A Word About My Blog

Recently I had someone post a comment to one of my posts on another site, it just had two words "sleeper hit".

Copyright acknowledged to the owner.

I am not up with it in the modern world, being a bit of recluse regardless of the time I probably spend on the computer, and wondering around the net.  So I had to go and find out what the hell it meant?

I went and had a look at the Urban dictionary to seek clarification, it's definition is HERE 

I responded to the comment with a question mark as literally I had no idea what the person was alluding to?  Was my article a hit that was under the radar or was it because I linked my blog and it had multiple links within my blog to other sites, which made the individual think I was click baiting income for people?

I have no idea, they never responded to clarify so I will now spend some time clarifying my style of writing and why I will link my blog to a post elsewhere rather than try and write a length post within another site.

Firstly my background is educational and research, so I tend to place out much of my work to allow people who read it to be able to look at supporting material that I think is helpful.  I work on the assumption that I will have many levels of people who will read my blog, those who know what I'm talking about and those who do not.  For those who do not, I include links to information that will assist them in gaining the information needed to understand what it is I'm talking about.  I don't want to reinvent the wheel, which it why I link to a site which has already done so.  You do not have to go to that site if you already know that information or if it is one that earns itself money by people visiting it.  I do not know which sites generate revenue by doing this.

An Example.

Game X.  Game X has a Youtube video on how to play.  I will provide a link to that site so that a person who does not know how to play the game can view it. (There may be multiple sources for this which I may provide.) I will also provide a link to BoardGameGeek as it is the primary source (that I use) for game synopsis (outside of the company PR), it is also a great source for additional files for game play.  It is the main reason I always include a link to BGG.

Secondly I do not generate revenue via my blog.  You can visit it as many times as you like, I earn nothing.  I have a counter on the page to pander to my rather insubstantial EGO, that is why it is there.  It is nice to see that some people read what I write.  I don't force people to read what I write, I only occasional link an article I write to a site where I think it is appropriate,  Nyt every article I write is linked elsewhere.

I like to think I'm sardonic, witty, enlightening... oh what the heck I don't know what I am.  I just write what I feel like writing.  If you like what I write please let know, follow me if you like.  As I said I get nothing of value from this blog except the words expressed.

OR am I some potential and hidden top tier marketing tool... yep more than likely a bloody tool.

Till next time.

The Hon. John

Cheap Boardgames - Small boxed from Hasbro

Some time ago the local newspaper, I think it was the Courier Mail, ran a promotion where if you bought their paper and produced a coupon from inside the paper (or perhaps just purchasing it, I can't quite remember, but it has usually been the case to provide the coupon); you would get a game, a different game each day or week (again, my poor memory can't recall). [Just did a quick search of the bookshop which is now clearing these games and there are 14 of these individual titles, so I'm assuming the promotion went for two weeks, so a daily coupon.]

Where am I, ah yes, small boxed games.  Initially I thought of buying the newspaper just to get the game but the newspapers are hardly worth the print they print (literally) these days.  Most of my news I can get off the net or telly for no cost, plus the sheets are horribly biased (not that the telly is any better mind you) so I forgot all about it.  However (back on topic) today having a little cash left in my pocket I spotted my local bookshop flogging off the games (the Reject Shop is selling them for even less) for what they claimed half-price on their website but going for 3 for $12 in-store (this is Australian pesos, lira, bottletops or marbles depending on where you are and at what time of day it is).  I searched through the remaining titles they had left and settled on three (really only wanted one, but... you know what it's like when their is a bargain, why buy a single at $5 when you can have three at $12).

Would you believe that in my entire life I have never owned a copy of any of these games, Cluedo, The Game of Life or Battleship.  The only game I have played is Battleship and that is more than likely due to the fact that it has been readily available as a free game on PCs for a long time.

