Tabletop Randomness

[Blackhawk]

Hmm... Inked Gaming offers custom playmats. Too bad that wood bit has a watermark! Still, they're not that much more than the premade ones. It isn't something I could do now, but someday...

[Isgrimnur]

EVA Playmat

More for kids and floors, but it's nice and cheap with four different wood options.

[Blackhawk]

This isn't a 'need' or anything like that. I've got my yoga mats, I've got a 3x3 space mat, I've got individual player mats. This is more of a 'wish list' type thing, so I'd be looking for something ideal, not something that's good enough. The idea is being able to sit down and play Pathfinder ACG, or Dragonfire, or Hero Realms on a mat that continues the fantasy theme (in this case, an old, worn, rough-hewn table in some tavern.) I've also thought about stone walls, cobblestones, etc, but playing on a plank table fits the mood better.

[hentzau]

This isn't a 'need' or anything like that. I've got my yoga mats, I've got a 3x3 space mat, I've got individual player mats. This is more of a 'wish list' type thing, so I'd be looking for something ideal, not something that's good enough. The idea is being able to sit down and play Pathfinder ACG, or Dragonfire, or Hero Realms on a mat that continues the fantasy theme (in this case, an old, worn, rough-hewn table in some tavern.) I've also thought about stone walls, cobblestones, etc, but playing on a plank table fits the mood better.

Just want to be sure, you did get the mat for Core Space, right?

[Blackhawk]

Yeah. I went directly to the developers and got a complete list of the contents of the box, including images of every punch board that was in there, then checked off every item save for those I listed.

[hentzau]

Yeah. I went directly to the developers and got a complete list of the contents of the box, including images of every punch board that was in there, then checked off every item save for those I listed.

OK. Just wanted to be sure.

[Anonymous Bosch]

You almost got me. I've seen the terrain mats, and have considered them as an option.

Perfect mat: Give me this in a 3x4

Deep Cut Studio makes a wooden floor game mat close to what you're after:



It's available in 3x3, 4x4, and 4x6, so you'd likely need to trim it down though.

[Blackhawk]

I saw that one earlier. It's nice, aesthetically, but still not what I'm look for. The planks are about the size of stir sticks.

Like I said, though, this is a wishlist item, so I get to be picky.

[Anonymous Bosch]

I saw that one earlier. It's nice, aesthetically, but still not what I'm look for. The planks are about the size of stir sticks.

Like I said, though, this is a wishlist item, so I get to be picky.

Yeah, in that case your best bet is likely to go with a more bespoke design.

I recently ordered a custom 24" x 14" playmat myself, with the following design intended for use with the Targi game (one of my all-time favourite two-player games):



It came out terrifically, and makes the game effortless to set up.

[hepcat]

Sounds like some big shakeups going on over at Fantasy Flight Games.

A large amount of people have been laid off from Fantasy Flight Games and Fantasy Flight Interactive.

Fantasy Flight Interactive is set to be closed down completely.

Most, if not all, the RPG department has been laid off.

Numerous other employees have been cut in a large reorganization of the the entire studio following the departure of several key members of the company that have been there for years.

I've seen it mentioned in a few places, so it seems legit.

edit: found this on the gamasutra facebook page:

News is spreading that Fantasy Flight Interactive, the branch of Fantasy Flight Games in charge of the tabletop game company's digital games, will close in February after an unspecified number of employees were laid off.

This is a notable failure for Fantasy Flight Interactive, which opened its doors in 2017 with a mission to both adapt Fantasy Flight's physical games for digital platforms and develop its own original games based on the company's library of franchises.

But in a LinkedIn post published yesterday, studio head Tim Gerritsen (formerly of Human Head) wrote that "the decision has been made to close Fantasy Flight Interactive next month."

"I'm going to do my best to get my team placed in new positions. I have programmers, designers, artists, QA staff and a producer to get placed in new roles and will do my best to do so quickly," he added. "Additionally, I'm now open to new opportunities myself since I will also be out of a job."

Gamasutra has reached out to company representatives for further details and comment on the layoffs. If you or someone you know has been affected, you can email Gamasutra to share your story confidentially.

Update: A source close to the situation estimates that over 10 people have been let go from Fantasy Flight Games, and that the customer service department and tabletop RPG department are also expected to shutter as a result.

