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Board Game Night?

#1

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

So I came across this program called Vassal, which is sort of a universal table-top program. Some folks use it for pen and paper stuff, but it's mostly used for BOARD GAMES. Yes, it can simulate board games online so we could all play it online. So I'm putting feelers out there for people interested in maybe trying it...

Right now, the two games I'm looking at are...

Betrayal at House on the Hill



This game is a unique Board Game published in 2004 by Avalon Hill. Three to six players take the roles of various character archetypes, such as a Jock, a Final Girl, a Professor, a Fortune Teller, a seemingly sweet little girl or a curious young boy... Each miniature has two different 'characters' attached to it, such as the Scientist doubling as a Preacher Man. Whatever their role, the cast find themselves trapped inside a haunted mansion and set out to explore, with players drawing and setting out floor tiles with each new room they enter.

However, sooner or later, somebody's going to trigger the Haunt, revealing the Mansion's terrible secret — and one of the heroes turns on the rest. A wide variety of scenarios are included with the game — players can end up facing Giant Spiders, Vampires, Werewolves and other monsters, or find themselves playing Chess with Death, suddenly shrinking, or dealing with the house flooding or collapsing into a Black Hole. And since the house is built anew during the exploration phase, every game is a different adventure.
Click to expand...

This game is a lot of fun when it goes right, but some of the Haunts aren't as balanced as others and it the game play itself takes a bit of explaining. But once things are going, this game is all about knifing your friends and cursing their name.

Dead of Winter



A survival/horror cooperative tabletop game set in the dead of winter during a Zombie Apocalypse, where players must achieve personal goals and keep the community of survivors alive until spring. Designed by Isaac Vega and Jon Gilmour in 2014 for Plaid Hat Games, it is the first of a planned series of games that uses the Crossroads system.

Can be ordered via the official website or found in your local gaming store. Plaid Hat Games has also put a PDF of the rules on their website.

2-5 players select a Main Objective the group must achieve before the game is over, as well as Once Per Round Crisis Card to resolve before the round is finished. Players select 2 or more Survivors to control on the board, moving them from the relative safety of the Colony and venturing out to forage and fight in the dangerous locations of the town. However, players also have a Secret Objective for themselves to achieve by the end of the game, which could be as harmless as collecting lots of tools, or as malicious as seeking to destroy the colony from within. Food is running short, trash is piling up at the Colony, characters are getting frostbite, and worse, the zombies are massing at the doors and smashing through your barricades. The goal is survival, but not everyone can make it until spring.

This is sort of the same idea, but teamwork is more of the focus... even if you have a betrayal goal, it's in your best interest to work together until you can get away with it.

Ideally, I'd want at least 4 of us before we try this. I'm also up to suggestions of other games (and I'll try to find the module to play it) but let's keep it to games at least one of us is familiar with. I own and have played both of these so I can explain most of the issues (but it's been awhile for both).

DOWNLOADS:

Vassal Client
Betrayal at House on the Hill module (Includes Manual)
Dead of Winter module
Dead of Winter Instruction Manual


And this is the module library, in case you guys want to browse for possible stuff in the future to play.


#2

MindDetective

MindDetective

If I can wrangle my schedule to work, I'll do it.


#3

Dei

Dei

I'd play, I love board games.


#4

Celt Z

Celt Z

This sounds like fun, if my comiter can do it. And I'd need to make a Valve account, I think.


#5

GasBandit

GasBandit

I'd be down.


#6

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Celt Z said:
This sounds like fun, if my comiter can do it. And I'd need to make a Valve account, I think.
Click to expand...
No, you wouldn't. Vassal is a stand-alone program, not part of Steam. We'd be using Vent for voice. Also, I need to add links to the program to the main post, don't I?

Alright, we got enough people then... what day is good for everyone? I know Gas and Anna are good most nights around 9pm EST.


#7

Dei

Dei

Not Fridays for me though, unless it was closer to midnight EST.


#8

GasBandit

GasBandit

Dei said:
Not Fridays for me though, unless it was closer to midnight EST.
Click to expand...
And even then she's going to be drunk and saucy.


#9

Dei

Dei

:drunk:


#10

Terrik

Terrik

Sawse


#11

GasBandit

GasBandit



#12

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Blood Bowl is a board game.

Just sayin'....


#13

Bubble181

Bubble181

Ravenpoe said:
Blood Bowl is a board game.

Just sayin'....
Click to expand...
And you don't need Vassal to play it - Java and the littel applet FUMBBL is enough....:whistling:


#14

Celt Z

Celt Z

Most nights after 8 pm EST are good for me. This Friday isn't good and I don't know about Saturday because we have a wedding on Sunday. It's a weird weekend, but after that I'm good.


