tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87623310942569209852012-03-05T11:00:03.437-05:00Laubynoreply@blogger.comBlogger6211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-56230538112266591662012-03-05T11:00:00.000-05:002012-03-05T11:00:03.686-05:00

Man, what a busy weekend!  Friday was Old Stuff Day and Sunday was GM's Day.  I can tell thee days were successful and had a huge national impact on account of all the relevant greeting cards being sold out.  Couldn't find a single one.  I ended up having to buy some old seasonal greeting cards that were on sale.  Once I crossed out the original holiday name it was a simple matter to write in '

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-35309193577549772142012-03-04T11:33:00.000-05:002012-03-04T11:33:02.869-05:00

This is a topic I really wasn't sure I wanted to talk about, but it has been brought up a few times at home by TheDude in relation to some incidents at the store (and at least one outside of it), so I'm going to tackle it. What was I so desperately avoiding?  The practice of banning customers from businesses, specifically game stores. I want to be totally clear: this post is not about any one

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-81913137766500755242012-03-03T05:38:00.000-05:002012-03-03T05:38:37.619-05:00

Sorry about that. Back now. Still feel a bit rubbish in the voice department, but at least I actually remembered to record something this week, right? Apparently, the fourth of March is a very special day, for celebrating the contribution a very special person has made to your life and lifestyle over the twelve months preceding, and will continue to make for as long as you don't alienate them

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-30784593351690169112012-03-02T13:51:00.002-05:002012-03-02T13:51:48.839-05:00

Did you remember?  Did ya?  It's OK if you didn't, it's not like it only happens once a year or anything. Oh...  that's EXACTLY what it's like.  Well, WE didn't forget about Old Stuff Day!  So you can take heart in that at least. Which is where this Top X comes in.  I thought that I could kill two birds with one stone and do a Top X of the most read posts on the House of Paincakes.  As it so

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-52847108859284374252012-03-01T19:57:00.002-05:002012-03-01T19:58:43.877-05:00

I just wanted to throw out a quick heads up for all the Intelligent Design fans out there.  Lo is running a kind of leftovers special over at her own blog (World of Wonder) and was too timid and polite to abuse her powers here at the House of Paincakes. The first interview is up in it's totality so you can see all the cool stuff that hit the cutting room floor for the actual posts that

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-45541678672349768282012-03-01T09:43:00.000-05:002012-03-01T09:43:00.728-05:00

Spring is in the air.  With that comes a desire in me to get some much needed cleaning done around the old game room.  And with that much needed cleaning came the realization that I have an ass load of spare parts laying around. One of the dethtron secrets to being a cheapskate and hoarding absolutely everything is hoarding absolutely everything.  Seriously, I don't throw much of anything out. 

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-55618533596304290352012-02-29T12:03:00.000-05:002012-02-29T12:03:57.271-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. My good time buddy, and simultaneously most hated enemy, the Ultimate Rival, is currently infuriated with me. Why, You ask? Well, it seems he's not happy with many of my opinions regarding Flames of War version 3. I gave the new rulebook a grade of C a few weeks back, and that really ground his gears. How dare I insinuate that Flames of War is not perfect? How dare I

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-47383244238771211542012-02-28T11:06:00.000-05:002012-02-28T11:06:55.256-05:00

Several of my friends went to a tournament at Warhammer World in Nottingham this weekend... This might not be an advert for the actual tournament they went to but it's close enough... As usual the venue was first class, the tables had a nice mix of scenery and there was a bar...but like many of Games Workshops events the 'fun at all costs' posse had decided to stick their fluffy bits into the

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-420846484664767552012-02-27T18:29:00.001-05:002012-02-27T22:02:44.344-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. Talkin' Flames of War. :) Yesh. What can I say? I'm happy. Flames of War 3rd is da awesome, especially when combined with some of the new lists in the Grey Wolf book. Well, for me it is, cuz I play Axis. Tee-hee. My Grenadiers have gotten considerably better, thanks to some of the new rules, like Combat Attachments increasing the stand count for platoons- ever so

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-61797703760386941362012-02-27T11:00:00.000-05:002012-02-27T11:00:01.488-05:00

Ladies, gentleman, man-children of all ages:  welcome to another funderful week at the House of Paincakes! man baby! This first post of the work week is designed to be a kind and gentle island of tranquility since Lo's Intelligent Design series has started wrap up.  Not to worry, Lo will still write for us, but what new treasures she will unearth are not known to the likes of me.   But man,

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-4217512088258285592012-02-26T10:13:00.000-05:002012-02-26T10:13:15.203-05:00

The Intelligent Design Series has been a lot of fun, and a huge challenge. For this series, I really wanted to talk about the elements a designer looks at when creating a new game for us to play. I wanted to address more than just a single piece of the puzzle, I hoped to touch on everything that is involved in new material. Designers think differently and put differing priorities on the various

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-23194512141832755702012-02-25T14:13:00.000-05:002012-02-25T14:13:37.633-05:00

Evenin' all. I have a confession to make. Much like fellow HoPist and righteous dude SinSynn, I've had a bit of a week of it. I've been away from base, and my mind has been occupied with Things That Aren't Blogging, and the long and the short of it is that it was 5.30 UK time before I even remembered that I hadn't planned, scripted, recorded, edited or posted the Show this week. And when I did

