tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7308930842125135552..comments2024-03-19T04:29:47.922-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: How I Spent New Year's EveJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-91151664846638177262012-01-09T18:28:49.302-05:002012-01-09T18:28:49.302-05:00What's the recommended ages?
The box says &quo...<i>What's the recommended ages?</i><br /><br>The box says "8+," but, honestly, I suspect much younger kids could get a handle on it with ease.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-600671064331196052012-01-02T17:21:58.163-05:002012-01-02T17:21:58.163-05:00"bat in the attic" linked to this post a..."bat in the attic" linked to this post and i don't believe anyone has mentioned it, but legos also offers a portable carry case for the current four sets that includes a large fold out map surface. it makes this game very portable and more expansive with there being four more sets in the works for the near future. these other sets are referenced on the map. my sons a lego fanatic and loves this game.dervishdelverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13803513672258666141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48123814212197790922012-01-02T15:51:19.683-05:002012-01-02T15:51:19.683-05:00Hi,
Let's forget topic wasting time, etc...
...Hi,<br /><br />Let's forget topic wasting time, etc...<br /><br />By pure coincidence, I've played with my son (5yr) on the same day like you then we went to some party and we have played the day after two times.<br /><br />Summarizing, this game can give kids a lot of fun and inspire them to think about game as kind of fun adventure/story. :-)<br /><br />On the other hand from board-game/rpg player game has a lot of drawbacks:<br />- in 'close combat' figure special abilities ("rolling shield") really doesn't matter<br />- distinction between monster 'levels' rather not matters<br />- tactic run-to-finall-boss is rather always winning<br />- some corner cases results in free rules interpretation<br />- more than 1 box means scanning more than 1 bok/page with descriptions<br /><br />All above 'issues' are easily solved by not having advocate-like player - and hopefully my son is not :-)<br /><br />Bih advantage - very simple, clear rules, quick play and rules modification out of the box :-)<br /><br />What could be improved?<br />- print cards for each hero and treasure to have it in one place<br />- more diffrenate playing experience for different heroes - give feeling that ranger play differs from mage<br />- etc, :-)Wojciech Gebczykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02607088979879157687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87732646611951051512012-01-02T07:48:55.628-05:002012-01-02T07:48:55.628-05:00UWS guy:
"I know this dad who loves fishing.....UWS guy:<br />"I know this dad who loves fishing...took his kids on a fishing trip for the holidays...I called child protective services on that psychopath's ass..."<br /><br />He's not playing the fish anymore - the fish are playing him!! :-O<br /><br />Roger:<br />"An introductory adventure game experience that lacks the tactile element of figures and scenery has two strikes against it already. "<br /><br />I had the ironic experience that when I first 'played D&D' with my young son on vacation, it was imagination & description only - "I shoot the duergar with my bow", and it worked fine. But when we got back from vacation and I introduced tactile stuff like minis, he immediately abandoned the roleplaying and plays with the minis just like any other toys, though he still calls it 'playing D&D', and he always makes me play with him, in a subordinate role of course.<br /><br />Like me he has a strong need to be in charge - he has a great imagination and could be a great DM one day, if he can avoid railroading. :)Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-38043893184441438572012-01-02T07:20:52.886-05:002012-01-02T07:20:52.886-05:00Perhaps a better analogy is Heroquest. An introduc...Perhaps a better analogy is Heroquest. An introductory adventure game experience that lacks the tactile element of figures and scenery has two strikes against it already. One thing the OSR could provide is a "stepladder" rules set that would introduce things like ability stats, skill checks, and experience into a game that could be played with the Lego figures (trademarks discreetly smokescreened), while keeping things simple.Roger G-Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08594440701279968693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85476983155174861792012-01-02T06:35:45.548-05:002012-01-02T06:35:45.548-05:00PPS I'm not trying to besmirch your fun time t...PPS I'm not trying to besmirch your fun time though :)anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87850238326339332822012-01-02T06:34:35.447-05:002012-01-02T06:34:35.447-05:00PS I looked into the idea of using Lego in place o...PS I looked into the idea of using Lego in place of miniatures and terrain, but it turned out that Lego would be more expensive!anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1347561374503383682012-01-02T06:33:20.754-05:002012-01-02T06:33:20.754-05:00I'm a bit cynical about this game, only becaus...I'm a bit cynical about this game, only because it seems like they could have made it with normal Lego, but then if they did that people wouldn't have to buy a new thing.anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26422641971445318082012-01-02T04:30:58.046-05:002012-01-02T04:30:58.046-05:00Being both a gamer AND a Lego fanatic (Over the Ho...Being both a gamer AND a Lego fanatic (Over the Holiday I made a pilgrimage to the Lego store at The Mall of America) Heroica has been on my radar for a while. Having a small army of minifigs I imagine that mechanically it wouldn't be impossible to 'blow up' Heroica to proper minifig size so that us half-blind old coots could play it ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26716456762952763872012-01-02T04:00:04.989-05:002012-01-02T04:00:04.989-05:00People have been playing games with loved ones as ...People have been playing games with loved ones as long as there've bee games and loved ones. We played charades, but your evening sounds wonderful too! Happy New Year and thanks for the cool posts!Scheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05583635395481079327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-38049356865830185112012-01-02T01:38:16.556-05:002012-01-02T01:38:16.556-05:00Cultural myopia: still as dumb as it ever was.
