First off - sorry this is late. The move is confusing me more than it should've... I actually wrote most of it on saturday, before remembering that I now post mondays. Then yesterday... well, I'm gonna have to get used to the new schedule.
Anyway, with this foreword out of the way - enjoy my ramblings.
So, Settings.
No, I'm not making a new one... right now. Well, not here anyway. And nor am I expanding one of the pre-existing ones. I'm here to talk with you about how to make a setting. Whether it's a for a sci-fi rpg, or a high-fantasy novel, the core concepts are pretty similar.
So, I'm not saying that I am the definitive source of all knowledge on the subject, but I have made several settings, and from the feedback people seem to regard them as good. And, I know from experience that the first time you are faced with making up a setting... it's more than a little daunting.
So, whether you're making a country to explore in depth in a high-fantasy, or a single planet amongst many in a space-faring sci-fi, here are a couple tips to get you started.
First off... and this might seem a bit insulting, but go with me. First, decide on a theme. Before literally anything else, decide what the theme is here. You don't need to worry too much over specifics here, but you'll need at least a vague idea who lives here. Is it pirates, or knights, or monks? Are there several in relatively close proximity, or is it one overwhelming theme, with perhaps references to others in the far distance, several nations over? You need to decide on this long before you do any serious planning, because chances are the dynamic will inform basically everything else.
Next; map it out. Grab a bit of paper, and just doodle anything that seems interesting. In a post from a loooong time ago (Campaign Setting - The Isles Part 1) I discussed the 'proper' way to draw a map... and that was true, sorta, but it needn't be. It wasn't wrong, but to be honest, if you're doing fantasy, it doesn't really matter all that much if the physics are wonky. And if you're doing sci-fi... well, who's to say alien geography is in any way similar to terrestrial?
The point is; draw a map you like the look of, and fits the narrative. If you already know a bit about the cultures involved, plot those points out first, and then build around that. Then, grab a new sheet of paper and plot the whole thing again. Do it a couple times, making slight changes here and there - where the mountains are, should this island chain be here or there, is that forest too close to that lake? Eventually, you'll have something you're happy with. Don't be worried if it takes a few iterations, and don't be afraid to change it later.
Next, and this one will be a bit vague - decide on the realism. This is gonna inform everything from here, so just get it out the way. You can play around with it later, but for the moment; is this hard sci-fi, high fantasy, or whatever. If it's fantasy, is it Classical Era, Dark Ages, or Renaissance? Don't leave this til the end, or you'll end up having to go back over everything.
Alright, time for the cultures. Happily, the history of planet earth provides you with an abundance of possible cultures to appropriate from, and everyone who knows anything will encourage this. Don't settle for 'generic medieval fantasy civilisation' - do a little research. Have you considered Hungary? They had knights in shining armour oppressing serfs just like in England, but you'd find quite the culture-shock I am sure. Or if you're travelling further east, why stop at China? Indonesia has a rich heritage, and would make for a really memorable campaign I'm sure.
I'm not saying don't use China, obviously. It's a great setting - why so many things are set there. Just don't set it in China cos you've not considered your options.
Now, personally, I like to keep my cultures mostly similar. If I've Saxons in one country, I'd probably have Vikings nearby, maybe some Celts, and at a push Hispania. But, as I said, that's just how I like it. If you want Ninjas, Zulus and Byzantines; go for it. I'm sure you can come up with some interesting interactions between the cultures.
Now's the point when you put them on the map. If you've already plotted out where someone will go, start there, and move out. If you haven't - think about which are the most similar, and try to bunch them together. Then, apply climates; the guy covered in furs will live where it's cold, the one in a toga where it's not. If nothing else helps, ask how powerful the faction is, and use that. Switzerland, historically, has been able to maintain neutrality in basically everything due to being incredibly defensible. France, meanwhile, has had to fight constantly because the terrain almost invites armies. If you've one nation that is meant to be weak, but somehow hanging on, stick them on the spit of land with a mountain range on one side, and a river on the other.
Alright, now is the time to draw borders. I've already touched on that a little, but here's where you actually do it. A lot of people draw them pretty arbitrarily, to make it look nice, but real life tends not to work like that. As a rule, borders follow natural boundaries. A desert generally creates a neutral ground that no one really wants - unless there are resources to be found. A mountain range, meanwhile, typically signals the end of your lands; you might do some work on the outskirts, but truth be told not a lot of people have much interest living atop a mountain (with some notable exceptions).
This is something you should put some serious thought into. A border that extends beyond a natural boundary implies military conquest. A vaguely defined border - "somewhere in the woods" - implies either an ongoing dispute, or friendly enough nations that it doesn't much matter. A particularly erratic border could imply a rapid change in size - whether it's blossomed out or fallen in. The borders between nations tend to carry huge connotations as to their relationships.
Actually, at this point, you oughta jot down the relationships between the nations. You don't need to get too in depth, but a little can help. Even if you just draw a grid, then a smiley/sad face at the inter-section. Little touches like this can help a lot.
