Klow's Kollection

Settling in...finally!

Yes! An actual weekend with my Sweetie and Symon!

Ummm Steve...I was napping.

Ok ok Symon. Sheesh :-) At least you are sleeping more. You needed it after the move. In fact, all three of us needed this weekend to decompress.

We did laundry at Ken's then lots of shopping yesterday. Today was the making of mass quantities of Chex Mix, enough to feed two armies. She can never make small batches of that. Oh yes, it's made with lots of Frank's hot sauce. Quite spicy! :-)

Then came an evening of Shogun!

Ahhh the good old days of feudal Japan

So yes, I think things are finally settling down, and we can relax. We both are employed (FINALLY!!!) with Lisa working at Indiana University School of Business and me working for a manufacturing plant 45 minutes away. Night shift though: 5pm-3:30am sometimes six nights a week. But with the rent at the new apartment at a decent rate, we can finally pay down our debts to more manageable levels and even put money into savings.

Now is the time to recover and figure out the next steps. It will take time but we need it. After three and a half years of hell, we finally have caught a break.

 

 

Symon Update and TI-3 Sunday

First of all, here’s Symon: before and after! What a difference from July to September. Note the gold eyes in the later picture.  : )

  

 

My online posting will continue to be sporadic due to lack of internet here in rural Indiana. We tried a dial-up, but it didn’t work, and our other option of a hotspot (with a 2-year contract) is too expensive. So, until we get our own place again, we will be offline. When Lisa’s brother is here with his cell phone, we can check things online via his laptop, but that’s only for brief surfing.

My job as a machinist is going well, save for the overnight hours. I like the work (something new) and my co-workers are nice. I’m hoping to get on a day shift. But I can’t complain too much: it’s paying the bills.

At least I had a three-day weekend, with the Labor Day holiday. Lisa and I played a game of TI-3, which I won. I had the idea to pair up the Jol-Nar vs. the Muaat, the techno-rats vs. their slave labor who built their War Suns.

 
I took Mecatol Rex:

 
Then I had a space battle with a fleet of Lisa’s ships. All of her ships destroyed, Admiral captured.

 
I told her I wanted Lodor in exchange for her Admiral. Lodor is a 3-Resource planet, and Lisa had a space dock and numerous ships in the system:

 

She said no, so I tossed her Admiral into a Supernova. What’s really funny is the Muaat race can live in solar heat conditions.

 
A very nice Sunday afternoon.

 
On second thought, let’s not go to Mecatol Rex. It is a silly place.

More later…

D-Day gaming

On Sunday, since History Channel decided to show something other than D-Day programs, Lisa and I decided to play Memoir '44. It's a two-player boardgame set in WWII. The board is divided into three sectors, and cards are used to conduct actions by a certain number of troops in an indicated sector. The card hand is a general representation of amounts and levels of command and control, supplies, and communications (or lack thereof) to the troops. Germany has five cards in hand, Allies four.

So let's begin with the landing at Omaha Beach:

  Lisa played the Allies (green on the left) and I was the Axis (gray on the right).

The beach that the Allied troops have to land upon is dotted with barbed wire and tank traps. Past the beach are German troops well entrenched with artillery on bluffs in fortifications as well as infantry at the other side of the beach and in the rear area towns. The Americans will have a tough time with no artillery support: only infantry and tanks. The beach spaces limit troop movements as do the water spaces. The object is to get 6 victory points gained by destroying a unit (one group) or if the Americans take the towns (one VP each). Germany has the initiative and will make the first moves of each round, followed by the Allies.

 The Americans have numbers and tanks on their side...

  but Germany has good ground and only needs to fight off the Allied advance.

German artillery begins by killing one tank on the beach and moves one infantry in the rear to an adjacent town to stop any breakthroughs. The Allies focus on the left and order all infantry to advance onto the beach. They even manage to take out one enemy infantry figure in the far town, despite being in a well-fortified area. In each game turn, the Allies try to get as many troops forward and soften German defenses along the beach.

  Brave advances by the Allies

  She even manages to reach the beach defenses. However, Allied forces do not inflict enough damage to German defenses to make any difference and suffer heavy casualties in the process.

Superior German defenses stall Allied advances and inflict terrible losses. Some Allied troops are cut down while stuck on the beaches including an elite Ranger unit destroyed before they fired a shot (Lisa didn't have the right cards to move them).

 Despite taking shelter in tank traps, Allied infantry suffer casualties by German artillery, while German Infantry cleans up from the safety of their defenses. Allied tanks are nearly useless as their guns cannot penetrate the beach defenses and they are exposed on the beaches as easy targets.

I had luck on my side with solid cards to play including special cards that allowed me to activate a number of troops on the entire board. Lisa's hand was more limited later in the game and she could not advance effectively. If she had the cards I had, the results might have been different. By round twelve, Germany had technically won the game with 6 victory points. But we like to play through to the last figure.

Let the slaughter continue...

