So I no longer can keep all the various ship stats in my head as I’ve generated too many of them. So as I started working on another James’ Fighting Leviathans, I realized it was high time to generate a spreadsheet that would contain all of the ships in a single location for easy comparison.
As I built that sheet I continued to flesh out the gun batteries that’ll be used in the game. As I mentioned many moons ago, by moving all of the stats directly onto each Gun Battery slot it really allowed me to fuse the universe flavor directly into each gun, while also ensuring I could tweak numbers left, right and center as needed.
So, with the type of historians I’ve got working with me to develop the universe, we’ve determined all the various guns that were in use by which nations during this time period.
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Sky Admiral Bills January 15th, 2010
Leviathans |
8 Comments
by Jim Rapkins
HMS Excellent
Whale Island
Portsmouth, England
4 June 1908
“No matter how many times I see it, John, it still takes my breath away.” First Sea Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher, the ubiquitous “Jackie” Fisher, glanced up at the stoic figure standing next to him on the small jetty attached to the Commandant’s Quarters. Admiral John Jellicoe grunted in agreement. He followed Fisher’s steely gaze back towards the floating behemoth hovering languidly in the air as it moved away from its moorings, the newest addition to the Royal Sky Fleet taking its place with its brethren.
It truly was a breathtaking sight—thousands of tons of steel and wood filling the air with the crackling static of discharging electroid tanks. Jellicoe felt the exposed hairs on his rough hands come to attention; a familiar feeling for those that rode the Devil’s Breath. It might be a magnificent sight, but the leviathans were still beasts to be feared more than respected. Whale Island was dotted with the brass plaques bolted onto concrete pylons commemorating the “glorious sacrifice” of some poor farm boy who didn’t understand what a tether was for. Amongst other losses.
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Sky Admiral Bills January 12th, 2010
Leviathans,
Story Fiction |
3 Comments
It’s been several months since I’ve discussed the Leviathans Primer. I covered it pretty thoroughly in my last blog, discussing what I wanted to see detailed and why. However, with the Primer in layout and about to head to a final proof to catch any last niggles, I thought it appropriate to cover some more angles.
It may be because I work in the industry, but I’m not so sure…I’ve had these tendencies for a long time, they’re simply refined over the years. Regardless, when I crack open a new box game or a new book, it’s a visual feast to my fan/professional senses. It’s not just the text, or art, or the game system (if there’s any), but it’s the binding, the weight of the paper, the quality of components, the graphic design, the colors…heck, I even get excited with a vacuum tray in the bottom of a box if it’s designed to really fit the components and to make it easy to use during re-peat game play (one of my all time favorites in that regard is the game La Citta). Can’t tell you how many strange looks I’ve gotten over the years in book stores as I’m smelling a book, fingering pages and checking glue on endsheets and smiling at the obvious love and care I see a company pour into a product.
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Sky Admiral Bills January 7th, 2010
Leviathans |
9 Comments
Through some 4 iterations of the rules screening wasn’t in Leviathans…and I wanted it that way (my eternal ‘keep it simple’ mantra). However, regardless of how many tweaks I made to Ship Cards or how many different ways I tweaked extent rules (such as introducing two Location Dice in the Green and Red arrows to take into account target movement) there still wasn’t enough tactical movement play.
Just as important, the game still was lacking the feeling of “naval warfare” and “fleet movements”. While the required use of Line Of Sight (LOS) to make Screening work properly did slow the game down slightly, both the needed game play AND aesthetic feel elements combined to demonstrate it needed to be in the Commander’s Manual and not shuffled into the Captain’s Manual as a plug and play optional rule.
In Leviathans Commander’s Manual ships have two screening options: Defensive and Offensive.
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Sky Admiral Bills January 4th, 2010
Leviathans |
3 Comments
by Jim Rapkins
Chatsworth House
3 miles outside Bakewell
Derbyshire, Great Britain
10 April 1908
“Damn them, Spencer. Damn them.” The younger man threw his cane onto the Chesterfield suite in disgust, the ivory handle bouncing lightly on the taut leather of the lounge before coming to rest on top of the printed pages that had elicited the action. Sir Devon Cavendish, MP of Riding, blew a snort of disgust as he sat down.
The other man in the walnut-paneled room took a deep draught from his snifter, savouring the brandy’s smooth aroma, before responding to the other’s outburst. The fire in the corner crackled as the log recently placed upon it shifted slightly. After several moments’ silence, he turned to address the figure on the chaise.
