'Scaper-of-the-Month #82 - davidhsl

Another member of the C3G spills the beans.


PROFILE:

Who are you, really? Me, but that's a little vague. David Hassell

How old are you? 49

What is your occupation? Bookkeeper (accounting)

What other interests do you have? I don't have hobbies as much as I have temporary obsessions. I'd have to say hiking at the moment, though that has been hampered by various things.

Oh, there is an interest that has been consistent throughout my entire life: Listening to music. I'm not a critical listener or musician, but music has always resonated with me on a personal level.

What’s another board game you enjoy and why? Mage Knight: the Board Game is a favorite at the moment, as it's such a challenging and satisfying solitaire experience. It surprises me, because I've gravitated towards less complicated games, and it took substantial effort to learn to play this.

Who, or what, is you avatar and how did you come up with your username? I love waterfalls. I've rotated various waterfalls over the years from the pics I've taken from my hikes. As for user name, I wasn't feeling very creative and simply used my real name to create it. If I had been a bit more creative at the time, I might've come up with something such as Solitaire or Tangram.


HEROSCAPE:

When and how did you first get into HeroScape?
Best guess on when is November 2005.

I discovered it while taking my nephew to Toys R Us to buy him some toys. While he browsed, I made my way to the games section. I thought it would be nice to get a very simple game that I could play with him that would be a quick dicefest and would serve as a nice filler.

When I arrived at the game section, I noticed these massive boxes that were the Rise of the Valkyries Master Sets, as well as several shelves of expansions. I opened the velcro flap to examine the material and read the back of the box, and this appeared to be just what I was looking for.

However, I'm a hopeless completist, so I studied every single expansion pack to see if there was anything available that wasn't in the store. I think if I had noticed something that wasn't in stock, I could've talked myself out of it. Nope, it was all there. When my nephew returned with the toys he selected, he noticed that I was looking at Heroscape and said that he heard it was pretty good. So I shoveled handfuls of the stuff into his arms and took the rest, and we headed to the checkout. Later, when I learned more about Heroscape, I realized that I was missing all of Wave 1!

Long story made longer minus gratuitous profanity, I discovered this wasn't mindless or dumb at all, but was actually pretty sophisticated. However, it wasn't complex, so it was actually a lot better than what I was looking for.

What is your favorite aspect of HeroScape and why?
It's the ultimate gaming sandbox. You can apply so many variants to the rules to make the game almost anything you want. There are a wide variety of units that were produced, and the various customs communities are adding so much more.

I'm especially impressed with the units produced in the SuperHero customs community. These were the people who were first abandoned by the official game, because the promised expansion to the Marvel Set never released. Instead of simply walking away, they rolled up their sleeves and began producing some amazingly fun designs. C3G, in particular, has taken the Heroscape game system beyond the sound barrier with some phenomenally creative mechanics.

I created a Guide to Superhero Customs, where you can find out more about this part of the community.

Also, C3V is doing amazing work with Classic, and the Heroes of Star Wars are producing some great designs in that universe.

To whom is your allegiance and why?
None, because I love variety. I'm not a competitive player, so I love to just toss units into my draft and run with it, though I am mindful of synergies at times.

Who are your favorite heroes and why?
Unique:
Classic: Krug, easily. I just love his sculpt, and he has a great power set.

SuperHero: Anti-Monitor (C3G). Heroscape typically doesn't fare as well with one-vs-one figure battles. Anti-Monitor somehow overcomes that, and he makes a fantastic Army of One. Very fun design.

Uncommon:
Classic: I haven't had a chance to play with most of the stuff following Wave 9, though it had absolutely nothing to do with any diversion to DnD Scape. But I do recall a great game with Master of the Hunt. I especially like the risk with Javelin, as holding back at range 7 might not pay off.

SuperHero: C3G's Kang. You really have to read his abilities along with the corresponding glyph carefully to learn how he works, but the actual implementation isn't nearly as complicated as it appears.