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-7479345179362112062012-02-24T16:37:00.000-05:002012-02-24T16:37:05.960-05:00

Hello everyone and welcome to another Weekly Top X chock full of snazzy information and only a slight bit of turpitude!  We had a training session which, I feel, should significantly cut down on all the wickedness and wrong doing that was going on.  I also made everyone shave their Snidely Whiplash mustaches as well.  That shit was getting seriously out of hand. Everyone looked like Jack

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-5465467308173334042012-02-23T08:38:00.001-05:002012-02-23T08:38:00.497-05:00

Yeah, that title is a bold statement.  It's also a true statement.  While this series has always focused on the consumer side of things, I'm actually going to put my education to work ('bout damn time) and get a little discussion going about one of the best moves I've seen from a company in a long long time.  Do you own a copy of Flames of War 2nd ed?  Really, well go to your FLGS ASAP, throw

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-7980993339006038882012-02-22T15:28:00.000-05:002012-02-22T15:28:35.872-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. Sorry my post is late, but a lil' sumpthin' came up, and I wasn't able to spend my usual time at the keyboard. In lieu of like, an actual post, I've got some (pretty bad) pics for you. Sigh. Listen, I tried for days to make this work properly, and take actual decent pics for youse guys. Obviously it didn't work out as well as I'd like, and for now you're stuck

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-47077163528281562892012-02-21T12:30:00.002-05:002012-02-21T12:30:00.409-05:00

Well hell, you didn't think your guy and gal pals here at HoP Headquarters would forget a few holidays, did you?  No, of course you didn't, and of course we didn't. honestly feared the worst, but the search for 'President Pancakes' turned out to be pretty tame in Google Image So we've got a hell of a holiday extravaganza to celebrate today what with it being Pancake Day in the UK, Fat

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-21558114710102409882012-02-21T10:50:00.001-05:002012-02-28T10:30:34.248-05:00

Rumours are something we come to expect in the world of Warhammer. Every potential new release comes with the usual selection of information from various sources. From the guy with 'inside' information, to the 'play-testers' who were using a version five years old with the odd bullshit wish-lister thrown into the mix we're given piles of information to sift through and most of it has one single

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-27684015285240451322012-02-20T11:00:00.000-05:002012-02-20T11:00:07.697-05:00

What's up ya'll!   The all year hootenanny that is the House of Paincakes continues! Before I get to the fine, disease free bloggers who joined us this week, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Kirby and his wild success with 3++ con!  Thins seemed to go pretty swimmingly and there's a ton of great post over on his blog. But as we all know, a tournament isn't truly successful until

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-5124467914355104692012-02-19T10:30:00.000-05:002012-02-19T10:30:07.114-05:00

That thrill. That incredible rush. That incredible sensation all over - my shin tightening, and my breath catching. all just from looking - I was terrified to touch, but couldn't wait to get my hands all over --- My first RPG and my true love While CB has made them all fancy, I adore Napoleonics something fierce I love "Planes on Sticks", also known as Blue Max  The emotional

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-54596972215825125742012-02-18T08:25:00.000-05:002012-02-18T08:25:27.859-05:00

Slightly shorter than usual this week 'cause my throat's packing in. Sorry if the voice isn't quite as sultry as usual, too. We come to it at last. I've been dancing around the whole issue of what to do with Undesirables at the gaming table for three months. Is this because I'm a spineless loser so desperate for friends that I'll put up with anything, or is there something more to it? Well

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-52111493715271350672012-02-17T19:48:00.001-05:002012-02-17T19:48:00.067-05:00

OK, so the HoP is probably not the first place you'd probably come to get rumors, but there's a reason for this- we don't like to participate in the dissemination of complete and utter horse shit.  Without some kind of hard evidence, most rules don't really hold up.  Here, I'll start one- Take this Internet.... Squats are coming in the Q4 black box next year.  Their background has been altered

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-52458977567660343682012-02-17T13:02:00.000-05:002012-02-17T13:02:17.946-05:00

Oh holy hell... I just took a trip through the way back machine and was forced to confront the fact that Brent and SinSynn made you all look at gross tentacle stuff waaaay back in September.  Here's the link in case you forgot what it was like.  I've come to think of it as something the House of Paincakes should make amends for.   Not because I feel bad about personally or anything, but just

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-45710777527054361392012-02-15T12:22:00.000-05:002012-02-15T12:22:17.734-05:00

Hey, folks. SinSynn here. When Grand Theft Auto IV released, my stepson immediately took a shine to the multiplayer mode known as Cops and Crooks. The premise of this game type is that one team plays Crooks, and attempts to reach a 'getaway vehicle,' while the other team of Cops tries to stop them. Well, that's the way it's SUPPOSED to be played- my stepson didn't see it that way. And so, the

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-39880970009755653532012-02-14T13:35:00.001-05:002012-02-14T13:38:00.307-05:00

Yes, this was once a series that I attempted to write for Blood of Kittens and no, I was never able to fully realize it.  The idea was to put a soundtrack to each of the races and factions of 40K.  Overly ambitious- yes!  Crazy of me to think I could write for 3 or more blogs at once- certainly!  At any rate, I got through about a third of the races before real life took over and I had to

