Mind you, I don't think I'd necessarily go back, what with all of the coolness that's readily available to us now with the internet and indy games and so on.
But that takes me back. It was a different time...
Anybody else play Crossbows & Catapults back in the day? Good, silly fun. They recently revamped the line and I saw a set at the WalMart a couple days ago.
Yes, Crossbows and Catapults was lots of fun. Especially when you doubled up on the rubber bands and "accidentally" shot one at your brother's head instead of his castle.
We had a Crossbows & Catapults set in the back room of the game shop where I worked in the 80s, on the big metal shelf of store-copy boardgames.
In theory, we could pull any game off the shelf and play it anytime. In practice, we consistently pulled down only a handful, maybe 8 or 9 games on those shelves ever got consistent play (Junta, Talisman, Illuminati, Dune, Rail Baron, Civ, a few others).
We often pulled down Crossbows & Catapults ... but only when we wanted some quick props for Pat's D&D runs (Pat liked the pieces). I honestly don't remember anyone ever playing the game, and I recall everyone mentioning it at some point "We really should give that a try sometime." "Yeah, we should."
Just thinking about it makes me want to play Rail Baron right now :)
Photoshop and Pagemaker killed good taste in colour choice and cover design for gaming products.
I think that's true. The root problem, IMO, is people confusing knowledge of the software with knowledge of design, which is a bit like someone thinking "I know how to swing a hammer and saw a saw; I guess that makes me a carpenter!"
... although for my own selfish tastes it's of much greater consequence that Photoshop (in particular) not only killed fantasy cartography, it also went on to rape the corpse, skin it, and hang the skin from its head while dancing around the room going "hahahah! glossy textures and obvious digital dropshadows! hahahah!"
And PageMaker (and its descendants, Quark and InDesign) killed RPG interior typography, which was never in good shape to begin with, so it was like beating up a kid in a wheelchari.
I´d field a more differentiated opinion of fantasy cartography, but alas this is not the right place and time. My main point though is that real quality maps cost real money, way more than most people would think, even in Real Life publishing. So they are either made out of love at a loss, or by non-professionals, or in a short timeframe. Interestingly, certain styles have trained the (D&D) customer to only appreciate that certain style. And the fine Sir who is master of that style now is flooded in work and his quality and detail has dropped to very low levels. It´s really a shame, but the tragedy is even greater in RL mapping...
[...] real quality maps cost real money, way more than most people would think [...]So they are either made out of love at a loss, or by non-professionals, or in a short timeframe.
That's true (and equally true) of every element in an RPG book. Anyone who may have told you different is just ignorant.
Crapland is a game. (SPEED-RUN) Session twoo.
-
召喚 by 妖女 · 天火見
✿.。.- ☆-. during this actual play I listened to the album .-.☆-.-。.✿
(catch up on the previous session here)
1.
Shark-8 caries Tela under ...
Goodness Gracious, I've Gone to the Dark Side
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What with the new 2024 revisions due to start being released this coming
September, I am converting my online game to D&D 5th edition.
I still have to en...
Dungeon Apps
-
"I’ve just been wondering what apps adventurers would use if smartphones
worked in dungeons"
- Jeff Rients
Here's some ideas we had:
"Lock app for th...
Troika! character sheet
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I made a simple horizontal Troika! character sheet and thought I’d share it
here for free. Hopefully somebody will find it useful! 🙂 Download the
charac...
The Time Bandits
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Six boisterous dwarves, who, until recently, were employed by the *Supreme
Being* to fix holes in the space-time continuum. Then they had a
brainstorm: W...
Let’s make goblins unique
-
When a goblin is encountered (or a bunch of the nasty beasts), roll a set
of 6 dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) for each of a few of them, or at
least thei...
Philately & Phylacteries: D&D Comes to the USPS
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If you follow Grognardia as closely as I do, you have no double heard about
the upcoming D&D stamps the United States Postal Service will […] Read More
Numenera: Those Who Move Clouds, Session 1
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When a Shadow of the Demon Lord campaign I was running came to a close, I
had everyone vote on what would I would run next, from games on The List
(almost ...
cryptid in july poetry day 09, the enfield horror
-
a poem about the enfield horror
I’m an armpit leaping
around the woods on three
legs waiting
for police to arrest me
I’m the living
embodiment of cough...
Übersiedelt
-
Dieser Blog ist Anfang des Jahres 2022 übersiedelt. Am Blog von
gazerpress.at schreibe ich weiterhin über Historisches und Aktuelles rund
ums Rollenspiel.
In Defense of Race As Class
-
Race As Class! Baffling to some, overly simplistic to others, gold to me.
Race As Class does what even AD&D didn't have the balls to do: it not only
says "...
A Fresh Start
-
Morning Folks
I came across someone's blog the other day and I liked it's focus, focus is
something I could use so I'm going to steal it along with anyt...
A timeline for historical games in the Lowlands
-
6th century: Clovis I, King of the Franks, converts to the Roman Church
1000: Pagan Saxon and Frisian religions cease to exist as such and are
subsumed un...
Not the best year
-
In many ways 2021 has not been a lot of fun. For me, it started with
catching COVID-19, along with many of the friends I game with, and while,
fortunately,...
Another Whack at Skills and Classes
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I have enjoyed running Lamentations of the Flame Princess games regularly
since 2012. Regardless of certain tedious controversies surrounding the
publis...
