The rise of Artificial Intelligence - Are the robots taking over?

 A bit off topic today, but I thought I would talk about something that has intrigued me of late, that is related to this blog, but not necessarily to Wargaming specifically. I recently saw an advert for an app that would "revolutionise" blogging and "generate content for your blog" basically, write blog entries for you. Using AI to generate blog posts on whatever topic you choose. The idea being, you generate the posts, set your computer to automatically publish them, then add adverts and reap the income. Yep, I don't think that is going to work.

A couple of weeks later I was chatting to a colleague about AI and specifically ChatGPT. In my day job I write code scripts to manipulate large volumes of computer files and a colleague mentioned that a ChatGPT has been tested at writing code for various tasks. (Note ChatGPT is not responsible for that specific advert I first saw). The results don't always work, if you ask ChatGPT to write a script it needs to understand the nuances of the language you use to interpret your need, I tried a couple of examples that didn't work at all. My day job is safe for now.

The conversation did remind of the blog advert though, so I thought I would ask ChatGPT to write me an article and here is the result:

Sure, here's an article teaching someone how to choose a wargame scale and period:

Choosing a Wargame Scale and Period: A Beginner's Guide

Wargaming is a popular hobby that allows players to recreate historical, fantasy or science fiction battles on the tabletop. One of the first decisions you'll need to make as a beginner is choosing the scale and period of your wargame. In this guide, we'll cover the basics of choosing a wargame scale and period.

Scale

The first decision you need to make is choosing a scale. The scale refers to the size of the miniatures and terrain used in the game. There are several popular scales, including:

• 6mm: These miniatures are the smallest and are used for large battles on a grand scale. They require less space and are relatively inexpensive, but details can be difficult to see.
• 15mm: These miniatures are slightly larger than 6mm and are still used for large battles, but with more detail visible. They require more space than 6mm but are still relatively inexpensive.
• 28mm: These miniatures are the most popular and are used for smaller skirmishes and individual battles. They are highly detailed but require more space and can be more expensive.

Consider the size of your gaming space and budget when choosing a scale. Also, consider the era you want to recreate, as certain scales may be more appropriate for specific time periods.

Period

The next decision you need to make is choosing a period. This refers to the historical, fantasy or science fiction setting of your game. Here are some popular periods to consider:

• Ancient: Ancient wargames cover the time period from the Bronze Age to the fall of Rome. They involve battles between armies of the Greeks, Romans, Persians, and other ancient civilizations.
• Medieval: Medieval wargames cover the period from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. They involve battles between knights, infantry, and archers.
• Napoleonic: Napoleonic wargames cover the period of the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They involve battles between armies of the French, British, Prussians, and other European nations.
• World War I and II: These wargames cover the two world wars and involve battles between armies of various nations.
• Fantasy: Fantasy wargames involve battles between armies of mythical creatures, such as elves, dwarves, and orcs.
• Science Fiction: Science fiction wargames involve battles between armies of futuristic soldiers, aliens, and robots.

Consider your interests and knowledge when choosing a period. You may be more familiar with a particular era, or you may have a particular interest in fantasy or science fiction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing a wargame scale and period is an important decision for beginners. Consider the size of your gaming space, budget, and interests when choosing a scale. Also, consider the era you want to recreate when choosing a period. With some research and consideration, you can choose a scale and period that will provide you with many hours of enjoyable wargaming.

 I think you'll agree its accurate but maybe a little dry? I tried again and asked it to make something funny:

Sure, here's a funny article about wargaming:

Wargaming: The Hobby Where Your Army Always Wins

If you're tired of losing at board games and video games, it's time to take up wargaming. With wargaming, your army always wins - because you get to make up the rules! That's right, in wargaming, you are the master of your own battlefield, and you get to decide who lives, who dies, and who gets to eat pizza while everyone else fights.

But before you dive into the world of wargaming, there are a few things you should know. For starters, your army should have a theme. Are you going for a medieval vibe? A sci-fi setting? A bunch of teddy bears with rocket launchers? The choice is yours, and the more ridiculous the better. Remember, wargaming is all about having fun.

