MBS Podcast Episode 34

[Ruckdog]

Attention all hands, Episode 34 of the MBS podcast has arrived! This month, Greg and Andy discuss the changes that come with game editions, focusing on X-Wing 2.0 and Dystopian Wars 3.0. Later, they discuss a few of their favorite naval history books in a new segment called the MBS Bibliography!

Edition Changes: 32 Min

MBS Bibliography: 1 Hr 23 Min

http://www.manbattlestations.com/blog/2018/09/03/epidsode-34/

[RuleBritannia]

Thanks for an excellent discussion.  Edition changes can be hard, especially when is disorientating different game feel.  There was an interesting discussion on various forums comparing the streamlined Dystopian Wars to Age of Sigmar.  Whilst the change represented a benefit to the sales of the Game in Age of Sigmar, it meant sacrificing what certain people liked, leaving them feeling homeless.  It doesn't mean that Age of Sigmar was bad, but it left a hole in the market for crunchy games with a histirical feel that helped, in my opinion, the boost in early DWars.  Seeing that happen again, is there a gap in the market for an Age of Signar type game? Will grognards just stick to 2.0 or 2.5? Will the market shift again if there is a game that fits the crunchier needs, like Brigade games?

[Covertwalrus]

 Good show this month, gentlemen. The discusssion on edition changes was fascinating, though one small quibble; The board gamers have had one very famous example of edition changes and that one was COSMIC ENCOUNTER where editions changed radically between the first in the early 70s, the early 80s revamp, the 90s when it adapted to the online version ( Which I beleive is defunct? ) and the massivelsy supported by new factions version of ( Funnily enough ) Fantasy Flight Games: In early versions, factions were often dropped, rules and factions became incompatible and variants multipled.  At least FFG's current take means you can take or leave factions as you choose, though you do need couple of the new faction sets to get the peices to expand the game to more than the four player basic set . . . a familair song with this company, methinks.  

[pmgeuze]

Friends,

During the podcast in the MBS Bibliography section you compared the Ian Toll series to an additional series called the "Liberation" or "Liberator" series, can you elaborate?

I am nearly done with the Audible selection from Toll, and I would love to hear something in the same writing about the European theatre.

Thank you.

[Landlubber]

Thanks for the kind words all, glad you enjoyed the discussion on rules editions. A necessary evil and a two-edged sword to be sure!

@pmgueze, the books I was referring to are the Liberation trilogy by Rick Atkinson. The first book is “An Army at Dawn”, about the North Africa campaign (Operation Torch). I’ve read the first two, haven’t done the last one yet, but as Toll’s final book won’t be out til sometime in 2019 I may have to finish up that trilogy.

Not sure about your thoughts on the topic, but I liked the narrator for Pacific Crucible much more than the narrator for The Conquering Tide. Both were good, but the guy who did the first book just had a better voice.

If you like Pacific Theater naval history, I also highly recommend “Neptune’s Inferno” by James Hornfischer. Forum member Zorper turned me on to that book, and I really enjoyed it. The book focuses on naval combat during the Guadalcanal campaign. It is available on Audible as well.

[Ruckdog]

 Good show this month, gentlemen. The discusssion on edition changes was fascinating, though one small quibble; The board gamers have had one very famous example of edition changes and that one was COSMIC ENCOUNTER where editions changed radically between the first in the early 70s, the early 80s revamp, the 90s when it adapted to the online version ( Which I beleive is defunct? ) and the massivelsy supported by new factions version of ( Funnily enough ) Fantasy Flight Games: In early versions, factions were often dropped, rules and factions became incompatible and variants multipled.  At least FFG's current take means you can take or leave factions as you choose, though you do need couple of the new faction sets to get the peices to expand the game to more than the four player basic set . . . a familair song with this company, methinks.

I've heard of this one! A very good example.

And, to be fair, Greg and I didn't mean to make it sound like other types of games (board, card, RPG, etc) don't have editions; quite clearly they do. We just wanted to focus on how the phenomenon manifests itself in miniature games for the purposes of the episode .

Speaking of FFG and boardgame editions, another that comes to mind is Twilight Imperium; that game is on something like its 4th edition, I believe.

[KazadHarri]

Good episode.  I still have my Squat Army from GW 40K Epic.     And GW is famous for edition changes just to advance their bottom line.  I think edition changes are OK, but I think the move to change for change sake is troubling.  I have pretty much abandoned GW products due to this.  Including the GW WH age of Sigmar disaster,  and War Machine/Hordes MkII to MKIII.  I also am wary of the move to electronic only rules, and counter creep.  I didn't get into Star Wars, but I can see the worry. 

Here are some of my books I like just looking on my shelf.
Jutland: An Analysis of the fighting, Campbell.  The BIBLE of ship to ship conflict in WWI.
The Rules of the game, Gordon.   How the Royal Navy evolved from the Victorian Navy to a modern service, and the culture that dominated.  A good read for the background.
The Trafalgar Companion, Mark Adkin.  The BIble for Fighting Sail, and Trafalgar. 
Neptune's Inferno, James Hornfischer:  US Navy at Guadalcanal.  A page turner of that campaign. 
/Jeff