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Dystopian Wars spread to the podcast this week as Raef, Craig, and Russ venture back into alternate 1870 and investigate a steam punk world at war on land, sea, and air. A game so big that it sucked up two whole segments of the show! Has Spartan Games found that the third time is indeed the charm with this one?

All that and our other not-too-horrible segments including:

- The Hollywood Minute
- What's in the News
- Do You Ever Notice
- Total Fan Girl
- & More

Link to the Episode: http://www.thed6generation.com/d6g-ep-70-dystopian-wars-detailed-review

Please let us know what you thought of the show!

Curse you! I have been looking forward to hearing that competition for two weeks. And now I can't just listen to a few brief moments of D6G goodness before work. Potpourri? Curse you!



***edit***

Just hit the news segment. Grrr...........

Now I have to wait again :(

Yay! Mention of Infinity! Woo!

Perhaps a clearer way of stating the desirability of rolling is that you want to get as close to your Target Number as possible without going over. If you hit your number, it's a crit. The interesting thing about this is that you are generally shooting for mid-range rolls, which is pretty unique. The best thing about this is that it gives you a chance to bring out the D20s that have failed you in D&D by refusing to roll high.

I would agree with Craig about the sportsmanship requisite for playing Infinity. Especially since key mechanics like who your lieutenant is remains secret. I think to really break into the hobby scene in America it needs a book of missions and refined tournament rules. Perhaps they'll do a revision like FFG did with the new book for Tannhauser.

I think if Russ tries the game he'll be hooked. It's just chock full of innovative mechanics!

Thanks to Russ for the news segment. While I'm sure a large retailer like Amazon is a fairly good indicator of national sales, it is at least worth mentioning that FFG games tend to be more tailored to hobbyists with fantasy, sci-fi, or wargaming elements, and probably sell more through specialty game stores, than broarder appeal games such as Carcassone and Ticket to Ride, which are more accessible to non nerds.

Thanks again for all the great episodes this year.

Merry Christmas to you and your families, fellas.

I'm just in the midst of the Dystopian Wars review now, but saw some books at the local Borders today you might be interested in:

http://www.amazon.com/Steampunk-Ann-VanderMeer/dp/1892391759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292975062&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Steampunk-II-Reloaded-Ann-VanderMeer/dp/1616960019/ref=pd_sim_b_1

You may have already know of them, but figured I'd pass them along in case DW has you in the mood for more steampunky reading material...

Finally done listening.... Dystopian Wars...

...if I can find someone else to play with here, I'm in.

Great intro to the Dystopian Wars segment, Craig.

I'd already bought into DW before I listened, but you guys actually helped clarify some of the rules and gameplay elements for me. Thanks!

Also, I'm very interested in the DW X-CAM rules and scenarios. The DW book shipped with very few scenarios so a lot of games have been straight up shoot outs with no point, which gets boring quickly. Even Warmachine has the basic caster kill setup.

As for Infinity, tried it and didn't like it, which is a shame since I love the miniatures enough to have dealt with the high prices. But the stuff like hidden Lt. and such was a bit silly. They could probably have gotten around that via good use of special components, such as stat cards and the like.

'Nother great show. I have to say hats off to Craig for his Dystopian Wars intro. Someone at Spartan Games needs to talk to you about buying that for radio/podcast ads.

Thanks for the Winter Weirdness shout-out, guys. Anyone looking for some friendly tabletop action on January 8th should swing on by Barre, Vermont. For more information, people can visit http://www.greenmountaingamers.com/green-mountain-game-days/winter-weirdness/

Finished listening to the episode today.

Great review of Dystopian Wars. Looks like a very cool game. Not one I expect to buy into, however. My tastes run more towards Uncharted Seas (not that I can find any players for that one, mind you...) But, very nice review. I'm sure if I was sitting in the same room with y'all, the excitement would be contagious and expensive ;-)

I wanted to comment a bit on this edition of Did You Ever Notice. I'm in full agreement with Craig. When something catches my attention, I also scour the internet looking for any bits and pieces of news, no matter how seemingly insignificant - but I also have zero interest (or patience, really) for (what I perceive to be) pointless speculations.

I also collect action figures and on the various a-f message boards I frequent there's constantly a stream of "Hey, let's guess the next wave of Marvel figures!" or some such. Obviously, this is a source of much entertainment to many...but, alas, not to I. I just don't see the point. It seems like a waste of time. I want news. I want facts. Same with the gaming boards. "Hey! Let's guess the next army for so and so!" No thanks.

I'm also in agreement with Craig on the Merry Christmas issue. If I wish somebody a Merry Christmas I am most certainly not out to insult nor offend them and their way of life. If, in my ignorance, I happen to wish a Merry Christmas to a Jewish person (or someone of another non-Christian faith) it is not out of malice. If the tables were turned and an individual was to wish me a Happy Chanukah I would simply say, "Thank you. And, to you." I wouldn't even bother to attempt to "correct" them. What's the point? People are just too easily offended. We started down this politically correct path years ago and it has simply resulted in people being more easily offended at just about everything. Sheesh.