BATTLESHIP

Right.  That's the contents as shown above.  The plastic is rather thin, 1mm for the standing piece, actually it's 1mm for the blue sheets.  I cannot see the standing sheet lasting very long with a young person playing, it will snap rather easily at the point of insertion to the flat base board.  Now the flat base board is sturdy and will literally take a good beating.  It it ribbed, why they could not have applied the same design principles to the standing sheet eludes.  The Plastic pieces, both ships and pegs (used to represent hits and miss's) fit snugly into the holes.  As to their long term wear and tear I can not ascertain,but seeing that this will be an once in a blue moon game, I doubt I'll be able to provide any feedback on that point.  The contents were accurate in that everything that was said to be was there.  The rule sheet was one double sided "page" (14cm x 14cm) in total.

CLUEDO

Above is the contents of the boxed Cluedo. The game board is very thin card stock, not sure the gauge? It unfolds out to a 28cm x 28cm full colour game board.  A four page rule book (similar to above 14cm x 14cm).  A small Detective Notepad (with 20 sheets, yes my OCD had me count the sheet, do judge me).  Two small die, 6 plastic player token, the 21 Black Cluedo cards and 13 Red Bonus cards and correct and accounted for.

The bonus for me (as you will also get in the next game, is the red game tray.  It is a brilliant dice tray for rolling the die in.  I did a number of rolls, it is nice and handy.  If I had bought this for children then this is what I'd be teaching them to use.  For reasons that may have to do with the manufacturing process the cards did stick together and in the process when they came apart they were marked.  This now has made the cards very much individuals, making the game easy for those who like to "cheat".  My solution, buy another set and hope it's not indicative of the run OR just make a small cardboard screen and hide your hand behind it.

THE GAME OF LIFE

Above are the contents of the box. The game board is very thin card stock, not sure the gauge? It unfolds out to a 28cm x 28cm full colour game board.  Woo Hoo I get a Spinner, I've not had a spinner in a game since Nuclear War, and I loved that game.  All the contents were there, 78 cards, 4 "cars", the pegs, the paper money (no my OCD did not have me count it out to it's denominations...*), and a handy dandy one page game guide.  

Right I'd pinch the red tray for dice rolling if I didn't need it to keep all the pieces safe.  Mind you I could probably do that with a zip lock bag of the right size?  Will look into that, give me some time...  The tokens used by players on the board are a disappointment, I'll probably nick the ones from Cluedo, far better and stand out more on the board.  OK they might get knocked over, but hey, style over matter everyday.

SUMMARY

Are these games worth buying.  Yes.  They are great introductory games, the other titles in the series are Boggle, Chutes & Ladders, Connect 4, Guess Who, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Mastermind, Monopoly, Operation, Trivial Pursuit Family, Twister, and Yahtzee Classic.  As a parent unsure if your child would be interested in board games and you worry about spending $50 on a game that will get played once, then these are perfect.  For a small investment your child or even you yourself can see if your really want to invest your money in the game.  

I am going to upgrade my Cluedo and The Game of Life by mounting the thin card game board onto a sheet of MDF board.  I'll try and fix the cards and probably play around with a few other components in the games. 

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  I hope you find them entertaining, educational (sinister laughed in the background) and that you come back at another time to see what else I have posted.

Till next time.

The Hon. John

* Yes I counted the denominations, are you satisified, I know I am?  :)

10K - 20

20K - 20

50K - 20

100K - 50

500K - 30

Cooperative Play - Conquest of Planet Earth: The Space Alien Game

Yes a game with a live victim... having laid out some bait I enticed Simon into coming over for a game.  He thought he was coming over for a chat or a game of Shadow War: Armageddon (sorry Simon that you brought your figures all that way, next time perhaps - though we did get the chat at the end).

OK OK the truth... Simon invited himself over, hooray!  Damn there are those exclamation marks again, they seem to breed on this page... along with full stops.  I am as always very grateful to those who take the time to play games at my residence, due to the vagaries that are my life I find it difficult to get about or leave home.  Getting a home visit was wonderful and I enjoyed the company and the game, so hats off to you Simon, thank you.

