Precinct Omega
80 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingWeekly Wargaming Miniatures News & Discussion
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Episodes
News #55 - Steamforged Games Buys Warmachine!!
June 07, 2024 09:22 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBYes, Steamforged Games has bought Warmachine from Privateer Press. I take a look at the context, the background and history of Steamforged Games and what it might all mean for Warmachine and miniatures wargaming in general.
News #54 - Why the Jedi are (probably) warcriminals
July 08, 2022 15:03 - 18 minutes - 41.6 MBWarning: if you're here for Star Wars content, it's very minimal. This episode, we look at new releases from Games Workshop Corvus Belli Kromlech Heresy Miniatures, and Anvil Industry It's a sci-fi focus, in which I talk about the issues of equipping ultramodern, near future and sci-fi characters with melee weapons, like swords and axes and, yes, lightsabers. The issues are practical, mechanical and ethical. I reflect upon how this feeds back to my own design work and on the ...
Design #26 - Setting & Fluff
June 20, 2022 11:00 - 50 minutes - 116 MBAs a tabletop game designer, what are the factors at play in different settings that you need to be aware of? How do you develop a bespoke setting for a tabletop game? I take a typically rambling look at the subject and, naturally, tie it all back to my favourite subject: myself. Apologies to podcast listeners, because I sometimes forget that you only get the audio, while the video is on YouTube. If you want to get launch notification on the forthcoming Kickstarter, check it here: https://...
News #53 - Mission Creep
June 08, 2022 07:58 - 42 minutes - 97.7 MBIn this episode, I look at news from: Para Bellum Wargames Oathsworn Miniatures Wargames Atlantic Krakon Games TTCombat Dream Pod 9 and Black Scorpion I springboard off that to talk about the issue of mission creep in business and in miniatures wargaming in particular, and the three ways in which a small enterprise (or even a larger one) can find itself drifting into mission creep. I also talk about how this affected Precinct Omega and led directly to my hiatus last year...
News #52 - What’s Old is New - Warzone Eternal, Void Squad Tactics and Kickstarters
May 24, 2022 09:10 - 47 minutes - 108 MBSomewhat inspired by reference, last week, to the new Horus Heresy release teased by Games Workshop, I stumbled across a couple of other manifestations of retro-style tabletop wargaming in the form of Warzone Eternal, from Res Nova Games, and VOID Squad Tactics, from Seb Games: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/... https://www.seb-games.com/ Meanwhile, I've been trying to learn about Kickstarter and how other small producers use the platform innovatively or imaginatively and that led ...
Design #25 - Models of Success
May 15, 2022 13:29 - 56 minutes - 129 MBNo pun intended. I had some technical disagreements with my recording software and after five attempts to record this week's episode I ended up going live on YouTube instead. This might end up being "a thing" in future, because it was relatively painless. If I do it again, I'll give you all some warning, Many thanks to those of you who noticed I was there all the same. As a small entrepreneur with a markedly rollercoaster ride entering the market, I thought I'd take a look at some exam...
News #51 - I’m Back! Didja Miss Me?
May 07, 2022 11:00 - 17 minutes - 39.4 MBI've been away. But now I'm back. In this short episode, I talk about what led to me having to step away from both podcasting and Precinct Omega in general, what I learned from the experience and, a little bit, about what's coming up from Precinct Omega now that I'm back.
Design #24 - Warsurge Interview
November 01, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutes - 132 MBI've mentioned Warsurge a little on social media, and I thought it was, perhaps, time to bring it more to the fore. So I was pleased when Nick and Rich, two out of its three creators, agreed to come on the podcast and talk about the game. Warsurge is a new miniatures wargame from Australia. They call it "universal", I call it "miniatures agnostic". But regardless, they've got a unique and interesting approach to design and market access that's worth hearing about. And it might even be a pre...
News #50 - Intellectual Property in Wargaming
October 25, 2021 11:00 - 51 minutes - 117 MBI didn't realize this was my 50th news episode until I was finishing up the formatting. If it had occurred to me, I would've done something more interesting... and probably more coherent. Here are some links: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thatevilone/roma-ad-astra https://www.northstarfigures.com/ https://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/ https://www.sciborminiatures.com/ https://www.reapermini.com/ https://www.warcradle.com/ https://puppetswar.eu/ https://bitsofwar.com/ https://vanguardminia...
