Things happen in the real world that get in the way of our lives as gamers. It's part of the reality of this life. And that's not just for us gamer sorts, but for everyone with hobbies. Sometimes, the real world gets in the way. Regardless of the form it takes, hurdles pop up that must be navigated before we can get back to ourselves. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, but suffice it to say, I've recently been drudging through one such period of my life and I haven't had the time I'd like to have for my gaming pursuits. So it goes. But, I'm climbing back in the saddle so to speak, and here's a recap of what the Grinning Gamer has been up to lately...
Rage!
This is a CCG based on the RPG Werewolf: the Apocalypse. For those of you keeping score at home, the RPG and the CCG have both been out of print for a long time. White Wolf Studios has a new line of World of Darkness games, including a new werewolf game, but WW:tA has been dead for awhile. But, one of my close friends and I have a lot of cards left over from way back when we were playing. Since we've been playing some old school World of Darkness lately (which I'll get to shortly), we've decided to break out the old cards. It's funny though. We used to play a lot, but had the rules all botched up. Now that we're playing correctly, the game is a lot more fun, though there are a handful of cards that seem to just break the game, but I guess that's to be expected. We're starting off easy with single tribe decks for everyone. I'm playing Glass Walkers because I decided after digging through the cards that they were the tribe I felt had the best synergy within themselves that was still available. So, I think it's been fun so far. I'm looking forward to getting into some bigger multiplayer games. The two player games don't have the same dynamic. They were still fun though... More to come on that later.
Werewolf: the Dark Ages
So we've rebooted our group's RP attempt at the World of Darkness. The last one fell through for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was a lack of communication within the group and a lack of experience all around. But, we're moving on. Currently, there are four of us playing, with a fifth possibly joining later. But we'll see how that goes. Right now, I'm enjoying the game. The same close friend from above and I made our characters together and have rekindled some of the old gaming fun we used to have back in high school (which has been longer ago than I care to admit). Basically, we're playing Shadow Lord cousins that are nobility. His character is in line for a Duchy, mine is the cousin that's just around and has a little power he swings around like a club to make sure everyone knows he's better than them. The other characters include a Silent Strider and a third Shadow Lord that's a lupus. The game is going well so far. At time it's hard to get into character, but others it fits like a glove. Still learning the ropes of the character, and I'll get there.
Warhammer
I haven't had nearly enough time for this game lately. I've been working on a few modeling projects, and doing a little painting when I can, but even that's been slow. I haven't had the space to set up anything and leave it where I see it every time I'm at the desk, so it's been even harder to keep focused on. Hopefully the new living arrangements will help with that a little. It's not the same as playing, but I have been a little more involved in the local stuff a bit behind the scenes. Sadly, I'm not as involved in Midwest Warfare as I have been in the past, mostly due to time limitations and travel. But I have been getting more involved in Battleland Games here in the local area. I'm going to be helping run and judge a tournament at the local game-con next month, so that's a plus. Time to start brushing up on my rules.
Magic
This is probably the game that it makes me the most sad that I haven't had the time or money for. As always, this game is my favorite. I've almost got my Legacy Merfolk deck put together, which is an investment that I hope pays off. Merfolk isn't one of the most powerful decks in the format, but it is one of the most consistent and cheapest. I haven't been keeping up with Standard very much, but the new core set looks solid. Nothing jumps out to me as broken yet, but I haven't really had time to get into it a lot. The new block coming up looks promising so far. It's based in the classical Greek/Roman mythos fantasy setting, which is awesome to me. There was also a bit of a hint that one of my personal favorite planeswalkers might be making a return, which is great news to me.
Computer games
I haven't been playing as much Guildwars 2 as I was, but I've been perusing Kerbal Space Program with a vengeance. I've been having trouble with my Munar missions though... Not able to land reliably and not able to dock in orbit, either... So... That's a drag. My rockets have improved, and I'm getting closer on my spaceplane programs, too.
So, that's where my gaming hobbies all sit at the moment. Most of them on shelves and boxes until the moving around is finished. Questions, comments, and ideas are welcomed as always.
SD13
