[Darkest Star Games]

Speaking of accents (and hopefully not hijacking the thread) I was recently told by a linguist that the English had the same accent as Americans until a divergence in the late early 1700’s when people in England began to effect the proto-current English accent.  Who knew!

And congrats on the interview, I’ll give it a listen.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

the Goat took a shot, but she isn’t down for the count!  A Super Goat (Chupacabra? Boer goat?  Billy Goat?) sounds like an excellent idea, especially since they have no encountered the Greenies and the tech-heads back home can analyze the damages.

I just hope the crew hasn’t developed a taste for canines.  “Lock up your puppers, Panky and Co are in town!”

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Ah, I see.  Sort of an odd adaptation to sci-fi, but goats for floats I guess!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Great write up!  I had never heard how this game actually plays, and the different armies sounds like a pretty good boon.  How would you compare it to other unit-on-bases games you’ve played?  (Like maybe Patrol Angis, 40k, etc)

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Sane Max wrote:

Edit, and I know this may make a few people’s hair stand on end… but Gor had great promise, until the author allowed the fact he was monumental pervert and mad as a hatter to sadly spoil it.

Somehow I missed that whole setting.

For me my first attempt at fantasy battles occurred using the old D&D Chainmail battlegame and was set the Greyhawk world.  Not my fav, but my first RPG world I played in (well, second if you count the generic redbox D&D) before moving to mostly sci-fi.

There is a lot I like about the Harn setting, but it can also be quite restrictive and is very low-fantasy.

But one that I really enjoyed when I was younger but can no longer find any info on is Lavondyss, and RPG based in the “other world” from the Mythago Wodd cycle.  No idea where my buddy got it, but it was very much like playing in a dark ages fantasy setting, but with more moviesque/epic/dark feeling.  I was all very mysterious and edge of your pants survival.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Mr. Average wrote:

Basically I did what looked cool

Heck ya you did.  I really do like them.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Geof Downton wrote:

so I’m thinking about a 28mm scale Liberator flight deck…

  I’d like to see that, get working!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Loving the mixture of action and mundane, makes it feel very much alive.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Void Scar Barn wrote:

In fact, I love the Darkest Star civilian vehicles, I’ve order some before and mate great ‘bedfellows’ with the Anvil. I’ve actually been using them to litter a cityscape urban environment. I’ll try to get some pics at some point.

  That’s great, thanks!  I would loooove to see them in-situ!  We should have some new cars (more grav like) coming out in the next month or so, so more options!

 

Void Scar Barn wrote:

There we have it! An exploration of the tank’s capabilities in the battlefields to come.

  It IS a beast!  Looking forwards to seeing more.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

I still haven’t been able to watch this series (hopefully some day soon) but those figs look great!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

That’s the problem with Shapeways, you never know who is going to grow your prints, nor how well they will print them, can be real hit-and-miss.

Those are lovely little ships T.

 

So John, any progress with finding your minis of choice?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Looking good!  Each base equals a unit?  Or part of a unit?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Really enjoyed reading that (and the humorous photo tags!).  COmmented on your blog, but found and FAQ at https://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/faq.html , might help when things get murky.

Now, play more!  Post more!  Liking this a lot!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Yay!  Glad you’ve gotten back to it, can’t wait to read them!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Oh yes Fredd, tanks are mentioned quite frequently, though not in relation to any of those other things…

Thank you for the info Frank.  Best has been figured out so far is that there was a Chinese company buying up the Chinese domain names for every game maker (miniature, RPG, video and mobile) and then holding them hostage for big buy outs (easy to ignore as I get at least an email a week from some foreign locale or another that warn me that my website domain for that country is not secured/for sale/undeveloped/etc.).  Those that weren’t ransomed off got used in some sort of mass email and marketing spamming for various unsavory sexual or “helpful immigration” concerns.  This led to basically a form letter ban-hammer being created and sent out to all businesses that seemed to be sort of involved and all of those domains being shut down.  Legitimate businesses or ones whose IP was hijacked can appeal and be reinstated (basically “I am not a bot” sort of thing), but there’s no point for me as I do not do any business in China.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

I would think you’d want a mix of the wealthy, the “middle class”, and the street urchins. The lower the status the simpler the clothing.  But then you also have to ask if Simurgh is a crossroads where people from different cultures pass through (thus bringing their fashion sense with them) or if it’s more of a monocultural kind of place?

