First Post
So this is my first post to the blog. Let's see........
This blog is about sci-fi wargaming and our experiences with the hobby. I have to admit that prior to this year the last time I played a tabletop wargame was somewhere in the early 1980's, roleplaying games taking over as my main hobby. Over the years I gradually stepped down from gamemastering to mostly playing in other peoples games and the frequency of games has decreased to once a fortnight (sometimes less). I've tried to run my own game on alternate weekends, but find that our player group is less committed to the game. So I've returned to wargaming, sci-fi wargaming to be more precise. For while both hobbies provide ample to do when players cannot get together, I think I would enjoy building, painting and organising forces for wargames more than, say designing an adventure that may never be run.
So, why sci-fi wargaming? Well, I've always loved sci-fi, even preferred sci-fi rpg's over the standard fantasy ones, (Traveller, 2300AD, Twilight 2000, Space Opera and Dark Conspiracy). Furthermore sci-fi, like fantasy allows for a lot of leeway in selecting and organising your forces. I had already read about Jon Tuffley's game universe, known as either the 'Tuffleyverse' or the 'GZGverse' depending on which site one was reading. I had previously thought of using it as the basis for a Traveller campaign, but now would use it as the basic setting in which to conduct our wargames. Visiting the GZG site I found the three rules sets designed by Mr Tuffley, Fullthrust II, Dirtside II, and Stargrunt II, all available for free download. So I downloaded them and decided to use them for our games.
Our group includes myself, my son and his mates (all around 30 years old), my granddaughter (nearly 3 years old) and one of my mates who is an avid Napoleonics wargamer. I knew our tastes differed and we each had our preferred sci-fi setting(s) and I needed a way to integrate them all. While searching around for FT, DS and SG stuff online, I found The Art of War Games' alternate setting for those games, called 'The Art of War: Awakening'. The background story for this setting is well suited for integrating various sci-fi settings into a whole, so I paid for and downloaded the pdfs. A little but of thought allows the inclusion of almost anything into the setting.
Next I needed maps, for campaign play, as it turned out I already had them, in the form of the Astrogator's Handbook, which I'd bought to use with Traveller. So now I had maps of the known stars within 150 light years of earth and could place the various factions within this area.
Our universe lacks a name, and may indeed never gain one, but it is ours. It incorporates within it the entirety of the 'Tuffleyverse', which fits within the larger framework of a mostly unmodified 'The Art of War: Awakening' universe. This larger framework allows for the inclusion of my son's Dark Empire faction (Star Wars: The Empire), the Cylon Union (BSG) and the Terran Dominion (Starcraft) factions of his mates, my granddaughter's Fallen Legion faction (inspired by Rebel Mini's Pangalactic Legion range of figures) and an as yet unnamed faction for my Napoleonic friend. I myself plan to run the Neu Swabian League from the 'Tuffleyverse'. There will be many other factions: all of the GZG factions, mercenary units, alien species, mechanical enemies, all inspired by the miniatures themselves and/or sci-fi media of all sorts.
For Stargrunt, I have acquired a squad of 15mm NSL Panzergrenadiers and a Wittmann Hover Tank for support from GZG. Arriving soon are a couple of orders from Eureka Miniatures a platoon of 15mm Ventaurans. From Rebel Minis a platoon each of Pangalactic Legion, Earth Force Droptroopers, Kurgen, Valonians and Scourge, plus a Mk.1 HAMR suit and a Mk.1 Viper.
For Fullthrust I've acquired the Fullthrust Starter Box Set which includes a small 8 ship combat group for each of the NSL and Crusty factions. The pack includes a basic set of the rules, but we will use Fullthrust: Project Continuum, an expanded rule set available from Emerald Coast Skunk Works.
And for Dirtside I have acquired a 6mm platoon of NSL infantry and a troop of 3 Rommel Light Hover Tanks for support.
What the other players are ordering, if at all, I do not know. We'll wait and see.
