The adventure gaming as an alternative to historical games has gone up a gear lately.
There is so much new kit being produced and long may it continue.
Derring Do and Stiff upper lips. Playing the game and doing the dirty.
with the world on the brink of Global conflict there are a desperate
bands fighting against tyranny and injustice. Or many more out to make a fast buck, a yen, a mark or a pound.
while the great or not so great powers size up to each other these
few, these happy few will battle it out in skirmishes across continents.
America is divided, so too is Russia. Civil strife and rebellions
abound throughout empires and soaring crime rates.
Africa is a battleground and trade in arms and secrets is escalating.
new technologies and advances in weaponry.
empires set to topple. Revolution in the wings. assassination and
corruption, organised crime and blackmarket.
Bootleggers and anarchists.
Kings and arch criminals.
Dreadnoughts prowl the sealanes. aircraft blacken the sky.
the armies are on the march, the games afoot, cry havoc and let slip the Mogs of war.
wargaming an espionage come adventure game seemed like an escape from serious gaming and the games are over quickly.
So onec we tried it out using 'Rugged adventure rules '
from PULP figures, Canada, it soon became as obsessive and consuming as any historical period.
it shouldn't be taken seriously. very tongue in cheek.
And the commonest phrase heard on an evening is...
"He's making it up as he goes along".
Because you can up to a point.
with 6-8 figures and trees,a building or two, two to three players but the more you have the better it gets.
And you have a game or three, more and suddenly it's a full blown campaign covering the globe.
problem sometimes finding figures to fit the various countries the action takes you to but that's half the fun.
Ideas for scenarios
with a wealth of whodunnits and classic films there are mysteries and plots galore out there to use for scenario building.
the rst is imagination and painting and modelling the world
Japan to San fransisco. The deserts of outer mongolia to the arid plains of africa. Downtown Chicago or foggy London.
with such a small game you don't need a great deal of bits and pieces.
A handful of figures
suitably representative
and a sense of humour.
The imagination of the
players takes over after
a short time into the game
and you scenario can go
out the window in quicktime.
forget the rescue, drop everything,
let's betray a trust, change sides
and go our own way.
Building a Game
Buildings to fight in ,break into,imprison people. Keep them neutral in appearance. Lots of doors and windows, not too many floors.
Some buildings can be made with alternative roofs to simulate different locations and rural building are good just about anywhere.
you start to feel the need for machines and vehicles to liven things up and hunting down suitable kits or toys is arduous.
So comes the glue and plastic card/foamboard etc.. and make it happen.
If nothing else you're expanding your knowledge. I've researched Russian for posters, and Japanese for a game.
A member of the club suggested Playing the Boxer uprising.
No problem as we have most of what we need.
but he doesn't know whilst we're playing a historical action i'll be running something more simultaneously.
Fun,fun,fun, dammit.
Roleplaying is not absolutely necessary when playing adventure type games.
But if the player running the scenario judges that an enthuiastic player is adding to the game by,
A. Roleplaying
B. Imaginative or innovative,
C. spicing up the game with the inexplicable.
all of the above only add to the games' popularity.
some games we've had dissolve in laughter.
Occasionally discussions breakout and the whole thing halts. But as
the game is so easy to pick where you left off.
Cliches
catchphrases from film and television find their way into the game.
"No, leave me, go on without me, I'll be fine". (any wounded hero)
"The name's Bond, James Bond". (Any of the 'Bond' Actors)
"I am just going outside and may be some time".(captain Oates)
(zulu)
A prayer's as good as bayonet on a day like this.
And a bayonet, sir, with some guts behind it.
Why us? Why does it have to be us?
: Because we're here, lad. And no-one else,
(zenda)
I see you want to let the drawbridge down.
I just killed a man for that.
An unarmed man, of course.
Of course!
he who fights and runs away, etc..
etc.etc.etcetera
Adding figures with green stuff
Intelligence reports and more on our adventure games
Pictures from adventure games
Darkest africa campaign
Back T'top o' page
The miniatures Page
A glorious A to Z of figure manufacturers provides
all you need to play skirmish,battles and adventure games