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-2149589921125835502012-02-13T15:00:00.000-05:002012-02-13T15:14:12.323-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. Time to crack open the new Flames of War 3rd Edition rulebook, and see what's goin' on! No preamble necessary, amirite? Let's just get right to it. *Still has that 'new rulebook' smell* First off, the book itself is a hefty bit o' work, thick and heavy. It's full color, and printed on slick, glossy paper- very nice. At the staggering price of FRIGGIN' FREE, it

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-19958482927294157262012-02-13T11:00:00.000-05:002012-02-13T11:00:07.181-05:00

Hello everyone!  I'll keep this brief since many of you will no doubt need as much time as you can get to jeer at the re-release of The Phantom Menace.  In 3D no less.  And by all means, heap as much derision on that cinematic stillbirth as you can.  Give in to your hate.  Not only is it a bad movie, but it also puts the relative quality of episodes IV, V, VI in stark relief.  The Phantom Menace

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-46541099679802075552012-02-12T19:14:00.001-05:002012-02-12T19:14:07.003-05:00

I know you we're all expecting to see another wonderful Musings article courtesy of the incomparable Loquacious, but she's having a birfday and has the day off.  So it's up to me to entertain you this fine Sunday Evening.  Now I just need to make sure I do as good a job of her as she did for me. Only I don't have that handsome rapscallion, SinSynn, to help me out.  But come to think of it he

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-12739099180985029352012-02-11T07:14:00.000-05:002012-02-11T07:14:39.536-05:00

Games in Recession "I think that's one reason why football is so popular again - it's a game which the citizen can focus on, where the rules are defined. Unlike his life. The citizen is becoming a pawn in a game where nobody knows the rules, where everybody consequently doubts that there are rules at all, and where the vocabulary has been diminished to such an extent that nobody is even

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-9823110113121034982012-02-10T11:33:00.000-05:002012-02-10T11:33:04.335-05:00

No I said Selleck, not Stelek...geez  As one gets older, one is faced with a seemingly endless stream of bullshit.  Do I really need new brakes for my car?  How do groceries disappear so quickly?  Where have all of my friends moved? And that latter dilemma is the one we'll be concerned with today.  What happens when you've got a regular game night going and all of your friends begin to move

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-10204141291872625592012-02-09T15:03:00.002-05:002012-02-09T15:04:13.188-05:00

Hello ladies, gentleman and people who reject rigid definitions of gender.  While we're waiting for Dethtron's weekly Gaming on a Budget, I thought I'd share a neat chunk of content from one of our many, amazing blog roll members. Col. Dracus over at his very own Journal has posted some rules for an interesting 40k campaign that has rally caught my imagination.  It's quick, it's easy and I think

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-40623229751445279952012-02-08T11:49:00.000-05:002012-02-08T13:57:38.573-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here.  The problem with having a Hamster living in your head is that sometimes, he gets out. Well, that's one of the problems. I don't wanna get into the whole 'waste management' issue. Trust me, you don't wanna know. So lemme tell you what happened the other day. I'm sleeping, and.... 'Sinsynn....wake up.' .... 'Oh, fer the love of....WAKE UP!' 'What? Huh? I was

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-777968694521223392012-02-07T10:56:00.000-05:002012-02-07T10:56:16.012-05:00

There is an old saying that goes something like "No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy". Of course this is a fair point but even the most poorly organised of military forces have at least a vague idea of what they're going to do..... Many 40K players however seem to have no idea about what their units are going to do once their on the table and that's if they've even bothered to

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-25210950698257120042012-02-06T19:21:00.004-05:002012-02-06T19:21:51.369-05:00

Just a quick announcement for this fine Monday evening.  Thor from Creative Twilight has taken up the mantle of last year's Old Stuff day.  I'll let him explain: Last year Rob at Warhammer 39,999 began Old Stuff Day. In short, it’s a day where every blogger showcases articles they’ve done over past year (or longer), that might have fallen off the radar, maybe it’s just something you’d like to

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-6967888075234927702012-02-06T11:30:00.000-05:002012-02-06T12:54:56.611-05:00

Hello, everyone and welcome to our 77th week of operation!  It's not too important a milestone, I just wanted to thank everyone for making it possible and making it great. Additional and special thanks to Lo and SinSynn for their version of a birfday present last Friday   It was thoughtful and hilarious.  Much like The Life Aquatic or C.H.U.D. Though I do feel like I have to make one tiny

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-50548169109753651682012-02-05T17:45:00.002-05:002012-02-05T18:19:20.208-05:00

I'm back from my break. I'm talking about the TONE of games and how that effects design, or how design effects tone, dependent on the situation. I think it might help to define tone, so we can break it down and talk about it among ourselves. I found two definitions that really work for my purposes today: 1) accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion 2) the set of qualities that

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-81645214976881871352012-02-04T07:04:00.000-05:002012-02-04T07:04:42.480-05:00

Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds, laid bare... all your sins, punished? Well, tough shit. You failed your saving throw. You know the drill - three dice, six times, in order! This week, the Von Show will tackle a subject dear to my heart – death Specifically, character death. More specifically still, player character death. If you really want to know how a

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-87134541365145445772012-02-03T09:12:00.001-05:002012-02-03T10:13:05.003-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here, with the lovely Loquacious, and a special House of Paincakes Investigative Report. Followed by an apology, most likely.And a redaction... Maybe you've heard the rumors: 6th Edition 40k is coming soon, or not. But look! There's like, a PDF...or something. A new Tau Codex is only weeks away. Or maybe months.. It's coming, though, sometime. Maybe. New Black Templars too!

