GAMING NEWS: "February MWS Meeting AAR" (10 February 2008)

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TOP: Maksim-Smelchak (me!) brought some 28mm pirate ships & crews to show off.

Hi All,

I've really fallen behind on blog updates... still trying to find a new job. The search is really chewing up my free time.

However, I'm still getting in some gaming, modeling, and other good stuff... just cut out most of the time I spent on blog writing to put towards other pursuits for the time being. I hope that when I find the new job, I'll start putting more time back into the 'ol blog.

Here's a battle report from this past weekend's MWS meet...

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MWS Meeting / Game Day Event
Date: Sunday, 10 February 2008
Time: 11:00am to 7:00pm or so…
Location: Marconi Public Library - Community Room
Link: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

Attendees:
1. Joe B.
2. Bernie
3. Mark Carper
4. Chris
5. Alex F.
6. Greg
7. Keith
8. Keith TM.
9. Kurt L.
10. Richard “Dick” M.
11. Mark from Viking Hobby
12. Mike O.
13. Barto R.
14. David R.
15. Bob S.
16. Maksim-Smelchak (me!)
17. Mike W.
18. Harry W.
19. Lots of interested library spectators…

=================

TOP: McLovins, a pre-war bombed-out department store...

...that the outlaw gang took over as their HQ.

Game #1:
Title: Junktown Episode V “A Menace in the Wastelands”
Rules: No Limits (free download)
Genre: Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi
Opponents: Junktown’s 1rst Army Division vs. the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs
Scale: 28mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/34130

Participants:
- Mark Carper – Gamemaster.
- Mike O. – General of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.
- Maksim-Smelchak - Captain of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.
- Richard M. – The Big Kahuna of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.
- Joe B. – Chief Enforcer of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.

TOP: "Air Zed," Junktown's secret weapon!

Outcome:
- The game was a draw with the early game clearly belonged to the forces of Junktown and the later game devolving into a draw as the outlaw gangs managed to hold their ground after Pyrrhic losses. However, as always the real fun in Junktown is more about abysmally bad die rolling, incredible exploits of bravery & stupidity, bad puns, good jokes, and a great feeling of camaraderie.

More photos from this game can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Junktown_2-10-2008-/

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TOP: A swirling WWI dog fight over the Continent...

Game #2:
Title: “Continental Balloon Buster”
Rules: Wings of War miniatures / card game
Genre: Great War (W.W.I.) aircraft dogfights
Opponents: German balloon and fighters vs. British fighters
Scale: 1/144 or 10mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31552

Participants:
- Mike W. – Gamemaster / German Krauts
- Barto R. – British Limeys
- Harry W. – British Limeys

TOP: British fighters successfully shot down the German Zeppelin...

...by running into it!

Outcome:
- The British managed to shoot down the German balloon although they lost two aircraft to the same balloon when they couldn’t avoid running into it. So, overall the British achieved their mission objectives.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/10mm-WOW_2-10-2008-/

=================

TOP: An Egyptian T-62 tank battallion advances across the Sinai...

Game #3:
Title: “Duel in the Dessert, 1973”
Rules: Cold War Commander
Genre: AIW Modern warfare during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
Opponents: Egyptian forces vs. Israeli forces in the Sinai
Scale: 1/285 or 6mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/26474

Participants:
- Bob S. - Gamemaster
- Greg: Israelis
- Keith TM: Egyptians

TOP: Israeli Ben Gurions (Centurions) counter the Egyptian attack...

Outcome:
- In a bloody battle, the Egyptians were defeated by the Israelis, although with unacceptable loss ratios.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/6mm-AIW-1973_2-10-2008-/

=================

TOP: 28mm Napoleonic fun was had by many...

Game #4:
Title: “Ney vs. Wellington, 16 June 1815”
Rules: Age of Eagles
Genre: Napoleonics
Opponents: British vs. French
Scale: 28mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31025

Participants:
- Alex F. - Gamemaster
- Bernie - French
- David R. - French
- Chris - British
- Keith - British

TOP: Ney's French storm through a village...

Outcome:
- The British had a terrible time of it and were defeated by the French.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Napoleonics_2-10-2008-/

=================

There was also a mini-trade / swap meet that went on.

TOP: 28mm Normans, Vikings, Fantasy Dwarves & WWI were up for trade...

A beautifully painted 15mm WWII British Army was also on the block...

More general photos from the meet can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

COOL STUFF: "Flirting Robots Are Here!" (19 December 2007)

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TOP: Bring it on, Rosie the Robot...

The Jetsons are bored!

Hi Everyone,

Quick post today: I read this article about the advances that robots have been achieving lately the other day ago...

BEWARE OF FLIRTING ROBOTS:
"A program that can mimic online flirtation and then extract personal information from its unsuspecting conversation partners is making the rounds in Russian chat forums, according to security software firm PC Tools. The artificial intelligence of CyberLover's automated chats is good enough that victims have a tough time distinguishing the 'bot' from a real potential suitor, PC Tools said. The software can work quickly too, establishing up to 10 relationships in 30 minutes, PC Tools said. It compiles a report on every person it meets complete with name, contact information, and photos." More and more, we're living in a William Gibson world.

UPDATE:
Reader John Baker emails: "Professor: as much as I enjoy Gibson, ever heard of the Turing Test?"

