures before. I'll see about putting them up again.

TOP: 6mm New Israeli troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm New Israeli troops (front view - panorama shot) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

The figures themselves tend to size well with GW's Epic-Armageddon figures, but allowing for the medium (...cast metal instead of plastic), are more compact and squat than GW's 6mm plastic figures.

They come in packs of about twenty to twenty-four figures and come with little metal bases that fit 2, 3 or 4 figures per base.

TOP: 6mm NSL troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

They are expensive for how many you get in a pack. Both Scotia and Irregular's 6mm sci-fi infantry are a better deal for your money.

TOP: 6mm UN troops (front view - close-up) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm UN troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

I do like the figures alot and will buy more in the future when the opportunity presents itself.

Good luck, Luis, and let us know whether you decide to get any!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

UPDATE (August 2007):

CC later did buy some sample packs and was kind enough to share some photos he took of them.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

MODELLING: Inexpensive terrain...

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Lil Mini Shops, now OOP, made some of my favorite microarmour 1/285 terrain.

Hi Guys,

I think that inexpensive terrain is great, BUT...

Inexpensive terrain is usually less attractive than a set of manufactured terrain items combined with home-made ones collected and purchased over many years.

In my personal case, I've been a microarmor player since the early 1980s so I have a huge set of 1/285 or 6mm terrain.

A cool WWII microarmour layout I saw.

I have also played 6mm sci-fi games such as Dirtside II and am now developing my own sci-fi tactical ruleset for miniatures combat so... I have plenty of 6mm or 1/285 sci-fi terrain! I have a homemade Mars the Red Planet set, futuristic cities, an alien mushroom forest and much more!

My upcoming game called "Planetfall" is intended for use with 6mm, 10mm or 15mm miniatures. You can check out the link to my blog in my signature here for more information.

My personal terrain collection is a combination of home-made items (trees, swamps, hills, mountains, etc.) and manufactured items (structures, skyscrapers, etc.)... Most of my structures (buildings, skyscrapers, airports, etc.) scale best at 6mm to 10mm while natural terrain items (woods, swamps, hills, etc.) do well at most scales.

I think of terrain as having pros and cons. Here are a few:

HOME-MADE SET:
Description: These area collections of paper, felt and home-made items.
Attractiveness (1-10): 5-7
Pros: Inexpensive, easy-to-collect, very functional, requires little work in many cases...
Cons: Has a very home-made look and feel to it, not very durable, not always recognizable by all gamers as terrain items...

DOWNLOADABLE PAPER SET:
Description: These are downloadable paper templates that have to be folded and sometimes glued. They are far more attractive than most home-made kits although they require a lot of work to make. There are whole clubs on the Internet dedicated to paper terrain. They are more attractive than most home-made kits and are usually made from free designs on the Internet although some pay kits are also available.
Attractiveness (1-10): 6-8
Pros: Inexpensive, easy-to-collect, some nest for easy storage, very functional...
Cons: Requires A LOT of work in many cases, will not hold miniatures in many cases, not very durable...

FOAM TERRAIN SET:
Description: These are collection of foam packaging building and home-made hills... they can often rivel or surpass manufactured foam terrain.
Attractiveness (1-10): 6-8
Pros: Inexpensive, easy-to-collect, very functional...
Cons: Requires A LOT of work in many cases, not very durable...

MICROARMOR TERRAIN SET:
Description: These are manufactured buildings and terrain items, usually made from plaster, hydrocal, or resin. They are made in many diiferent scales 2mm-54mm with larger scales being much more expensive. On the other hand, some types of scenery such as industrial structures are very hard to get otherwise.
Attractiveness (1-10): 6-10
Pros: The most attractive, easy-to-collect (sold through retaillers), very functional, will hold miniatures, usually durable but not impervious to ham-handed gamers depending on the material...
Cons: EXPENSIVE, requires a lot of work in many cases (painting and assembly), requires a large number of pieces to really have a strong effect...

An assortment of microarmour building I saw on E-bay.

Have a great day!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

GAMING NEWS: Two Successful Playtests of Maksim's Sci-fi Game!

Hi Everyone,

I would, first of all, like to thank everyone who made suggestions for the name of my new sci-fi game. There were some incredibly clever, humorous and dramatic name suggestions. I've put them together into a document and will post it at a later time for everyone's enjoyment.

For those of you who have no idea who I am or what I'm talking about, I'm a gamer, somewhat well-known in the community for my actions helping to restore the 6mm_miniatures E-group, my participation at the TMP site and for other things.

I'm a big fan of miniature wargames and love games like Dirtside II, and Striker II, which have unfortunately not seen sequels for a long time. I tried to get involved with these companies at different times to be a part of seeing newer better versions of these classic games come out and nothing seemed to get done. Fans organized projects and wrote great house rules, but I wanted to see a new version of the game come out, not the old game juryrigged with house rules. So...

I decided to design my own game for sci-fi minis. I wanted a system with the greatness of Traveller and Striker II, the ease of play inherent to Dirtside II, the fun factors I associate with GW's Epic series and the versatility of GURPs. I wanted a game not tied down to any cannon or specific background. I wanted a game that had sophisticated but not overly complicated game mechanics for leaders, command and control, morale, unit experience, suppression, combat engineering, air support, armor, force fields and many other things. So... I made it!

My game is currently in playtest and I've already found three manufacturers who have expressed an interest in publishing it. Several other game retaillers have expressed an interest in stocking and selling it.

The basic game is designed as a game engine, sort of like GURPS, that can be adapted to any sci-fi canon or background a player desires. Want to recreate modern units who have gone back in time? Want to have WWII armies face "War Of the Worlds" invaders? Want to see if Star Wars can give Star Trek a black eye? My game system is designed to do just those things. It can pit armies of various technological sophistication against each other.

I plan to sell the main book for $15.00 USD, which will come with a game module that has the engine adapted to one science-fiction background. Further game modules will be available for different science fiction backgrounds. The modules will cost $10.00 USD each.

And thanks to the dozens of suggestions from fans, I now have a name for the game:

"PLANETFALL: The Generic Universal Science Fiction Miniatures Wargame Engine!"

I plan to start an E-group for those interested soon and already have an E-mail mailing list for those interested. If you would like to be on the E-mail mailing list to receive news of the game, when it goes on sale or possibly become a playtester for the game, please send me your E-mail. I am selective with my playtesters though so it is possible that you may not be chosen to be a playtester although I plan to enroll as many playtesters as possible..

I have been playtesting the game myself, but am formulating a simple version of the rules to give to playtesters soon. I playtested a final form of the game this past Thursday and again today on Saturday (8 October 2005). Both playtests went smoothly and rules performed very well. Thursday's playtest was with an adult and I ran two playtest games today both with a combination of young children (8-10 years old) and adults. The game was easy enough to learn that one of the children taught his friend how to play in about ten to fifteen minutes and enrolled him on his side (...to help the Empire defeat the Rebel scum!).

The sci-fi background I've used in recent playtests has been "Star Wars: The Battle of Hoth," but I don't think I could ever afford to buy a license for that franchise so when the game gets published, I will offer those rules for free on the game's web site. We had a great time playing "Planetfall" and I can't wait to try out other adaptions of the game I've created for other sci-fi books, movies and television series. Of course, I can't publish any of those without a license (...I've made inquiries with a number of my favorite sci-fi license holders...) so I'll offer any game modules for backgrounds I can't afford to buy a license from... for free.

Thanks for your time!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.