Common:
Classic: The Elemental Quartet! Again, I haven't played the DnD figures much, but a battle with Kurrock and the Elementals is way beyond overdue.

SuperHero: I like the C3G Rat Swarm. It allows you to draft the number of units a la carte instead of in squad bundles, and they pose a serious threat when they engage with the opponent.

What are your favorite squads and why?
Unique:
Classic: Elite Onyx Vipers. In fact, I love the various power levels in the Vipers. You start with the 0 defense Venoc Vipers, move to the more powerful Armoc Vipers, and top it with the Elite Onyx.

SuperHero: Sherman Davies' Arkham Inmates. I didn't notice they were Unique and tried to draft several squads in my first Burt's Beer Tournament. Sherman Davies mentioned they were unique, and I was able to easily change the draft. As long as any figure inflicts a wound, that figure can continue to attack.

Common:
Classic: Knights of Weston, purely for looks. I mean, an entire army with Knights and Sir Denrick, plus toss in their flag bearer Sir Gilbert, and you've got a beautiful sight. Sure, you can blast them from range, but the armor can be recycled into beer cans.

Superhero: Matt Helm's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Think Airborne Elite gone common, with a nifty Triangulation ability that works similar to the Zettian Guards' Targeting.

What is your favorite Special Ability and why?
Counter Strike! Heroscape naturally rewards aggression, and this is a lovely scoop of turnip-flavored Cool Whip that makes you reconsider. It's also a very streamlined, uncomplicated ability.

What is your favorite map and why?
I love the Battlefields of Valhalla, and I think Flash Fire is my favorite due to LOS blockers and road pathways that allow multiple avenues of approach.

C3G has a solid collection of maps, and I'll go with Hol Hall. It has three levels, and the map is simply beautiful.

Tell us a little about your Battle Stories.
This thread originated when I was returning to Heroscape after a long dry spell, and I was looking into the SuperHero customs. I noticed the playful banter between Matt Helm and C3G. What better way to return to playing than to stage a battle pitting Matt Helm's customs (Fantastic Four) against C3G's (X-Men)? I developed a story arc and posted my first battle report. Encouraged by the positive response and +rep, I followed through with the rest of the story.

Those battles got me addicted once again to Heroscape and gave me a way to engage with the community, so I continued to post my battles in the thread in various formats. Some are told as stories, but I post most as "Burt's Beer" formatted battle reports. This is presented as a sports cast, with banter before, during, and after the battle. I love to create funny skits, and this format allows me an outlet for my creative energies.

The thread also allows me to try out various rules variants. I've played on a flat battlemat designed to model a city, played a game incorporating Lore Cards from the game Battlelore, played a Mirrored Universe set of rules twice where figures destroyed from one map are transferred to a battle on an identical map, and I designed a couple of ways of having figures swap with other figures in the middle of a battle.


COMMUNITY:

What do you enjoy most about HeroScapers.com?
That's easy: the people. This is such a friendly, inviting, and talented community. This site has tremendously enhanced the Heroscape game with fantastic maps, fun variants, supplemental materials, and great custom designs.

Describe your favorite HeroScape moment.
This was a game with my nephew several years ago, and I had built a map with the castle. My nephew placed Jotun at the top of the castle. During the battle, I sent Sgt. Drake Alexander (RotV version) grappling up the castle to whack at Jotun, and Jotun would toss him off the castle. I then sent him back up -- whack, whack -- and got tossed back down. This went back-and-forth until I finally took down Jotun, but it was simply hysterical.

Another memorable moment was the time my brother invited me over, as he had a friend whose kids were interested in me bringing over all my stuff to play. So I brought everything, and I just sat back as all three kids took every single terrain piece I had (3 RotV Master Sets, 3 RttFF, and 2 copies of all the other sets) and filled the table with a huge map. They spent at least two hours on it, and we only had enough time remaining for only 2-3 rounds of actual play. But I think they enjoyed building the map more than playing, and I just enjoyed watching them.