So, with that being said...I want to wish everyone at The D6 Generation a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2011 bring you many blessings (and much gaming!) Thank you all for all that you do. It is appreciated.

Best.

Love the show and this one was no different. I think this is a game I would live to look into , it looks like it can fill the void that 8th edition fantasy left buy its new rule set which I dislike .

One thing I did notice about you guys is you really don't stay in a game for too long , if I was in your game group I probably would have a hard time keeping current with the miniature games you play besides warmachine. Take malifaux for instance you guys git into it and rarely play anymore , same with some others as well , if I get into a game like a minature game it costs to much time and effort too paint and to much money , to only play for a few months . I wonder how long distopia wars will be in your groups rotation befor it is put to the side or played once every few months at best .

There is so many games and not enough time to play them ....

Great show keep it up and have a very wonderful holiday !

Hi guys,

Excellent review - you have probably tipped me over into buying a fleet and giving the game a go. The miniatures were about 90% of the way there..

One thing though:

RUSS: I saw the images of how you did your counters for your fighter stands.. Your search-fu needs work..
http://www.litkoaero.com/products/6-Count-Numbered-Dial-and-Pointers-%28Set-of-10%29.html

Thanks again guys!

R

Really enjoyed the Dystopian Wars review. I'd like to get my local gaming group playing it.

Oh - the Prussian land units? I think they share some similarities with this old thing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A7V

Can't wait to get my hands on that Magenta Battleship.

Lastly - Flames of War got a mention! Whoo! Let's hear more.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Rargh wrote:Hi guys,

Excellent review - you have probably tipped me over into buying a fleet and giving the game a go. The miniatures were about 90% of the way there..

One thing though:

RUSS: I saw the images of how you did your counters for your fighter stands.. Your search-fu needs work..
http://www.litkoaero.com/products/6-Count-Numbered-Dial-and-Pointers-%28Set-of-10%29.html

Thanks again guys!

R

Yeah, I did see those, but I don't like them for fighters because those bases don't feel like they should be on flying stands to me. Although it is a great option for those who want their fighter bases flying.

BTW, I have posted more details on how I did my dials: http://www.russrant.com/2010/12/dial-d-for-dystopian.html



Our miniature magpieness: It is true we do try a lot of different games, and some last longer than others. I used to be more in the camp of focusing on only one game and owning many armies and playing it weekly. We did that with 40k for many years. Now I enjoy owning single armies in several different games, and playing when the opportunity presents itself. Often I just collect and paint the models because I like them more than anything.

Malifaux was that way for me, I love the models and have used them both in Malifaux and Gutshot and probably have played with them in 60+ hours of game play. For me that is more than enough to justify the start up cost.. and I know I'll play again.

Most of the games we play work in cycles, Craig gets in an Epic phase once every 6 months, and Raef does the same with Flames of War. I just got the new Trollblood book and I'm all excited for Hordes again.

But you are right, this style of gaming is not for everyone. But it is very handy if you want to have a podcast that can cover a lot of different games. ;-)

Happy Gaming, and by all means, if you find a game you love stick with it!!

RussWakelin wrote:
Our miniature magpieness: It is true we do try a lot of different games, and some last longer than others. I used to be more in the camp of focusing on only one game and owning many armies and playing it weekly. We did that with 40k for many years. Now I enjoy owning single armies in several different games, and playing when the opportunity presents itself. Often I just collect and paint the models because I like them more than anything.

This is where I find myself at now. I'm just now getting back into hobby-oriented miniatures games...meaning, I haven't painted anything for years. I have been almost exclusively playing AT-43 in the tabletop minis arena but now am starting to assemble my High Elves army for WHFB and am looking at putting together a Warmachine force, and strongly looking at Freebooters Fates and Cutlass! (coming next year from Black Scorpion miniatures) to scratch my pirating itch. Not to mention the odd boardgame here and there. I like the variety.

Of course, all the rulesets become a jumble inside my head...so I never seem to learn a ruleset 'by heart'...

great show guys . you've done it again ! sparked interest in to another game that really didnt care about . damn you guys ! lol great show keep it up!

Two quick notes on the show.

1. I liked the DW review, but for the love of god, don't ever, ever, ever interupt a review with other segments ever again! Seriously.
Do i come to your game store in the middle of a game when you're really getting into the action, pull you away and talk to you about something else completely? No. Take this criticism with a light heart. I really did like the review but found the two segements crammed in there very distracting.

2. Nicole's holiday parody at the end was the funniest thing i've heard in awhile. I listened to it three times. I loved it and it was right on.