“And who, pray tell, are “them”, Dev?” Sir Spencer Cavendish, heir to the Duchy of Devonshire, was nearly two decades the senior of his younger brother, but even now he felt the familiar pull of his brother’s fiery rhetoric. If only he could channel that energy…
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Sky Admiral Bills December 30th, 2009
Leviathans,
Story Fiction |
2 Comments
With the recent release of more ships in the James’ Fighting Leviathans: Excerpt From 1910 Edition PDF, I’ve seen some questions about how much of the material in the Core Box Set will be released in PDF format prior to the release of the box set.
At the current time that simply is unknown. We’re forging into unknown territories with the release of Leviathans under Creative Commons and embracing electronic distribution to spread awareness of this cool, new property far and wide; if this was a game set in the early age of sale this would be the “Here Be Dragons” part of the map.
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Sky Admiral Bills December 28th, 2009
Leviathans |
3 Comments
Leviathans is a steampunk game that simulates combat between warships that have taken to the air in an alternate history 1910. The king leviathans, battleships, are the largest vessels. Maneuvering in support are light cruisers, destroyers and other vessels. Will you captain your fleet for king and country, expanding your nation’s power and becoming legend? Or will you fall from the sky, forgotten?
You determine the outcome!
James’ Fighting Leviathans: Excerpt From 1910 Edition is an 8-page PDF that includes four more ships (two each for the British and French fleets) ready-to-play with the Lieutenant’s Manual. The PDF includes full-color illustrations and histories of all 4 ships, Ship Cards and cut-outs for putting these leviathans into play on your gaming table. The HML Beagle and Montpellier are variations on the D-class and Grenouille-class vessels found in the Lieutenant’s Manual. The HML Courser and Ardent, however, are two new Light Cruiser classes. Add these vessels to your growing fleet to experience more of the fun of Leviathans !
James’ Fighting Leviathans: Excerpt From 1910 Edition (Buy From BattleShop)
James’ Fighting Leviathans: Excerpt From 1910 Edition (By From WargameVault)
Sky Admiral Bills December 24th, 2009
Leviathans |
11 Comments
The results are in for the Table Top Gaming News 2009 Reader’s Choice Awards. First, congratulations to Wyrd Miniatures for winning in the Rules or Expansion category for Malifaux. Some really amazing miniatures in there…and of course awesome that a fellow steampunk style game takes the award.
Considering the Lieutenant’s Manual is only in a PDF format and only the introductory rules, I consider it high praise that it was even nominated, much less made it into the top five for a second round of voting.
Can’t wait to see what we can do once the full product is released…thanks to everyone that voted!
Randall
Sky Admiral Bills December 23rd, 2009
Leviathans |
No Comments
Strategic Studies in Perspective – Second Year
École d’Avion, the Aviation School, Le Bourget, Paris
12 February 1902
Reversing the Curse of Trafalgar
by Sous Lieutenant de Volée Vincent Dreymon
There can be no doubt as to who was the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar in October of 1805. Clearly, the Royal Navy was victorious over our own combined fleet. What can be questioned are the long-term ramifications of Trafalgar, and what the development of the Ganymedes may represent for the French people.
The British have lorded their victory at Trafalgar over the French, rubbing our noses in it, for nearly a century. Nelson’s victory secured the position of the Royal Navy as the dominant force on the high seas in that age. The launch of the Ganymede, however, has changed the balance of power in a new and exciting way. For the first time, a technological innovation tips the scales of strategic power.
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Sky Admiral Bills December 22nd, 2009
Leviathans,
Sourcebook Fiction |
11 Comments
As mentioned in my last design concepts blog, I’ve discussed just about every design decision that covers the Lieutenant’s Manual. With several weeks under our belt now since the Lieutenant’s Manual’s release and most (I believe) of those following my blogs having either read and/or even played a few introductory games, I’m sure you’re already chomping at the bit to figure out what the Commander’s Manual contains that sets it apart and the decisions behind those rules. Let’s dive right in and start discussing those differences.
I believe one of the biggest additions is Line Of Sight (LOS); i.e. a straight line running between two locations (in this instance, the attacking and target hexes). Many of the rules differences in the Commander’s Manual are add ons, building off of what’s in the Lieutenant’s Manual. However, LOS is a “core” building block.
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Sky Admiral Bills December 18th, 2009
Leviathans |
No Comments