Todays selection of Alien were:

Simon had the Vyborian Arbiters, I had the Vento Star Empire, these were chosen at random.  Unlike the Solo blog post I will keep this report short and only make a few comments about the game.  There were some outrageous happenings though.

Round 1

Terror Points 0; Human Tech Track 1

Round 2

Terror Points 5; Human Tech Track 2

Round 3

Terror Points 5; Human Tech Track 2

Round 4

Terror Points 5; Human Tech Track 3

Atom Bomb detonated at the Radio Station, someone sure doesn't like KIIS 106.5, thankfully I had the event card (yes it was my poor troops, 3 in total at the location) that allowed me to emergency teleport (that's how I reported it) back to the landing field.  Adding insult to injury the humans managed to acquire Advanced Super Tanks!

Simon deep in thought about how best to DEMOLISH locations.

Turn 5
Terror Points 7; Human Tech Track 4
Ah ha, no more problems I have the device to save me Teleportation Pants!  But then the humans developed Atomic Shells...

Turn 6
Terror Points 10; Human Tech Track 6

Turn 7
Terror Points 10; Human Tech Track 7
Humans have found more Atom Bombs, clearly this species is it own worse enemy, they are hell bent on their own destruction destroying a beautiful yet harmless forest thinking it some Shakespearean play set?  Some ghostly words waft up to me...

Macbeth Act 5 Scene 3
Bring me no more reports; let them fly all:
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane,
I cannot taint with fear. What's the boy Malcolm?
Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know
All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus:
'Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of woman
Shall e'er have power upon thee.' Then fly,
false thanes,
And mingle with the English epicures:
The mind I sway by and the heart I bear
Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.
Yet again the human 

Of course the atomic explosion sort of ruined the mood then.  The Alien mood soured more when the human also developed Guided Missiles, clearly a new Renaissance was happening with Guided Missiles.

Turn 8

Terror Points 10; Human Tech Track 8

Humans acquire the event card Arms Race providing them an additional dice for the Tech Breakthrough.  At this stage rolling 4 die was not on.

Turn 9

Terror Point 16; Human Tech Track 10  

Humans WIN

Wait who won, hang on... Simon made me look at the rule book, isn't that cheating by the Blind Pig rules.  Technically he is right, the Aliens won, we the Aliens score our Terror as we earn them, we got to out Terror Point level before the Humans reached the 10 Score.  Yippee the Alien Cooperative WON. (No exclamation marks this time.)

Teleportation Pants, never leave home without one/them.

Truly a fun and enjoyable game.  Light and entertaining enough that it gave enough mathematical planning to give those who wanted to plan victory the means to do so.  A team play was challenging and as much fun as the Solo for me.  I'm now looking forward to how much damage can be inflicted with a cutthroat 4 player everyone out to get everyone game.  That will have to be a game for the Blind Pig I think.

Till next time.

The Hon. John

Solo Game - Conquest of Planet Earth: The Space Alien Game

Right my first play through of this game solo (in preparation of playing this with others at the Blind Pig Games Club CLUB FACEBOOK LINK ).

This game came onto my radar a while ago as I was watching a number of YouTube video blogs and it rated well.  Yes a number of people don't like it, and it's been referred to as Ameritrash (is that the right terminology - I tend to ignore what the Americans call things, my people align more with the British or Anglo view of the world).

I found this play through by Paul Darcy useful LINK HERE

A quicker all in one review by Rahdo LINK HERE

For those who wanted to know what Dice Tower think here is their LINK HERE

OK no more links I'm sure you can delve into the net and find what you want.

My game!  First off I have to say I can understand peoples frustration with Flying Frogs rules layout...  As I played this game and I came across situations I could not apply my logic (and I confess my logic is not always sane) to finding information.  Thankfully the rulebook is not an extensive one and it took only a few minutes of skim reading to locate the section that had the clarification I sought.

For todays solo game I played the Setaris Kitewings.