Yeah, and it sounds like these robots are passing it in the real world on a regular basis. Though to be fair, I doubt Alan Turing envisioned administering the test with an audience of drunk, horny Russian guys.

I hate SPAM-bots!

They should written those into the Terminator movies... the audience would have cheered more when they were destroyed.

Link here:
http://instapundit.com/archives2/012697.php

And here:
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9831133-56.html

The Turing Test:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test

William Gibson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_gibson

Have a great Wednesday!

And happy holidays!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

GAMING NEWS: "T-5 Almost Here!" (17 December 2007)

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TOP: T-5 is almost here!

Hi Everyone,

Good new for the Traveller fan straight from Marc Miller's mouth:

Traveller5 is nearly complete.

It's full of material: Character Generation, Androids, Robots, Clones, Worlds, Starships, Small Craft, Adventures, and more.

Come see more at our web page:

http://www.farfuture.net/

We are in the last stages of completing an extensive initial CD-ROM version of T5 by Jan 31 totaling about 1000 electronic pages. Order now, and we'll send you our special offer now and the CD-ROM as soon as it rolls of the press.

We have a special offer on the web site. Come see what we have.

BONUS!

We'll ship on or about Jan 31, 2008. Pre-order now and we'll send you the printed black DVD Traveller5 Case Wrap (the same one that will be on your Traveller5 CD-ROM package when we ship it), plus four bonuses:

1. Our Mini-Map of the Spinward Marches,
2. The Traders' Guild Guide to Starships,
3. The Mini-Traders' Guild Guide to Starships, and...
4. The Wilderness Traveller (800-ton Speculative Trader) 4-view.

www.farfuture.net

And here's a half dozen or so more helpful Traveller links:

Freelance Traveller link:
http://www.freelancetraveller.com/index.html
(Probably the best link for anything Traveller)

Citizens of the Imperium forum link:
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/
(Probably the best Traveller forum around)

Far Future Enterprises link:
http://www.farfuture.net/
(Marc Miller's site, one of the creators of Traveller...)
(Find reprints of older Traveller materials here and...)
(it's also the home of Traveller 5)

Ad Astra Games link:
http://www.adastragames.com/
(Find Traveller starship minis here)

Loren Wiseman's home page link:
http://www.cgi101.com/~lkw/

(A creator of Classic Traveller & the genius behind GURPS Traveller )

CT Striker Yahoo E-group link:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ct-striker/
(One of the best discussion groups for Striker III)

Classic Traveller Yahoo E-group link:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Classic-Traveller/
(One of my favorite discussion groups for Traveller)

6SFWG (6mm Science Fiction War Games) Yahoo E-group link:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mmScienceFictionWarGames/
(Striker III and anything & everything related to 6mm sci-fi can be found here)

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

GAMING NEWS: "October MWS Meeting AAR" (5 December 2007)

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TOP: Wargaming is it SHOULD be...
Good friends having a good time together.

Hi All,

October's MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento - usually just called MWS) meeting was a good one: great attendance (16 guests! + more visitors!), several games, and, best of all...

Lots of good company, royal socializing, and outstanding camaraderie!

And the attendance was:
- Chris
- George G.
- Hal
- Joe B.
- Joe R.
- Keith E.
- The Keith (Keith S.)
- Maksim-Smelchak (me!)

TOP: Watch out for the Gorn!
Ornery Space Dinos that they are!

- Mark C.
- Mike O'Brien
- Mikos
- Richard M.
- Terry
- Vynnie
- Mystery Guest #1
- Mystery guest #2
- Lots of passersby who came in to see the action!

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TOP: "Spiney Norman" is everyone's favorite, evil SUPER-MUTANT!
Some speculate that he was once just an angry, little prairie dog...
...before the Fall.

1. “Junkworld Episode III – Glittering Treasure in Norman’s Backyard”
HOST: Mark Carper
RULE SET: Savage Worlds (Customized by an “Act of Mark”)
GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-fi
SCALE: 28mm

PLAYERS:
- Joe B. as: “Grizzly Pete Gang”
- Joe R. as: “The Zombie Master”
- Keith E. as: “Spiney Norman”
- Maksim-Smelchak as: “Sven Glikker & The Sai Wing Gang”
- Mark C. as: “Gamemaster One”
- Mike O'Brien as: “The Unhygienic Ratmen”
- Richard M. as: “Plughead Murphy’s Gang”

SYNOPSIS:
- Rumors that great treasure have been spotted in the zombie-contaminated zone are reported as an adventurer stumble into the bar, tells his tale, and conveniently dies. Half a dozen gangs or so gather their members, bundle into transport, and set out for “The Zone,” a contaminated area jokingly called “The Zombie Preserve (TZP).” TZP is an awful place with high rad counts, leftover bio-contaminants, preserved old Twinkie stashes, wandering gangs of mutated rat men, the “Moby Dick” of mutants, a giant intelligent mutated MONSTER known only as “Spiney Norman,” …and, most importantly, vast amounts of TREASURE! (Or so they say…)

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/28mm-Junktown-Ep-3_10-20-07-/

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TOP: Noone likes those "Goodie Two-Shoes" in the Federation!