One place you can look for different fashions types would be the Star Wars movies, especially Ep.1 -4.  In those movies there are a lot of scenes on different planets, some of which are desertish, and much of the clothing of the more wealthy people seems to have a bit of fantasy edge to it (rather than “future-utilitarian”)

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

I love their Warrior With Round Shield, even at such a small scale the dude has a lot of character.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Deleted User wrote:

I think the mongoose ACTA was heavily based on Battlefleet Gothic

I believe that is incorrect.  There certainly was a B5 game that was based off of BFG, but ACTA was not it.

Dang it, now I’m going to have to dig out my box-o-misfit-games and give it a read.  I ain’t got no time fur dis!  

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

John Treadaway wrote:

I absolutely love the B5 ‘period’ but never found rules that tick all my boxes

  Ya, is a common issue.  I’ve seen Starmada conversions, FT, and even 1 loony attempt at someone trying to make Federation Commander/B5 work.  I liked to watch the Mongoose B5 game, but there was something about the compulsory movement that seemed off.  B5 is one of those universes where it’s tough to make it both not too gamey and not overly hard.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Yup, that’s the “problem” with LOS beam weapons: anything that comes over the horizon it’s dead meat.  (Real good reason why big stompy mechs are not feasible in a beam weapon society!)

This attack seemed a bit like taking on a Tiger with a sharp stick, and a short one at that!  But, at the same time, I totally get why this sort of surprise fast assault might be the only option when going after such a force defending the shuttles.  Anything else would have been detected and intercepted further out…

Anyhoo, are (or have) you going to paint that 2nd stealthy up?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Welcome Les!  Those are some fantastic renderings, really great work.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

I bought a TON of the smaller scale ships from AoG when they had their big “end of” sale many moons ago.  I believe they are what you’d call “fleet scale”. They are a heck of a lot less fiddly than their larger cousins, though some would say the detail is too hard to paint for those getting a little aged in the eyes.

Never did get to play a game, as by the time I had everything all painted up people had moved on to the next shiny thing.  Wouldn’t mind busting the old stuff out though, some lovely ship designs.  To me, the 40k Eldar ship designs always fell short compared to the grandeur of the Minbari.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Does look like quite the beast!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

They look a treat!  That cutting table looks to be really effective.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Great looking game.  You know I love a good helo-assault!  That was pretty tough on the attackers though, even with the “little” opposition they faced…

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Looks good!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Finished product is great!  What did you use for window glazing?  It appears to be slightly wavy…?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

That is frikkin’ brilliant!  I think it will really work for a dystopian cyberpunk setting.

To get it lit up you’d probably have to play almost in the dark.  Or use much thicker material.  Both probably…

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Indeed, if it’s going to be a big target, may as well make it one that can dish-out as well as receive!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Robert Foran wrote:

Where it falls short is that it only covers Tech Levels 7-15.

  Question: realistically, how often do you see yourself gaming out (Traveller) battles that would involve tech levels lower than 7?  Or really even 10?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

A few years back I made a game board for a buddy, 2’x2′, that was based off of an area in Satellite Reign, but with things spaced out enough to allow people to get their hands in there to move 15mm figures around.  It came out ok, not as finished as I would have liked due to me not having enough time nor the funding to really do it right.  Was thinking about giving it another crack, but then remembered those 2 urban table for Infinity by Scenery Planet  and thought that maybe lose buildings would be better than a static set, at least for personal gaming.  I guess I’ll have to get back to 15mm buildings, as teh 6mm ones I am working on won’t translate well (too big).  Thank you for the inspiration!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Tally ho and good show for the Brits!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Looks like there’s a whole movie too.  With I sprekened der lingo…

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Mike wrote:

Bought the ‘paper’ online. Just printed from my normal inkjet.