Design #23 - 3D Printing (Part 2) - How it will affect everyone else
October 18, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 59.5 MBI talked, two weeks ago, about how 3D printing would affect Games Workshop - TL;DR, they'll need to make changes to their business model eventually, but not in a way that will stop them being profitable. This week, then, I'm turning to the rest of the industry and trying to explain why small manufacturers, designers, artists and consumers need to be aware of the coming change and how it will impact them far more substantively than it will the Big Names.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #49 - Another One Bites The Dust 1947
October 11, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 110 MBPaolo Parente announced last week that Dust Studio, the company behind Dust 1947 and related games is winding up. In this episode I take a look at the history of Dust as a gaming IP, its influence and shifting fortunes and why I think it's ultimately failed. Other related games: AT-43 Konflikt 47 Clockwork Goblin
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #22 - 3D Printing (Pt 1) - What does it mean for Games Workshop?
October 04, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutes - 84.1 MBI recently read/watched/listened to a few social media commentator types (a lot like me) who all seemed to be of one mind that 3D printing wasn't a problem for GW. I very much disagree. Sort of. In the first of a two-parter, I take a look at how 3D printing may affect GW's business model and why, look at why people think it "isn't a problem" and why they're wrong, and what GW could and should do to adapt their business model to 3D printing. In the second part, I'll look at the wider w...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #48 - Sci-fi Skirmishes
September 27, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 33.8 MBDeadzone 3rd edition appears, as if from nowhere! What's going on and is this genius or a horrible misstep by Mantic? Meanwhile, other microenterprises are releasing cool stuff! Killwager from Enemy Spotted Studios is on Kickstarter, whilst Eisenfront has released its first 2-player starter boxed set. What does all of this mean for Precinct Omega? Well, it looks like I'm putting out a new game, myself, which you'll find available here. Patrons should look for their discount codes, c...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #21 - Editions
September 20, 2021 08:03 - 51 minutes - 117 MBAll miniatures wargames seem to go through multiple editions, one way or another, but why? Why are new editions of miniatures games so different to new editions of other games and/or books? Why do we get so many, so often? Is it bad for the community or bad for the hobby? How often is *too* often for a new edition? I try to answer these and other questions in this week's episode of the podcast.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #47 - In and Out
September 13, 2021 11:00 - 23 minutes - 52.9 MBIn this business, companies enter the market and companies leave it with a depressing regularity. But what motivates them to start and what leads to their departures? With the news that Impudent Mortal is back, IDW Games is gone and Freebooter's Fate is, astonishingly, still here, I dig into this question in a little more detail and ask what it means for Precinct Omega.
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #20 - An Interview with Ivan Sorensen
September 06, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 140 MBSo, earlier this week I accidentally deleted, just... hundreds of files. OK, so technically I had intended to delete the vast majority of them, but a mis-click ended up with me basically deleting my entire archive of podcasts and videos. For most purposes, no biggie. They're all uploaded to the Interwebz if I need them and, to be honest, I mostly don't. However, I kept them around because it makes it easier to copy and paste elements from earlier shows into later ones, like intros and...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #46 - The Exaggerated Demise of Guild Ball and Other Stories
August 30, 2021 11:00 - 28 minutes - 65 MBIn this episode, I revisit the apparent demise of Guild Ball. No, really, it's dead. But only... kind of dead? Stuff happened. I talk about it. Also, Secret Weapon Miniatures is dead. Probably. Again, kind of. I talk about that. And Asmodee. Definitely not dead, but responsible for other things maybe kind of dying. But not really. Let's talk about that!
