tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9317913219175717012024-03-05T04:32:38.503-05:00WarStrike: The M42 ProjectAn Independent Alternative To The Warhammer 40,000 Game SystemSandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.comBlogger527125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-50625220372945375722024-02-07T11:55:00.002-05:002024-02-07T11:55:28.644-05:00Hold Up... New Job<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mbuk_zNucq_-uKKSCznIWU3oMrms9ad-c8XLHv1uVf5kuiz7M-ydPbSimKgnqCYiaTfJvyu5xCOGQdJvcno2-0Usp5dV1rBahyTeZQFVLfBUNoHjtXYvY7kFOW3nVMcjaFZVYGgL44WSLNqzDOmXpHU_jYazA6azER0fAQdAu6pJwRVAaFn-aPyFDfY/s1000/M42Cyber-Monk_KeithGoreham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="774" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mbuk_zNucq_-uKKSCznIWU3oMrms9ad-c8XLHv1uVf5kuiz7M-ydPbSimKgnqCYiaTfJvyu5xCOGQdJvcno2-0Usp5dV1rBahyTeZQFVLfBUNoHjtXYvY7kFOW3nVMcjaFZVYGgL44WSLNqzDOmXpHU_jYazA6azER0fAQdAu6pJwRVAaFn-aPyFDfY/w496-h640/M42Cyber-Monk_KeithGoreham.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wait... Universal Life is just like Variable Life, but lets you invest? Gah!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>I'm finally leaving the low-paying retail gig behind. It's being replaced by a much better paying financial services job, which requires me to get licensed. Which means I'm spending all of my free time studying for that test.</p><p>Should be wrapped up in a week so. Then a couple more of weeks of training before I can get the sane work hours and boost in free time that I'm expecting.</p>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-41437782600396569872024-01-19T02:32:00.008-05:002024-01-19T02:34:45.044-05:00New Cover Image<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_LX-dJItqSEWh7IAyHSG6X5v5U6A-fFkNWTBdOZrcyxsOZLngYcOintPdqowWHYAwR6wjRdfxNfF7mAPc4y9yao-dex-vdxbsJgczcn22sdCdRq0iK0pQLdTd94modVMRetgBNp55eUmWgXsEbbUSCumK4D9P-2Ef5BpDn-LMERTWYGzJDdG47NvWHY/s1332/New%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_LX-dJItqSEWh7IAyHSG6X5v5U6A-fFkNWTBdOZrcyxsOZLngYcOintPdqowWHYAwR6wjRdfxNfF7mAPc4y9yao-dex-vdxbsJgczcn22sdCdRq0iK0pQLdTd94modVMRetgBNp55eUmWgXsEbbUSCumK4D9P-2Ef5BpDn-LMERTWYGzJDdG47NvWHY/w480-h640/New%20Cover.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The New Cover Image For The WarStrike eBook</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The cover will most likely change again every time there's a major alpha/beta/final release.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRcWScdGUsfVVksFVc5zdhFCX0Q3rchj8F82EUa7JaS5sQ_OvUjttuLfGcACMY6ACgjRtujgi5dnYyktoe5owMsyceZJ0wDVM6KGfAKxhAYbHv_6-PHKs3My_NBmsDMUEJrKkEes4Jt81M04wKTEsX0Du-VhUc1tvFiBkUiHZx3H4KwbKTxS5m7IQQPc/s1000/New%20Cover%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRcWScdGUsfVVksFVc5zdhFCX0Q3rchj8F82EUa7JaS5sQ_OvUjttuLfGcACMY6ACgjRtujgi5dnYyktoe5owMsyceZJ0wDVM6KGfAKxhAYbHv_6-PHKs3My_NBmsDMUEJrKkEes4Jt81M04wKTEsX0Du-VhUc1tvFiBkUiHZx3H4KwbKTxS5m7IQQPc/w640-h426/New%20Cover%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So first you'll be plunged into 13 pages of nicely illustrated Republic creation myth. I'm not going to post all of the images yet, as I'm only <i>mostly</i> satisfied with the story. But after the mythos will come the credits page, the welcome message, and then the first section of rules.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVvTMwbIXSxFaxn5KPVGQ6UpB_MocBqIoQvumXTuhCa-eT4uf7A-B-xOd6KygrIAWIvuyLmbsK4M_coX0hbJBAhIQk5GRRsN95MFErwRvxQsuBbVneHy_KfLYEoUe8tIBbDjP9Zvs77_mkUJWK24xnDGilabOZlxVATKgOf3ZARFmn1cIhNqM6aoaJQY/s1499/Getting%20Started.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1499" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVvTMwbIXSxFaxn5KPVGQ6UpB_MocBqIoQvumXTuhCa-eT4uf7A-B-xOd6KygrIAWIvuyLmbsK4M_coX0hbJBAhIQk5GRRsN95MFErwRvxQsuBbVneHy_KfLYEoUe8tIBbDjP9Zvs77_mkUJWK24xnDGilabOZlxVATKgOf3ZARFmn1cIhNqM6aoaJQY/w640-h426/Getting%20Started.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Which is, of course, how to read the rules.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thoughts?</div><p></p>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-33266662805786647112024-01-12T00:28:00.013-05:002024-01-12T00:48:37.428-05:00AI Diversity Is Hard<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJSnbNB_OIju4n2wcawcZ-49_a_9omTKgkMsdjH8pUMKgmG4xXq2XFwout4-l3MCT25-m5szIG89fPySS-baFLmTgpi3Aq_hiAJyGFx2vF21fwy-9fk7A7eByyoNBEIN5CiK9wri1L1J72Rmz1Pg84l7Q9kKmIMCFW7yjAI9ybovRxZi3Cqd9qs0ejb4/s1000/Organizing%20A%20Battle.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJSnbNB_OIju4n2wcawcZ-49_a_9omTKgkMsdjH8pUMKgmG4xXq2XFwout4-l3MCT25-m5szIG89fPySS-baFLmTgpi3Aq_hiAJyGFx2vF21fwy-9fk7A7eByyoNBEIN5CiK9wri1L1J72Rmz1Pg84l7Q9kKmIMCFW7yjAI9ybovRxZi3Cqd9qs0ejb4/w480-h640/Organizing%20A%20Battle.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Updated Section Image</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>This is the last of the 36 rules-specific illustrations that needed to be updated. Which took all of 2 weeks. There will be more for the faction-specific fluff, although some of those are done already. But the only thing left to update in the rules is the photographs of gameplay situations. For which I'll be using the 3rd-Party miniatures and terrain that I painted up for Gencon a few years back. That's all ready to go.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the reason I'm so happy with this particular illustration has to do with its difficulty. Given the inherent biases that Stable Diffusion (my AI model of choice) has.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>First, a last look at the previous image:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBImFMMl46RUNU-lAnxSLWjhUfa6DdGwmpL2_ugmmAlbRQmzYxfH2dOY2h5xtv778c7txHGaf4IBD_UIyPD6Hwh6ClHcOtM0wkbSh5g5yIKyBB5QIdQo7sn88uyvo4P0h8dWGXjzHIMAJgLQhl8YRQLKhscAfIq9IzQOsJM2XUsTw9zqoBrAZMy76oGE/s1000/Organizing%20A%20Battle%20-%20Old.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="745" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBImFMMl46RUNU-lAnxSLWjhUfa6DdGwmpL2_ugmmAlbRQmzYxfH2dOY2h5xtv778c7txHGaf4IBD_UIyPD6Hwh6ClHcOtM0wkbSh5g5yIKyBB5QIdQo7sn88uyvo4P0h8dWGXjzHIMAJgLQhl8YRQLKhscAfIq9IzQOsJM2XUsTw9zqoBrAZMy76oGE/w478-h640/Organizing%20A%20Battle%20-%20Old.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This was the old section illustration, and it couldn't be saved with a quick AI pass.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now for a closeup on that map table...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rlvzuGgaben8Xt_yUZrTyGB9kEhuxxzDfIPw1dPqhWw74v8XWCaCWF1bIR6059wqLyZohu3Sh0ewXzB-_Csuu0ZsxRQoIjOC_YAYGyfAr9wL2jCHyC_RA595gfFSo8E7-zejtavOYMR0GFisyXj7JhIpYdExMx8YJmf4chtN5BPbqhzJXOECwi9MUj0/s1160/Organizing%20A%20Battle%20-%20Closeup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1160" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rlvzuGgaben8Xt_yUZrTyGB9kEhuxxzDfIPw1dPqhWw74v8XWCaCWF1bIR6059wqLyZohu3Sh0ewXzB-_Csuu0ZsxRQoIjOC_YAYGyfAr9wL2jCHyC_RA595gfFSo8E7-zejtavOYMR0GFisyXj7JhIpYdExMx8YJmf4chtN5BPbqhzJXOECwi9MUj0/w640-h358/Organizing%20A%20Battle%20-%20Closeup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>There's 4 races of Republic Laansguard depicted here, and each is nicely different from each other. But that didn't happen automatically, and even if I'd instructed the AI to do it, it wouldn't have.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ImIldKm99896WiW27MmhNyq9DUEk49WPL4nICcRgJxc8K5D6jb1Y5U85-hcZLTIBeeHJ4oa6HOOXmmAWmAL2MBDUyz2lwJya80LbWKEbweYMtG84Mfisa5ft9679QKr57gH41PBfchFvbcajHRCgdgahWUSsHPC-obFzcg_fftVn7mXRe-1qrmDkug/s1083/All%20Armored.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1083" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ImIldKm99896WiW27MmhNyq9DUEk49WPL4nICcRgJxc8K5D6jb1Y5U85-hcZLTIBeeHJ4oa6HOOXmmAWmAL2MBDUyz2lwJya80LbWKEbweYMtG84Mfisa5ft9679QKr57gH41PBfchFvbcajHRCgdgahWUSsHPC-obFzcg_fftVn7mXRe-1qrmDkug/w640-h296/All%20Armored.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>You see, the AI likes to make all of the characters in an image look the same. It might gender-swap a character or two, but it will still be the same look, face, hair, etc. in a differently shaped body.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb4RqHAtkhcyFObRqvS39wT_OhxI2B-fuClq3MYRaajFsou6usdVgPgNU40Z4Z9DxHO2dL6EhK_ZmJ1WDsjsMnNwVymMrkFHfDYlAA_ka0hbMqBkpX8zWFcpwatrqotTIAIEYiMbe1hnhY4kb5VFfOjP1Qj4mwd-nq6A5ch15bZ76wK0f2cy-lFA3hCI/s1176/All%20White%20Guys.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1176" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb4RqHAtkhcyFObRqvS39wT_OhxI2B-fuClq3MYRaajFsou6usdVgPgNU40Z4Z9DxHO2dL6EhK_ZmJ1WDsjsMnNwVymMrkFHfDYlAA_ka0hbMqBkpX8zWFcpwatrqotTIAIEYiMbe1hnhY4kb5VFfOjP1Qj4mwd-nq6A5ch15bZ76wK0f2cy-lFA3hCI/w640-h272/All%20White%20Guys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Here, despite a multi-racial prompt, we have all white guys. The two on the left have the same hair style, and so do the two in the middle.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRAMecLlU9koLeqbwA5jdzlL3VSK7Tb2dNKDqAAKAWFURa7H650F0ZwvCfCOSSuK5ISSACiz3yGLIh62hA9SiF_hVNGwqBbImViYKwhRZmrS3attSigCtlJATR49iolYG9uzMYbtmpNY-AirD1lKzwOaF82RfQoaeQGiMzSDvCUgInzmd1MtTE94b9BA/s1121/All%20East%20Indians.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1121" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRAMecLlU9koLeqbwA5jdzlL3VSK7Tb2dNKDqAAKAWFURa7H650F0ZwvCfCOSSuK5ISSACiz3yGLIh62hA9SiF_hVNGwqBbImViYKwhRZmrS3attSigCtlJATR49iolYG9uzMYbtmpNY-AirD1lKzwOaF82RfQoaeQGiMzSDvCUgInzmd1MtTE94b9BA/w640-h294/All%20East%20Indians.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>These were prompted as "East Indians" because prompting "Indians" literally gave me bare-chested Native Americans in headdresses. Ick!</div><div><br /></div><div>Even so, they're all the same guy! They're also looking at jewelry instead of the map I prompted, because... WTF? </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFO0vV3ANcFnmP-vr0rMXOg9r2nq00ZCrd0VxqqDgFEPUa6tmjBBYulIv9fOQ_tyk90zsPlxCbDlzX5_8AruvQWo4AzepVqsmsEu-Q4vQHJWzrPzNhV4cLSGsd90IVqpSxU0qgCipXrSoqC0wJqKkQMuDYXoZVJiN0UBaT-w6ht9KHhvMcDdN4oOZNPE/s1114/All%20Black%20Guys.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1114" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFO0vV3ANcFnmP-vr0rMXOg9r2nq00ZCrd0VxqqDgFEPUa6tmjBBYulIv9fOQ_tyk90zsPlxCbDlzX5_8AruvQWo4AzepVqsmsEu-Q4vQHJWzrPzNhV4cLSGsd90IVqpSxU0qgCipXrSoqC0wJqKkQMuDYXoZVJiN0UBaT-w6ht9KHhvMcDdN4oOZNPE/w640-h288/All%20Black%20Guys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The AI requires that you use "Africans" or you'll only get slightly tanned White guys instead. Again, all the same guy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxt4X9yMTQT_gQ6dyjBLm8TUBOQ9zvW6mbJ-pS0W0Gi7J_6Bt7AQLeIo9G1Q8rZQ-F7syKHZgkncNNcaBAHLCPXW_wdlTTt95l1N4gxmBxKAMMvy-UsnEgEqHK4jtSuZ0-oSXImbjt4GcpUUk1wKNwp_AiuBH1SGNlMd83sABPLBzw2yLCRiwsAHnef4/s1110/All%20Chinese.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1110" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxt4X9yMTQT_gQ6dyjBLm8TUBOQ9zvW6mbJ-pS0W0Gi7J_6Bt7AQLeIo9G1Q8rZQ-F7syKHZgkncNNcaBAHLCPXW_wdlTTt95l1N4gxmBxKAMMvy-UsnEgEqHK4jtSuZ0-oSXImbjt4GcpUUk1wKNwp_AiuBH1SGNlMd83sABPLBzw2yLCRiwsAHnef4/w640-h296/All%20Chinese.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>And the Chinese version.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rlvzuGgaben8Xt_yUZrTyGB9kEhuxxzDfIPw1dPqhWw74v8XWCaCWF1bIR6059wqLyZohu3Sh0ewXzB-_Csuu0ZsxRQoIjOC_YAYGyfAr9wL2jCHyC_RA595gfFSo8E7-zejtavOYMR0GFisyXj7JhIpYdExMx8YJmf4chtN5BPbqhzJXOECwi9MUj0/s1160/Organizing%20A%20Battle%20-%20Closeup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1160" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rlvzuGgaben8Xt_yUZrTyGB9kEhuxxzDfIPw1dPqhWw74v8XWCaCWF1bIR6059wqLyZohu3Sh0ewXzB-_Csuu0ZsxRQoIjOC_YAYGyfAr9wL2jCHyC_RA595gfFSo8E7-zejtavOYMR0GFisyXj7JhIpYdExMx8YJmf4chtN5BPbqhzJXOECwi9MUj0/w640-h358/Organizing%20A%20Battle%20-%20Closeup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>So I had to break out my Photoshop skills, and pluck my favorite racial representatives from each group. Placing all of them in the same image looking at a proper futuristic map. Which I cut out of yet another image that I only liked that particular part of.</div><div><br /></div><div>This turned into a 4.5 hour slog as I made modifications in Photoshop, ran them through the AI again to make the subjects match the new background, and then made more changes. Rinse, repeat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, that's only about half of the time that a professional painter would take to do a similar scene with just 1-2 characters with less detail and finish, so we're still talking about a substantial net productivity gain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thoughts?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-86632299156376566762024-01-10T03:01:00.002-05:002024-01-10T03:05:03.746-05:00A Path Has Been Made Clear To Me<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNJQv0P8Sdp5zG28-x3osoehAXuZlmAwCcb_fAe_Tn5fPI8Dm2nwolSl3Ytjq0fW7pyxc0DDEtwKxAm6I-0iKxvFd7O_8hvw0LqFWrGg3xN5OnluFfkLp-4fA-xH6-gzl3cVsIODp-dKkKEdI82m1FxZTffVoUsPkj6SWp-I5_NTFP0UJ2GwxZoUg5lMw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNJQv0P8Sdp5zG28-x3osoehAXuZlmAwCcb_fAe_Tn5fPI8Dm2nwolSl3Ytjq0fW7pyxc0DDEtwKxAm6I-0iKxvFd7O_8hvw0LqFWrGg3xN5OnluFfkLp-4fA-xH6-gzl3cVsIODp-dKkKEdI82m1FxZTffVoUsPkj6SWp-I5_NTFP0UJ2GwxZoUg5lMw=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Here's my Zero-G Illustration of a "Nice" Colseran That Will Star In The Fiction I'm Writing</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div>It's been a pretty rough year all around, with huge layoffs in film Animation/FX and games both before and after the recent strikes in Hollywood. I'm getting by, as almost every 3D guy I know is, with a mix of freelance and retail work. </div><div><br />The good news though, is that in completing a Product Management certificate last fall, I've gotten plugged into the investment community. Where there's actual interest in WarStrike as a disruptor for an industry that's still stuck in a business model that Games Workshop created in the 1980's.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>But while there is interest, there is also a lot of things that need to be done prior to hunting down some investors. I will say this for the investment community, they are very kind with their time and guidance. After talking to a few about the history and current state of the project, I've determined what our milestones need to be to win that first round of funding.</div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">The Investor To-Do List</span></h2><div>The basic rules for WarStrike have been all but done (barring some mission-specific stuff) for a while now. I've given early copies to a few people. But I'm currently going through it in detail to fix the book's remaining issues. All of which are more or less happening simultaneously.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #e69138;">1. Reformatting The Book</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I was using iBooks Author for authoring the book up until recently, but that app is being End of Life'd by Apple. Their go-to replacement is Pages, their word processing App on the Mac. Which isn't bad, and has the advantage of handling memory access much better. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1cFVS04W8BDYdqR8icEE28l7gYKQF8888XmHZVyUxK2mR9Iq0x7WOrlXOIevoSBN7xo-ukFa9T-P0RgdufPmK9eFKOqvv9_ob2IJzBBrCl07EhsuN_qlnUxaIrHegG4bBaSSPLlDhjsV1DAu5P2Yqx6dCbfzXEYO3vQG2AoCe8kX3lO6HyF2AfQU6iHc" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1cFVS04W8BDYdqR8icEE28l7gYKQF8888XmHZVyUxK2mR9Iq0x7WOrlXOIevoSBN7xo-ukFa9T-P0RgdufPmK9eFKOqvv9_ob2IJzBBrCl07EhsuN_qlnUxaIrHegG4bBaSSPLlDhjsV1DAu5P2Yqx6dCbfzXEYO3vQG2AoCe8kX3lO6HyF2AfQU6iHc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Gone are the pics of contemporary people. Now we have real grimdark characters.</i> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />But the pages are taller, so adjustments have had to be made everywhere after the import. There's also been font issues to deal with. Pages doesn't handle titles and captions for images very well either. So I've had to do time-consuming workarounds.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #e69138;">2. Finish Some Fiction </span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah sure, the rules are very very good. But as we all know the failure of Rick Priestly's "Gates of Antares", the fluff cannot be ignored. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1a13II0BwS_HBkAlZPxks9WV4wfZ_Kz-4Gqq8Kqek4dkwI6yJ4uoZhfdsW9iEb6NaMW92RpLE8ps1xahWYppPQbIUAVDHOObHMpm_RjsI1GtwYnChQb0mbqClutuoJP5AWrH-K0YxamPO-_omVwubuRKgGxb_HMsHcqWf5MrJlfvSPYwOr2YRyWpQ150" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1038" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1a13II0BwS_HBkAlZPxks9WV4wfZ_Kz-4Gqq8Kqek4dkwI6yJ4uoZhfdsW9iEb6NaMW92RpLE8ps1xahWYppPQbIUAVDHOObHMpm_RjsI1GtwYnChQb0mbqClutuoJP5AWrH-K0YxamPO-_omVwubuRKgGxb_HMsHcqWf5MrJlfvSPYwOr2YRyWpQ150=w640-h308" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So I've finished the opening 13-page creation mythos of the Republic. That mythos will be the story against which every faction's attitudes will be measured. Because they all (even parts of the Republic) have their own take on it. Suffice it to say that there will be no shortage of unreliable narrators in WarStrike's fiction.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm also about half-way through a complete re-write of the Republic's history (as they know it) and will be doing shorter, but still fairly detailed descriptions of at least the Colserans, Fallen, and Gruin.</div><div><br /></div><div>There will be some test units defined, but design notes will have to suffice for most of the factions.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've also got a more complex faction-crossing story with real characters interacting with this world planned. Been thinking that story through for years, and a big part of what failed with Antares was its lack of character-centric stories at launch. So we'll follow a Prophet of the Republic on his pilgrimage to Colseran space and back. The characters he meets along the way will also have their own interconnected stories to tell.