Space! The Final Frontier.

  

      Yes, I am aware that my title suggest a Star Trek posting, and having a Star Wars wargaming picture first thing can be upsetting, I will have to let you all in on a little secret! I like both Star Trek and Star Wars equally. Somehow, typing this statement should be the end of the world, but I assure you that we will survive. And if my demise happens, I am sure that you dear readers of this post will. This could be another bad plot for a horror movie: the post that kills.
    The real reason for my title is the fact that I know and meet tons of people who play space games. Most of the rage is with X-Wing and Star Wars: Amanda. Star Trek: Attack Wing does not seem to be as popular, but I really think it is about availability. And I have not seen Battlestar Galactica anywhere, but at wargaming conventions. I have seen both Star Wars games in every hobby shop and even in Barnes & Noble. In either case, during a tournament at the local Hobbytown, U.S.A., one of the gamers asked why I did not play (in this case, X-Wing). I told him that at the moment that I was booked with projects. This seems like crappy excuse to most anyone who plays any of these games, since you do not have to do much to get started. You do not need to even paint the miniatures, since they are done for you. But as silly as an excuse as it is for us, really me, it is!
   I have played a few varied spaces games. Kalissa and I had played some X-Wing on the first two weeks when it came out. It is amazing how awesome dear ol' Wedge Antilles can takedown multiple Tie Fighters along with Darth Vader. The Force was not strong with him, since Kalissa was Wedge!  Despite this fact, we really were not branching out into newer games at the time. And now that we do play newer games, we tend to invest in games that we can both play and cross use terrain. And there in lies the problem. Terrain! When I look at these space games, especially with Attack Wing and X-Wing, there seems to be a lack of game investment. It is true that it still costs money, but I am talking the other investment of time. This includes making terrain to painting and/or building models. I have seen a few interesting things done in this games, but to me, these games feel a little flat. Example: Star Wars: Armada tends to be more of a naval game than a space game to me. I realized my feeling about this while watching Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. In the movie, Captain Kirk mentioned how Khan was using Two Dimensional thinking in warfare. Oddly, the same problems that were later realized in WWII. I guess that is what bothers me with these games: they should be 3D games like dogfight games, such as, Check Your 6 or Angel's 20.
    If these ship games were more 3D, I could definitely want to make the terrain for it, but I would find that Kalissa and I would probably be the only ones daring enough in our area to play these games this way. However, I am not saying these games are terrible; I just think they could be cooler in 3D with newer dynamics!  The hope is not gone, though! I have seen some creative things happening with X-Wing. Examples below:

A girl I have seen every-so-often decided to paint her stuff this way. She received a lot of flak for this. It's her stuff!

Nothing like throwing a little Spaceballs in a game. "Only one man would give me the raspberry....Lone Star!" I also liked they added 3D asteroids to this game. It makes so much more of a difference. *

       It might take time for me to join the dogfighting in space, unless they come out with a game for The Last Starfighter. Great movie.  Below are some more pictures of dogfighting space games.
 
  

Star Trek: Attack Wing. I always thought this was a curious name, since there are no real wings on these ships.

Star Wars: Armada.

X-Wing.

Star Trek. *

Battlestar Galactica *

Battlestar Galactica, *

This seemed to be a mix of everything! * 

k

How cool is this! Obviously, it would be asking a lot for someone to bring this out weekly. *

       Now, even though, I mentioned my reasons for not getting to space games, that really was not just restricted to dogfight/naval space games. Actually skirmish games also apply, and I am not talking about Warhammer 40K. That is a whole other realm of thoughts that range from the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I am talking about Sci-fi space-themed games such as Mars Attacks, Dune, Aliens vs. Predator, or even, a Star Wars game. If there was a game to pick up, it would be the Aliens vs. Predator game. My first figures were Aliens back in the early 90's that were pure lead and probably would kill a kid who chewed on it for two minutes, which he/she would have deserved for such treachery! I am not sure what happened to them, but I really missed them, since for the past few years, I have only seen a few figures on eBay in passing.  Lucky, some brilliant people (Prodos Games) came out with a Kickstarter board game for my interest in Aliens. So eventually, I will get this game for the sake of the Aliens. I did not care for the Predators as much, unless I dip into Jungle warfare like Vietnam. "Get to the chopper!"
        Terrain wise, I found multiple places for a Space Station in resin. I figured I could place it on top off the plenty of Space terrain mats that several companies have been making. They are truly done nice. Have aliens running through duct work ambushing unsuspecting civilians or a SMART Gunner. That would be awesome!

How I am resisting this is even amazing to me! I found this work on the internet. *

"Take you hands off her, you Bitch!" *

A game of Dune for control of the Spice.

Dune. *

 

Star Wars.

Star Wars.

Star Wars. Walkers, that's what I am talking about!

     Anyway, it will be a while for the Space Game. It probably will live long and prosper before I get around to it. When I do, I will most likely go all out like usual.

 Disclaimer: All of these pictures marked with an (*) are not my original pictures. I just used them for entertaining purposes. If this bothers any of the owners of such pictures, please politely let me know.