My Apologies

Between running through my backlog of posts AND the fact that I slept very poorly last night, there will be no post today....


except this one...

Will Rachael Return?

Remember back when we were gods?

Rachael Storm, a librarian exposed to a massive dose of atmospherium, developed the ability to increase her density providing her with superstrength and near indestructibility. Amongst her exploits were going toe to toe with both Lord Recluse and The Hamidon. She defeated every member of the Praetorians.

Some of the most computer fun I've had was playing City of Heroes. Heck, this blog was started as a City of Heroes Blog. Since I burned myself out on it, though, I have not yet found an MMO that has really grabbed me, and I have looked. We know I'm waiting anxiously for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but that is likely to come out in 2010. Star Trek Online has no ETA.

Recently, I noticed that Champions Online (one of the MMO's I've been watching) is slated for release in "Spring 2009" - e.g. any time now. I'm thinking that The Dawn Patrol may return here or at least make an appearance.

In all honesty, I do miss being the "Stone Goddess", the "Big Bad Boulder Bitch", etc. I miss the Task Forces, the Trials, the Raids. Honestly though, I've tried to play, and CoX just can't grab me anymore.

I wonder how many people I knew in Paragon will be there? We've all come a long way in the past 4 years...

More Star Wars Stuff!!!!!

A far time ago, in a galaxy long away....

Here are a few new news bits!

1. The BOUNTY HUNTER class
2. Issue 2 of the Threat of Peace

And of course....

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY NUMBER 2!!!!!

Advice Column Roudup

Like many people, I find that navigating life can be difficult and fraught with ambiguous choices. Thankfully, the internet is here with great advice columns to help! All of these columns have the "Rachael Storm" seal of approval!

• Ax a Pirate
• Ask a Ninja
• Two Hot Girls in the Shower
• Strong Bad Email
• Dear Abby by John Prine
  

Incidentally, there IS an advice column portion of this blog. Simply post a question in one of the comments and start it with "Dear Rachael". The avenging librarian will be sure to come in and answer the question!

IE8 goes Live today

As many people who know me know, I am an unapologizing Microsoft hater. I'm aware my dislike is rather irrational, but at least I have reasons to back it up.

However, because this actually directly effects me I must report that at Noon Eastern today, Microsoft will release IE8.

• CNN Official News Report
• MSDN notes compatibility differences
• Paul Thurrott's Review of IE8

Here's to Microsoft increasing my workload by 33%.

SPAM! VIA IM!?!?!?

The other day, I got a bit of spam via my Instant Messenger. I must say it's creative. My name has been changed for the purpose of this post.

(And in the unlikely event that this is a real person, GO GET THERAPY!)

ritab anihy: hello
Rachael: hello
Rachael: who are you?
ritab anihy: Hey Rachael
Rachael: Hi
ritab anihy: This is difficult for me to do because I'm shy..but I have a crush on you, i have been sending you emails but no response
Rachael: I"ve not seen any
Rachael: who are you?
ritab anihy: I've never been able to tell you for reasons which you would quickly identify as obvious if you knew who this was.
Rachael: I see
ritab anihy: With that said, I want you to guess who I am, and approach me yourself.
Rachael: I am spoken for.
ritab anihy: To help you out with your guessing I made a few pictures and videos with "Rachael" written on my body.
Rachael: O_o
ritab anihy: They're kind of risque photos so I had to make a profile at www.THISWASPAMMER.com and post them there
Rachael: hrm, lemme ask this
ritab anihy: did you get my last IM about the riscque photos? if you didnt get the link visit it in my yahoo profile
Rachael: what city do I live in?
ritab anihy: My username in the members area is "RachaelandME09" (It's a free website but you might need a CC or Debit to verify your age because I had to. Sigh.)
Rachael: ah...ha....I see.
ritab anihy: once you are inside search for me. I want you to guess who I am and then approach me yourself. I'm shy and this is the bravest thing I've probably ever done, but you need to do the rest.
Rachael: I'm afraid to tell you - I am currently spoken for
ritab anihy: i wont ever be able to get on yahoo messenger again this is my only day so come talk with me on the website
Rachael: So, I will not be following up with this.
Rachael: and
Rachael: You've not told me what city I live in
ritab anihy: Kisses, Secret Admirer
Rachael: so I suspect this is spam
Rachael: now I know it is
ritab anihy: Permanent Gone Message - I quit using Yahoo Messenger, I only used it to communicate with my crush and I have now done so. He knows where to talk to me at

