Steve Jackson's Blog, page 376

August 12, 2015: MIB Report: CaptainCon

I had a fabulous time at CaptainCon over the weekend of July 18th and 19th, in Taunton. This was the first MIB representation of SJ Games at CaptainCon, and I am very glad that I stepped up to volunteer. Admittedly I felt at first like a shipwrecked sailor on a foreign island, but after I spoke to one of the event organizers, the volunteers started coming in, and before I knew it, I had a full day's work.



Several games got lots of press: Castellan , which got an encore request late Saturday night, Mars Attacks: the Dice Game , Munchkin on Sunday morning. But the master game of the night was Revolution! , expanded with The Palace for the second match. We had an enthusiastic group of six players. After I first explained the basic rules to those who were completely new to the game, I then explained The Palace and the Guardhouse, plus the new officials of the city. All the experienced players were transfixed.



It was clear that the invulnerability conferred by the Guardhouse, combined with a domain worth more Support Points, had completely upset their original plans. Two players, one an experienced Revolution! player and one a veteran gamer elsewhere, drew ahead of the others, and most of the heavy fighting came down to these two. It came right down to the wire. And ironically the experienced player had been previously unaware that taking a domain unchallenged gave a 10-point bonus.



Fun moment of the weekend: the hotel FIRE ALARM on Sunday morning! I was in bed at 7:15 AM trying hard to get up, when suddenly came the deafening sound of the siren. I forced myself out of bed and downstairs, and all the gamers, some of whom had obviously not been to bed, and some of whom had had too much to drink, assembled sleepily in the parking lot. Paul Shoemaker commented that he wanted to create a T-shirt for next year reading "I Survived the 2015 CaptainCon Fire."



In the end, I ended up going home on Cloud Nine as if I had found Pirates' Treasure. The two organizers were thrilled to have both me and SJ Games there, and gave me the official CaptainCon Challenge Coin. Now I am part of the brotherhood - argh, matey! They definitely look forward to having SJ Games back next year. And it was my most fun SJ Games event by far, as well as a huge triumph for me in standing in as the sole SJ Games representative. My MIB shirt and cap never felt better to wear.



– Nicholas Sterling, MIB #9366



Warehouse 23 News: Conquer Space... By Any Means!



Do research! Gather intelligence! Battle in space, or on ground! Interstellar wars must be fought on many fronts, and the Victory by Any Means Campaign Guide (2e) lets you excel on all of them. Use this science-fiction strategy game as a standalone system or as a companion to your favorite tactical wargames. Getting ready for war needs just a download, thanks to Warehouse 23!

August 11, 2015: Want To See Munchkin Christmas Lite Cards?

Munchkin Christmas Lite , our upcoming special holiday-themed Munchkin set, isn't scheduled for release until November. Fortunately, the wonders of the internet allow us to share a peek in the box early. Take a look at this post at BGG for a look at John Kovalic's work re-illustrating older cards for the holidays. That's not enough to capture your attention? Well, how about a peek at two of the 49 new cards that are hiding inside Munchkin Christmas Lite ?



Munchkin Christmas Lite makes a great stand-alone game for the holidays, and to really bring the cheer you may want to explore our entire selection of Munchkin holiday expansions and accessories. And yes, you can combine these with Munchkin Christmas Lite to construct the merriest Munchkin game ever!



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Get Fort-ified!



When you're in the Old West, a fort can make the difference between life and death. Get maps for your own fort, suitable for any system, thanks to 0one's Blueprints: Deep Blues - Wild West: Fort (and also part of the Wild West Virtual Boxed Set ). Download either today, from Warehouse 23!

August 10, 2015: Munchkin Guest Artist Editions!

As part of next year's 15th anniversary celebrations for Munchkin , SJ Games is partnering with several talented artists to create Guest Artist Editions of several Deluxe-style Munchkin games . . . including some that have never been Deluxed before! (It is too a word. I'm an editor. Don't question me.) Our plan is for these to be special sets; once the first printing is gone, we'll take a look at sales and decide whether to reprint them.



For general information, click over to the Guest Artist Edition web page. As we announce more of the sets over the next few months, the covers will appear on this page; when you click on a cover, it will take you to that product page. You can read the press release for more information about the Guest Artist Editions in general.



