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Battletech! A true classic that is near and dear to many gamer's hearts. In episode 80 Raef, Russ, and Craig chat with Randall Bills, the man with more years on the Battletech project than he cares to admit. Today Randall works for Catalyst Game Labs and he brings us up to speed on Battletech, Shadowrun, and Catalyst's new game universe, Leviathans.

After that, it's time to have fun storming the castle. Stronghold blends euro mechanics with a war game theme: siege the castle! Does this game appeal to all three hosts?

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

- The Hollywood Minute
- Words from Wales
- Total Fan Girl
- Do You Ever Notice
- & More

Link to the episode: http://www.thed6generation.com/d6g-ep-80-catalyst-game-labs-interview-stronghold-review

Please let us know what you think!

Ah cool. An interview with Randall. I'll listen to this when I get home. Nice to see the D6G still keeping things different and varied.

Another great episode. The interview was very interesting. Stronghold sounds like a "maybe" purchase after that excellent review.

I think you guys chose well for the contest. Good work.

Owen - hilarious review style. Please do more of that. I was walking my dog and giggling like an idiot scaring people around me. The looks were all well worth it.

Cheers Vinsal, it was silly I know but hey hum .

Glad you enjoyed it

Owen

great episode !! damn you guys and your interveiws i started pulling all my old battletech books out !!! i think im going to do some battletech in 28 mm i have some mechs in that scale maybe 4 mechs a side with some infantry. you guys always get my gaming juices following ! great work on the episode .

Awww, no shiny new rulebook for me, nor an honorable mention. *sigh*

Looks like the Navy versus pirate game is vaguely Twitter-centric (Suggestions of 140 characters or less are voted on by other players) yet another thing that just has Armandloft deterrent written all over it.

Hurrah! More Words From Wales! Had to go and take a look at the Bane Beasts. Those are some impressive, some not safe for kids, models.

Only up to the Stronghold review, but I'm enjoying the show so far.

Another great episode. I enjoyed hearing about Randall's background and it's fascinating to see a true devotee involved with Battletech. I would have liked to have heard something about the incident in which Catalyst almost lost the Shadowrun licence.

Definitely interested in Leviathan (moreso than in DW, to tell the truth).

Oh, and Owen, speaking as a fellow Welshman, can I request no more sung reviews? You're letting the side down, boyo.

R.

Na fy frind.

The song will not be silenced.............

Darn...didn't win the song contest. I'll post my entry anyway since maybe it would be good inspiration for someone else. I chose the song Chaos by Mutemath. It would be good inspiration for a Rogue Trader game. I invision a situation where something has gone awry and the ship is trying to escape a situation that is rapidly deteriorating and they're looking to the Emperor to help them survive. The song is filled with sci-fi sounding elements and has an ethereal quality to it that makes me think of a starship crusing through space.

Great ep as always. Glad to see Owen back, I've missed his wit greatly.

One correction on your review of Stronghold. When you use a siege engine (catapult or ballista) as the Invader you do discard any drawn miss cards, but any hit cards are shuffled back into the catapult/ballista deck. So, accuracy increases over time unless the defender is using sabatours in great numbers. For the record, we have played 8 2-player games, 3 3-player games and 2 4-player games and we are batting a win ratio of about 40% for the Invader regardless of how many are playing (at least not statistically obvious). The Invader is more likely to win with some set ups it appears and is also more likely to win if they are VERY aggressive. Any turn spent turtling and building up resources is a huge benefit to the defender and should be avoided.

Waiting for the 'Didja ever notice' episdode where Craig limits his spot to a simple "Hey! You kids get off my lawn!"

So, can we use this forum to comment on the "Lost Chapters" as well? I just finished the latest one, about games that are "too real". Interesting discussion about playing WWII games. I'm guessing that Russ and Craig don't have the same reaction with, say, Axis and Allies because of the scale. But what if it's the same scale as a miniatures, but something like a hex and chit game (like Squad Leader). Is it just having the minis on the table that makes it "too real"? I went to my first miniatures convention last year ("Cold Wars", in Lancaster PA), and played a pirate game, cowboys, Romans, French-Indian War...didn't have a problem. Saw lots of WWII being played, and didn't have a problem. But when I walked into a room and saw a large game being played of current day U.S. Forces battling against Taliban, I had a fairly visceral reaction - I really had to stop myself from asking the players how they could possibly be making a game out of a conflict that was currently happening, and where real people were currently dying. So...it's interesting - I guess we all have our "time scale" on when it becomes "too real".