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #19 - Command & Control
August 23, 2021 11:00 - 58 minutes - 133 MBThis week, I turn to the sticky topic of command and control. I explain why I've resisted tackling the topic until now, take apart the relationship between IRL C3I and miniatures wargaming, and dissect the different ways games can and do handle the various challenges of abstracting the relationship of leaders and subordinates into stats and mechanics. I also touch upon the much-commented-upon "Fog of War" and explain why I think most people's understanding of the term is flawed and why it...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #45 - You should boycott GW, but not for the reasons you think
August 16, 2021 11:00 - 45 minutes - 103 MBI can only apologize for how long it took me to get behind this story. I was on holiday when it first broke and I thought it was a non-issue, so I ignored it and recorded a different episode, then I went away on another short holiday and the story continued to snowball. I got home and recorded this episode immediately, but I already had episodes lined up to cover my period away. So, finally, here's my detailed look at the astonishing news about Corvus Belli moving to partial manufacturing...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #18 - Gaming over the next 12 months
August 09, 2021 11:00 - 46 minutes - 107 MB9th August was the arbitrary date I set for getting back to social wargaming and, with no sign on the horizon yet of anything radically apocalyptic to change that plan, it is time to make plans about what I'm going to play. Other than Horizon Wars games, obviously. So, with that in mind, how can I choose from the plethora of excellent games out there which ones I'm going to focus on for the next 12 months? I think there's room for a maximum of three, but which three? Well, after a lot of ...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #44 - Tax, Kill Team & Overdrive
August 02, 2021 11:00 - 31 minutes - 72.5 MBIn this episode, we re-visit the subject of tax and VAT in the light of new EU rules and this strange beast, IOSS. DISCLAIMER: I am not a tax specialist. But because that's very dull, I also took some time to look at the news emerging about Games Workshop's complete re-write of the Kill Team rules, due for release soon, and Mantic Games's new sci-fi arena combat board game, Overdrive. A full transcript of this episode is available to subscribers on the Precinct Omega Patreon.
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #17 - Emergent Properties
July 26, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 120 MBInspired by my conversation with Gav, I thought I'd do an episode on "emergent properties" - where this idea comes from and what forms they take in miniatures wargames. My first effort turned out to have corrupted after 12 minutes, with no sound recorded, so I had to re-do it and the second effort honestly wasn't quite as good as the first one, but I think I covered most of the same material.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #43 - "Starter" Sets
July 19, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 58.9 MBPlease note that I am now posting the scripts of scripted episodes like this one as exclusive bonus content on the Patreon. So if you'd rather read this episode than listen to my voice, you can get access to scripts at patreon.com/precinctomega from as little as £1 per month. Please consider supporting the Patreon as it makes a huge different to my ability to make it through the month! In this episode, I look at new releases from: Wyrd Games Westfalia Miniatures Victrix GCT Studios Co...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #16 - Gav Thorpe
July 12, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 273 MBGav is the third patron I've been delighted to welcome on to the podcast. We spend some time on his GW career, with an emphasis on the internal workings of the business from his perspective. Obviously, we also talk about Inquisitor, because I couldn't not do that. And we - eventually - get to the subject of narrative and how mechanics can create the experience of narrative events in a miniatures wargame. There is a YouTube edition of this podcast but, for technical reasons, my conversa...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #42 - The Digital Future
July 05, 2021 11:00 - 22 minutes - 52.2 MBThis week's news looks at: Warhammer+ The "new" TSR Mantic Games's new Overdrive release 6: Siege and Cyber Odyssey It covers over a lot of different subjects, with no intentional core thread. But I realized afterwards that, what I was really talking about, was how the industry is changing itself in response to a new relationship with the digital future.
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #15 - Movement
June 28, 2021 11:00 - 47 minutes - 108 MB...manoeuvre... mobility... whatever you want to call it. What are the options available to designers and why would you choose one over another? And I also talk about aspects of manoeuvre that are often under-emphasized or ignored by designers.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #41 - Storms & Teacups
June 21, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 57.1 MBGW decided to change the aesthetics of their "Orruk" orc fantasy range Wired (not "The Wire" as I say in the script - d'oh!) gave us some click-bait about women and wargaming Even the miniatures wargaming Twittersphere isn't immune to attention-seeking trolling (big surprise) I take my life in my hands and give some controversial subjects the questionable benefit of my analysis and contemplate what it means for Precinct Omega. There will be a YouTube edition of this podcast if yo...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #14 - Jake Thornton Interview
June 14, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 196 MBI got to chat to Jake Thornton, renowned tabletop game designer whose credits include Lost Patrol, Dreadball, Dwarf King's Hold and many others. We discuss his career journey, experience of working inside Games Workshop and the transition to freelancer. This episode is also available as a video on YouTube if you are compelled to see our faces.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #39 - Meet Mastercrafted Miniatures
