Over 5429
people caught running secret operations here in the last seven days.
Seems a bit early, I know, but if your office is anything like ours, you and your coworkers are starting to schedule projects around the "everybody's going to take off early this day" and "no one is coming in on New Year's anyway" events. Here's our holiday office closure plan; it won't help your schedule, but it makes us feel more organized.
- Thanksgiving. The office, including Warehouse 23, will be closed November 26 and 27.
- Christmas Game Day. We'll be playing games on December 11, so while some of us will be in the office, we won't be as quick to reply as normal.
- Christmas. The office, including Warehouse 23, will be closed December 21 through January 1. We'll be back on January 4.
e23 will be processing orders and delivering digital product as normal during all office closures. However, Fox -- who handles e23 customer service emails and calls -- won't be available.
Now go organize your holidays!
-- Paul Chapman
We don't reall know what Freakshow - Body Parts is about. We, uh, probably don't want to. But you go ahead! If nothing else, a title like that guarantees you'll get something interesting.
As promised last year, we're returning to BoardGameGeekCon this November (the 19th through 22nd, to be precise). Look for Revolution!, The Stars Are Right, Nanuk, SJ's new dice game, and much more in the hands of our crew.
If you've already gotten your badge, we'll see you there! If not, well, they've already sold out -- their location has a limited capacity, and they've already filled it. And after last year, it's easy to see why: wall-to-wall games, being played by people who love dice and boards, cards, and meeples.
It's a good place to find a new game, to try out the ones everyone is talking about, and to get new ways to play the classics.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Not Really Just for Players
The HERO System Advanced Player’s Guide is for players only! See there in the title? It says "Player's." No GMs allowed! (Well . . . unless, you're also a player sometimes. Then, okay, you can buy the book too. But we'll be keeping an eye on you!)
Gnomes. Yes, gnomes. Apparently unhappy with being demoted from "player character race" to "monster" in the latest edition of that game, they've begun terrorizing teens in Argentina. The Sun has the story; YouTube has the blurry videos.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Easy Advertising
GURPS Infinite Worlds: I.S.T. is a free GURPS supplement. The GURPS Range Ruler is a free game aid for GURPS. Spending any more time convincing you how totally awesome they are is uneccessary, as you can simply go download them and experience them first hand.
As we mentioned back in May, Justin is back on staff. While he was away, however, he wasn't just putting starbursts around pictures of puppies: he was designing a game.
Castle Panic is a cool cooperative game in which the players defend their towers against an onslaught of goblins, ogres, and boulders. It's tense, fun, and great for gamers and non-gamers alike. Like Pandemic or Arkham Horror, the board is trying to crush the players, but with Castle Panic there's a sense of whimsy that makes it more accessible to non-gamers -- and it doesn't take hours to have the game beat you.
As you can tell, I love the game quite a bit. If you'd like a bit more objective review, there are quite a few excellent posts on BoardGameGeek that summarize the gameplay nicely. And once you've decided to buy it, Warehouse 23 has copies in stock!
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Big Words, Small Car
Car Wars Expansion Set 6 - The AADA Vehicle Guide Counters has a rather cumbersome title. Funny, too, when you consider how teeny the counters themselves are. But perhaps it just speaks to the strength of these cars, that they have so massive a moniker. Which makes sense, really. We are talking about cars with missiles tied to the bumper.
In typical fashion for this project, the routine customs examination turned into a week-long "let's x-ray every container" exercise, pushing the release of the Vorkosigan Saga Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game back. But don't worry! I've received word that the print run has arrived in our warehouse, and copies will start shipping out next week. Look for them on store shelves the last week of the month.
To keep your mind off the impending arrival of such an anticipated book, I offer a trio of sneak peeks. First, we have a pair of pages about ships -- the sort that cross interstellar distances. These, of course, are background material. Gearheads will want to check out the starship design system on pages 184 to 207 of the full manuscript.
The second peek is of vital interest once you have a ship, and you want to do something illegal with it. Yes, smuggling may not be the oldest profession, but it's still quite a bit of fun.
Finally, we look at the engine that drives roleplaying sessions: complications. In Miles' world, things like greed and vengeance have their place, but so do duty, family, and honor.
That's it for sneak peeks! The physical book will be available in a few weeks, and the PDF is available right now.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Come Sale Away
Arion Games likes to save you money on metal miniatures by offering up cost-effective paper alternatives. Well, they must have felt they weren't saving you nearly enough, because all Arion Games products are now 20% off this month. Savings on top of savings? It's like some kind of wonderful savings sandwich, and you're right in the middle, baby!
November 4, 2009: What Does an RFID Field Look Like?
That's the question design consultants BERG asked. The answer -- which they discovered via clever use of a stop motion camera and an LED -- is both informative and beautiful.
The link to the blog is here, but take the time to watch the video. The illumination in motion elevates the entire experiment to art.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Heck of a Name
Time was when people were named by their profession. Bob Baker baked, Sally Smith smithed, and nobody talked about what the Humperdink family did. So one has to wonder just what the heck would get someone the moniker "Warbringer." With any luck, Dungeon Crawl Classics #63: The Warbringer’s Son will shed some light.
Not satisfied with traditional LEDs, researchers in South Korea and Spain have developed an organic molecule that emits orange and blue light in the proper ratio to form pure white light. In the past, molecularly produced light has always had a colored tint, sharply limiting its uses.
At the moment, the molecule is significantly less energy efficent than a normal LED, but this, says the scientists, was just proof of concept. But when production brings down the costs, these mini-mini-mini-bulbs will have a broad range of applications, from clothes to personal electronics. Yep, the world of Ultra-Tech is one day closer.
-- Paul Chapman
We now have Colonial Gothic: Witchcraft available for purchase on e23. It's perfect for running a spooky game during a spooky time of year. Hurry and buy your copy today, because Halloween is only 362 days away!