This is where I was up to when I left it... I'd originally intended to wrap it up with a brief talk about history, but actually I think there's more to be said. Naming people, deciding on races... maybe one or two tricks and tips. I think I'll continue this next week. On Monday. Yes, I promise.
Sorry it's late, but I hope you've enjoyed it regardless.
Volodanti out.
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Monday, 18 January 2016
Post-Pre-Release Hyphenations
As promised, a little something on Monday. It's gonna be short, so I'm not too sure whether I post something on Saturday, but here goes.
So, the pre-release, how did it go? Pretty well. There were 7 of us who went and out of us I came 2nd. Out of everyone there, I came 6th, but before y'all get proud there were only around fifteen people there... Having three separate companies host five events each over the weekend limited the number of attendees at any one quite heavily.
I went 2-and-2 over the course of the day, but then my wins were great and my losses close. I suppose that's the best I could hope for really. Before I go on, I probably oughta tell you what was actually in my deck, so in no particular order...
Nirkana Assassin, Unnatural Endurance,Null Caller, Zulaport Chainmage, Remorseless Punishment, Vampire Envoy, Bearer of Silence, Sifter of Skulls, Malakir Soothsayer, Ondu War Cleric, Kor Entanglers, Angelic Gift, Shoulder to Shoulder, Spawnbinder Mage, Ondu Greathorn, Relief Captain, Allied Reinforcements, 2 Dazzling Reflection, Steppe Glider, Captain's Claws, Hedron Crawler, Hedron Blade, Unknown Shores, Blighted Steppe, 8 Plains, and 7 Swamps.
It was a pretty decent deck, but I fear I prioritised the wrong things to an extent. The intention was a Support/Ally force, but I didn't pull quite enough of either so I had to drop in a couple oddballs. Some worked well - Remorseless Punishment is a horrendously good card - while others were, well... rather less good. Angelic Gift I would happily have traded out for basically anything else, since I didn't really have anything worth putting it on. If I had a chance to re-do my deck, I reckon that I'd include a couple more removals (i.e. any removals). But, to be fair, I reckon that basically everyone involved would have some major changes for their deck.
So, the individual matches, how did they go? Well, let's see.
First up I was playing one of our troupe, who was using a green-black deck. Sod had drawn Nissa, so I was more than a little worried. As it turned out... Well, it was kinda justified. First game I domed him before he had the chance to get some of his best cards out. Second time, I didn't get my tempo right, and he managed to get out a couple pretty decent cards before I had found my bombs. Luckily, while Nissa can make a blocker every turn, Captain's claws basically does the same job better... I just managed to win before he could activate Nissa's ultimate.
So, next, I was up against the event organiser, who was using Temur... and that started well. I managed to win the first game, but after that... Maybe I just got cocky, or else it could've been bad luck. Either way, I lost that 1-and-2. As I have yet to learn, several 2/2's are not a match for a 6/6.
Third round, I was up against our group's champion. This was rough from the start, but I actually won the first game. He realised that he had just enough power to swing for lethal, and flunged... so I popped Blighted Steppe, and weathered the storm. That left me on 1, him on 5, and the only card on my side a 3/3... and the heart of the cards must've heard my plea, cos that's when I drew Unnatural Aggression. Best day ever. Then I lost the next two games. One was hard fought, but the latter I was on 2 mana til turn 7.
And the final round was kinda my favourite. My opponent had only started at christmas, and was had no real interest in winning... a bit because he didn't think he could, but mostly cos he just didn't care. After we'd finished the actual games, we jut played for fun until they timed us out, and kept talking until we left the store. Bit of a shame I didn't think to get contact details...
... But, anyway, for those who are interested; that was my pre-release. It was bloody fantastic, and I can't wait til the next one. And I've kinda enjoyed this early post... maybe this was a good decision... Eh, we'll find out eventually.
Oh, and for anyone who is planning on drafting OotG? Boros. Boros all day.
Volodanti out.
So, the pre-release, how did it go? Pretty well. There were 7 of us who went and out of us I came 2nd. Out of everyone there, I came 6th, but before y'all get proud there were only around fifteen people there... Having three separate companies host five events each over the weekend limited the number of attendees at any one quite heavily.
I went 2-and-2 over the course of the day, but then my wins were great and my losses close. I suppose that's the best I could hope for really. Before I go on, I probably oughta tell you what was actually in my deck, so in no particular order...
Nirkana Assassin, Unnatural Endurance,Null Caller, Zulaport Chainmage, Remorseless Punishment, Vampire Envoy, Bearer of Silence, Sifter of Skulls, Malakir Soothsayer, Ondu War Cleric, Kor Entanglers, Angelic Gift, Shoulder to Shoulder, Spawnbinder Mage, Ondu Greathorn, Relief Captain, Allied Reinforcements, 2 Dazzling Reflection, Steppe Glider, Captain's Claws, Hedron Crawler, Hedron Blade, Unknown Shores, Blighted Steppe, 8 Plains, and 7 Swamps.
