tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post858425666347474903..comments2024-03-23T11:34:22.691+00:00Comments on Orbital Bombardment - The Miniature Gaming Blog and Podcast: January 2017 Errata, FAQ and Tournament Pack ReviewDan Cateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833384756094198088noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-5134700214273733542017-01-26T04:33:19.167+00:002017-01-26T04:33:19.167+00:00Well, there's also Adepticon in March or April...Well, there's also Adepticon in March or April, that's in Chicago (out by O'Hare), then Origins in June, I think, then the Big Kahuna, Gen Con, in Indianapolis at the beginning of August.<br /><br />Of the three, I'd say Gen Con is the best to try to go to, if for no other reason than it's the biggest. But best to book your room now, if you're going. Indy in summer is nice, as opposed to Chicago in early Spring. LOL.jdwelch62https://www.blogger.com/profile/09012158948009848728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-16881060824401193712017-01-26T02:37:29.759+00:002017-01-26T02:37:29.759+00:00Agree with JD big time here. I think Hawk might h...Agree with JD big time here. I think Hawk might have bit off a little more than they could chew with the Kickstarter, but they did it earnestly. I like this game (well, both games) enough to stick with them while they straighten it out. LexIkonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15745873234931619723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-24776938291570470642017-01-26T02:32:02.209+00:002017-01-26T02:32:02.209+00:00Oh, now see there... that's tempting. Unfortu...Oh, now see there... that's tempting. Unfortunately my job has very strict limits on when I can take vacation, and they're in session leading into and after that weekend. Sure woulda been nice though. LexIkonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15745873234931619723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-1381631219571134022017-01-26T01:36:09.216+00:002017-01-26T01:36:09.216+00:00Las Vegas Open
Feb 3-5, 2017
Bally's Hotel an...Las Vegas Open <br />Feb 3-5, 2017<br />Bally's Hotel and Casino<br />Las Vegas, NV<br /><br />There are always cheap flights to Vegas, baby! You still have time to be impulsive!<br /><br />8^Djdwelch62https://www.blogger.com/profile/09012158948009848728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-89368384360464452622017-01-26T01:11:45.889+00:002017-01-26T01:11:45.889+00:00("They", as in "they didn't con...("They", as in "they didn't contribute to the crisis,...", refers to "people" in that last sentence of the big paragraph, not Hawk, BTW...)jdwelch62https://www.blogger.com/profile/09012158948009848728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-53323396421017215032017-01-26T01:07:46.838+00:002017-01-26T01:07:46.838+00:00Yes, that Apollo thing. Thank you. Not everythin...Yes, that Apollo thing. Thank you. Not everything needs a dropship, Dan -- Apollos certainly don't, as for the cost of a Neptune I could have a third Apollo, which has an effective gun, can score on CLs and FPs, and will actually do something besides being dead weight after Turn 1. If you want everything to have a dropship, require that everything have a dropship -- don't penalize one unit because the way you designed it negates the need for a dropship (even with its cool rule, no value in taking a dropship for any Apollos).<br /><br />As for being patronizing, that wasn't the intent (well, maybe a little... ;-)<br /><br />As for Fleet not supposed to have affected Zone, shit happens, best laid plans, and all that. Best if everyone rolls with it rather than kicking Hawk when they're already down. It certainly sucks for us, but it is what it is, and I'd imagine it's much more painful to be a Hawk guy and dealing with all of this than it is to be a Hawk consumer. I know from my own work history that when something unexpected but cataclysmic happens its hell on earth until you've got all the fires under control, and that doesn't happen overnight -- it usually goes on much longer than you thought it would, certainly much longer than you'd like it to, and you didn't expect it to be such a cluster f*ck in the first place, so every day is a shit storm festival. It doesn't help when people aren't helping matters when they could be, simply by understanding the perpetual crisis that you're currently living in (even though they didn't contribute to the crisis, and they are being affected by it).<br /><br />A little patience, compassion and understanding goes a long way.<br /><br />Just sayin'...jdwelch62https://www.blogger.com/profile/09012158948009848728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-43291635131383176692017-01-25T23:56:13.245+00:002017-01-25T23:56:13.245+00:00I sure hope so! I love this game more than anythi...I sure hope so! I love this game more than anything else I'm playing right now but I'm definitely carrying everyone I play with on my own purchases. <br /><br />Last year there was a tournament at the NOVA Open. Although it was small it was fun, and it was something. This year nothing. I really hope that turns around in the states because it's hard for me to get excited about other wargames after playing DzC.LexIkonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15745873234931619723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-10572179704796029202017-01-25T13:28:49.512+00:002017-01-25T13:28:49.512+00:00The Apollo thing is that they can no longer direct...The Apollo thing is that they can no longer direct deploy (which they could do in the past), they must start in ReadinessAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-92144277295146467322017-01-24T22:52:13.690+00:002017-01-24T22:52:13.690+00:00I basically agree with you. It's hard. I t...I basically agree with you. It's hard. I think the Overseer is good not just because it's actually good, but because it offers you synergy and a fun unit to play with.