The Beast Awakes…

After some seven years or so, Crooked Dice is behind me. It would be fair to say that while I LOVED the end products, the processes of getting there were fairly torturous. In hindsight I think we both got into it for very different reasons, and to serve different markets. Trying to serve all these masters made decision making very difficult all the way through, to the point where we weren't seeing eye to eye on anything, despite our different skills meshing together pretty well.

So… Beast In The Broch. I've learnt a lot from the whole CD experience, made some contacts, have an idea how things work and how to get things done. I feel more capable than when I did the DWMG, even though Karl did the design side of everything. I'd like to think that the skills I need but don't have, I can learn, and the skills I don't have and need, but which would be too time consuming to learn myself I can buy in. Hopefully I can do more of the first and less of the second. Cue 'tight fisted Scotsman' comments. But seriously, it's about being efficient with money and learning new things, both very handy for the DIY worker.

The website launches today, so far mostly as a vehicle for selling the miniatures I took with me from Crooked Dice. Next up I want to work on some rules for playing with those miniatures on the table. Yes, there's 7TV2, but as I no longer have control over that or the relevant supplement detailing the models I have, I need to make something that will stay available. After a bit of thought, I've decided to go back to the Doctor Who Miniatures Game as my core rules set. It's popular, works well for this kind of thing, and is, I think, well regarded. I'll add the new profiles, a system for balancing games, and an all-new mission oriented front end. I'll get some actual rules out as soon as I possibly can.

I'll get some new miniatures made, as I want to expand the Future Freedom Fighters and Federated Security range. This was a big part of my growing up cultural intake, and I want to do it justice. Luckily these are fairly easy and quick to get done, but costly, so hopefully sales will come in to back up this commitment.

Slightly longer term, I want to have a go at more sculpting. I did a course with Kev from Hasslefree, which although really just the basics of the Kev style of sculpting (lots of muscles in exactly the right places), mainly taught me that it's a learned skill, not some kind of magic. "Keep pushing it around until it looks good" was the mantra, and one I'll keep in mind.

What do I want to sculpt? Well, a friend of mine has some great robot sculpts but unfortunately can't seem to muster any enthusiasm for doing any more, or doing anything at all with it really. He's got a great background to these models, and they'd make for a great line of models all the way up to a game. This whole thing seems to have sunk, but the concept of half a dozen themed 'gangs' of models will also fit another (non-robot) setting I have in mind. Can I sculpt models for this? I'll never know until I try.

If you've got to the bottom of this, thanks for reading. Keep up with things here, or on Facebook, or sign up for my emails. Consider buying if you like what I have. Meanwhile enjoy your gaming/painting/collecting.

Graeme