An iPad version of Pirates of the Spanish Main

Howdy all!

Well, a few months ago I got an iPad2 as a birthday gift (a rather generous one at that)!

I've been playing with it a bit, looking for great games as well as looking for anything related to wargaming.  I have actually found some great games, and thought I would share a few (as well as take some suggestions!)

The first fun one is called "Age of Wind," and it is basically like a PC version of Pirates of the Spanish Main crossed with a roleplaying game.

You start with a small pirate ship in the Caribbean.  You can sail between islands, either trading a small number of goods or attacking ship convoys.  There is a basic story that is very cheesy (and clearly written by a non-native English speaker) but really it is just fun to sail around having battles.  The controls are simple, and the game is simple, but it is definitely worth the 99 cents it costs.

The fact that the game opens with the classical piece from "Master and Commander" and has a wonderful version of the Pirates of the Carib. movie theme, doesn't hurt the atmosphere!

I wish I could get a hold of this game and modify it, but I have no one with any iPad programming skills:)

First game of Pirates of the Spanish Main

Hey all!

Got a game of Pirates of the Spanish Main in, so thought I'd share a few photos.  I made one or two changes (didn't use crew for this game, and I also made a range ruler that increased the ranges by a bit... felt that the old white/red card sides were a little too short... but I kept the same ratio between them) but otherwise we used the regular rules.

I finished the islands just recently, and after placing them I do think they turned out basically fine... not great, but fine.  In the first photo above you can see one of my pirate ships looming up on a docked enemy... I got close enough that my ship took fire, but in a horrific display of poor rolling the enemy didn't so much as put a hole in my hull.

I, in return, sheered the masts off in one massive volley, and in the next turn I simply sank the derelict ship with another broadside.

After some pretty spectacular fire my opponent and I pass each other in the ocean, each towing an enemy derelict!

My enemy proceeded to repair my own ship fully and sail it against me!

Here is one of my ships, collecting gold from an island guarded by a fort... this full shipment of gold won the game for me when I returned to my home island!

So... that's that!  It was a fun little game.  There are changes I'd make to the game to make it last a bit longer (for example, the cannon hit a little too easily...) but overall it is a fun game.  Wish I could play it more often!

And in that spirit... well... nevermind, I'll save it for my next post;)  Stick around!

Islands are done!

Howdy all!

Okay, looks like the islands are done!  I have six total, two of which are quite small, four of which are larger.  I don't really have any sandy beaches, although I was hoping the entire shoreline would look sandy, but it doesn't really... I may have to more heavily paint some parts, I guess?  I messed that up a bit.

Also the church needs work, as the roof is messed up, but for now I am leaving it.

Overall I think they turned out okay, although not amazing.  A hot knife would have really helped, I think, so I could add more cliffs, as they look sharp.  Still, they'll do for now!

Work on the last three islands

Howdy all,

Well, I got some work done on my last three islands, which are my larger ones.  I am still not thrilled with the trees from the first few, so I need to do a little thinking.  I did settle on one change, which will be to mix in a flock with more texture... the flock I have on there is just too thin, it needs a little more body.

Oh... also, what do I do with the church?  Should there be a flat top on the steeple?  And what about the fort floor?  Left sandy?

Anyway... thanks for the advice all!

Three islands done, three to go

Hey all!

Okay, I think I've finished up three islands... I did some drybrushing with browns, and then worked up to whites and yellows, although I am not sure if maybe I went a little too light on the whites...

I am still considering mounting all of these on some cut card... and then making a little sandy beach around them and painting on some waves crashing... we'll see.

Anyway... three more to go.  If anyone has any suggestions at ALL I am happy to hear them... I think these three work, but I think there are things I am missing.

Making some islands for Pirates of the Spanish Main

Howdy all!

Just back from a week in Seattle and a week in Los Angeles... and now that the nursery is painted I am getting back to other projects.

So... first up is a half dozen islands for the Pirates of the Spanish Main game.

Now, the islands aren't totally to scale, but I find that rarely matters as much as looking good.  Clockwise from the top right there is one island with a fort, one with a dramatic cliff, one with a larger town (with a dock and church) a small one with a few fishing huts, a little sand-bar-looking one, and a large one with two hills. 

Now that they are undercoated I am going to do the drybrushing of the browns and beiges (should I do the cliff in that color palate too I assume?) and then I'll flock.  Then, for forests, I'll use glued down clumps of flock... at this scale I am not going to bother with trunks or anything, I don't think they are needed.  Still not sure what colors to do the buildings... I am probably going to do them a white, sort of like whitewashing... I think I need to do a little looking at some reference photos before I go too far.

Anyway... so that is that!  Sorry for the long absence... I am sure that when the baby comes I'll post far more often... :)

Sorry, away on vacation!

Howdy all!

Very sorry, but I've been away on vacation for the last two weeks, so there have been no updates.  When I get back, I'll put up a few photos of some stuff I had wanted to share.

Hope everyone is doing well!

A whole different sort of painting...

Hey all!

Well, I've been "off" from painting miniatures for a little while, because I've been doing a different kind of painting.

The wife and I are expecting our first child!  A little boy, hopefully in mid October:)

So... we needed to get the nursery all squared away.  I was all for painting the whole thing as if you were standing in the center of the British lines at Waterloo.  Unfortunately my stupid wife didn't like this idea.  So, we went with the second idea... doing a ribbon of African animals around the top.  And despite never doing it before, it turned out pretty swell!

The elephant family, early in the process.

The giraffe and zebras.

The gazelles and storks.

The rhino and his friends.

The croc.

Still to come?  The monkeys, and then I am done!

Also, a question... do you guys (and gals) think it needs some big fluffy clouds?

So... what project should be next?

So!

Finished up The Gem (except the plaque... still not sure what it should say) and now I face a problem; what do I tackle next?

I have a few possibilities... I've got a unit of 25mm Russian Nappy infantry who are sort of 1/3 finished.  They've been sitting for a LONG time, and honestly the idea of tackling such a huge unit puts me off.

I could also finish up this unit of 25mm Vikings... these guys seem most likely, since there are fewer of them and they are half finished... one more group of these guys after this to go, and my Viking collection is done.

Or should I do something else?  I have really been interested in making some islands for the Pirates of the Spanish Main game (I have a bunch of ships for it) and doing something with that... or I could do a few 10mm Napoleonic "objective" markers for my 10mm Napoleonic collection (that sounds like fun!)  I have no idea!

One thing I DID do; we are cleaning the house in preparation for the baby that is coming (fingers crossed!) and I threw one of these Napoleonic prints into an unused frame.  Wish I could get them ALL framed!

Anyway... suggestions?

Another Amazing New (or rather, "quite old") Gift!

Howdy all!

First off, sorry it has been so long... work just ended up, and I'm hosting something like four BBQs in 12 days... plus, a LOT of housework getting ready for the baby.  I'll have more coming at some point, of course... maybe Vikings, or maybe Napoleonics.   Not sure:)

In the meantime, however, I thought I'd share a gift I just picked up.  A friend of my in-laws, who has been RIDICULOUSLY kind in the past, sent this along my way!   It is a northern backpack. Apparently they are fairly rare... a wooden frame with leather.  The 22 on the back I am assuming refers to the 22nd New York State Militia, but I am not 100% sure about that.

Anyway... a really amazing gift!  What kills me is that the gent who passed it along to me has a STUNNING single daughter... I am trying to convince my pregnant wife to leave me so that maybe I can marry his daughter, but I don't seem to be having much luck:)

So... now I need to figure out how to display it!  I may switch it off with my other pack for a while... I particularly adore the company marking on the back.