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-33683340738947418602012-02-02T09:15:00.000-05:002012-02-02T09:15:00.177-05:00

Perhaps you've heard of this new fangled thing that they've got now called the Internet.  I even hear they've got it on computers now.  And did you know that you can use it to save money on your gaming addiction?  Well you can.  I'm not advocating anything crazy like illegally downloading gaming materials.  No, that is illegal and immoral.  There are tons of things that you can do, legally,

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-38575498843115873262012-02-01T10:56:00.000-05:002012-02-01T10:56:03.957-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. Life can be a lil' crazy, amirite? Sometimes, sitting down for a bit o' hobby time may be the only thing that saves the lives of my friends and family. ...Like when your stepson edits your XBox Live 'bio' to sound like an advertisement for a male escort service.    -_- Other times, when I'm flitting about, overly caffeinated and...maybe being annoying, the humans in

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-2311300470632518962012-01-31T10:50:00.001-05:002012-01-31T10:50:38.971-05:00

Like most games of it's type Warhammer 40K uses a points system to manage size of games and to indicate the relative 'worth' of a unit. A unit that costs four points is going to be absolutely shit but hopefully can hopefully survive and win through sheer weight of numbers. A 500 point unit conversely should be able to have a massive impact on the game that's equivalent to it's worth... and

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-32679584996746620642012-01-30T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-30T11:00:03.571-05:00

Hello everyone!  It's another opportunity filled week here at the House of Paincakes. What opportunity you say?  Why, the opportunity of a lifetime - blog promotion!   For the last few Weekly Top X's, I've been experimenting with a new format.  The basic idea is to create a sort of topic guide using the HoP blog roll search engine to dig as deeply as possible into your output.  But here's

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-43116893087919225372012-01-29T11:55:00.001-05:002012-01-29T11:55:10.105-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. The lovely, luminous Loquacious is doin' the gamestore thing at a Hobby Convention somewhere, which means I'll be filling in today. Uh...yeah. Sorry 'bout that. But hey, when Lo' and theDude come back, I'm sure they'll have lotsa cool pics and whatnot, so there's that to look forward to... In the meantime, let's hang out a bit, shall we? We'll talk about our guilty

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-89833826569993666722012-01-28T06:53:00.000-05:002012-01-28T06:53:35.988-05:00

Yes yes yes I know the numbering's slipped.  This is what happens when you change your mind halfway through a three-week dump of pre-recorded footage that you hastily edit while you should be working.  Normal service, i.e. the single-week dump of fresh-recorded footage that I hastily edit while I should be working, has now been resumed.  I blame any factual errors, lapses into slackjawed silence,

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-37432321256633890862012-01-27T14:31:00.000-05:002012-01-27T14:31:27.479-05:00

For one brief moment I was going to do this week's Top X on the 6th edition leak.  But I pulled back at the last second.  I just can't shake the fact that most of you out there just don't care about a rule set that is  maybe half real or probably mostly fake. The last attempts with this new 'search and return' format have been focused on the written word.  But what about a more visual

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-60820877837183646042012-01-26T17:54:00.002-05:002012-01-27T03:38:51.229-05:00

Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of gaming on a budget!  Dethtron's tied up with a little something he likes to call "ensuring I can pay my mortage" - whatever THAT means - so I'm filling in. As usual, my contribution will be a little off beat, but I won't be asking you to spend a bunch of money or trying to stretch a paragraph's worth of information on plastic bags out to a full post

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-80558403658064110112012-01-25T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-25T13:50:00.279-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. Man, do I love me some Tau Crisis Suits. I mean, seriously, I'm an anime, sci-fi kinda guy, and...I love me some Crisis Suits. Well, everything except the little 'ball in socket' ankles, which sit in their big, mechanical feet. ...cuz they always break. If a Crisis Suit takes a tumble, and does that hideous 'skittering across the floor' thing that models do when

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-25572104614570962882012-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-24T11:00:20.735-05:00

I don't like change. The saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it" seems entirely fine as a philosophy to me.  Of course with Games Workshop involved we need to also add the slightly paraphrased saying "If it ain't broke don't break it..." As pretty much all 40K players who have been paying attention are aware a certain 'document' has hit the internet which is supposed to be the 6th edition 

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-63470146814754929902012-01-23T15:00:00.000-05:002012-01-23T15:00:00.903-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. In Flames of War, list design begins with picking your flavor- Infantry, Mech, or Tanks. After that, a 'combined arms' list seems a safe approach, doesn't it? A few mandatory core units, supported by some anti-tank assets and artillery certainly sounds like a good idea. Combined arms is how war is done in real life, after all. Flames of War is a game, though. Despite

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-46429655543714386512012-01-23T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-23T11:00:05.719-05:00

Hello and Welcome back to the House of Paincakes!  It's, perhaps, been a while (maybe).  Have you lost weight?  You look great!  Very sexually harassable. So, so harassable. This message approved by Herman Cain Incidentally, have you ever tried to have a serious conversation about the House of Paincakes?  I know I have, and boy howdy does our name make it difficult. Anyway, we're fired up

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-28255660691832463562012-01-22T13:08:00.002-05:002012-01-22T13:08:55.951-05:00