Once you've decided on your army, it's time to create your battlefield. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. You can use a basic mat, or you can create a full-scale replica of Helm's Deep. The choice is yours. Just remember, the more time you spend on your battlefield, the less time you have for actual wargaming.

Now it's time to start playing. Remember, you are the master of your own battlefield, so feel free to make up rules as you go along. Did your opponent just roll a six and take out your favorite unit? No problem, just declare that unit invincible and keep playing. Did you forget to set up a crucial piece of terrain? No problem, just declare that your army can fly over it.

The best part of wargaming is the camaraderie. You get to spend hours with your friends, strategizing and laughing and munching on pizza. But be warned, wargaming can also be a dangerous hobby. You might start to think you're a medieval warrior or a space marine or a teddy bear with a rocket launcher. You might find yourself talking in a fake British accent or using phrases like "for the glory of the Emperor!" in everyday conversation. But that's all part of the fun.

In conclusion, wargaming is the perfect hobby for anyone who wants to win at everything. With wargaming, you get to make up the rules, create your own battlefield, and spend time with your friends. So what are you waiting for? Grab your teddy bears and your rocket launchers and get to wargaming!

Personally I am a little offended by this attempt, the only parts I can see trying to be funny are the mentions of teddy bears and fake british accents. Make up the rules as you go along? This AI has obviously not seen the volumes of rulebooks creaking on my bookshelves.

In conclusion (hang on is this entire article AI generated?) I think bloggers can feel safe that they are not being replaced just yet. OpenAI who create ChatGPT  do clearly state that this is all an experiment and there will be some strange results still. It's a great idea and I commend them for letting the internet community play with their sandbox. I just hope they don't give it access to any Cyberdyne systems model 101's just yet.

 

Generic Hobby Update Number 83

 I haven't posted since December on this blog, but I have been regularly posting on the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge! It has been hard to motivate myself to contribute to both blogs for this period as well as paint with fervour to have something completed once a week to blog about. I am therefore giving myself a week off the Analogue Blog and putting the brushes down. (Well carefully sliding them into the multi-slotted plastic brush holder from The Works. For non UK folk, The Works is a remainders book chain that also does a great range of cheap art products.)

  So, I am sure you are all following my progress on the blog. I don't need to tell you that right now as I type I am 24th in the table with a points total of 865. My original target being 500 points. I knew this year I would paint a lot less (I can't remember my total last year but I think it was around 1200) so I set myself the same conservative target as my first year. I still have plenty to paint, but I won't feel pressure to get it all done for the rest of the challenge.

So, for those few of you who have not followed the blog, here are some highlights of the photo dump from entries:

Squigs, need I say more.

This is the way. (Today is two days away from series three, eek!)

Dum Dum Duggan. (I would watch his spin off series on Disney Plus)

Generic Space Dude in Fancy Pants armour from some toy shop I popped in to for the youngest. (Honestly I cannot remember what they call Space Marines these days, I feel so old)

A second attempt at the bust I blogged about here. I assure you it is a separate piece, not an over paint.

Frostgrave Barbarians

Zeus, chucking his thunderbolts. The entire time I was painting this I was hearing Russell Crowe's crazy accent in Thor - Love and Thunder in my head.

A new snazzy version of Gaunt and his Ghosts.

They are nice sculpts I admit of some of the key characters.

There was a missed opportunity here though as the Ghosts are a mixed Gender regiment, I would have loved to see a model of Tona Criid maybe?

Home Guard from Bad Squiddo

Shaka Zulu

Batman Animated Series Green Arrow

Coming up in the wargaming world we have Salute in April. As I am sure you know it is one of the highlights of my hobby year. I am sure Illustrious Opponent and others will be joining me for the day out where we see if we can shave off a chunk of journey time using the new Elizabeth Line. Yes it is over a month away, but it will soon be here. As I have said on many an occasion, half the fun is the prep beforehand for the day. This year I have a new train route to plan.

The last of the year and the last of the Masters of the Universe, for now....

Another year in blogging flies by, more toy soldiers lovingly painted, placed carefully in foam trays and packed away to wait patiently for an opportunity to roll dice. I shouldn't complain too much though, I did get some gaming in this year and youngest Lead offspring is showing more interest and attention span in gaming. I'm sure it won't be a blink of an eye before he is off wandering around wargame shows whilst Illustrious Opponent and myself just spend the day in the refreshment area holding court and nodding sagely as we inspect the wares that have been purchased.