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #e69138;">3. Update The Art</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>When we started this project, I did every illustration through either straight stock art, or photoshopped mashups made from stock art. While that worked at the time, the revolution in AI assisted art has made a makeover necessary. Even for most of the AI-assisted images that I was creating for the game just 6 months ago. The tools just keep getting exponentially better every month or two, giving me more and more control over what gets rendered.</div><div><br /></div><div>So every image in this post was made by me using a combination of Photoshop & Stable Diffusion directed with the ComfyUI wireframe system. The results speak for themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGXmeVvQOsmrDh49ToxxGDwf89CY5R-DbcFWBLa-FvHvABFmwBQUmtJ-qJ6Q6KLDIuHOAv46Pbn6H8rvNBBipQbvry_gx1T3FY6nMDcMneTiN2gfhK_eA0aiQqdAeWqxa-WooUoI1G4oYhz2aXq0d5ugSZDgoevqh-SXeMJYlu_nTEziL6-ghboKN4z_8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1501" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGXmeVvQOsmrDh49ToxxGDwf89CY5R-DbcFWBLa-FvHvABFmwBQUmtJ-qJ6Q6KLDIuHOAv46Pbn6H8rvNBBipQbvry_gx1T3FY6nMDcMneTiN2gfhK_eA0aiQqdAeWqxa-WooUoI1G4oYhz2aXq0d5ugSZDgoevqh-SXeMJYlu_nTEziL6-ghboKN4z_8=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The picture on the left was just a rough composite of some buildings and much less impressive explosion. But run it through the AI as a guide, and I've got a new take on it every few seconds. I then keep what I like, re-composite in Photoshop, and run it through the AI again until I get something that really pops.</div><div><br /></div><div>The pic on the right was just a stock photo of somebody in a very flimsy cardboard power armor that could have come straight out of Peter Davidson's run as Dr. Who. The setting was a dirty, cluttered basement. The AI made him not only infinitely cooler looking, but put in a damn good background as well. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg089Ht_8HPHaJHhJH15I--E43BQtnSeuDoM4VFzbLBo1UkS3BHnQip-C8tgnKwgyzP7_VmYCzS3eGVnnsm7YlWCV3byw8nPAzH8yJ8cOvTjKl2yEL0gNOhHgjUYc8Nu_PJm6LHW3ItVd1rpJM6Lym8cDS_Lh079OnKs7ANQeUBODOtSm-MbAipuOvw8w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1516" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg089Ht_8HPHaJHhJH15I--E43BQtnSeuDoM4VFzbLBo1UkS3BHnQip-C8tgnKwgyzP7_VmYCzS3eGVnnsm7YlWCV3byw8nPAzH8yJ8cOvTjKl2yEL0gNOhHgjUYc8Nu_PJm6LHW3ItVd1rpJM6Lym8cDS_Lh079OnKs7ANQeUBODOtSm-MbAipuOvw8w=w640-h422" width="640" /></a></div><br />This is my favorite before and after makeover. Yes, the anatomy on the right-hand skellies is bonkers. But that feel... It perfectly captures the proper mood for this section!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #e69138;">3. Shoot Some Explanatory Videos</span></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The investors that I end up talking to will need some way of understanding what a tabletop wargame is. As they're likely only familiar with board games and perhaps a bit of D&D. This one's harder, not because I don't have cameras and such, but because I need someone else to present the game to. Someone who's going to ask the right questions about how to do what.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first two-hour attempt was a bust due to various issues that have been addressed. I just need to coax another non-gamer friend into being my everyman. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #e69138;">4. Put Together a Demo App</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't talked too much to-date about the app I have planned. Since it's going to be how we monetize this project. But I need something that looks good, and does something unique in order to woo investors.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I figure about 3 months to get all of this done to a standard that will be compelling, even if not fully complete.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #e69138;">5. Updating The Blog Regularly</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>This one is not so much for the investors, as for me. If I'm going to keep up the momentum on this project, I need immediate and continuous feedback on what I'm doing. It's what I thrive on.</div><div><br /></div><div>So if you're reading this, speak up in the comments. Did you like the pictures? Do you disagree with something I said? Well let me know what you think!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thoughts?</div>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-12987697284628654672023-03-12T16:47:00.004-04:002023-03-12T16:56:50.881-04:00"I'm afraid I CAN do that Dave..."<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzH9bkw-uPSRD1rcOT8wHBG5i6QNcmy2bzKEXCotXK_TGrTuvMeZMGiabov3Kp2NP-sBRVbYZi3lhY1LwvJ5VeJDpILAOcmDCORATWvtDAif8xvQtyb7Q1Su19-4sQEWEJ7N9aSn7fL7ttT4S4qL_ZtdvOLuMtcmYDD-d46Hd_jLgWNHoJ1LzMVSLt/s1000/gruin_warcardinal.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzH9bkw-uPSRD1rcOT8wHBG5i6QNcmy2bzKEXCotXK_TGrTuvMeZMGiabov3Kp2NP-sBRVbYZi3lhY1LwvJ5VeJDpILAOcmDCORATWvtDAif8xvQtyb7Q1Su19-4sQEWEJ7N9aSn7fL7ttT4S4qL_ZtdvOLuMtcmYDD-d46Hd_jLgWNHoJ1LzMVSLt/w400-h640/gruin_warcardinal.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AI Rendered Gruin "Cardinalsar."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I played around with the paid version of ChatGPT earlier this week, having it write some boilerplate letters and resume outlines for my ongoing job hunt. But I got to thinking today... What if I tried to get it to write a little WarStrike fluff?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The process was interesting...</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had previously had ChatGPT analyze my posts on both this site and The Back 40k. So I figured it knew me (in this still-open chat instance at least) well enough to mimic my writing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's how that conversation went:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> "Using my writing style, can you generate a short Sci-Fi story about how humans on a planet slowly turned into communist orcs?"</span></div><blockquote><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"Once upon a time, humans colonized a distant planet known for its harsh conditions. As the years went by, the colonists struggled to survive in the unforgiving environment, and tensions began to rise between the different factions.<br /><br />One group, led by a charismatic leader named Krogar, began to espouse a radical ideology based on the principles of communism. They argued that the only way to ensure everyone's survival was to work together and share resources equally.<br /><br />At first, many of the other colonists scoffed at Krogar's ideas. But as the years went by and the conditions on the planet grew even more challenging, more and more people began to turn to his way of thinking.<br /><br />Slowly but surely, the society on the planet began to change. The colonists became more focused on the common good, and individual desires and needs took a back seat to the needs of the group.<br /><br />Over time, this communal way of life began to have a physical impact on the colonists. Their bodies grew stronger and more resilient, as if adapting to the demands of the new society. And as the years went by, the colonists began to take on a more brutish, orc-like appearance.<br /><br />But even as their bodies changed, the ideals of communism remained at the heart of their society. The colony thrived, with every member contributing to the greater good.<br /><br />As the years turned into decades, the colonists looked back on their past as humans with a mix of nostalgia and regret. They knew that they could never return to their old way of life, but they also knew that they had found something valuable in their new society.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">And so, the people of the planet continued to live as communist orcs, working together for the good of all." </span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> "Make the cause of the change to orc-communism a parasite that was encountered on the planet."</span><p></p><div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"Once upon a time, humans colonized a distant planet in search of a new home. But what they found there was far from welcoming.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">As the colonists explored the planet, they encountered a strange parasite that infected their bodies and began to alter their behavior. At first, the changes were subtle - the infected individuals became more aggressive and territorial, and began to see their fellow colonists as rivals to be defeated.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">But as the parasite continued to spread, something unexpected began to happen. The infected individuals began to feel a strange sense of camaraderie with one another. They felt a deep connection to their fellow infected, as if they were part of a larger whole.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Slowly but surely, the infected individuals began to form a new society based on the principles of communism. They shared resources and worked together to ensure the survival of all. And as the years went by, their bodies began to change as well. They grew stronger and more resilient, their features becoming more brutish and orc-like with each passing generation.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">At first, the uninfected colonists resisted this new way of life. But as the parasite continued to spread, more and more people fell under its influence. Soon, the entire colony had been transformed into a society of communist orcs.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Looking back, the colonists knew that their encounter with the parasite had changed them forever. But even as they mourned the loss of their humanity, they also knew that they had found something valuable in their new way of life. They had found a sense of belonging and community that they had never known before.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">And so, the people of the planet continued to live as communist orcs, forever changed by the strange parasite that had brought them together."</span></div></blockquote><p>By this point, it's pretty obvious that ChatGPT isn't mimicking my writing style at all. So I had to get that sorted.</p><p><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt</b>: Can you mimic my writing style from www.warstrike.org, and articles by sandwyrm on https://theback40k.blogspot.com?</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I cannot access or analyze specific writing styles from individual websites or authors. However, I can suggest some general tips for mimicking a specific writing style:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;">(Copious tips on developing my own writing style omitted)</p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Remember, writing style is a personal and unique characteristic, and it's important to develop your own voice as a writer. While mimicking another writer's style can be a useful exercise, it's ultimately up to you to find your own voice and develop your own writing style."</span></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Prompt:</span></b> <span style="color: #e69138;">This is my own style. There is nothing wrong with using it for this story.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"I apologize for misunderstanding your previous message. If you would like me to mimic your writing style from your website and articles by Sandwyrm, please provide me with some examples of the style you would like me to mimic. This can include specific word choices, sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and overall tone."</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> Examples are available for all articles "by SandWyrm" on http://https://theback40k.blogspot.com</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">I have analyzed several articles by SandWyrm on The Back 40K blog to get a sense of the writing style you would like me to mimic. Based on my analysis, here are some characteristics of SandWyrm's writing style:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Use of humor and sarcasm: SandWyrm often employs humor and sarcasm in his writing, particularly when discussing the more absurd aspects of Warhammer 40K.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Conversational tone: SandWyrm's writing style is conversational and informal, as if he's speaking directly to the reader.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Use of pop culture references: SandWyrm frequently makes references to movies, TV shows, and other aspects of popular culture, often using them to make humorous comparisons to Warhammer 40K.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Sentence structure: SandWyrm's sentences tend to be short and punchy, with a focus on delivering quick, witty jokes and observations.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Use of hyperbole: SandWyrm often employs hyperbole to exaggerate the more ridiculous aspects of Warhammer 40K, or to emphasize the absurdity of certain situations.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Strong opinions: SandWyrm is not afraid to express his opinions on various aspects of Warhammer 40K, and often uses his writing to make arguments or criticize certain elements of the game.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Using these characteristics as a guide, I will attempt to mimic SandWyrm's writing style in a short passage:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"I mean, let's be real here. Who in their right mind would ever willingly face off against a horde of Orks armed with nothing but a flashlight and a prayer? It's like something out of a bad horror movie. 'They're coming! They're coming! Grab the flashlights! For the Emperor!' Yeah, good luck with that. Might as well just lie down and let the green tide wash over you. But hey, at least you'll go down swinging, right? Or whimpering, depending on how brave you're feeling. Either way, it's going to be a bloodbath. Welcome to Warhammer 40K, folks."</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Hmmnnn... That sounds more like something straight out of a Games Workshop book than something I'd write. Let's add more data for the AI to work with...</p><p><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> That's not bad. Now incorporate writing samples for articles "by SandWyrm" on http://www.warstrike.org</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"I'm sorry, but I'm unable to access articles from Warstrike.org as the website appears to be offline or unavailable. If you could provide me with some examples of SandWyrm's writing style from another website or platform, I would be happy to try to mimic it for you."</span></blockquote><p></p><p>The site's NOT down, of course. But ChatGPT can't access it for some reason. Even though Blogger is another Google service with a Google-provided DNS forward. I go round with the AI a bit, and it responds with more tips on creating my own writing style. Bah!</p><p>So I have it do a Google search:</p><p><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> "Use google to search for "the m42 project". It will be the second result."</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"Thank you for providing the specific website. I have reviewed some articles on "The M42 Project" by SandWyrm and have identified some characteristics of his writing style:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Technical terminology: SandWyrm often uses technical terminology and jargon related to the Warhammer 40K universe, such as specific unit names, weapon types, and lore details.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Conversational tone: SandWyrm's writing style is informal and conversational, as if he's speaking directly to the reader.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Use of humor and sarcasm: SandWyrm often employs humor and sarcasm in his writing, particularly when discussing the more absurd or over-the-top aspects of Warhammer 40K.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Sentence structure: SandWyrm's sentences tend to be short and punchy, with a focus on delivering quick, witty jokes and observations.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Strong opinions: SandWyrm is not afraid to express his opinions on various aspects of Warhammer 40K, and often uses his writing to make arguments or criticize certain elements of the game.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Pop culture references: SandWyrm occasionally makes references to movies, TV shows, and other aspects of popular culture, often using them to make humorous comparisons to Warhammer 40K.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Using these characteristics as a guide, I will attempt to mimic SandWyrm's writing style in a short passage:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"So there I was, knee-deep in Orks, surrounded by a sea of green skin and choppas. I swear, you could smell the Waaagh! from a mile away. And just when I thought I was done for, I heard a voice in my ear. 'Don't worry, lad, I've got your back.' And who should come to my rescue but a bunch of Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priests, armed to the teeth with all manner of gizmos and gadgets. I mean, sure, they looked like they'd rather be tinkering with some ancient cogitator or plasma reactor, but when it comes to taking down greenskins, they're as fierce as anyone. I'll never forget the sight of those servo-arms whirring away, slicing through Orks like they were made of butter. It was a thing of beauty. And that, my friends, is why you never underestimate the tech-priests.""