It was a pretty decent deck, but I fear I prioritised the wrong things to an extent. The intention was a Support/Ally force, but I didn't pull quite enough of either so I had to drop in a couple oddballs. Some worked well - Remorseless Punishment is a horrendously good card - while others were, well... rather less good. Angelic Gift I would happily have traded out for basically anything else, since I didn't really have anything worth putting it on. If I had a chance to re-do my deck, I reckon that I'd include a couple more removals (i.e. any removals). But, to be fair, I reckon that basically everyone involved would have some major changes for their deck.
So, the individual matches, how did they go? Well, let's see.
First up I was playing one of our troupe, who was using a green-black deck. Sod had drawn Nissa, so I was more than a little worried. As it turned out... Well, it was kinda justified. First game I domed him before he had the chance to get some of his best cards out. Second time, I didn't get my tempo right, and he managed to get out a couple pretty decent cards before I had found my bombs. Luckily, while Nissa can make a blocker every turn, Captain's claws basically does the same job better... I just managed to win before he could activate Nissa's ultimate.
So, next, I was up against the event organiser, who was using Temur... and that started well. I managed to win the first game, but after that... Maybe I just got cocky, or else it could've been bad luck. Either way, I lost that 1-and-2. As I have yet to learn, several 2/2's are not a match for a 6/6.
Third round, I was up against our group's champion. This was rough from the start, but I actually won the first game. He realised that he had just enough power to swing for lethal, and flunged... so I popped Blighted Steppe, and weathered the storm. That left me on 1, him on 5, and the only card on my side a 3/3... and the heart of the cards must've heard my plea, cos that's when I drew Unnatural Aggression. Best day ever. Then I lost the next two games. One was hard fought, but the latter I was on 2 mana til turn 7.
And the final round was kinda my favourite. My opponent had only started at christmas, and was had no real interest in winning... a bit because he didn't think he could, but mostly cos he just didn't care. After we'd finished the actual games, we jut played for fun until they timed us out, and kept talking until we left the store. Bit of a shame I didn't think to get contact details...
... But, anyway, for those who are interested; that was my pre-release. It was bloody fantastic, and I can't wait til the next one. And I've kinda enjoyed this early post... maybe this was a good decision... Eh, we'll find out eventually.
Oh, and for anyone who is planning on drafting OotG? Boros. Boros all day.
Volodanti out.
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Meta-musings.
So, the longer this goes on, the more I come to realise... Saturday is a terrible day to blog.
It's not inherently a bad day, don't get me wrong - it's just that all the special things I do are on Sundays... so, unfortunately, all you get the day before is promises that I'll be doing something really interesting at some point after you read this.
Case in point - tomorrow, I am going to the Oath of the Gatewatch Pre-release at my (mostly) local gaming store. Which is exciting for me, for a variety of reasons.
First off, it's my first experience in playing against unknown competitors. In magic I mean.
Second, it's my first draft. I've done pack wars once before, but I've never done a full-on draft...
Third, and most importantly, this is arguably the nerdiest thing I've ever done. Because this is me paying to attend an event specifically to play with cards a week before they're available for sale.
... Wow, that is one hell of a barrier to sprint across... single life is either agreeing with me a lot, or not at all...
... It's 'not at all' for those who are keeping score at home. Moving on!
So, it's just got me thinking... is Saturday really the best day for me to write up my blog... I mean, post. Cos I write these in advance... honest.
Seriously though, would Monday not be a better day? I originally did Saturday because I was off Saturdays - what with Uni - and that meant I had a couple days beforehand to sort stuff worth writing about... now, well, I'm working more Saturdays than I'm not, and my shifts are so random that either I have to post before/after a shift, or you'd get a post a different day every week.
Which is hardly ideal.
Of course, originally, I did Wednesdays and Saturdays, but that was because I had more to write about then... I'm in something of a low-point for gaming at the moment, So that seems a very poor idea regardless...
... I dunno. I think I might try doing Mondays for a little while, see how that feels. I mean, if it's okay with all of you?
Benefits are mostly that if I have attended any tournaments, I'll have it fresh in my mind when I come to write about it, rather than muddled by the passage of a week... Other benefit is that I actually tend to get quite a few Mondays off, so I'd not be leaving them quite so late...
... I dunno. I'll give it a try. If the feedback - well, the views - are positive, I'll make it a permanent change. If not... well, probably go back to voicing my unwanted opinions on the weekend.
Oh, and one last thing - the battle reports I've been promising for the better part of a year... they're coming. And better than expected; if I can find the tripod I used for A-Levels, you might well be treated to a live-action battle report.
... Unfortunately, it'll be muted with commentary over the top. But, we tend to go very off topic when gaming, and some of our injokes are a bit... well, y'all know what you're like with you friends? That.