  This is what remained of the Allied forces by the next couple of rounds: one lonely tank determined to fight on. (SALUTE)

  Yet a single German soldier took the brave little tank out.

 Hero of the Fatherland

The final score at the official end: Axis 6, Allied 1. Lisa managed two more points during the extended rounds but still lost.

We really like this game because it is not overly complicated, unlike other wargames. The card system makes it more interesting. You are limited to what is in your hand at that moment. And it plays fast. I figured we were done in under two hours. This also showed how difficult the landings must have been back then.

I know this is Hollywood but it's the best depiction of the landings. And also NSFW!

 

Saving Private Ryanvia YouTube post (part one)

 

(part 2)

 

(part 3)

So when's these Star Wars movies coming out?

Of late, I've been looking at trailers for the upcoming Star Wars online game (which I won't get, I'll stick with EvE Online thank you). Just watch and tell me if George Lucas could do better?

 

Old Republic trailer

I read a few articles on how these game trailers seriously outclass the movies, especially the three prequels. More action! More lightsabers! No Jar Jar! Hell, I'd pay to watch them in the theatres! Including this one!

 

Force Unleashed 2 trailer

Then there's Star Trek.

Watching old Next Generation episodes after being exposed to Babylon 5 or the remade Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek for the most part has become stale and underwhelming, Though the classic series with Kirk and Spock still had appeal, I have long considered the franchise a dinosaur. The newer shows showed humanity as less than noble, still willing to "fuck each other over for a goddamn percentage" (name that film) while the world around them crumbles.

 Lisa and I have been spoiled on good sci fi stories. But now and then, I just want to see ships get blown straight to hell!

 

Babylon 5: Fall of Night scene

Trenchzone: Gaming on Veterans Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trenchzone Boardgame

In salute of Veterans Day, which also marks the end of fighting in the Great War, Lisa and I played this two-player boardgame simulating trench warfare in WWI.

Each player deploys troops, artillery and pillboxes in three sectors. Cards played in each sector allow actions and movement of troops. Victory points are scored by destroying artillery positions or eliminating all enemy troops in one trench sector. However, a player automatically wins if their troops conquer their opponent's trench zone. Which is what Lisa did to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Donkey mourning the loss of his Lions.

Lisa played a series of cards that destroyed the barbed wire in the left hand sector and charged troops ahead into my trench. Then it was down to die rolls, but she outnumbered me over 2:1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from Lisa's side.

Her 40-odd troops were whittled down to 15, but it was enough to win the game. This game has the potential of going on and on, with the Victory Point track shifting back and forth, just like WWI trench warfare, or it can be over quickly with a single push, as demonstrated above.

I am being transferred to another front where another battle will occur with fresh troops.

Victory battle

Lisa and I just finished a battle of Victory, a boardgame using WW2 era units but not constrained by actual history. What we like about it is the look of the blocks: reminds me of units on maps in planning rooms. Also, the blocks are upright so your opponent doesn't know what the unit is or its strength until units are moved to that space.

This was a two-map battle with islands, meaning lots of naval and amphibious assaults. Object: Capture 15 victory points total, each player starts with 10 of his/her own cities. Lisa is Blue, I'm Red.

Lisa wins initiative on the first turn (initiative is rolled in each round) and wastes no time securing the central island.

She rushes to take the western side of the central island while securing her flanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My only position on that island was at the southeastern port.

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa's strategy was to continually move units to the center island via transports in strategic moves. (Strategic movement is used to move any pieces up to 6 spaces with no battles.) We did not find rules prohibiting strategic moves for transports, so we both moved transports up to six spaces to pick up and/or drop off units. Lisa was able to move units to the coast, then have transports sail over, pick up, sail back and drop off in one move.

 

 

Lisa won initiative the first four turns and was able to pour a good number of forces on the center island. I was hoping to do spoiling attacks on the center as well as probing her flanks. I was hoping this would hold back her assault on my strong point on the island while gathering my forces to completely push her out.

 

 

 

Sometimes, you have to throw caution to the wind. I strike at her gathering forces...

 

 

 

 

 

 

and force my way to a lightly defended supply depot, which was quickly destroyed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite a valiant defense, I manage to destroy yet another one of her supply depots, forcing her to go on the defensive.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still harassing her forces with spoiling attacks, reducing the strength of her forces while keeping her guessing.

 

 

 

 

 

However, she is able to fortify her positions faster than I can exploit them. After turn four, we left the game to finish the next day. It's at a stalemate, but if Lisa keeps getting the initiative, I have little hope...

So at turn 5, I finally won intiative and made my move...

I establish two beachheads on my side of the island after securing my left flank. With the increased number of forces fortifying the island, I'm hoping it will give me an advantage.

I also intensify my flanking moves in order to surround her.

 

 

 

 

Close-up of the beachheads

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite strong counter attacks, I was not only able to hold the center, I began to attack her flanking islands.

It's me planning and moving. Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a long grind and numerous bold counter-attacks by Lisa, I managed to take the central island. I also established footholds on her flanking islands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red begins to push forward...

