The Dougram Boardgames (Part 2)

Last time I gave a basic overview of both games.  This time I shall show the sequel/advanced game in a bit more detail of components and rules:

(If I haven't said it a bazillion times in this blog, you can usually click for larger images.)

 We see here the full Kalnock map laid out.  Unlike it's Stanrey brother this one only goes together one way.  But it is quite nice looking, especially for its age.  One thing is though that the hills could also be ravines given the way the art is drawn.  Probably officially hills but.. they could easily be depressions as well.

 Finding where the trees go is a matter of finding all the green + signs.  It can be a royal pain to find the last few.  If the game wasnt so old and rare I would probably just use a gold paint marker on the hexes for trees.

 The mech Battletech fans know of as the Scorpion doesn't perfectly fit in the small hexes but the others do as do the counter chits for non mech units.  1/600 scale Pico Armor miniatures would be fine to use as well.  http://www.picoarmor.com/ has a ton of super cheap 3mm/600 scale minis that would be useful for this game.  

 (I bought a small sample pack but I have no clue where the hell they are at right now.  Here is a picture of one with some 600 scale Uncharted Seas ships and an AT 43 walker. )

Yes that tiny little silver thing there that is about an 8th of an inch long is a 1/600 scale tank.

While the seemingly excellently laid out manual isn't properly translated you can see how neat it looks and how the little line of sight periscope works!  It even has a little cockpit sticker so it looks like what the mech's pilot would see!  You also can see more elements that Battletech took like jumping.

The original reference card and the translated one.  Yes you need the original because of photocopying making the second number unreadable!  And yes another thing Battletech took from this game:  HIT LOCATIONS.  You see Battletech's creators got their design rights from the same company who imported and translated this game.  So yes, these two games are basically Battletech 0.5.

Now I am just going to show photographs of the English translated manual so we can all read it.  

Yeah they somehow took a larger manual and shrunk it to 4 pages.  Somehow I think a few things were missing in spite of them REALLY wanting to protect it.  Odd.

Yet thanks to the Internet Archive I was able to rediscover a website that first let me know of these games with most of it still intact for download.  I am saving this fine fellow's work for posterity and my own use.

Yes the original translators left a lot out.  This puts some of it back.

Now the question I pose is this:  Should I actually do a full proper playtest of these games?  Would anyone be interested in seeing the game expanded and improved upon?

The Dougram Boardgames. (Part 1)

For those of us who grew up in the robot boom of the mid 80s we might barely remember ROBOTECH.  Except Robotech was two different things.  A cartoon show made up of three vaguely similar Japanese animated shows that all involved alien invasions, transforming piloted robots, and musicians is what most people who do remember Robotech remember.

Except it wasn't the first Robotech thing, and not where the name was invented.

(As always click images for more bigger ones.)

No, it was imported model kits from Revell that first came out and who came up with the name.  And since one of the shows Robotech was made up of was already IN the model kit line Revell was releasing well.. synchronicity!

The two part Robotech Defenders comic that has nothing at all to do with the cartoon.  But the mecha involved are all pretty much Dougram ones from the Revell line.  I am apparently one of the few people on the planet who enjoyed this comic.

The primary models in the Robotech line were originally from an early 80s anime called Fang of the Sun Dougram.  Though much like an import company whose import we will be talking about, other lines were used.  

And in some cases the Japanese toymakers even brought out limited releases of some of these products over here like the two big and chunky die cast toys in this image:

Top left and right are the Takara toys in question.  Top middle are Revoltech toys of the same designs (albeit made 20 odd years later) and below are "Capsule Toy" versions.  And a card for where said import company sublet the designs to that maybe they were not so allowed to have done..

(Want to go back and just go on a memory trip of Robotech/Battletech?  http://wargamedork.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-stuff-techmacrossrelated-stuff.html here is the start.)

But some of those models from various shows were repackaged then, and rereleased semi recently as our star Dougram model shows:

Some Macross rerelease kits along with the Dougram rerelease.  The Robotech kit is from Orguss.

The other Dougram rerelease kit I got and did assemble painted in my own style.  A Robotech Destroid toy that was rereleased in the 90s, and another Destroid from Robotech/Macross but a model kit I also painted my own way.  Also all three are designs used in Battletech.  Its.. complicated!

But this import company itself would in fact release a couple Japanese board games over here (although not all of the Dougram wargames, and not the Votoms board games most similar in design to our friends below: )

The Dougram Simulation Games!  The Battles of Stanrey and its sequel/advanced mode version Kalnock.  I had been searching for these things for YEARS once I found out about them.  I have since gotten both games and an extra Stanrey box which was more a mix of a variety of components from both of these sets giving me more models.

