Raggy's Gaming Adventures

Scale75  have just put out a post on their facebook page  calling an end to piracy in the miniature hobby. 3D printing is here to stay. The last few years have seen quality improve, equipment and running costs fall as the technology evolves. Unfortunately it has also lead to an increase in piracy in our hobby. I normally steer clear of the political side of the industry on this blog but piracy is something that I feel kinda strongly about. My first job out of college was working in DVD distribution of foreign language films in the UK. In the span of a year, piracy virtually killed off the whole industry. Film and movies have been able to build out streaming infrastructure but it has still hit their profitability massively - particularly for the smaller, independent studios. So what does this mean for the hobby market? Well in all honesty it is tough to say. I haven't seen any studies on the level of pirated parts in the hobby, so this is all going to be pure specula...

Well the UK Games Expo was this weekend and came the day after the end of my exams, giving me a really great way to celebrate the end of finals. The show was even busier than last year, although I think there were slightly fewer companies on show. The biggest news was Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston who were promoting the re-release of their Fighting Fantasy series of books and doing signings. They also gave a talk about how they got going in the industry which was really interesting and illustrated just how much luck is needed in the gaming world as the margins are so slight, especially for a start-up. The two of them clearly have a great friendship and the chemistry between them made the talk a joy to listen to. Gaming-wise I got to try out a load of RPGs including a long overdue look at D&D 4th. All in all, I'd play it again... not really a ringing endorsement, but it's not an outstanding revolution of the Role Playing world, it has some interesting changes, it has a ...

Boardgame I most want to try: Descent Boardgame I most want to play: Pandemic: On the Brink Boardgame I most want to buy: Dominion Wargame I most want to try Firestorm: Armada Wargame I most want to play: DungeonBowl RPG I most want to try: Warhammer Fantasy 3rd RPG I most want to play: Warhammer Fantasy 2nd Well a little more change this month due to the end of Finals and the UK Games Expo (more in my next post).Still not got in any wargaming of late, it is just too time consuming and the only RPGs are from the Expo (4 games!).

Ok so yeah, I'm not alone and this rant will undoubtedly be preaching to the choir, but I'm gonna rant anyway. So here's the deal: DRM is understandable DRM that inconveniences legitimate users in ANY WAY is not Pirates ALWAYS succeed. A DRM technology may have 500 people work on it, the pirates have a population of 3bn to draw on, do you really think you can stop them? So here are my opinions on acceptable DRM: Steam : It isn't great, but it allows people offline access, allows you to show your game to your friend, allows you to upgrade your computer (Spore anyone?) PSN : The PS3 has been incredibly hack proof, hardware is a lot more resilient. Games you download onto upto 7 machines and no need to connect is great. (Capcom can go f**k themselves, continuous online checking, one machine limit and not telling users? I hope someone launches a lawsuit for false advertising, I will not buy any Capcom good until they revise this policy). XBox : Just go buy a PC, ...

Yet another new idea for the blog. As you may have worked out if you read this on a regular basis I am big into lists and so I present my flavour of the month: Boardgame I most want to try: Formula D Boardgame I most want to play: Pandemic Boardgame I most want to buy: Treehouse Wargame I most want to try Firestorm: Armada Wargame I most want to play: DungeonBowl RPG I most want to try/play: Warhammer Fantasy 2nd Some additional points: I have recently realised I really can't afford all the games that look cool (let alone all the associated  expansions). To get around this issue I have determined that I won't buy a new game unplayed. The exception (and there had to be one) is variants/expansions such as the Munchkin family.

I am going to Salute for the first time this Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it. Although I'm not sure if I'll have any spending money... and I REALLY want some spending money! There is a load of stuff that I am dying to get my grubby mitts on... fingers crossed I can find some! Raggy, signing out

It has just been pointed out that the final issue of OK magazine to feature Jade Goody is issue 666... I think our man down below is getting impatient. It does seem fitting doesn't it?