[Daveman]

That's a shame. Hope those affected land on their feet.

I hope this doesn't mean an early end to their app-driven board games like Mansions of Madness and LOTR: Journeys in Middle Earth, although MoM has had a good run along with the Descent and Imperial Assault apps.

[hepcat]

If they screw with Mansions of Madness board game, I know of about a dozen people that will riot...myself included. It's been a mainstay for myself and a group of fellow die hard Lovecraft gamers since its release.

[Blackhawk]

Update: A source close to the situation estimates that over 10 people have been let go from Fantasy Flight Games, and that the customer service department and tabletop RPG department are also expected to shutter as a result.

Tabletop RPGs would include the Star Wars RPG and its sister, Genesys.

But shuttering their customer service department? That seems odd.

[RMC]

Update: A source close to the situation estimates that over 10 people have been let go from Fantasy Flight Games, and that the customer service department and tabletop RPG department are also expected to shutter as a result.

Tabletop RPGs would include the Star Wars RPG and its sister, Genesys.

But shuttering their customer service department? That seems odd.

They were bought out by a bigger company a few years ago, so maybe transfering the responsibility to the other business unit?

[Isgrimnur]

Update: A source close to the situation estimates that over 10 people have been let go from Fantasy Flight Games, and that the customer service department and tabletop RPG department are also expected to shutter as a result.

Tabletop RPGs would include the Star Wars RPG and its sister, Genesys.

But shuttering their customer service department? That seems odd.

They were bought out by a bigger company a few years ago, so maybe transfering the responsibility to the other business unit?

Asmodée

[Blackhawk]

Randomness 1: Many times I've considered writing up a board game AAR. I've meant to off and on for years, but question how entertaining they'd be compared to some of the great ones I see here.

Randomness 2: I just pulled on my Corrections Officer/Bouncer attitude and sent a final warning to the eBay seller I got Core Space off of. At this point it's been a month since I ordered it and two weeks since I reported the missing pieces. He hasn't responded in twelve days. I gave him three choices: send me the parts, give me a 50% partial refund, or I would escalate with eBay. The refund would be almost enough to order the missing dice from the manufacturer, and I'd still have to print the ruler myself and go without the clip and cosmetic pieces.

[$iljanus]

Randomness 1: Many times I've considered writing up a board game AAR. I've meant to off and on for years, but question how entertaining they'd be compared to some of the great ones I see here.

Go for it. I sometimes get a little self conscious when I’m writing my ongoing playthroughs, trying not to ramble on too much but hopefully being entertaining. But in the end I enjoy doing them and the folks around these parts are fairly forgiving. Also, your painted minis would really enhance your AARs. Start small and have fun with it, I say!

[Tao]

I know a few folks here have played Sword and Sorcery: Immortal Souls, hoping for a quick rules clarification.

Under the right circumstances an enemy may be spawned in a room/tile the Heroes have not actually visited yet or on a tile the Heroes have already moved past, in both cases there would be no LOS.

Do those enemies activate when you draw an encounter card, if they meet the criteria i.e. green, blue, dex etc.?

Typically the [+] action for enemies is to move X spaces toward a hero, so if the heroes are moving toward the spawn gate I can see them just running in to the enemies sooner but if the heroes are moving in the opposite direction do the enemies just continue to trail behind them?

[hentzau]

BH, I know it’s not the point, but I’ll send you a bag of spare clips. I have plenty.

[Blackhawk]

I may take you up on that, at least a 45 degree, as the base set only has two, and one is missing.) I may hit you up for some specifications on the ruler, too, as it isn't available for sale and I'll have to make my own.

It took less than an hour to get an answer. He's processing a $40 refund. After all this hassle, it still earns him negative feedback, though. It shouldn't have taken a month.

[hentzau]

I may take you up on that, at least a 45 degree, as the base set only has two, and one is missing.) I may hit you up for some specifications on the ruler, too, as it isn't available for sale and I'll have to make my own.

It took less than an hour to get an answer. He's processing a $40 refund. After all this hassle, it still earns him negative feedback, though. It shouldn't have taken a month.

I'll drop those in the mail and get you the measurements on the ruler by tomorrow. I played last night so it's all out on my table still. Brutal, brutal game.