Plus, it means I can edit out pauses whilst we get distracted, or look up rules, or pause to make a cuppa.
Anyway, sorry this has been a bit all over the place. Next week'll be about the pre-release, the week after is 'On creating a setting' and then... well, all goes well, a link to youtube.
Volodanti out.
It's not inherently a bad day, don't get me wrong - it's just that all the special things I do are on Sundays... so, unfortunately, all you get the day before is promises that I'll be doing something really interesting at some point after you read this.
Case in point - tomorrow, I am going to the Oath of the Gatewatch Pre-release at my (mostly) local gaming store. Which is exciting for me, for a variety of reasons.
First off, it's my first experience in playing against unknown competitors. In magic I mean.
Second, it's my first draft. I've done pack wars once before, but I've never done a full-on draft...
Third, and most importantly, this is arguably the nerdiest thing I've ever done. Because this is me paying to attend an event specifically to play with cards a week before they're available for sale.
... Wow, that is one hell of a barrier to sprint across... single life is either agreeing with me a lot, or not at all...
... It's 'not at all' for those who are keeping score at home. Moving on!
So, it's just got me thinking... is Saturday really the best day for me to write up my blog... I mean, post. Cos I write these in advance... honest.
Seriously though, would Monday not be a better day? I originally did Saturday because I was off Saturdays - what with Uni - and that meant I had a couple days beforehand to sort stuff worth writing about... now, well, I'm working more Saturdays than I'm not, and my shifts are so random that either I have to post before/after a shift, or you'd get a post a different day every week.
Which is hardly ideal.
Of course, originally, I did Wednesdays and Saturdays, but that was because I had more to write about then... I'm in something of a low-point for gaming at the moment, So that seems a very poor idea regardless...
... I dunno. I think I might try doing Mondays for a little while, see how that feels. I mean, if it's okay with all of you?
Benefits are mostly that if I have attended any tournaments, I'll have it fresh in my mind when I come to write about it, rather than muddled by the passage of a week... Other benefit is that I actually tend to get quite a few Mondays off, so I'd not be leaving them quite so late...
... I dunno. I'll give it a try. If the feedback - well, the views - are positive, I'll make it a permanent change. If not... well, probably go back to voicing my unwanted opinions on the weekend.
Oh, and one last thing - the battle reports I've been promising for the better part of a year... they're coming. And better than expected; if I can find the tripod I used for A-Levels, you might well be treated to a live-action battle report.
... Unfortunately, it'll be muted with commentary over the top. But, we tend to go very off topic when gaming, and some of our injokes are a bit... well, y'all know what you're like with you friends? That.
Plus, it means I can edit out pauses whilst we get distracted, or look up rules, or pause to make a cuppa.
Anyway, sorry this has been a bit all over the place. Next week'll be about the pre-release, the week after is 'On creating a setting' and then... well, all goes well, a link to youtube.
Volodanti out.
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Killing Characters
So, it's late, I'm busy, and y'all wanna sleep. Lets get straight into it.
So, I'd originally had two or three ideas planned for this week - a bit about creating a setting (not actually creating one, just some advice) which I might actually do next time, more on Magic, and a continuation of Perry. But, instead, this popped up, and I felt I had to talk about it.
So, for a bit of background: me and my friends have started a new campaign, this time with actual games. I'll not get too deep into the nitty gritty - since it revolves around... 8 years of miscellaneous fluff, fights, and plans. But, the basics of it are that one of our Chapters have, for a variety of reasons, decided that the Imperium needs fixing, and the best way to do that is to tear it down and start over. They have allied themselves with a variety of Chapters, Regiments, and even a Necron-worshipping sect of the Mechanicum. Meanwhile, a coalition of Loyalist forces, led by an Inquisitor, have discovered the edges of this plot, and are moving to counter it... mostly unaware of how large their foe is.
So, in essence, it's a way to bring most, if not all, of our armies together and smash them against each other until there's nothing left to smash. Fun times for all, and great plot that permanently changes our 'canon'...
... except, just quite recently, one of us has started pushing quite insistently for character perma-death. That is to say, if a character is used in-game, and they die, they are killed off for good.
Now, before I start, I ought to say - this isn't a bad idea. It's not something I particularly want to do, but it's not wrong. If any one of you likes the sound of it, then you go for it.
That being said, I have a couple issues with it.
Now, first off, it's that they decided on it almost immediately before we launched the campaign. We had a pre-campaign game to set up the plot, and then a couple weeks of writing fluff as various factions postured and planned. It was about to reach climax, the next bit of fluff was supposed to be the war actually starting... and that's when he decided to announce it.
Which, well... threw us. I mean, if I'd known about it going in, I wouldn't necessarily have been pleased, but I would've at least accepted it. Because then I could've planned what to bring based on what I didn't mind loosing. I have a lot of characters - you tend to accrue them over the years - and some of them I love. I've put in so much effort to make them unique, and interesting, and given them stories to follow, arcs to complete... They're people I don't want to lose. And then there are characters who exist only in the background; people who I made after finishing a conversion, and decided to name. They've a little written about them, but not a lot, and I really wouldn't mind losing them.