 

 

 

 

 

tightening the noose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though Lisa won the initiative the last few turns, she maintained a central defense, all but neglecting her northern island base, which I quickly seized.

She's surrounded. At this point, I won the game with 15 victory points of cities occupied. But her blood was boiling and she was spoiling for one more round.

That's my Sweetie! :-D

 

 

 

 

OK, Sweetie! Let's do it!

She won initiative and fortified her main island.

Then I attacked her on all sides, securing three of the four intended invasion points. Not to mention piling on the red. It became so crowded I had to literally pile red blocks on her blue blocks.

 

 

 

 

 Red, red and more red! Blue's in trouble!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point, Lisa surrendered. It would have only been a matter of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will give Lisa credit for being more aggressive than she had been in past games. It came down to dice rolls. Such are the fortunes of wargaming...

Perseverance in the Face of Uncertainty and Setbacks

Lisa just made a post on her issues on creativity. http://klisaanne.typepad.com/lisas_day/ 

This got me thinking about our Corp's venture into unsecured '0.0' space in EvE Online. We were trying to break a blockade on a stargate and were beaten badly. Does that mean we fold and quit? No! Indeed we withdrew to lick our wounds (i.e. repair or replace our lost ships), but we are far from defeated! We will regroup and hit at them in another way.

Civil War General Grant certainly didn't give up when beaten. That being said he didn't simply repeat what happened in the hopes of eventually breaking through. He found ways around the problem as he did when besieging Vicksburg. And did he hesitate when faced with unreliable intelligence like McClellan did? Hell no! He would rather take a chance on the possibility of victory than tuck tail and withdraw in disgrace. After the first day of fighting at Shiloh, Grant's forces were bloodied and pushed back. His friend General Sherman came to him and said; "Well, Grant. We had the Devil's Day today." "Yes;" Grant replied. "Lick them tomorrow though." The next day, Union forces did indeed "lick them" and pushed the Confederates out.

What lessons should one draw from these examples? Failure does not mean defeat. I have found that learning from your defeats and mistakes then adapting and finding a different way to solve the problem makes you a stronger, wiser person. Constantly beating your head against a brick wall hoping it will eventually collapse doesn't work.

Make no mistake. You will be beaten. You will fail. The true measure of a person and group is how you recover and get back on your feet rather than how many victories you have under your belt. General Grant certain lost quite a few battles. Yet, he pulled up his boot straps and pressed forward. This earned him the respect and admiration of his officers and soldiers. As Picard said to a defeated Data in a Star Trek Next Gen episode; "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."

Battlestar RPG

We're about to close the book on our Star Trek roleplaying and bring back the (frakked up) adventures of Battlestar Fenris.

from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SqhR5Z3xPkw/Ru_fGhFjHlI/AAAAAAAAAAU/n5h9lgzxQvM/S660/Valkyrie_Fire.jpg

 

Instead of the BSG roleplaying book (which wasn't good at all) we're using the GURPS roleplaying engine with modified Starmada rules for ship combat.

Back to an old hobby

In the past, I would design starships for these starship combat games like Full Thrust or Starmada. If anything, doing this helps me to relax and keeps my mind active as someone would solve a crossword or Sudoku. Going back to that. I've been wanting to design ship for Star Trek type ships circa the Earth Romulan War.

The site's here in case you were wondering:

http://www.starfleet-museum.org/index.htm

It's not considered cannon but interesting. I am also looking at the old Star trek roleplaying game book The Romulan War. I'm combining materials for both and maybe elements from Enterprise. So we'll see...

So what's been happening so far...

Well I went to an event at Center for American Progress to attend an interesting event on U.S./Ukrainian relations and the nation's dealings with Russia. Being from Ukrainian ancestry from my grandmother (Nanny God bless you), I have a great interest in Russian history and affairs though I'm far from an expert. In a nutshell, Russia views Ukraine as the black sheep independent brother no one in the family talks to and only sees him at family reunions. Russia still sees Ukraine still under its influence; Ukraine not so much. This issue came into a brighter light after Russia and Georgia had their brief and stupid war last year.

So what to do? Well it's tricky. The U.S. during the last administration had some role in this by intimidating Russia with it's Cold War-ish tough talk. Yet the Obama Administration may try to compromise too much to heal U.S./Russian relations with Ukraine as usual in the middle. This issue is number 34 on Obama's to do list of several hundred things.

Friday I had a job interview over the phone for a government position (I'd rather not say just yet what it is specifically). It's a long shot but better than not hearing anything.

And we had our gaming friend Corey over for a day of gaming and hanging around. We played Twilight Imperium 3rd edition and later the Starcraft boardgame. He also o sent me an invite for a trial session of EvE Online, a space based MMO game. I initially gave up on MMOs but he played it and sounded intriguing if complicated. It does cost a monthly fee, but looks very impressive. Even Lisa was curious about it and wants to observe my playing.

So that was my week in a nutshell. On to job hunting and finding my place in the online galaxy.

Live long and prosper ;-)