2023 End Of Year Report

This year did not feel productive to me. I'm not satisfied with what I achieved. I put a lot of time into several large hobby projects, but lost steam and motivation on every single one, leaving them unfinished. Part of this could be attributed to new responsibilities, but it's still depressing to think about it; I put a lot of time and effort into a bunch of hobby projects, but I haven't actually finished painting a miniature all year (technically I finished painting one model that was a gift, and I finished one miniature but didn't post about it because I was planning on finishing the rest of the set first), and that just makes me sad and depressed - I have SO MANY half-finished hobby projects. My sleep has been a bit messed up, perhaps as a consequence of this I haven't been able to adopt a routine in which I do regular exercise - at least I haven't been able to stick to such a routine for more than a few weeks at a time before getting distracted or just abandoning it for some other reason. Whether it's the lack of sleep or lack of exercise, my energy levels and concentration have been quite low. My eyesight seems to have detoriated too (especially in the last few months), I now need to use reading glasses if I want to paint with any measure of precision. I spend a lot of time lying in bed watching youtube or reading webcomics on my tablet; this is probably caused by and also contributes to my low energy levels and lack of sleep, but regardless I'd say it's basically an addiction at this point.

On the positive side, my work hasn't been as frustrating and stressful this year as it was the previous few years. I've been able to spend more time with family and friends. I feel like I've improved some of my hobby skills despite not actually seeing any projects through. And I want to believe I'm slowly (VERY slowly...) becoming a bit more accepting of the fact that life isn't and never will be perfect. I guess overall I'm feeling more positive than I have been the previous couple of years. Well, at least I hope I am.

Anyway, let's talke resolutions:

Old Resolutions:
Well, the exercise thing didn't happen. And I don't know if I've been spending less on hobbies, but I have definitely been spending a lot. Honestly, sometimes I'm not even sure what I've been spending all my money on, it just slips away.

New Resolutions:
To be honest, I'm starting to think that making a new-year's resolution actually makes it less likely to achieve something. So I kinda think I shouldn't even do it. But lately I have been meaning to try to put more effort into sleeping early, exercising, and spending less, so let's go with those. Fingers crossed.

Warmachine Card Creator V4

... And now there's a V4!

Changes from V3:

• It is now possible to overlay and independently position multiple background images when loading images from URLs.
• There is now and option to flip the small data box alignment. It will be automatically set to run left-to-right if there are more than 6 stat blocks.
• It is now possible to have up to 7 model or weapon stat blocks if the life bar is hidden.
• Numbers have been removed from health boxes, although they can still be added back manually.
• The mini spell box now resizes automatically.
• Added file upload options for background images, profile images, and icons since local paths don't work unless running the web page locally.
• Replaced "import/export" options with single card/all cards JSON options (more future-proof as it only saves data, so more likely to be able to import the data in the future).
• Unit health rows can now be hidden.
• The unit health area is now raised if the fluff box is hidden.
• The fluff box and unit health area are now raised if profile image is hidden.
• Can now have up to 8 model health bars in unit health box.
• Increased size of model name boxes in unit health area.
• Added a more efficient font to save space in some fields.
• Added an importer for importing data directly from the app.
• Rescaled card elements and added an option to set the page size to try to make printing easier.
• Added an option to scale up the warbeast damage spiral.
• Added a separate colour control for damage boxes.
• Automatically shrink ability text to fit available area.
• Replaced base size icon with a text field next to the name.
• Increased number of health boxes in life bar to 30.
• Fixed some display issues.
• Added the ability to print hardpoint option cards.

--EDIT--
14/12/2023: Refactored the card creator data loader to make it more robust and general.
14/01/2024: Added the option to scale the warjack damage grids.
12/02/2024: Added an option to copy just the card settings between cards, and paste them in the loader.
14/02/2024: Added command card compatibility to the data loader.
09/03/2024: Fixed an issue with Chrome preventing the same image from being uploaded multiple times in a row.
09/05/2024: Fixed a bug where the JSON exporter only exported 25 health boxes, not the 30 that we new have.
09/05/2024: Unit damage box name no longer wraps and overflow is hidden, so less likely to need manual work.
09/05/2024: Can now select more than 4 cards of models, will open multiple new tabs if needed.
13/05/2024: Doubled the card sizes, so screenshots can be taken at 100%.
13/05/2024: "Edit" button in loader is now colour coded to show if options have been selected.
13/05/2024: Save PDF functions added to loader and card menu.
16/05/2024: Excess weapon profiles will now "overflow" onto the left of the card.
18/07/2024: Fixed the PDF padding issue (by scrolling to the top of the page before export).
18/07/2024: Added a new attachment feature for combining cards (eg. unit with it's CA).
27/07/2024: Added an option to print rack cards.
13/08/2024: Fixed an issue with the solo model health track being replaced by unit boxes.
02/10/2024: Fixed an issue with not handling null profile advantage data properly.
03/10/2024: Added more ability icon slots to profiles and weapons.
08/10/2024: Changed background file name to use _ instead of |, as | doesn't work on Windows.

