July 19 2000 RussCon Report

Lone Star Game Results Evening's Soundtrack Ratings Links RussCon Report Archives Russ Zone

23 people played 27 games. A very large turnout indeed! (But the record is still 25.) There was also a high proportion of long-lost RussCon folks: Randy completes his 2-week annual visit to Austin. Old-timer Brady finally showed up again (with new guy Drew). "Dirty" Harry visited us from the boonies of Athens, Texas where he carries a badge. And RussD has moved back to Austin from Dallas! Wow!

Lone Star

LONE STAR takes place in the cluttered backyard of a small town Texas bar. Roy, a brawny, macho type who had once been a local high school hero, is back in town after a hitch in Vietnam. Joined by his younger brother, Ray (who worships him), Roy sets about consuming a case of beer while regaling Ray with tales of his military and amorous exploits. Roy cherishes three things above all: his country, his sexy young wife, and his 1959 pink Thunderbird! Add to the mix the local Roy wanna-be, and you've got some a show that has been an Austin favorite for four years running!

Game Results

Lots of Vampire action again this week! (And speaking of which, I expect to be concluding the Vampire Rancher storyline tomorrow at Ko Fight Club.) I won the first Vampire game of the evening (with 5 players), but then lost a couple others.

JP won his first game of Star Venture. Thanks for helping playtest this, folks. It was good to do another 6-player game of it.

Jeff got Carolus Magnus recently and it was played twice. I don't know how it works, but it looks like it has cool pieces...

We played Tribunal, another of Knizia's New Games in Ancient Rome series. It's a trial game with 5 trials, and we each have secret interests in getting some of the defendents convicted and others acquited. It supports up to 7 players. It was pretty good, though it's one of those games that requires deal-making and haggling, and I suck at that. Lots of deals in exchange for "chips" (money). Definitely worth checking out, especially since there aren't all that many games that support 7 players.

Brady was kind enough to stay late and run me and Daniel through a sample game of Battle Cry, the new Civil War battle game from Avalon Hill/Hasbro. It has very high toy value. It uses a miniatures-style system for step reduction: e.g. an infantry unit is represented by 4 physical figures in a hex, and as they take losses, you remove figures. But it is free of the complexity typical to miniatures systems. It's a nice simple hex movement system with simple movement and combat rules. It uses a command control system where you must play a card on your turn to activate units. A scuzzy card might let you only move one unit. A typical card might let you activate 3 units on the left flank, for example. There is at least one card that lets you activate all your units; I know because I was on the receiving end of it as Daniel defeated me with an all out attack! Arguably that sort of halting pace and luck-factor is quite realistic for Civil War battles, and since a complete game is playable in 20 minutes or so, I'm not bothered by it. It's definitely a cool game. It also credits Richard Borg as the designer -- Richard Borg also did Bluff. That is surreal.

Evening's Soundtrack

American History X, Original Film Score Axiom of Choice, Axiom of Choice I Mox, Mox Scavengers in the Matrix, a digicore collection 101X-mas

If anyone can tell me the exact wording of what Wolverine said to make Cyclops say "prove it", please email me. I have an idea for a Bench strip... (I know it's something to the effect of "Hey, it's me" or "It's really me" etc. but I'm interested in the exact wording.)

Ratings

Rank ratings:
 0.7500 Jeffles (6)
 0.5000 Daniel (5)
 0.4615 JeffF (4)
 0.3600 Matt (7)
 0.3448 JonathanC (8)
 0.3333 Dan (3)
 0.1875 RussD (4)
 0.1600 Randy (7)
 0.1429 RussW (8)
 0.1333 Harry (4)
 0.0769 JP (7)
 0.0667 Steve (4)
 0.0000 Brady (2)
-0.0952 William (8)
-0.1579 BobR (5)
-0.1818 Carly (3)
-0.4091 Allen (8)
-0.5000 Marty (3)
-0.5556 Clayton (2)
-0.6000 Tim (2)
-0.7333 PJ (5)
-0.7647 WendyWhe (5)
-1.0000 Drew (2)

New Win ratings:
 0.7500 Jeffles (6)
 0.5833 Dan (3)
 0.3750 Daniel (5)
 0.2000 Harry (4)
 0.1923 JP (7)
 0.1875 RussD (4)
 0.1200 Matt (7)
 0.0833 Marty (3)
 0.0800 Randy (7)
 0.0357 RussW (8)
 0.0000 Steve (4)
-0.0345 JonathanC (8)
-0.0769 JeffF (4)
-0.2000 Tim (2)
-0.2222 Clayton (2)
-0.2500 Brady (2)
-0.2500 Drew (2)
-0.2632 BobR (5)
-0.2727 Allen (8)
-0.2941 WendyWhe (5)
-0.3333 PJ (5)
-0.3636 Carly (3)
-0.3810 William (8)

Links

A vaguely adbusters-esque site devoted to deconstructing the web:
http://www.blowthedotoutyourass.com/

Mars: Is Biohazard Level 4 Enough?

"Can I have some chips?"

"Yeah, but you have to vote guilty."

Russ