For example, in my main army, I have two characters who have appeared in several pieces of writing. Brother Captain Venris is the commander of the Black Blades 3rd company, and is someone I am immensely invested it. He's been involved in several campaigns, gone through numerous iterations of model and equipment as he's evolved as a character, and has a very definite end in mind for his arc. Meanwhile, Master Mallus of the 5th Company was just someone I made for a conversion. He's not someone I would be too sorry to see go; he has been in a few pieces of fluff, and I've enjoyed using him... but he's always been passive. Things have happened to him, but it's usually other characters who instigate or resolve plots. If he died... I'd not be happy, obviously, but I wouldn't be too cut up about it.
So, that is my first issue with it... and kinda leads me to my main problem; it's bad narrative.
Now, allow me to explain. My characters, as I said, have story arcs they pursue. Epsilus is trying to rid himself of Tzeentch, by recruiting specific people for a ritual of questionable effectiveness. Tutella wants to kill Grunge, and is willing to do whatever he must in order to. Elyas is learning that being a nice isn't always the best option.
And... if they die pointlessly in the middle of that quest, it kinda ruins it. And makes everything up to there a bit of a waste. I just spent six years writing about Venris learning what it means to be a good captain, and then he get rushed by some Leman Russ and it's all over... that's worse than an anti-climax. It's just... bad.
Now, this is not to say that your character dying can't be interesting, or appropriate. If, alternatively, I lose all of my army, and the last model alive is Venris... then you can bet his last stand is canon. A long, long piece of fluff, a suitably impressive internal monologue, and then him fighting to his last amidst the corpses of his brothers. Or, alternatively, the hubristic Captain leading his army into a glorious charge, in the style of the Light Brigade? That might even get a region named after his Folly.
... but the captain who just dies sorta mundanely? A plasma gunner catches him with one wound. He's just inside the blast radius of an Earthshaker. His unit fails a morale check, and he's caught in a sweeping advance... And that's to say nothing of the times he's just unlucky - a serious of bad/good rolls, and he dies to lasguns. I can think of no worse a fate for someone's character than melee'd by fire warriors...
It also loses any chance of creating interesting new stories. That Commander who just bested you in a duel - what if he left you for dead, and now you want revenge? You suffered heavy losses after facing an armoured division - maybe you now hate tanks. Or see them as the future of warfare. There are so many ways that a character being grievously injured can create interesting new ideas, and we'd just be wasting them.
And, just as a final issue... It leads to meta-gaming. If I'm involving a character in a plot, with a chance of him dying... you can bet I'll do everything in my power to keep him alive. If I absolutely *have* to field him, then I'll be shoving him in terminator armour, with a storm shield, surrounded by deathwing knights, at the back of my army. Which is not how I want my characters to act. Or to be equipped. I want them to be interesting, unique, and flawed. Not identical to everyone else's, but a different colour.
... This is a lot more rant-y than I'd intended. Which is kinda a shame... but, it's just something I have a strong opinion on. In 40k, and rpgs, and basically everything... it's why I found GoT most recent series so uninspiring; the deaths didn't serve the plot, they were just because we expected characters to die - cos that's what happenes in Game of Thrones! So, I'll just kill her, and it'll blow everyone's minds.
And, just as a final word; if you've read this, shaking your head, disagreeing with each and every point; if you think that perma-death is the best thing for a story; if you hate the idea of characters escaping every hazard... that's fine. I have no issue with that. This is entirely my opinion, and it's not what everyone likes. If you're enjoying yourself, then you are doing it right, and don't let anyone - not even some nerd on the internet writing a blog 20 minutes before it's overdue - tell you otherwise.
But, just make sure everyone's okay with it before you start. Because as much as you aren't wrong for liking it, I'm not wrong for disliking it. And neither of our fun should intrude on the other's.
Cheers,
Volodanti out.
So, I'd originally had two or three ideas planned for this week - a bit about creating a setting (not actually creating one, just some advice) which I might actually do next time, more on Magic, and a continuation of Perry. But, instead, this popped up, and I felt I had to talk about it.
So, for a bit of background: me and my friends have started a new campaign, this time with actual games. I'll not get too deep into the nitty gritty - since it revolves around... 8 years of miscellaneous fluff, fights, and plans. But, the basics of it are that one of our Chapters have, for a variety of reasons, decided that the Imperium needs fixing, and the best way to do that is to tear it down and start over. They have allied themselves with a variety of Chapters, Regiments, and even a Necron-worshipping sect of the Mechanicum. Meanwhile, a coalition of Loyalist forces, led by an Inquisitor, have discovered the edges of this plot, and are moving to counter it... mostly unaware of how large their foe is.