#15

GasBandit

GasBandit

Ravenpoe said:
Blood Bowl is a board game.

Just sayin'....
Click to expand...
BOO THIS MAN


http://video.businessinsider.com/0fbaa0c8-3ac6-4269-8a57-93c82aae900c.webm



#16

Celt Z

Celt Z

Are we drinking during this? Should we be drinking?


I may be drinking.


#17

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
Are we drinking during this? Should we be drinking?


I may be drinking.
Click to expand...


#18

Celt Z

Celt Z

GasBandit said:
Click to expand...
No, no. Bailey's in Das Boot. I thought we established this.


#19

Dei

Dei

Some of them are always drinking. I've only done such a thing once or twice (and only once where I was REALLY drunk)


#20

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
No, no. Bailey's in Das Boot. I thought we established this.
Click to expand...
[DOUBLEPOST=1444333903,1444333822][/DOUBLEPOST]
Dei said:
Some of them are always drinking. I've only done such a thing once or twice (and only once where I was REALLY drunk)
Click to expand...
By "some of them" she means "at least half of them."

I still need to figure out what liquor stores are near Ash so I can send him a gift card.


#21

Dei

Dei

Fine, I admit it, I was also drinking last night. But not to drunk status.


#22

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Alright... we just need to hear from @MindDetective on their times and we can boil down a day.


#23

Dave

Dave

Am I too late?

I'd play. I'd be down pretty much any night except this Saturday as I'm emptying my mom's house to get it sold.


#24

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

We can have up to 6 for Betrayal but only 5 for Dead of Winter. So if @Dave is in, we're doing Betrayal. But we still need to hear from @MindDetective.

I'd shoot for Sunday (Oct. 11th) at the earliest.


#25

Dei

Dei

11th >.>


#26

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Dei said:
11th >.>
Click to expand...
Fixed.


#27

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Bubble181 said:
And you don't need Vassal to play it - Java and the littel applet FUMBBL is enough....:whistling:
Click to expand...
Black box erry day


#28

Celt Z

Celt Z

Going to be at a wedding Sunday night. :(


#29

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
Going to be at a wedding Sunday night. :(
Click to expand...
Psht, how come you can't have no life like the rest of us, Keltsy? You and your jetsetting and running around and carrying on with people in real life and things.


#30

MindDetective

MindDetective

What time? Sunday might be doable if it is after about 8 Pacific. Kids. :mad:


#31

Dei

Dei

GasBandit said:
Psht, how come you can't have no life like the rest of us, Keltsy? You and your jetsetting and running around and carrying on with people in real life and things.
Click to expand...
Yeah seriously, I can't even have a D&D night without some kind of guilt trip! :p


#32

GasBandit

GasBandit

Dei said:
Yeah seriously, I can't even have a D&D night without some kind of guilt trip! :p
Click to expand...


#33

Celt Z

Celt Z

GasBandit said:
your jetsetting
Click to expand...
:rofl:

Yup, that's me! ...jetting back and forth to the preschool,usually.


#34

GasBandit

GasBandit

MindDetective said:
What time? Sunday might be doable if it is after about 8 Pacific. Kids. :mad:
Click to expand...


#35

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

... which would be like 11pm EST. So it really depends on if the folks who have work Monday need to sleep early. I'm not entirely sure how long a 5 man game of ether of these would go and we already can't do Friday and Saturday of this week and I can't do late on Monday because I have a test on Tuesday. So it's ether wait until Wednesday or do a game without everyone and try to get everyone next week for that game.

So I'm thinking I'll do a test game with @Dave, @GasBandit, @Dei, and I on Sunday night at 9 EST (or 11pm if they can stay up late so we can do it with @MindDetective) to see if everything runs smoothly using Vassal (because I'll have to explain how it works) and then we can do a 5-6 person game on Wednesday at 11pm EST with @Celt Z?


#36

MindDetective

MindDetective

I will stay tuned...


#37

Dei

Dei

AshburnerX said:
... which would be like 11pm EST. So it really depends on if the folks who have work Monday need to sleep early. I'm not entirely sure how long a 5 man game of ether of these would go and we already can't do Friday and Saturday of this week and I can't do late on Monday because I have a test on Tuesday. So it's ether wait until Wednesday or do a game without everyone and try to get everyone next week for that game.

So I'm thinking I'll do a test game with @Dave, @GasBandit, @Dei, and I on Sunday night at 9 EST (or 11pm if they can stay up late so we can do it with @MindDetective) to see if everything runs smoothly using Vassal (because I'll have to explain how it works) and then we can do a 5-6 person game on Wednesday at 11pm EST with @Celt Z?
Click to expand...
That's only 9pm for me, so really, makes no difference either way.


#38

Celt Z

Celt Z

That's fine. I don't mind missing the test run.


