Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

“The LEGO Group, specifically, is especially disapproving of these kinds of things”

…but this seems a little too battalions-of-orcs-and-elves-fighting-on-a-battlefield for my liking, there must be some games out there that involve using lego for its intended purpose. Something a bit more like these, but more like a proper strategy game. Any ideas anyone?

Oh, and while I’m at it, anyone want to organise a gaming day sometime? I hear none happened while I was away, which suggests one (or both) of (a) nobody really likes it, you’re just humouring me or (b) you’re all a lazy bunch of disorganised rabble. Its a difficult call. I can’t host right now, though.


Categories: Memories.

/ 20 Comments

20 comments

  2. scifilittlemy

    Laser Squad Nemesis

    If your looking for something on line Stouters plays LSN
    which is a play by email turn based combat. £15 per quarter. There’s a league or you can play friendlies. Stouters would love to give you a game. His username is Viridian Alien Horde

    Reply
    • neilh

      Re: Laser Squad Nemesis

      We had an irregular series of board gaming days, often at my house in Buckland, but elsewhere too, but they’re all useless and didn’t bother continuing while I was away. Gotta get a house with a war-room…

      Reply
      • scifilittlemy

        Re: Laser Squad Nemesis

        Well if you ever get set up in Buckland again let’s us know. Stout and I play the occasional game of Kingmaker and Civilisation. It’s not as good playing with only 2 people and I think Stout misses his Call of Cathulu days. He would love to join a session.

        Reply
  3. squiddity

    I’m going to be hosting a series soon. Mostly German boardgames, though others will be considered. Probably Tuesday evenings and occasional weekends, starting in October.

    Reply
  5. neilh

    Re: OMG

    Its more of a protoplan, really, agreed to be a good idea in principle with the details left to a later date. My life is made by postponing these kinds of protoplans until the is no possiblity of further postponement, at which time I actually have to do something.

    Reply
  6. rayhawk

    there must be some games out there that involve using lego for its intended purpose.

    I spotted your entry in BrikWars’ linked-by list, hope you don’t mind if I comment –

    The reason BrikWars is so anti-Lego-values is because I’m bludgeoned over the head with Lego values every day at work, and I hate them with a bitter resentment that should have gotten me fired years ago. But if you’re looking for some good Lego-friendly games, I’ve come by a few that aren’t bad:

    X-Pod Playoff is the best of Lego’s official tabletop games, but you need to buy some X-Pod sets to play it.

    JunkBot and WorldBuilder are good online Lego puzzle games.

    A pile of Lego-themed wargames are listed on BrikWars’ Brick Wargames page, maybe you’ll find something more to your liking.

    Reply
    • neilh

      Re: there must be some games out there that involve using lego for its intended purpose.

      You’re welcome….thanks for taking the trouble.

      I’m more interested in strategy games, Settlers of Catan, Civilisation, that sort of thing, the official games look interesting but they’re aimed at kids, I want something with a bit more to it than that. Its a nice idea to use these thousands of blocks for something other than just building robots.

      Reply
      • rayhawk

        Re: there must be some games out there that involve using lego for its intended purpose.

        We tried coming up with a more Civ-flavored Lego games over the years, none of them really panned out. But a few years ago I remember we were brainstorming some Catan-style games that really had some promise. Maybe you can make some use of our ideas:

        Instead of resources, each territory produces a specific shape of basic brick, which you used to build cities, roads, and bridges over enemy constructions. Larger bricks cover more ground, but small bricks are more versatile – which is important for the tetris-y jobs of building city ‘levels’ of specific shapes and working roads around tight corners. The project bogged down over what to do about the thief and the development cards and so forth, but I’d always figured that stuff could be left out.

        Reply
        • neilh

          Re: there must be some games out there that involve using lego for its intended purpose.

          Oooh, yeah, might be able to work on that a little…let’s see what we can come up with…

          Reply
        • neilh

          Re: there must be some games out there that involve using lego for its intended purpose.

          Its got potential, just gotta figure out some rules, as it were.

          Reply

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