I randomly chose these Aliens, and regretted them from almost word go.  The strength 2 was my downfall from the word GO!  The only redeeming factor with this game play are the dice... yes the die are phenomenal, I have never seen so many 5's and 6's rolled consistently by any of die in the batch supplied in this boxed game.  It did cost me the game, but it also gave me the Action Points I needed to keep me in the game.  So strap yourself into your dodgy pilot combat chair and watch me lose horribly at Conquest of Planet Earth: The Space Alien Game.*

ROUND ONE

The game set up and ready to go.  Of course I had not read the rules properly,
but that's not really a problem when you are playing solo.

Everything set up and ready to go... and we are off and racing!

Rolled the die - 5 Action Points.

Set 2 Aliens to Sector 5 where we encountered a Small Town which I shall name Ipswich.  There my brave creatures faced an Angry Mob, who proved little danger to us.  Ha ha the Grand Overlord thought, this looks promising, let us continue.

Obtained an Alien Menace Token, always useful... (plan ahead is the Grand Overlords moto, that and carry an emergency backpack, lasergun and escape pod).

Lastly one Alien was dispatched to Sector 4 where they found a Grassy Field and sent back pic-feeds of themselves frolicking amongst the wildflowers.  The Grand Overlord is very worried about these troops and has designated them for gender reassignment.

DISASTER!

It was at this stage I realised, having read to this part of the rule book, and clearly not having absorbed the contents of the video blogs (perhaps I should have played an Amorphous Blob Alien) have an event deck for the Human Resistance.  Nothing horrendous had occurred due to this oversight and I was able to pull the fat from the fire and resume play with only having to flog the man servant twice.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

Right, the Humans got to play some events, damn them, and advanced the Tech Track, destroying one of my brave Aliens.  I chose the witless fools left on the landing field, clearly they had forgotten the orders to advance.  Clearly the human mail parcel marked DO NOT OPEN - BOMB INSIDE just wasn't a big enough warning.  Oh well the gene pool has been cleansed, and the next wave of recruits have been dispatched from the Mother Ship.

Oh and the humans found some Fighter Jets to play with, which they sent to Sector 6.

END OF ROUND ONE

TERROR POINTS 2

HUMAN TECH TRACK 2

ROUND TWO

Rolled the die - 5 Action Points.

One Alien recruit dispatched to the landing field with orders not to open human mail.

Two Aliens sent to Sector 6 which was the location of that cesspit of a city called Melbourne (well that's what the locals called it).  It was protected by some Fighter Jets (reject F/A-18 from the USA), which my well trained Aliens dispatched with gusto.  Then came the hard part, wading through 3 rounds of what would have to be unpleasant warfare.  First round, Angry Mob... OK piece of cake, clearly the local artists, second round... another... Angry Mob, Greenies** this time as they had worked themselves into a frenzy and obtained a Crushing Victory destroying one of my Aliens (hmmm, memo to self: will look at the effectiveness of mindless propaganda in exhorting the combat effectiveness of troops).  Last chance, I send the death threat to the remaining Alien, and he comes through capturing the worthless city of Melbourne, defeating another Fighter Plane, but needing to use a precious Strafe ability to do so.  A Conquest token is played, the teeming hordes of the Mother Ship go wild, either that or there is another food riot in process, not sure, but it work itself out in the end.

Feeling buoyed by the success of capturing Melbourne my two other Aliens entered Sector 2 to discover another City, gasp if it wasn't that other cesspit Sydney.  Honestly doesn't this planet have any swank watering holes like Brisbane or Perth?  Sadly this City was defended by Humans made of sterner stuff (and dice to back them up... I did tell you about them didn't I?).  Well my glorious advance disintegrated with Crushing Victories to the Humans, those Paratroopers are horrible people. My remaining Alien retreated to the Landing Field thinking it safer to feel my wrath than that of the Humans, poor deluded fool. (queue sinister laughter)  I wonder if I can breed them with Greenies and my own race, what would that ultimately produce?  Rebellion most likely, lets not go down that rabbit hole yet, it's still early days, I'm sure victory is just around the corner.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

Again the humans manage to draw an event card that advance their tech score, deploying more troops this time a Fighter to Board 2, Sector 3 and a Helicopter to the Landing Field boards Sector 5.  Damn it Ipswich has been liberated by the filthy human rabble without any resistance, rumour had it it was an Angry Mob dressed in flannelettes...

