JIGG Kansai

If you enjoy games of all kinds and would like to find others to play with then join JIGG by joining this club, it`s free to join, just click join and you are a member. Couldn`t be easier.

JIGG members meet all over Japan to play various kinds of games including wargames, strategy games, play by e-mail, roleplaying games, CCGs, miniatures, Japanese games like Go and Shogi as well as tradional games like chess.

To find other people to play games with, post here and tell us what games you like to play and where and when you can play them. You can also view the members section and Email some of the members telling them the same thing. Scroll down to read the forum posts.

This noticeboard is used mainly to find new members. The posts here are mostly to announce games or find players.

For a discussion forum you should follow the link to our BoardGameGeek Guild forum.
Visit JIGG Kansai

Imperial Star Destroyer

Imperial Star Destroyer is one of the amazing ships in Star Wars.

by Jonah Burns

It is THE capital ship of the Imperial Navy. The Star Destroyer first apears in Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope. It is armed with Tractor Beam Projectors,Turbolasers, and Ion Cannons.

It carries 72 Tie Fighters And 2 Lambda-class shuttles. It carries AT-STs, AT-ATs, AT-PTs and other ground forces. I think it is the best space ship in Star Wars.
My take on this great Ship!
by Sennah Burns

It is not so difficult to make. It is about 60cm long.

We can shoot and take of the pieces. It looks like the real one from the movies so it is really cool. Inside it has a robot.

I think this is really cute. So I like this ship a lot.

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How can I improve my English? 英会話の学習方法について

Most games are made in English for an English speaking audience. Sure you can find games in other languages, but then you limit yourself. How can you improve your English for English games (English rules) and even
for work.

Rakuten, Nissan and other companies in Japan have made English their
official language. If you hope to get a good job, how can you improve your English?

How can I improve my English? Part 1:英会話の学習方法について

by Kevin Burns

英会話の学習方法について by Kevin Burns, owner of Kevin`s 英会話スクール日本に居ながらにして英語が話せるようになるのはなかなか難しいことです。だけど、できないというわけではありません。英語を習うに当っては「ローマは一日にしてならず」という諺があてはまるのを忘れないでください。 Kevin & Friends 英語が流暢に話せるようになるには時間がかかります。英会話を習うのはちょうどクラシックピアノを習うようなもので、自転車の乗り方を覚えたり水泳を習ったりするのとは訳が違います。例えば水泳を習う場合はその成果が短期間に分かります

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Lego Batman Video Game

Lego Batman Video Game Japan – ユニークネス　オブ　ザ　バッドマン レゴビデオゲーム ユニーク
ネス　オブ　ザ　バッドマン レゴビデオゲームは新しいブランドとして、
Legoによって市場に出されました。古い製品が市場にある一方で、いくつかの優れた新しい製品は多くの人を魅了しています。レゴはトイストーリーやスポ
ンジボブ、スクエアパンツなどのアニメからアイディアを得ています。そして、バッドマンの巨大な成功に気がついたとき、レゴはバッドマンをテーマにした製
品を世に送り出したのです。レゴバッドマンのおもちゃにはバッドマン、ロビンなどのミニフィギュアがついています。レゴブロックセットだけでなく、ゲーム
…や壁紙、スクリーンセーバーなどを簡単に手に入れられます。

http://www.burns-brick-country.com/lego-batman-video-game-japan.html

Grimoire Review

A Rebuttal on the Trouble with JIGG

This was in rebuttal to a particular post at the forum and also just
my feelings on JIGG in 2010.

Frankly I don`t think anyone should be criticized for what they post.
I would just be happy that they post. I posted a link to a good article that
Alexander Ashton wrote a while back, but I occasionally repost things that I
feel some people might be interested in. –When I come across them again.

I don`t feel I deserve any criticism for that. I`m a little annoyed
but not angry about the criticism. (I don`t think Giovanni`s criticism is
really with me though, I think he is frustrated with the
state of JIGG and I can understand that.)

As long as it isn`t spam. And posting on topic certainly isn`t spam.

JIGG members are the victims of geography. We live in a very long
country of islands. That makes it tough. But not impossible to get together.

I can see the benefit of some of the newer forums (past couple of
years)–multiple topics, right there in front of you–easy to use and sign up
etc.