The Analogue painting challenge has started up again with an incredible amount of toy soldiers already painted before the year is out. Getting time to paint in between the many Christmas events, chores and errands running up to the big day was a bit tricky, but I did manage to get at least one post in before Christmas. You can see the posts so far here and let me tell you, the speed and volume has not diminished the quality. I sometimes think if there was an expected standard of painting to join the challenge I wouldn't always qualify. (There isn't of course, they are all a lovely welcoming bunch and all levels of experience are welcome I am sure.)

For those not wandering over the to the challenge site, my first post included the last of my current Masters of the Universe Battleground collection. I am intending on getting the next wave of models, (including a dinosaur!) but for now I have finished.

This time the theme seemed to Orange, a colour I have never had much luck with painting before, but it seems to have worked this time. Once again I had to do some pallet mixing on my wet pallet to get some colours right, but I think I did okay. I'm still yet to get a game going (Youngest Offfspring has no interest in MOTU at all), I do have one friend interested and excited to try the system, although unfortunately he lives a couple of hours away, so we might have to wait. No worries, when he does visit I'll be ready to go...

I'm dreaming of a Corax White Christmas...

The goblin finally got added to a bauble and hung on the tree this year.

It's been a strange old year, only one wargame show (No Salute this year), extreme weather for Britain (hot and now cold), an unnaturally high number of Prime Ministers in Downing Street and on a personal note I started a new job after being in the same role for over a decade I really didn't see coming. (I won't bore you with the details of my day job, you are here to hear about toy soldiers after all). It has meant though that hobbying has slowed down a little bit of late. Some evenings I have just wanted to veg in front of the tv after learning lots of new things. Therefore I think I am due a recharge and what better than signing up for a second year to the Analogue Hobby Challenge again. Yep, I'm going to be trying to finish something at least once a week again and post on the challenge. I'm not sure I shall be as prolific as last year, but we shall see. I find it can be a little like an addiction once I get going, so who know. You can see my posts under the label PeterB. (Although any posts before last year aren't me, there was obviously another PeterB doing the challenge before me, I'm not sure how confusion will be avoided if he decides to come back again.)

Therefore I have been busy building and undercoating everything I can lay my mits on in the leadpile. If it needs painting, it has been prepped ready to go. On multiple internet recommendations I tried undercoating using Halfords white primer spray and I have to say, despite the subzero temperatures outside when spraying under the cover of the garage door, it still gives good coverage. A great cheaper alternative to wargaming branded sprays and a larger can too. (I do tend to undercoat spray in massive batches and always use a whole can in one go.) I shall definitely be using it again.

 

I have recently finished off one more model before the challenge begins. I have continued to purchase the new sets from Archon Studio for Masters of the Universe. One of which is the evil Scare Glow.  The original toy of which glowed in the dark. (I suspect they came up with the idea befor the character.) Well, I couldn't not have a go at making mine glow could I? A quick bit of online research and I purchased some glow in the dark paint pigment, a few experiments with some sacrificial GW Grots and I don't think it turned out too bad. The pigment did make the paint a little thick and I have lost some small amount of detail on the model but I think it looks okay. I can use the excuse that it is hard to photograph things that glow in the dark, but you get the idea.

In the light.

In the dark.

So for now, time to temporarily pack away the paints, wrap some presents for the kids and maybe have a sneaky mince pie and hot chocolate. I hope the holiday season treats you well.