The back of the boxes.  Still in Japanese so I dunno why anyone would buy them outside of COOL TOY FACTOR.

The sides showing what minis were included.  One of my sets had helpful writing by someone to tell you what robot was what.

And the included goodies!  One set was super cherry (Stanrey) with not even the STICKERS applied to the little line of sight checking periscopes.  The Kalnock set was not only base painted in factional arrays, but labeled!  The little beads are my own inclusion just to keep track of what model has activated.  See the metal models have ultra tiny numbers on them but.. it is really too small to tell in gameplay so unless I want to paint numbers on each mech or get a bunch of counters made up, this is the cheap way to do things.

The original manual and quick reference cards along with the VERY light and hastily made translation.

The back of the instructions.  The Japanese one showing most of the main characters, and the translation having the card translated.  Mostly.

Stanrey has 6 mapsheets you are intended to put together a certain way but there is a little bit of flexibility to made different battlefields with them.  The + symbols are where you put the happy little trees.

The Stanrey manual is so rad looking and cute as heck!  I mean seeing some of the show characters PLAYING THE ACTUAL GAME is fun and cheery, plus for Dougram/Battletech fans it is a treat to see some nice art of the mechs from that time.

Sadly the translation is vastly truncated and lacks all of the charm of the original manual.  And they seem to be very protective of their translation.

Join me next time where I show a bit more from this game and Kalnock plus perhaps begin a new project I have had in mind for a couple YEARS now.  Much like my kitchen faucet I do eventually get things done.  Sometimes.

Mechwarrior Online: HOLY SMOKES BATMECH! LOTS OF STUFF! (Part 1)

Yes.  Mechwarrior Online rocked out with it robotic crotch ER Medium Laser out over the last two months.  I have so much to talk about it needs to be two posts!

(This one covers the actual patches, the next one will pretty much be tons of screenshots and commentary.)

 We start by remembering remembering the early something of November.  Ing. Quirks get another tweak pass and stuff is modified a bit.

 LRMs get a tiny debuff that doesn't stop people from spamming the things and AMS gets more ammo.  Nice.  Most lasers get a buff of some kind.  I approve.

A good suite of balance changes.  Still doesn't keep idiots from hiding in their backfield and just spamming LRMs as artillery.  Which is boring.

Here is an example of what Quirks do.  The freebie AH Centurion most of us suckers who spent money on the game got has these tweaks.  Quirks really make more mechs viable and encourage people to take more than just the "optimal" current mech of a size class with the same loadout.  It encourages variety which is good for the game.

Here is some of the GIVE US MONEY NOW PLEASE stuff these patches gave us.

 More Clan mechs to get.  Yay.  Sadly I can't use C Bills for the Loki to have a 60 ton Clan mech with ECM until March or so.  

 And now you can spend money on your friends!  THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING.  (To PGI.  Money.)

Now the Mad Dog (Vulture), and King Crab can be purchased with real money as opposed to just being reward purchase things.  I have already declared I will use C Bills if not real life money on King Crabs provided I can paint mine like Rampage from Beast Wars.

( http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Rampage_%28BW%29  http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/thumb/0/0f/BW_Rampage_toy.jpg/646px-BW_Rampage_toy.jpg )

Now more November Rain!

 A great new map (see next post for in match pictures) and a 25 ton Clan mech.  

 More fun but stupid cockpit items and some bug fixes.

 The aforementioned Hellbringer (Loki) is here for real money and some other minor bits.

Not too thrilled with Beagle Probe getting a nerf but eh.  Sometimes you still gotta take it.  It just loses the HAVE THIS appeal it did for Streak Boats.

December had a double content patch then some patches to the patch.

 New cosmetic goodies to waste cash on and some more quirk stuff and patches.

 Two new maps?  Community... Warfare?

IS THE SKY FALLING?  

CAN IT BE?

IT

HAS

BEGUN

(Mortal Kombat!  Doot doo dooot doo.... FIGHT!)

Join us next post (probably next week) for pictures and more info on the fun, lucrative, player bringing back,

Which is good because this game needed a shot in the arm.

Robotech RPG Tactics: Miniature Box First Look/Unboxing

  Like I mentioned in my Kickstarter rant http://wargamedork.blogspot.com/2014/08/kickshart-my-heart-or-why-kickstarter.html I had gotten into the Robotech RPG Tactics Kickstarter yet not only is it stupidly late (something most Kickstarter projects tend to be, and Palladium stuff is anyhow) but my picks would not only be later, but the damned game would be out at retail before my stuff came in!  So one of the local FLGSes had gotten in a shipment of the main game and a number of the box expansions, running around 36-39 dollars MSRP.  (Around 30ish shipped on ebay right now.)