To some extent, I think all the forums has lead to some fragmentation.
But mostly we are fragmented geographically. We have members in Kyushu, all
over Honshu and of course former members abroad.
Multiple forums based on region have also helped people in that region arrange
local games in a timely fashion.

As opposed to the guy from Shikoku doing a shout out at this forum
and being stunned by the silence. I think the local forums
definitely fill a purpose (provided prospective members can find them.)

As for a president. I too miss Steve and Mike Montesa.

I agree with others that is missing from JIGG is a strong leader who is going to
stay for a while. We had that with Steve Brown, then Mike Montesa.

If someone would come to the fore and be president that would be
great. Any offers?

I think this is important so I will shout it:

MORE JAPANESE MEMBERS WANTED

It might be a good idea to try to attract more Japanese members to JIGG.

Why?

They are generally nice guys, good game players, they will be staying in Japan
long term (in general), they will help to legitimize the
I in JIGG, plus one of them might be willing to be president for more than a few
years.

People have been saying much of the core of JIGG has left. I agree.
So maybe the core should look more Japanese for the future success of our club.

Because of the expat-nature of our core:
JIGG tends to boom and bust. I know, I have been around for the long
haul of JIGG. When the president leaves there is no one to take the reigns.

I am too busy with family etc, to organize anything regularly,
and anyone who has hosted a large event will know how much work it is.
Maybe that sounds lame, but there it is.

We need someone to take the lead. That`s easy for me to say though.

Someone who is going to be around for a while, will need to volunteer.

When Steve was president, we had regular ads going into the Mainichi
Daily News (I think it was.) I donated 200 dollars and put an ad
in the Tokyo Journal for JIGG, to drum up members and get the ball rolling.
Steve also came out with a regular newsletter to keep the club going and give us
cohesion.

I hosted regular events at one of our schools. I didn`t have three
kids back then. I also had a lot more energy. I was 29.

Then the internet became more popular and we had our Yahoo group here.

JEFF Lewis made a very nice website.

I have made my Kevin`s JIGG pages here and there over the years.

Myself, I promote and have promoted JIGG for years, through posting
links (all over the place). I have links to JIGG at my various
websites.

Down in Nagoya there are doing well, and maybe can teach us a few things about
how to get the club going again. They have a nice
forum about game events down in the Tokai region, and last I checked it was
pretty active.

One of my sites is getting 7,000 visitors a month and JIGG is on the
front page of that site. So things like this should help.

On Sunday I will go to watch ballet. I will take my daughter to ballet on
Saturday. My dance card in other words is pretty full.

I`m happy enough with the way things are. If I want to find someone to play
with I can do it at one of the JIGG forums.

But certainly a president would help if someone could make a commitment for two
or more years. I think a term as president should be at least two years.

I will get off the podium…

Kevin Burns

Lego Racers

Lego Racers

Lego Racers : High-Speed Learning

by Cheema Beckham

It is said, “Speed thrills but kills”. This statement holds good for all speed racing sports and high-speed motor sports pose a serious threat to the life of the participants. This high-speed phenomenon is really loved by the children of our times but the hazards and risks involved in such a game keep them at an arm’s length from the race track. To fulfill these desires of owning a speed car and driving it at super speeds, Lego introduced its own range of racers. Lego toy
racers proved to be a mammoth success.

The Dead Games Society

The Dead Games Society

I’m a former member of JIGG who, having moved back to Chicago, am now involved
with a new group dedicated to out of print games and older game editions–we
affectionately call these “dead” games. The group is called the Dead Games
Society and I was curious if anyone from JIGG would like to join. We have
members so far in the United States, Britain, Brazil and Australia but I would
like to see us expand into Japan.

The DGS has earned premiere group status with Gencon and on top of our own
dedicated website and forums, we have a forum on the Gencon boards as well.
http://community.gencon.com/forums/230.aspx . We are also working with GAMA
(The Game Manufacturs Association) and will be running a 1st Edition AD&D
tournament at Origins 2011, in addition to many other “old school” games.

If interested, check out our site at http://www.dgsociety.com and maybe you can help us
find other gamers interested in the “old school” or “dead” games. Also check out
our blog at http://20thcenturygeek.com where we post articles on gaming and
geekdom from the last millennium.