This week, I'm taking the basic "pillars" of mechanics and looking beyond the basics. I'm examining what works, what doesn't, and ways to make the basics work for a more fun game. I'm talking to a lot of folks, and I've gotten some great feedback. Let's get to it. ACTION-Most of the folks I talked to had other things on their minds, but David Morgan-Mar's article had a lot to say about

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-65788014169352671252012-01-21T11:26:00.000-05:002012-01-21T11:26:44.153-05:00

Funnily enough, after the comments on the last two weeks' instalments that suggested the death of player characters and the differences between games as Important Things To Discuss, this week's third and final instalment of the increasingly-poorly-edited 'Balance of Power' conversation touches on just those things.  Hark waxes philosophical about under-achieving goblins, being crushed by tanks

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-75448642627682877992012-01-20T14:06:00.000-05:002012-01-21T14:53:16.029-05:00

Right, right, right - it's Friday, the HoP blog roll search feature is humming along at full power and you're all waiting for a post.  It's Top X time!  All we need now is a topic. Let's go with a topic torn from yesterday's headlines and see what the new Vampire Counts release has to offer us besides an epic WTF moment. you could say I'm 'reanimating' the topic.  As I was last time, I will

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-78100523697372624842012-01-19T12:03:00.001-05:002012-01-19T12:52:52.756-05:00

I apologize in advance to anybody who was looking forward to it, but today there shall be no 'Gaming on a Budget.'  It's not that Ive run out of ideas (that'll be my excuse for next week [I kid, we've got stories for years, like Marge becomes a robot...]), but I've developed a rather large ingrown hair in my ass regarding a certain necromancer.  I'm feeling the need to deal with that and eschew

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-78072392027084841562012-01-18T10:59:00.001-05:002012-01-18T10:59:50.307-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. The Hamster that lives in my head is a lil' tired today, it seems. 'It's your fault,' he's muttering morosely. 'I'm sorry, Hamster...what's that you say?' Uh, oh...he looks disgruntled, and grumpy. 'I said it's your fault. How can you possibly be this annoying and deaf at the same time?' 'Uh...I'm sorry. I'll try to be less...deaf, I guess.' 'No change on the

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-55109109135737621662012-01-16T14:02:00.001-05:002012-01-16T14:02:51.849-05:00

Hello everyone!  It's another fantabulous week at the House of Paincakes.  I don;t know why I have to keep telling you that.  You guys should really mark your calendars.  Like, for serious.  If it helps, think of the suggestion as a continuation of Dethtron's most recent and always excellent Gaming on a Budget. For those of you who didn't know, it's  Martin Luther King Jr. day here in America

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-9665331477215278512012-01-15T12:22:00.000-05:002012-01-15T12:22:10.628-05:00

I started out this series by talking about the elements that make a “good game”. I brought up art, mechanics, tone (also called setting or world), emotional connection and the ability to pull it all together. I’m hoping to break each of those pillars down even further, so that we can examine them and see how each one fits into a well-designed game. What do I mean, break down? Well, maybe not

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-34057375225511459562012-01-14T16:24:00.004-05:002012-01-20T14:34:44.893-05:00

Continuing from where we left off, with ref: sticking d4s up noses and things GMs have to put a stop to.  No lengthy introduction this week, I've got to get down the shops for my Vampire Counts book, about which I will no doubt have some words to say later over 'ere. As a player, you have to at least try and keep yourself under control slightly, and if not you at least have to know that when

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-37703876258867791802012-01-13T17:00:00.000-05:002012-01-14T16:47:28.646-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. So, having survived my first two FoW Tournaments, I return to you filled with deep thoughts and much wisdom.... Or, maybe not so much...heh. ;) For starters, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Cellar Dwellers, a fine bunch of gentlemen who apparently roll into rival clubs wearing cool matching shirts, flashing gangs signs....and then leave with all the prizes...

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-24532199584514910602012-01-13T13:37:00.000-05:002012-01-13T13:39:52.632-05:00

Contrary to at least one person's fears, the Weekly Top X is not a dead duck.  It's a very much alive duck.  It still floats and everything!  It just needed some time off so i could enter almost 400 URL's into the House of Paincakes Blogroll Search. See, I told you this would keep coming up. Today's Top X is going to be quite a bit different than the normal formats. Today I'm posting up a

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-11231037219765777322012-01-12T21:50:00.000-05:002012-01-12T21:50:44.404-05:00

Porky took some time out of his busy schedule over at the Expanse to drop us a line concerning something he felt we needed to promote.  He explained everything to us and we immediately agreed with his appraisal of the situation. We also mentally noted how awesome it was that his promotion request wasn't for himself, but for Hereticwerks.  That's community, people! Anyway, I'll  let Porky do

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-4516003549791886262012-01-12T11:38:00.001-05:002012-01-12T11:39:50.034-05:00

Hey there kiddos, I'm back after surviving Gathering all the Magic of the past that I could.  Today's class will be on a topic near and dear to my heart- time. Simply put, there's never enough of it and it becomes quite valuable, much like money.  Budgeting your time is just as important as budgeting your.... budget? While I could spend all day extending the multimedia explosion begun last week

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-53989178136507069722012-01-11T10:41:00.000-05:002012-01-11T10:41:50.029-05:00

'Just because we have the internet doesn't mean we all have to play the same.' -James S, of Warp Signal fame Hey folks, SinSynn here. I imagine if you look at any particular gaming 'community,' whether it be RPG's, mini games, or card based games...or board games or anything really, one might perceive it as 'fragmented.' This so-called fragmentation can caused by anything, really, but here on