I also find myself in the same boat as Russ and Craig when it comes to role playing and video games. I always play a good guy. I think I'm pretty much exactly like Russ in this regard - I can't play a character that I don't like! I haven't actually role played in 15+ years (since I left college) - but when I played back then, we had a D&D campaign set in the Ravenloft world. It was a good campaign, and our DM was great, and we played "good guys" - but there was something that always nagged me about playing in a setting where I knew "evil" was dominant and more or less destined to win.

Anyway...I enjoyed the latest "Lost Chapter"...although I was bummed to miss free donut day...

And a good simple glazed donut is the way to go...

I have the "too real" problem with some video games. There just seems to be a trivializing effect when you run forward mowing down representations of "real" people as you are killed a multitude of times.

I haven't really experienced much of that with miniature games yet. The scale of Flames of War makes it seem more abstract. It's like Matchbox cars. Perhaps it's just growing up with GI Joe toys. That said, I don't believe I'd have much fun playing a Desert Storm or War on Terror game. You make different choices when it's real people versus markers. The idea of sending out a bait unit to lure out the Taliban just turns my stomach, as much as I would send a unit of space marines to do the same thing. One in my head is just too connected to real things, and the other is just a bunch of toys.

As for the Ravenloft setting being where evil wins, I don't have the same perspective. It always seemed where evil was punished. Yeah, Strahd gets to rule Barovia, and there's not a whole lot that can be done about it. However, he'll always be tormented by the one thing that he can never have, love. No matter how many times his beloved is reborn, he always causes her death. Azalin will never be powerful enough to defeat Strahd. All the dark lords are haunted by such fates. They don't seem like they are winning. Good aligned characters are those that help deliver some of that fate.

HokieStone wrote:So, can we use this forum to comment on the "Lost Chapters" as well? I just finished the latest one, about games that are "too real". Interesting discussion about playing WWII games. I'm guessing that Russ and Craig don't have the same reaction with, say, Axis and Allies because of the scale.

Sure, we can talk about The Lost Chapters here!! HokieStone is commenting on Book 10 in which we discuss "When is a game too real."

I think you nailed it on Axis and Allies. As Craig said in the show, it's about intimacy. In a board game with small plastic bits, at a strategic scale, you are far removed from the tactical 'hide behind that wall'. Also, in a miniature game you do spend a lot of time with your figures: assembling, painting, and caring for them and imagining them kicking arse. I started to run into problems imagining my Flames of War Panzers kicking arse.

HokieStone wrote:
Anyway...I enjoyed the latest "Lost Chapter"...although I was bummed to miss free donut day...

And a good simple glazed donut is the way to go...

From Carol Lee, of course. Mmm... they make the best blueberry cake donut on the planet. Ahh Blacksburg, it may be time for a road trip. Mike's for lunch and Carol Lee for desert.

So the deal with the Lost Chapters meant I finally pulled the trigger and signed up for a full year (plus, I'm glad it's easy to get into iTunes and therefore onto my phone). But I haven't listened to the latest LC yet...

Stronghold sounds like a winner to me. I remember playing a game back in the day where you had plastic castle walls and men and the attacker had a catapult and ballista (IIRC) and had to hit certain parts of the wall to knock the defenders off. That game was fun, but silly and stronghold sounds like a more strategic, mature take on the idea. Looks like I will have fun storming the castle.

Excellent "did you ever notice"!!!
I kid you not those quotes (that dont mae no sense & i dont like it cuz its dumb) are heard at least once a day in my flgs and its bothering me to no end.

Overall another splendid episode. Ive been through quite a few WH and 40k podcasts, but I have dropped 95% of those due to lack of actual content and the regularity of episode appearance. D6G is still going strong. Very informative, not very repetitive and really at the very top of my list!

Another episode listened to and enjoyed. Thanks Team D6!

