Gamecast – EP 46 – A GenConversation

 The Carpe GM Gamecast  Comments Off on Gamecast – EP 46 – A GenConversation
Sep 232021
 

Topic – GenCon 2021! In this episode, I finally get the chance to meet a long time friend to both the show and myself, Erik Carl. We spend some time catching up then discuss the convention.

Hosts – Dan, Erik Carl

Media –

Metagamers Anonymous

Loughmiller’s Pub and Eatery – This is where you can find the burger that Erik and I mentioned at the end of the episode.

The Triumphant Return of GEN CON!

 Dan Whorl  Comments Off on The Triumphant Return of GEN CON!
Sep 012021
 

GENCON 2021

The Titan Cometh!

This year, once again, the biggest and best tabletop gaming convention in the country is returning to Indianapolis September 16th-19th.  GEN CON is back and we’ll be there!  if you can’t or don’t want to come to the convention in person there are several ways to be involved this year, including GEN CON Indy, GEN CON Online, Pop-Up GEN CON, and GEN CON TV.

GEN CON Indy is the Superbowl for tabletop nerds!  

“Celebrating its 52nd year in 2019, Gen Con “The Best Four Days in Gaming!”(tm) has become the largest annual consumer fantasy, electronic, sci-fi, and adventure game convention in North America. Each year, gaming enthusiasts converge in Indianapolis to share their enthusiasm for all things gaming; whether its tournaments, celebrity appearances, exhibit hall booths, electronic games, workshops, seminars, anime, art shows, auctions, or countless other activities.

With an avid following of more than 140,000 consumer and professional attendees, Gen Con is THE destination for everyone from serious fans, to those simply interested in casual gaming. Many people ask “Gaming? What kind of Gaming?” Gen Con appeals to all hobby gaming enthusiasts, essentially all gaming except sports and gambling.

Game manufacturers and publishers consistently utilize Gen Con as the place to launch new games and new products, show off the latest and greatest game expansions and features, and host incredible tournaments. From world championships awarding thousands of dollars to non-professional games created by passionate enthusiasts, playing games is what it’s all about.”

GEN CON Online allows you to take part in the convention from the comfort of your living room…  or office…  or restroom… whatever.

After a successful first year in 2020, Gen Con Online will return in 2021, running concurrently with Gen Con Indy and Pop-Up Gen Con!

Gen Con Online is our online convention program featuring gaming, entertainment, and lots of other types of events, plus a packed schedule of livestreaming content on Twitch, a vibrant community on Discord, and more!

Pop-Up GEN CON brings little baby GEN CONs to your local game store!

“Gather with your local gaming community and try out hot new games before anyone else, all from the comfort of your friendly local game store. Each FLGS will determine how they want to host this event based on COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and conditions in their area. Check with the store for details on what they are planning.

Pop-Up Gen Con will take place on Saturday, September 18, 2021.

If you can’t make it to Gen Con Indy this year or can only come for a day, check out Pop-Up Gen Con at your local game store”

 

However you plan to experience GEN CON, be sure to let us know how it goes.

Also, if you‘re going to be in Indianapolis September 16th-19th be sure to connect With us.  We’ll have a meet up each night!

Modiphius Calling – Welcome Back! –

 Modiphius Calling  Comments Off on Modiphius Calling – Welcome Back! –
Aug 072021
 

S02E00 – Welcome Back! – Fallout Wasteland Warfare

Modiphius-Calling-Small

It’s Season Two of Modiphius Calling! It’s been four years since our last episode and we’ve come a long way! In this episode, James Sheahan tells us about Fallout: Wasteland Warfare which combines RPG and skirmish wargame elements into a game that’s dripping with theme. Giles tells us how he became a game designer and why he loves the  Symbaroum RPG and Zach tells us how knowing about the history of weapons can make your games feel more “real.”

1:54 – What’s On Your Table?

17:38 – Interview – James Sheahan – Fallout Wasteland Warfare

34:45 – Meet the Hosts – Becoming a Game Designer – History of Weapons

 

Music courtesy of Joshua John O’Connor
Visit us at Modiphius.com!Please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes!We're now on Stitcher Internet Radio!Recommend our shows on RPGPodcasts.com!Like Modiphius Games on Facebook!Follow Modiphius on Twitter!Circle Modiphius!Purchase Modiphius products on DriveThruPG!Join the conversation on our forum!

Kickstarter Preview – Vegas Wits and Wagers

 Announcements, Dan Whorl  Comments Off on Kickstarter Preview – Vegas Wits and Wagers
Sep 062017
 

Kickstarter Preview :

Vegas Wits and Wagers

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While stumbling around GenCon this year, I found a little piece of Las Vegas at the North Star Games booth. The geographical anomaly was due to Vegas Wits and Wagers, the newest expansion in the line.

