Projects

I just noticed that it's been 2 weeks since my last post. Lately I've been in a definite funk game-wise; I just haven't had the motivation to set up a game or do any prep work. Even Elder Scrolls Online has been on the backburner for me.

That doesn't mind I'm not doing anything. Instead, my projects have revolved around Dagorhir, the LARP in which I participate. I've had a few semi-completed projects, and here is a taste:

This is what I call my "practice" garb - I'm not in full costume. For example, I'm wearing a modern MMA mask rather than my medieval helmet that I wear at events. I do this to save wear and tear on my good gear. Nevertheless, I like to have a medieval-ish appearance at practice.

You can see 2 of 3 recently semi-completed projects in this picture. First is the surcoat, which I am wearing over a long-sleeve T-shirt. I made it from an old bedsheet. I don't sew well so I put it together using Liquid Stitch. I then used fabric paint to add the torch sigil.

A little background on the torch. A couple of friends and I recently formed our own order of chivalry within the game. We call it the Order of the Sacred Flame (the sacred flame represents the principles of chivalry, which shed light in a dark world). The torch is our order's heraldry so I made a surcoat using it. 

Another project is the weapon I'm holding. It's a "mace" that represents a torch. Right now it has a red cover but I plan to replace it with a cover that looks more like flames. I have some orange fabric and am thinking of painting flames on it.

The final project is not visible in this picture. I made a belt flag with the Order of the Sacred Flame heraldry on it. It identifies me as a member even when I am in full armor.

There's more going on in my "medieval" world but I think I will save it for another post.

DIstractions

My hiatus has been over for more than a week but I am just getting around to posting. My paper minis are ready for battle in medieval Francesia, but I have not yet got them onto the battlefield. You see, I've had some distractions that have been keeping me away from gaming (at least board/mini gaming). I thought I'd just mention them.

• Dagorhir - I have mentioned before (and mentioned that I mentioned) that I participate in a live-action role-playing game called Dagorhir. Recently, a couple friends and I decided to form our own order of chivalry, so I have been busy jotting down notes and making plans for it. I'll post more details as we progress.
• Video Games Live - Normally, Saturday night is game night, but last Saturday my wife and I went to a concert instead. It was called Video Games Live and it featured some of the best video game music, performed by a live orchestra (with game clips shown on screen). My favorite was the opening theme to Skyrim.
• Elder Scrolls Online - Speaking of Skyrim, I previously predicted that the new game in the Elder Scrolls series, Elders Scrolls Online, would likely tear me away from board/mini gaming. April was just too busy for me to try it out, but I finally downloaded it today. I haven't gotten very far in the game (the controls are a bit different than most MMOs so I am having a little difficulty adjusting). Nevertheless, it seems much more story-based than World of Warcraft, which is a good thing. Generally, new characters in WoW start by speaking to a quest-giver, who tells them to go slay a bunch of creatures wandering aimlessly in a field. In ESO, your new character is chosen by a Prophet to help save the world from the plots of a demonic lord. You then have to escape from a prison. It's a much more interesting start. I'm looking forward to more.

I hope to play a miniatures battle over the holiday weekend, but ESO might continue to be a distraction.

Updates

Sorry, it's been a couple of weeks. Anyway, here is an update.

• Last week was some 1:1 scale wargaming - I went to a Dagorhir event. I broke my hand in August at an event, so I could not participate, but I hung out and did some heralding (refereeing).

• I have primarily been doing computer / video gaming recently. World of Warcraft offered a free 7 day membership so my wife and I did a dungeon crawl. We have also been playing Grand Theft Auto 5. I have also played a little Star Wars: The Old Republic.

• I just ordered a bunch of plastic spaceships. I found a game called Launch Fighters!; the quick start game looks like it could be a fun diversion.

• Finally, I've been planning to post this for a while. It's a galaxy map for my sci fi RPG:
  
  
  
  As I mentioned in my last post, I realized that I did not have to map out all the planets. Instead, I mapped out the borders of the major factions, along with some of the major planets and shipping lanes. I plan to write some more about the galaxy. Until then, I'll leave you with a little sci fi inspiration.

1:1 Scale Wargaming

I have been remiss in posting lately, primarily because I haven't played many games this month. However, last week I engaged in an activity that one could call wargaming at 1:1 scale.

Pictured above is a shot of one of the battles at last week's event of the local chapter of Dagorhir Battle Games. In Dagorhir, participants engage in mock combat using medieval-style weapons made of fiberglass and foam.

Most Dagorhir events simply feature a series of unconnected battles, which are simply an excuse to hack and slash each other. I ran last week's event, however, an introduced a storyline to give some purpose and plot to the battles. Two battling warlords learned of a dragon's egg which had been imbued with dark magic. Whoever could claim the egg would claim great power and become the Dragon Lord.

First, we held a tournament to see who would be the warlords. Agnar and Barnabis were the tournament finalists; they chose their teams and the battles began. After a few field battles, the warlords found the egg. They fought to see who could first claim the egg and return it to their castle. Barnabis ultimately prevailed and became Dragon Lord.

I tried to put an end to the Dragon Lord's reign, but I was defeated.

Here I am (in the white armor) taking on Barnabis

I had some other scenarios planned. Agnar was to attack Barnabis's stronghold (we string rope between trees to create a "castle") in an effort to take the egg. Then there was to be a final showdown between the warlords. Due to the extreme heat of the day, however, we had to cut our battles short. I will include these scenarios the next time I run a "1:1 scale wargame."