Grrr.....

iPhone OS 3.0 presentation (Shamelessly copied from the Gizmodo coverage):

Q: Video is still a blackhole if you visit a website with flash.
A: We have no announcements on Flash today.

ME: COME ON APPLE!!!!

Q: Where do you stand on tethering?
A: There’s two pieces needed to support that: client side and working with carriers. We’re absolutely supporting tethering in the client side in iPhone 3.0, but we’re working with carriers around the world to see when they can add tethering support on their networks. But we are building that support into iPhone 3.0.

ME: COME ON AT&T!!!! THE IPHONE OFFICIALLY SUPPORTS IT!!!!!!!

Twilight: 1943

One of the things we like about our wargaming is a chance for any two of us to sit down and work out an army battle. The limitation of playing Flames of War is a reason for any army to fight any army. That is, why would say...America fight the UK or even America fight America? In my desire to create a map campaign for Flames of War I came up with the following, Inspired by Twilight 2000.

Twilight: 1943

History is rather fragile. Where a pebble in a river may not make the slightest difference, a grain of sand in the ocean of time can cause the equivalent of a tidal wave.

What if?

Edith Keeler ran the 21st Street Mission soup kitchen in New York during the depression. Her speeches and philosophies inspire a pacifist movement in the United States. The strength of her message allows her to go as far to meet with Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Roosevelt loses his bid for a third term to Wendell Willkie who further pushes for isolationism and echoes Keeler's philosophies noting her popularity.

While Japan had allied itself with Axis Germany, the power struggle delayed Japan involving itself heavily in the war beyond financial support to Germany. Prince Fumimaro Konoe knows of Yamamoto's reservations to going to war with the US, which Tojo supports. Yamamoto knew that America was a sleeping giant, not to be awakened. If Japan entered the War and attacked America, it would be an act that could lose the war. Furthermore, Fumimaro has heard the some of the Keeler philosophy.

December 7th, 1941 passes without incident. The US remains neutral a little longer.

The United States' isolationism permits Germany to get a stronger foothold and ally with Mexico. Despite diplomatic talks, Mexico attacks Texas in 1942. However, even though the Axis has attacked on American soil, the Washington looks to a diplomatic solution. Dismayed by this and still disillusioned from the Civil War, Texas exercises it's right to secede. Following suit, the former Confederate states do as well.

It becomes clear to President Wilke that the US must follow suit and declare war on the Axis, but is also at war with Texas and must face a war on all fronts. The US moves for greater ties with Canada, but the United Kingdom disapproves of some the American priorities and while not declaring a full war due to it's necessary collaboration with the US.

Mexico realizes it's next on the Axis agenda, as they are getting minimal support from Germany, leave the Axis causing negatively impacting the relations with Germany and also ensuring that Germany is unable to immediately crush the United States. Furthermore, while flexing its muscles, Mexico realizes it needs resources to continue its fight and defend itself. To this end, they attack Venezuela in an attempt to seize the oilfields there.

Emboldened by the chaos across the world, the Grand Duchess Tsarina Anastasia comes out of hiding and rallies the Soviet citizens who were disillusioned with Communism and stokes the fires of revolution in Russia.

Japan finally sorts itself out with Tojo ascending to power one year after the deadline of the Imperial Conference to select a prime minister. Yamamoto's tactical genius allows him to maintain his post. December 7th, 1942, Pearl Harbor is bombed.

Such is the world of Twilight: 1943.

Facebook

I finally fell into the Facebook crowd. The company I work for is interested in borrowing ideas from various social networks, so I figured it was worth looking into.