XP per esplorazione
-
Di recente la blogosfera è stata attraversata da un dibattito su come
assegnare punti esperienza extra oltre il consueto (e rodato) Oro*xp. Già a
suo te...
Blog Reboot
-
How starting over feels...
After the disaster that was 2020 I decided it would be best to start over
on a new blog. Wipe the state clean as they say. It'll...
Vengeful Cuckold and Cuckquean Generator
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I submitted a table I made to Jeff Rients for his awesome Flame Princess
Cult Zine. I have already used it in several ways during games and have
enjoye...
REVIEW – Fish Fuckers
-
Fish Fuckers is a Lamentations of the Flame Princess Adventure with Text
and Art by Kelvin Green, Graphic Design by Alex Mayo, and Editing by
Jarrett Crade...
Ten Fearsome Pit Fighters of the Grand Arena
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There are many fighting pits in the city, but none of them compare to the
Grand Arena in terms of prestige, showmanship, and skill of the fighters.
The fig...
Finally, a review!
-
Today, we are taking a look at *Obscene Serpent Religion 2 By *Jeff Rients
for Lamentations of the Flame Princess.
I rate products in these categories:
Writ...
House Rule: (More) Cannon Fodder
-
One issue that people can have with LotFP/OSR games is high character
turnover. Sometimes the module is too deadly, the players too green, the GM
too evil...
You Can't Do That!
-
I remember the light and magic that lit my mind of fire the first time I
played Dungeons and Dragons. My friend had gotten a starter set that had a
great ...
My first copy of Space Opera was ordered from Montgomery Ward!
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize how close to mainstream gaming had gotten at the time. D&D, Traveller, and Squad Leader in a Sears catalog?!?!
ReplyDeleteStan
Ah, Space Opera and FASATrek 1st Edition. Double-dose of warm fuzzy :)
ReplyDeleteMind you, I don't think I'd necessarily go back, what with all of the coolness that's readily available to us now with the internet and indy games and so on.
ReplyDeleteBut that takes me back. It was a different time...
I just noticed that the Monster Manual II has a (presumably production mockup) alternate cover from the actual release.
ReplyDeleteAnd that the Traveller starter set includes activities! More than 10! Yay!
Anybody else play Crossbows & Catapults back in the day? Good, silly fun. They recently revamped the line and I saw a set at the WalMart a couple days ago.
ReplyDeleteYep. I remember playing it with my sister. Good times.
ReplyDelete"Activities"?! What, did it include a page to color, a crossword, and a maze?
Yes, Crossbows and Catapults was lots of fun. Especially when you doubled up on the rubber bands and "accidentally" shot one at your brother's head instead of his castle.
ReplyDeleteGeez, it was just a different time, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteLooking at that gives me a nice, warm feeling, but also kind of a sad nostalgia.
I had a full range of Crossbows and Catapaults stuff. Too much fun.
ReplyDeleteWe had a Crossbows & Catapults set in the back room of the game shop where I worked in the 80s, on the big metal shelf of store-copy boardgames.
ReplyDeleteIn theory, we could pull any game off the shelf and play it anytime. In practice, we consistently pulled down only a handful, maybe 8 or 9 games on those shelves ever got consistent play (Junta, Talisman, Illuminati, Dune, Rail Baron, Civ, a few others).
We often pulled down Crossbows & Catapults ... but only when we wanted some quick props for Pat's D&D runs (Pat liked the pieces). I honestly don't remember anyone ever playing the game, and I recall everyone mentioning it at some point "We really should give that a try sometime." "Yeah, we should."
Just thinking about it makes me want to play Rail Baron right now :)
Photoshop and Pagemaker killed good taste in colour choice and cover design for gaming products.
ReplyDeletePhotoshop and Pagemaker killed good taste in colour choice and cover design for gaming products.
ReplyDeleteI think that's true. The root problem, IMO, is people confusing knowledge of the software with knowledge of design, which is a bit like someone thinking "I know how to swing a hammer and saw a saw; I guess that makes me a carpenter!"
... although for my own selfish tastes it's of much greater consequence that Photoshop (in particular) not only killed fantasy cartography, it also went on to rape the corpse, skin it, and hang the skin from its head while dancing around the room going "hahahah! glossy textures and obvious digital dropshadows! hahahah!"
And PageMaker (and its descendants, Quark and InDesign) killed RPG interior typography, which was never in good shape to begin with, so it was like beating up a kid in a wheelchari.
And of course, I killed my own ability to spell. Apparently.
ReplyDeleteI´d field a more differentiated opinion of fantasy cartography, but alas this is not the right place and time.
ReplyDeleteMy main point though is that real quality maps cost real money, way more than most people would think, even in Real Life publishing.
So they are either made out of love at a loss, or by non-professionals, or in a short timeframe.
Interestingly, certain styles have trained the (D&D) customer to only appreciate that certain style.
And the fine Sir who is master of that style now is flooded in work and his quality and detail has dropped to very low levels.
It´s really a shame, but the tragedy is even greater in RL mapping...
[...] real quality maps cost real money, way more than most people would think [...]So they are either made out of love at a loss, or by non-professionals, or in a short timeframe.
ReplyDeleteThat's true (and equally true) of every element in an RPG book. Anyone who may have told you different is just ignorant.