#39

Dave

Dave

Downloaded Vassal and the module for Betrayal. Interesting setup. I'm going to have to look through the modules and see what other games are there.


#40

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Alright, looks like I have to work Monday morning... which means getting up at 6am, which means I can't wait until 11pm on Sunday to do it. That means the final time for the test run will be 9pm EST on Sunday, Oct. 11th. This will be @Dave, @Dei, @GasBandit, and I making sure that not only does the game module WORK correctly, but that everyone enjoys the game enough to give it another go on Wednesday.

HOWEVER, I'll be perfectly fine to wait until 11pm EST for the Wednesday game, assuming all goes well with the test game. So plan for the first official game (with all 6 people) to be Wednesday, Oct 14th at 11pm EST. Assuming everything goes well on Sunday that is. We'll set a more normal day (probably Saturday) in the future.

The test game will be Betrayal at House on the Hill, so be sure to download the module and the Vassal program (both are linked in the original post). You will also need Ventrilo and the server info, which is HERE. For you first timers, here's a short video explaining how the game itself works. I'll go over the controls of the Vassal Module when we're all ready to play.



#41

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a success! We managed to play 2 games, mostly free of game issues. It'll take a few minutes to get the game started, but once it's on, everything is good.

So the Wednesday is still on! 11pm EST (8 PST) on Oct. 14th! Hope to see @MindDetective and @Celt Z there!


#42

Celt Z

Celt Z

AshburnerX said:
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a success! We managed to play 2 games, mostly free of game issues. It'll take a few minutes to get the game started, but once it's on, everything is good

So the Wednesday is still on! 11pm EST (8 PST) on Oct. 14th! Hope to see @MindDetective and @Celt Z there!
Click to expand...
I could have done without going to that wedding.:facepalm:
Hopefully I will be awake at 11 and coherent. But you're probably only getting one of those.


#43

Dei

Dei

It's ok, I will just betray everyone again anyways. :okay:


#44

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Speaking of betrayal... a couple of things went screwy that last game, so I checked the rules for that last scenario and I figured out why you had two rolls: one was for the traitor to do (the lower Speed) and one was for the Cats (the higher). So a couple of weird things happened:

- Your traitor was still in play and you never moved her out of the Master Bedroom. She can't HURT the explorers, but she could have stopped the plane or stolen items. (Or at least tried too, if she could have gotten there in time)
- The roll to turn off the plane is always the same, whether the plane is in motion or not, for each character.

Also, yes, using the plane AND attacking on the same turn was valid. Page 4 of the rules.

DA RULES said:
On your turn, you can do as many of the following actions as you want, in any order:

- You can move. (Flying Out)
- You can discover a new room.
- You can attempt a die roll. (So starting the plane)
- You use items or Omen cards. (Using the Ring)
- You can attack (Once during your turn, after the haunt starts) (Attacking with the Ring)
Click to expand...


#45

Dei

Dei

I knew I was still in play, I just didn't see the point of coming down. ;) I don't know if I would have made it.


#46

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Dei said:
I knew I was still in play, I just didn't see the point of coming down. ;) I don't know if I would have made it.
Click to expand...
Maybe... but with 4 Speed, you maybe could have gotten down there at least by the last turn, which would have given you a chance to steal my Ring, which would have FUCKED US... and considering I had -1- Might, it would have been easy to get the +2 to do it.

That's sort of why I like Betrayal: it always feels like it comes down to a SINGLE ROLL to determine who wins. It CAN be totally one sided sometimes, but it's usually really close when everyone plays their part.


#47

Dei

Dei

I didn't have 4 speed at that point though, I was at 2 or 3.


#48

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Dei said:
I didn't have 4 speed at that point though, I was at 2 or 3.
Click to expand...
Ahh, then yes, it would have been much harder to get there in time, if ever.


#49

Dei

Dei

Also, the ring only kind of helped. You still rolled like crap, I just happened to roll even more crappy. Not as epic as my 6 zeros roll, mind you.


#50

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Dei said:
Also, the ring only kind of helped. You still rolled like crap, I just happened to roll even more crappy. Not as epic as my 6 zeros roll, mind you.
Click to expand...
It was only POSSIBLE because of the ring. I was in the Air plane, so it was the only way I could hit it without getting out.


#51

Dei

Dei

I'm still mad about that 6 zeros thing, also the 2 zeros on your body. ;)


#52

Dei

Dei

http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module: Pandemic

!!!
Omg this damn post will not stop turning my link into an emoji. Grrrrr. You'll have to copy/paste then get rid of the space, unless someone else wants to make my link work.


#53

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Pandemic: In the Lab
Pandemic: On the Brink

This game is pretty simple to learn to. I tried to get Carcasson to work but it refuses to load. I'd grab Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert but they don't seem to be modules yet.