June 08, 2021 10:24 - 1 hour - 239 MBNot sure what happened to my scheduled release, because I definitely did it. Anyway, apologies that this episode is a day late. News topics this week include: Rubicon Models Microworld Games Spellcrow HiTech Miniatures Diehard Miniatures Figone Europe Asunder Corvus Games Terrain Devil Inside Productions Manufaktura (no link for you!) 0-Hr Seb Games But the big feature for this week's episode is an hour-long conversation with Ben Calvert-Lee, digital sculptor ex...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #40 - Meet Mastercrafted Miniatures
June 08, 2021 10:24 - 1 hour - 239 MBNot sure what happened to my scheduled release, because I definitely did it. Anyway, apologies that this episode is a day late. News topics this week include: Rubicon Models Microworld Games Spellcrow HiTech Miniatures Diehard Miniatures Figone Europe Asunder Corvus Games Terrain Devil Inside Productions Manufaktura (no link for you!) 0-Hr Seb Games But the big feature for this week's episode is an hour-long conversation with Ben Calvert-Lee, digital sculptor ex...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #13 - Armour
May 31, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 77.3 MBI take apart the question of armour - both personal and vehicle armour, and with a look at both historical and futuristic warfare - and how game designers frequently miss opportunities to embed the realities of armour into their game designs. This week, I have attempted to record a video version of the podcast, which will be posted on YouTube. This is just the audio and you will lose very little from just listening to the audio, but I do refer sporadically to to the fact that I'm now spea...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #39 - Crowdfunding
May 24, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 79.5 MBWhen a microenterprise wants to create something new, how do they do it? In the modern age, crowdfunding has become a core part of the business plan of any small creative business, and in the tabletop industry, Kickstarter is the colossus. I use this episode to try to take apart the alternative options, look at what kinds of businesses are going to want to use what kind of approach and, ultimately, try to decide whether Kickstarter is right for Precinct Omega.
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #12 - Close Quarter Battle
May 17, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 162 MBAnother unscripted ramble through my brain, as I talk about my personal experience of CQB (spoiler: none) and how my understanding of it is informed by my studies and training. I have a bit of a go at mostly Warhammer 40,000 but also Infinity the Game for how they handle CQB, and obviously talk about how my games do it better (YMMV). But seriously, I articulate four take-aways for anyone wanting to write CQB into a miniatures wargame which I think are important and which I think most mini...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #38 - One Year of Podcasting!
May 10, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 36.5 MBA short episode, this week, because I'm taking it a bit easy. Back to normal service next week. But as (a) I'm taking it easy, and (b) it's 12 months since I started this series of weekly podcasting, I thought it would be a good opportunity to review the stats of the last 12 months and talk about my hopes and plans for the next year. There's still news, though, with new releases from: Brigade Games Wargames Atlantic Rubicon Models Great Escape Games Atomic Mass Games TTCombat ...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #11 - Aotrs Shipyard
May 03, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 164 MBI met up with Alex Handley of Aotrs Shipyard to discuss his work designing an enormous range of spaceship miniatures as 3D sculpts, and his experience of getting them to retail through third-party printing services.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #37 - Cursed City
April 26, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 57.1 MBThis week I look at some interesting news from: Minitaur Gaming Mantic Games Privateer Press Battlefront Miniatures Games Workshop (Not a link to GW, btw) I take a look at the events surrounding the release and recent news regarding their Warhammer Quest: Cursed City boxed game, and then - as ever - turn it back on the industry to look at how different business models affect how companies communicate with their customers... And how customers "communicate" with the companies.
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #10 - Shooting & Ranged Weapons
April 19, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutes - 131 MBShooting is a critical part of most tabletop miniatures wargames, but it is frequently given woefully little consideration by designers who think in narrow terms about the experiences of the soldiers they represent. Players, too, often think purely in terms of "hit" or "miss", without engaging creatively with the imaginative space of the tabletop. In this episode, I think about what designers can do to more effectively communicate the experience of shooting and range combat, be it with hist...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #36 - Recovering Business Models
April 12, 2021 11:00 - 27 minutes - 63.4 MBI take at look at: Bad Squiddo Games North Star Military Figures Wyrd Games Avatars of War Antenociti's Workshop DGS Games All of these business have faced or are facing challenges to their market relevance, either through personal circumstances, shifts in the market, technological drift or commercial miscalculation. And each has addressed or is addressing these challenges in different ways. I take a look at different approaches small businesses have taken and consider what Prec...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #9 - Spaceship Combat Games
April 05, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 147 MBA couple of weeks ago, I got to meet up virtually with patron Andy Strauss, whose input into the development of Horizon Wars: Infinite Dark was really insightful and informed from a lifelong obsession with spaceship combat games. We had a chat about the culture of wargaming in Brazil, and walked through the evolution of spaceship combat games over the last few decades or so.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #35 - Is wargaming unsafe for women?