This blog is about sci-fi wargaming and our experiences with the hobby. I have to admit that prior to this year the last time I played a tabletop wargame was somewhere in the early 1980's, roleplaying games taking over as my main hobby. Over the years I gradually stepped down from gamemastering to mostly playing in other peoples games and the frequency of games has decreased to once a fortnight (sometimes less). I've tried to run my own game on alternate weekends, but find that our player group is less committed to the game. So I've returned to wargaming, sci-fi wargaming to be more precise. For while both hobbies provide ample to do when players cannot get together, I think I would enjoy building, painting and organising forces for wargames more than, say designing an adventure that may never be run.
So, why sci-fi wargaming? Well, I've always loved sci-fi, even preferred sci-fi rpg's over the standard fantasy ones, (Traveller, 2300AD, Twilight 2000, Space Opera and Dark Conspiracy). Furthermore sci-fi, like fantasy allows for a lot of leeway in selecting and organising your forces. I had already read about Jon Tuffley's game universe, known as either the 'Tuffleyverse' or the 'GZGverse' depending on which site one was reading. I had previously thought of using it as the basis for a Traveller campaign, but now would use it as the basic setting in which to conduct our wargames. Visiting the GZG site I found the three rules sets designed by Mr Tuffley, Fullthrust II, Dirtside II, and Stargrunt II, all available for free download. So I downloaded them and decided to use them for our games.
Our group includes myself, my son and his mates (all around 30 years old), my granddaughter (nearly 3 years old) and one of my mates who is an avid Napoleonics wargamer. I knew our tastes differed and we each had our preferred sci-fi setting(s) and I needed a way to integrate them all. While searching around for FT, DS and SG stuff online, I found The Art of War Games' alternate setting for those games, called 'The Art of War: Awakening'. The background story for this setting is well suited for integrating various sci-fi settings into a whole, so I paid for and downloaded the pdfs. A little but of thought allows the inclusion of almost anything into the setting.
Next I needed maps, for campaign play, as it turned out I already had them, in the form of the Astrogator's Handbook, which I'd bought to use with Traveller. So now I had maps of the known stars within 150 light years of earth and could place the various factions within this area.
Our universe lacks a name, and may indeed never gain one, but it is ours. It incorporates within it the entirety of the 'Tuffleyverse', which fits within the larger framework of a mostly unmodified 'The Art of War: Awakening' universe. This larger framework allows for the inclusion of my son's Dark Empire faction (Star Wars: The Empire), the Cylon Union (BSG) and the Terran Dominion (Starcraft) factions of his mates, my granddaughter's Fallen Legion faction (inspired by Rebel Mini's Pangalactic Legion range of figures) and an as yet unnamed faction for my Napoleonic friend. I myself plan to run the Neu Swabian League from the 'Tuffleyverse'. There will be many other factions: all of the GZG factions, mercenary units, alien species, mechanical enemies, all inspired by the miniatures themselves and/or sci-fi media of all sorts.
For Stargrunt, I have acquired a squad of 15mm NSL Panzergrenadiers and a Wittmann Hover Tank for support from GZG. Arriving soon are a couple of orders from Eureka Miniatures a platoon of 15mm Ventaurans. From Rebel Minis a platoon each of Pangalactic Legion, Earth Force Droptroopers, Kurgen, Valonians and Scourge, plus a Mk.1 HAMR suit and a Mk.1 Viper.
For Fullthrust I've acquired the Fullthrust Starter Box Set which includes a small 8 ship combat group for each of the NSL and Crusty factions. The pack includes a basic set of the rules, but we will use Fullthrust: Project Continuum, an expanded rule set available from Emerald Coast Skunk Works.
And for Dirtside I have acquired a 6mm platoon of NSL infantry and a troop of 3 Rommel Light Hover Tanks for support.
What the other players are ordering, if at all, I do not know. We'll wait and see.
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