#54

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Dei said:
http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module: Pandemic

!!!
Omg this damn post will not stop turning my link into an emoji. Grrrrr. You'll have to copy/paste then get rid of the space, unless someone else wants to make my link work.
Click to expand...
Let's try this...
Code: 
http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Pandemic
Meh. Tried to embed linking between the code tags and it didn't work. But you can highlight the whole thing and right click to get there now.


#55

GasBandit

GasBandit

Summary of game 1 -
After exploring the house for a while, we find a vault upstairs! Dei and I spend time trying to open it, with her eventually succeeding but then the haunting begins! Dei has BETRAYED US! She is in league with an Astral Being who knocks all of our souls out of our bodies, and we must psychically battle the Astral Being for the very ownership of our mortal flesh! Being in the same room as Dei from the start, I'm at a disadvantage - she begins to assault my unconscious body! Dave, playing the beefy jock, briefly fights a losing mental battle against the astral being and then flees to the basement, the Astral Being in pursuit.

While the Astral Being finishes off Dave's soul, I manage to stun Dei so that she is delayed in murdering my body, then set off in pursuit of the astral being. Ash, the Priest, is too far away to help me yet, and time is of the essence now that Dave has died - if the being possesses his body, it (and Dei) has won!.

Using my Professorial advanced knowledge as a psychic attack, I seriously wound the Astral Being but between the Astral Being's counter-attacks and Dei's savaging of my physical body, I succumb to death - however as my body has been killed, the being cannot possess it to win... so there is still time!

Father Ash's soul leaps in through the wall and attacks the being, using the resilience of his disciplined mind, and Dei proceeds to roll 0 on 6 dice. The astral being is defeated, but only Ash, the Priest, leaves the House on the Hill that night.

Summary of game 2 -

After exploring the house for a while, we actually manage to exhaust the ground floor tiles, making the house enormous. Ash, still the Priest, is severely weakened by various traps and such during the exploration, but Null the Jock finds a magic skull and gives it to Ash, allowing the Priest to use his mental fortitude for physical attacks instead of his physical might.

The party is split up, with Dei (the she-teen), Terrik (the boy) and myself (the Professor) upstairs with Null and Ash on the ground floor, when suddenly we are betrayed! By DEI AGAIN! She has lured us here to feed us to her cats! We hapless victims are shrunk to the size of mice, and must find a way to escape the cats, Dei, and the house!

We frantically search for a means of escape, and Null gets lucky and finds a toy airplane in the games room on the ground floor. Terrik and I begin the arduous task of trying to climb down the stairs when we're only 2 inches tall, when I am pounced upon by a cat! I attempt to outsmart the cat with my professorial mind, but the cat sees through my ruse! Young master Terrik can't overpower the cat to save me, and is forced to flee down the stairs alone while I am torn to shreds and eaten.

Meanwhile on the first floor, tiny Father Ash limps toward the game room when he is set upon by another cat! But using his magic skull, he is able to stare down the cat and scare it away. Null tries in vain to start the toy plane's engine, but his mechanical knowledge is too low. Luckily, Ash soon arrives, and he is able to start the plane... but now Terrik has made it to only one room away, before he is pounced by a cat again! He fails to save himself. Ash and Null fly to the rescue, and attempt to swoop to the rescue of Terrik, intending to scoop him up and make their escape, but a critical mistake is made and the plane crashes! Ash is able to mentally dominate the cat again in a contest of wills, and they manage to start the plane's engine again after a couple attempts... but then the cats return once more!

One cat pounces Terrik, the other bats the plane with its paw, shutting the engine back off. Things look grim for the heroes. Father Ash has to make an executive decision when Terrik fails to escape the clutches of the cat that has pounced him... he only has time to attempt to mentally stun one cat.. do they rescue Terrik and risk all their lives with the other cat, or do they abandon him?

They abandon him. Ash pychs out the cat who attacked the plane, he and Null get the plane started again and take to the air as Terrik's life is crushed out of him by the other cat's jaws. The tiny toy plane sails out of the game room, into the chapel, and smashes out through a stained glass window, escaping the house. The good guys technically win because 50% of them escaped the house, but Professor Gas and Kid Terrik died horrible, messy deaths.


#56

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

The movie tagline for that second one? Small Changes: On a Wing and a Prayer.


#57

GasBandit

GasBandit

I think I've figured out how to get Fraps to just record my desktop/browser window without using an overlay, so hopefully that means I can record wednesday's session! I might even be able to record a quick "how to play" tutorial tonight or tomorrow, so that there's less explaining to do on wednesday for Mindy and Keltsy.