2. “Pirates of the Asteroid-al Penzance”
HOST: Vynnie of RIF
RULE SET: Federation Commander
GENRE: Star Fleet Battles (Star Trek spin-off)
SCALE: Starship Scale

PLAYERS:
- Chris as: “The Pirates”
- George G. as: “The Freighter & Escort”
- Mikos as: “The Gorn – Pirates?”
- Vynnie as: “The Gamemaster”

SYNOPSIS:
- Starbase 4571-Q #3a reports strange pirate activity. As the Federation sends a transport to re-supply the base, a fantastic space-bourne melee breaks out that is still leaving Intelligence men wondering what happened.

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/Starship-Fed-Cmdr_10-20-07-/

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TOP: It was a WWII "Motor-rama" in the Des(s)ert!

3. “Sour Kraut – Bitter Limey Des(s)ert!”
HOST: Keith The Man
RULE SET: Blitzkrieg Commander
GENRE: WWII – North Africa
SCALE: 20mm (HO RR scale)

PLAYERS:
- Hal as: “The Sour Germans”
- The Keith as: “The Sour Brits”

SYNOPSIS:
- North African WWII Brits & Germans meet in the desert near El Alamein for a rumble in an evaluation of the Blitzkrieg Commander (BC) rule set. BC evaluated well!

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/20mm-WWII-Africa_10-20-07-/

========

Some more photos of the session can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/

Have a great Wednesday!

And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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.

NOVELS: "Starship Troopers In Passing" (16 November 2007)

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Top: Starship Troopers (SST), the novel.

Hi All,

I just finished reading Starship Troopers (SST), the novel and what a great book it is. SST was a groundbreaking novel in its time and is arguably the first book to describe many sci-fi memes including power armor and insectile aliens. But beyond the entertaining science fiction story is much of what really earned Robert A. Heinlein his name: a very intriguing discussion of current social conditions and how future societies may deal with them, which is at the heart of sci-fi as literature. It's where Isaac Asimov made much of his name as well. Reading SST, the novel, really can inspire one to consider current questions of nationality, citizenship, civic virtue, education, military organization, and many others. And SST certainly wasn't the first novel in which Heinlein examined American society... many of his other novels question education, social values, and many other cornerstones of societies around the world. In fact, much of the writing reminds me of the philosophical writings of Edmund Burke.

Here are some ideas that SST examines through the guise of science fiction:
- The basis on which a successful State establishes citizenship.
- What is civic virtue and how should it be instilled in succeeding generations.
- How should successful military leadership function.
- What the ratio between teeth (the fighting edge of an army) to tail (logistics) in a successful military should ideally be.
- How to inspire the fighting man.
- One way how to solve the natural rivalries that often exist between different branches of a military.

It's amazing just how much SST, the novel, has inspired in the way of pop culture...

Link to the Wiki article for the book here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_troopers

Link for Edmund Burke here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke

TOP: The first SST film was relatively well received.

TOP: The second SST film was widely panned.

SST has spawned two films and a third is coming out. I recommend enjoying the first for entertainment value although with the knowledge that the underpinnings of the novel and film are like night and day. The film is more about fascism and a negative critique of existing democracies at heart with the central message of destroying them while the novel was much more about a critique of Western-style democracy with an idea of reclaiming what is good about democracies. The second film was universally panned and very few have had anything good to say about it. I found it rather mediocre although I enjoyed it with the caveat that I'm a dedicated sci-fi fan.

Wiki link to the first SST film here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_%28film%29

Wiki link to the second SST film here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_2:_Hero_of_the_Federation

TOP: This SST cartoon series later inspired a miniatures game.

The first SST film inspired the above Roughnecks animated series, which did fairly well and went on to later inspire a miniatures game. The animated series was definitely made with a younger audience in mind and avoids blood, gore, and death, which more or less emasculates the novel. While the computer animation is stunning, don't expect much from the storyline. And if you decide you want to buy a copy of the series, go for the multi-DVD compilation set rather than trying to collect each plot arc individually.

Wiki link to the animated Roughnecks adaptation of SST here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughnecks:_Starship_Troopers_Chronicles

TOP: The original 1976 SST wargame was and is quite popular.

TOP: The 2005 Mongoose Publishing SST game never picked up in my area.

The classic Avalon Hills 1976 SST game is a classic and still fun to play. It can be picked up relatively cheaply on the secondary market although I've seeen it fetch relatively high prices on the secondary market. The newer 2005 28mm SST minis game from Mongoose Publishing never really picked up in my area and the latest 2007 SST Evolution game hasn't either. I've played both games and had a small part in playtesting the Evolution rule set and I like them, but I prefer sci-fi skirmish gaming above the company / small squad level so apart from enjoying the odd game at gaming conventions, I haven't extensively played the game. There's a relatively small group in the Bay Area that plays it, but I almost never see it local to Sacto anymore. And if you prefer the novel to the film, you're better off with the classic 1976 SST game from Avalon Hills, which IS based on the novel, rather the Mongoose game, which is based on the animated series.

Link to the SST minis game here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers:_The_Miniatures_Game

BGG link to the 2005 SST minis game here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15435

BGG link to the classic 1976 SST board game here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/670

I certainly haven't done more than touch upon the many pop culture forms that SST has taken... It's also appeared as a graphic novel, in several Japanese anime series, and elsewhere, but I endeavored in this post to cover a rough selection of what's out there that may be on interest from a gamer's perspective.