</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Ok, except for the current GW-terms, that sounds a bit more like me. </p><p><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> "Using this style, re-write the story about the humans who turned into communist orcs because of a parasite on an alien planet."</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Alright, here's an attempt at mimicking SandWyrm's writing style while retelling the story about humans turning into communist orcs on an alien planet because of a parasite:</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"Listen up, folks, because I've got a story that'll make your head spin faster than a Space Marine after one too many stimm shots. So, you've got these humans, right? They're colonizing some far-flung planet, trying to make a new home for themselves in the midst of all this crazy alien flora and fauna. But things aren't going so well. The planet's a harsh mistress, and the humans are starting to turn on each other like a pack of hungry grox.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Enter Krogar. This guy's got big ideas, see? He's a real revolutionary, preaching the gospel of communism like he's Karl friggin' Marx himself. And you know what? It starts to catch on. People are tired of all the infighting and backstabbing, and Krogar's message of unity and equality starts to sound pretty good.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">But then, things start to get really weird. People are acting strange, like they're not themselves anymore. They're starting to look more and more like something out of a Waaagh! painting, all green skin and rippling muscles. And that's when they realize - it's the parasite. This little bugger's been infecting them all along, changing their brains and bodies until they're not even human anymore.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">But here's the crazy part - the infected humans start to come together. They start working as a team, sharing resources, and helping each other out. And before you know it, they've created a new society, one based on the principles of communism. They're all in it together, fighting against the harshness of the planet and the dangers that lurk around every corner.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Sure, they may look like orcs now, but they've found something valuable in their new way of life. They've found a sense of community, of belonging, that they never had before. And hey, if that means living the rest of their days as green-skinned commies, well, so be it. The galaxy's a weird place, my friends, and sometimes you've got to roll with the punches."</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Prompt:</b> "Good. Now add some additional story about how the orcs have been sneaking onto other worlds, and turning the humans there into communist orcs."</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"Sure thing! Here's an attempt at incorporating the additional story into the existing passage, while still mimicking SandWyrm's writing style:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">"But here's the real kicker - those communist orcs weren't content to just stay on their little planet. No, they had bigger plans. They started sneaking onto other worlds, infecting the locals with that same damn parasite. And you know what? It worked. Humans all over the galaxy started turning into these green-skinned commies, working together for the greater good and all that crap.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Before you know it, the communist orc uprising was spreading like wildfire. Entire sectors of space were falling under their sway, with the greenskins taking over planet after planet. And the worst part? The other factions were caught completely off-guard. They didn't know what to make of these communist orcs, these strange creatures who preached equality and brotherhood even as they hacked their enemies to pieces with crude choppas.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">It's a weird galaxy we live in, folks. And sometimes, the things that sound craziest turn out to be the most dangerous. So watch your back out there, and never trust an orc. Especially a communist one.""</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Well... Not too bad for an hour and a half's effort (including the above illustration). Add another hour of AI tweaking, plus an hour or two of hand-editing/expanding, and it could work as a fluff nugget in the rulebook.</p><p>Thoughts?</p><p></p></div>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-71690356913606653082022-09-15T16:42:00.004-04:002022-09-15T17:01:50.184-04:00Re-Illustrating WarStrike With An A.I.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IYjVUu0x7u1OqbYFf26N8nH4CwUGBWQJ43CHwdjwtV0zUHuWbOCFBF2FzesBHx6S1Aid_2kE0uMCOV4t5r-c2EjLpOO1cMQxtF8BdN3Gd9fucmnHSC2vf_J88HA1Oi9zadUnspSKrZ8N3ACHvliJsZKotoz4WINzMj7JAQuH2dbvxFgnyOHjlM10/s1000/library.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="643" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IYjVUu0x7u1OqbYFf26N8nH4CwUGBWQJ43CHwdjwtV0zUHuWbOCFBF2FzesBHx6S1Aid_2kE0uMCOV4t5r-c2EjLpOO1cMQxtF8BdN3Gd9fucmnHSC2vf_J88HA1Oi9zadUnspSKrZ8N3ACHvliJsZKotoz4WINzMj7JAQuH2dbvxFgnyOHjlM10/w412-h640/library.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This job market isn't as easy to find employment in as the media lets on. Not by a long shot. But I've managed to establish myself as a graphic/programming freelancer with a couple of good clients.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fortunately, because I'm now a full-time contractor, there's no limits on what I can create and sell outside of work. So I've cracked open WarStrike's rulebook, and am currently working on upgrading my often so-so stock art collages with much better images generated by an AI. Which has been an interesting experience.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Here's a sample:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPBt3mUXrQWlteVqk2LA_WYrn0IQYJbNAne_Im7IEek8_QKaAK7G9XPOmddZCCe_HOiDOH1Wxt7SIh6UFqn03HvPfgkefve4nrNT-aPAxOTr0rjBawwHgDUFhmCy8Ik9vIWF0v2iIKLTiiMLbTFSr_pxON9ZjR-79bbZXMLvvSqkttlnaQCnklkzF/s3836/before.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2508" data-original-width="3836" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPBt3mUXrQWlteVqk2LA_WYrn0IQYJbNAne_Im7IEek8_QKaAK7G9XPOmddZCCe_HOiDOH1Wxt7SIh6UFqn03HvPfgkefve4nrNT-aPAxOTr0rjBawwHgDUFhmCy8Ik9vIWF0v2iIKLTiiMLbTFSr_pxON9ZjR-79bbZXMLvvSqkttlnaQCnklkzF/w640-h418/before.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My previous placeholders.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEKFCxH13J8ngFss6hWBgnKglaxfc9eM4qye0Ae7VikATREOKZfH_SdjakOSkyf2-B-XEDviL97Pa-nZHYlTgbPVpI1Z185lCA1YOMTQcUJ0VHgfrtiPyvDdFkaz8KK5wBAh5wLwjL34zhuam8mQQxMl0D0mVzbkSr8eRXfcsrMT2iyL5Yy6kR4d9/s3954/after.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2584" data-original-width="3954" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEKFCxH13J8ngFss6hWBgnKglaxfc9eM4qye0Ae7VikATREOKZfH_SdjakOSkyf2-B-XEDviL97Pa-nZHYlTgbPVpI1Z185lCA1YOMTQcUJ0VHgfrtiPyvDdFkaz8KK5wBAh5wLwjL34zhuam8mQQxMl0D0mVzbkSr8eRXfcsrMT2iyL5Yy6kR4d9/w640-h419/after.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their replacements.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b><span style="color: #e69138;">And another sample:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnmNWkOgR-YsG1WUeVitNAMfP7P9HqV0t2AbmQBPRl_-LnW78gPHDHIYGJravBjEQIXuLiECwYmBMZ8btBYXs8DJPML-eWMZ7s9ytUlUDU-52SEhtM-8s1jaUdwC9kSU7e8QVMS8hpO9Ua-pkbGXyRG-EqNju2qrX5eefYc2-hUk6Km1KbipTKJ6v/s3840/before2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2510" data-original-width="3840" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnmNWkOgR-YsG1WUeVitNAMfP7P9HqV0t2AbmQBPRl_-LnW78gPHDHIYGJravBjEQIXuLiECwYmBMZ8btBYXs8DJPML-eWMZ7s9ytUlUDU-52SEhtM-8s1jaUdwC9kSU7e8QVMS8hpO9Ua-pkbGXyRG-EqNju2qrX5eefYc2-hUk6Km1KbipTKJ6v/w640-h418/before2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDkJ1yzxF7dvdQ61iYPj8Xa98CzOPQPmU9sc9bP8ts401jpHYeriiZzP_pbemO1FG3kCqp0Dg8-6mJ9zi5Ck9gWSF76FoP2-gpeDyWLbhP1_WnBuxDkfsGlMVbbtmRcI6rvX7GKmoIzr5kRQm6PZMONLJcoiusAPeKzRFaA5Y9hiiQG4YtHdnujV7/s3840/after2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2508" data-original-width="3840" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDkJ1yzxF7dvdQ61iYPj8Xa98CzOPQPmU9sc9bP8ts401jpHYeriiZzP_pbemO1FG3kCqp0Dg8-6mJ9zi5Ck9gWSF76FoP2-gpeDyWLbhP1_WnBuxDkfsGlMVbbtmRcI6rvX7GKmoIzr5kRQm6PZMONLJcoiusAPeKzRFaA5Y9hiiQG4YtHdnujV7/w640-h418/after2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The process has been interesting. I'm using mostly Midjourney AI, whose capabilities keep improving at a tremendous rate. You give it a text prompt, and it returns an image. Like this one:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: helvetica;">/imagine two soldiers studying a map, sci-fi, dark, dystopian, backlit, downward angle, 16k resolution, 3d rendered, ultra-detailed, --ar 5:7</span></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>You then get back a choice between 4 quick images:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5q9c1cDlfhZJerzHe2ovqDwxturNNj82_kwxyIiCKGJaqziUr1-0XZxb4GO0nRTtCtnNiPw4tMcV6cF4ZPqTYNXvg96UIfe1p5Qik0YpdnHHgaqdj-qQlibfEZxMMdK8CI1voIYutiq4b_KY0S5eqtfexV5LXZk0BO7wgeR64fAN7ALizTnpQIxl/s768/example_1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5q9c1cDlfhZJerzHe2ovqDwxturNNj82_kwxyIiCKGJaqziUr1-0XZxb4GO0nRTtCtnNiPw4tMcV6cF4ZPqTYNXvg96UIfe1p5Qik0YpdnHHgaqdj-qQlibfEZxMMdK8CI1voIYutiq4b_KY0S5eqtfexV5LXZk0BO7wgeR64fAN7ALizTnpQIxl/w426-h640/example_1.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div>You then have some choices:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Go back and modify the text prompt, which will give you a new 4-image set that's completely different from the previous one.</li><li>Roll the dice again, and let the AI come up with 4 new images to show you, based on your original prompt. Which will also give you 4 new images that don't look like the previous set.</li><li>Tell the AI to create variations on one or more of the 4 images.</li><li>Tell the AI to create a higher resolution version of one or more of the 4 images.</li></ol></div><div>Unfortunately, you can't do an additive prompt. Like give the guy on the left a rocket launcher. It doesn't work that way. At least not yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>So in the above case, let's decide to go with image 4 (bottom right) and have the AI create a higher resolution version:</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOhZduGQWV05XQv4yM7VgOUDmcVJUIU8G1Gm1ep2ayEDpRyE4Dxx8p0RyMuH8-zXzk-wT44lWasBJ9qFpjQFVsA0fm8vS8GlKLNlc20UnODoIRq5JVaUa1FsZjkR1_DjmbSlZJe306jJMEyy1fF0OU2P6RrLqV3cQYAui2wuJK5hN5fW98A3tKWMn/s1000/example%203.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOhZduGQWV05XQv4yM7VgOUDmcVJUIU8G1Gm1ep2ayEDpRyE4Dxx8p0RyMuH8-zXzk-wT44lWasBJ9qFpjQFVsA0fm8vS8GlKLNlc20UnODoIRq5JVaUa1FsZjkR1_DjmbSlZJe306jJMEyy1fF0OU2P6RrLqV3cQYAui2wuJK5hN5fW98A3tKWMn/w426-h640/example%203.png" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of minutes later...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And... Now it looks like they're walking through a foggy cave. Not exactly the image I was hoping for in order to illustrate the "Organizing A Battle" Chapter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point, I can go back and try another prompt, which I had done already 3-4 times. So I decide to try hitting the "Remaster button". Which attempts to use your current general composition, but clean up the image and make it look more specific. This is the button that will either make your image shine, or make it look like a 10 year old painted it in art class.</div><br />In this case, it shined:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6twv_hXALs0__hWlwvwyW_lRvFWJtoVohm0pQxNd2u6WoFJbztyYiMLyIX5GozuPv7V5AR_JDm2JO3r-gnLuR0v1weYDz5N1OSRR11eW-Lnx0pTMaT0tJhGwPd2Wu6z3IadT5AB1T2g8YfLlhH4m1Py2fBi2sZGeQ24MFCwCeHx1K4T5NklwP3wbX/s704/example4.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6twv_hXALs0__hWlwvwyW_lRvFWJtoVohm0pQxNd2u6WoFJbztyYiMLyIX5GozuPv7V5AR_JDm2JO3r-gnLuR0v1weYDz5N1OSRR11eW-Lnx0pTMaT0tJhGwPd2Wu6z3IadT5AB1T2g8YfLlhH4m1Py2fBi2sZGeQ24MFCwCeHx1K4T5NklwP3wbX/w466-h640/example4.png" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can use this.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Now remember that red head above, from the "How To Read These Rules" page? It took a total of 33+ permutations, complete restarts, and remasterings before I got an image where she was both looking at the camera, and had an emotional expression that would work for that page's context. But I had to go with a result that didn't make her look like the half-robotic cyborg that I originally wanted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's some of the permutations:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazRE4kIOqtUm5fcl-aUjkRvFaOQl43uuMhukU87qjQKWHEYXpZBxpxnJw2chBw2YjqAhboPeIvuc8PDSD2Xmh-JrJ4ZRwbXm4IKPA5GRHofshyU6mYptm6_INLGL4CGZxrb15P5I2Hx79Qgk1LkaC5IfU40Zi7vIK153NLoSRFHTc7_dex5cpA51Q/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_f7842716-ad41-4308-a108-702cc34bc942.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazRE4kIOqtUm5fcl-aUjkRvFaOQl43uuMhukU87qjQKWHEYXpZBxpxnJw2chBw2YjqAhboPeIvuc8PDSD2Xmh-JrJ4ZRwbXm4IKPA5GRHofshyU6mYptm6_INLGL4CGZxrb15P5I2Hx79Qgk1LkaC5IfU40Zi7vIK153NLoSRFHTc7_dex5cpA51Q/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_f7842716-ad41-4308-a108-702cc34bc942.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meh...</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwJr4SbfKCjpV8VTTnTGOTZ41KG3kfE_z5MhjtnBvzYLS3xoNAFWiDn1_tqHLNM8ynBJ7qTOfpzCMCJPa17VdJCBsqFEjfDpA3qCsgL9hSzH0tlQzB4TXPDOKWP3pZBs-UQZAJp46tYpyoA5oxrIFzU-0RVEd0Ik2eHSv-1JG7IRpdJtuJ0Y9Ctdm/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_91644a93-4a19-4130-8aa5-075b332e748d.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwJr4SbfKCjpV8VTTnTGOTZ41KG3kfE_z5MhjtnBvzYLS3xoNAFWiDn1_tqHLNM8ynBJ7qTOfpzCMCJPa17VdJCBsqFEjfDpA3qCsgL9hSzH0tlQzB4TXPDOKWP3pZBs-UQZAJp46tYpyoA5oxrIFzU-0RVEd0Ik2eHSv-1JG7IRpdJtuJ0Y9Ctdm/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_91644a93-4a19-4130-8aa5-075b332e748d.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only permutations of the bottom-left and bottom-right ones worked at all.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegWSRr96q0MHvLtPz8Kv_xo0pS6lRt5jmdEaJuxg1ZJjld37Jt-NPpjqFuDZbS0wDW0v0JaDPhLeP3L4XL3yy0jYvjem7PFZoaqvFiauCTqc8VGe_loSOlgU18zZbdZkI2ERe0h10jJykCTY69xVOKVa65YNcJMqludPTm2VnMmkbYxRGR-3zVWnr/s1280/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_b3901e92-a2e5-447a-aa8d-8f10c1a3433a.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegWSRr96q0MHvLtPz8Kv_xo0pS6lRt5jmdEaJuxg1ZJjld37Jt-NPpjqFuDZbS0wDW0v0JaDPhLeP3L4XL3yy0jYvjem7PFZoaqvFiauCTqc8VGe_loSOlgU18zZbdZkI2ERe0h10jJykCTY69xVOKVa65YNcJMqludPTm2VnMmkbYxRGR-3zVWnr/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_b3901e92-a2e5-447a-aa8d-8f10c1a3433a.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A weak contender.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoauvtQUbjKl6WmJBuH39vr1bf7BtEZDiFB4IA4o_a3YWWqnXyUa1qVNoBTyVE7zqIsvqweYMHwwH6EbCOE6RpZH9g9HCp3KcGy8tHfDDMpPBiziEvJ2yCg6spbAbeP0s_koKzJsSryrPcGwmg62Ce961xrxI-r9SzLLcDwfbtBiTEecVIvEJE_H2q/s1280/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_f5c9e4ed-c270-445d-a49e-f4781ca67b97.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoauvtQUbjKl6WmJBuH39vr1bf7BtEZDiFB4IA4o_a3YWWqnXyUa1qVNoBTyVE7zqIsvqweYMHwwH6EbCOE6RpZH9g9HCp3KcGy8tHfDDMpPBiziEvJ2yCg6spbAbeP0s_koKzJsSryrPcGwmg62Ce961xrxI-r9SzLLcDwfbtBiTEecVIvEJE_H2q/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_f5c9e4ed-c270-445d-a49e-f4781ca67b97.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meh...</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCfZIdHcdN7yYtdO2lL37odZhAdMzBh2oNcgug5d_CtlxjdKttOUfnLFWdaBL6O_Me9Fqjkv9uUovdnZb7XbmmtABmfHCegQ07EYZCrZvp7S3rFjlsmUpgyWB73MMX4SSPSqvQJwXXWZGGx0DlZZjAW2iNzsf8fcqK7sdjU1lQ0-D67FcJjz3B_HK/s1280/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_4fc13ae1-9fe8-4506-b093-43f83608f6c8.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCfZIdHcdN7yYtdO2lL37odZhAdMzBh2oNcgug5d_CtlxjdKttOUfnLFWdaBL6O_Me9Fqjkv9uUovdnZb7XbmmtABmfHCegQ07EYZCrZvp7S3rFjlsmUpgyWB73MMX4SSPSqvQJwXXWZGGx0DlZZjAW2iNzsf8fcqK7sdjU1lQ0-D67FcJjz3B_HK/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_4fc13ae1-9fe8-4506-b093-43f83608f6c8.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rough details in this one work, butt he facial expression and composition don't.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtqp1_yuEjKd4BbZF8R1qEmte1tK7cSx6FfMtfauZO1tTTOAd9N9Z0VhV8C_0UUMV4ow7DC94rSkjdGXNaHde50Cypl1nTwjXymbVsTDW8fnu8BkLsGzaA9cpW3XYOWROWUUZaKA5kcmCiPYx3bGtTxtlnK2tzqiMRKSC7BIHgq8UDdB_5QKdQHYS/s1280/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_7df26a26-84e4-4798-baad-8e1c340a8a6b.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtqp1_yuEjKd4BbZF8R1qEmte1tK7cSx6FfMtfauZO1tTTOAd9N9Z0VhV8C_0UUMV4ow7DC94rSkjdGXNaHde50Cypl1nTwjXymbVsTDW8fnu8BkLsGzaA9cpW3XYOWROWUUZaKA5kcmCiPYx3bGtTxtlnK2tzqiMRKSC7BIHgq8UDdB_5QKdQHYS/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_7df26a26-84e4-4798-baad-8e1c340a8a6b.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the one, cleaned up a bit, that I wanted to use.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h3><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Commence The Repeated Pressing</span></b><b><span style="color: #e69138;"> of The "Remaster" Button...</span></b></h3></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DuQlP_GRnCcXUxOyF8aq1beH8hkfxaVPGRn8rpNc2xEzWor3uaLIgoeL0Rt3yYaiCt0OzDy1y_LTRzcZc-a9eJx82IN7RpEz1QD3hVWdr9TlbgXLLe4z8vfjHhAojIuq-fvbPPzH-YCCPrJt_D-6nERJMv-diZ3m0ezMo33fp_SaD4fqnueZ73q6/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_9500856e-d7a4-4e87-8918-bdbe29af4e8c.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DuQlP_GRnCcXUxOyF8aq1beH8hkfxaVPGRn8rpNc2xEzWor3uaLIgoeL0Rt3yYaiCt0OzDy1y_LTRzcZc-a9eJx82IN7RpEz1QD3hVWdr9TlbgXLLe4z8vfjHhAojIuq-fvbPPzH-YCCPrJt_D-6nERJMv-diZ3m0ezMo33fp_SaD4fqnueZ73q6/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_9500856e-d7a4-4e87-8918-bdbe29af4e8c.