Is there any member of HeroScapers.com you’d really like to play against? I'd be honored to play against anyone as long as the person doesn't mind a casual player and can be patient with any mistakes I make. I did, in fact, have such an opportunity to play a battle against fellow C3G member quozl to promote one of their releases. We played using the Heroskype system, and we communicated via AOL"s Instant Messenger. He was a fun opponent, and it was a great game.

What is your role in the C3G?
I have two tasks with the group. First is ERB (Executive Review Board), which means the designers send me their draft currently in the design phase, and I offer questions and comments. I try to identify potential issues, present areas that might be confusing, and also point out areas that really excite me. This role was created by C3G as a way to provide an external perspective on their designs, even though the role is actually a part of the group. But we don't actually design for them.

My other job is EPB (Executive Preview Board). In this job, I examine the designs that have been completed but not yet released to the public. I make a similar type of analysis that I do with my ERB reports, but I try to focus my comments just on items that I think need attention rather than comment on all aspects of the design. In addition, I also check the cards and the format of the first and second posts to identify inconsistencies.


UNIT DEBATE:

Which unit would you say is better: Captain America (Hasbro) or Captain America (C3G)?
I'll preface my answer by saying that I try to avoid saying one group of designs is better than the other. I initially fell into the trap of thinking the Marvel set wasn't as fun as Classic, and I literally kept the figures separate from the rest of the Scape. The customs community really opened my eyes to just how much fun SuperHero Scape can be.

I know that's really odd to say considering my first Battle Story pitted Matt Helm's customs against C3G's. But I designed the story arc in a way that would hopefully avoid the impression that I was trying to determine which is better. And I've tried to present battles in my Battle Thread featuring a variety of customs.

But answering with "both are good" isn't really in the spirit of the question. Man, this is a tough call. C3G's Captain America provides his bonuses to his team members across a greater range and has a defense boost that works against both normal and special attacks. The Hasbro design provides bonuses that also work with squad figures, and he has Counter Strike against normal melee attacks.

Again, it's close. But I'll give the tip to C3G's version due to the emphasis on Heroes, the flexibility to spread your forces while maintaining their +1 attack/defense boost, and the defense protection against both normal and special attacks. But I do love Counter Strike in the Hasbro version, and I would definitely draft the Hasbro version with squads.

What two units would you like to see in the next Unit Debate?
Let's pit melee vs. range, as well as return to the set that started it all: Izumi Samurai vs. Zettian Guards.

LIE DETECTOR:

Tell us two true things about yourself and one lie.
1. I have a roll of Mad Magazine toilet paper that is over 10 years old.
2. I don't drink beer, and I've never been to Niagara Falls.
3. Most embarrassing moment: Getting caught picking my nose on the Fan Cam during a hockey game.


THREE FUN FAVORITES:
(Choose and answer three of the following.)

Favorite band: Not a band, but a musician: Klaus Schulze, followed very closely by Steve Roach. I love electronic instrumental music.

Favorite song: "Moonlight Shadow" by Mike Oldfield. It's a rare song that never gets stuck in my head and never gets tiring, no matter how many times I hear it.

Favorite TV show: Twin Peaks, until the middle of Season Two. Simply brilliant, and the television medium curbed some of David Lynch's excesses.


CLOSING:

What message do you have for the ‘Scaper community?
Never think you can't make a contribution. I made this mistake when I took a break from the site a few years ago due to thinking I didn't have much I could add to the community. You can post map designs, create new rules variants, make a donation and become a Site Supporter, playtest for any of the great projects in progress, post battle reports... the list is endless!

Whom do you pick for the next ‘Scaper of the Week?
I feel bad that I never finished my project to play through the Heroes of Star Wars customs, but I would like to toss the spotlight their way and select Porkins.