#58

Celt Z

Celt Z

:eek:

That sounds....complex.
Remember what I said about 11 pm and coherency? Imma gonna die.


#59

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Celt Z said:
:eek:

That sounds....complex.
Remember what I said about 11 pm and coherency? Imma gonna die.
Click to expand...
It's actually not as complex as it sounds, really. When the haunt begins, each side gets a single page that explains what is about to happen and any special rules in effect. The second game got a bit complex because...

- Anna had to control the Cats
- The rest of us had to find the plane
- Get the plane started
- Try to pick up any survivors
- Get the hell out of Dodge

... but the game before that was easier. All we had going was...

- Everyone but Anna became a spirit. Spirits use Sanity or Knowledge to attack instead of Might or Speed.
- Anna was going to try and chop up our bodies.
- We had to kill the enemy spirit.
- Spirits can pass through walls and such.

So things can get pretty complex, but they can also be pretty simple too.


#60

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
:eek:

That sounds....complex.
Click to expand...
Really, it almost plays more like D&D than a regular board game. Anybody who has played D&D before will feel right at home with how the game is played, it's just there's a little bit of a learning curve on how to accomplish the manipulation of game assets through the Vassal game engine, which doesn't really "play" the game for you, it really just simulates the physical assets of the game, and you do all the stuff in yourself. It doesn't enforce any rules or decide turns or anything at all with the game's actual mechanics, it just simulates a virtual space to simulate the pieces/cards. So, if there's a disagreement about what a card means or how to interpret a rule, you just dicker it out in real time in ventrilo same as you would in person, and then just move the pieces/cards around to reflect what you decide.

But a brief tutorial would be good for things like "this is where you go to get your character sheet, and here is how you put cards in your 'hand,' and here is how you get room tiles to put on the board" etc. It seems to me it'd be a lot easier to "show" that in a video than it would be to have to explain it using voice chat.


#61

MindDetective

MindDetective

GasBandit said:
Mindy
Click to expand...
Mindy is deaaad! :cry:


#62

GasBandit

GasBandit

MindDetective said:
Mindy is deaaad! :cry:
Click to expand...
She lives on in all of us! In our hearts and our memories! And in reruns on my youtube channel!


#63

Dave

Dave

Learning Vassal is harder than learning the game...and Vassal is pretty easy to use.


#64

Dei

Dei

Celt Z said:
:eek:

That sounds....complex.
Remember what I said about 11 pm and coherency? Imma gonna die.
Click to expand...
We could also play an earlier game for you, then a later time with MindDetective, 11pm EST sucks for people who don't just stay up all night like some of us. ;)


#65

Dei

Dei

A lot of games I really like are on Vassal. I am in love.


#66

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Dei said:
A lot of games I really like are on Vassal. I am in love.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm really glad I found it. It's gonna be fun.


#67

GasBandit

GasBandit

I wonder if it has Dark Tower, ha ha... I can't find it. So probably not. That'd have been a complicated one to do, what with the computerized tower thing in the middle.


#68

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

GasBandit said:
I wonder if it has Dark Tower, ha ha... I can't find it. So probably not. That'd have been a complicated one to do, what with the computerized tower thing in the middle.
Click to expand...
There's been a flash version of it for quite some time.


#69

GasBandit

GasBandit

AshburnerX said:
There's been a flash version of it for quite some time.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I remember posting about it ages ago, but you can't play that multiplayer online ;)


#70

Dei

Dei

ALSO, playdominion.com is free (at least the base cards) and I'm pretty sure we can play together if we know each others user names?


#71

PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
Yeah, I remember posting about it ages ago, but you can't play that multiplayer online ;)
Click to expand...
We actually still have a set.
Also a set of Dragonmaster.
I love 'em just for the art.

--Patrick


#72

Dave

Dave



#73

Dei

Dei

http://www.theresistanceonline.com/

Is another one I really want to try.


#74

GasBandit

GasBandit

Here's the tutorial for Vassal BaHotH. Recommend it be watched full screen in 1080p or you might not be able to read the lettering on the menus, etc.



#75

Officer_Charon

Officer_Charon

I will probably be up on Wednesday, so I can either join in, if there's a spot, or just kibitz and snark, which is what I usually do with board game nights. :D


#76

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Officer_Charon said:
I will probably be up on Wednesday, so I can either join in, if there's a spot, or just kibitz and snark, which is what I usually do with board game nights. :D
Click to expand...
Well, the good thing about Vassal is that even if you aren't playing, it's still possible to WATCH us play to pick up how it works. So if someone dropped out after a game, you'd be able to take their spot.


#77

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Finally got a chance to watch @GasBandit's tutorial. Yeah, he's spot on about how it works and other game modules handle things in a similar fashion, though each game module has it's own quirks.