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigh... not looking at the camera.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLpPO-k2J8YQDJWxNmeF82SU1MFuLSAE_71a4cBbPPU7Z2fYuvLhZ4HOePmAuzMKOLKo4ozjme9KL64PvLJYADv329Zmk_RgoULYFek-ruvvb8vLCoXVoptvy_KET88wMOV2rkH2xcL_c_NEOrHFV2zI9bup83l2YKYxloy2S4AhkeKOLtJUCcEl9/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_d6681178-7bfb-49c9-8d52-25ee17f18e89.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLpPO-k2J8YQDJWxNmeF82SU1MFuLSAE_71a4cBbPPU7Z2fYuvLhZ4HOePmAuzMKOLKo4ozjme9KL64PvLJYADv329Zmk_RgoULYFek-ruvvb8vLCoXVoptvy_KET88wMOV2rkH2xcL_c_NEOrHFV2zI9bup83l2YKYxloy2S4AhkeKOLtJUCcEl9/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_d6681178-7bfb-49c9-8d52-25ee17f18e89.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi there Scully! Don't want to mix universes, but that's some cool-ish headgear.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fsja8oO0V31zR4ktQbCS4vB45laNLhlyIigfTx5RnkXNpwX99Bz2xjX6yHiukxetZc_lseGLOceCLbdfnD6PC0Xmi5KMqH03TJVeVsy23BwSPkhEx5OZxomr8JoL09dQt3xAJwSBSkl0zyOaYcc4oQyL5c0WgyP-scW4z_mjKe2fNPIOlQw1qgp8/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_40d9d6f6-3f27-44e6-9c5c-12bb692768f5.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fsja8oO0V31zR4ktQbCS4vB45laNLhlyIigfTx5RnkXNpwX99Bz2xjX6yHiukxetZc_lseGLOceCLbdfnD6PC0Xmi5KMqH03TJVeVsy23BwSPkhEx5OZxomr8JoL09dQt3xAJwSBSkl0zyOaYcc4oQyL5c0WgyP-scW4z_mjKe2fNPIOlQw1qgp8/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_40d9d6f6-3f27-44e6-9c5c-12bb692768f5.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrong emotion, not looking at the camera.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvDd4xvUbq16yVjWyBtUGRZ1oGkCOHINKzHnxyngrcqU7i5eOUFsxDams_7ZkMTBczVMYW2rokhYeM7Bs1eK5KBA6dfFm1a09vhYRC7eafS7VJ5873F2293h1ZlC-Znp0PP5sIMWpLf2eYETKZ47pMVLNntFI5KI8DUBWV9sMJZLnMjkEuGi9wSHb/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_43aa50e3-9f68-42c2-8aa9-f07ff77c3048.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvDd4xvUbq16yVjWyBtUGRZ1oGkCOHINKzHnxyngrcqU7i5eOUFsxDams_7ZkMTBczVMYW2rokhYeM7Bs1eK5KBA6dfFm1a09vhYRC7eafS7VJ5873F2293h1ZlC-Znp0PP5sIMWpLf2eYETKZ47pMVLNntFI5KI8DUBWV9sMJZLnMjkEuGi9wSHb/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_portrait_sci-f_43aa50e3-9f68-42c2-8aa9-f07ff77c3048.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful, but still not looking at the camera.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKk8dSfyj4HF0lsnNzZQVkKBiXQqfiKO_Ih7vq-G5h73Xeaf3mZLwnwro9NilmPArl7khqOq9gadBPI4AjQLLZVxg_mXyk9tRZTe8IqK7sBCpXJQh5erdMtTX1N_cAGjhD6upJa7YbgceJyXFTp5oVHc0X4HhleYlDNlendw0mITFPBvggsyLrEz5/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_745dac1d-6104-4551-88f6-3e8ae63904a1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKk8dSfyj4HF0lsnNzZQVkKBiXQqfiKO_Ih7vq-G5h73Xeaf3mZLwnwro9NilmPArl7khqOq9gadBPI4AjQLLZVxg_mXyk9tRZTe8IqK7sBCpXJQh5erdMtTX1N_cAGjhD6upJa7YbgceJyXFTp5oVHc0X4HhleYlDNlendw0mITFPBvggsyLrEz5/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_745dac1d-6104-4551-88f6-3e8ae63904a1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um... Creepy...</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitX9kZ7qCcPckQ2PWoUCqoqnaz8CU9kDhSD39VQAKbeH_sX44TRrpinj6rsO94xwmdkSfT4jTGoUECJ0i3HZBdutHoS0TON48iI3Zm107C-Jj0J_HYquY7tYlIa7pOKn0zoT2EdsZ7u6MoQspg_XHYVmcDwKGw-HfbyZUpTg7sQKu6-zR7Xpt0HfCi/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_1c498950-cb5a-4e6d-82a7-75b38b2fb08a.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitX9kZ7qCcPckQ2PWoUCqoqnaz8CU9kDhSD39VQAKbeH_sX44TRrpinj6rsO94xwmdkSfT4jTGoUECJ0i3HZBdutHoS0TON48iI3Zm107C-Jj0J_HYquY7tYlIa7pOKn0zoT2EdsZ7u6MoQspg_XHYVmcDwKGw-HfbyZUpTg7sQKu6-zR7Xpt0HfCi/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_1c498950-cb5a-4e6d-82a7-75b38b2fb08a.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at the camera, perfect hair, but wrong emotion.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLZdf3uCShBSaP3lPCaiSCu0BMpq7gVCWFDZix7ftrU6WxZEUrp_wbyAJMnamnAI1mPaUCOetinEdk955zPMUXMR5kJgj_9rUqNp2nIxkKJyStayML4DXaLL5IqCIlo4vCX0LmM3oL4ntLJoUPTA_RT8ltP8BW5RbPHPYGptwf7JVgFSpplmkU_J_/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_3dfcdf02-790b-4a31-b4d6-fe1e1446c3e2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLZdf3uCShBSaP3lPCaiSCu0BMpq7gVCWFDZix7ftrU6WxZEUrp_wbyAJMnamnAI1mPaUCOetinEdk955zPMUXMR5kJgj_9rUqNp2nIxkKJyStayML4DXaLL5IqCIlo4vCX0LmM3oL4ntLJoUPTA_RT8ltP8BW5RbPHPYGptwf7JVgFSpplmkU_J_/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_3dfcdf02-790b-4a31-b4d6-fe1e1446c3e2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Am I boring you?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uGBWIwVOdU9TagUJZ-Ex7dP0nvTMtGPyVny3sMmEmyebejSUFAYmBZ9fUOiYK8iFiKrgEqPUnz77os4Sx6t9WyTHcCL4Om1n5fupDFMg-G8KhJOi9TH2-27-Xch3o-P3lmiWyFbUvaFL9NtRq22OAwtUL5KAF450P708CLf0UFP_yKK-x9pRpUjv/s640/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_8ce93a8b-9a76-4d62-851b-7ecfbe5e88d7.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uGBWIwVOdU9TagUJZ-Ex7dP0nvTMtGPyVny3sMmEmyebejSUFAYmBZ9fUOiYK8iFiKrgEqPUnz77os4Sx6t9WyTHcCL4Om1n5fupDFMg-G8KhJOi9TH2-27-Xch3o-P3lmiWyFbUvaFL9NtRq22OAwtUL5KAF450P708CLf0UFP_yKK-x9pRpUjv/w640-h512/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_8ce93a8b-9a76-4d62-851b-7ecfbe5e88d7.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look. At. The. Camera!<br />(also ear farts)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTMEcoVsmEbkyflJDJ_sXkSNYkgfk1PU_Qtlb3GhFjjZ2P8k3CyUQhizc7U6kaJT4tlNb1utbOorVs44KNhPNDVMIPKP5AJFXqhxY-bYkLJPf464-Sgj5Zf5Tm95Ii3Sfs25pLTzSGni5Ewo45QwU4eCCGPh5eppvNpZS41dykX3xn8dXag7iYKS8/s2304/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_6aa7a85c-2749-45ed-b528-be4266ad6fdb.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="2304" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTMEcoVsmEbkyflJDJ_sXkSNYkgfk1PU_Qtlb3GhFjjZ2P8k3CyUQhizc7U6kaJT4tlNb1utbOorVs44KNhPNDVMIPKP5AJFXqhxY-bYkLJPf464-Sgj5Zf5Tm95Ii3Sfs25pLTzSGni5Ewo45QwU4eCCGPh5eppvNpZS41dykX3xn8dXag7iYKS8/w640-h498/Keith_Goreham_a_red-headed_cyborg_reading_a_book_in_a_gothic_li_6aa7a85c-2749-45ed-b528-be4266ad6fdb.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the first red head prompt to the final image took about 1.5 hours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So is this art? To a certain extent I think so. Since the AI just spits out randomized permutations, you have to have a certain mixture of stubbornness about your goal, a good idea of what it is that you need in your final image, flexibility in the outcome, and an appreciation for what separates appealing images from unappealing ones.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Being able to paint over the result, to tweak it a bit more to your liking, doesn't hurt either. Though all of these images are unmodified Midjourney output.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thoughts?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-26779670471079484192022-03-24T14:12:00.001-04:002022-03-24T14:12:38.836-04:00The State of The Game<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR2BUhERhCsXmBx5KHxrl9eNndvbKsd1RwSe7QCCth7JRLeYUovnQE6jXU4KWyA7EN1p9WEk9ROoFFT9I5esXRTecIYuKAh0GpVOB0noHupN6Bt7GBzurCfkwxSWTQsusenHW961XFCGxEqE05y4Osa0N9op65NA5NEVQykV50gODGI7K-u1DCsVSp=s1568" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR2BUhERhCsXmBx5KHxrl9eNndvbKsd1RwSe7QCCth7JRLeYUovnQE6jXU4KWyA7EN1p9WEk9ROoFFT9I5esXRTecIYuKAh0GpVOB0noHupN6Bt7GBzurCfkwxSWTQsusenHW961XFCGxEqE05y4Osa0N9op65NA5NEVQykV50gODGI7K-u1DCsVSp=w392-h640" width="392" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Believe it or not, a computer created this image from a text prompt.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Welp... It's been almost three and a half years since my last update. So for whoever is still interested (because I do get asked about the game from time to time) here's an update on where things currently stand, and what has to happen to move this project forward again.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><b>Are You Still Working On The Game?</b></span></p><p>I think about the game constantly. Every. Single. Day. Mostly about the game's backstory/fluff. </p><p>I just haven't been actively working on finishing it. The last major edits that I made were immediately following GenCon 2018 and the very successful tests that I ran there. I bought a Facebook ad to test how well that would work, and it definitely (as opposed to Twitter/Instagram) boosted interest and engagement. But everyone who was interested wanted a book to download. Problem is, the book is only about 85% done. So I decided not to run any more ads until the book was more complete.</p><p>Why did the work stall? Because at this point in the game's development I really need a business-focused person to help me raise money to fund further development. We need proper art and the software application that would be used to monetize the game. We need some people who can come up with reams of troop and weapon stats, which is a daunting task all by itself. I need someone other than me to paint up miniatures. I also need help on little things, like: "Hey! We need to book hotel rooms for convention X six months ahead of time, and not 2 weeks before!" That kind of thing.</p><p>Over the six months following GenCon 2018, I thought I'd found that person 3 times. But they all fell through. Turns out, it's FAR harder to find a businessperson who both knows games, and is interested in helping to run a game company than it is to write a game.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(246, 178, 107); color: #f6b26b;"><span style="font-size: large;">So Why Not Just Finish The Book?</span></b></p><p>Because... Life. This project started because of a particular family situation that both dominated 75% of my time, and also paid for the tools and materials I needed to build the game. That situation ended about the same time as GenCon 2018 did. At that point I had about 3 months to find some paying work or put the game aside. Because I needed to start paying bills again.</p><p>I'm a 3D Graphics expert by trade, and I'd been looking for work for a couple of years and getting nowhere. This is Indianapolis, not San Francisco. There were a few good opportunities that I could have gotten, but thanks to incompetent recruiters I wasn't able to take advantage of them.</p><p>As a consequence of the then-poor job market for 3D work, I figured that I would go back into teaching. But credential inflation since my last teaching gig meant that I needed to get a Masters Degree to even be considered for a teaching job. So I enrolled in a computer graphics Masters Program at IUPUI. Where I did extremely well.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(246, 178, 107); color: #f6b26b;"><span style="font-size: large;">And... COVID Strikes</span></b></p><p>I caught the original Chinese strain of COVID on January 28th of 2020, during the 3rd semester of my Masters program, before the US media was even taking it seriously. It took several weeks, but I recovered without having to be hospitalized. In October, I got Omicron. But that one's so mild in comparison to Alpha that it's barely worth talking about. Three days and done.</p><p>However the big game-changer was not COVID itself. It was the lockdowns, social unrest, and every other screwy thing that it sparked off. Because suddenly the job barriers between cities broke down, and I could work anywhere in the hemisphere from my home office. </p><p>As people have fled the coasts for the Midwest and South of the USA, all of the major graphics companies are going either partially or totally remote. VASTLY increasing the amount of work available to me, and doubling the rates I could charge. Because if you can work remotely, the pay scales have equalized across the hemisphere.</p><p>Long story short... I got a remote job as a Product Manager at a San Francisco architectural visualization startup, and suddenly I was making 3x what I thought I could reasonably expect to make from WarStrike. While also locking me into a contract that explicitly forbid outside work, such as publishing your own book/game.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(246, 178, 107); color: #f6b26b;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Current Situation</span></b></p><p>I've recently been laid off from that startup, and so I've got time to think again about WarStrike, and where I might go from here. But I've still got to find a day job first. One that won't put limitations on what I can work on outside of office hours. Right now that job hunt, like last year, is taking up almost all of my time. It also doesn't help that I recently had a basement flood that has my home studio in complete disarray. Fixing that will take another month, at least.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(246, 178, 107); color: #f6b26b;"><span style="font-size: large;">Is There A Plan?</span></b></p><p>Oh yes, there's a plan. Whether I can do it all myself or not, and how long it takes, is another matter.</p><p>First, the rules in the book need to be completed to a beta release state. I can leave out vehicles and other advanced stuff. That leaves completing the missions section, and the creation of more test units for the Republic and the Fallen. The quick reference guide also needs an update.</p><p>Deep fluff needs to be written. I've got outlines for about 5-6 linked short stories that would introduce players to the WarStrike universe. But I still need to write them.</p><p>We've got some initial fluff for the factions, but it needs to be improved upon. For the factions that won't get an initial set of test units, we need to have some design notes that describe our intentions for how they're going to be different/unique.</p><p>And then there's the software...</p><p>It's always been the plan to make the WarStrike rulebook a free download, as that's the best way to drive adoption. But monetization means creating subscription software that can handle army creation/customization, player rankings, etc.</p><p>While working my last job, I was exposed to a cross-platform development environment that would make this easier. But I'm a graphics coder by trade, and there's some stuff, like database interaction, that would take be forever for me to learn poorly. Ideally, I'd design/code the interface and let someone else handle the back-end. </p><p>But that requires money.</p><p>I probably should have jumped on the Patreon bandwagon years ago, but I didn't want to promise something that I couldn't deliver a strong beta product for first. Nor did I want to have the pressure to simply kick out a poorly tested and non-iterated game design simply for the sake of hitting a funding goal. I still feel that way, because too many games have died doing just that.</p><p>So ideally... Finish the first beta. Write some fluff. Release the Beta. Get some funding. Write the software needed. Start real production.</p><p>Just as soon as I can find a day job and get my studio rebuilt.</p><p>Or... I get another offer I can't refuse from a company that wants to pay me six figures for 100% of my focus, and the project goes on hold again. </p><p>Long-time readers might remember conversations on this blog about why most game designs are so poor, and the answer was that the best people work in much more lucrative fields. Well... That's where I find myself currently.</p><p>Thoughts?</p><p><br /></p>SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-12054292687203268142018-09-12T16:11:00.000-04:002018-09-12T16:11:38.707-04:00And... We're On Facebook Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a quick update to say that we're on Facebook now, under the name "@WarStrikeM42".</div>
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I've not been posting much to the blog because so much of the work I'm doing now is little edits that would take longer to write a post about than the changes themselves. Facebook is a better place for quick updates that aren't limited to a small paragraph (like Twitter). Plus I'm planning on doing some videos going forward, and that's a better place to reach people with them.</div>
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All that said, I will be posting a summary to the blog of what I've been up to in the last month later this week.</div>
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Thoughts?</div>
SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-73530397549547316762018-08-07T12:17:00.000-04:002018-08-07T12:17:05.017-04:00Gencon Playtesting Results<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb2olIO4j72RZFm07jk4WgYYCk-OvFFKNZcLSvCQ7ISDZTlAkam8E889mhz44n6wci8ifPSQ6PlAsp1C6fLKXee07Af6StzHRGufTm6pcGi79rf65tVAFka3cSmxzCsgDRpbjdb6VXBQ/s1600/GenCon+Day+Two+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb2olIO4j72RZFm07jk4WgYYCk-OvFFKNZcLSvCQ7ISDZTlAkam8E889mhz44n6wci8ifPSQ6PlAsp1C6fLKXee07Af6StzHRGufTm6pcGi79rf65tVAFka3cSmxzCsgDRpbjdb6VXBQ/s640/GenCon+Day+Two+01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Farmpunk in the white hat, he came by to watch for a bit between Flames of War tournaments. đŸ˜€</td></tr>
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Whew! That was an exhausting week! So were the weeks of work leading up to it! But in terms of Playtesting WarStrike, our Gencon adventure was VERY productive! We only found a few minor potential rules bugs, and two of the test groups had some very interesting feedback about how we might appeal to a wider audience than we had originally planned for.</div>