Keep on gaming!

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: "DCP Is Almost Back!" (Lucky 13 November 2007)

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TOP: DCP's new Desert Mat System...

...pictured with 28mm Starship Troopers minis from Mongoose Publishing.

Hi All,

If you're a long-time OGRE player (...a classic 6mm sci-fi game with a cult following originally designed by THE Steve Jackson) then the name Daryl C. Phillips probably rings a bell... and if not, DCP or Detail Casting Products almost invariably does. DCP cast the resin terrain that was incredibly popular when OGRE Miniatures came out in the 1990s. And now Darryl is gearing up to return to the miniatures gaming zone such as his new Desert Mat System prototype pictured throughout this post which will hopefully soon come into production...

TOP: The Desert Mat System is compact for storage and travel.

This was the DCP line for SJG's OGRE:

DCP created resin structures for Ogre in 1992 and 1993. It was a one-man company; modeling, moldmaking, casting, and everything else was done by the incredible Darell Phillips. It eventually became more work than he could handle. The masters and molds now belong to SJ Games, and someday this line may be available again.

Command Post (Paneuropean) (DCP-151).
- Top: Design by Winchell Chung as interpreted by Darell Phillips; sculpting by Darell Phillips.
Hardened Command Post (Paneuropean) (DCP-152).
- Top: Design by Winchell Chung as interpreted by Darell Phillips; sculpting by Darell Phillips.
Jamscreen (Paneuropean) (DCP-153).
- Top: Design and sculpting by Darell Phillips.
Satellite Dish (Paneuropean) (DCP-154).
- Top: Design and sculpting by Darell Phillips. Uses the same base as the jamscreen, but the dish is round and the jamscreen is basically square.
Laser Turret (Paneuropean) (DCP-155).
- Top: Design by Steve Jackson, sculpting by Darell Phillips.
Laser Tower (Paneuropean) (DCP-156).
- Top: Design by Steve Jackson, sculpting by Darell Phillips.
Crater Pack (DCP-157).
- Top: Design and sculpting by Darell Phillips. Two large and eight small craters.
Small Bridge (DCP-158).
- Top: Design and sculpting by Darell Phillips.
Highway Bridge (DCP-159).
- Top: The same length as the small bridge, but double the width - wide enough for an Ogre. Design and sculpting by Darell Phillips.

And here's Darryl's bio:

I have been in the hobby of miniatures gaming for about 30 years...

...and crossed over into the "supply-side" of the hobby as one of the early sculptors of masters for Star Fleet Battles miniatures. For fans of that game, I made up the Klingon D5, the Neo-Tholians, some of the Andromedans (Conquistador & Python) and Romulans (Skyhawk & Seahawk), Fed Starbase and a few others.

I created Detailed Casting Products in 1987 and offered terrain accessories and 1/285 structures compatible with the Geo-Hex terrain system. I made several 25mm structures, both for fantasy as well as sci-fi gaming.

I worked with the old FASA gang a few years later casting up detailed "posing models" of 1/48 Omnimechs, mastered by Sam Lewis. Just for reference, these were not related to the later 1/72 scale Armorcast models, but were intended for photography and promotion of FASA's products. The Battletech Compendium is a prime example, as using computer generated art was too crude then (my, how time flies!).

I also worked with Steve Jackson Games on his retooling of the classic games of Ogre and GEV by me offering a line of licensed structures for Ogre. In Steve's award-winning "Ogre Miniatures" rulebook (a real gem), I was given credit within the glorious full-color pages and for making up a special "traditional" hex board in 3D relief. Steve used two of these maps to play his famous "Exercise K" scenario on that he demoed around the globe.

TOP: A bird's eye view of some mesas on the Desert Mat System.

Suffering a bit of "burn-out" wearing the sculptor hat, production hat, and business hat, I backed out of the industry as a manufacturer and placed the company in "carbon-freeze" as it were.

I've recently decided to broach back into the supply-side of the hobby, pacing myself slowly on a gradual comeback. Stay tuned for more of my "attempts at creativity". 8^)

And the good news is that Darryl is back... or almost so. He's been primarily working with 28mm scenery for the moment, but hopes to branch out to other sorts of goodies soon. Right now, one of his big projects is a Desert Mat System that is scale-less although Darryl has the prototypes pictured with 28mm Starship Troopers miniatures from Mongoose Publishing. Photos of this Desert Mat System are posted throughout this blog entry and Darryl also shared them over at TMP.

TOP: Another view of some mesas on the Desert Mat System.

TOP: Yet another view of some mesas on the Desert Mat System.

And now a few links:

The DCP commercial web site for now:
http://www.detailedcastingproducts.com/

The TMP post where Darryl first shared more about his new Desert Mat System prototypes:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=124572

And a Photobucket album where Darryl keeps many photos from his work among others:
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c385/SSTforumpics/

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

COOL STUFF: "The Ko-Dan Armada — For Real!" (6 November 2007)

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TOP: The Last Starfighter movie poster from 1984!