Cheers,

Chad Parish, a.k.a Red on the DGS forums

Milton Bradley’s Gamemaster Series

Milton Bradley’s Gamemaster Series
A Review of a Great Series

by Michael Montesa

The Gamemaster series of games put out by Milton Bradley in the mid ’80’s
are some of the most often played games on my shelf. The most successful
and well known game of this series is of course, Axis & Allies. But there
were four other games in the series, each of which focused on some period
of history and in one case a (very) speculative future. In all the games
save one, the scope is epic; the choices you make affect the future of the
world. Very cool!

Axis & Allies covers WWII. Conquest of the Empire covers the Roman Empire
in the 2nd Century. Samurai Swords (aka Shogun) deals with 16th century
Japan. Broadsides and Boarding Parties takes on the 17th Century as well.
Finally Fortress America looks at the “early 21st Century”.

All of the games came in big gorgeous boxes, covered with equally beautiful
artwork. Each game had really big colorful gameboards and 3D components,
easy to read rules, and best of all, bags just full of bits! These games
all came with 200+ pieces on average. As a miniatures freak I really
appreciated this, and the visual appeal of these games is part of the
reason why I and my friends continue to play these games.

Axis & Allies is still in print. Samurai Swords was re-released a few years
ago and is now OOP again. The other games are not likely to ever be
resurrected. A shame really; this series had a lot of potential. A
questionnaire I found in one of the boxes asked what other topics players
would like to see a Gamemaster game done on. Choices included the U.S.
Civil War, Napoleonic Wars, Medieval period, fantasy, and sci-fi. If
only….

Capsule reviews and comments on each game follow. Art/Presentation covers
first, the box art, then the map board, game pieces, and other components.

Axis & Allies
Subject: WW2
Players: 2 – 5
Gameplay: 4
Art/Presentation: 4/4
Availability: Good
Comments: Just type in Axis & Allies on your search engine and you will see
just how popular this game is. Wargame enthusiasts may decry its
“simplified” take on WW2 (even as they set it up to play it) but if you
consider A&A a “wargame” then it is easily one of the best selling wargames
of all time. Axis & Allies is interesting in that the “sides” are uneven,
that is, three players (the Allies) vs. two (the Axis). The cooperation
necessary to win the game for either side is what makes this game so
interesting. Russia cannot hold if the UK doesn’t draw off German
resources; the Allies need the US player to correctly time and direct its
forces to wallop the fascists; Germany and Japan both need each other to
squeeze the Russians out as soon as possible. The game does seem to follow
a certain pattern after a while, with each nation making certain
“no-brainer” moves. But by this time, the players are already experimenting
with the multitude of variants that are available for the game. Axis &
Allies has stood the test of time and is a great addition to your gaming
library.

Samurai Swords (Shogun)
Subject: 16th Century Japan
Players: 2 – 5
Gameplay: 4
Art/Presentation: 5/5
Availability: Good (but out-of-print since last year)
Comments: Not only does Samurai Swords have perhaps the most stunning art
of the Gamemaster series, it is an excellent game. Each player controls a
host of samurai, bowmen, spearmen, and gunners in a bid to become Shogun,
the military ruler of Japan. Unlike A&A, this game is every samurai for
himself. Deals are only good as long as they are politically necessary and
only the strong will survive. The figures for this game are astounding, as
are the other components; foam trays shaped like castles, castle
pieces,plastic swords, coins, even a ninja figure! Fortunes can change
quickly as last turn’s power broker becomes this turn’s goat. Players bid
money for turn order and for hiring the ninja, as well as the usual buildup
of forces. Although not a very hard game to learn the depth of the game is
excellent. Players have to think several turns ahead to get on top and
stay there, and until the competition is taken down a few notches, it’s
anyone’s game. The battles have a very unique feel to them that captures
some of the essence of the game’s setting very nicely. Games can take a
long time to finish however, but the fast-play rules help somewhat. This
one is a winner, no doubt.