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Wits and wagers is a juggernaut in the trivia, betting, bluffing, party game section of the gaming market.  Over the last decade or so it’s racked up more awards and accolades than the Mohave desert has gangster bones.

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Because of this, you aren’t reading a review of Wits and Wagers, per say, but a review of the currently Kickstarting expansion pack that makes the newest edition so…

Well…

…Vegas

A brief overview –

Vegas Wits and Wagers is the limited run expansion pack for Wits and Wagers Party that contains a large (like, really big) neoprene, double sided play mat, new, high quality, cardboard chips with larger denominations including $500 and $1000(for that big, “No Limit” feel), another betting card, marker and pair of player chips allowing the game to be played by 7 people, and  two “closed” betting covers (also high quality neoprene).

However, the real commodity on the table is the presence that this game brings when you lay it out.

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A little deeper –

As well as the new components, there are now more betting options. For the skittish, there are now “safe bets,” betting on the red or black side of the board for a lower pay out. However, in true Vegas fashion, there are now “long shot” bets that pay out 10-1 where you can bet on an individual player before their answer is revealed. This comes in handy if you have reason to believe that Johnny happens to be an expert on toilet paper advertisements from the 1950’s. Lastly, the game is played in seven rounds with the stakes raising each round. With these new options and mechanics, every question is potentially a game changer. That said, as I mentioned before, it’s the game’s presence that is truly astounding. The art, the colors, the mood, all blend beautifully with the mechanics making it a spectacle worthy of its name.

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The Kickstarter –

The Kickstarter ends at 11:00 PM, September 7th. As of the posting of this review, they’ve raised $50,000+ and have exceeded the goal by more than $20,000.

What’s the buy in?

For $25 you get the Vegas expansion. This is everything that I outlined above but does not include Wits and Wagers Party. You’ll need this in order to play the Vegas version of the game. If you have older versions, however, the back of the neoprene mat is printed with the original layout so you can still utilize it.

For $40 you get the Vegas expansion as well as Wits and Wagers Party, which is everything you need to set the stage for your gaming extravaganza!

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Stretch goals?

Several stretch goals have already been unlocked. Every $5,000 over the goal unlocks a new themed pack of all new trivia questions. So far, packs about the Ocean’s movies, Las Vegas trivia, music, television, and celebrities have been unlocked with several more goals slated to be announced. xe88

As of this posting, there is a little more than two days left in the Kickstarter. If you’re interested, don’t waste time. You’re not going to want to miss this.

Kickstarter Link – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/northstargames/vegas-wits-and-wagers/description

If, for some reason, a pink van full of Elvises and aliens pulls up and drags you away from your internet connection before you’re able to pledge, don’t fret. North Star Games is planning on releasing Vegas Wits and Wagers to a store near you in the Fall of 2018. The only problem is, while the boxed version will have all of the
new options and rules of the limited edition, the gorgeous neoprene table mat, and cover slips, etc, will be made of the more familiar felt or cotton materials found in previous versions, thus making it just a little less…

Well,

…Vegas

Final Thoughts – 

Wits and wagers has been a favorite in my household for many years now. Even before the newest expansion, it played quite a bit like Trivial Pursuit had a love child with a craps table and left Las Vegas on the fastest flight back to Maine. I’m truly pleased to have been able watch that child grow up,

put on the cape and jumpsuit,

and steal the show.

To me, this is a brilliant and exciting thematic step in the right direction for a fantastic party game.

But then again, this is just my humble opinion.

-Dan Whorl

(CarpeGM.net Game Reviews)

Full Disclosure –

A review copy of Vegas Wits and Wagers was given to me by the game developer for an honest review of their product.  No money or further compensation changed hands or has been promised for a good review.  They earned it!

 

Game Review – Mr. Game!

 Dan Whorl  Comments Off on Game Review – Mr. Game!
Sep 102016
 

GenCon 2016 Game review – Mr. Game!

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At a glance –

Part board game, part social experiment, all chaos…

Mr. Game! challenges nearly every convention of the classic roll and move board game.  This modern spin on retro style gaming has become a family favorite for game night at my house. It checks boxes that I didn’t know existed and jumps through hoops that I had no idea I was holding…Refreshing!

The object is simple.  Everyone starts on one space and races to land on the “goal” space to win.  That’s pretty conventional stuff, right?  Wrong.   Mr. Game! creates an atmosphere where even the concept of “what is a space?” can be challenged.  The road to victory is complicated by an ever-changing board, as well as an array of cards with different types of wacky functions, a goal that just won’t sit still, and of course, Mr. Game!.

Mr game board

The board – 

The board is a pretty straight forward design with the numbers 1-4 in the four corners and some wandering paths of spaces in between.  You start on “1” at the beginning of the game and you’re trying to land on “4”. This is subject to change.