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-11543444929121276952012-01-10T10:53:00.000-05:002012-01-10T10:53:02.767-05:00

I started a blog for no reason other than I thought it would be a good idea, I also thought that I would always have something to talk about...All I needed to do was find my 'Niche' and all the Internet could bask in the warm glow of my brilliance..... I play games a lot of the time so I figured that there would always be some tactical insight to share or at the very least I could do a

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-12701672685415099432012-01-09T17:17:00.001-05:002012-01-09T17:17:59.776-05:00

Hello all!  It's another week at the coolest blog network ever (that's the House of Paincakes, btw) and we've got a nice new batch of blogs to share. But first, did you notice the new HoP blog roll search?  It's over there on the right.  Plus, you can read about it here.  Which you should do.  Which you HAVE to do.  Obviously, if you already saw the announcement on Friday then you're excused

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-31887098582675895002012-01-08T10:13:00.001-05:002012-01-09T15:28:02.467-05:00

I know I said that this week I would be talking about mechanics and game design- and the intelligent design series will return next week, I promise. However, since we didn't move to a larger location, we decided to improve the one we had. Yesterday I spent the day making physical improvements to my store. This was an exceptionally long project and any chance at writing I thought I would have went

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-72354318762521217522012-01-06T15:36:00.002-05:002012-01-20T14:51:51.823-05:00

A'right.  This week I'm trying for something a wee bit different as we're talking more about things from the player's perspective, and that's not something I know too much about, so I've recruited Hark and we've done a bit of a double-header.  In fact we've done a lot of a double-header - there's about five times as much material as I usually record (this is what not having a script will do for

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-37952254139824127852012-01-06T14:38:00.000-05:002012-01-06T14:39:03.978-05:00

Normally on a Friday, there'd be a Top X to read.  But not today. Normally, someone from our crack staff of ace journalists would sift through the blog rolls and select 5-12 posts to promote.  It's actually some pretty solid  fun with a hefty dose of self edification.  But there are a couple of flaws - it's time consuming, it's not all that guided and it leaves people out. That last bit is

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-69176096622395817552012-01-05T10:38:00.001-05:002012-01-05T10:38:51.720-05:00

Paul Destroys the Universe All right guys and gals, it's the final day. Everything has been building to this. We've even added ANOTHER commentator to the mix since today is very special to him. What we have here is a multimedia explosion. I only mention it because it's literally the first time I've gotten to use that phrase for serious.Uglyraincoat: Next Year’s Only Hit Single. dethtron:  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-47284521928370993372012-01-04T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-04T14:00:02.350-05:00

dethtron:  Lauby, I don’t think I can adequately dedicate myself to discussing this card.  Every time I look at your art I lose my shit. Lauby:  Haha!  This was the pinnacle of my skill with going dumpster diving in Google images.  You know...  now that I think about it, I’m just now noticing the kind of War in Heaven theme we have going on in this set- Jesus, the halo on Billy Ruben, the use

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-17184809903270481902012-01-04T04:50:00.024-05:002012-01-04T09:58:47.144-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. During my interminable stay on this miserable globe, I've notice many strange, recurring behavior patterns you Humans exhibit. For example, every year around this time, you like to look back, and reflect upon what has occurred during your previous Terran calender year. Also, you like to hand out meaningless awards. *I purchased these on E-Bay* While I find these

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-9940106244376841472012-01-03T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:00:01.152-05:00

Lauby:  This actually would have been a nice land if we tweaked it a bit.  Either add a second mana option or ditch the sacrificial aspect of it I’m thinking  Yes, it’s a totally boring reference to the challenges of fishing in man-made lakes, but in an alternative universe, a card series like this is the kind of thing that could skew an entire metagame.  I declare the alternative universe us’s

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-7340207534356904262012-01-03T04:40:00.001-05:002012-01-03T09:59:42.122-05:00

A few of my friends are practising for a tournament in the near future and as usual my home became the 'training ground' for the test of these new armies. While we were 'helping' each other with the tweaking of these lists, the inevitable discussion about playing against cheating bastards occurred..... However while relating these amusing tales to one another it became evident that what each

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15751293832295954672012-01-02T15:00:00.000-05:002012-01-02T16:17:21.544-05:00

Lauby:  Speaking of drunk driving...     Uglyraincoat: It is funny because it is offensive to a certain group of people’s lifestyle.  [Face palm.]  Lauby:  What are you talking about? This is a perfectly fine salute to our country’s proud yokel heritage.  It’s pretty much the most powerful card we made and my favorite card to play as a result.  It IS America to me.dethtron:  AMURICA!!!!!