#78

GasBandit

GasBandit

AshburnerX said:
Finally got a chance to watch @GasBandit's tutorial. Yeah, he's spot on about how it works and other game modules handle things in a similar fashion, though each game module has it's own quirks.
Click to expand...
It occurred to me this morning I forgot to put in the initial "synchronize" to the first player, so we'll have to remember to tell people to do that tomorrow night.


#79

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

GasBandit said:
It occurred to me this morning I forgot to put in the initial "synchronize" to the first player, so we'll have to remember to tell people to do that tomorrow night.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that too. It's especially important if the Vassal server is down, as we'll need to manually connect to the host player's IP to play then.


#80

GasBandit

GasBandit

So I think the general consensus is we play 2 games tonight, one earlier for @Celt Z and one later for @MindDetective . That's easily doable, we played 2 games on sunday back to back pretty easy. I generally get home around 9 eastern (and I'm hoping that happens tonight despite my work situation), so any time after that should be good, I think.


#81

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

GasBandit said:
So I think the general consensus is we play 2 games tonight, one earlier for @Celt Z and one later for @MindDetective . That's easily doable, we played 2 games on sunday back to back pretty easy. I generally get home around 9 eastern (and I'm hoping that happens tonight despite my work situation), so any time after that should be good, I think.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that works. I pretty much figured that was the plan.


#82

Dei

Dei

If I'm not around for game 1, just text me. [emoji14]


#83

Reverent-one

Reverent-one

I'd be interested in joining in the early game if there's room. The plan is to play BaHotH?


#84

GasBandit

GasBandit

I've lost track of who all else wants to play, but I'm worried there are more than 6 at this point.


#85

Dei

Dei

GasBandit said:
I've lost track of who all else wants to play, but I'm worried there are more than 6 at this point.
Click to expand...
Well, we could always sit out one of the games and plot our Terrik shaming video. [emoji14]


#86

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Well nothing starts until 9pm EST, so we still have a bit.


#87

Dei

Dei

Dinner is just being made now, so I might be running late anyways. Who can say.


#88

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Yeah. I'll get a board set up by 9 and then we'll see who all wants to do an early game.


#89

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z's already idling in vent. I'm sitting here drinking.


#90

Null

Null

I'll be on at some point.


#91

MindDetective

MindDetective

AshburnerX said:
So I came across this program called Vassal, which is sort of a universal table-top program. Some folks use it for pen and paper stuff, but it's mostly used for BOARD GAMES. Yes, it can simulate board games online so we could all play it online. So I'm putting feelers out there for people interested in maybe trying it...

Right now, the two games I'm looking at are...

Betrayal at House on the Hill




This game is a lot of fun when it goes right, but some of the Haunts aren't as balanced as others and it the game play itself takes a bit of explaining. But once things are going, this game is all about knifing your friends and cursing their name.

Dead of Winter



A survival/horror cooperative tabletop game set in the dead of winter during a Zombie Apocalypse, where players must achieve personal goals and keep the community of survivors alive until spring. Designed by Isaac Vega and Jon Gilmour in 2014 for Plaid Hat Games, it is the first of a planned series of games that uses the Crossroads system.

Can be ordered via the official website or found in your local gaming store. Plaid Hat Games has also put a PDF of the rules on their website.

2-5 players select a Main Objective the group must achieve before the game is over, as well as Once Per Round Crisis Card to resolve before the round is finished. Players select 2 or more Survivors to control on the board, moving them from the relative safety of the Colony and venturing out to forage and fight in the dangerous locations of the town. However, players also have a Secret Objective for themselves to achieve by the end of the game, which could be as harmless as collecting lots of tools, or as malicious as seeking to destroy the colony from within. Food is running short, trash is piling up at the Colony, characters are getting frostbite, and worse, the zombies are massing at the doors and smashing through your barricades. The goal is survival, but not everyone can make it until spring.

This is sort of the same idea, but teamwork is more of the focus... even if you have a betrayal goal, it's in your best interest to work together until you can get away with it.

Ideally, I'd want at least 4 of us before we try this. I'm also up to suggestions of other games (and I'll try to find the module to play it) but let's keep it to games at least one of us is familiar with. I own and have played both of these so I can explain most of the issues (but it's been awhile for both).

DOWNLOADS:

Vassal Client
Betrayal at House on the Hill module (Includes Manual)
Dead of Winter module
Dead of Winter Instruction Manual


And this is the module library, in case you guys want to browse for possible stuff in the future to play.
Click to expand...

I'm still getting an error installing the Betrayal mod, on both Mac and Windows versions of Vassal.