So...Cultural myopia: still as dumb as it ever was.<br /><br />Sounds like a great evening with loved ones to me!Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26040188416477102372012-01-02T01:22:12.984-05:002012-01-02T01:22:12.984-05:00I know this dad who loves fishing...took his kids ...I know this dad who loves fishing...took his kids on a fishing trip for the holidays...I called child protective services on that psychopath's ass...UWS guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01277557128674527225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59757193519434845692012-01-01T22:46:18.847-05:002012-01-01T22:46:18.847-05:00"Fringe Weirdo"? Where did I say that?
..."Fringe Weirdo"? Where did I say that?<br /><br />As to the "lighten up" part, I might well take that advice...Andreas Kraußhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03561423946501346693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-18385152580730984202012-01-01T22:36:46.439-05:002012-01-01T22:36:46.439-05:00That's sounds like a great way to spend the Ne...That's sounds like a great way to spend the New Year's holiday. Every good wizard KNOWS you keep your real name secret...<br /><br />Oh and "Beyonder", if you couldn't read between the lines, I'm sure the indoctrination comment was a tongue in cheek joke. It made me laugh. Lighten up.Zanazazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04980968371007703230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6212335877641295742012-01-01T20:21:42.147-05:002012-01-01T20:21:42.147-05:00My boys got this for Christmas. Haven't playe...My boys got this for Christmas. Haven't played it. Let them have at it on their own. Seems like it could be fun, and I've played some of the other lego games with them. As for New Years, I'm having a hard time getting my head around how playing a game with family is a waste of time. That's a new one.David Griffeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06629314279592541401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83319825794525053502012-01-01T18:59:47.221-05:002012-01-01T18:59:47.221-05:00Thanks James. I always find the coolest stuff thro...Thanks James. I always find the coolest stuff through your site. These LEGO games look amazing! I can't believe I hadn't heard of them before now.<br /><br />Plus, I didn't know what I was going to blog about today. Now you've given me some inspiration :)Old Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02333449596201844371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11383976883546627702012-01-01T17:43:34.407-05:002012-01-01T17:43:34.407-05:00I spent much of today playing wooden trains and bu...I spent much of today playing wooden trains and building Lego Duplo castles with my 4 year old, but he put the D&D Dragon Collectors Set minis in the castles, so I'm not sure if that makes us weirdos too or if it's ok... :pSimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72966959442227451192012-01-01T17:42:25.867-05:002012-01-01T17:42:25.867-05:00My daughters gave me this for X-mas and we had a l...My daughters gave me this for X-mas and we had a lot of fun playing it. Definitely a great buy for anyone with kids.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14530179506824150455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90798041309896385452012-01-01T17:27:20.555-05:002012-01-01T17:27:20.555-05:00Heroica also arrived at the RockyMountainNavy hous...Heroica also arrived at the RockyMountainNavy house this Christmas with "Santa" delivering Fortaan and Dad placing Waldurk under the tree. The recipient is 7 years old (almost 8). The game was a HUGE hit! So much so the youngster decided to spend his gift card to buy Draida Bay. I taught the youngster and his older brother the basic game and before I could do much more they went off and played and taught themselves the campaign rules. Like you James my kids have adopted their won favorite character and named them; essentially role-playing them. I have the same thoughts and look for Heroica to be a "gateway" game to the full-fledged RPG experience.<br />BTW, we too spent the holidays gaming. Under the tree this year, in addition to Heroica, was Battleship, Forbidden Island, and a new game called Kallide where players flick magnets down a board and try to score points. Of course, the magnets interact with each other..... XMas Day also saw a large game of Sour Apples at the Grandparents house.