The cards –

There are 3 types of cards in the game, “Actions”, “Badges”, and “Powerups”.

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Actions” are the most common cards in the deck and are played immediately when drawn.  The effects of these cards vary wildly including (but not limited to) moving other people’s pawns, adding or moving spaces on the board, changing the goal, etc.

display-badge-mrwhistledisplay-badge-mrcaffeine

 

Badges” are cards that are kept secretly in your hand to be played at just the right moment. Some of the effects may be similar to “Action” cards but the ability to weaponize them makes them valuable.  The results of a well-timed “Badge” can range from devastating to hilarious…

…or both…

…or neither…

…or…

Never mind. Moving on.

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A “Powerup” is a card that is played immediately when drawn and changes the way your pawn behaves, giving you some sort of ability or taking one away.  For better or worse, you’re stuck with these until someone takes them or you roll doubles.

There are also four blank cards found in the deck that prompt you to use your imagination…or not.  It’s up to you.

Spaces –

Given the ubiquity and familiarity of spaces in tabletop games, I hadn’t really considered the idea of describing them until I got to this point in the review.  On one hand, because of the nature of this game, they need to be discussed.  But on the other hand, it feels a little like describing to someone how it feels to blink.

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 The spaces on the board, at a glance, are rudimentary.  You have normal spaces that prompt no action. As mentioned before, there are four spaces in the corners of the board that are numbered 1-4 and serve as the “goal” spaces.  There are spaces marked with an exclamation point that prompt the player to draw a card.  There are also spaces found sporadically about the board that prompt you to “roll again”.   If that’s not enough, all of these spaces can be different colors depending on where they are found on the board.  The colors of the spaces have no bearing on their function when playing with the rules as written.  That said, the colors, location, and even the null area between spaces can (and probably will) routinely come into play because of this game’s chaotic nature.

Tiles –

Tiles are essentially spaces that can be added or moved on the board once prompted by a card, changing the effect of a space or adding a new one altogether!  There are several types of tiles.  Nearly all of the spaces described above can be found in the stack of tiles, as well as webs in which your pawn can get “stuck”, portals that allow you to quickly traverse the board, and null spaces to cut off possible avenues for your opponents.

Mr. Game! – 

Last but certainly not least, there’s Mr. Game!.  Before you begin playing, you decide who will act as Mr. Game!.  While all players are expected to interpret the rules, this player will have the final word on any decisions to be made concerning them.

From this mechanic, chaos is born.

While the other players are constantly trying to take advantage of any given situation that may get them closer to winning, they invariably will be challenging the very conventions of a roll and move game.  This, coupled with a purposefully minimalistic set of written rules, creates an environment where house rules are necessary.  This is where Mr. Game! comes in.  During play, Mr. Game! will have to make any number of probably ridiculous and unforeseen rules decisions.  As these situations are arbitrated, they become rules for the remainder of the game.  Keep in mind that whoever is playing as Mr. Game is also playing the game with everyone else and, as such, must uphold and is subject to his or her own rulings throughout the game.

What’s in the box? – 

( 1 ) Game BoardMr game board

( 1 ) How To Play Booklet

( 1 ) Alternate Game Types Booklet

( 104 ) Cards

( 18 ) Tiles

( 8 ) Player Pieces

( 8 ) Player Cards

( 2 ) Four Sided Dice

( 2 ) Goal Markers

( 4 ) Blank Cards

Components –

The components of the game are all of very good quality and have weathered several plays with little to no wear and tear.

Learning Curve –

If you read every word of the rules pamphlet it’ll take you about 10 minutes to learn to play. The set-up is minimal and the core mechanics of the game are extremely intuitive.

Packaging –

The storage space in the box holds all of the components well and passes the “shake test” with minimal movement.

Rules –

Ordinarily, a rules document that leaves so many unanswered questions would receive bad marks in this category. However, this one, because of the nature of the game, is perfect.

Play time –

The play time varies from game to game.  Most of them last 20 to 60 minutes with 4-6 players,

The “Sweet Spot” –

Rated for 2 – 8 players, the more the merrier! We’ve played with as many as 7 players with no negative experience regarding gameplay.  That said, after having experienced the game several times with varying group sizes, I’m going to put the sweet spot somewhere between 4 – 6 players.

Replay ability –

Having many variants and additional rules included in the “Alternate Gametypes” book that comes with the game, several more variants published at http://whoismrgame.com/your-house-rules/, along with the fact that you can play a completely different game just by changing the people playing or who presides as Mr. Game!, the replay ability of this one is off the charts!

Price – $35

You can purchase your copy here.