Warmachine Card Creator V3

As we get closer to Warmachine Mk4 having rules for all the legacy models, but with no Mk4 cards available, I started thinking about tweaking my card creator to handle the slight changes in the way model profiles are recorded. I also had some ideas for making it easier to print cards and that sort of thing. And then one weekend I just said "OK, this is happening". And it did:

Warmachine Card Creator V3
It took pretty much two full days of work, but I finished it and wrote a tutorial in a single weekend. Which was not bad considering the changes to the underlying framework that I ended up implementing. I spent another week or so adding tweaks and small improvements, and now I'm pretty happy with where it is.

Oh, and a few months earlier I was trying to remember some probabilities and decided I wanted my own reference, so I quickly wrote up a basic dice probability tabulator that can generate probability tables for an abitrary number of dice. All the dice must have the same number of sides, but you can choose between several common dice. It also includes the numbers for rerolls and "Hand-of-Fate"-type abilities. It does however use a very basic brute-force approach that can take quite a long time when the numbers get too high, potentially timing-out in the browser. Oh well, it's probably fine for typical wargaming use. It does what I need it to anyway.

I Have Super Damage Too!

I got in another Monsterpocalypse game against Contwrath. I ran Terra Khan again, he played Xixorax but proxied by GW's Commander Shadowsun; he had just painted Shadowsun and wanted to put him on the table even if it was in the wrong game.

The Game:
Contwrath won the roll and chose to go first.

I put out as many units as I could, focusing on pushing my Raptix up the table.

Xixorax moved up to punch a Raptix.

Khan rampaged through a building. For funsies.

The Swarm took control of several buildings and power nodes.

I respawned the Raptix...

... then used Hop to grab the spawn node while still in the spawning phase...

... so that I could bring on two more dinos!

All three then moved up to punch an insect, allowing the Raptix to be Towed onto the power node!

Another Raptix moved up to Xixorax as if to taunt him.

Xixorax Rampaged along the river, knocking over a building and flattening three of my units, as well as putting a point of damage on Khan.

Khan responded by Hopping a Raptix next to Xixorax for Super Damage then slamming him into a double for a total of 6 damage, instantly knocking him into Hyper!

Realizing the threat they posed, the Swarm moved up and tried to kill some Raptix.

I spawned them back and started pushing models up to the Swarm.

Xixorax used a full ten power dice to throw Khan as far away as possible then stepped away as far as he could get.

With all the insects and hazard it was akward for Khan to get to Xixorax, so instead he moved up and used a Blast attack on the Cliff Hopper.

A big combined melee attack put a point of damage onto Khan and respawned the Cliff Hopper.

I spawned more dinos and killed a couple of insects.

Xixorax made a tactical retreat.

Khan followed, landing a Brawl then a Throw on Xixorax.

Xixorax was now on a single point of health.

Xixorax took a second monster turn to throw Khan into a building.

This took Khan down to his final point of health too.

Xixorax still had four Action Dice and four Power Dice; all I could do in my unit turn was kill any insects who could generate any more power.

Thanks to Penetrator on Xixorax's Brawl, Contwrath needed to roll seven strikes in his third consecutive monster activation. Two power dice fell off the table and the remaining dice showed five strikes. We picked up the dropped dice and he rolled them again, getting two more strikes, for a perfect finish!

Xixorax just managed to close out the closest game of Monpoc I've ever had!

I haven't had a chance to use Khan's Super Damage before, because I never had a monster activation where the enemy monster was standing next to one of my units. I hadn't realised before that Raptix have Hop because they don't have it on my version of the cards, but I was checking on some model rules online and saw it on their profile, and suddenly I saw the previously missing link in the equation. Contwrath kept killing the Raptix, but they kept respawning. He was able to avoid more super-damage using the river and his units to make it hard for me to advance my units to his Xixorax. I really thought I had this game when Terra Khan flipped a fresh Xixorax to his Hyper side in one attack, but I wasn't able to get another turn with Super Damage while Xixorax got two Super Damage throws, and also got some chip damage in. Plus of course running three consecutive monster activations to focus down Khan.