My vague attempt at a battle report (its terrible, really)

Operation Perch

  ''It is eight days after D-Day. The 50th (Tyne Tees) Division is part of the British 21st Army Group's attempt to drive deeper inland, but blocking their path is Panzer Lehr, one of the German Army's strongest armoured divisions. The British division has been given the task of breaking through the German defences and, as part of its 151st Brigade, the 9th Durham Light Infantry have been ordered to capture the village of Lingevres. Panzer Lehr's Panzer Grenadier Regiment 902 is responsible for defending the village, and elements of its 2nd Battalion are dug-in on the outskirts and amongst the buildings, with tanks of Panzer Regiment 130 in support''

 

The sleepy village of Lingevres

Once again the Illustrious Opponent laid out an incredible looking table

 Recently the Illustrious Opponent invited myself and a friend for a game of Rapid Fire at his abode. The whole table and all the models were provided by IO, so all I had to do was turn up with my tape measure and some dice ready for an afternoon of excellent fun. With IO as umpire to remind us of the rules and a couple of laminated quick reference cards, what could go wrong? I opted to control the British division and tried a terrible tactic of dividing my forces as I advanced. I sent the Carriers down the left flank, the Shermans the right and the infantry slowly advanced through the woods in the middle towards the village (I am terrible at rolling for movement when neccessary.)

My artillery support performed terribly throughout the game, I am not sure if they were even firing at the right village on some occasions, although they did at one point manage to decimate the church to the point where IO got to demonstrate his wonderful Russian Doll like technique for revealing the destroyed version.

Post shelled church

I did manage to take the village with heavy casualties (with the remains of A,B,C and D company all making a hasty retreat) and I did manage to take out the Panther. Once reinforcements arrived however, we I knew I had no chance and we called it a day.

Driving up the road is safe right? (Don't be fooled, one of those Shermans has a wooden barrel and is just an observation post!)

 

 

 

 

 

The Achilles certainly did have an achilles, I am sure that crater is where I parked it.

The church before shelling

A dramatic shot before any Germans were spotted, smoke launchers deployed "just in case"

I was so joyous at doing any damage to this tank killer

Result! It took all my armour to achieve this though.

I must apologize to the Illustrious Opponent as I only photographed half of what was on the table. I can however provide details of what was there thanks to IO's help:

151st Infantry Brigade 9th Durham Light Infantry

 
Battalion Headquarters 

Lieutenant-Colonel Wood

Two figure PIAT team

Carrier Platoon 

Three figure PIAT team. 

Universal Carrier

A Company 8 figures, 

 B Company 8 figures 

C Company 8 figures

D Company 8 figures 

Support Company

3 inch mortar, 3 crew

Universal Carrier

6pdr Anti-tank gun, 3 crew, Universal Carrier Tractor

Universal Carrier

Machine Gun Company, 

2nd Cheshire Regiment. Company Command. Captain Simpson 

2 figure PIAT team

Universal Carrier

Vickers Machine Gun, 3 crew

Universal Machine Gun Carrier

4.2 inch mortar, 3 crew,

Loyd Carrier  

 

4 th /7th Dragoon Guards A squadron

Major d'Avigor-Goldsmid 

2 Sherman V tanks, 1 Sherman Vc Firefly 

Universal Machine Gun Carrier  

 

102nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery B Troop

M10c Achilles 

 

86th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 341st Battery

Sherman II Observation Post 

2 25pdr Gun-Howitzers

Panzer Lehr Division Panzer Grenadier Regiment 902 2nd Battalion

Battalion Headquarters 
Oberstleutnant Welcsh

Two figure Panzerchreck team.

Sdkfz 251/1 half-track

1st and 2nd Company

7 figures, 1 Panzerfaust operator each

 4th Company 

MG42, 3 crew
120mm mortar, 3 crew

Sdkfz 251/1 

2nd Company, Panzer Regiment 130

Panther Ausf A

The reinforcements then consisted of:

6 th Company, 2nd Battalion

7 figures, 1 Panzerfaust operator

2 nd Company, Panzer Regiment 130

Panther Ausf A

Masters of the Universe, Fully Painted!

Bonus He-Man with BattleCat!

Oh boy was this more fun than I thought it was gonna be. I bought this starter set on a whim at Colours and it did not disappoint. (As my previous review post can attest.) There is a definite warm glow of nostalgia when it comes to these characters that wasn't even cooled off when recently I watched the old series again when they were added to Netflix. (I would also recommend the recent new animated series also on Netflix, Revelation, very good. Avoid the other one where Adam is a kid, not so good.) Yes the animation is ropey, including some sequences repeated multiple times to save money, but that is part of the charm. Even the blatant way the cartoon is there to serve the sale of toys as admitted by the people that made them in the excellent Netflix documentary The Toys That Made Us. There is something primal about a Hero that solves all issues by the application of a well placed punch towards the camera. (It's amazing how little he actually did with his sword.)