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<a name='more'></a>First, some tips for anyone thinking of demoing their game in the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gencon:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HRnMRG3mVKBm15ZI04y2rhvem-wNDOu796p7a3AirQmxDnlhkdmxjFxgpDjd4DupJaw9THkLYcYPgrts2yYLoTq3vKw2uA0oYn6h1fyE6mrKrN46q27zmcdGSI1OTDFvokV68gNfe7M/s1600/Pelican+Case+Huge.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HRnMRG3mVKBm15ZI04y2rhvem-wNDOu796p7a3AirQmxDnlhkdmxjFxgpDjd4DupJaw9THkLYcYPgrts2yYLoTq3vKw2uA0oYn6h1fyE6mrKrN46q27zmcdGSI1OTDFvokV68gNfe7M/s640/Pelican+Case+Huge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>Wargames are a bitch to demo in the FEPH. Most of the companies doing demos were showing card and board games that would easily fit in a small box or backpack. But with minis, terrain, and everything else needed for a tabletop wargame, we had to use the largest Pelican Case we could find (above). Loaded up, it was roughly 100 lbs, and since there was no place we were allowed to store it in the FEPH, we had to cart it back and forth to the hotel before and after every session. Dead body jokes were common in the elevators, and one Japanese lady asked (in a shocked voice) what kind of huge camera we had in there. Yeah... Because what else could it be?</li>
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<li>Seriously though, the trips back and forth (plus setup and teardown) ate up half of our 2-hour breaks between testing sessions. So it was run back to the hotel, drop off the trunk, run back to the show to see/buy something or get food, run back to the hotel, pick up the trunk, and get back to the hall. It was quite the workout.</li>
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<li>The FEPH is EXTREMELY noisy. Expect your demos to take at least twice as long as they usually do, because you'll be repeating yourself constantly. By the 3rd day I was pretty hoarse, and praying that I wouldn't lose my voice before Gencon was over.</li>
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<li>As my son and I discovered, noise-cancelling headphones are a godsend in a noisy room like this. They cut down the background chatter by half, and allow you to actually hear the people that you're next to. Once we realized this, they made our last 3 demos much more pleasant.</li>
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<li>Be prepared to adapt as you go. We started with a 4' x 4' play mat, but since our games weren't getting much past turn 2, I switched to a 3' x 3' play mat after the third demo. Which made setup, deployment, and gameplay go faster (at the expense of overpowering the side with jump troops). That way we at least got to turn 3 or 4, and two of the demo games were actually played to completion.</li>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Now On To The Testing</span></b></div>
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We had eight 2-hour demo slots spread out over 4 days, with three of those on Saturday. When you register for the FEPH, you can tell them exactly what demographics you want your testers to fit into. We went with 20-50 year old males with wargame experience, as that's our core target demographic.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KlnvEGJezFuxWbe3s2tZN2Q4F6_S-FK2JfTswyMaVpMZmWf2Hg65VzeLfFGKoU0d6A31En0GnB_PtQpg8hyEJ3b6dSuYliJXMG9hbSQnIOECrTCcPK_1-bpcNomXwd1WpLDbnnl52JM/s1600/GenCon+Day+Four+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KlnvEGJezFuxWbe3s2tZN2Q4F6_S-FK2JfTswyMaVpMZmWf2Hg65VzeLfFGKoU0d6A31En0GnB_PtQpg8hyEJ3b6dSuYliJXMG9hbSQnIOECrTCcPK_1-bpcNomXwd1WpLDbnnl52JM/s640/GenCon+Day+Four+03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we shrank the play field to a 3' x 3' mat, I had the players deploy their minis along the outside edges of their deployment zone.</td></tr>
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Now with tabletop wargaming being the niche hobby that it is, and with the FEPH staff being used to finding players for board games, my son and I heard a lot of shouts of "Any wargamers?!... Anyone who wants to play a wargame?!" Which meant that potential players heard "war" and little else.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2fNsae1WK4LuVaTQDFSwZlR8Mu6MmTHAiY6XnRPMFTJI4Gp8_SmYh3kL5vh8B8GEuv72E_c1tKsfLrAN3cVv0kWVkmsc1m_Ww9Y_oK-jlbU0AXxq7WGnjPHpdXRXSuK3RhufFCkcqPg/s1600/GenCon+Day+Four+10.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2fNsae1WK4LuVaTQDFSwZlR8Mu6MmTHAiY6XnRPMFTJI4Gp8_SmYh3kL5vh8B8GEuv72E_c1tKsfLrAN3cVv0kWVkmsc1m_Ww9Y_oK-jlbU0AXxq7WGnjPHpdXRXSuK3RhufFCkcqPg/s640/GenCon+Day+Four+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So we got a wide range of player types. From those whose only "wargaming" experience was Axis & Allies or Risk, to board gamers who maybe played 40K or X-Wing a few times, to veteran 40K and Warmachine players.</div>
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I was kind of bummed at first. But this actually turned out to be very valuable to us. Why? Because...</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">We Discovered That WarStrike Has A Much Wider Potential Appeal Than We Thought</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgTOAEGjhZfOwmxGi-jvyfjCN4eMTwv4XB4HNw8Vkj3p8k4V4jCdW8RwMzlhJdwk0OaGvY-EvFNjglmDTqHhNqg_x25YkPsX9q2nTbEDOsUROZQjhrB__T5MKUo-zgy4A3tAhKsT-_dM/s1600/GenCon+Day+Four+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgTOAEGjhZfOwmxGi-jvyfjCN4eMTwv4XB4HNw8Vkj3p8k4V4jCdW8RwMzlhJdwk0OaGvY-EvFNjglmDTqHhNqg_x25YkPsX9q2nTbEDOsUROZQjhrB__T5MKUo-zgy4A3tAhKsT-_dM/s320/GenCon+Day+Four+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, that's me.</td></tr>
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Yeah. The Axis and Allies guys had no clue how to move around, or shoot with models in units. Things that veteran tabletop wargamers take for granted. But they picked up the basics well enough (with me telling them what to roll) to play a few turns.</div>
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And... They had fun! The game plays fast, you're constantly engaged, and although they were bewildered at times, they were still laughing and trash-talking each other. Aside from needing to practice the rules more, they had no complaints, and gave the game a huge thumbs-up.</div>
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I wasn't expecting that at all.</div>
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Not. At. All.</div>
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Wow.</div>
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The Warmachine guys picked the game up instantly, and deployed with actual tactics in mind. Which was gratifying. They played to turn 5 and tied, because the green jump-troop army player kept passing his Strike Force Morale rolls (even with his commander killed). They walked away praising the game, and saying that the experience was really compelling. Though they did pick out a few potential issues during the game. Nothing that major, and most will only require a little bit of rewording on existing rules.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">"Just Get Rid of One Thing..."</span></b></div>
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The most interesting feedback that I got though, was from the final two demos. Which were played by guys who were mostly into boardgames, but who had played enough 40K to not be lost in the squad mechanics. Both of these games played to completion, with a clear winner. </div>
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But when I asked what they thought, both test groups said the exact same thing to me. In the attack sequence (Roll To Hit, Roll Armor Saves, Roll To Kill, Roll For Casualty Allocation) they wanted me to remove one thing from that list, so that it was a sequence of 3 rolls instead of 4.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvERirEulFUB6Q68Kkh25JfYiBN8ki8Fmj6Pkap85nSa8cbSa8duqGp1lY6ZEiMZOQwUFkqBB20-vvbinV_v1-eOkY1Tq3MUnFecJQglNAMllmTqpFlG_VS4Dt3q2jELOxiQO-pbrcc_8/s1600/GenCon+Day+Four+08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvERirEulFUB6Q68Kkh25JfYiBN8ki8Fmj6Pkap85nSa8cbSa8duqGp1lY6ZEiMZOQwUFkqBB20-vvbinV_v1-eOkY1Tq3MUnFecJQglNAMllmTqpFlG_VS4Dt3q2jELOxiQO-pbrcc_8/s640/GenCon+Day+Four+08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">None of the minis we used for the demo were GW models. All are <a href="https://anvilindustry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anvil Industry</a> minis with my own 3D printed bases.</td></tr>
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Why? Because they were convinced that if that one sequence of steps were just a bit simpler, that the game would "absolutely" appeal to (gesturing at the crowd around us) a large percentage of the board gamers in the room. That took me back.</div>
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The groups disagreed on what should go though. The first group wanted the casualty allocation roll axed, but that was a hard no for me. I had to explain to them (because they didn't know) how other tabletop wargames handle casualty allocation, and how this "roll two dice, count the 8+'s" mechanic was the single biggest time saver in the game (short just unfairly letting one side pick the casualties like 40K does now). I also had to point out how their ideas (some kind of comparison to how many shots hit/penetrated) would actually take a lot longer to figure out than simply rolling two dice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraeCIb6oBQPePk59YNDcCO2pOK-iZKVdKRV07cbimKq-e1idAbWD8dj_SJ00tBU9FutYKI409p88Rij8oVKgFiRSpU5C69NpUrfrgKOGJNJRhLEHWDQYNxoF_6mRwFaygVGPoiw0oGlo/s1600/GenCon+Day+Four+07.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraeCIb6oBQPePk59YNDcCO2pOK-iZKVdKRV07cbimKq-e1idAbWD8dj_SJ00tBU9FutYKI409p88Rij8oVKgFiRSpU5C69NpUrfrgKOGJNJRhLEHWDQYNxoF_6mRwFaygVGPoiw0oGlo/s640/GenCon+Day+Four+07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last test group though, wanted the Kill Roll (for models with a toughness) to go, and if I'm going to remove a step from the combat sequence, it's the obvious target. The Kill Roll is the most confusing mechanic in the game, and it's always mentioned as being "strange", "but not really bad..." by testers. So turning it into some kind of non-rolled numerical comparison wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to do if it would increase the game's appeal to any significant degree. </div>
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I'll have to think long and hard on it, because that roll was integral to my future plans for vehicles and monsters. I believe it needs to happen, I just don't have the change completely worked out in my head yet.<br />
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So to wrap this up... I was a bit down when the first couple of demos were filled with non-tabletop wargaming players, and feared that my son and I were wasting our time. But by the end of Gencon, I was really grateful that we'd gotten a mix of different player types. If we'd only tested with hardcore tabletop wargamers, then I never would have realized how much broader WarStrike's appeal was, or have been pushed to make the attack sequence just a bit simpler in order to increase that appeal.<br />
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Heck, you should have seen how many people in the hall came over to take pictures and praise us for how professional/beautiful our demo table was.<br />
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Thoughts?<br />
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-76967343800234183772018-08-01T16:35:00.000-04:002018-08-01T16:35:11.242-04:00Demo Minis Are Ready!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lAdR-g8fPnU8um6HFcmOzWNVMBtw-hCou8lvC5XwY9biChoCybswbbI-iZFqqUdgFqwr1YHdG9YbrxvE-fVyw877vx8tzwtKmdbj_IDOEIUzhRZlzpT2ksjueUr5YknruSKD8kfsq74/s1600/Done+with+Painting.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lAdR-g8fPnU8um6HFcmOzWNVMBtw-hCou8lvC5XwY9biChoCybswbbI-iZFqqUdgFqwr1YHdG9YbrxvE-fVyw877vx8tzwtKmdbj_IDOEIUzhRZlzpT2ksjueUr5YknruSKD8kfsq74/s640/Done+with+Painting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a slog, and I'll be doing a little more work on these after Gencon to brighten them up for use in the rulebook. But I got 49 test minis, for two opposing test forces, done to better-than-tabletop quality in just 10 days. With fully flocked (and bottom-felted) solid-resin bases that aren't going to slip off of whatever terrain they're placed on.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Not a single one of these were made by GW BTW. I bought them last year from the excellent <a href="https://anvilindustry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anvil Industry</a>. Which is why they have all of that cool extra detail. Like equipment harnesses, night vision gear, etc. I really love these figs!<br />
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If you like the look of them too, head on <a href="https://anvilindustry.co.uk/" target="_blank">over to the AI site</a> and check out what they have. It won't put any money in my pocket if you buy from them. But they did give us permission to use their minis in the WarStrike rulebook. So it would be great to send some additional business their way. Especially since I really do like their clean resin sculpts. They have FAR more detail on them than similar GW minis.<br />
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Parallel to these, I've also been 3D printing my own blast templates. One of which you can see in the shot above. I'll take some more pictures after I'm done packing, and during the show.<br />
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Next up will be shooting some photos of these figs for the stat cards, and getting the rest of the test materials packed and ready.<br />
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Thoughts?<br />
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-44238015269441527252018-07-27T17:17:00.001-04:002018-07-27T17:17:11.164-04:00Our Gencon Demo Times Have Been Finalized<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXlqwWUHrPKy-WJele9hldao0Tia_NQ1_h3YfkrTmRak0-cjhGwK3ajN-VSlVrdiQx0mTvDfEMNjcKPDeSOfyBfna6ZmGn_OqXKBx-oOKyrw_IMCAzYdtcJcYxenFX5H3l6RygTQfF4Y/s1600/WarStrike+Gencon+Screen+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXlqwWUHrPKy-WJele9hldao0Tia_NQ1_h3YfkrTmRak0-cjhGwK3ajN-VSlVrdiQx0mTvDfEMNjcKPDeSOfyBfna6ZmGn_OqXKBx-oOKyrw_IMCAzYdtcJcYxenFX5H3l6RygTQfF4Y/s640/WarStrike+Gencon+Screen+Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our demo times for the First Exposure Playtest Hall have been finalized. There were no changes, so the times that I reported before are the same as on this screen graphic that I provided to the organizers.</div>
SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-75824110670307846052018-07-22T13:26:00.002-04:002018-07-22T13:26:38.970-04:00Quick Update: Rules Done, Speed Painting Underway<div style="text-align: center;">
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We're now at the week-and-a-half mark before Gencon. I finished up the rules for the next pre-alpha last Wednesday, but I'm holding back on releasing it for now. First because I'm busy painting up minis and terrain for GenCon, and second because I want to work up some generic unit and weapon stat-lines for the major factions. Since some of you have commented that you can't test the rules with the models you have. That's fair.<br />
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It's also possible that I might also make some minor rules tweaks based on GenCon test feedback. But as it stands, I consider the current rules to be pretty darn tight.<br />
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As for the test minis... I'm doing the opposing forces in tan and green, like traditional army men. :) The tan force will be more firepower-heavy, and the green force will be faster moving with two squads of jump infantry. Each force will have 1 extra squad than needed for the 4' x 4' test table, but that will give me flexibility in balancing or unbalancing the forces for each successive test.</div>
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I'm painting up both to a minimum 3-color standard with 2 layers of dry brushed shading on the primary color for each. The bases will be color-coded by squad to make keeping track of who's who easier for the players.</div>
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Tan force is ready for detail coloring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCTPm9DzZaZSAzLhFf_H0zhGLlXbH6V-maeD8Y2MvVJtizeo2nZsGrtYpoNT1BXK6_uHDjgMWvly3CUxgV4E7s7OEJmlSeA7t7k0rMhVjQ6cI6bSgYTmMEzvLv9Le4s5jnkKLLIjA7ac/s1600/IMG_4092.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCTPm9DzZaZSAzLhFf_H0zhGLlXbH6V-maeD8Y2MvVJtizeo2nZsGrtYpoNT1BXK6_uHDjgMWvly3CUxgV4E7s7OEJmlSeA7t7k0rMhVjQ6cI6bSgYTmMEzvLv9Le4s5jnkKLLIjA7ac/s640/IMG_4092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Green force needs one more quick dry brush layer.<br />
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Thoughts?</div>
SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-79761594574071750982018-07-11T09:05:00.000-04:002018-07-11T09:06:54.172-04:00Our First Exposure Demo Times At Gencon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zQiHeo4tbTFwW9tQI6kERwesfmtWSVYFiBGMx0GcakdUKkI3mE-AYvoqbyV209PhZm2aw9dk3-wXQLt-FRgPrpy2w-VZ4PXWA5cfGtkfeb4B_T1Wj2_1-7wgPAipu5JWyc_I6FxxtdY/s1600/FEHall.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zQiHeo4tbTFwW9tQI6kERwesfmtWSVYFiBGMx0GcakdUKkI3mE-AYvoqbyV209PhZm2aw9dk3-wXQLt-FRgPrpy2w-VZ4PXWA5cfGtkfeb4B_T1Wj2_1-7wgPAipu5JWyc_I6FxxtdY/s640/FEHall.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gencon's just 3 weeks away! </div>
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Here's the time slots that we have reserved in the First Exposure Playtest Hall:</div>
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<span class="" style="color: #e69138; font-size: 14px;">Thursday August 2nd: 4PM - 6PM</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Thursday August 2nd:</span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">8PM - 10PM</span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Friday August 3rd: 4PM - 6PM</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Friday August 3rd:</span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">8PM - 10PM</span> </span></blockquote>