#92

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

All things considered, I'd say Board Game Night has been a success. But I don't want us to burn ourselves out on Betrayal at House on the Hill by grinding it... some of us have done it four times this week (and @Dei was the Traitor 3 of those times...) and we have lots of options for games. So let's talk about other titles to try... everyone should pick a game they enjoy (that has a module in the VASSAL Library) and we'll pick on of those to play next time.

We should also pick a firm day and time, so everyone can plan around it.


#93

Dei

Dei

The game conspires against me, but at least *I* won both times last night. ;)


#94

GasBandit

GasBandit

I'm having trouble remembering everything about last night. Good thing I recorded both games.


#95

MindDetective

MindDetective

Arkham Horror? :twisted:


#96

GasBandit

GasBandit

MindDetective said:
Arkham Horror? :twisted:
Click to expand...
That name's come up a few times when we were discussing modules. I don't know it, myself, but the others said it takes a long time to play?


#97

MindDetective

MindDetective

Yeah, thus the devious face. It will be 2 hours for experienced players. As long as 4 or 5 for a group of first timers. You really have to internalize the scads of rules to keep the game moving along.


#98

MindDetective

MindDetective

Here are some serious options:

RoboRally - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:RoboRally

Legendary (Marvel deck building game) - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Legendary:_A_Marvel_Deck_Building_Game

Pandemic (mentioned earlier, I think) - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Pandemic

Android (another long game) - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Android:_Netrunner

Robinson Crusoe - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Robinson_Crusoe:_Adventure_on_the_Cursed_Island

Merchants and Marauders - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Merchants_&_Marauders

Mage Knight (can be long...but worth it!) - http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Mage_Knight_Board_Game

I can post more as I think of them. I've played all of these, although I only own about half of them.


#99

Celt Z

Celt Z

I don't know much about the selection, but I did enjoy the style of game from last night. (Apologies if I made anyone crazy with my questions. I was catching on, albeit slowly.)


#100

MindDetective

MindDetective

Celt Z said:
I don't know much about the selection, but I did enjoy the style of game from last night. (Apologies if I made anyone crazy with my questions. I was catching on, albeit slowly.)
Click to expand...
From what I posted, Arkham Horror is actually similar in a lot of ways (but way long), as is Android (same company, also way long), and to a lesser extent Mage Knight (which can also be pretty long). They all have an RPG feel to them.


#101

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
I don't know much about the selection, but I did enjoy the style of game from last night. (Apologies if I made anyone crazy with my questions. I was catching on, albeit slowly.)
Click to expand...
Just need to learn to work a magic elevator a little better there, Miz Frizzle.


#102

Celt Z

Celt Z

GasBandit said:
Just need to learn to work a magic elevator a little better there, Miz Frizzle.
Click to expand...
:p
Oh, like your rolls were coming out perfectly!


#103

GasBandit

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
:p
Oh, like your rolls were coming out perfectly!
Click to expand...
I managed to make it through a stomach without being digested!

But then, yes, I nearly did cost us the game by failing to stab the heart with the spear so badly that it summoned an antibody... which then stole the spear from me.... and gave it to the traitorous Ash... allowing him to escape to the furnace room... where he almost succeeded in burning it.

Fun fact: I have died in EVERY SINGLE game of BaHotH we've played so far.


#104

Dei

Dei

Yes, yes you have. [emoji56]


#105

GasBandit

GasBandit

Game 1 last night was also the first game we've played where knowledge didn't turn out to be a critical stat. Naturally, mine was the highest it'd ever been that game. Maybe I should start playing as Jock Mooseknuckle or whatever his name is, instead of Professor Noodle-Arms.


#106

Celt Z

Celt Z

I believe the day was saved by "Flash" Thompson Williams (with an assist by Keltsy and her lucky rubbing stone), so maybe speed is the real stat to have.


#107

Dei

Dei

It was saved by my rope!


#108

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

GasBandit said:
I managed to make it through a stomach without being digested!

But then, yes, I nearly did cost us the game by failing to stab the heart with the spear so badly that it summoned an antibody... which then stole the spear from me.... and gave it to the traitorous Ash... allowing him to escape to the furnace room... where he almost succeeded in burning it.

Fun fact: I have died in EVERY SINGLE game of BaHotH we've played so far.
Click to expand...
And I'd have won if I had just kept moving to the Chasm instead, where I wouldn't keep losing points of might. Would have been way easier to stop an escape too.


#109

Reverent-one

Reverent-one

Dei said:
It was saved by my rope!
Click to expand...
Yes, fortunately that wasn't a one time use item.


#110

GasBandit

GasBandit

Then we really would have been hung out to dry!


#111

Dei

Dei

GasBandit said:
Then we really would have been hung out to dry!
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:


#112

GasBandit

GasBandit

Dei said:
:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
You know there ACTUALLY IS A RATING for that one :p


#113

Officer_Charon

Officer_Charon

I looked at Arkham horror in the library... I believe it said that the common items cards text was blank, to ensure that folks using VASSAL owned a copy of the game.