Other than that it was great.

Great show guys- had a lot of fun listening to this one. I loved the review of DW, although I'm really not a steampunk guy. I think my distaste for steampunk comes from seeing bad cosplay at Gencon, and never reading the good fiction you guys refer to. However, DW appeals to me for another reason. I love the WW2 Pacific naval battle (land+sea+air interaction) aspect you described. I even messed around with Axis & Allies minis for the naval rules for a while in order to "scratch this itch."
I wil take a look at Dystopian wars to relive this all-too-rarely-addressed wargaming theatre.
Thanks for a great show.

Best to you and yours this holiday season!

So what do they think of Dystopian Wars? Yeah, I can't listen to podcasts...

They loved it. Absolutely loved it.

Another great show guys...Dystopian Wars has peaked my interest more than any other miniature game you've talked about - I'm a bit gun shy though since I bought a bunch of Arcane Legions stuff after that show, and haven't played much at all. But still...this intrigues me a lot.

I have a minor question about the fluff, though. It was mentioned that in this universe, the south won the American Civil War. So, presumably that would have left us with two nations - the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America. I'm confused then, on what exactly the "Federated States of America" is. Is it the North? The South? Some kind of reunification where they abandonded the word "United" (or "Confederate") for "Federated"?

The South won the war...completely. President Adams is in charge of uniting
a loose set of autonomous states into what is called the Federated States.

That's all states, north and south.

malfred wrote:The South won the war...completely. President Adams is in charge of uniting
a loose set of autonomous states into what is called the Federated States.

That's all states, north and south.

Wait...as in the South completely conquered and subjugated the North?!?! That makes absolutely no sense, either in accordance with the political aims of the Confederacy or realistically in terms of manpower, etc. I know this is an "alternate universe", so the term "realistically" doesn't necessarily apply, but my impression was that it was essentially a carbon copy of our world with a few changes in the early to mid-1800s not attributed to the steampunk tech (i.e. "the South won the Civil War"), and then about 1870ish or so, the steampunk tech bursts on the scene and really changes things (which would be post-ACW). Do I have my timeline a little wrong - do they attribute this massive victory by the South to the steampunk tech?

I believe they had the backing of Britannia.

bbb wrote:They loved it. Absolutely loved it.

I think I'm going to marry it.


How the south won...
The fluff is all up on the Spartan site... here is the excerpt that explains how the South came to win the war...


Dominion
The Federated States of America (FSA) is a relatively young nation but is quickly establishing itself as a global power. The FSA came about after the end of the Civil War of 1860-64, when the States of the North and South engaged in a fierce conflict. The rule of President Nathaniel Adams extends from the borders of Canada to the Free Lands of Mexico, with all the resources of the Federacy at his command. As of yet the FSA does not own any territories abroad, content with rebuilding its strength after the Civil War.

The President
Adams is an established American politician, having been a member of the senate before the war, and during the conflict proved himself not only a superb military strategist but also a true leader of men. During the years leading up to the Civil War he fought hard to try and prevent war, arguing that the States of the South and North MUST unite to further the goals of an undivided nation. He took a stance that together a united America could become a global power, despite Europe's stranglehold around the globe.

Adams was Senator for Mississippi before rising to power as President. It was during his term as a Senator that he first met a 68 year-old scientist called Benjamin Bell. For a number of years Bell had been a research partner to a German chemist called Martin Klaproth who had discovered an oxide from a material that was to become known as Uranium. When Bell returned to America he continued to work on Uranium Oxide and was to eventually discover huge deposits of it in the soft soils of the Mississippi.

Bell was to form a Scientific Board for Senator Adams, tasked with exploring the potential of the oxide, and working with Bell the wealth of the State of Mississippi and its neighbouring States was to grow hugely. It was this growth in the southern power base that was to eventually lead to the Civil War, with Adams enigmatically led the southern states to victory.

Adams is a famously proud and stubborn man, one who refused to accept defeat on numerous occasions during the conflict, and he was to earn the trust of the Kingdom of Britannia, who provided much support to the south. However there was one condition - access to Uranium Oxide was to be made readily available to Britannia and its allies after the war was over. With the Britannians at their side the south swiftly won the war, and Adams was to then face his greatest challenge ever: uniting America.

Military Structure
To avoid the entire country fragmenting and becoming easy prey for any potential invader, one of President Adams' first orders to the newly re-forged America was to create a centralised, federal military. Each state is permitted to have a small standing force of Home Guard, but these are intended for self-defence. The true military of the FSA are the Federal Forces.

