Welp, it's "Blue Friday" again...the Friday before a Seahawks weekend, a day when all fans of the team are supposed to show their support by wearing team merch around town. 'Course I've been wearing the gear all week anyway, since that's most of what my closet is stuffed with: comfortable t-shirts with logos.
*sigh* This isn't what I want to talk about.
Last night I stayed up in hopes of watching another episode or two of Lovecraft Country, a new television show that I find delightful in every way (I'm about four shows into the series). Yes, I mean that sincerely...delightful. Everything about it. Even as it makes me squirm and shake watching it. And I'm not a horror aficionado by any means.
[though, yes, I've been a Lovecraft fan since age 14 or 15. Had to give my wife an extensive crash course on HPL...his life, writings, and pulp fiction in general...halfway through the first episode as she was completely lost. She is entirely ignorant of...and unconcerned with...the kind of historical geekery that JB enjoys swimming in...]
But, of course, this didn't get to happen as the news came out about Trump and the Covid.
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I've spent a lot of this week NOT writing about politics, despite several fiery rants rolling around in my brain. I know...well, I strongly suspect...that my words will do little to change anyone's political leanings or decisions, just as they undoubtably fail to sway people away from 5th edition D&D. Mainly, I'd just be belittling and abusing people which, as I've written before, ain't all that constructive.
So let me just say this: it doesn't make me happy that Trump and his cronies are passing around the 'Rona to each other like [pick your derogatory analogy]. It's not surprising (and shouldn't be surprising, unless you're an idiot that disregards science and believes Trump's lies about "fake news") given his behavior. But it doesn't make me happy. I think it likely there'll be severe (i.e. "disastrous") consequences to this turn of events. Yet another storm to weather in 2020.
I will continue to pray to God for both justice and solace. I will try to be a kinder, better human being.
With regard to Blood Bowl...I'm again down at halftime 7-6, after missing both an extra point attempt and a field goal attempt in the closing minutes of the 2nd quarter. Despite feeling like there's a problem with the rules (I should be dominating!) the simple fact is I've had a run of bad luck. My chaos renegades team, the Monks of Doom, have yet to inflict a single casualty, despite fielding two trolls and an ogre...that's just improbable. Though it doesn't help that I've been trying to use the ogre as a ball carrier; in retrospect, that wasn't a great decision.
I am currently writing up the basic NAF rules, but it's slow going. I was hoping to do something small, but it was up to ten pages when I knocked off yesterday...basically, it appears I'm going to end up rewriting the damn game from scratch. Not "delightful," and definitely not what I intended. Despite that, the rules really seem to work well in practice. I'll have to post some photos one of these days.
Ah, heck...here's a quick one:
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| Yeah, that's one dead mutant in the dugout. |
The human Titan Eagles have 1st down at the 30, and have chosen to go with an empty backfield and a "spread" formation (you can't see him in the photo, but there's another catcher just off-camera to the left. Clearly the Monks are in trouble...especially as I now count they have an illegal formation with 12 men on the field (each of the large monsters count as two). That was my daughter's doing (she set-up the defense)...I'll have to correct that before the snap, so the ref doesn't blow his whistle!
***EDIT: You know what? I am totally going to bum rush his center with my ogre nose tackle. Going to start this drive with a sack, baby!***
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| The QB is toast. |
The pictures add a lot. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIs the system to swingy because it is too much luck based? I feel like a good game should be 75% skill 25% luck.
On lovecraft country I was a little let down with episode 4. The concept was there I just thought it was poorly executed. Like your DM didnt prep so decided to rip off the goonies.
But Episode 6 was amazing.
I was finally able to watch Episode 4 last night and I totally agree. It felt very odd, especially because of the music choices (did the earlier episodes use non-period songs to emphasize scenes? And the score was jarringly ugly at times). The whole script seemed jumbled and "off" and not in a good way (i.e. not weirdly Lovecraftian). Despite some good scenes, it was kind of a dud.
DeleteThe most recent editions of Blood Bowl (3rd+) are MUCH more swingy if you check the probabilities. Requiring rolls to pick up the ball, hand off the ball, pass the ball, and catch the ball cuts down drastically on the probability of sustaining any kind of coherent play. Instead, players just kind of bumble the ball around for a couple turns before someone fast can pick it up and run it for a TD. Chaining together a string of successful dice rolls is tough.
My new rules cut out a lot of the randomness. For example, I've got back to the original (2E) passing rules where a single roll determines completion, incompletion, or interception. Hand-offs and snaps of the ball don't require dice rolls. A player only fumbles the ball on a roll of "1" when knocked down (unless a star with the "strip ball" skill hits her). Cutting down the random allows a little more skill based on maneuvering and makes the game play a bit more like the "chess match" that is American football.
Honestly I have never played or read the rules but am enjoying the peak into your reimagining of the rules. Hopefully you would collect and release them.
DeleteThe not sure what episode the non period music starts in but it was a little jarring at first. I really think episode 4 could have been a great episode but should have probably been split.
Go Hawks!
I’ll try to release them, but it’s up to 12 pages now (since yesterday) and I’ve probably got twice that to go...just for the non-league/campaign “basic” rules! Ideally, it would be a lot shorter document.
DeleteBlood Bowl is a *good* game, but it’s always had difficulty maintaining itself (unlike, day, Warhammer’s FB or 40k, neither of which have EVER been out of print). I could make guesses as to the reason that’s the case but...well, they’d just be guesses.
Soccer is a great game, though I’ve only really learned that in the last 15-20 years (despite having played it for most of my youth). But American football...it has all the drama of soccer, all the opportunity for individual glory of baseball, more sheet physicality than hockey, and nearly the athleticism of basketball...but with a tremendous versatility in terms of scoring and playmaking. *I* can’t play the game...can only enjoy it as an audience member...but I *can* play Blood Bowl. It’s just that a good, bit simple, game doesn’t do justice to American football. Not in the way it’s currently written.
Anyway. My opinion, I suppose. But that’s why I’m reworking it.
By the way...the match in this post? Still being played. Just manage to score but (again) missed the extra point. The score is 12-7, the humans just returned the kickoff to the 20 yard line, and they have about two minutes to drive 80 yards (they do have two time outs left). I’ve got a good chance to win this one despite some really poor play (I’ve already decided to fire both trolls on my team...literally). We’ll see what happens. ; )
Your restraint is appreciated, hoss.
ReplyDelete