Friday, February 22, 2013

PlayStation 4 Revealed

Well, the PS4 has finally been revealed, if not unveiled.  We got a good look at the controller (subject to change of course) and the output this thing is capable of but not the machine itself, but let's face it, you look at the screen not the console.  Overall, they didn't let me down, but they also didn't do much more than stake a flag in the sand.  Microsoft still has a very good chance of still stealing the show come E3 in June.

But in an interview with AllThingsD, Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, did bring up a few good points.  He didn't pretend to know what Microsoft is focusing on, but he did indicate that Sony is focused on gaming.  Without reading too much into it, it's not too much of a stretch to see that Microsoft may be more focused on the living room as a whole, where gaming is just a part of their objective.

If that's true, you'll never know, maybe they'll end up trying to be good at a lot things, but end up not the best at any one.  For my gaming, I do like the idea that games would come first, and controlling my DVR through facial recognition and finger snaps would be second.

On the other hand, if they strike a chord with folks and Microsoft's next Xbox makes it into 2 or 3 times as many living rooms, it won't matter if they're the "best", it's where developers will invest their resources.

For info on the upcoming PS4 through Sony tinted lenses, click here.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Let's Talk Terrain: Scratch Built Trees (Part 1, WIP)

When working on your terrain, it makes sense to work from macro to micro, at least when getting started.  Ultimately, I would love to have garbage cans, street lights, electric lines, maybe even litter like a crumpled up newspaper blown into the corner of a courtyard.  But first things first, I want a basic playable table.  I've started by creating some basic buildings and I have a surface upon which to place those buildings.  Yes, yes we'll need more buildings (currently working on that with an even simpler method!) and we need to add some elevation our table, but let's start with...trees!

I purchased a couple trees that I've yet to base.  They look nice...but not incredible.  If you only get two "alright" looking trees for around $20 it's going to be very very pricey to play Johnny Appleseed on your table.  I knew there had to be a better way.

I ended up coming up with my own approach, which I'll share below.

The Next Generation


I have a chip on my shoulder. Days until Sony undoubtedly will reveal the PS4 and I'm actually nervous that it will be underwhelming. I shouldn't care, but lets face it...the PS3 was the quirky "oh, I have a friend with one" console of this generation. Basically like the GameCube.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Force on Force: Contracting Trouble

A friend came over and allowed for the chance to do a new (to us) scenario for Force on Force.

Some rules were of course forgotten, misinterpreted, or avoided, but it was actually a fantastic game for getting a hang of the basics and was quite fun.  I think the rules are starting to really sink in, and where things were still foggy, we were able to come to agreement pretty easily.

The scenario was called Contracting Trouble and is actually one of Ambush Alley's/Force on Force's more popular scenarios.  A quick Google search will take you to a number of "After Action Reports" on this game.  After glancing through a few of those AAR's you're see a trend.  The Marines are fucked...

Friday, February 1, 2013

ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod

PlayStation 4; PS4; PS 4; The Next Playstation
At long last, the next generation PlayStation is soon to be announced.  I've played the hell out of my PS3, but it's starting to get a little long in the tooth.  Your move, Microsoft...