I perused the library for a bit, and wept that some games (Munchkin) were not available.


#114

MindDetective

MindDetective

Oh, that's right. Forgot about the item card thing


#115

PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
You know there ACTUALLY IS A RATING for that one :p
Click to expand...
I know, and I've repeatedly thought, "Hey the icon should be..." but then remember we already have an existing emoticon that duplicates it so nevermind.

--Patrick


#116

ncts_dodge_man

ncts_dodge_man

Once I get my laptop in the next couple of weeks, I'd love to join in as long as we don't go too late at night during the week.


#117

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Well we have other game ideas now. What about a firm day and time? Friday or Saturday nights, starting around 9pm EST feels like the best day to set because most of us aren't going to have work the following morning.


#118

Dei

Dei

Fridays would be the most inconsistent day for me, because of my inconsistent D&D group. ;)


#119

Bones

Bones

I would play but i probably dont own whatever you guys will play.


#120

GasBandit

GasBandit

Bones said:
I would play but i probably dont own whatever you guys will play.
Click to expand...
It's free, dude.


#121

Bones

Bones

GasBandit said:
It's free, dude.
Click to expand...
whats free?


#122

GasBandit

GasBandit

Bones said:
whats free?
Click to expand...
The vassal gaming engine, and all the modules for it. Links are in the first post of this thread, toward the bottom of the post.


#123

GasBandit

GasBandit

Man, editing the game footage is not going well AT ALL. Premiere keeps crashing while I try to trim out the dead space, once it even crashed on the first click after re-loading into the project! Ugh. I'm going to have to relegate it to the back burner for now, I fear.


#124

PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
Man, editing the game footage is not going well AT ALL. Premiere keeps crashing while I try to trim out the dead space, once it even crashed on the first click after re-loading into the project! Ugh. I'm going to have to relegate it to the back burner for now, I fear.
Click to expand...
You...you don't think someone's trying to tell you it's time to replace your computer, do you?

--Patrick


#125

GasBandit

GasBandit

PatrThom said:
You...you don't think someone's trying to tell you it's time to replace your computer, do you?

--Patrick
Click to expand...
It's not the computer, I think it's just premiere. Obviously it doesn't like having to shift around 2 hours of 60fps 1080p video with multiple parts clipped out. I'm not even using all my RAM, much less CPU, it just... has a nervous breakdown.


#126

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Alright... so I'm looking at the posts, so I'm gonna toss a date and time: Saturdays at 9pm EST. As for this week's game... I'm thinking Pandemic and/or possibly Dead of Winter.


#127

Null

Null

I won't be home from work until around 11 on Saturday this weekend but if there's a round 2, I wouldn't mind getting up on that.


#128

Dei

Dei

I'm sure I'll be around, but if there's too many people who want to play I'm fine with giving up my spot.


#129

MindDetective

MindDetective

I might have a conflict with the kiddos' bedtime (an hour after the game starts). May or may not be there.


#130

Celt Z

Celt Z

I should be around, but if something changes, I'll let you know.


#131

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Just for those who might not have them yet:

Dead of Winter
Pandemic: In the Lab

Pandemic just updated to 1.2 today, so we'll see how it goes.


#132

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Alright, we didn't have enough turn out to do anything so I'm gonna call it for this week. We can try again next week.


#133

MindDetective

MindDetective

Was going to check in on y'all in an hour. Bummer.


#134

Bones

Bones

same I just got in from stuff with friends. maybe next week.


#135

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

If the issue is I -have- to schedule it at an ungodly hour just to get bodies, I will. But that's sort of the thing I need hard confirmations about... it -is- 11 at night for me.


#136

Dei

Dei

I'd really like to try http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Alien_Frontiers some night when we have a smaller group. Maybe just as a spur of the moment thing.


#137

Null

Null

Dei said:
I'd really like to try http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Alien_Frontiers some night when we have a smaller group. Maybe just as a spur of the moment thing.
Click to expand...
Oooh, that looks cool.


#138

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Dei said:
I'd really like to try http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Alien_Frontiers some night when we have a smaller group. Maybe just as a spur of the moment thing.
Click to expand...
Sure. We could do that one night instead of Vermintide or something.


#139

Dei

Dei

AshburnerX said:
If the issue is I -have- to schedule it at an ungodly hour just to get bodies, I will. But that's sort of the thing I need hard confirmations about... it -is- 11 at night for me.
Click to expand...
Speaking of which, if we try again this Saturday, I'll be out Trick or Treating with my daughter and probably won't be available until 11pm EST or later either.


#140

Dei

Dei



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