Hi All,

Way back in 1984, one of my favorite sci-fi movies ever debutted, The Last Starfighter, a fun little romp of a film that helped to pioneer the use of CG (computer generated) special effects. One of most entertaining details of the movie back in the 1980s was the use of a video arcade game unit in the film as a recruiting tool to find star pilots for a fantastic galactic force of Gunstar starfighters to defend the universe against bad guys everywhere. The idea was that if you could beat the video game, you'd make a good starfighter pilot since you'd have the right eye-hand coordination, reflexes, and all that. It worked in the movie at any rate and after the film came out, young people everywhere scanned video game arcades everywhere for Last Starfighter units hoping to enlist in the galactic force, but... a video game of the movie was never made... until now!

Check out this excerpt from a cool Galactica Watercooler post:

As we discussed at length in DTA Podcast #1, we all ran out of the theater after seeing The Last Starfighter hoping to find a Starfighter game in the arcade — so we could blow our little hometowns home planet forever. Well, now you can have a Starfighter game of your very own — but you’ll have to build it yourself.

Here’s the skinny: the great folks at Rogue Synapse — a resource for movie-aficionados and game cabinet builders — have not only researched the details of the game cabinet from the movie, they’ve also developed a working version of the Starfighter game. This is the game that should’ve hit arcades right after the movie but never did. And it’s a free download!

Post continued at the Galactica Watercooler...

Galactica Watercooler entry for the new Last Starfighter video game:
http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/2007/10/31/fight-the-ko-dan-armada-for-reals/

So, alright already, let's go out and blow up the Ko-Dan Armada!

TOP: A REAL The Last Starfighter video game unit.

And if you've never seen the film, go out and rent it soon. It's a family-friendly film and just good, clean fun. I'm including two links about the film below if you'd like to learn more about it.

IMDb (International Movie Data Base) entry for the The Last Starfighter:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087597/

Wikipedia entry for the The Last Starfighter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Starfighter

TOP: The awesome CG Gunstar space fighter from The Last Starfighter.

And if you ever wanted to get a miniatures model version of the Gunstar, this is the place:
http://www.minimodelmadness.com/store/

Mini Model Madness has all sorts of fun resin replicas of movie vehicles. I've seen games use MMM models before for miniatures wargaming... They're a bit pricey but they paint up nicely.

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: "10mm Sci-fi Mini Pics From BSG!"

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TOP: The awesome Black Skull Games demo table from Gen Con 2007!

Blue human Terror Troopers appear to be staging a raid...

Against a Martian complex from a tunneler!

Hi All,

As a 10mm sci-fi miniatures game fan, I'm always interested in the appearance of new product lines and the new sci-fi game "Universal War" from Black Skull Games (BSG) certainly caught my interest. Like many others, I quickly checked out the BSG web site and was disappointed to find no actual photographs of the minis. The only photos I found were taken of the booth from a distance, hardly close enough to get a good look at a 10mm sci-fi mini. I was disappointed, but more to the point, curious as to what the little beasties actually looked like.

So, I thought I'd check out the customer service of BSG and shot them off a few E-mails asking questions about the game and requesting some photographs. And, sure as serendipity, BSG responded within a day or so and was kind enough to give me permission to post the photographs they shared... much more impressive! And the minis are good, clean sculpts too!

So, enough of my blathering and out with the photos:

TOP: Martian Invaders are green & the human defenders are blue.

TOP: Martian Invader Miniatures (left) & a Mutant Giant (right).

The scale is good for 10mm... few SCALE PURISTS could complain.

TOP: Martian Invaders are the elite shock troops of the militant Martian race and...

They stand at the forefront of all planetary invasions.

The Martian Invaders stand half a foot taller than the average human and...

Are superior to them in strength and agility.

They adorn themselves in advanced Techno-Armor and...

Carry powerful energy rifles.

TOP: Left - Human Terror Trooper Defender.

Center - Martian Mutant Giant.

Right - Martian Invader Trooper.

You can check out the Black Skull Games web site here:

http://www.blackskullgames.com/

Here's the game teaser that BSG has up at their web site about their new game "Universal War":

Universal War

"The Universe is locked in eternal war. Amidst the uncounted galaxies of space, a million races struggle to survive a conflict that has raged since the dawn of creation. The young race of man, recently ascended from the primordial ooze of Earth, is just the latest to learn of his impeding doom.”

Have you ever watched a science fiction movie thick with dramatic battle scenes and wished that you could step in and control the action? Wished you could command your own termination machines, armored storm troopers, or slime-covered aliens. If so, then behold, for the means to do so is here before you now, within the pages of this book.

Welcome to Universal War, a 10MM-1/180th scale, mass-combat, science fiction, miniatures war game. It allows players to lead fantastical armies amidst the unlimited planetary war zones of the far future and compete with one another for supreme control over all the fictional worlds ever made popular by novels, comic books, toys, television, and the cinema. Universal War allows its players to build and battle any army they can dream up. There are no limitations and no forbidden ideas, so summon your chosen legions and let the battles begin.

The game looks promising, a sort of minimalist GURPS-like universal miniatures rules system. The game appears to be played on a standard one-inch square grid, which should greatly simplify game movement. When I get a chance to do an in-depth review of the rules, I'll be sure to share it here.

If you're interested in 10mm sci-fi, please check out this excellent discussion group:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/10mm_SFWG/

Have a great Sunday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: "Spaceman Spiff & 10mm Sci-fi Resources!" (12 October 2007)

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TOP: Spaceman Spiff's beautiful 10mm MWDA Marauder mod.