Learn more about Facebook.

I have to say, the neat thing about it is being able to reconnect with people you've lost track of. It also helps to make sure you don't loose track of people over time. You can keep an eye on people and remind people you exist.

Those of us who had a better high school existence than I did, might find it worth-while to look into as it is almost trivial to find people you knew. I found people from a private school I went to who I was very fond of. Note this was 20+ years ago.

Give a look, its free and you might find something you like. If you don't like it, you've not lost anything.

If you wish, look me up (I'm listed under my *gasp* real name there).

Star Wars: Creating the Polluted World of Hutta

Bioware's latest entry on Star Wars: The Old Republic

Nal Hutta - it's where the Hutts (as in Jabba the...) came from.

10. Panzer Division or 21. Panzer Division?

Well, after finally sitting down and spending more time with the books, I think my initial target Flames of War force is going to look a bit more like this.

1500 Pts - German Panzergrenadierkompanie List - 10th Panzer Division

1 Company HQ @ 125 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [80] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts
1 Anti-tank Rifle Section @ [45] Pts
1 Anti-tank Rifle team @ [25] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/1 @ [20] Pts
1 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 210 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [60] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/10 @ [25] Pts
1 3.7cm tank gun @ [0] Pts
2 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [150] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 210 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [60] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/10 @ [25] Pts
1 3.7cm tank gun @ [0] Pts
2 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [150] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 210 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [60] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/10 @ [25] Pts
1 3.7cm tank gun @ [0] Pts
2 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [150] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Panzer Platoon @ 345 Pts
3 Panzer III L or M @ [345] Pts
3 5cm KwK39 gun @ [0] Pts
3 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
3 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Light Anti-aircraft Platoon @ 60 Pts
2 SdKfz 10/5 @ [60] Pts
2 2cm FlaK38 gun @ [0] Pts

1 Priority Air Support @ 175 Pts
Priority Air Support
1 Ju 87D @ [175] Pts
1 Bombs @ [0] Pts

1 Tank-hunter Platoon @ 165 Pts
2 Diana @ [165] Pts
2 7.62cm FK36(r) gun @ [0] Pts
2 AA MG @ [0] Pts

Total List Cost: 1500

You will notice that there are a LOT of half-tracks. The German Blitzkrieg relied on their vehicals. I love a fast moving, in-your-face army, so this SHOULD suit my playstyle. This tactic is reflected in the German special rules on page 166-167 of the main book. First, I have the "Stormtroopers" rules. This gives me a chance to get an extra 4" of movement in the Assault Step. Sadly, the 251s in the don't bring the "Stuka Zu Fuss" (Stukas on Foot) rule into play. I do get vehicle mounted machine guns and the "Mounted Assault" rule. "Mounted Assault" basically means I can assault from the vehical (though it's a tad more complex than that). This gets my troops out there FASTER.

The HQ are comprised of "Panzerknackers". Panzerknackers are "Tank Hunters". We all love our tanks. I'm taking this into account by fielding the Panzerknackers which are designed to assault tanks.

I love my tanks, so I need the 3 Panzers. I'll use my Panzer IIIJ models for now.

Notice the Priority Air Support. This means that on my first turn, I roll a dice pool for air support. If I roll a six in that pool, I get Air Support for that turn. Priorty vs. Limited is merely how many dice I get to roll. The next turn I roll one less die, but the mechanic works the same. I hit TOP armor, so that should be nasty for any tanks even though I have a low armour penetration. In World War II, the Stuka was used for this, and they were MEAN.

I need the Anti-aircraft gun to...well...deal with incoming aircraft. I'm not the only one with Air Support.

Finally, I round out the list with the Dianas which are also anti-tank, but work with my lightning war methods.

Now, the problem with the above list, is that I'm a little troop light and not *quite* as balanced a list. In Flames of War (much like real war), battle is a balancing act. I think this list is far more balanced, but not quite as appealing to me.