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<span class="" style="color: #e69138; font-size: 14px;">Saturday August 4th: 12PM - 2PM</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Saturday August 4th:</span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">4PM - 6PM</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Saturday August 4th:</span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">8PM - 12PM</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="" style="color: #e69138; font-size: 14px;">Sunday August 5th: 10AM - 12PM</span></blockquote>
See you there!SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-91724664437833272982018-07-10T17:27:00.002-04:002018-07-10T17:28:47.171-04:00Rolling Right Along...<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdA44ANtM7gz_2r1BD4ya9-8vKC5EdTuafr8TwF1bamlqmwuNicMpqqDi1WP4Av3vnS_QEJGjTGrXgkkh6IC3d941Lzinu76fXPXf3Il1utln9h6h-ZPOHHuBhNN1bN9fBAqCFpghpts/s1600/WarStrike+Die+Rolling.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdA44ANtM7gz_2r1BD4ya9-8vKC5EdTuafr8TwF1bamlqmwuNicMpqqDi1WP4Av3vnS_QEJGjTGrXgkkh6IC3d941Lzinu76fXPXf3Il1utln9h6h-ZPOHHuBhNN1bN9fBAqCFpghpts/s640/WarStrike+Die+Rolling.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Three pages. I had just three pages left in the Action Phase to revise and I thought I was done. Then, like a Rubik's Cube when you can't get the last 2 squares to line up right, I found myself revising parts of other rules sections so that I can come back to the Action Phase.</div>
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Why? </div>
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<a name='more'></a>Well, after tidying everything up I double-checked some rules interactions and discovered that I'd defined the same rule twice in different sections, gotten the titles of the kill and casualty allocation rolls confused in my head, and the section on rolling didn't actually include all of the odd tests in the game.<br />
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Silly me.<br />
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So here's the new die rolling section with its extra page of rules and a <i>very</i> creepy robot illustration.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GvcNabmVbgwstbM8g_Jg20BSrFFalMh6ETUJsMpD04tRU4udc18Rz7PYhLJS20JdHcVX9LCuzFQcJACy6t3PUvNERUOO57k0osmxRs_BDClnKRE4Z5UQ5xtTJRpfOH-i9uThpsPq7Oc/s1600/WarStrike+Die+Rolling+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GvcNabmVbgwstbM8g_Jg20BSrFFalMh6ETUJsMpD04tRU4udc18Rz7PYhLJS20JdHcVX9LCuzFQcJACy6t3PUvNERUOO57k0osmxRs_BDClnKRE4Z5UQ5xtTJRpfOH-i9uThpsPq7Oc/s640/WarStrike+Die+Rolling+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm giving myself the rest of this week to finish up this revision, which has gone way beyond some simple edits, and will be different enough from the last pre-alpha that it could be a new game edition for any other wargame.</div>
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Then comes the speed-painting of models and terrain for Gencon. I'll have not-quite 3 weeks to get that done. </div>
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Thoughts?</div>
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-22441888574705351082018-06-10T15:36:00.000-04:002018-06-10T15:37:24.066-04:00Movement Phase Changes<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVzB6LGC38p991jV7TmoJl979cyNAQEXS3OWCfIOYKPkOQ1N1nA0hWsU-AXciAHIbYM44x-Ox8IMiXKrnEgdC2vw6vmN70jtWcyaVBvk9I5os6X8J0CvYH7zpTIISH0Dpc4EEQ4KAhoQ/s1600/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVzB6LGC38p991jV7TmoJl979cyNAQEXS3OWCfIOYKPkOQ1N1nA0hWsU-AXciAHIbYM44x-Ox8IMiXKrnEgdC2vw6vmN70jtWcyaVBvk9I5os6X8J0CvYH7zpTIISH0Dpc4EEQ4KAhoQ/s640/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This phase was a real pain to edit. Between the rules-lawyer holes that Stelek found, the new rules for Overwatch and stunned models, the need to properly separate and interlock the new reserve rules across three different sections, AND the need to simplify the existing building/obstacle rules... This one's been a bear. Oh, and the illustrations are a lot more sci-fi looking now. There's that too.<br />
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I was stuck on this section for quite a while, just staring at it. But by spending the day yesterday putting models together, I got my head out of it long enough to be able to hit it fresh and finish off the last half of it today. The page count is now 8 instead of 13, and the rules count has dropped from 63 to 45.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtAas8dKlS_N-HJnwT5p8WENjBIO7Osnmkaa6kT1kZn5bBHtt85bidFyKXWmBaEjq2OBlNet3PcrBq7tsdUdFUb8mt_HEFKVr4PANXY6gJCH63zCkwo0co0nQ_EpWemDc1H4xNTcJPKE/s1600/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtAas8dKlS_N-HJnwT5p8WENjBIO7Osnmkaa6kT1kZn5bBHtt85bidFyKXWmBaEjq2OBlNet3PcrBq7tsdUdFUb8mt_HEFKVr4PANXY6gJCH63zCkwo0co0nQ_EpWemDc1H4xNTcJPKE/s640/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had put in Overwatch as a way for low-Initiative units to shoot in the Movement Phase, where they'll be selected first. But while that idea worked, it wasn't quite right, since its utility for high-Initiative units was limited. In real life, overwatch means "covering fire". This was more like "desperation fire".<br />
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So after re-reading the new command distance rules, I suddenly had a cool idea. Instead of forcing an Overwatching unit to choose between shooting and a movement order, why not just let them shoot however many models they want, and then have the rest be free (within command restrictions) to get a movement order afterward?<br />
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At last, I'm happy with it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPou_LHd2igfMQCez9vO-WFO6qQPjhzuMNNkddvT3AIa7dP_5tAp0iRxQBoOQ9EHaKl-0AvuPIVeD63taki-yDBeN9aZLhOVITw7ucPmFiUxLrJkrWt6APJCx8NTsNZP3s_F1degKHRg0/s1600/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPou_LHd2igfMQCez9vO-WFO6qQPjhzuMNNkddvT3AIa7dP_5tAp0iRxQBoOQ9EHaKl-0AvuPIVeD63taki-yDBeN9aZLhOVITw7ucPmFiUxLrJkrWt6APJCx8NTsNZP3s_F1degKHRg0/s640/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One big change is how At The Double orders work. They're technically two Advance orders done back-to-back, so you'll work out any movement penalties or advantages for them separately. That way if you run over a hill, you're only slowed down on the first Advance. This has subtle but important implications for other rules too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh122sd0T9X_Kb_joKs03XtPSWwlSWtu6tNGvZa8UmQa2esn2ezWA46QasbFIWqt0o1GGiYowkKvDqYrSEBef-_gkXV3LNG2WQo1dVArW2jd7-ewlehBpBARCLPr87xWEdM-twbZju1PcU/s1600/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh122sd0T9X_Kb_joKs03XtPSWwlSWtu6tNGvZa8UmQa2esn2ezWA46QasbFIWqt0o1GGiYowkKvDqYrSEBef-_gkXV3LNG2WQo1dVArW2jd7-ewlehBpBARCLPr87xWEdM-twbZju1PcU/s640/WarStrike+Movement+Phase+4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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All that nonsense about certain obstacles or heights being ignored, or launched off of, based on the model's base size is gone too. Base size is still important for a lot of stuff (encouraging bases that are right-sized by having advantages and disadvantages to big bases), but now the rules for crossing obstacles, climbing things, or dropping down from a ruin are all much more consistent.</div>
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Thoughts? Typos? Let me have it!</div>
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-11410323915008014132018-06-10T14:52:00.000-04:002018-06-10T15:36:41.023-04:00Observation Phase Changes<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOWfgwKNLiRbw_lA-0px4Iv_J5Z6ws_oiGzdC5QcFGP1vlHQl0dfWgjODHp3A7AkAiWLLodhsPOSOnESm1s7KwLqGMjOf0ywNjx4OWeRuJIes1Lx4Ke2lcfzqdgBHVc4L5hrzfTVc9aQ/s1600/WarStrike+Observation+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOWfgwKNLiRbw_lA-0px4Iv_J5Z6ws_oiGzdC5QcFGP1vlHQl0dfWgjODHp3A7AkAiWLLodhsPOSOnESm1s7KwLqGMjOf0ywNjx4OWeRuJIes1Lx4Ke2lcfzqdgBHVc4L5hrzfTVc9aQ/s640/WarStrike+Observation+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I was finishing up the Movement Phase revamp today, I realized that I hadn't shown you the changes to the Observation section yet.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Besides being moved out of the turn chapter, and into the "WarStrike Basics" chapter, Observation has been shortened by two pages. Most of what was cut were rules about targeting buildings and obstacles (and their attendant diagrams/illustrations). Only the rules for targeting building openings remain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM5fbZHG0X_VQC_Jmjsju6KogF0RVdt9dLQrqy-hqU6R3Qok1lVF27GR1s9sC2tJbr9yNWVIc_g1qD6PSWjvW9-mXfAIZiglCUoDUPpfm_K8XJQlF9Ryaz1kYvVdYD-gjsf68He8oyuk/s1600/WarStrike+Observation+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM5fbZHG0X_VQC_Jmjsju6KogF0RVdt9dLQrqy-hqU6R3Qok1lVF27GR1s9sC2tJbr9yNWVIc_g1qD6PSWjvW9-mXfAIZiglCUoDUPpfm_K8XJQlF9Ryaz1kYvVdYD-gjsf68He8oyuk/s640/WarStrike+Observation+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The actual rule count only decreased by one, since I fixed some logical flaws that Stelek found, and also added in rules for stunned and engaged models being considered hidden for LoS/Visibility purposes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHA331JWzuUcpOwWUSSCqOMka_1Nbbs5HDYy5BgNal2Yv87XBDbLOtKKiOVeBIx-E-4MGqJx4UdbpCsYs-L6U9c3BWt1fm_ul3lznlulzib39KvBXnNtwyese_DQ8T34W-7EbsBoIXf0/s1600/WarStrike+Observation+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHA331JWzuUcpOwWUSSCqOMka_1Nbbs5HDYy5BgNal2Yv87XBDbLOtKKiOVeBIx-E-4MGqJx4UdbpCsYs-L6U9c3BWt1fm_ul3lznlulzib39KvBXnNtwyese_DQ8T34W-7EbsBoIXf0/s640/WarStrike+Observation+3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Thoughts? Obvious typos that I missed? </div>
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-50355179058193420772018-06-03T00:03:00.001-04:002018-06-03T00:03:43.937-04:00Putting Reserves In Their Places<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG0lh5erYZ9D62P5CTbWCkjkE0UVgS6BWvjkcxuU-5aKX6NVhG7zXippa6xQoyhOLXNYXBCC1m3y4Cd2Ahai7xyHwCmBQu2Krb1bGCkINPzkb6sUzSu6DOuXGOQ1apuQ9sEIvOwuIU5o/s1600/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+-+Reserve+Units.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG0lh5erYZ9D62P5CTbWCkjkE0UVgS6BWvjkcxuU-5aKX6NVhG7zXippa6xQoyhOLXNYXBCC1m3y4Cd2Ahai7xyHwCmBQu2Krb1bGCkINPzkb6sUzSu6DOuXGOQ1apuQ9sEIvOwuIU5o/s640/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+-+Reserve+Units.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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Thought I'd check in with an update to what I've been doing with reserves. First up, we have a new page added to the "Setting Up A Game" section, which you can see above. It defines the four types of reserves, and how they're put into reserve in the first place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxosNu_eXlgtCseE-g3sUEJ0wVQY6Do6sSHDLUy8wxnwXvYO6NamuQXvKHwPnVNVrIf_F2IUND3B9BKWH3Ni6Cajh26g_9bYaWYMESLLkVSPLupCWXQ8B5XDsbBzu2ALYlfXQWLvG_gJU/s1600/WarStrike+-+Ending+Phase+-+Reserve+Units.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br /><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxosNu_eXlgtCseE-g3sUEJ0wVQY6Do6sSHDLUy8wxnwXvYO6NamuQXvKHwPnVNVrIf_F2IUND3B9BKWH3Ni6Cajh26g_9bYaWYMESLLkVSPLupCWXQ8B5XDsbBzu2ALYlfXQWLvG_gJU/s640/WarStrike+-+Ending+Phase+-+Reserve+Units.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then we have a couple of revamped End Phase pages, where the rules now define how reserves come on (with a nice pretty chart too). Basically, you just place the leader in accordance with the reserve type, and they won't technically be on the table until they're selected in the Movement Phase.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUNCIzWEqHIlnb-lhyphenhyphenS0r5HSQB-e9bpoixT7GgR42zabio0WEnuX-HsCUiuQqNOc4ef6L-LXr4MLde6vGnEjlp76RaNqPRJDAzGcV9bQCIGXXi-yewvYOpcdoeSInzbqiEK71GuZZNuc/s1600/WarStrike+-+Movement+Phase+-+Reserve+Units.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUNCIzWEqHIlnb-lhyphenhyphenS0r5HSQB-e9bpoixT7GgR42zabio0WEnuX-HsCUiuQqNOc4ef6L-LXr4MLde6vGnEjlp76RaNqPRJDAzGcV9bQCIGXXi-yewvYOpcdoeSInzbqiEK71GuZZNuc/s640/WarStrike+-+Movement+Phase+-+Reserve+Units.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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THEN we have the rules for the Movement Phase, where the arriving reserve unit has to make an Advance or At The Double move from either the point on the table edge that the leader's base is touching, or from the center of the leader's base. This is basically how the unit deploys.</div>
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Notice also the new Overwatch rules, and how if arriving Ambushers only Advance during the movement phase, they get an Overwatch token and are then selected again so that they can shoot if they want to. The wording is careful here that there's a first selection, and then a second (so no infinite loops). Moving At The Double during the second selection is also forbidden, so that Ambushers don't get the option of a triple move.<br />
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Thoughts? There has to be a typo in there someplace. :)<br />
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-69886242529478689432018-05-30T14:39:00.000-04:002018-05-30T14:39:18.497-04:00Solving My Blur Problem With A Bit Of A Tilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58TTkwQ81BVEZ6HhgzsNoKFWJ_CBxj0IPsQNrthUl2Zty5cJc7sYVZKsDK7mVqRti6fRSNbfLyWJc_5_yS123NoDeSkb8l6yNjwisA259eevWCEFGnNI1_jrrkn8dQ2Rzav0T1oRwe8U/s1600/setup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58TTkwQ81BVEZ6HhgzsNoKFWJ_CBxj0IPsQNrthUl2Zty5cJc7sYVZKsDK7mVqRti6fRSNbfLyWJc_5_yS123NoDeSkb8l6yNjwisA259eevWCEFGnNI1_jrrkn8dQ2Rzav0T1oRwe8U/s640/setup.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography test setup in my modeling room.</td></tr>
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Hello everyone!</div>
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I'm still working on the next Pre-Alpha release, it's just been delayed a bit by my son's birthday, the end of the school year, and some more extensive editing than I'd anticipated. </div>
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But... I did discover a solution to a problem that had been bugging me, so I thought I'd do a quick post on that. At some point relatively soon, I'm going to need to produce sets of introductory gameplay videos. But how would I do that? It's not enough to simply aim a camera at a table and hit record, because some things on that table would be in focus, and others wouldn't. The solution, as it turns out, is rather interesting, and uses some tech that was originally developed for spy planes.</div>
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<b style="color: #e69138;">What's The Problem Again?</b></div>
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When you're taking a photograph, or shooting video, you have to balance three things:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Aperture</li>
<li>Exposure</li>
<li>ISO</li>
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Put in very simple terms, the Aperture controls the size of the "hole" in the lens through which light enters the camera, the Exposure controls how long the shutter is held open to let light in, and the ISO (pronounced "Eye-So") controls how sensitive the camera's sensor is to the incoming light.</div>
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Each of these settings has a trade-off.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Rgt_ydrkk-EY6qARIQpw6ArWDM1Wpk50PktCTeYR-JpDYQGj0CYPkkB5SA0Y7rDojMveQeX6l23EDX8R05xgn-jqx8hF5me1d1E2q5Oy0KyQb_Zi1G3vZ0QnVNUeKdL2tXQk4fFv6NA/s1600/High-ISO+Isolated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Rgt_ydrkk-EY6qARIQpw6ArWDM1Wpk50PktCTeYR-JpDYQGj0CYPkkB5SA0Y7rDojMveQeX6l23EDX8R05xgn-jqx8hF5me1d1E2q5Oy0KyQb_Zi1G3vZ0QnVNUeKdL2tXQk4fFv6NA/s1600/High-ISO+Isolated.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of a high-ISO (12,800) photograph. It's far too noisy to show any detail.</td></tr>
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In general, you want your ISO (sensor sensitivity) set as low as possible, otherwise you'll get a bunch of noise that will make your picture too grainy to use. Especially when photographing small objects on a large table. </div>
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It gets worse with video. Since this noise is random, it will be different in every frame, making the video look like it was shot on VHS tape instead of a high-end digital camera at 4K.</div>
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So that leaves Aperture and Exposure to play with.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBh3s3YV2KlIEsb77RQxw_Bn-uz1vg5A6o6fJXn-EBu5F1-_5gswGuBlPIF8pvEEjFg3xh2WSAkWJNyx_TXwEvblaPIeVE6UtA9y0v7GXJh_uZvny3_Updc6sYsLrKCjOItDRa_j-FIo/s1600/Traditional+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBh3s3YV2KlIEsb77RQxw_Bn-uz1vg5A6o6fJXn-EBu5F1-_5gswGuBlPIF8pvEEjFg3xh2WSAkWJNyx_TXwEvblaPIeVE6UtA9y0v7GXJh_uZvny3_Updc6sYsLrKCjOItDRa_j-FIo/s640/Traditional+Photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot shows how, if your Aperture is too wide open, you'll only get part of a scene in-focus.</td></tr>
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<div>
Wider (more open) Apertures let in more light, but they lower the camera's Depth of Field. Meaning that whatever you focus on will be sharp, but anything closer or further away from the camera will be blurry. Make the Aperture more narrow, and the depth of field range increases, putting more things in focus. But this also lets in less light, and you'll either have to compensate by adding tons of lights, increasing your exposure time, and/or cranking up the ISO.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-iMNYun914QWdqlBu0ROB2fkPtUoqAXR-sd2St1qpPCzZamub6Uy4njXC_plhe6BxSQH3jbiC_Z0hL-zihOYZBaCf3r2xwyYb1Zw7bP2ApNHk7f907qJDUqg0fhf-aU27n9Bkd5-XHA/s1600/High-ISO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-iMNYun914QWdqlBu0ROB2fkPtUoqAXR-sd2St1qpPCzZamub6Uy4njXC_plhe6BxSQH3jbiC_Z0hL-zihOYZBaCf3r2xwyYb1Zw7bP2ApNHk7f907qJDUqg0fhf-aU27n9Bkd5-XHA/s640/High-ISO.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The camera's Aperture has been narrowed to put everything in focus, but the higher ISO required</div>