END OF ROUND TWO

TERROR POINTS 2

HUMAN TECH TRACK 4

Ah, Round 4 action.  Ipswich conquered and Kyle goes down with KIIS.

ROUND THREE

Rolled the die - 4 Action Points.

Loosing the useless pawns I call troops is galling.  Spent 3 action points to find another mindless minions to send down to this hopeless planet that I seem to want for reason I can't recall.

I sent 1 Alien to Sector 1  a Hydro Electric Damn I think the locals called it the Snowy Mountain something or other, made a big thing about.  So much so they hid a huge amount of artillery there. blew the crap out of everything, including two of the freshly minted troops at the Landing Field. Things were dare I say, not looking good morale wise.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

Event card for the humans crippled me with any Conquest Tokens played would on the die result of 1 or 2 place a demolished marked on a location, this effect in play until start of next Resistance phase.  Oh joy, I may as well start writing my abdication speech, but as a despot, you get assassinated, so I get spared that ignominy at least.

END OF ROUND THREE

TERROR POINTS 2

HUMAN TECH TRACK 5

ROUND FOUR

Rolled the die - 6 Action Points

Created 3 Aliens and dispatched them to the Landing Field, poor bastards, I wonder if they know what they have signed on for... of course they do!  It's the glorious army of the Grand Overlord, life if optional.

Dispatched 2 of the newly minted Aliens to Sector 3 and found a Radio Station KIIS 106.5 which was promptly conquered, and especially a noisome DJ called Kyle somebody not important in the ratings keep wailing about said ratings - whatever ratings are.  As a Grand Overlord you don't need to worry about that, you just execute dissatisfied portions of the population and the problem goes away... for a while at least!  Due to the Human Resistance event card in effect this location was demolished, we watched as the entire human staff were immolated in the process.  We enjoyed it, it's loss as a location was not particularly mourned.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

Boring.

Advanced the Tech Score

END OF ROUND FOUR

TERROR POINTS 2

HUMAN TECH TRACK 6

The brave advance into Board 2 and then strategic retreat.

ROUND FIVE

Rolled the die - 3 Action Points

Sent 2 Aliens back to re notice to the prefix re... conquer Ipswich, that miserable little place.  Which we did for no loss.  The teeming hordes on the Mother Ship decided to send the Grand Overlord a present and he received with gratitude Slavoring Scythions - rather spiffing Space Stuff, which he promptly tested out on the gift givers... much to his satisfaction.. and to the chagrin of the teeming hordes.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

Who taught the humans about nuclear physics?  The beggars blew up the small town of Ipswich!  Some may rejoice at that news, some weep, but my Aliens are much annoyed, they worked their little Alien butt's off trying to conquer that little piece of worthless real estate!

The humans believe in slow and steady wins the race then up the ante with actually developing some advance science with Advanced Communication.  Otherwise dull and boring humans scuttling around the planet to no effect (of which the Grand Overlord was most grateful)

END OF ROUND FIVE

TERROR POINTS 2

HUMAN TECH TRACK 6

ROUND SIX

Rolled the die - 6 Action Points

Spent 2 action points to recruit more Alien cannon fodder.  The Grand Overlord has grown tired of pussy footing around (and the player suddenly realised there is a game to win) sent all 4 Aliens to Sector 2 that place Sydney with it's odd shaped shell building, must destroy it or use it as a hatchery for spawnlings.  Needless to say the display of power was overkill,  the Grand Overlord laughed when the Teenagers at Look Out Point appeared, until they got a Crushing Victory...  Never underestimate hormone driven youth, hmm, another avenue of research to pursue!  This planet is teeming with novel ideas for military enhancement, no wonder it is always being invaded.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

The humans found a way to undermine my terror inducing agenda and have stripped me of a Terror Point (-1), dash it all.  Tech score advances.