Hi All,

If you know me and are a miniatures gamer, you probably associate my name with the 6mm scale... it's the one I go most crazy over... don't ask my why! I just like little pieces. However, I've never limited myself to just 6mm and about a year or two ago I decided that my hobby project for the year would be to build a Star Wars Battle of Hoth army set... I had wanted to do it in 6mm, but I simply couldn't find the pieces I needed on I kept on searching. And eventually I found all of the pieces I needed ...only in 10mm scale! And that's what got me into 10mm sci-fi!
If you'd like to see some photos of my 10mm Star Wars Battle of Hoth army set, you can find some of them here:
http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/search/label/10mm%20Sci-fi

And 10mm sci-fi is a very up and coming scale. While 10mm is the stated scale, everything from 8mm to 12mm including 1/144 and N scale RR trains are often included as acceptable variations within the greater "scale creep" realm of 10mm.

And one of my favorite sources of inspiration for 10mm is a gamer named Spaceman Spiff who is not only incredibly productive, constantly posting new photos of his minis, but he's also incredibly creative - modifying model kits, scratch-building pieces, and coming up with some breathtaking models. This post is a salute to him, more or less! Huzzah, Spaceman Spiff!

TOP: A Battletech Slayer aerospace fighter by Spaceman Spiff!

Please check out all of Spaceman Spiff's images here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/4370spaceman-spiff/?mediafilter=all

Spaceman Spiff also keeps many images here at Lords Of the Battlefield (LOTB):
http://www.lordsofthebattlefield.com/news/weblog.php

TOP: Spaceman Spiff's scratch-built parts for a 10mm Urbanmech!

TOP: The Urbanmech begins to come together!

I wouldn't be writing a Maksim-Smelchak post if I didn't share a few links either so here are a few of my favorite links that I think of when 10mm sci-fi comes to mind. The first link I wanted to share was one to the Yahoo E-group I created to support 10mm sci-fi gaming and the second is for one of my favorite sci-fi games.

Alien Squadleader (ASQL) is a wonderful sci-fi game, with similarities to DBA, DBM, HOTT, Command Horizon and other games with more streamlined, fast-moving rule sets. The author, Alex Self, is a real mensch and runs his own Yahoo E-group for the game, where the on-line community is very helpful and Alex often personally helps out ASQL newbies ...like myself! While Alex and most of the gamers use 15mm sci-fi themed figures, I've chosen to use 10mm sci-fi figures, partially because another local gamer, Aron Clark, already has several armies made of recycled MWDA figures that are already 10mm scale. Add those to my Hoth set and throw in some of the other armies I have on the project queue and I'm set as a 10mm sci-fi ASQL player! Huzzah! There are also a couple of other local players building ASQL armies plus an established league in San Jose so I might actually get a few games out of this project!

And one the best resources for an interested 10mm sci-fi player is the 10mm Sci-fi Yahoo E-group I put together... it's a growing resource:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/10mm_SFWG/

And one of my favorite sci-fi games is Alien Squadleader (ASQL):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aliensquadleader/

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

FILMS: "Armageddon"... Not Quite Bust'in Up The Planet...

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TOP: Armageddon, saving the world...

...from spiky steaming turd-shaped asteroids.

Hi All,

I tend to not be the most avid movie-goer... and I finally caught up to Armageddon, a 1998 "oldie & moldie" starring Bruce Willis and unfortunately featuring Ben "Wuss-boy" Affleck. The basic premise of the movie is that a giant asteroid is discovered hurdling towards the Earth on a collision path that will bring about an apocalyptic "planet killer" event like many scientists theorize ended the reign of the dinosaurs. And, of course, the only person who can save us is a burly oil driller played by Bruce Willis and his team of fellow "roughneck" drillers including the ever-annoying Ben Affleck. Billy Bob Thornton, puts in a good performance as a NASA administrator... and Liv Tyler acts pouty and annoying... as well as hot as is her prime talent.

TOP: The asteroid is spikey and Hollywood-set-looking...

The "Roughnecks" are played by a host of Hollywood "2nd stringers" including quite a few of them who have made their way into "leading man" roles almost a decade later. Among the better-known "Roughnecks":

Steve Buscemi: How this bug-eyed guy makes it in Hollywood is almost beyond me until I remembered that he has an excellent sense of comedic timing... and he doesn't fail in this flick with his comedic talents. Despite specializing in playing sleezeballs, he's likable and ends up both surviving the mission and being rewarded Hollywood-style with a trophy wife who just happens to be a stripper named "Molly Mounds." Only in Hollywood...

Michael Clark Duncan: This guy has become best-known for his role as the giant possessed black guy from Steven King's "The Green Mile." Despite being such a freakishly large man, he's likable as well.

William Fichtner: Will Fichtner has gone through a string of great roles including "Blackhawk Down" and the television series "Invasion." He plays a steely-faced Air Force colonel... pretty much his archetypal character. He will be playing a supporting role in the upcoming movie adaptation of the classic graphic novel "The Dark Knight."

Will Patton: Will Patton has gone onto to many "leading man" roles including as the coach in the very likable 2000 flick "Remember The Titans." His "down-South" accent give him a certain charisma...