So, in essence, it's a way to bring most, if not all, of our armies together and smash them against each other until there's nothing left to smash. Fun times for all, and great plot that permanently changes our 'canon'...
... except, just quite recently, one of us has started pushing quite insistently for character perma-death. That is to say, if a character is used in-game, and they die, they are killed off for good.
Now, before I start, I ought to say - this isn't a bad idea. It's not something I particularly want to do, but it's not wrong. If any one of you likes the sound of it, then you go for it.
That being said, I have a couple issues with it.
Now, first off, it's that they decided on it almost immediately before we launched the campaign. We had a pre-campaign game to set up the plot, and then a couple weeks of writing fluff as various factions postured and planned. It was about to reach climax, the next bit of fluff was supposed to be the war actually starting... and that's when he decided to announce it.
Which, well... threw us. I mean, if I'd known about it going in, I wouldn't necessarily have been pleased, but I would've at least accepted it. Because then I could've planned what to bring based on what I didn't mind loosing. I have a lot of characters - you tend to accrue them over the years - and some of them I love. I've put in so much effort to make them unique, and interesting, and given them stories to follow, arcs to complete... They're people I don't want to lose. And then there are characters who exist only in the background; people who I made after finishing a conversion, and decided to name. They've a little written about them, but not a lot, and I really wouldn't mind losing them.
For example, in my main army, I have two characters who have appeared in several pieces of writing. Brother Captain Venris is the commander of the Black Blades 3rd company, and is someone I am immensely invested it. He's been involved in several campaigns, gone through numerous iterations of model and equipment as he's evolved as a character, and has a very definite end in mind for his arc. Meanwhile, Master Mallus of the 5th Company was just someone I made for a conversion. He's not someone I would be too sorry to see go; he has been in a few pieces of fluff, and I've enjoyed using him... but he's always been passive. Things have happened to him, but it's usually other characters who instigate or resolve plots. If he died... I'd not be happy, obviously, but I wouldn't be too cut up about it.
So, that is my first issue with it... and kinda leads me to my main problem; it's bad narrative.
Now, allow me to explain. My characters, as I said, have story arcs they pursue. Epsilus is trying to rid himself of Tzeentch, by recruiting specific people for a ritual of questionable effectiveness. Tutella wants to kill Grunge, and is willing to do whatever he must in order to. Elyas is learning that being a nice isn't always the best option.
And... if they die pointlessly in the middle of that quest, it kinda ruins it. And makes everything up to there a bit of a waste. I just spent six years writing about Venris learning what it means to be a good captain, and then he get rushed by some Leman Russ and it's all over... that's worse than an anti-climax. It's just... bad.
Now, this is not to say that your character dying can't be interesting, or appropriate. If, alternatively, I lose all of my army, and the last model alive is Venris... then you can bet his last stand is canon. A long, long piece of fluff, a suitably impressive internal monologue, and then him fighting to his last amidst the corpses of his brothers. Or, alternatively, the hubristic Captain leading his army into a glorious charge, in the style of the Light Brigade? That might even get a region named after his Folly.
... but the captain who just dies sorta mundanely? A plasma gunner catches him with one wound. He's just inside the blast radius of an Earthshaker. His unit fails a morale check, and he's caught in a sweeping advance... And that's to say nothing of the times he's just unlucky - a serious of bad/good rolls, and he dies to lasguns. I can think of no worse a fate for someone's character than melee'd by fire warriors...
It also loses any chance of creating interesting new stories. That Commander who just bested you in a duel - what if he left you for dead, and now you want revenge? You suffered heavy losses after facing an armoured division - maybe you now hate tanks. Or see them as the future of warfare. There are so many ways that a character being grievously injured can create interesting new ideas, and we'd just be wasting them.
And, just as a final issue... It leads to meta-gaming. If I'm involving a character in a plot, with a chance of him dying... you can bet I'll do everything in my power to keep him alive. If I absolutely *have* to field him, then I'll be shoving him in terminator armour, with a storm shield, surrounded by deathwing knights, at the back of my army. Which is not how I want my characters to act. Or to be equipped. I want them to be interesting, unique, and flawed. Not identical to everyone else's, but a different colour.
... This is a lot more rant-y than I'd intended. Which is kinda a shame... but, it's just something I have a strong opinion on. In 40k, and rpgs, and basically everything... it's why I found GoT most recent series so uninspiring; the deaths didn't serve the plot, they were just because we expected characters to die - cos that's what happenes in Game of Thrones! So, I'll just kill her, and it'll blow everyone's minds.
And, just as a final word; if you've read this, shaking your head, disagreeing with each and every point; if you think that perma-death is the best thing for a story; if you hate the idea of characters escaping every hazard... that's fine. I have no issue with that. This is entirely my opinion, and it's not what everyone likes. If you're enjoying yourself, then you are doing it right, and don't let anyone - not even some nerd on the internet writing a blog 20 minutes before it's overdue - tell you otherwise.
