Precinct Omega

Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #8 - Points Systems, Army Building and Balance

If you ever want to get a group of wargamers talking (like we need the encouragement) just ask them about points systems.  It's one of the most controversial and hotly-contested arguments to be had in our world.

 

In this podcast, I take a look at not only the different approaches to points systems that designers can take, but also at the reasons why designers use (or don't use) points systems.  I discuss the alternatives, what both designers and players should bear in mind when thinking about points systems, and what the future might hold.

 

Required reading for this podcast (j/k) is Douglas Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach 

Precinct Omega Podcast - News #34 - Waking up from COVID

The wargames world - much like the rest of it - seems to be waking up from COVID-19 with a wealth of new miniatures releases ready to swamp us with joy.  But that means that now is the perfect time to be thinking about the post-COVID world and what, perhaps, we should be doing and thinking differently based on what we've learned.

 

Warmonger Miniatures 

Timecast Models 

Microworld Games 

Slave 2 Gaming 

Void Scar Miniatures 

Fenris Games 

Microart Studio 

Deepcut Studio 

Mantic Games 

Warploque Miniatures 

The Infamous JT 

Gripping Beast 

Khurasan Miniatures 

Para Bellum Wargames 

Scibor Miniatures 

Hi-Tech Miniatures 

Precinct Omega Podcast - Review #01

This week, in a sight deviation from the usual schedule, I take a look at the last ten months of podcasting and re-visit some of the topics I've talked about, and also bring up some listener feedback for a response.

Precinct Omega Podcast - News #33 - Intellectual Property Management

Let's take a look at how different companies - inside and outside the tabletop wargames industry - handle intellectual properties and why. Marvel, DC and Harry Potter and the big ones. But what about handling smaller, bespoke IPs? How can it be done and why?

Atomic Mass Games

Knight Models

Fantasy Flight Games

Spiral Arm Studios

Warploque Miniatures

Zombicide: Undead or Alive (CMON)

 

Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #7 - Art, Artists & Commissioning

Commissioning art for a tabletop game is one of those things that can be outside a designer's comfort zone and I've had a load of questions about it.  To try to explain how to articulate your needs, find an artist, estimate a budget and compose a brief, I spent slightly over an hour in monologue about this subject.

 

I was going to do a feedback episode, but I got too tied up with other tasks this week, so we'll have the feedback episode in a couple of weeks.  The good news is that I've not had any lawyers or financial experts get in touch to tell me my episode about VAT was substantially incorrect, yet!

 

Here are some links to websites or portfolios of some of the artists I talk about in this episode:

 

John Blanche

Ian Miller

Karl Kopinski

Jon "BrotherOstavia" Gonzalez

Jessada Sutthi 

Nicolas Giacondino 

David Sondered 

Tan Ho Sim 

 

 

Precinct Omega Podcast - News #32 - Let's Talk About Tax

Try not to fall asleep!  I've been through the pain.  I've done the research.  I've come to conclusions.  And all this excitement about VAT and customs duty etc... well, I don't think it's as scary as some people are making it out to be.  And in this episode, I'll explain why.

DISCLAIMER: Not a lawyer.  Not an accountant.  Not a tax specialist.  Just a podcaster.  YMMV.

Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #6 - Turns

Inspired by Jake Thornton's own Patreon campaign, I was moved to take a look at the concept of turns:

 

• What are turns?

• How do different designers and games approach them?

• What alternative solutions are being used?

• Why do we have turns at all?

Precinct Omega Podcast - News #31 - Manufacturers and Materials

This week I mention:

 

Wargame Exclusive 

Para Bellum Wargames 

Wargames Atlantic 

Empress Miniatures 

Tiger Miniatures 

Askari Miniatures 

Brigade Models 

Khurasan Miniatures 

Klukva Miniatures 

 

And the topic of our discussion is the range of options manufacturers generally have when it comes to deciding on a material for their products: resin, plastic, white metal and digital.  What the advantages and disadvantages of each to the manufacturer, and what can you learn about a company from the choices they make?

Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #5 - Art & The Game Designer

This week has another game design discussion (monologue, let's be hones) in which I talk about the role that art plays in inspiring, guiding, communicating and supporting a game through development and into the market and the hands of its players.

Precinct Omega Podcast - News #30 - The Game Design Metagame

Sorry the podcast is a day late, this week!  I totally forgot to upload it here.  Won't forget again!

 

This week the news looks at:

Ares Games 

Slave2Gaming 

Para Bellum Wargames 

The discussion this week is about the game design metagame - the factors that a commercial game designer needs to think about (in my opinion) when they are planning to write a game for today's market.