STALKER7

CCWC

The Cape Cod Wargame Commission – a fancy title for a bunch of friends who meet regularly to play board games, RPGs, and tabletop games – got back together last night after a series of missed sessions. (Wouldn’t be a real gaming group if we didn’t have scheduling issues, eh?)

Still shy two members owing to family and work commitments, we spent the first hour+ catching up, swapping stories, talking books, movies, and whatever else drifted into our heads. We then finished a Those Dark Places adventure – one that had been on hold for over a month, in fact. WE picked it right up, and after another hour+, the guys had sorted a nagging double murder and missing person case at a remote asteroid mining station. Problem solved.

At the end there were injuries to tend to, some residual animosity toward the station staff, and a touch of vengeance to enact, but corporate profitability was restored in the sector. The crew got back on their ship, BLU, (Better Left Unsaid) and took off to their next job. Low prep time, ease of play, minimal tabletop accessories required, TDP is a great option for a casual, gritty sci-fi RPG. I can’t recommend it enough.

The Group not the Game

Seems obvious but I want to say it again: real enjoyment in the hobby comes from the people I game with more than the games I play. One min-max jerk will sour the best game in the world in no time flat. Yes, the CCWC regulars all gravitate toward the casual: narrative scenarios, cool minis, low-bandwidth systems. And that certainly helps. But there’s an implicit agreement that we’re here to have fun. Everyone is an experienced gamer with a variety of games and systems under their collective belt, Not everyone is on par in all areas or skills, but no one is hyper competitive, no one has to prove anything. Identity and ego aren’t on the line. If there’s a gap, someone steps in to fill it. Every guy moves to support weight rather than throw their weight around. In our current fractious, divided culture, that’s hugely refreshing.

ON TAP

Speaking of low-bandwidth games, there are mini-campaign modules inbound for both Exploit Zero and Nightwatch. The EZ mission pack should be out before the end of the month. The NW one will take a bit longer.

Also, there’s a 3rd Exclusion Zone short story on the way. Smuggler, trader, and all around skinflint, Savak Tul takes a trip into the Zone following a hot tip on some artifacts. The Zone is a terrible and wonderful mystery, but what goes around, comes around. Maybe more so there, eh?

Stay tuned. Details on the way.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. Have an excellent day.