1500 Pts - German Panzergrenadierkompanie List - 21st

1 Company HQ @ 55 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [55] Pts
2 Panzerknacker @ [10] Pts
1 Motorcycle and sidecar @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzer Platoon @ 270 Pts
3 Panzer III G, H or J @ [270] Pts
3 5cm KwK37 gun @ [0] Pts
3 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
3 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Priority Air Support @ 175 Pts
Priority Air Support
1 Ju 87D @ [175] Pts
1 Bombs @ [0] Pts

1 Heavy Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon @ 160 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [20] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
1 8.8cm FlaK36 gun @ [140] Pts
1 Large Crew @ [10] Pts
1 SdKfz 7 @ [5] Pts

1 Tank-hunter Platoon @ 165 Pts
2 Diana @ [165] Pts
2 7.62cm FK36(r) gun @ [0] Pts
2 AA MG @ [0] Pts

Total List Cost: 1500

I have many of the same options.

With either list, I can take them to 1750, the SAME way...I add the following:

1 Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel @ 50 Pts
1 SdKfz 250/5 'Greif' @ [0] Pts
1 Hull MG @ [0] Pts
1 Rear AA MG @ [0] Pts

1 Escort Platoon @ 190 Pts
3 Captured Honey Stuart @ [190] Pts
3 Captured 37mm tank gun @ [0] Pts
3 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
3 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

It's exactly 240 pts.

For modelling purposes though, I'm not going to be using 'Greif', I'm instead going to model 'Max': his captured Dorchester Armoured Command Vehicle. He figured if it was good enough for Monty (who managed to stop his Blitzkreig) it was good enough for him. Stat wise, you just use the 'Greif' stats, but still...it's cool! I love the variety I get to use with working in the british vehicles into my army so I have a wide variety to choose from.

The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

On Sunday, Chris, Clay, and I went to "The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium". It was a place that the trophy Fiancee told me about, and I was intrigued. It is a restaurant devoted to Beer and Sausage. If this doesn't intrigue you, you probably should just wait until Monday's post.

The local Flying Saucer is located in The Triangle so its centrally located and just a couple hops north from the drag. As you approach the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the extensive outside patio. I can hardly wait to head here in the summer.

Now to the reason you want to know about this place.

First of all, there are TWO menus. The first is food menu which has a large selection of sausage based dishes, many of which are unusual (sausage con queso and sausage nachos). The second is a densely packed, blue paper menu which has beer. The really exciting part of this second menu is something described on the back. For those familiar with wine bars, you may be familiar with the "flight of wine", that is a sampling of 5 different wines which are served in small glasses so that you don't get more than a single glass worth of wine, but get a variety. Flying Saucer has "Flights of Beer" - a selection of 5 different 4 oz samples of beer. I didn't get one while I was there, but I think when I head back (I'm having my bachelor party here) I will likely enjoy the "Texas Flight".

The Austin location has a selection of local brews. As Sunday was "2.75 Texas Pints", I figured I'd get a "512 Pecan". Chris order a St. Arnold's Spring Bock.

A slight digression. There is more to life than Shiner Bock, and if you go there, and you order "Pabst Blue Ribbon" not only will they tell you that they don't have it, but the people you are eating with will ridicule you for the rest of the day (You know who you are, Clay).

ANYWAY...

The food, as previously mentioned, is primarily Sausage - View the menu here. Other than reading the menu, all you need to know is, "The food is good".

The ambiance is fun and casual. The female waitstaff is friendly and knowledgable (to be sure, if you like the staff at Bone Daddy's, Hooters, Tilted Kilt, and Twin Peaks, you will like this place).

Yes, this is a chain. However, it earns my seal of approval.

iPhone whining addendum 1 - Crow tastes good

Remember when I complained about the iPhones lack of features?

Amazon heard me!

Now - WHERE THE @!#$%^&* IS MY TETHERING?!?!?!

Another blog!

No, dear reader, I'm not going anywhere, nor is the good blog Pequod going anywhere.