I really enjoyed the interview with Randall Bills. Leviathans sounds very intriguing and conceptually grabs me far more than Dystopian Wars (which doesn't grab me at all for some reason). I've wanted to get into Battletech, and had all the new rulebooks (minus A Time of War) but had to sell them off last year. Catalyst has done wonders with the property. I hope they do pursue the plastic minis. The Thor and Loki models they produced were amazing. I will say the biggest strike against Battletech is that the universe is a bit daunting to get into. There's SO much history and fluff - which, at the same time, is part of the appeal of the game as well.

Stronghold sounds like a fun game. I have come to realize that I am such a plastic minis snob. If Stronghold came with plastic orcs and plastic soldiers instead of wood blocks I would be all over it. Yet, the fact that it doesn't keeps it off my radar - at least as far as a purchase. I'd certainly play it if asked.

I enjoyed the TFG segment with the guys behind Like a D6. I hadn't watched the video. I had seen posts about it. I'd seen tweets. But, honestly, I can't stand most fan-generated projects. But, I stop the interview...and switched over to You Tube and watched the video and was really impressed. They did a fantastic job! Then I went back and listened to the interview.

Craig - you forgot one of the biggest cop-out comments (although I admit it's far more prevalent amongst online "critics") which is "meh". Ooooh, I hate that. When someone posts that as their only critique of a movie, book, game, movie trailer, whatnot I think it is the most arrogant and pompous of comments. Really, really gets under my skin for some reason.

Thanks again folks for yet another great show.

Haven't had time to finish the episode yet, and gawd I'm already missing my original battletech set. Also was catching up episodes so while it was too late to submit my own song entry, I did appreciate hearing what was submitted. It was especially nice to hear one of my favorite Bands - the Cruxshadows - turn up, and that whole album, Ethernaut, is simply awesome. While I outgrew much of industrial and goth as simply too much of a downer/too nihilistic, these guys are almost the opposite: heroes and myths galore, with Ethernaut itself being based on the Trojan War (the origin of the song title "Winterborn" for that matter - "Of all the warriors of the world Those of Troy were the most fell They were those born of Winter").

That said, if I HAD to pick a song, it would be more "Stand my Ground" by Within Temptation. It first shows up in an american release in "The Heart of Everything", an album I jokingly refer to as "The perfect soundtrack for Underworld". The album as a whole is suitable for any dark, desperate genre: "World of Darkness", Shadowrun, and of course the 40K based RPG's. "Stand My Ground" is just as suitable for the Spartans in "300" holding the pass as Space Marines facing a horde.

for links: My favorite CXS songs available on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=37D0A76FAC4DB51C

and of course, "Stand My Ground": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sCkAvh50Vs



Thanks for the awesome show.

Thanks for the kind words, guys. And yeah, 'meh' drives me sort of crazy sometimes too. I understand the concept, and I've been left with that feeling many times myself (usually with fanfic/fan-created art etc etc) . . . but . . . does it really add to the dialogue to take the time to POST that anywhere?

Ah, free donut day. I went with a butternut, myself. Messy in the new car, but good!

~Craig

I loved the episode, and about pandoras star, its a great book and the second one Judas Unchained is even better

Just watched episode 9 of "Game of Thrones"...that was hard, even though I knew it was coming.

So this morning I finally listened to LC #10 (hey, I had to catch up on all 9 before that...).

I loved the discussion and I fall somewhere between Russ and Craig on one end and Raef on the other. I can't really get into a WWII miniatures game, but I have no problem playing Call of Duty or the other FPS WWII games. I have a grandfather who fought in the 55th Artillery Company in Europe and the thought of putting together a company of miniatures based on his outfit just seems off putting to me.

However, I think Craig and Russ are looking too narrowly at Black Crusade. I'll agree that playing a Khorne Berzerker or depraved Slaaneshi cultist would be boring and a little over the top, but imagine playing a warrior who is so obsessed with perfection that he begins a path to the Ruinous Powers? Or imagine playing from the point of view of the Night Lords, on a mission of vengeance against the Imperium that they feel abandoned and condemned them for doing what they were created to do? Or an Alpha Legion marine leading a coven of cultists to undermine an entire loyalist planet from within. That side of Chaos is incredibly compelling to me and there is more to the Chaos gods than just "raping and pillaging."

In any case, I'm sure you'll have Ross Watson on to go over Black Crusade in a episode soon so hopefully he can convince you to give it a try.