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(12800) has added <span style="text-align: left;">so much noise that the image is unusable. Especially for video.</span></div>
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</tbody></table>
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If you're shooting stills, this is no big deal. You just put the camera on a tripod, leave the ISO low, and adjust the exposure so that the shutter is open longer. 1/4th of a second? 2 seconds? No problem.</div>
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But... I'm planning on shooting video. Which has to be shot at 1/30th of a second, minimum. There's no getting around that. I've also got about as much lighting as I can manage to practically fit in my studio space. It's FAR brighter than this test scene, a good 6000-8000 lumens, but it's still not enough to shoot the game table with the Aperture stopped down to F22 without having to raise the ISO above its ideal of 64.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Enter The Freaky Tilt-Shift Lens</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkonGdmfNhgnRngmXt3i4VGAVffivPqoI_n0jBLSOSySK8sJ3_aip6kdPCcD10mqiJ9o36FzgnXASvelWe2Vm_cMZONNI5tku0luhMCe_oL-QVh8x4nimv4YPK0yAQqhtDWpySKAQYjUo/s1600/24-pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkonGdmfNhgnRngmXt3i4VGAVffivPqoI_n0jBLSOSySK8sJ3_aip6kdPCcD10mqiJ9o36FzgnXASvelWe2Vm_cMZONNI5tku0luhMCe_oL-QVh8x4nimv4YPK0yAQqhtDWpySKAQYjUo/s320/24-pc.jpg" width="286" /></a>Last week, while watching photography videos on YouTube, I ran across one on Tilt/Shift lenses. Which were originally invented to allow spy-planes to take clear photos of enemy positions out to the horizon.</div>
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These lenses get used a lot in architectural photography. By using the shift function (the ability to move the lens up and down in its mount) you can take pictures of tall buildings and wide landscapes without any perspective distortion.</div>
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That's cool and all, but I was more interested in the tilt feature. It allows the lens to rotate in the middle, which lets you control the angle of the focal plane. So instead of objects being clear or blurry based on their distance to the camera, you can adjust it so that they're blurry based on some other angle. Such as... Oh... Their distance from a tabletop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3gMNAV71TE224PwLXHg3_JqSApoOgFxNPeGdEkOtZtYt9XQU6oNcVGy7C97a35MwoilJhr0hMVeyrngpkZ9S7uH5lhmeANl8voZcHq3WGgb_3fhI-Fmq0UqA4J2QBR7hVAFTi8Dpr14/s1600/Tilt-Shift+Lens+On+Camera.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3gMNAV71TE224PwLXHg3_JqSApoOgFxNPeGdEkOtZtYt9XQU6oNcVGy7C97a35MwoilJhr0hMVeyrngpkZ9S7uH5lhmeANl8voZcHq3WGgb_3fhI-Fmq0UqA4J2QBR7hVAFTi8Dpr14/s640/Tilt-Shift+Lens+On+Camera.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So by tilting the lens down a bit on the camera...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPc6WfC27fkoetheACWgFzCyi7i4CFSsJWBopJfXyKJaCiwjlkNnO3jImqR_V-B4MgowDxZoDJgzl-ZdiEOsuaPSrLJ0oC1TT91f6I8Fv9T9SoeYFyghf_bPUGaDQ-Hutd5ETpmNYZaVg/s1600/Tilt-Shift+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPc6WfC27fkoetheACWgFzCyi7i4CFSsJWBopJfXyKJaCiwjlkNnO3jImqR_V-B4MgowDxZoDJgzl-ZdiEOsuaPSrLJ0oC1TT91f6I8Fv9T9SoeYFyghf_bPUGaDQ-Hutd5ETpmNYZaVg/s640/Tilt-Shift+Photo.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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...Objects are now clearly in focus if they're in the plane of the table, and only get blurry if they go above or below that level. Notice that the troops behind the pillars are sharp, while the pillar between them and the camera is blurred at the top. Weird, no?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrB9F-qtuVtxkPiReSfwjDbaVup4RkQLnjy8jZDen81HjuysB2efLYq0xjxMfxmddJ6pbNR3w2gNzl207C3oTweVnP4mlQnBUgnrVA12L_ujg_77IvyyyJDAX7_AajBQ6AI2796mo3EU/s1600/ISO+Comparisons.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrB9F-qtuVtxkPiReSfwjDbaVup4RkQLnjy8jZDen81HjuysB2efLYq0xjxMfxmddJ6pbNR3w2gNzl207C3oTweVnP4mlQnBUgnrVA12L_ujg_77IvyyyJDAX7_AajBQ6AI2796mo3EU/s640/ISO+Comparisons.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thus, I now only need to close down the Aperture enough to make sure that models 1-2 inches high will be in focus. Meaning that a LOT more light will get though to the camera's sensor. Which in turn means that I can use a lower, less noisy ISO. In the modeling room, with just the overhead LEDs and the table lamp, the tilt allowed the camera to keep the models in-focus while gathering 8x more light. This allowed me to lower the ISO to 1600, which resulted in a MUCH cleaner photo.</div>
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There's still a bit of noise at ISO 1600 though, so I adjusted the exposure from the 1/30th of a second required for video, to 1/1.5th of a second. Just to see how much cleaner an ISO 64 picture shot under proper lighting will be.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFFNpAwh6DNyscGms3stoqwkHN7uEYQwQaM3wiGTqIuyuacu3GB3Zj33l0nsS2SUM2ki7MIQh7FtaT7Uuv0TFZKGP6ie6Fsk-UCRL07yTLuaXAsuMo1Pt8mJzicv1vNy9FhsmNLUBxmw/s1600/tiltshiftphotography1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFFNpAwh6DNyscGms3stoqwkHN7uEYQwQaM3wiGTqIuyuacu3GB3Zj33l0nsS2SUM2ki7MIQh7FtaT7Uuv0TFZKGP6ie6Fsk-UCRL07yTLuaXAsuMo1Pt8mJzicv1vNy9FhsmNLUBxmw/s640/tiltshiftphotography1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolas_xii/2955317413/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Now... What happens if instead of tilting the lens down, you tilt it up? Well, that makes the focal plane more perpendicular/vertical. Which is often used to make really big things look like tiny miniatures. Because the resulting pics mimic the look of macro photography.</div>
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If you've seen the movie "Game Night", you might have wondered how they made certain shots of real life look like pieces on a game board. Well, this is how. The blurring effect can be faked on a computer, but doing it-lens almost always looks better.</div>
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Thoughts?</div>
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-46334424999438225222018-05-23T08:51:00.001-04:002018-06-02T23:40:08.053-04:00The New End Phase (Used To Be The Starting Phase)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs35P_nTbbapaHAR5vW4rx2T9y2kXbvJir-Q_NcQeKEnm3abnTvkxuGZgnfiKPsW7OMPgVf7PufSV7Hy_zBSwLHPYphiYsU-nz6MozrjPr5G1NXFn9JsHXWt4NXL4LedNEv27xg3jn4cA/s1600/WarStrike+-+New+End+Phase+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs35P_nTbbapaHAR5vW4rx2T9y2kXbvJir-Q_NcQeKEnm3abnTvkxuGZgnfiKPsW7OMPgVf7PufSV7Hy_zBSwLHPYphiYsU-nz6MozrjPr5G1NXFn9JsHXWt4NXL4LedNEv27xg3jn4cA/s640/WarStrike+-+New+End+Phase+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finished up the new End Phase yesterday. What's different?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It features new, more Sci-Fi images (no more green army men) and fewer rules. The latter being possible because the rules for the actual tests involved were moved into the basics section.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx4rhHt0rFgoOJZzYyVvwYFTyUBmPaLrYAq5sCZN5y8eXTtBdRFhmMDdl4mcl41fAIpW33YL4AaS3-l5gqaSZXz4-wgET0czesV7IZ2ilYnD6CEmA16hy4QK_SC9J1J3fQmLiNiJ1-Hg/s1600/WarStrike+-+New+End+Phase+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx4rhHt0rFgoOJZzYyVvwYFTyUBmPaLrYAq5sCZN5y8eXTtBdRFhmMDdl4mcl41fAIpW33YL4AaS3-l5gqaSZXz4-wgET0czesV7IZ2ilYnD6CEmA16hy4QK_SC9J1J3fQmLiNiJ1-Hg/s640/WarStrike+-+New+End+Phase+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You might notice that almost of the rules for rolling for, and placing reserves have been moved here. Instead of being split between here and the Movement Phase. As was the "Battlefield Promotion" rule. In fact, most of the reason for shifting this phase from the start of the turn to the end was to prevent reserves from entering at all on turn 1. Plus the fact that it covered a lot of things that you wouldn't need to do until after the first turn was done anyway.<br />
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Thoughts?<br />
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Find me some typos!<br />
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Also, tell me if you don't like something! Really, I can take it. This game wouldn't be as good as it is if I didn't cut out the bad ideas based on feedback.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
<br />SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-34877504432182052582018-05-23T08:22:00.000-04:002018-05-23T08:52:48.605-04:00Setting Up A Game<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPzeJtBmC5p8ugm-QjJBApy1MAcwxT7LTtmx0EP4JezDYd5dChK50w1F35NrQcMN8yA8cJVYFjS64UYfWVn7fOs1dPjPxVpHoQ7PDd4uwv5o5uD8qCCEEHN-L79nu7px6rm8QYE0tAZY/s1600/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPzeJtBmC5p8ugm-QjJBApy1MAcwxT7LTtmx0EP4JezDYd5dChK50w1F35NrQcMN8yA8cJVYFjS64UYfWVn7fOs1dPjPxVpHoQ7PDd4uwv5o5uD8qCCEEHN-L79nu7px6rm8QYE0tAZY/s640/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yeah, on Sunday I said that I was done with the "Basic Rules" chapter. But then I decided that chapter needed a section on how to set up a battle (which was mostly done already) and that it should include the very basic "Training Day" mission.<br />
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Why?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
Because I never quite felt that this stuff belonged with the full competitive mission descriptions. Which are neither done, nor on my plate as being essential for the Gencon testing. Where we'll be running smaller games on a 4'x4' table anyway, so that we can squeeze in more demos per hour.<br />
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I also wanted to, and have been, pulling various rules out of the turn chapter, and introducing them earlier in the basics chapter. So the the turn chapters aren't so daunting, and the things that players might want to know early, or might get easily confused by, are presented in a more easily grokked order.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NfazQeYAyMAMi6NavcJ4EFVo3rblzrIzs7S3r_l0-kEoOuScePHC_8voKPExt7c3xNNcRUEHzKJq1-C8VPYj2FtAmpQqrMMNYNNn7lTfH8vdD_vruMUjsQkBxYGAGTIq2qzGhr0pgJQ/s1600/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NfazQeYAyMAMi6NavcJ4EFVo3rblzrIzs7S3r_l0-kEoOuScePHC_8voKPExt7c3xNNcRUEHzKJq1-C8VPYj2FtAmpQqrMMNYNNn7lTfH8vdD_vruMUjsQkBxYGAGTIq2qzGhr0pgJQ/s640/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first four pages are pretty much unchanged from the last Pre-Alpha PDF.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcpLr0nU3kTWwIqtN5hgyAXKD5wQVWbSB5W6P6wS_OWucD9z6NT5Q1vv1-2_k8QFYTpC7CfkiN3gLodSGmFZFbj97UEFanezPEOnX9XeouUfK3dwGAoqfl-MDc2bDadU35FPFZZ3beIg/s1600/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcpLr0nU3kTWwIqtN5hgyAXKD5wQVWbSB5W6P6wS_OWucD9z6NT5Q1vv1-2_k8QFYTpC7CfkiN3gLodSGmFZFbj97UEFanezPEOnX9XeouUfK3dwGAoqfl-MDc2bDadU35FPFZZ3beIg/s640/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Pages 39-42 (as currently numbered, there's fluff in the front of the book that will be pulled out before I release the next Pre-Alpha) have clearer, updated, and color-matching diagrams. The rules for the mission are also formatted properly, and there's another <i>infinity-infinity</i> rule. This one says that the rules for a mission always override any other rule in the book.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYj5uKGCj2W9g4-1QYvCLdGC1bpEt5SAri85fU219dkid4fVwi9PliuNb76jKTB27XFWBtjrUh4EAdp1YDVElyq2qQN1kJSvXy7p7kuoIKn4tAs9P3BjDCcEz22W3MGcSWIwFTDKnnBs/s1600/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYj5uKGCj2W9g4-1QYvCLdGC1bpEt5SAri85fU219dkid4fVwi9PliuNb76jKTB27XFWBtjrUh4EAdp1YDVElyq2qQN1kJSvXy7p7kuoIKn4tAs9P3BjDCcEz22W3MGcSWIwFTDKnnBs/s640/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
You'll also notice that all of the rules for Objectives are collected together on page 40. These used to be in the Starting Phase section, but the Starting Phase is now the End Phase. So it makes more sense to define all of that here.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwHEyODlMFmGuug5mUz8i03tcG_iSHkLEFbgaWk4A_s85K4dk04LyPXqEt0F_x8MFGDrZ89IxEuqvukQY8jwDoKW_d8bvBzdM4VoWJCpjQ4dwYfWTxtFrelPcNqTNZDYUCA5wPK8Q5aY/s1600/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwHEyODlMFmGuug5mUz8i03tcG_iSHkLEFbgaWk4A_s85K4dk04LyPXqEt0F_x8MFGDrZ89IxEuqvukQY8jwDoKW_d8bvBzdM4VoWJCpjQ4dwYfWTxtFrelPcNqTNZDYUCA5wPK8Q5aY/s400/WarStrike+-+Setting+Up+A+Game+5.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<br />
Finally, there's the mission mobility section, which is pretty much unchanged from before.<br />
<br />
Thoughts?<br />
<br />
All feedback is useful. Especially finding typos and pointing out things you do or don't like. I have a very thick skin, so you're not going to insult me by pointing out a mistake. :)<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
<br />SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-31078515640252785022018-05-20T11:29:00.001-04:002018-05-20T11:29:59.986-04:00New D10 Rolling Overview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrO25Th8_oTm9AbZ1RIBXQAFsEFxd4OlNDDNChDNRblk9-mm7y_amTc-m0fzbaasRNIvWkjtR6Zl38l3mrL7jmPMglfnabSQKD7t4IiwUHvfCj7CHEV4aBKls9O0MLoA0MRFxJ7RW7lc4/s1600/WarStrike+D10+Rolling+Section.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrO25Th8_oTm9AbZ1RIBXQAFsEFxd4OlNDDNChDNRblk9-mm7y_amTc-m0fzbaasRNIvWkjtR6Zl38l3mrL7jmPMglfnabSQKD7t4IiwUHvfCj7CHEV4aBKls9O0MLoA0MRFxJ7RW7lc4/s640/WarStrike+D10+Rolling+Section.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(click to enlarge)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Some of the die-rolling mechanics have caused a bit of confusion for testers, particularly the concept of rolling low with one or all dice. So I've pulled all of the test definitions out of the turn sections, and put them all together in the "WarStrike Basics" introductory section. So that there's one place for a player to go to compare how the various tests work.<br />
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<a name='more'></a></div>
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This now finishes the revamps of all 7 sections of the "WarStrike Basics" chapter. Which includes:</div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>How To Read These Rules</li>
<li>What You'll Need To Play</li>
<li>Overview of Play</li>
<li>Models & Units</li>
<li>Weapons</li>
<li>All The Ways You'll Roll A D10</li>
<li>Observation</li>
</ol>
<div>
I'll now be moving on to the Turn Chapter, which now only contains four sections. One each for the Movement, Action, Melee, and End Phases. Melee is pretty much done already, but I've got a few dozen little rules tweaks and a couple of shifts of certain rules (like reserve arrival) from one section to another.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I'm planning on having the revamped Pre-ALpha rules (minus any fluff) out in PDF to the local testers this week. Then I'll get the basic faction descriptions done, and move on to miniature assembly/painting for the demos at Gencon. I've been using a lot of GW models to test with, but I can't present the game at Gencon using anything but the 3rd Party models that I've been given explicit permission to use.</div>
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Thoughts?</div>
SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-69854458040033012482018-05-18T11:07:00.003-04:002018-05-18T11:08:44.364-04:00We're Confirmed For Gencon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2enFnLWgamTxTbL4bbvUToxYwOxyByQt-XoWviSI2hNW9HcxSnoduM7CqEaXP6ctynXMEl15d2iGOyQHjyuT6cyrCMEi-vTKKO0j4wxLI1llGoaLQDYRJMO1wj5gT9mU0o-oSYGcZ2Y/s1600/images.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2enFnLWgamTxTbL4bbvUToxYwOxyByQt-XoWviSI2hNW9HcxSnoduM7CqEaXP6ctynXMEl15d2iGOyQHjyuT6cyrCMEi-vTKKO0j4wxLI1llGoaLQDYRJMO1wj5gT9mU0o-oSYGcZ2Y/s1600/images.png" /></a></div>
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I've just received confirmation that WarStrike is a go for the First Exposure Playtest Hall. I don't have a schedule yet, but if our time is distributed evenly, then we'll be testing for 4 hours each day of Gencon! </div>
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Thoughts?</div>
SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-18203947975630415812018-05-11T13:54:00.000-04:002018-05-11T13:58:36.255-04:00New Play Overview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpltmW9_I8oOYcnzYsNkvkHKTogc-44vuCmsl6KEmL7_2L8o6Gv0gsfBZTS6Eub5R0KYb4bdfYizbtBRP3k11ptywjxpDnuaSjawoPj-zSIYULZq7hb5DxZ7DGQEo8zvWiTME3GeNr68/s1600/WarStrike+-+New+Play+Overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpltmW9_I8oOYcnzYsNkvkHKTogc-44vuCmsl6KEmL7_2L8o6Gv0gsfBZTS6Eub5R0KYb4bdfYizbtBRP3k11ptywjxpDnuaSjawoPj-zSIYULZq7hb5DxZ7DGQEo8zvWiTME3GeNr68/s640/WarStrike+-+New+Play+Overview.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Click to Enlarge)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've been a busy beaver these last few days. Deleting lots of rules that we don't need, adding a few that we do, and working on presenting some of the new/odd things in our game that players won't be used to from playing other games, and dealing with bad rules interactions that Stelek has helped me find. The next Pre-Alpha PDF release is going to be quite different indeed.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I had a demo game on Wednesday with a local player who's in the military, and he got very confused by some of the terms that I was using in the game, and what they mean to him in real life. To grok it all, he needed some very deep explanations for why I'd decided have certain things work they way they do in WarStrike.<br />
<br />
Sure, that's an extreme case, and the majority of my testers have picked up the mechanics very quickly. But most do get at least a little confused by Initiative, or some of the roll-low tests, so I've seen a need for presenting the concepts for these things in a "Basics" chapter before they get into the actual turn rules.<br />