Our first two sets are:



Munchkin Guest Artist Edition : illustrated by Ian McGinty. Those of you who have been reading the Munchkin comic from Boom have already seen Ian's work and know why he was an obvious choice to kick off our Guest Artist series.


Star Munchkin Guest Artist Edition : illustrated by Len Peralta. You may know Len from his Geek a Week trading cards, his fantastic comic Ten State, or his illustration work on Munchkin The Guild . Len's good and fast, and we're very happy to be working with him again.
Watch the Guest Artist Edition page (or the Daily Illuminator , of course!) for further announcements.



– Andrew Hackard



Warehouse 23 News: Ragnarök And Roll!



It's time for epic combat you won't want to myth! The skirmish wargame rules of Of Gods and Mortals: Mythological Wargaming Rules let you lead forces from Egyptian, Greek, Celtic, or Norse mythology. Take control of a god, a few legendary heroes, and some mortal troops . . . and then fight! Download this Osprey Adventures masterpiece today, from Warehouse 23!

August 9, 2015: I Build! I Die! I Build Again!

For those who saw Mad Max: Fury Road, a super LEGO fan has created a version of the Doof Wagon with functional speakers. They are calling it the LEGO "Morale Machine," because . . . of course it is.



If you want to see its magnificence, it is totally worth a click here.



– Anna Meade



Warehouse 23 News: Snow Escape?



Add more terror to your Esoterrorists game with Albion's Ransom: Worm of Sixty Winters , a full-length campaign that takes England to the edge of never-ending winter. Adventure is just a download away, from Warehouse 23!

August 8, 2015: Munchkin Steampunk Deluxe Party Turns Up The Steam

Did you know we're having a pre-launch party for  Munchkin Steampunk Deluxe ? On August 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central, we are having a fantastic party at Dragon's Lair Comics and Fantasy .  



Not in Austin? No problem - there's a ton of ways you can participate!



Tune in to our Live Stream!



You can find it at: http://bit.ly/SteampunkLIVE. Watch for auction results for Superhero Kids, the #MunchkinSteampunk #Costume winners, and live video from the Munchkin Steampunk Launch Party.



Support a Great Cause by Buying Steve Jackson Games Goodies!



We're running an eBay auction with signed games (as well as vinyl Spyke figure). All proceeds benefit Superhero Kids, a charity which supports the Children's Blood & Cancer Center at Dell's Children's Hospital.



Enter our Costume Contest!



Post your selfie in steampunk costume to Twitter (@SJGames), Facebook, and Instagram to enter. Don't forget to Like and follow us - use the hashtags to enter! #MunchkinSteampunk #Costume



Comment Away!



Before, during, and after the event we invite you to post your questions and comments. Type #SJGamesLIVE and your question or comment into Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Tumblr.



Oh, and before I forget, if you see something you like during the show, then visit your Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS)!



Thank you for watching and participating!



– Anna Meade



Warehouse 23 News: They See My Ronin, They Hatin'...



The battles of 16th-century Japan come to life, with Ronin: Skirmish Wargames in the Age of the Samurai . These "cutting edge" skirmish rules from Osprey Adventures have a wide range of equipment and skills, and characters can grow and develop over time. Download it today, from Warehouse 23!

August 8, 2015: Munchkin Steampunk Deluxe Party Turns Up The Steam

Did you know we're having a pre-launch party for  Munchkin Steampunk Deluxe ? On August 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central, we are having a fantastic party at Dragon's Lair Comics and Fantasy .  



Not in Austin? No problem - there's a ton of ways you can participate!



Tune in to our Live Stream!



You can find it at: http://bit.ly/SteampunkLIVE. Watch for auction results for Superhero Kids, the #MunchkinSteampunk #Costume winners, and live video from the Munchkin Steampunk Launch Party.



Support a Great Cause by Buying Steve Jackson Games Goodies!



We're running an eBay auction with signed games (as well as vinyl Spyke figure). All proceeds benefit Superhero Kids, a charity which supports the Children's Blood & Cancer Center at Dell's Children's Hospital.



Enter our Costume Contest!



Post your selfie in steampunk costume to Twitter (@SJGames), Facebook, and Instagram to enter. Don't forget to Like and follow us - use the hashtags to enter! #MunchkinSteampunk #Costume



Comment Away!