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-80132714770650144042012-01-02T12:22:00.002-05:002012-01-02T12:22:37.023-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!  I trust you've all recovered from your massive hangovers.  If not, then what the hell happaned!?  It's a new calendar year at the HoP and our first crop of new members is a great way to start things up (especially nice when paired with the amazing post by Lo on Monday). But first, I need to do a little bit of a public service.  Now, It's a couple days late, but the

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-24025730973163177882012-01-01T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-01T14:00:00.900-05:00

Lauby:  Here’s a nod to the bane of camper’s everywhere.  The raccoons that hung around out campsite were particularly well fed since even if you’re a classy drunk, you’re still a drunk.  I guess what I’m saying is that properly storing your food is not likely to happen.  And then all your paella and port are gone. Uglyraincoat:  However, they are extra cuddly in case you forget your pillow.  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-85225539505530390572012-01-01T11:03:00.001-05:002012-01-01T14:17:09.273-05:00

Welcome everyone and Happy New Year! I hope your hangovers aren't too bad, because I'm doing some serious discussions about art and its place in game design. Last time around, I mentioned that there are various stages in the creation of art. I really only touched on what I meant; giving the merest of hints at what's in store for you today. I gave an overview of the factors of art in game

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-49331861533795976112011-12-31T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-31T14:00:00.636-05:00

dethtron:  even if this has nothing to do with Fishmas, this card with its super convoluted rules will always have a special place in my heart. Lauby:  Mine too.  It’s not just the fact that we created a card just to justify our use of the banding mechanic, but the fact that we forgot to write ‘legendary’ on the card type.  An amazing fact that we didn’t realize it until there were two Jesuses

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-40978683847278447582011-12-30T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-30T14:00:00.052-05:00

dethtron:  finally, a card truly worthy of a trip to the hospital. Lauby:  I’m going to go on record as saying that this is our best designed card.  It’s super aggressive but with just enough of a draw back to really make using it a risk.  A risk that Bernie was ALWAYS willing to take despite the fact that it was constantly being burned off the table as soon as it hit.  Which is a good way to

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-61253571034419813352011-12-30T09:08:00.000-05:002011-12-30T12:17:05.796-05:00

Lauby leaves the HOP control room to take care of some personal business... and the cameras shift to what appears to be a set of a dungeon, almost like a television show....but not quite.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hearing the door to his cell open, the tiny Xeno hung his head.  They were coming to beat him again, surely. He had

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15640862661374461082011-12-29T12:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T12:00:01.322-05:00

Lauby:  see... this is the thing that really irritated me about the whole Bill-bo Shaggins incident.  Bill already had a damn card!  It just didn’t have his name on it. Uglyraincoat: Yeah, but it doesn’t capture the essence of Bill, even if he looks cool.  Which brings us to our next card, the source of the conflict: Uglyraincoat: A tribute to the driving force

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-5316164329808754572011-12-28T14:22:00.000-05:002011-12-28T14:28:43.316-05:00

dethtron:  Ok, I know I don’t like being photographed (due to my Amish heritage), but was there not a picture where my jeans and sweater don’t look like the same color?Lauby:  Oh no!  Your secret identity!  Now everyone will know what you looked like 6 years ago.  And that you were a boring corporate drone.  Actually, yeah... sorry about that.dethtron:  Well this isn’t exactly the first

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-36507077728299956842011-12-28T06:08:00.015-05:002011-12-28T09:49:57.127-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. Hey, did you ever get all psyched up to play a game of...whatever, and after you deployed all of yer lil' troopie guys and whatnot you looked over the table and you thought to yerself, "Meself, there is no way in hell I can win this game." ....and then you get pounded into lil' red meaty chunks for the next hour or so? Did you ever have this happen at a Tournament?

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-22533815033369384372011-12-27T14:02:00.001-05:002011-12-27T14:02:27.965-05:00

 Lauby: I had a lot of fun making the art on this one.  Googling for images of people on fire was a rate treat.   Uglyraincoat: The elemental’s portly shape is pleasant, accentuated by his can-do body language.  Additionally, the upkeep cost is the single most poetic use of a game mechanic to represent life that I’ve ever seen.  If you don’t tend your elemental it will slowly burn out.  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-11272304619747709522011-12-27T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T11:00:06.462-05:00

So then...soon we'll be switching from one year to another, new years resolutions will be made and then broken almost instantly and a good few people will be using this 'landmark' as motivation for a change. Of course there's always people with the opposite view-point that say that change is a bad thing. They do have a point... But as this is a war-games site rather than a place to go to

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-85937402940611558552011-12-26T14:08:00.000-05:002011-12-26T14:09:09.234-05:00

Hello and welcome to another week at the House of Paincakes!  I trust that if you're reading this, it means that you survived the first leg of the holiday season.  If not, then my condolences to you and your loved ones - but good on you for still being able to read! Our posting schedule will still be a bit off until we get past new years and the annual "massive hangover we only sort of regret".

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-86681646134435951002011-12-26T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T14:03:37.121-05:00

 Lauby:  Ah yes.  Banding.  We were so totally into that for this set.  Some kind of hilarious nod to the card design of our youths.   Uglyraincoat: Perhaps this would have gotten used if it was an enchantment, rather than an instant.  Or if it didn’t require only one type of creature.  Plus, I am allergic to this many cats.  Dethtron:  I would maybe pay 0 mana to play this as an instant.  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-62146354023448668602011-12-25T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T14:04:23.128-05:00

Uglyraincoat:  It is good sometimes not to know things.  For example: this is a real fish.  They are a freshwater species that can jump some 6 feet out of the water to catch food (including birds), earning them the moniker “water monkey.”  It reminds me a lot of other big blue creatures in its ability to gain flying, and it nails the true spirit of island magic way better than djinn’s and other

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-20982163735617403002011-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:002011-12-25T10:00:00.993-05:00

It's, umm.  Special.