Peter Stormare: Best-known for playing a crazy murderous nut in "Fargo," Peter Stormare plays a really stereotypical Russian cosmonaut in Armageddon. I can't blame him since the director undoubtedly wanted him to play such a lousy two-dimensional character. If the Soviet Union had really wanted to win the Cold War bad enough, they should have come up with a "Communist Hollywood" so they could make NASA look bad... although the whole "American cowboy" stereotype has persisted well enough...

Owen Wilson: Owen Wilson as just a pup back in 1998 and it shows because they knock off his character early in the film. He went on to make a number of bad comedies including several with Jackie Chan.

Here's an IMDB (International Movie Data Base) link to the film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120591/

TOP: The "Roughnecks," men we should be...

...thankful that NASA has never put in space.

And the central plot device of a planet-destroying asteroid is a common-enough one... very popular in sci-fi novels. I've easily read a half a dozen or so novels with this theme including:

"The Forge of God" by Greg Bear:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forge_of_God

"The Hammer of God" by Arthur C. Clarke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hammer_of_God

"Rendezvous With Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_Rama

"Footfall" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footfall

"Lucifer's Hammer" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer%27s_Hammer

And lastly, here's a link to everything you could ever want to know about asteroids in science fiction, courtesy of Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids_in_fiction#Collisions_with_Earth

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

FILMS: Robotech To Come To The Big Screen?

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TOP: A video with the Robotech animated series intro.

Hi All,

Last week, I was out of town at training and read about a forthcoming Robotech movie from several sources: TMP, Marc Vezina's blog, Yahoo News, among other sources. I didn't have the time to Blog about it then, but I do now. Being that I'm a major Robotech / Macross fan, I'm excited about the possibility of a Robotech movie... even if Hollywood does it. Here's an excerpt from the Yahoo News article:

TOP: Robotech, THE serial sci-fi cartoon of the 1980s!

...After a lengthy negotiation, Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up feature rights to "Robotech," a 1980s Japanese cartoon series with giant robots known as mechas. Maguire is eyeing the lead role, and will serve as a producer.

"We are very excited to bring 'Robotech' to the big screen," Maguire said. "There is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film."

A sprawling sci-fi epic, "Robotech" takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion concerns a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

The $686 million worldwide box office success of "Transformers" has inspired other studios to assemble giant robot movies. Last month, Fox-based Regency picked up 1980s Japanese anime series "Voltron."

- Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

In a few word, Robotech has been a major cultural icon... it could be argued that the animated series Robotech and the feature film Akira almost singlehandedly established Japanese animation or anime in the American consciousness. I know that as a younger person, my friends and I religiously watched Robotech... sometimes several times a day if we could. And it wasn't just young people who enjoyed it, I remember a number of adults, some of them "very mature" (...meaning old!) adults who enjoyed the series right alongside us.

Robotech ran in three major series representing different chronological periods in the Robotech universe:

1. Macross
(Humans first encounter aliens and alien technology culminating in an epic final battle.)
2. Southern Cross
(The human survivors of the final battle reorganize and continue the battle in a war-torn Earth.)
3. Mospedia
(In an apocalyptic war-torn Earth, the survivors of the conflict discover new truths about the aliens and, of course, save the PLANET!)

It was tough to say which one was the best because we liked them all. What I can definitively say is that all three Robotech series were tremendously popular and inspired many animated offshoots and games. The incredibly popular Battledroids game, which later morphed into Battletech became a fond part of my gaming experience in the 1980s and is still doing well today... even after Battletech's parent company, FASA, went out of business. I was a major Battletech junkie and even played in a Palladium Robotech RPG campaign that lasted nearly a year....

Now, about the upcoming movie, I'm excited but also apprehensive. Hollywood can screw up any good story if you give them a chance and I see Robotech as no less vulnerable a license. I sure hope they don't try to cram all three story lines into one film. Tobey Maguire as a director, actor or producer hasn't been very inspiring in my opinion, but as one TMP poster mentioned, Rick Hunter (the Robotech lead character), has always been a "tool" so it's hard to imagine that Maguire couldn't play a "tool" well. Maguire did a fine job of "wussify-ing" Spiderman. The "Transformers" movie wasn't bad... I enjoyed quite a bit of it. I'm not sure about "Voltron," but I hope they don't decide to try to bring the "Thundercats" to the big screen. I could deal with "Star Blazers" though and we already know that "Speed Racer" is impending... Now, if only they could resurrect some of the old "big hair" bands without denaturing them...

TOP: The third Robotech series, Mospedia, was a fan favorite.

Here are a few helpful links as is my wont:

Yahoo News article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070907/people_nm/maguire_dc;_ylt=ApX8Kzac9.mef8gvMhJUh6txFb8C

Marc Vezina's awesome mecha and gaming blog:

http://www.vectorsphere.com/weblog/archives/005573.html

A Wikipedia article about EVERYTHING Robotech:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech

And lastly, I have to show this awesome costume, which a Flickr photo album user, Varjohaltia, kindly let me share here on the 'ol blog. It's an actual Robotech Cyclone armor costume worn at DragonCon 2007. Every geek should be jealous of that piece of art!

TOP: Robotech Cyclone battle armor in motorcycle mode...

...from the animated series.

TOP: A truly superb Robotech Cyclone battle armor costume...

...in mecha mode and in REALITY!