Booyah, there it is!  I had forgotten all about that.  That’d work a treat, and probably look just like the holotrees in SR.  People use that for the holographic adverts and stuff, and why did it totally slip my mind.. old age… dern kids get off my lawn….

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Jason Smith wrote:

Benches with ads or cement planters with holographic trees.

  Ooooo, that reminds me of the game Satellite Reign!  Great game, successor to good old Syndicate Wars.  How would you do that?  Transparent image on clear acetate?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

OldBen1 wrote:

I may be in the minority here but I don’t get the lift off roof thing.  You can never pack in the kind of detail you want and the miniatures always knock stuff over.

 

Mike wrote:

Same here. Plus the figure’s base kind of makes a mockery of the size of the interior.

I’m with y’all, but you’d be amazed at the number of customers who state “I would not buy any buildings from you if their roofs did not lift off”, which has kept me from producing any.  I’m starting to feel like there is rapidly approaching a point where I will just have to say “sorry you feel that way” and release what I want.

OldBen1 wrote:

Darkest Star games I really like your models, especially your cars!

  Thank you!  There is a new batch releasing as soon as I get the castings (which so far has taken 8 months…), including 2 “base” cars that can have several different front and rears attached to create more variation, as well as a new truck cab and a bus!

OldBen1 wrote:

a guy named Cherno made some really cool black and white terrain for it.

  I’ve seen it, quite cool!  Thought about trying it but then I’d have to repaint so much…

OldBen1 wrote:

It’s also got a dash of film noir as well.  It seems more investigative than combatitive.

At first I was annoyed that I would occasionally spend a lot of time setting up a table only to have that game only take 5-10 minutes, but then realized that is part of the beauty of The Department, it’s not all about the combat.

 

Really like the idea of using the interiors for storage, usually much easier to do with a building that is more stout than the ones I usually make out of foamcore and plasticard.

So what is next after the PD station?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Apparently my post was lost, so TDLR:

Loving this report on your campaign!
I’ve only played 2 Bulge games and neither gave the Germans any sort of chance, nice to see them able to make some progress.

I agree with personal views being good for the gamer, keeps the player from throwing away the lives of their little people needlessly.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

Very novel idea, I like it!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

OldBen1 wrote:

It seems like after Ghosts of Hefei there was no real follow-up.  Even online it seems like a lot of people bought the book but very few people played it.

  Ya, it was weird how everything just fizzled.  I recall hearing that like many KS the shipping was more than expected, so that cut into development funds.  I know it took a very long time for my package to be sent.  But also the KS didn’t fund as many unlocks as they had hoped so only a limited amount of gangs were made.  I think they just sort of gave up…

 

I think that scatter stuff will look great!  I’ve been meaning to do a whole bunch of street scenery and buildings, but this year has not been kind.  Plus, there is always much discussion on how people want them done: lift off roof, room on balconies for a squad stand of infantry, super customizable parts, etc.

How are you doing yours, Jason?  No lift off roofs?

Jason Smith wrote:

As soon as I can paint up some civilians, I’m definitely planning a Department campaign.

  I recently ran a game for some friends whom had never gamed before.  RPGs,yes, but not table top.  My cyberpunk/GiTS type games always have a lot of civies around (which is something that I think INFINITY is really lacking) but that means a heck of a lot of painting, even for THE DEPARTMENT, where they are on large bases.  So, to help alleviate them being overwhelmed I bought a bunch of 1/100 scale model railroad figures by Preiser, which come in white plastic.  If you leave them that way and only paint the “involved” figures then you create quite good contrast between the flock of seagulls and the real targets.  Later on I may paint them in muted tones, but the white works really well.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Darkest Star Games]

They look very good, sir.  And I love the falling skulls!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Author]

Posts