March 29, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 78.8 MBI'm going to get some flak for this one. *braces self* News from: Khurasan Miniatures Warcradle Para Bellum Wargames Mantic Games Steamforged Games Dark Sword Miniatures DGS Games
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #8 - Points Systems, Army Building and Balance
March 22, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 180 MBIf you ever want to get a group of wargamers talking (like we need the encouragement) just ask them about points systems. It's one of the most controversial and hotly-contested arguments to be had in our world. In this podcast, I take a look at not only the different approaches to points systems that designers can take, but also at the reasons why designers use (or don't use) points systems. I discuss the alternatives, what both designers and players should bear in mind when thinking ab...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #34 - Waking up from COVID
March 15, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 59.5 MBThe wargames world - much like the rest of it - seems to be waking up from COVID-19 with a wealth of new miniatures releases ready to swamp us with joy. But that means that now is the perfect time to be thinking about the post-COVID world and what, perhaps, we should be doing and thinking differently based on what we've learned. Warmonger Miniatures Timecast Models Microworld Games Slave 2 Gaming Void Scar Miniatures Fenris Games Microart Studio Deepcut Studio Mantic Game...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Review #01
March 05, 2021 12:00 - 35 minutes - 80.8 MBThis week, in a sight deviation from the usual schedule, I take a look at the last ten months of podcasting and re-visit some of the topics I've talked about, and also bring up some listener feedback for a response.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #33 - Intellectual Property Management
March 01, 2021 12:00 - 33 minutes - 75.6 MBLet's take a look at how different companies - inside and outside the tabletop wargames industry - handle intellectual properties and why. Marvel, DC and Harry Potter and the big ones. But what about handling smaller, bespoke IPs? How can it be done and why? Atomic Mass Games Knight Models Fantasy Flight Games Spiral Arm Studios Warploque Miniatures Zombicide: Undead or Alive (CMON)
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #7 - Art, Artists & Commissioning
February 22, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 145 MBCommissioning art for a tabletop game is one of those things that can be outside a designer's comfort zone and I've had a load of questions about it. To try to explain how to articulate your needs, find an artist, estimate a budget and compose a brief, I spent slightly over an hour in monologue about this subject. I was going to do a feedback episode, but I got too tied up with other tasks this week, so we'll have the feedback episode in a couple of weeks. The good news is that I've not...
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #32 - Let's Talk About Tax
February 15, 2021 12:00 - 26 minutes - 59.7 MBTry not to fall asleep! I've been through the pain. I've done the research. I've come to conclusions. And all this excitement about VAT and customs duty etc... well, I don't think it's as scary as some people are making it out to be. And in this episode, I'll explain why. DISCLAIMER: Not a lawyer. Not an accountant. Not a tax specialist. Just a podcaster. YMMV.
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #6 - Turns
February 08, 2021 12:00 - 54 minutes - 124 MBInspired by Jake Thornton's own Patreon campaign, I was moved to take a look at the concept of turns: What are turns? How do different designers and games approach them? What alternative solutions are being used? Why do we have turns at all?
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #31 - Manufacturers and Materials
February 01, 2021 12:00 - 25 minutes - 58 MBThis week I mention: Wargame Exclusive Para Bellum Wargames Wargames Atlantic Empress Miniatures Tiger Miniatures Askari Miniatures Brigade Models Khurasan Miniatures Klukva Miniatures And the topic of our discussion is the range of options manufacturers generally have when it comes to deciding on a material for their products: resin, plastic, white metal and digital. What the advantages and disadvantages of each to the manufacturer, and what can you learn about a com...
Precinct Omega Podcast - Design #5 - Art & The Game Designer
January 25, 2021 12:00 - 39 minutes - 91 MBThis week has another game design discussion (monologue, let's be hones) in which I talk about the role that art plays in inspiring, guiding, communicating and supporting a game through development and into the market and the hands of its players.
Precinct Omega Podcast - News #30 - The Game Design Metagame
January 19, 2021 12:00 - 25 minutes - 59.4 MBSorry the podcast is a day late, this week! I totally forgot to upload it here. Won't forget again! This week the news looks at: Ares Games Slave2Gaming Para Bellum Wargames The discussion this week is about the game design metagame - the factors that a commercial game designer needs to think about (in my opinion) when they are planning to write a game for today's market.