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-64314241407851624382011-12-24T13:40:00.002-05:002011-12-24T13:41:28.393-05:00

A Holiday Message from D. Tron Boys and ghouls do we ever have a treat for you this Christmas. Back in the annals of history the gang had an annual spring fishing trip known only as Fishmas. While this is sadly now a thing of the past, we thought we’d share a little Magic the Gathering set we created to commemorate 2007’s Fishmas the Gathering. The HoP’s Christmas gift to you all will be to

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-82829326581804309782011-12-23T17:09:00.002-05:002011-12-23T17:09:40.818-05:00

Well HELL yes it's bold! 1) Gone to Ground - Warmachine the Way I See It: The Intro. A  BOLD  new series for a BOLD game!  I know I'm looking forward to future installments.  It'll be like those "let's play X' threads you see on Something Awful - only I'll actually care about the game being discussed. 2) The Buddy Times - SUPER! Dungeon Explore - Review, Part: the 2nd We've seen some

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-65105763245690755592011-12-22T11:35:00.000-05:002011-12-22T11:35:38.927-05:00

Yeah yeah yeah, there's no such thing as a free lunch and all that, but barring any emotional debt that your family and friends might put on you, the holidays are a great time to pad out your gaming collection for free- all you've got to do is let people know what you want.  And with Chanukah now underway, Christmas around the corner, Kwanza coming soon or having just happened (?), and your

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-7137363232810748522011-12-21T01:39:00.017-05:002011-12-21T09:59:50.353-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. There are certain phrases that get bandied about in the 40k Community, and at this point they are quite annoying to me. This one gets me every time: '40k is a beer and pretzels game, it was never meant to be played competitively.' Usually another favorite of mine can be found lurking in the same thread/post/comment section: 'You're ruining the game.' Nowadays, I

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-33457853017005811972011-12-20T11:16:00.001-05:002011-12-20T12:05:32.504-05:00

Taking a big X-mas sized break from my usual fare, I'm going to talk to you all about role-playing today.  More specifically, I'm going to give you a list of the top 5 reasons I'm no longer allowed to be a player character. You see, I generally am the one running the show as a DM, GM, or whatever.  I'll brag for a second and flat out say that I can weave a pretty good yarn and can keep a group

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-46336652726981145492011-12-19T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-19T15:00:00.927-05:00

A big HoP sized apology to all of the Von Show fans.  We totally forgot to post this on Saturday, so please to be enjoying episode five today. Before we begin: I am not actually as fat as my slouchy couch and the ruddy camera make me appear to be in this video.  I am slightly potbellied, all right? Rah rah, script after the cut, you know how it is. Loquacious had some words to say

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-18758459797092709512011-12-19T14:01:00.000-05:002011-12-19T14:01:48.751-05:00

HELLO AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER WONDERFUL WEEK AT YE OLDEN HOUSE OF PAINCAKES!  WE'VE GOT A PRETTY EXCITING SURPRISE FOR YOU CLOSER TO X-MAS... ACTUALLY TWO SURPRISES.  IT'S WHY I'M SHOUTING.  BUT IT'S NOT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW.  BUT I'LL CONTINUE SHOUTING ANYWAYS SINCE IT'S THE, ADMITTEDLY, THIN PREMISE THAT TODAY'S UPDATE IS BASED ON. BEFORE I GET STARTED ON THE NEW MEAT, I JUST WANTED

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-36686610201583862011-12-18T19:26:00.000-05:002011-12-18T19:26:57.944-05:00

By Odin's beard have we got a doozy of a contest to share with you from one of our member sites.  Paul (if that is indeed his real name) over at For Holy Terra is holding a reverse painting contest.  While perhaps not exciting in the same way as a reverse cowgirl contest, this one still looks like a great time.  In the spirit of the season Paul is giving away a Space Marine Battleforce on his

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-82382642036171873892011-12-18T09:26:00.001-05:002011-12-18T14:51:05.242-05:00

Last week, I started a series on Intelligent Design in gaming.  I identified elements that seem to be common among gamers- including our first subject: Art.  Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.- Wikipedia.org  I find this particular way

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-43119012406491690832011-12-16T13:29:00.000-05:002011-12-16T13:29:00.774-05:00

Last week I finally figured out exactly what kind of title will draw the most people into a Top X.  I've tried jokes, strange literary references, making fun of Brent - to name a few.  But it turns out that you're all a bunch of damn drunks! This week I'm combining in a new idea.  Or at least introducing it slowly.   If you've made it this far, then I'm sorry to say that alcohol and

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-51039067506383498372011-12-15T09:00:00.002-05:002011-12-15T09:00:04.363-05:00

The week of me discussing my the folder full of Magic the Gathering decklists I recently found on my lost flash drive from 2006 continues.  This time I'll be putting the Gaming on a Budget spin on it. Oddly enough, this entire article was written over 5 years ago in its entirety (intro and minor editing notwithstanding), proving that a) mid-twenties dethtron is pretty much as big of an asshole as

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-51241488816963875692011-12-14T16:30:00.000-05:002011-12-15T02:25:57.590-05:00

A looooong time ago, 40k for the New Professional had a different URL.  There was lots of great content including a very cool series about the interchange of ideas between IRL and the games we play.  Then Google ate everything without any explanation and he was never able to retrieve it.   It was a pretty sad day.  The House of Paincakes flag was flown at half mast.  But not the US flag since

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0