Fortress America
Subject: USA Invaded!
Players: 2 – 4
Gameplay: 5
Art/Presentation: 3/4 Early editions of the game actually have Saddam
Hussein on the cover! Later editions have Hussein disguised with a beard,
moustache, and sunglasses!
Availability: Rare; occasionally seen on the used games shelf; often sold
on Ebay
Comments: I like this game for its sheer anachronism; the US is invaded by
a coalition of nations; the Eastern invaders (presumably all of Europe, led
by the Soviet Union), the Western Invaders (a vaguely defined horde of one
would assume are Asian nations), and the Southern Invader (an equally
ambiguous army of Latin American nations). It was printed at the height of
the Cold War (in 1984) so you can see where the politics of the time
informed the game world. But, goofy premise aside, this is a really good
game. This one is three against one; the foreign hordes against a lone
American defender. The system starts the US player off relatively weak,
but able to grow in strength each turn. Conversely, the invaders are
strong to begin with but attrition will do them in if they don’t win a
swift victory. Initially, everyone thinks the invaders can’t lose, but when
the US tactics are figured out it goes the other way. Then both sides have
their tactics down and Fortress America becomes a contest where even late
in the game, no one is sure who is going to win. It takes a while to reach
this level of understanding in the game and so, unfortunately, many stop
playing before they really get into it.

Conquest of the Empire
Subject: 2nd Century AD Roman Empire
Players: 2 – 6
Gameplay: 3
Art/Presentation: 3/3
Availability: Rare; often sold on Ebay
Comments: The large number of players, winner takes all victory
conditions, and offense oriented game system make Conquest of the Empire
one of the series most volatile titles. The players must quickly make a
few important alliances and then set about conquering everyone else (until
it’s time to break those alliances of course). The game’s big weakness is
the catapults, which act somewhat like Punic panzer tanks. House rules can
balance them out however. The game also features a unique and interesting
mechanic; inflation. As the game progresses and the players get richer,
the price of combat units (legions, cavalry, and catapults) and other
improvements (cities, walls) goes up. Once certain thresh-holds are
broken, things double and later triple in price. Roads allow fast movement
between provinces and are a mark of civilization (if you can spare the
money to build a city to connect them to…) Another thing you can do, if
the enemy hordes are threatening to capture one of your cities, is to burn
it down to deny it to the enemy before you are destroyed. A definitely
Pyrrhic victory.

Broadsides & Boarding Parties
Subject: Pirates of the Carribean!
Players: 2
Gameplay: 2
Art/ Presentation: 3/4
Availability: Very rare, even on Ebay (and expensive)
Comments: Broadsides & Boarding Parties is easily the most visceral and at
the same time simplest of the Gamemaster series. While the other games in
the series are strategic in nature, B&B is decidedly tactical. It’s
basically a ship to ship battle between a pirate ship and a Spanish
Galleon. Players start off by maneuvering smaller ships into gunnery range
(Broadsides) on the battle board. Should the two ships collide
(intentionally or not) the ship-to-ship boarding action begins (Boarding
Parties). The centerpiece(s) of the game are the two magnificent ship
models, complete with masts, cannon, crew, and a captain (too bad there’s
no little plastic parrot). The ships are over a foot long and very nicely
detailed, as are the other figures. On the down side the game system moves
the ships around with a very simple card driven system, and the gunnery and
boarding action is really a die-rolling contest. The game can get
repetitive pretty quickly. House rules for wind and other factors can
really improve game play. If you are lucky enough to have two sets you can
even try multi-ship battles!

M. EVAN BROOKS HOME PAGE

M. Evan Brooks

I have been writing wargame and strategy reviews for various publications for over fifteen years. At one time, I wrote an anthology of computer wargames for a computer magazine. As a guide to the gaming community, it has been updated and modified herein. Games are rated on a one-to-five star basis; contemporary game ratings have their stars (*) depicted in red, while older game ratings are depicted in black. The star rating is based on the game as initially released; this is to reflect the fact that the older games, especially on older machines (Atari 800, C-64), are simply not playable in today’s market, but did achieve milestones in game play, and should be recognized for their contributions. This is limited to games released between the advent of the computers and the close of the century. Due to lack of time and availability of product from manufacturers, I have been compelled to limit my coverage.
I have attempted to provide as much data as possible. However, unknown data is denoted by “xxx”. If you can fill in any data, please e-mail me; your contributions will be gratefully appreciated.

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