But, just make sure everyone's okay with it before you start. Because as much as you aren't wrong for liking it, I'm not wrong for disliking it. And neither of our fun should intrude on the other's.
Cheers,
Volodanti out.
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Warriors gon War
So, I bet a lot of you are wondering - given how often I talk about it - what magic deck I play. Which is kinda difficult, since I actually play with about 6, and just made up two Commander Decks. But I'll humour you, and take this opportunity to discuss my most successful deck.
So, what is it? Well, the white/black warrior deck that was so popular in Tarkir. But, since I actually started in magic origins, and tend to play in the modern format, it has a few little changes...
Now, before I get started - this is not advice. Some of you may, like me, just be starting and be very easily influenced. Others will have played for years, and recognise exactly why this is not a good deck. So, just clearing that up here - this is a silly combination I enjoy and does well relatively often... if the opening hand is good.
So, what's it consist of? Alright, start simple; 8 Plains, 8 Swamps, 4 Scoured Barrens. I could probably trade out a couple Swamps, but it works for me, and it means I don't often struggle for the right colour. What's next? Approximately 25 Warrior-type creatures. Take the best or the worst you like, doesn't much matter - so long as they're Warriors, you are set. I've found that a couple Aven Skirmishers are pretty good to have in there - they're cheap and can fly, so you can often get a couple hits in before your opponent gets something with reach. But there's better stuff to find out there if you look - remember, this was a list I made out of basically whatever I had laying around at the time.
After that, and this is the most important part, you need exactly five cards. Bring as many of them as you can, and hope you can get them all out at once.
Alright, first up - Herald of Dromoka . One-and-a-white for a 2/2 with Vigilance. Already passes the vanilla test, but he gives all your other Warrior cards Vigilance too. Suddenly, you can attack every turn and not have to worry about leaving stuff back.
Next up - and he really synergies well with HoD - is the Blood-Chin Rager. One-and-a-Black for a 2/2, and whenever he attacks he gives all your Warrior (himself included) Menace. Suddenly, your opponent can old block half your creatures, and your cards don't tap when they do so... I mean, it's an expensive strategy, but it pays off.
Right, third and fourth, get Chief of the Scale, and Chief of the Edge. They cast for one-white-and-one-black, and are respectively a 2/3 and a 3/2. So, they're off to an alright start - nothing special, but alright. However, the CotS gives other warriors 0/+1, and the CotE gives out +1/0. It's not a lot, but this stacks, so when you get a couple of them out, even a 1/1 can a serious threat... well, a 5/5 at best, but you know.
So, the last part - Rush of Battle. Two-and-a-white for a sorcery that gives all your creatures +2/+1 until end of turn... and gives your Warriors Lifelink. Dear Morrow, the first time I got this combination out my opponent basically quit. Suddenly, through this lovely combination, my 3/1's were 6/3's with Lifelink, Vigilance and Menace. And when I played the second... well, I ended that game on 60-odd life...
That's basically all there is to it. Bring a couple Dromoka Warriors - or Oreskos Swiftclaws, or really any cheap Warriors - and you're set. I've found a good couple cards to add are the Graveblade Marauder for Origins, Paragon of the Open Graves from M15, and the Hand of Silumgar from Dragons. A mean, but effective, trick in the midgame - if you reach it - is Scour the Wastes to build up an army of 1/1's, and then flunge with Rush of Battle...
... but, as with all things... it has it's weaknesses. What are they? Well bare in mind - this is a rush deck, so it shares all the common weaknesses of that build, but for some specifics... first off, your deck is mostly 2/2s, so one the enemy starts getting his heavy hitters out, you're basically done for. Rush of Battle can help mitigate that, but to be honest if you've let them put down a 5/5 the game is basically over.
Second off, since you're trying to kill them quick, most of your creatures favour attack over defence, so you'll have a lot of X/1s, and they always trade down. Blood-Chin Rager is here to help with that - in theory - cos he at least means you can take out a couple creatures with you - but if the enemy is being smart, you'll generally lose more of worth than them. Especially if they decide to bring a Defender...
And, lastly... your losses matter. A lot. Since you have to kill your enemy as quick as possible, you generally can't afford to lose your creatures if he starts rushing back. Each time you lose a creature, you're adding another two turns to the game, and that's a serious risk. Throwing Knife can help here - since you can sack it to deal 2 to a blocker, you have something akin to Double-Strike... and, failing that, I'm rather fond of Infernal Scarring - +1/0 really helps with the whole 'rush' part, and it means you at least get to draw if you die. Might as well have a silver lining, eh?
... But, yes - that is, essentially, my Warrior deck. I haven't mentioned everything in there - partially to keep my secrets, but mostly cos a lot of it is just filler... plus, I'm considering trading out a couple cards anyway, so, I'd hate to talk about how great Malakir Cullblade is (he's alright, but he's mostly there to fill space), and then drop him in favour of a Lightwalker...
