Pathfinder Beginner Box Demos
November 28, 2011
This Sunday is a great day for heroes, for magic, and for adventure! Two of our excellent local GMs, Joshua and Alex, will be running introductory sessions of the Pathfinder RPG for anyone who would like to give it a try. They will each be taking willing players through a series of four scenarios specifically designed for the amazing Pathfinder Beginner Box. Relics, Ruins, Terrors, and Tomes will be the challenges, and all we need are some intrepid, heroic souls to see what’s inside!
If this sounds like a challenge that YOU are willing to make, come visit us this Sunday, December 4th for a fun, free gaming experience. Each GM will be running the adventures throughout the day starting at 12 noon and ending at 6:00pm. You need to bring absolutely nothing but your spirit of adventure, as Joshua and Alex will be providing dice, paper, and pre-generated characters for you to use. They’ll give you a brief introduction to the rules and a deeper background to the story, and then off you’ll go. And because Gamescape is hosting this awesome intro event, you get to walk away with the pre-painted miniature that represents the hero you play!
So if this is your idea of a Sunday well-spent, give us a call at the store and reserve a spot in one of the sessions. We’ll write your name down and save your place as long as you promise to show up on time, ready to delve into some dungeons. Time to strap on that armor…
Warhammer 40K Tanksgiving
November 21, 2011
This Tuesday, November 22nd, Gamescape’s regular Warhammer 40K night will be overtaken with the roaring guns and armored columns of the 41st Millennium! A massive battlefield will be staged in which dozens of brave tank commanders will seek to eliminate as many other armored foes as they can. The time of the year has arrived – it’s Tanksgiving!
All you need to do to participate in this event is bring your favorite Warhammer 40K tank, upgraded to your liking with a legal data sheet for us to check. What classifies as a tank? Any vehicle with the keyword ‘Tank’ in its profile. Easy as that. The fun begins at 6:00pm. Prizes will be awarded to overall winners and a special prize will be given out to the ‘prettiest’ tank of the day. After all, prettier tanks fight better!
For participants with less tank-inclined armies of the Grim Darkness (where there can be only war), the following exceptions will be allowed:
Tyranids: Any Monstrous Creature with no more than 4 Wounds.
Necrons: Monolith, Ghost/Doomsday Ark.
Dark Eldar: Raider, Ravager, Talos Pain Engine, Cronos Parasite Engine.
Tanks (including Super-Heavies) found in Imperial Armour will be allowed as long as a data sheet is attached.
Some helpful hints on game strategy: The more expensive your vehicle is points-wise, the worse it is for you when it goes up in smoke. There will be some fun objectives as well, so Fast Vehicles and Skimmers might find themselves at an advantage when compared to slower, heavy-gunned behemoths.
Warhammer 40K Tanksgiving 2011
Tuesday, November 22nd 6-10pm
Time to give TANKS.
Gamescape Designers Guild
November 15, 2011
Gamescape is extremely excited to announce the first meeting of our monthly Game Designers Guild! Starting on Saturday, November 19th 6-9pm, we will be hosting monthly meetings at the store where our brilliant cadre of local designers can playtest game prototypes, meet-n-greet each other, and discuss any or all aspects of board game design and manufacture. Everyone is welcome, whether you have your own game prototype, an idea for a game, or just want to get a behind-the-scenes look at the different processes of design and production.
Each meeting will begin with a round of scheduled playtests, where participants will have a chance to try one of several pre-selected prototypes, followed by a free-form session for open playtesting and discussions around board game design, development, and publishing.
If you would like to submit a prototype to be scheduled for playtesting at a future GDG meeting, please contact our Guild hosts, Greg Powers and Brian Powers, who will keep track of participants and what games are being playtested at a given meeting. Scheduling priority will eventually be given to players who have participated in previous playtesting sessions, but we expect it to take a few meetings before we have a diverse stable of games-in-progress to work with.