<br /><br />The Desolator was constantly frustrating and felt like a 'tax'.<br /><br />I think that a few new units have made the Scourge competitive in a way they haven't been in a long time - but also made them more fun to play. (Not because they win more, but because you have the satisfaction of your army working more.)<br /><br />So I worry that nerfing the Overseer too much will just make players feel that it no longer works and we're back to where we started. I'd actually prefer a general toning down of units across all the armies than sweeping improvements to a swathe of Scourge units, but I agree with you that the root of the problem is the Scourge army rather than the Overseer.<br /><br />That said, let's see if I change my tune after I've had a chance to actually play with it!Angelic Despothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17908669415823243782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-11920630579241988272017-01-24T07:19:50.506+00:002017-01-24T07:19:50.506+00:00I missed the Apollo thing, was it that they have t...I missed the Apollo thing, was it that they have to walk on and can't leap on? If so that's always been the case, and I think they should be pushing people towards using dropships for everything (clues in the game name).<br /><br />As for being whiny, perhaps we are, perhaps that's just our general disposition. Perhaps we're bored of waiting for something to happen and being vocal about it. I find your explanation a little patronising; of course we know fleet came out, and of course we know it had 'birthing' problems (good metaphor btw), but it should not have affected Zone like it has, especially after telling the public it wouldn't.<br /><br />I don't view this post as whiny or negative. Critical, yes, but this is the location (see what I did there) for those type of reviews, it always has been and it always will be.Dan Cateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15833384756094198088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-39879533076475428462017-01-24T04:00:31.540+00:002017-01-24T04:00:31.540+00:00Nice post, Dan thanks. Very clever metaphor, the ...Nice post, Dan thanks. Very clever metaphor, the Gardens. <br /><br />As far as the Errata go, I'm not disappointed. Could there have been more? Sure. Could there have been less? Well, some people have been whining about the Ferrum for so long that it seemed inevitable. I disagree that the drones should have lost Scout, as that's what drones do, and every faction has (at least?) two Scout options -- although, your reasoning makes sense, more list diversity, but it would make Wolverines mandatory, and while I like Wolverines I dislike anything being made mandatory.<br /><br />Which leads me to the FAQ and why the hell did the Apollo need to get a hidden nerf in Deployment when they were addressing some gamey git trying to deploy a Hellhog during the Deployment step? That's just unnecessary. Feels draconian, in that it feels like they're trying to insist the we take dropships for Apollos, and, well, dammit, I'm just not going to, damndamn and double-damn!<br /><br />Otherwise the FAQ was good to see, some good new additions, a few re-wordings, but good to have an official document. Now here's hoping they stick to their promise and keep it updated frequently (which, in and of itself, is a relative word)...<br /><br />Otherwise, I must say, y'all seem a bit whiney lately, but maybe that's needed to offset your overall cheesiness as a team (yeah, I went there -- Ha!). Seriously, though, I get the impression you've had this amazing toy to play with, and it really is The Best Toy in the World, even if not everyone realizes that, but you've gone and tossed it out of the pram because mummy hasn't given you anything new to go with it in several ~months~. :o Well, kiddo, there's a new baby in the family, and like it or not, mummy was a wee bit preoccupied with a very nasty and long labor and a rather messy birth! And while the baby is adorable and full of spunk (although you don't seem to think so), mummy is still recovering and she's finding it a challenge just to walk without wincing in pain. (Talk to any woman you know who has had at least one child and you'll understand that metaphor a little more.). But she's back in the kitchen and all will be right with the universe soon, but baby brother isn't going away, and, yes, mummy is going to split her time between the two of you, but she loves you both equally, even though that may be difficult to fathom just yet while she's still walking funny.<br /><br />Well, so much for that creative outburst! If I can ever get time on my own laptop I might come back here and steal some of that for my own blog!<br /><br /><br /><br />Eh, likely not... ;-)<br /><br />(But you never know....)<br /><br />Anyway, good review.