So, this is, obviously, a bit of a new thing for me. I've enjoyed it, but I'll let my views decide whether or not to repeat... Still, if you've stuck around so far - thanks. Hope you've enjoyed what this little experiment, and I hope you return next week.
Volodanti out.
So, what is it? Well, the white/black warrior deck that was so popular in Tarkir. But, since I actually started in magic origins, and tend to play in the modern format, it has a few little changes...
Now, before I get started - this is not advice. Some of you may, like me, just be starting and be very easily influenced. Others will have played for years, and recognise exactly why this is not a good deck. So, just clearing that up here - this is a silly combination I enjoy and does well relatively often... if the opening hand is good.
So, what's it consist of? Alright, start simple; 8 Plains, 8 Swamps, 4 Scoured Barrens. I could probably trade out a couple Swamps, but it works for me, and it means I don't often struggle for the right colour. What's next? Approximately 25 Warrior-type creatures. Take the best or the worst you like, doesn't much matter - so long as they're Warriors, you are set. I've found that a couple Aven Skirmishers are pretty good to have in there - they're cheap and can fly, so you can often get a couple hits in before your opponent gets something with reach. But there's better stuff to find out there if you look - remember, this was a list I made out of basically whatever I had laying around at the time.
After that, and this is the most important part, you need exactly five cards. Bring as many of them as you can, and hope you can get them all out at once.
Alright, first up - Herald of Dromoka . One-and-a-white for a 2/2 with Vigilance. Already passes the vanilla test, but he gives all your other Warrior cards Vigilance too. Suddenly, you can attack every turn and not have to worry about leaving stuff back.
Next up - and he really synergies well with HoD - is the Blood-Chin Rager. One-and-a-Black for a 2/2, and whenever he attacks he gives all your Warrior (himself included) Menace. Suddenly, your opponent can old block half your creatures, and your cards don't tap when they do so... I mean, it's an expensive strategy, but it pays off.
Right, third and fourth, get Chief of the Scale, and Chief of the Edge. They cast for one-white-and-one-black, and are respectively a 2/3 and a 3/2. So, they're off to an alright start - nothing special, but alright. However, the CotS gives other warriors 0/+1, and the CotE gives out +1/0. It's not a lot, but this stacks, so when you get a couple of them out, even a 1/1 can a serious threat... well, a 5/5 at best, but you know.
So, the last part - Rush of Battle. Two-and-a-white for a sorcery that gives all your creatures +2/+1 until end of turn... and gives your Warriors Lifelink. Dear Morrow, the first time I got this combination out my opponent basically quit. Suddenly, through this lovely combination, my 3/1's were 6/3's with Lifelink, Vigilance and Menace. And when I played the second... well, I ended that game on 60-odd life...
That's basically all there is to it. Bring a couple Dromoka Warriors - or Oreskos Swiftclaws, or really any cheap Warriors - and you're set. I've found a good couple cards to add are the Graveblade Marauder for Origins, Paragon of the Open Graves from M15, and the Hand of Silumgar from Dragons. A mean, but effective, trick in the midgame - if you reach it - is Scour the Wastes to build up an army of 1/1's, and then flunge with Rush of Battle...
... but, as with all things... it has it's weaknesses. What are they? Well bare in mind - this is a rush deck, so it shares all the common weaknesses of that build, but for some specifics... first off, your deck is mostly 2/2s, so one the enemy starts getting his heavy hitters out, you're basically done for. Rush of Battle can help mitigate that, but to be honest if you've let them put down a 5/5 the game is basically over.
Second off, since you're trying to kill them quick, most of your creatures favour attack over defence, so you'll have a lot of X/1s, and they always trade down. Blood-Chin Rager is here to help with that - in theory - cos he at least means you can take out a couple creatures with you - but if the enemy is being smart, you'll generally lose more of worth than them. Especially if they decide to bring a Defender...
And, lastly... your losses matter. A lot. Since you have to kill your enemy as quick as possible, you generally can't afford to lose your creatures if he starts rushing back. Each time you lose a creature, you're adding another two turns to the game, and that's a serious risk. Throwing Knife can help here - since you can sack it to deal 2 to a blocker, you have something akin to Double-Strike... and, failing that, I'm rather fond of Infernal Scarring - +1/0 really helps with the whole 'rush' part, and it means you at least get to draw if you die. Might as well have a silver lining, eh?
... But, yes - that is, essentially, my Warrior deck. I haven't mentioned everything in there - partially to keep my secrets, but mostly cos a lot of it is just filler... plus, I'm considering trading out a couple cards anyway, so, I'd hate to talk about how great Malakir Cullblade is (he's alright, but he's mostly there to fill space), and then drop him in favour of a Lightwalker...
So, this is, obviously, a bit of a new thing for me. I've enjoyed it, but I'll let my views decide whether or not to repeat... Still, if you've stuck around so far - thanks. Hope you've enjoyed what this little experiment, and I hope you return next week.
Volodanti out.
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