  So what did my 36.50 get me?

 The box is kind of pretty enough.  

 The back shows you what you are getting.  4 models, 2 of each chassis.

 There is a helpful (ish) computer rendered instruction sheet, data cards, the bases, a BIG pack of waterslide decals, and squad cards.

 The other mech is on the back, and there are squadron cards for larger units, including some that require other boxes.  But it seems as if both factions can use the models included, which is very nice.

This however is the problem.  A pair of mechs per sprue.  Not really poseable as they have a default pose pretty much.  Except the way they are assembled requires you to build both mechs at once, and many of them have three or more sprue gates.  It does look to be normal plastic you can use model cement on thoughI am not 100% sure of this yet.  The detail looks pretty solid but..

Around 30 pieces per roughly two inch tall mini?  These are supposed to be GAMING MINIATURES.  To put together a decent army is going to take forever just to assemble, much less paint and finish.  This was not very well thought out.  At least a third of these parts shouldn't be there especially with the generally static poses.

Expect a follow up whenever I get around to building the models so I can compare and contrast to their Battletech cousins and similarly sized Macross models.

Mechwarrior Online Update: Mehtober.

Yeah some minor but eh changes and free robot.

Let's see what we got in the patches this month yes?

 The preference option?  Well it lasted a couple days till outrage basically had them backtrack.  I can kind of see why they would just make it a preference to speed up the Matchmaker process but the people have spoken.

 New stuff for morons to spend real money on fake things.  Moving on.

 It is kind of sad Clan XL engines are only NOW getting damage penalties to heat but better late than never I suppose.   HUD Reward info is now moved around.  Its mostly a thing that makes the next patch more useful.

 Yay more money and GXP sinks!  The real way to make players grind!

 Thank you sweet Raptor Jesus for hiding Trial Mechs from my inventory!

 The big spender players got a free 100 ton Atlas.  I did not.  It seems to be an ok mech to build on.  Still not worth replacing the D-DC model with the ECM.  On the upside you get 30% more C Bills using this one.  Like the next one I did get:

 The Centurion is.. flawed but interesting.  It is a 50 ton mech that needs SERIOUS C Bills spent on it to make it viable as it is a 3025 tech machines.  One that is penalized by being an ammunition weapon only mech.  As a Medium class.  But like the Atlas, 30% C Bill bonus, and a fancy paint scheme.

 A MASSIVE change to XP and C Bill rewards in game.  Now more ways to make bank that will hopefully encourage play other than MASS UP AND KILL ANYONE DUMB ENOUGH TO STICK THEIR HEAD OUT.  A small step towards causing other play styles.

 I am VERY happy there are rewards for causing the most damage to a target as opposed to just for component destruction and kill.

 More tweaks to stuff.  

 Yes we have more stupid Clan mechs coming you can waste money on.  

 And Inner Sphere too!  The Panther, Enforcer (LEPUS CAN LIVE AGAIN), Grasshopper, and Zeus will be coming in.  Most of these are.. ok looking.  Not better nor worse than the 3025 Readout originals really.    Maybe a little better.  Maybe.

And a bonus Assault class, the mighty KING CRAB, 100 tons of cool looking.  Sadly I doubt it can be painted to look like Rampage from BEAST WARS.  Because then I would need one.

Let us finish this post with some screenshots in game as is my wont. (Click for bigger as always.)

 Just an absolutely lovely shot where I had found a really nifty perch to see a huge percentage of the map without Jump Jets.

An absolutely GORGEOUS Dire Wolf.

A lovely hero Jagermech.

The Mad Dog (Vulture) in Project Phoenix colors.

In the cockpit.  Oh god that monkey.  I CAN SEE FOREVER.

 Now your XP and C Bill gains for doing things are in the lower center of your HUD.  But in a smaller font to not get in your way but still give you info where you can see it.

Getting a whole bunch of money and XP due to breaking a robot. 

 The free Centurion with all the gear ripped out of it.  Notice how much money I currently have.

Now with my preferred colors and fully kitted out, accepting what gear I already had stocked up.  About 9 million C bills to turn my "free" robot into something I might enjoy running in.

 But was it worth getting a small C bill bonus each match I use it?  Eh.. not really?  If I didn't already have three of this chassis already Elite skill mastered I wouldn't even bother honestly.

So another month, another pile of tweaks, patches, and more ways to mooch money off of players to keep doing the same damn thing we have for a few years now.