END OF ROUND SIX

TERROR POINTS 4

HUMAN TECH TRACK 6

End game.  

ROUND SEVEN

Rolled the die - 6 Action Points

Spent 1 action point recruiting an Alien to replay the one mobbed to death my randy human teenagers.  Honestly one would think you'd keep your sexual preferences to your own species but these humans really are a disgusting race and must be conquered and destroyed.

Feeling that the clock is ticking against the Grand Overlord it is decided to dash onto the other territory board (in actuality the home board is just to scary, maybe the blank locations might be kinder).

So 3 Aliens go to Section 5 (Board 2) and find a forest, which the natives called Belanglo, apparently has an unsavoury reputation.  Some military troops were stationed there but these were quickly dispatched.  Again some troops sent back pic-feeds of themselves frolicking in the woods, I did notice some bones though in the background so I decided to overlook this misdemeanour this time.  It was a worthless piece of real estate, safe but worthless.

Human Resistance

The quiet humans for the last couple of turns had clearly been building Atomic Shells since they learnt how to build atomic bombs.  They did have a very successful barrage round on Board 2 and sent 3 of my brave Aliens back to the equivalent of Galactic Heaven.  Tech score advances, The Grand Overlord is seeing defeat as inevitable unless he can pull of a miraculous play of odds in his last turn.

END OF ROUND SEVEN

TERROR POINTS 5

HUMAN TECH TRACK 9

Yes it was a bad hand dealt at one hand at the very end,
the humans really came at me in the end.

ROUND EIGHT

Rolled the die - 6 Action Points

Spent 3 action points recruiting 3 Aliens.

Sent 1 Alien to Sector 2 that city of Sydney where with some luck we managed to pull a win. Yes the Setaris Banner flew proudly over the ruined Opera house, now unusable as a hatchery.  My plan to snatch a victory hinged on my one Alien at the Hydro Electric Dam, it wasn't much to ask of a weak and lowly Alien with little or no hope to win against incredible odds?  Why not, the Grand Overlord had been watching human movies and they seemed to be able to pull off one in a million victories at the drop of a hat, take for instance Independence Day.  Well this was going to be his Independence Day and he was going to dance on the shattered skulls of they defeated human populace!  Yes you guessed it, it didn't happen, we lost....

Disclaimer: All throughout this game I have been able to draw my own event cards which I have been neglecting to note or record.  In the last round, round 8 I actually got one that I got really excited about Dr Zednar, the Ally.  He came down to the Landing field ready to help, only to be sadly trampled to death my the teeming horde of Aliens escaping back to the Mother Ship.  His body is currently on display in Area 51.

HUMAN RESISTANCE

The human tech score advances to 10, game over. Humans win.

END OF ROUND EIGHT

TERROR POINTS 5

HUMAN TECH TRACK 10

HUMANS WIN!!!!

My Cup of Despicable-ness (randomness)
and that Atomic BOMB

SUMMARY

Did I enjoy myself?  Yes it was a hoot.  The dice that came with this game, what can I say!  I have never seen so many 5's and 6's come up, it like the number of exclamation marks I use in this article!  Yes indeed I had fun.  The game is well worth playing solo.  I now look forward to playing this among some fellow Aliens and pulling the earth apart with gusto.

Till next time.

The Hon. John

For Non Australians - Some reference details 

(from my point of view)

* Disclaimer: I do not profess to be a master of this game and will more than likely balls up the rules, overlook a critical component of play or make a pigs breakfast of things.  Ultimately I had fun playing the game, hopefully you have fun reading about my defeat.

** Greenies: Greenies are shortened referenced to The Greens and Australian political party.  Often poked fun at for their wild and varying stances on many issues which are at odd with main stream or conservative values.