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This will also let me shrink down the rules for each phase quite a bit, since I won't have to explain Initiative, or common ways of rolling the dice, as I go.<br />
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I'm also pulling out as many non-Sci-Fi images as I can, though new miniature photographs will have to wait until I have enough Anvil Industries minis painted up to take new pics with.<br />
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Thoughts?<br />
<br />SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-6758473587100449282018-05-09T11:48:00.000-04:002018-05-09T11:48:07.307-04:00Ok... Maybe One Rules Overhaul... And Gencon!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1t6VxhLQdt9j9az6Oq4U05zvbRVPaKPuu3ngriZEkNpRiVJa9OJLxhKhYAIdIJxUAYvh3AaNVKE2nf_nHRIPUXO993nUwWqNvs7iIyu32lE2LlqvSfN3V6wk-6pFiJXL5hyw-gBqCdY/s1600/mechanic.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1t6VxhLQdt9j9az6Oq4U05zvbRVPaKPuu3ngriZEkNpRiVJa9OJLxhKhYAIdIJxUAYvh3AaNVKE2nf_nHRIPUXO993nUwWqNvs7iIyu32lE2LlqvSfN3V6wk-6pFiJXL5hyw-gBqCdY/s640/mechanic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ok, so I was making notes in iBooks Author for the relatively simple rules tweaks that I was planning to make as a result of last weekend's testing. But as I was doing that, I thought back to the demos I'd just done, and what players had stumbled over conceptually.</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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So I took a look at the way the book was structured, and in particular the introductory sections. I then realized that I wasn't presenting the major concepts in a clear and concise way. Particularly for the floating Initiative system, which was actually summarized twice in two different sections.</div>
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As a result, I'm shifting the chapters around a bit. I'm also going to yank most of the rules for shooting at, or melee-attacking buildings and obstacles. Since I can see that they're not really needed in the game. The moving and shooting dynamics are more than enough to think about, and thus the building/obstacle stuff is adding a bunch of bloat that's not going to be important to the players' enjoyment.</div>
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Plus, I just submitted WarStrike to the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gencon. If we're approved, the rules and test materials being polished will count for more than the fluff... for now.</div>
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Thoughts?</div>
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-931791321917571701.post-3072700497879825172018-05-07T13:04:00.002-04:002018-05-07T13:04:36.729-04:00A Great Weekend of Testing!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE32uqePfqtJmf6Xc_N5uWuckduQzCe2C8O0CQoMhtZVWKbNzzcwicwUYhrLCmTzRsQyTLktQ_dC-dVVORLo4eRx7jAXwz4BtY96lmDuFtEiV3MpLX-b-csXFbKUV325So1AoB6cfMI0/s1600/IMG_3801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE32uqePfqtJmf6Xc_N5uWuckduQzCe2C8O0CQoMhtZVWKbNzzcwicwUYhrLCmTzRsQyTLktQ_dC-dVVORLo4eRx7jAXwz4BtY96lmDuFtEiV3MpLX-b-csXFbKUV325So1AoB6cfMI0/s640/IMG_3801.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local gamer Alex Fetts after winning a VERY enjoyable game of WarStrike.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I spent 16 hours at <a href="http://www.family-time-games.com/" target="_blank">Family Time Games</a> this past weekend, where I ran 5 games of WarStrike, and 7 quick gameplay introductions, to various past and present 40K players. The results were extremely encouraging. With a solid majority of the players not only liking the game, but actually using words like "Fantastic", and "It really feels fair" to describe the experience.</div>
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<a name='more'></a>The only "meh" I got was from a Flames player who was impressed by the mechanics, but just wasn't that into 28mm scale games.<br />
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A similar majority of those I did a quick gameplay rundown with were really excited by what they saw, and expressed an eager desire to follow the project's progress. Three of those very much want to do a demo in the future, but didn't have the time this weekend. I have another 3 local players who wanted to come, but couldn't, and we'll work out times for demos in the next couple of weeks.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Validation Is A Wonderful Thing</span></b></div>
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Results like these are extremely encouraging, as we hadn't really done much testing in the last couple of years. </div>
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CaulynDarr and I were pretty sure that WarStrike's floating-initiative mechanics were fun and unique, based on our in-house testing. But to see new players taking to the game immediately, with jokes being made, and cries of joy on making difficult 10-up die rolls, really validates all of those hours that I spent honing the rules between family emergencies and other depressing setbacks. There have been a lot of times that it would have been quite easy to use one of those as an excuse to drop the project and move on to something else. But now I'm very glad that I didn't!</div>
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This game really does stand on its own.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Strengths & Issues</span></b></div>
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Ok, so... Warm fuzzies aside... What did the testing uncover?</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">We've Nailed The Speed of Play:</span></b></div>
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A full game takes between 1 and 1.5 hours. While the half-games we played (three units each instead of seven) took between 30 and 45 minutes. The number of turns ranged from 4 to 8.</div>
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For experienced players in a tournament environment, games should average one hour. So if a TO does 90 minute rounds, that should enable FIVE game rounds, plus an hour for lunch, in a tournament lasting from 10am to 6:30pm. Awards at 7pm, and you're on your way by 8pm. </div>
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Not bad at all! And five rounds will enable true single-elimination win/loss scoring for 32 players. Add three more rounds on a second day, and we're talking 256 players with single-elimination for large events like NOVA or Adepticon. Awesome!</div>
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The fast pace of play was also a BIG draw for all of those playing and/or watching the test games. Considering that my most recent "small" 8th Edition 40K game (Guard vs. Necrons) ran 3.5 hours, this is again becoming a big deal, even to casual 40K players.</div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>We Need Baseline Stats For Other Races:</b></span></div>
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As I was spending the time between tests texting with potential testers, one of them was very keen on being able to test the game using their own GW Ork models, and disappointed when I said I was providing the armies. The games that I've been running have used my own collections of models to represent Republic/Fallen forces. Basically Space Marines with light infantry units attached.</div>
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So... As the pool of testers widens, we'll need to come up with baseline unit/weapon stats for all of our factions. Not full unit cards or point costs, or even special faction rules, but something that gives potential non-marine players the ability to slap some weapons and gear on a given stat-line, and throw down a test game with what they have.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Nobody Minded The D10's:</span></b></div>
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Some players (and potential players) admitted that they didn't have more than a couple of D10's in their collection, but everyone I played or talked to was very receptive to using them. Some players even actively hated D6's.</div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #e69138;">The D10 Comparison Chart Is Easily Memorized:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYOYoPw30Y7Qm-gAu3aUwjREeIHtUxcnoGZPyipJLVZGf23sAg7INinaE9PR0BGFK0kEA4PK8yuz-YYGxALb2TGEzqPa_21t-eCThrsxILgBIFSexyoM3oPfbsNdg4X3Y0MKjjCyvEWM/s1600/WarStrike+Comparison+Table.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYOYoPw30Y7Qm-gAu3aUwjREeIHtUxcnoGZPyipJLVZGf23sAg7INinaE9PR0BGFK0kEA4PK8yuz-YYGxALb2TGEzqPa_21t-eCThrsxILgBIFSexyoM3oPfbsNdg4X3Y0MKjjCyvEWM/s640/WarStrike+Comparison+Table.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe this shouldn't have been surprising to me, but it was. One guy picked up the book, flipped through it a bit, and immediately told me that I should not, under any circumstances, change the comparison table. Why? Because once he saw it, he didn't need to look at it any more. He could work it out easily in his head.</div>
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After a couple of games, I was doing it too. Here's how that works:</div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>If the two stats to be compared are equal, the roll you need is a 6+.</li>
<li>So if you're comparing two unequal stats, you first figure out the difference.</li>
<li>You then decide if the difference is good, or bad for you.</li>
<li>If the difference is good for you, walk down from 6 by the difference.</li>
<li>If the difference is bad for you, walk it up by the difference.</li>
</ol>
<div>
So if your WS 5 Conscripts are shooting at Evasion 7 Marine Light Infantry, there's a difference of two, and it's going to bad for you. So you walk up your roll from 6 by 2 points. "Six... Seven... Eight." You need an 8+ to hit.</div>
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<div>
If your WS 9 Fallen Captain is trying to hit an Evasion 5 Marine Legio, then there's a difference of four, and it's good for you. So you walk down your roll from 6 by 4 points. "Six... Five... Four... Three... Two." You need a 2+ to hit. </div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>The Test For Choosing Casualties Needs a Snappy Name:</b></span></div>
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Players really liked the fast 2D10 test to be able to pick one or two of your opponent's casualties. But every time I told them to roll it, there was a few seconds of confusion. If instead of "Roll to pick who dies," I'd said something more like "Roll your Reaper Test," I think it would have helped quite a bit.</div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Melee Doesn't Need Much Complexity:</b></span></div>
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Of the five test games that I ran, three of them involved significant amounts of melee combat. Something that hadn't really happened in earlier testing. As a result, it became immediately apparent that the rules for "ganging up on a model" and "Watching Each Other's Backs" weren't needed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPkTGG0wksbfZtYOzX3VShHyfZ5yyRbp8wIVLtKUy_CPBAGcHSRNZmC8WOJMWrYLsgsWfeTXpmWONxnfVlULnY32vNO7QfR3M-ZIoMu9g7WYA006Juo9K9sT9_BOl_f8T6EYd4NOwNGY/s1600/Overly+Complex+Melee+Rules.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPkTGG0wksbfZtYOzX3VShHyfZ5yyRbp8wIVLtKUy_CPBAGcHSRNZmC8WOJMWrYLsgsWfeTXpmWONxnfVlULnY32vNO7QfR3M-ZIoMu9g7WYA006Juo9K9sT9_BOl_f8T6EYd4NOwNGY/s640/Overly+Complex+Melee+Rules.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since I couldn't remember these rules, and I could see how much the players were enjoying the pace of the game, I decided to not even bring them up. They would have stopped the rhythm of the action as we figured out who had what WS modified or not.</div>
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Besides which, combats were interesting enough.</div>
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What do I mean by that? Well... Since melee only affects models that are engaged by an enemy, we had some very interesting situations develop. Such as where one model in a unit of light infantry was charged, and the rest of the unit left him, and relocated someplace else to fire at another enemy unit. Because the unit leader wasn't engaged, and so he could move the squad away so long as at least half of its models were able to come along.</div>
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Versus another game, where the opponent (me) did charge the unit leader of a Marine squad, and so the unit was stuck in combat.</div>
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This was all much more interesting than 40K combats, while being an emergent property of the basic rules for the movement and action phases.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Charging/Melee Issues:</span></b></div>
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I really need to consider, and tighten up, the rules for charging and melee. So that it's clear that an engaged unit has to charge if they want to "consolidate" into combat. This is because stunned models (those with a toughness that survived a wound) are automatically killed if charged. But it wasn't clear what would happen to a stunned model if it was simply attacked in melee.</div>
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The best thing would be if you can't attack a stunned model in melee. So that the unit has to declare a charge in order to finish the stunned model(s) off. That way being stunned isn't an automatic kill in melee, and a unit (or a lone Commander) has to choose between taking an extra turn to finish off a stunned model, or leaving them lie so that the unit can do something else. Like hoofing it to a nearby objective.</div>
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Doing an auto-hit, auto-pen, with a kill test required might work if we did allow an attack. In that weak units are unlikely to succeed, and so must charge in order to be sure. While stronger melee units could probably trust that whoever they left behind in combat could finish off stunned enemies. </div>
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There are also implications for pinned units. In that they're automatically destroyed if charged, but it's currently fuzzy as to what happens when they're in combat.</div>
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The second issue is that players overwhelmingly wanted their unengaged models to be able to fire freely at other units on the field besides the one they were engaged with. So I'll need to carefully think about when/if that should be able to happen.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Difficult Terrain:</span></b></div>
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Needs to be half-movement instead of 8" or some other pre-defined number.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Overwatch:</span></b></div>
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I've never been able to come up with (or heard anyone suggest) an Overwatch rule that didn't seem like a messy kludge. But watching the action on the table during the games, it really struck me that units with low Initiatives really needed some kind of way to get the drop on high-Initiative units. Players really wanted some kind of reaction fire when being charged.</div>
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So what I'm thinking is that a unit can declare Overwatch in the Action Phase (and do nothing), in order to be able to shoot in the Movement Phase when they're selected. That way a low-initiative unit can get a chance to fire at the high-initiative units before they get to move out of the way. </div>
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Simple! And it would potentially discourage high-Initiative units from simply running in the open towards a healthy unit, assuming that they'll automatically get a double-move and a charge before the lower-initiative unit can react. So we get a kind of "defensive fire" rule without having to add a bunch of edge-case rules (or require extreme rolls) in order to make it happen.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Conclusion</span></b></div>
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That's it for the big stuff. I've got 2.5 pages of notes that include other half-formed ideas, but I don't feel like they're worth talking about in detail. Since they may never see the light of day.</div>
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But... We did have a real hero-moment in one of our games!</div>
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If you look closely at that pic of Alex at the top of this post, you'll see a clump of troops half-hidden (oops) by a tree obstacle. That was a game that run 8 turns (in an hour and a half), where it came down to his marine lieutenant vs. a unit of fallen conscripts.</div>
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Both armies had lost more than half of their units, and thus had to make Strike Force Morale Checks to stay on the field. But when both sides fail their rolls, and there's a tie, the game continues. </div>
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Well, this one continued for 3 turns as his lieutenant tried, vainly, to hack away at the blob of men around him, and they tried (vainly) to try and penetrate his armor. But in the end, he finally passed his STM check, while I failed mine. So his last man standing took the field as the conscripts fled.</div>
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That's as great an ending as any I've had in 40K. :)</div>
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Thoughts?</div>
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SandWyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334440208172563850noreply@blogger.com0