I had been looking at the PC version of the Games Workshop tabletop classic for a while. Since it was released I was pondering getting it, but a less than stellar demo turned me off the full version for a few months. Recently the creator of the digital version, Cyanide Studios, announced that they were adding Dark Elves to the game as a free add on. With this in mind I grabbed the Dark Elves version on Steam and off I went.

Now a little background about me and tabletop miniature games. I have been playing them since I was about 12 or 13, in my old age I cannot remember. I just hit 40 last week so cut me some slack. I had the original Bloodbowl back when it came with a styrofoam board which was pretty awesome. The game had a good lore and history attached to it and was really the introduction to Games Workshop for me. Unfortunately I never really got Bloodbowl. I was bad and I kept trying to play it like a regular wargame and it just didn’t click with me. I need armies, commanders, ranks and terrain to be effective. I also tried to play the game too much like American Football which is not the way to go. Or I would simply get mad and try to kill everyone on the field.

So as the years went on I abandoned Blood Bowl even though a huge faction of my old tabletop group went on to play that exclusively. Finally, with the robust multiplayer and the multiple patches, I gave in and got the PC version of the game. Let me just say that some company out there needs to look at what Cyanide Studios has accomplished here and COPY this method for the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop version. Not an RTS, not a Dawn of War 2 clone, but an honest to god translation of the miniatures game to PC with multiplayer challenge modes built in. Cyanide Studios has PROVEN that a direct to PC translation can be done, with the option to go RTS.

That aside I need to point out that I am terribad at this game. This attests to how faithful it is to the board game. There are several modes you can play the PC version in, including a rather...

Well I guess if I have to look back at everything I played for the most part it was a giant collection of failed MMO’s (what a terrible year for MMO’s) and a ton of first person shooters.

Other than that most games were total shit.

I am not going to go into great detail about each title but I will list a few:

Biggest Let Down: Champions Online. What a piece of dreck. The best fun was watching all the idiots that dropped a ton of cash for lifetime and 6 month subs to get this game. Told you from the beta it sucked. And now Star Trek Online will follow suit. I took a punch to the balls on this one after the shit title that is Warhammer Online kicked me in the stomach. I predict more free to play garbage from these two titles this year as their player base shrinks.

Worst RTS I played for about 2 hours: Universe at War: Earth Assault. This game had me assaulting my recycling bin within a few hours. I even was loaned this title to play it. Price tag in the Target bargain bin: $5.99. Not even worth it.

Best RTS I played: I relived Company of Heroes a TON and also Dawn of War 2. Yeah I know CoH is not 2009 but this is a list of what I played so deal with it

Biggest Hyped Game I cannot Finish: Fallout 3. Everytime I go to play I cannot get into it. I feel like I should be playing an online game where this stuff counts and is saved.

RPG I was done with without even really trying: Dragon Age: Origins. I just couldn’t get into this one. I don’t know what it is. Maybe too much chit chat or the way it feels like the entire game was created by scenario designers on the forum I don’t know. But by level 3 I was bored and moving on to Torchlight.

Best Console Game I played: I shut my XBOX360 down due to lack of fun, but I did have a blast in Red Faction: Guerilla

Best Console Game I played on the PC instead of a shitty console: Red Faction: Guerilla and good old Mass Effect 1

Biggest MMO Surprises: Fallen Earth, Runes of Magic expansions and the suprisingly good Allods Online gameplay. Would I...

Finally downloaded and installed Slitherine Softwares fine wargame Field of Glory which is a almost direct to PC translation of the popular ancients miniature gaming rule system.

EDIT: As a follow up the Rise of Rome expansion has been announced as well

http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14434

You can find out more about it here:

http://www.slitherine.com/games/fog_pc

I decided to see how easy it was to learn and did something rare. I jumped straight in with no reading or no research on the battle or the units. I simply loaded the game, picked my scenario and started moving and clicking units around. I didn’t even know what types I had or what the stats were. However the game is so intuitive and so easy to pick up, much like the tabletop game, that I was having fun and protecting my flanks in no time. I played the Clastidium scenario with a synopsis of

The Roman-Allied town of Clastidium was under siege by the Gallic King Britomartus and his army. The Roman general Marcellus set off boldly with a force of just under 4,000 Roman Cavalry and Velites to relieve the siege. Celtic War (225-222 BC)

I cannot say I know exactly how well I did, but fumbling through the game using common sense tactics and the fact I had a hardy Roman army helped me withstand a huge assault early, recover and strike back forcing enemy units to flee. By the end of the battle which I somehow managed to rally in I had won the match however very sloppily. The game is so easy to pick up yet deep enough to use smart tactics that I was rather impressed. The interface is perfect and quick and the scenario editor included in the game is easy to pick up and learn. I managed to get the game for 20 dollars thanks to a holiday voucher Slitherine sent me in my email so the game has been worth the price. I also do not mind helping developers make wargames like this as they are a dying breed.

You Tube has a video up demonstrating the flexibility of the scenario designer and I think it will go a long way toward...

Tipa over at West Karana is having trouble with rogue DPS.

Granted she is level 55 and really needs to not worry about it right now, but I can give a few suggestions. First off I avoid combat spec. I think that a rogue should use daggers and be proud of it. If you want to dual wield two swords, roll a fury warrior. I raid and will always raid and DPS 5 mans in the good old stabby stabby spec. I don’t really play my rogue anymore but my DPS rocked hard even in my mediocre gear.

Next little group of advice:

Go Assasination spec

Get two daggers

No sinister strike with this build. Take it off your hot bar. It’s all envenom once the poisons stack

Read this

http://www.wow.com/2009/01/21/encrypted-text-guide-to-rogue-stats-for-new-raiders/

Read this

http://elitistjerks.com/f78/t37183-pocket_guide_wotlk_updated_3_3_a/

Instant and deadly poison

Use this mod:

http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/mutilate.aspx

Now use this mod:

http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/sliceadmiral.aspx

DONE. Enjoy the free tips. You can thank me later!