Melbourne is a large city, the capital city for the State of Victoria.  It likes to think itself the cultural centre of Australia. Find more info HERE

Sydney is a large city, the capital city for the State of New South Wales.  It also likes to think itself the sole centre of civilisation in Australia.  Find more info HERE

Ipswich is a small town in Queensland.  Queensland, is a State which produces the best sportsperson in Australia, which everyone in the rest of Australia denies.  :)  Find more into HERE

Belanglo forest is linked to a series of horrible crimes and where more than likely many bodies have been buried. Find more info HERE

The Snowy Mount Scheme is an ambitious undertaking at it's time to provide electricity to the State of NSW read about it in this link HERE

KIIS 106.5 is a radio station and Kyle Sandilands is a DJ shock jock for the station.  Find more HERE

Ironclads - Looking for Brisbane player(s)

Right, I'm looking to find a tolerant person who's interested in playing this wonderful and complex game. Yes it's complex, it's full of charts, and the wording is wonderful and such, today I believe they call it "chunky"...  Anyway, I loved this game, I did play this with a friend who I've lost contact with for reasons I can't recall now, but seeing I can't afford to build ACW armies small ships represented as counters on a map seems like a decent replacement (oh who am I kidding, no it's not, but you have to settle with what you have).

The obligatory link to BoardGameGeek for those who need to know more => LINK

WARNING: I've not played in ages, probably twenty years I'd hazard a guess, so the learning curve will be steep.  This will cut both ways unless you, the person who responds knows the game like the back of your hand! 

Till next time.

The Hon. John

Ageing gracelessly...

WARNING: Old mans rambling, read at own peril, not games related.

I have managed to survive another birthday... just, and it was promising to be such a good day.

My best friend and me.  Honestly he is the greatest break on suicide.

It is that time of year again when it is a most dangerous time to be me.  There are only two times a year, around 2nd July and the Christmas to New Year period, oddly enough with a six month time period between.  This of course makes one wonder what the cycle would be like had my birthday been closer to the end/beginning of the year?

Everyone has the pressure of living, they have their own worries and concerns, and those of strangers aren’t theirs to be concerned with.  Yet we see the charities and organisations that deal with mental illness extolling others to be mindful and care for those who are afflicted with these maladies.  I know that it is a rare individual who will do that, and the many that do are generally afflicted with the malady themselves.  People do not want to know if you mentally unwell, big difference if you have a physical illness, you see people literally rushing to help you.  There are fund raisers to buy a special piece of equipment, or a specialist treatment in a foreign destination for that rare condition.  A person who suffers from the silent and not visible mental illness gets none of that attention.  The only time they get any notice is when a loved one or stranger finds their body after tragedy strikes.  It is then that people start asking questions about how or why things happened the way they did.  It irks me no end that whenever a celebrity comes out and confesses mental illness the world shows support and compassion, but for the average or poor person there is little if any.  At worse those who are relegated to a pension are seen a leeches, bludgers on the welfare system which further worsens their already diminished grasp on life.

Pinched of the net somewhere I acknowledge the copyright of whoever owns it.

I live my life the best I can with the limited resources I have.  It is getting harder each year to see any light at the end of the tunnel.  The basic necessities of life are increasing faster than any increase in the pension (electricity in particular).  My lot in life has always been the carer, the problem solver, the Deep Thought (listen to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for the reference) of my family and to many people I know.  This has been a burden I have born with the knowledge that my afterlife will be a far better place from the deeds I have done here and now.  Yes Virginia dear there is an Afterlife.  I won’t debate that issue any further as it would fill pages of dialogue.  So the burden has been heavy and wearing on body and soul to the point that any positives have been outstripped by the negatives which now fill my everyday existence.  Quite literally I am tired of this pathetic plane of existence and the people who scurry around, manipulating each other for a few more dollars or advancement up the corporate ladder, to have more shiny things than someone else (though I’m guilty of this, but only because I’ve collected for so long), of whose religion or god is more deserving of worship than others (mine of course) and so on.  I can no longer watch the news or current affairs shows without literally shouting at the inane presenters at their lack of intelligence and moral rectitude (oh they have it, it’s just wrongly placed). 