<br />These days we cannot imagine a family holiday without games. Even Mrs. RockyMountainNavy, who used to be ambivalent towards gaming, is now fully supportive. Sure, the kids got Just Dance 3 for the Wii (good exercise) but the real gaming happens face-to-face. I am happy to say my kids are socially-adept; they can look a person in the eye when they talk. I find that the neighbor kids who score really high on Call to Duty never look at anyone when they talk.RockyMountainNavyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16208992845018220559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-82044526571384714582012-01-01T16:29:24.660-05:002012-01-01T16:29:24.660-05:00Holy crap...I can't believe anyone would be cr...Holy crap...I can't believe anyone would be critical about someone spending a holiday with his wife and kids playing a game. I wish I had a dad like James. This sounds like an awesome time playing a fun game.Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07397554099246666778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6585159374139812722012-01-01T14:22:37.443-05:002012-01-01T14:22:37.443-05:00Back in the TSR days, they attempted pretty much t...Back in the TSR days, they attempted pretty much the same thing with the <a href="http://geekcentricity.com/2010/12/retro-review-the-new-easy-to-master-dungeons-dragons.html" rel="nofollow">black box</a> basic set ("The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons Game"). I had already been a player of Second Edition for a while, but IIRC the black box was my introduction to "basic" style D&D (race-as-class and all that). This set was not quite as flexible as it looks like the Heroica sets are (as the map, presented sort of like a board for a board game, is fixed). It does have the advantage of being compatible with other D&D products though, and I think it went up to level 5. Something like this with dungeon tiles (and a few pre-made dungeons that use them) would be an excellent intro. It would also allow "fog of war" as the referee would not need to reveal the entire map at once (as the poster map requires).Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40846170538928433562012-01-01T14:20:57.369-05:002012-01-01T14:20:57.369-05:00I played "Dungeon Twister: Prison" (http...I played "Dungeon Twister: Prison" (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42124/dungeon-twister-2-prison) with my son. Great fun!賈尼https://www.blogger.com/profile/03207671300903490067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-36999035153566680382012-01-01T14:17:15.216-05:002012-01-01T14:17:15.216-05:00Yeah, I picked up Ninjago game for the skeleton fi...<i>Yeah, I picked up Ninjago game for the skeleton figures</i><br /><br />Lego used to sell bags of twenty or so skeletons. I couldn't figure out why they sold these and not bags of anything else, but I got one anyway! I don't know if they're still for sale.<br /><br /><i>As to why WOTC doesn't try to introduce their games in a way equal to this I will never know. I always assume its because the rules are too cumbersome now to pull it off. </i><br /><br />In all fairness, the current <i>D&D</i> board games are quite good, and an "advanced" version of them would be much more to my tastes than <i>D&D4</i>.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-76287091432601970022012-01-01T13:59:18.728-05:002012-01-01T13:59:18.728-05:00I've had a chance to play a few games with all...I've had a chance to play a few games with all 4 Heroica sets now, and it plays a lot better that way. Still very quick to play, but it allows players to use the few tactical options the game has more fully. I'm tempted to add a second main set to make even bigger dungeons.Peter Reganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00079169626281586177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-25057539539871918372012-01-01T12:29:21.728-05:002012-01-01T12:29:21.728-05:00I picked up "Ramses Return" yesterday at...I picked up "Ramses Return" yesterday at an after Christmas sale (50% off at your local Indigo Chapters for any Canucks) and just played a couple of games with my 5y old son. And we both loved it! I like that they call the characters you play "adventurers" even though they're not much more than tomb robbers. Sound familiar? And encouraging you to make your own rules for the game was heartwarming to this gamers heart.Chris Sheppardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12555034342473159491noreply@blogger.com