Please note that we will have generic non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) available for any participants wanting to use them, and designers are very welcome to additionally bring their own. We will also have feedback forms so that potential publishers will be able to take home ideas and suggestions in writing. The Gamescape Designers Guild is meant to be a workshop, of sorts, to help facilitate creativity and get more great games out on the market, and the environment that we’re shooting for is one of no pressure, no intimidation, and total legal creative safety.
To join in, just show up with a willingness to play, learn, teach, test, and help. You can give us a yell at the store or contact Greg and Brian via the addresses above for more info or to express your interest in bringing a game in any stage of production. We’ve even set up a board on our forums for Guild members to chat with each other in between meetings. That, especially, is a great place to introduce yourself and get your name on the list of regular contributors.
We think that the Gamescape Designers Guild is a great thing to be a part of, and we hope our creative community will use it as a service to help make their dream games happen. Be in touch with as things progress and help us make it exactly the kind of design meetings you want to join!
Firestorm: Bagration Across the Bay
November 9, 2011
Because we had so much fun running Flames of War Firestorm: Normandy earlier in the year, we’ve decided to brave the winter by once again teaming up with our intrepid comrades in the East Bay for another awesome campaign! This Saturday, November 12th kicks off our cross-Bay Firestorm: Bagration campaign with EndGame in Oakland. Registration will start as early as 12:30pm, and the offensive will commence at 1:00pm sharp. If you have any questions about what’s expected, you’re welcome to contact us here at the store.
We have the entire campaign schedule printed below, which will be alternating between Sundays at EndGame and Saturdays at Gamescape North. The more people show up for these events, the more battles may take place, which makes for more dynamic game turns. As usual, we’ll have prizes at the end of the campaign for the most heroic, suicidal, or successful commanders, so come participate when you can!
From Aaron, the inter-store campaign coordinator:
Historically-correct armies are preferred but not required. Those who can bring both sides are encouraged to do so, especially on the opening day. The campaign is scheduled to run for 12 sessions as the Market Garden and Normandy campaigns did, alternating between Gamescape and Endgame. You can attend any or all of the campaign days. While the schedule is still being finalized, the campaign will not conflict with either the 2011 or 2012 Norcal Tournament Circuit.
Standard Firestorm rules will be in effect with two exceptions. First, defenders will not take attackers’ locations on a successful defense (this is how we played it in Normandy and it seemed to work well). Second, Cauldron on the scenario table will be replaced with Witch’s Cauldron (from Hellfire and Back). We may later decide to add some other scenarios for variety.
Firestorm: Bagration Schedule of Events
November
Sat 12th – Gamescape (Launch)
Sun 20th – EndGame
Sat 26th – Gamescape
December
Sun 4th – EndGame
Sat 10th – Gamescape
Sun 18th – NorCal FoW 2011 Event @ EndGame
January
Sun 8th – EndGame
Sat 14th – Gamescape
Sun 22nd – EndGame
Sat 28th – Gamescape
February
Sun 5th – EndGame
Sat 11th – Gamescape
Sun 19th – EndGame (Finale)
Sat 25th – 1st NorCal FoW 2012 Event @ Gamescape AND NorCal FoW 2011 Awards!
Boo-Yah!
October 25, 2011
‘Tis definitely the season to celebrate the spookier side of our imagination (and our love for tricks and treats), and what better way to cause a chill to creep up your spine than with a Gamescape Halloween Party? We’re keeping the store open late on Halloween night for board games galore, and we hope you’ll come dressed in your favorite Halloween regalia and enjoy an evening of fun! We’ll provide the requisite sugar rush and we welcome you to bring any other snacks or drinks that you would love to share with the other creepy Gamescape gamers through the evening. Between ghouls and goblins, witches and warlocks, and those pesky, rotting zombies, we hope you’ll help us spirit away the night and enjoy a frightful celebration to usher in the holiday season!
Gamescape’s Halloween Board Game Party!
Monday, October 31st 6-11pm
Trick or Treat, Smell our Feet…