<br /><br />One more thing: while the Tournament Pack itself is very well done, the mission choices are horrendous, IMO, at least half of them are! No Careful Advance? And Ground Control?!? When there's Domination? And we just had a tournament using Crucible, and, really, that's a terrible mission, too, but I detest Take & Extract even more, so there's that. Military Complex is solid and I've always felt that Surging Strike is underrated, and under-utilized, so that's good, but otherwise, as a regular and frequent TO of Dropzone Commander, I'm frankly very disappointed with the mission selection...jdwelch62https://www.blogger.com/profile/09012158948009848728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-59362954240406150912017-01-21T22:02:10.364+00:002017-01-21T22:02:10.364+00:00I take an amount of pride in how candid we are as ...I take an amount of pride in how candid we are as a group, and that we will be honest with our opinions and reviews of the game. Nothing we say is ever meant to hurt the game or deter people from playing it, we just want to speak our mind. Also our criticism is typically constructive, in the hope of making things better.<br /><br />This said I appreciate your point of view, and perhaps we do take our posts a little lightly of the potential effects on the community. Also, thanks for the feedback on the pod, that is good to know (and I agree with you to a degree).Dan Cateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15833384756094198088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-20038887852936162132017-01-21T21:25:13.547+00:002017-01-21T21:25:13.547+00:00Is it though? I mean, the disenchantment of your g...Is it though? I mean, the disenchantment of your group has been evident for months and months both on the blog and also on the podcast (which, I for one, have stopped listening to because of the personal 'inside joke' banter outweighing the useful information and tactical analysis that it used to have). <br /><br />You have to understand, if you are disenchanted with the game, fine, but either through good writing, tactical analysis, or lack of a better alternative, you guys have a good deal of sway regarding this game. You need to think mindfully about what you are saying, lest your fears regarding your beloved game become true; that your own negativity around the game end up contributing towards that loss of a player base...Clockwerks77https://www.blogger.com/profile/01468240651544014939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-86864334102614105362017-01-21T11:49:36.476+00:002017-01-21T11:49:36.476+00:00I think they may have been top 5, but before the o...I think they may have been top 5, but before the overseer it was a long time since they had won anything big, and they had been severely underrepresented in the top half with awful average placings. The scourge were no fun at all and encouraged a very hidey and negative playstyle because tehy simply couldn't compete unless your opponent made a huge mistake.<br /><br />I think I'm in the minority, but I really don't think that the overseer should be changed unless the rest of the list is improved. Yes its pretty busted, but nerfing it is like nerfing the ferrum, without it the faction just won't compete, so I'm glad that in this round it got off lightly. Improve the rest of the army whils nerfing it and I guarantee you we'll start seeing more variety in lists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-53587839389957469882017-01-20T16:58:59.050+00:002017-01-20T16:58:59.050+00:00I can agree the scourge needed something but they ...I can agree the scourge needed something but they have been at the top 5 several times before the overseer. People also tend to forget the, for me, mandatory worm shooter and monitors and how much they add to the army. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-805051733505140322017-01-20T02:20:51.720+00:002017-01-20T02:20:51.720+00:00I'm looking forward to invasion and my first o...I'm looking forward to invasion and my first opportunity to use the Overseer!<br /><br />So I can't really comment on its fairness or cost efficiency, but I would like to question whether it's possible to balance it without making changes elsewhere in the Scourge list.<br /><br />I was so pleased when the Overseer came out, not because it was good, but because it works and because it fits. The Desolate just didn't seem able to work and didn't complement lists it was in. I've never used the super-crab, and maybe it's fine, but that doesn't fit in a fast, skimmy Scourge list either.<br /><br />If the Desolator was improved, the Overseer might not even need changing. Perhaps it would still be too powerful, but I'm sure that could be sorted out. Basically, I'm not against balancing the unit and making it fair, but I think it needs to be looked at in the context of an army that was struggling and that needs (needed?) other changes to make the whole army more viable.Angelic Despothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17908669415823243782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-69436371800778966412017-01-19T15:51:06.256+00:002017-01-19T15:51:06.256+00:00Good article, hopefully there will be a resurgence...Good article, hopefully there will be a resurgence of DzC with Invasion etc :-)Rob Huttonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971735074004294298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-37364395725310333092017-01-19T15:11:13.993+00:002017-01-19T15:11:13.993+00:00I thing the overseer should be a special commander...I thing the overseer should be a special commander as its presence forces you to take certain units more than others. In this way it's more simmilar to commanders like general wade the give a discount on tanks and boosts themAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3505622444708996182.post-72749508804584099292017-01-19T14:23:34.428+00:002017-01-19T14:23:34.428+00:00Great article.Great article.SwordOfJusticehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01307602510929870149noreply@blogger.com