Final Thoughts –

The charm of Mr. Game! is rooted in the unpredictability that spawns from just playing the game. This provides the players with an experience that is unique not only to their gaming group, but to the individual session, which prompts the telling of stories and anecdotes about those sessions.  This is a trait usually found in meatier board games and tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons rather than a simple roll and move game.  But then again…

Just a simple roll and move board game, Mr. Game! is not…

I believe that Mr. Game! is, in and of itself, an experience.

Rating – 10 out of 10

But then again, this is just my humble opinion.

-Dan Whorl

Check out our interview with the creator of Mr. Game!, Frank DiCola, here.

A review copy of Mr. Game! was given to me at GenCon 2016 by the game designer.  No money or further compensation changed hands or has been promised for a good review.  They earned it!

 

GenCon 2016 – Overview

 Dan Whorl  Comments Off on GenCon 2016 – Overview
Aug 152016
 

GenCon2016-small

Indianapolis – The numbers are in…

Yet another record shredding year for GenCon 2016!

The “Best Four Days in Gaming” in the past few years. This year’s show featured more than 500 exhibitors, along with continued growth of turnstile attendance with more than 201,000 attendees, a sold out pre-show Trade Day program with more than 550 attendees, over 16,500 ticketed events, and more than $35,000 raised via on-site programming for their official charity partner:

The Pour House

The convention this year also just seemed to feel better.  There was a palpable excitement in the air that I didn’t even notice was missing from the past couple of years until I arrived. It was positively electric. Perhaps this was due to a few changes that the owners and organizers made in the hopes of enhancing the experience for the attendees.  Namely, the expansion into Lucas Oil Stadium and the conference spacing found therein, as well as, among other things, a rerouting of the Annual Cosplay Parade, and a new pricing structure allowing for better planning of events.  This added consideration created a much more inviting and less cloistered feel to the entire show.  Unique attendance was nearly the same as last year.  While that may not be another record shattered, it did serve to create a very clear dichotomy of the convention with and without the added space and considerations.

The owners and staff of GenCon were not the only ones on top of their game.  The vendors, exhibitors, and contributors hit it out of the park as well.  The convention is always a hotbed of gaming and geek pop culture with many events and releases that can only be found during the best four days in gaming.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
Indications for use https://canadiantoprx.com/buy-cytotec-online-cheap/
What kind of tablets – Amoxil K 625? Tablets are used in the treatment of infections that are caused by susceptible microorganisms:
ENT organs – otitis media, sinusitis, tonsillitis;
organs of the respiratory system – bronchopneumonia, pneumonia, bronchitis;
soft tissue infections – wounds, abscesses, burns;
dentoalveolar abscesses;
osteomyelitis;
urinary tract infections – pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis;
sepsis of various origin.

Along with a few of the show’s staples like True Dungeon (a live action dungeon crawl), the charity auction, a very nice costume contest, 24 hour gaming, and countless other reasons people come out to Indy in the middle of summer every year, there were some new goings on that caught my attention.  There was not one, but two, live action escape rooms.  One of which was right in the dealer hall!

(Interviews with representatives of both, Think Fun and Spin Master Games, as well as reviews of their room escape board games are forthcoming)

IceCool

Also to be found in the dealer hall, was the white-hot, penguin flicking, dexterity game, Ice Cool by Brain Games, as well as  the potato-weighing mayhem of UK game designers, Big Potato Games debuting their library of games in the USA.

bigpotatologo

(Interviews with both companies and reviews of their respective games, are also forthcoming)

In addition to games, some attendees may have wandered into the exhibitor section of the hall where you could find scores of authors, craftsmen, and art like the critters created by Creature Curator, Brian Colin.

Brian Colin

These are his aptly named Pocket Monsters!!

 

By all accounts, GenCon 2016 was a complete success. The convention will be returning to Indianapolis August 17-20, 2017 for the 50th anniversary of the show.  This is sure to be a fantastic spectacle. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

As the title states, this is just an overview of this year’s show.  Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll be seeing loads of GenCon content here including several interviews with some very innovative game designers, and LOTS of reviews of new titles and GenCon exclusives.  We’ll also be posting audio from some of the panels that we attended given by some very important individuals in the gaming community as well as written articles about some of the highlights of the show and our Convention Tradition where we scour the con for something old, something new, something redone, and something cool.

Lastly, The CarpeGM Gamecast will soon have a new show on the feed…

With a trial by fire, no safety net, live with random strangers, we’ve recorded the first episodes of a little show that we’re calling Geek 16.

 

Cheers!

-Dan

 

GenCon2016-logo big

-About Gen Con

 

Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, science fiction and adventure game convention in North America. Gen Con, The Best Four Days in Gaming!™. Acquired in 2002 by former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast, Peter Adkison, the company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Gen Con 2016 was sponsored by Mayfair Games, Paizo, Inc., and Rio Grande Games.