The best birthday card that reflects my life on this miserable rock...

Yet I struggle on wondering why I do so.  My therapists always ask “you’re not afraid of death”?  To which I always reply that death holds no fear for me, pain does, and pain has been my greatest fear since I’ve been a child, but that has now lessened over the years as I have more and more surgery.  Mind you it is always easy to make a statement as bold as that until you are actually given the choice.  Would you actually take the choice if given it, well I have and failed a number of times already so I guess that answers that question.  I’ve survived though I’ve had to be in a position of extreme duress, yet still in possession of my faculties.  That is what sets me apart from the other situations, when I’m irrational and under duress the desire for self destruction does not occur.  I literally have to be able to have a functioning cortex to think and enact my plan to be able to carry it out.  At least that’s how I look at the matter.

My birthdays treats, Conquest of Planet Earth (Chelle), Clank (Dana), Rebellion (Liam/Luke)

I am now writing this on the 3rd July and without fail the Curse is working its magic to sap any happiness that might have been building.  On that day my daughter fell sick and remain ill, my wife broke an expensive item, the stove broke and the roof continues to leak. So I now feel extremely guilty over having had the audacity of having spent money on myself and enjoying a brief moment of happiness.   It seems that I am destined not to know what happiness is, I may glimpse it for a briefest of instances before it is snatched away by the vagaries of the mundane world.  The tears I have shed over my lifetime would have filled a bathtub by now.

I exist and that is all.

The Hon. John

Xenoshyft: Dreadmire

Drought followed by rain (I won't say downpore because that doesn't happen).  Anyway, my old school chum Anthony rocks up Saturday after being missing in action for months to have a game of Xenoshyft: Dreadmire.  I've enjoyed this game and was lucky enough to have acquired it at a recent Buy Swap Sell event at the Blind Pig thanks to James!  Thanks again James, it has gone to a good home.

BoardGameGeek Link Here => LINK if you want to know more about the game.

First game was a total loss.  We made it to the third wave, second round before the base was overrun.  Anthony controlled the Barracks, I had Command.  Pictures below tell the tale...

The Dreadmire version that Anthony had was sooooo much better than his original Kickstarter version (Onslaught).  This edition he had came with those rubberised play mats for the board, very nice.  The card lane for the creatures, troops and deck/discard was thick card stock which was very nice.  The company has someone produce specific card sleeves for the game, I'm going to have to get myself some, or I'll just take the poor mans option and recycle some old sleeves from another game.

Getting ready for the rush!

The photo of the day, I'm still trying to come up with a really pithy quote, something along the line of:
"Yes the fine print definitely says - John looses this game if played!"

The rulebook

Kilroy was here?  Rules - you can't handle the rules!  Well not if you read them upside down and back to front.

Creature killer for one turn, got better and became an 18 Power killer one round later.

RESULT OF FIRST GAME - LOSS

Base overrun

Anthony - Barracks

John - Command

We played a second game using the Immolation expansion, gone was the swampy fog, night and monsoon wracked world.  Welcome to a world were everything wants to burn you alive, were your equipment is your own worse friend in an engagement if you enemy has anything to do with it.  

RESULT OF SECOND GAME - WIN

Base - 6 structural points remaining - phew (it was my purchasing of the three special fire protection cards in one round that saved our bacon, otherwise we'd have been toast!)

Anthony - Grafting Centre

John - Covert Operations

CRITIQUE

I'd have to agree with Anthony that the colour of the print on the cards made reading them really difficult, especially the blue on the black, sometimes even the red was difficult to read.  The wording at times was sometimes problematic, though it was just wrapping your head around the vocabulary more than the concept.  Still the game ran well.  Only having 3 creatures in the first wave and only having to face the Boss creature on the final wave (round 3) made for better game play in all.  Big thumbs up on improved play overall.  Now to find some kind soul who wants to sell their copies....

Til next time

The Hon.John