The Myth Adventures of the 4Cs of the Aporkalypse

Yes, I've inspired others to jump on the blogger bandwagon and post. Here is one such example. Plans are still in flux with regard to this new blog, but adding it to your RSS reader might not be a bad idea if you want to keep up with my gaming mythadventures.

First Flames of War game

Last Thursday, Chris brought his four Shermans, two jeeps and two M10s over and faced off against my 3 Panzers and 2 StuGs (pronounced stoog, with a hard G). My first Flames of War game. Again, I did not take enough notes for a real battle report, but this is meant to be more of an evaluation of the game.

First of all, if you are familiar with Warhammer 40,000, you shouldn't have too much difficulty picking up this game. It does seem more complex than 40k, but the rules tend to be presented in a much clearer manner and layout. For example, when dealing with a vehicle being hit, all of the rules are collected in the same place and specific rules are in italics whereas descriptions are in standard font. It makes for a much easier read.

Furthermore, it also seems to have greater verisimilitude than 40k does in it's play. You don't have the one or two uber killer units that can be maximized across the army. Instead you are forced to have a much more realistically structured army. Vehicles move more realistically. In 40k, land vehicles only move 6 inches if they want to fire and if they move flat out, they can't fire at all. However, as my Panzers developed in the game, they were able to move 12 inches across country and still blast away. Now, they weren't able to maximize their rate of fire (the Shermans could because they had stabilizers) and they received a penalty to hit, but it meant that I felt my army was working with me, instead of against me.

A real departure from other miniatures games is that shooting depends on your opponents ability to avoid being hit, instead of your ability to shoot. In modern warfare, with modern weaponry, the skill of the shooter doesn't come as much into play as the ability to keep from being hit. Flames of War mimics this by rolling against your opponents training (Conscript, Trained, Veteran). Think of it like an "Armour Class" for your opponent. This, of course, makes me happy as most of the Wehrmacht are considered "veterans" in Flames of War making me much harder to hit.

Another interesting quality of Flames of War is that tactical options exist that permit different types and sizes of armies to play against each other. To clarify, in 40k, there would NEVER be a battle of a 2000 point army vs. a 1000 point army. Except in certain min-maxing situations, the 2000 point army will utterly crush the 1000 point army. However, in Flames of War (as in real life), a small force may be called upon to hold off against a much larger force. Flames of War *has* tactical options that can permit a general to formulate tactics that can make this sort of thing possible, and not an exercise in frustration. I have a perfect example of this in Thursday's game. As the game started, the Shermans moved in and quickly killed two of my Panzers (bad rolls on my part, great rolls on Chris's part). This meant that for the first half of the game, I was at a disadvantage. However, Panzer #3, managed to move into a good location and planted itself allowing for it's main gun to fire at it's full Rate of Fire without penalty - destroying 2 Shermans and one M10 before it died. I managed to pull off a Pyrrhic victory as one of my StuG's survived vs. one of Chris's jeeps. Had this been 40k, I probably would not have recovered from this loss.

One other option I've touched on previously in my Flames of War rants is the educational portion of the game. Did you know that the Soviet Army had a female tank driver in World War II who posthumously earned one of the USSR's highest honors? Did you know that the StuGs were used throughout most of the war, including at the end when Germany was short of equipment? These are just a couple of the myriad facts that you can learn by reading the books and playing this game.

With all of this 'realism', the question may be asked, "what about the game aspects? Is this pure simulation?" It certainly does have more "game-mechanic" aspects about it. Notice the jeeps and the M10s that Chris brought? He had the option of moving the jeeps in and basically doing the FoW equivalent of a "Deep Strike" and place the M20s where he wanted them. Vehicular turning has some 'hand-wave' qualities where you can end up facing any direction you want when your turn finishes.

All in all, this is a very fun game. As I previously said, I really felt like my army was working with me instead of against me, as is often the case with Warhammer 40,000. The scale was fun because I didn't feel as cramped as I often do in 40k. I've still got some more playing to do to really formulate a full opinion, yet I think this may end up being an excellent hobby option for miniature wargamers.