It was fun game that was as close as it gets at the end. I think we're getting better at positioning and power generation. I need to work on my defensive monster positioning, and I might need to be more agressive with my units too. I basically forgot about my ranged units this time; I brought in Raptix to support Khan, and Carnidons because for some reason I thought they had higher DEF than Bellowers (they don't). I think I'll stick with Khan for a while as I think he has more potential for me to unlock.

It's The Super Damage That Gets You

I played another game against Contwrath's Savage Swarm, a rematch between Xixorax and Terra Khan.

The Game:
I won the roll and chose to go first. As usual I focussed on bringing out Bellowers first, and this time I remembered to secure buildings and power zones.

I advanced Terra Khan to blast away an insect on a power node.

Xixorax moved up to punch a dino.

I used a Ram attack for the first time ever, putting a point of damage on Xixorax.

Xixorax threw Terra Khan into a building.

I advanced my dinosaurs, but couldn't get my melee units into very much.

A big combined attack into Khan...

... that whiffed hard!

Khan threw Xixorax into a building.

Xixorax had to resort to slamming Khan into a hazard. Khan had enough power dice to roll right into a second monster turn, throwing Xixorax into a building again.

Our units didn't get much done; the swarm whiffed a second combined attack into Khan.

Despite being down on health, Xixorax threw Khan into a building and a hazard, with a little extra Super Damage to seal the deal, cinching the win.

This time I paid attention to my power generation, but did so at the expense of moving my units up, leaving Terra Khan overextended without support. It didn't help that I spawned my ranged units first, then kept them back to hold buildings rather than pushing them up to be in range to do work. Still, thanks to strong power generation allowing me to take a back-to-back monster turn I was in the lead, with 5 health on Khan to 3 on Xixorax. But Xixorax has Super Damage on his power attacks in Hyper, which was just enough to pull off the win. Of course Khan also has a way to do Super Damage - possibly twice in a turn in Hyper Mode - but my units were so far back I just couldn't find an opportunity to get them next to Xixorax to trigger the Super Damage. Perhaps I need to summon my fast Raptix first and run them up, possibly using Hop (which I only just now remembered that they have) to move them into position to help Khan. Well, I feel like I'm learning every game, though I'm not sure the knowledge has coalesced into actual skill at the game yet...

A Massive Infestation

Contwrath has been working on his Savage Swarm and was ready to try them on the table. He chose Xixorax, and I stuck wit' me boy Terra Khan.


The Game:
Contwrath felt confident enough with the rules to use Elite units, which I have not been using as I can't be be bothered to deal with the extra complexity (he marked his with a blob of tack on the backs). We're still just using apartment blocks though. He won the roll and chose to go first.

I positioned Khan to Rampage forwards agressively, pushing all my units up but forgetting about power generation. My Pteradactix Towed my Brontox onto a power node, allowing him to summon my Spikodon using Nesting.

Contwrath did NOT forget about power generation. Xixorax Stomped my three specialists back to the spawn room and then Sprinted back.

Khan had no power dice to work with. He took a Blast attack at Xixorax but missed.

The Swarm could not make it to Khan so they destroyed a building out of frustration.

My little dinos killed a few things.

Xixorax ran away from Khan, killing two Carnidons with a Stomp then Sprinting even further away.

Khan put a point of damage on Xixorax with a Swat.

Using the Hopper to drop Khan's defense, the Swarm units did a point of damage with a big combined attack.

Two Carnidons rolling two whites and four blues missed a Razor Beetle.

Xixorax slammed Khan into a building then Sprinted away.

Khan followed and slammed Xixorax back.

The Swarm continued to try to chip away at Khan while the Terrasaurs pushed up and did what they could.

I was able to subtly ("How far do you want to throw him? ONLY two inches?") able to guide Contwrath into throwing Khan into two buildings for five damage.

Now in Alpha, Khan was able to brawl and slam Xixorax for three damage.

The Swarm was able to do another point, but my Bellowers and Spinodon returned the favour.

At only six defense thanks to Penetrator and Sidekick, Khan easily went down to a big 10-power haymaker.

Xixorax turns and walks away before the body even hits the floor.

We were both playing much more confidently this game, using our monster and unit rules in a more deliberate manner. For some time now I have appreciated how easy Monsterpocalypse's core rules are to pick up, now I'm started to see for myself how much scope there is to play with the special rules, and how interesting the unit activations can be. It was a fun game,that I enjoyed on a more technical level that most games so far.