Here's a link to the rest of Varjohaltia's awesome DragonCon 2007 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/varjohaltia/1332318469/

And most of the Robotech animated series is now available on DVD for those who are interested. I'm planning to eventually acquire a copy... And I loved the Robotech: Battlecry video game on my nephew's video game console. Go Robotech!

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

NOVELS: "A Wrinkle In Time" Moves On...

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TOP: Madeleine L'Engle, may you rest in peace.

Hi All,

I just read some sad news in the NY Times:

Madeleine L’Engle, an author whose childhood fables, religious meditations and fanciful science fiction transcended both genre and generation, most memorably in her children’s classic “A Wrinkle in Time,” died on Thursday in Litchfield, Conn. She was 88.

Her death was announced yesterday by her publisher, Farrar, Straus & Giroux. A spokeswoman said Ms. L’Engle (pronounced LENG-el) had died of natural causes at a nursing home, which she entered three years ago. Before then the author had maintained homes in Manhattan and Goshen, Conn.

“A Wrinkle in Time” was rejected by 26 publishers before editors at Farrar, Straus & Giroux read it and enthusiastically accepted it. It proved to be her masterpiece, winning the John Newbery Medal as the best children’s book of 1963 and selling, so far, eight million copies. It is now in its 69th printing.

In the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Marygail G. Parker notes “a peculiar splendor” in Ms. L’Engle’s oeuvre, and some of that splendor is owed to sheer literary range. Her works included poetry, plays, autobiography and books on prayer, and almost all were deeply, quixotically personal.

But it was in her vivid children’s characters that readers most clearly glimpsed her passionate search for answers to the questions that mattered most. She sometimes spoke of her writing as if she were taking dictation from her subconscious.

“Of course I’m Meg,” Ms. L’Engle said about the beloved protagonist of “A Wrinkle in Time.”

The St. James Guide to Children’s Writers called Ms. L’Engle “one of the truly important writers of juvenile fiction in recent decades.” Such accolades did not come from pulling punches. “Wrinkle” has been one of the most banned books in the United States, accused by religious conservatives of offering an inaccurate portrayal of God and nurturing in the young an unholy belief in myth and fantasy.

Ms. L’Engle, who often wrote about her Christian faith, was taken aback by the attacks. “It seems people are willing to damn the book without reading it,” Ms. L’Engle said in an interview with The New York Times in 2001. “Nonsense about witchcraft and fantasy. First I felt horror, then anger, and finally I said, ‘Ah, the hell with it.’ It’s great publicity, really.”

TOP: One of the many covers of “A Wrinkle in Time.”

The book begins, “It was a dark and stormy night,” repeating the line of a 19th-century novelist, Edward George Bulwer-Lytton. “Wrinkle” then takes off. Meg Murray, with help from her psychic baby brother, uses time travel and extrasensory perception to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from a planet controlled by the Dark Thing. She does so through the power of love.

The book uses concepts that Ms. L’Engle said she had plucked from Einstein’s theory of relativity and Planck’s quantum theory, almost flaunting her frequent assertion that children’s literature is literature too difficult for adults to understand.

“Wrinkle” is part of Ms. L’Engle’s Time series of children’s books, which includes “A Wind in the Door,” “A Swiftly Tilting Planet,” “Many Waters” and “An Acceptable Time.” The series combines elements of science fiction with insights into love and moral purpose.

...(article continued at link below).

Madeleine L'Engle has been one of my favorite writers for years... one of the children's literature writers who really sparked my imagination as a child and helped me make a choice that I still stand by to this day: I'd rather read than watch television. I strongly feel that that decision forced me to read more, use the dictionary, ask questions and otherwise ethically and intellectually develop as a human being in ways that I wouldn't have if the television had monopolized my free time as a child.

TOP: One of the earliest covers of “A Wrinkle in Time.”

As a former elementary school teacher, I loved Madeleine L'Engle's books... they're all very strange and don't keep to the mold that children's literature often comes in: plain, predictable, packaged, with simple "politically correct" moral lessons that don't promote really introspective thought. Too many children's novels these days come in a packaged "pap" form, much like most television programming, that promote the ideas of conformity and cultural relativism rather than what the NY Times wrote as thus:

The series combines elements of science fiction with insights into love and moral purpose.

And it's books that make concrete statements about values that really promote intellectual growth in my opinion, whether they question our existing beliefs or reinforce them. Books that teach conformity and the supposition that all ideas are equal do a great disservice to their reader. Some ideas are superior to others and some values are universal... or should be (Ideas like respect for life...). And part of being an well-developed human being is being able to identify one's own values and to be able to then make choices based upon those values regardless of the consequences of those choices... in other words, "to do the right thing."

OK. Rant mode off.

TOP: Another of the many covers of “A Wrinkle in Time.”

Here are a few links about Mrs. L'Engle and her works:

A Wiki entry about her best-known work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wrinkle_in_Time

The Wiki biography entry on Mrs. L'Engle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_L%E2%80%99Engle

The NY Times obituary for her:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/arts/08lengle.html

TOP: Even another of the many covers of “A Wrinkle in Time.”

I can't recommend Madeleine L'Engle's books enough... If you haven't read any of her writing, go out to your local library and check out a copy of a L'Engle... I don't think that you'll be disappointed.

Have a great Sunday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).