Ten Years Ago - October 2015

October is MOAB month, probably the second biggest wargames convention in Australia. I usually try to pop up for one or two days, and used to play in the HOTT competition (back when there was one). 

So for this months nostalgic look at what I was up to ten years ago let's head off to MOAB 2015. I spent the day playing two games that used to be mainstays of this blog, but which you don't see any more: Munera Sine Missione and Machinas.

Anyway, let's relive the fun of a Saturday spent at MOAB 2015

Something Old Is New Again

Several years ago I Mad Maxed this lovely big excavator, and it got used in a few games of Machinas to provide a big, dangerous opponent.

I was never entirely happy with how it looked, so this weekend I remodelled, shifting some of the exiting weaponry and adding, of all things, a massive set of speakers. 

Speakers? Firstly because they look cool and secondly because it can be used to represent a couple of different weapons systems in Gaslands.

So here is the moderately new and slightly different Gaslands edition of Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven.

And I totally listened to the album whilst I did the modelling and painting (or some of the modelling and painting, since it took longer than the album's 90minutes or so.

It's coming at you, and it's playing SOUNDS.

The Return of Machinas

For the past couple of years our car-combat game itch has been scratched by Gaslands, but I thought yesterday it would be nice to set up and play a game of Machinas. When it kind of fell by the wayside back in 2018 I was in the process of rejigging a fair bit of it, and I recently came across my garbled notes and felt inspired to set something up and give it a try.

I played a four car, three-lap race. The vehicles, from top to bottom were:

Bad Blood - A gun front and back and a little bit of armour.

Perfect Day - Pure speed.

Mr Apollo - A little bit of armour and one big gun to the front.

Number Two - No weapons and no armour.

I played Number Two. No weapons and no armour translates to a 'cargo space' effect in my changes, which means that the vehicle can possibly score extra bonus dice during the race as the driver finds useful items stashed in the car. The other three cars were run as NPCs.

All four vehicles has a driver signature and a special feature, but I don't think any of them were triggered at any point.

As a player I normally like to be cautious at the start and sit towards the back until the front runners have worn each other out a little. Three laps meant I had some time to play with, especially as my vehicle could generate bonus dice during the race. As it was the fast Perfect Day shot out in front, enthusiastically pursued by Bad Blood. Despite my caution I found myself in front of Mr Apollo.

Nothing much happened for the first few turns, but on the back straight of the first lap Mr Apollo overtook me by driving on the track's shoulder. 

I decided to return the favour.

Getting the advantage in the pass I decided to make use of a superiority in bonus dice to make an aggressive move ...

... and ran Mr Apollo off the track and out of the race.

Bad Blood was putting the pressure on Perfect Day, trying to pass on the inside.

They couldn't manage it, but it wore down both vehicles, so I maintained a cautious third place.

We were now into the second lap, and just leaving the first straight. Bad Blood was still being aggressive from second place.

I made a run for second place. Perfect Day was a fine vehicle on straights, but was vulnerable on curves, so I thought I'd make a passing attempt on the first curve of the lap.

I made it into second place and then made a run for the front on the curve.

I couldn't manage it, and to make matters worse skidded on the shoulder and had a near-miss collision with Bad Blood.

I survived! And we were now heading into the second curve of the lap.

I pushed my vehicle and took first place. All I had to do was hold it for the third lap.

Perfect Day accelerated ..

... and failed to pass me. On a straight. Things were looking good.

Looking good, that is, until I skidded again, and lost first place. Bad Blood closed up, looking to push me into third place, or maybe shoot me off the road.

I won the pass and decided on an aggressive move again, ramming Bad Blood and wrecking it.

We were on the back-straight of the third lap now, and just the two of us remained. I drafted Perfect Day, building up those crucial bonus dice.

We roared into the final curve, heading for the home straight, and once again I made a move on the inside.

Success! Into the final straight and I had the lead. I just had to hold off a single passing attempt from Perfect Day.

Oh no! Another random event saw my brakes lock up, and I lost ground, watching Perfect Day take back the lead.

I poured everything my vehicle had into making up the lost ground.

But Perfect Day just nudged over the finish line ahead of me.

It was a very close finish; I lost the final passing attempt by only a single point!

I enjoyed having Machinas out again, even though the AI never quite gives the same experience as live players. It's hard with an AI to balance the requirements of a race with the opportunity to shoot or bash, and sometimes vehicles aren't aggressive enough. I may tweak it a little to make passing attempts less frequent but potentially more aggressive. And I still have a fair bit of work to do tweaking my extensive changes to the game. However there's no getting away from the fact that for a race/chase experience, the Machinas system is in many ways better than Gaslands. Gaslands scores on variety of gameplay and the sheer amount of chrome.

Fantastic Cat

I painted a new car for my Gaslands / Machinas garage over the weekend. Fantastic Cat is a high-tech hovercar, so would suit either Miyazaki or Mishkin in Gaslands.

The model is a 3D print from the prolific DutchMogul on Thingiverse.

I chose not to arm it, although those vents at the back could pass as something if I felt that way inclined.

Gaslands doesn't cover hovering vehicles, so the closest trait to give such a car is Tracks, as this allowes it to ignore nasty terrain, and things like oil-slicks. It's not perfect, but it works.

New Mishkin

This car has been sat half-finished for years. I started it with a particular paint-scheme about three of four years ago, and six months ago redid it to match the blue and gold Mishkin look I was aiming for in a themed team for Gaslands. Even then, I juts put the base coat on and it's sat incomplete until this afternoon. But here it is.

I'm seeing it as a pickup-sized vehicle, with a ram and an experimental nuclear reactor. Not sure what else I'll give it. Guns seem vulgar on such a beautiful application of Science!

Here it is with the other two cars. Since they are Have A Cigar and Shine On You Crazy Diamond, I guess that this one will be Wish You Were Here. For now.

Return To The Mad Max Museum

In a previous post I promised a post about our return to the Mad Max II Museum in Silverton, NSW. And here it is.

We first visited this museum nearly three years ago whilst on holiday in the Broken Hill area. Since then the owners have expanded the collection and reorganised the display, so I thought it would be worth another trip.

So here's the sign telling you where to go. Although, to be honest, the museum is rather obvious on top of a hill.

Inside hasn't changed. The main part is a room full of memorabilia and ephemera, mostly concerned with Mad Max II, but now with some Fury Road stuff too. You can't take photos in that bit, so the only way to see the incredible collection of costume bits, props and production photos is to visit the museum.

Outside, however, are the vehicles, both actual and replicas. You can take photos of those. And here they are.

Anyone playing car-combat games wants a model V8 Interceptor, so I thought a few pictures of the extra fuel-tanks at the rear wouldn't go amiss for reference purposes.

To be honest blogger has mixed up the photos. I'm assuming that if you know the film you'll recognise the vehicles. And if you have any questions put them in the comments.

I rather like the idea of doing a car like this, with the bat design on the bonnet.

This is the original bus from the film, used as the gate to the refinery compound.

And this is the original gyrocopter from the film.

Catherine and I both posed with Mel Gibson, who was as wooden and two-dimensional as you'd expect.

I hope you found the pictures of use and/or interest.