[Blackhawk]

The way the ruler is used, would it be better on foam core, mat board, or on laminated card stock?

[Isgrimnur]

I'm running an experiment. I'm having a blueprint company print me a version of one of the Next War: Korea maps on Tyvek.

It looks like it will cost me ~$50 for this experiment.

[hentzau]

The way the ruler is used, would it be better on foam core, mat board, or on laminated card stock?

Mat board. That’s what this ruler is, just a laminated mat board.

During the game last night, where there were clear squares available, we had a tendency to just move using the squares, and then use the ruler when we had a particularly tricky bit of maneuvering.

[Blackhawk]

Talked to the Core Space publisher. Ruler and a blue die are on their way for the cost of shipping.

That's twice I've discussed issues with their support team that many companies would have blown off as 'Bought used? Not our problem' and both times they went out of their way to help me. They didn't make any money off of me for Core Space, but they earned a high rank on my trust meter. That means I'll be looking at their products and funding campaigns in the future for sure.

[hentzau]

Talked to the Core Space publisher. Ruler and a blue die are on their way for the cost of shipping.

That's twice I've discussed issues with their support team that many companies would have blown off as 'Bought used? Not our problem' and both times they went out of their way to help me. They didn't make any money off of me for Core Space, but they earned a high rank on my trust meter. That means I'll be looking at their products and funding campaigns in the future for sure.

That’s great. If you watch any of their videos you get the impression they are pretty good blokes.

[AWS260]

A pretty interesting podcast on the state of the boardgaming industry, with a couple of publishers talking about their experiences. Seems like the bottom line is that the number of games released each year has exploded, and the customer base is growing, but not fast enough to keep up. So a lot of games just get lost in the shuffle, never even reaching stores.

[hentzau]

Boardgametables.com is selling off surplus 3mm roughcut neoprene. $24 for a double sided (blue and red, only color choice, sorry) 3'x5' chunk. 4'x5' is $32. $14 shipping on the 3x5 to Chicago, YMMV.

Neoprene Fabric Sale

[Isgrimnur]

[AWS260]

Boardgametables.com is selling off surplus 3mm roughcut neoprene. $24 for a double sided (blue and red, only color choice, sorry) 3'x5' chunk. 4'x5' is $32. $14 shipping on the 3x5 to Chicago, YMMV.

Neoprene Fabric Sale

That's the best price I've seen for a neoprene playmat by a country mile. Shipping is very reasonable, too.

Unfortunately, I already ordered one from another source.

[hentzau]

I enjoyed Destiny quite a bit, even bought a big box o' boosters when I found one in the wild when it first went on sale.

It sits on my work bench, mostly unopened. I opened maybe 4 of the 30 or so packs.

[AWS260]

Many thanks to everyone who recommended financially responsible options for a tabletop playmat. I regret to report that you failed, and this arrived today.

[Moat_Man]

Help! BGG is down.

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The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request.
Please try again in 30 seconds.

[AWS260]

The Best Board Game Art of 2019. Lots of good stuff in there. I was pleasantly surprised to see Pipeline make the cut; it has almost no art per se, but excellent graphic design that really supports the gameplay.

[Blackhawk]

Man, I want to play some Core Space, but I really want to get the miniatures painted before I play. But I can't do that until I finish the stuff for my Pathfinder campaign, which consists of about a dozen other miniatures right now. But I want to play some Core Space!

Oh, and I want to get Conan painted up for this summer.

[hentzau]

Man, I want to play some Core Space, but I really want to get the miniatures painted before I play. But I can't do that until I finish the stuff for my Pathfinder campaign, which consists of about a dozen other miniatures right now. But I want to play some Core Space!

Oh, and I want to get Conan painted up for this summer.

I haven't played for about 6 weeks. Everyones schedules have been hell.

[Smoove_B]

Figured this makes the most sense here.

[$iljanus]

Figured this makes the most sense here.

I've downloaded the pic and forwarded it to my wife who will be quite amused.

[Smoove_B]

Not sure if anyone plays Iron Helm, but the creator just released this one:

[Skinypupy]

Star Wars Talisman. Fall 2020.

I've actually been considering picking up a copy of Talisman, but think I'll hold off for this version.