The Federal Forces are split into three forces – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, each of which is split into three divisions, which vary depending upon the force they stem from. Each force is subservient to a Seven Star General, who answers only to the President himself. The Seven Star Generals command the Six Star Generals who command the three divisions of each Federal Force, with Five Star Generals commanding each regiment within the division. This pattern is repeated down to numerous one star commanders who act as squad lieutenants to the Two Star Generals of each unit. This organisation is based upon elements of the Britannian military, from which many of the FSA armed forces stem from.

The three divisions of the Army are the Land Ships, the infantry and the artillery, all commanded by Seven Star General Adams (no relation to the President), a man who has fought for the past 30 years against insurrectionists, northerners, Mexicans and natives. His no-nonsense approach has led him to being officially dubbed "General Iron Britches" by his underlings. His equal in the Navy is Seven Star General Hilton, who started out in the Federal Forces as a crewman on the Frigate Goodwill, which has since been sunk by Russian forces. Hilton has the unenviable task of reigning in the three divisions of the Navy – the ships, the naval air support and the marines.

The task of keeping them in line and under control is one no truly sane man relishes, though Hilton does what he can, ensuring their obedience by allowing them greater operational and personal freedom than seen in the other Federal Forces. The Air Force is commanded by Hilton's cousin, Douglas. General Douglas is another professional soldier, cut from the same cloth as General Adams, who served in the Navy before being appointed to his current position with the birth of the FSA Air Force. The Air Force is styled similarly to the Navy with its own ships, specialist air-fleets and jump troops.

Politics
Whilst the overarching government Adams leads is essentially the face of America when dealing with foreign powers, the individual states are almost autonomous, each dictating its own fate and approach to problems, though co-operation is highly encouraged, especially in the aftermath of the Civil War.

The Federal government itself is split into the President and the Congress. Whilst the President cannot propose any new legislation on his own, he can refuse to ratify a new law that the Congress proposes, if he provides sufficient reason to support his decision. It is also the Congress that has the right to declare war or make peace, although the President is the head of the military and as such no action will be taken by the armed forces without his command. The President is also viewed as the representative of the country, and in this capacity is utilised in negotiations, acting as a mediator between the foreign power and the people of America, who are represented by Congress.

Don't split reviews again. That was a very bad idea. Otherwise, good episode!

Any thoughts from the D6 crew on which of the three spartan naval games (US, FA, and DW) are the best? I really want to listen to the podcast, but podcasts normally aren't my thing in the first place and to top it off, I cant get it through the firewally anyway.

I am not one of the D6G crew, but even with your caveat, I advise downloading their three reviews:

Uncharted seas at...somewhere: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thed6generation/D6GEpisode20.mp3
Firestorm Armada at 2:23: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thed6generation/D6GEp46.mp3
Dystopian Wars at 1:11 and 2:32: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thed6generation/D6GEp70.mp3

on your home computer or just your smartphone if you have one. Then listen to it while commuting or driving or whatever. I highly recommend it. The D6G is the best gaming podcast out there, hands down.

Remember that Spartan Games burn fast - the D6G boys were as smitten with US as they were with FSA and DW to begin with, and later discovered some holes in the systems. The same thing will doubtlessly happend with DW. Also remember that their backgrounds are usually not up to their model standards, sadly (Sorry,guys...but you really need to get yourself a professional writer) This does not mean they are not worth buying into! The models are great and the rules flow well in all their systems.

Personally I bought into FSA and DW because I like spaceship combat and naval combat respectively, and because the DW miniatures are so amazing, which I why I choose it over US. If you were a diehard Man o'War fan the choice should be easy

Thanks for the DW review, guys! As others have said, Craig's intro was really neat. Oh, and I like Russ's comment that the Blazing Sun ships look like trains. Specifically, like this one:



I can't wait to get my hands on my models! I'm out of town on a business trip until Friday, but the FLGS owner called me today to let me know they have arrived.

Thanks for the kind words, guys. The intro was a lot of fun to make, and you might see it re-appear over at Spartan Games sometime in the future . . .

To be honest, I'd have to say DW is the strongest rules set (although some people on the forums have started to find places where the rules seem to break down a little, we haven't locally, and the people who have aren't the most . . . gracious folks on the site, so not sure if they're just Debbie Downers). Other than the fiddly fighter fuel tracking (which I've taken care of with the Litko dial system . . . if it ever shows up . . . ), the rules seem very well written.

Also MUCH stronger than the previous two games is the background and the graphic design. MUCH more time/effort/space has been dedicated to the background (see Russ' example of the FSA history above for starters), and they have a for-real artist now, rather than the computer graphics that dominated in the F:A book, or the 'oldy-timey' graphics of U.S.

I like all three, so don't get me wrong. I'm HOPING this one has some legs, not the least because I'm putting a LOT more time into the X-Cam for this one, but also the models are SO much better, the rules are SO much smoother, and the release schedule is so quick it means AWESOME models of DIFFERENT types will be released almost every month for the next several months . . .

Thanks again, guys!

~Craig