Before, during, and after the event we invite you to post your questions and comments. Type #SJGamesLIVE and your question or comment into Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Tumblr.



Oh, and before I forget, if you see something you like during the show, then visit your Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS)!



Thank you for watching and participating!



– Anna Meade



Warehouse 23 News: They See My Ronin, They Hatin'...



The battles of 16th-century Japan come to life, with Ronin: Skirmish Wargames in the Age of the Samurai . These "cutting edge" skirmish rules from Osprey Adventures have a wide range of equipment and skills, and characters can grow and develop over time. Download it today, from Warehouse 23!

August 7, 2015: Update On The (Small) Flood

As we mentioned in the DI on August 4th, our office experienced some flooding. However, we've been fortunate to find an excellent offsite office space at Orange Coworking.



Our thanks to them for providing us a great workplace solution! Warehouse 23 is open and running. Our email, after a brief disruption, is working again if you need to contact us. 







– Anna Meade



Warehouse 23 News: Danger Scents?



What secrets do the perfumed halls of the Fragrant Tower conceal? Discover the truth with Places of Power: The Fragrant Tower , a location ready to be added to your fantasy game. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 6, 2015: Car Wars Sixth Edition Playtests

Scott has been hard at work on Car Wars sixth edition, and in celebration of our increased in-house playtesting I've shared photos and thoughts of two of the sessions over at BGG.



Vroom!!! Taking the Car Wars playtest set for a spin.


Twin Rocket Launchers in Car Wars Sixth Edition
Expect to see more info as we continue our playtesting efforts. Scott has been doing a fabulous job of streamlining and recreating Car Wars for today, and I'm looking forward to our next session so that I can get a little revenge. Why revenge? Well, Scott and Randy managed to completely destroy me in our last session, and I need to get back in the arena and redeem myself. (Also, for the record, when your car explodes as the heavy rockets ignite it is not a survivable incident.)



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Steampunk Miniatures Wargaming?! Jolly Good!



Fire up the boilers and begin to battle, with In Her Majesty's Name: Steampunk Skirmish Wargaming Rules . These versatile, easy-to-use rules are fast enough for three games an evening! You can also get rules for heroes and fiends, and details East. Download all of these today, from Warehouse 23!

August 4, 2015: Temporarily Closed Due To (Small) Flood

Due to a major water leak, our offices are closed. We won't be able to ship W23 orders until we reopen; it will be a few days. Sorry for the inconvenience!



We took only about an inch of water in most places, so this is not as much a disaster as it is a horrible, horrible nuisance. Contacting us via email may be spotty tomorrow because the cleanup crews will be working in the server room during the day.



More news is coming, as we hear it.



– Anna Meade



Edit: tomorrow the folks cleaning up the mess are going to need to work in our server room. The website and the Daily Illuminator should be fine, but it's going to interfere with our email server, so we'll be hard to contact via email tomorrow. We're not sure how long, but we'll keep you updated. Twitter is the best place to go for updates; our username is @SJGames.



– Brian Engard



Warehouse 23 News: Pave The Road To WWII



Assemble 10-man squads to fight bitter conflicts in the era between 1918 and 1939, including the Chinese Civil Wars, the Irish War of Independence, the Russian and Spanish Civil Wars, and more. With the fast-paced versatile miniatures rules in A World Aflame: Interwar Wargames Rules 1918-39 , yesterday's world of tomorrow never looked so uncertain. Download it today, from Warehouse 23!

August 5, 2015: Farewell, Traveller!

We've been publishing GURPS Traveller sourcebooks since 1998, and we are very proud of the work we've done. But good things sometimes come to an end. Our license for Traveller terminates at the end of 2015, and we will not be renewing it.



You can find all of our digital GURPS Traveller books at Warehouse 23 up until then. We'll sell out of our existing stock of print versions; there will be no reprints.



You can find out more by reading our press release.



Warehouse 23 News: Oh, What A Knight!



The Round Table and its mythic warriors come to life, in the pages of Knights of the Round Table . This full-color lavishly illustrated guide from Osprey Adventures is suitable for any campaign, and it's just a download away from Warehouse 23!