Everyones favourite moral learning Wizard, Orko

 

I have always thought that I have enjoyed painting fantasy/sci-fi more than historical as I had a choice of pallettes, but when I made the decision to paint these models strictly to their original colour schemes, I still really enjoyed it. I chose to go for a different style of shading/highlighting than normal, going for more distinct crisp lines and obvious highlights. This was really fun and I feel work well given the subject matter.

 

 

Ram-Man

The bases need a clear indicator of their front facing for the rules and so have a notch mark that I have painted white to make it really easy to spot.

He-Man and Skeletor facing off

 

Some colours I had to pallette mix to get a reasonable match to the original toys, although interestingly as they are toys, they would have re-used colours, so there are duplications.

 

Cyclops

 

 On the subject of repetition, I never noticed before but He-Man, Man-At-Arms and Cyclops all have the same waist and legs. Why waste a well sculpted waist?

 

 

Lockjaw

 

The sculpts from Archon Studios (that are different however) have just the right amount of detail to make the models not too difficult to paint, but also still look great. I sadly don't have a collection of the original toys to make a comparison myself (I did have an idea at one point of making a participation game for a wargame show of a skirmish involving the original models stuck to bases fighting over an original Castle Greyskull until I worked out how much it would set me back to Ebay them all) but I would hazard a guess that the level of detail has been raised a bit higher than the source material without straying too far.

 

Mer-man

 

It took me some time to get the Evil Lyn yellow right, especially important as basically she is just blue and yellow.

 

 

Evil Lyn

 

The models seem to have a mix of basing styles, some have rocks, some metallic, then for some reason just Orko has cobblestones. (I like painting cobblestones though, all those highlights and crack lines.)

 

Stratos

 

 Painting the characters was fun and simple, I am really pleased with how they all turned out.

 

Man-At-Arms

 

I then had to attack the job that was the large amount of terrain pieces that came in the box. I couldn't very well have these models fighting in front of plain grey plastic walls could I? So, after a lot of drybrushing I got all this done.

 

The mountain of terrain

Of course now I just need to get a game played. I'm looking forward immensely to it, the system looks good and as it has a hex board to play on I can definitely fit the game on the dining table. I'm looking forward to painting some more of the characters from this range when I get them. These include Teela, The Sorceress, Beastman and Scareglow. (I might need to investigate some glow in the dark paint.) If the range does expand into the She-Ra characters I think a winged unicorn or a sentient broom is definitely worth a go.

Masters of the Universe - Battleground, a review.

Master of the Universe.

As per my last post, I picked up this starter set on an impulse at Colours wargame show. I had seen it online when released and the reasonable price per kilo (Seriously you get a lot of heavy plastic in there) plus the freebie added He-man and Battlecat mini, was enough to convince me.

The box contains a cardboard hexed board, a lot of plastic scenery and ten minis, five each of heroes of Eternia and villains. Even if the rules were rubbish, the plastic components were definitely worthwhile. The terrain pieces are generic enough to be used for other games and the minis are great quality too.

The set is produced by Archon Studio who also make the Dungeons and Lazers range of plastics including their great range of dragons, one of which I own:

Like the dragon, the plastic pieces fit together so perfectly, there has been a lot of thought put in how these kits are made. I would say though, that to produce the dynamic poses they have, each model is comprised of around seven to ten pieces, meaning there is a lot of craft knife work to be done on their contact points to the sprue. (Not a project for a first timer.) It took me a couple of evenings to glue them all together, but they look great.

I have yet to play the game, but a quick read through of the rules seemed to make sense. Each player has a deck of cards that they use to 'bid' for priority then use the same cards to assign mana and action points to their models. Mana is used to cast spells or re-roll dice, action points for moving, shooting etc. The cost of an action increasing if attempted multiple times in the same go. Resolving attacks is pretty simple, roll a number of dice equal to the relevant stat, succeeding on a 4+ and then the defending player cancels out successful rolls with their own test.

There are lots of exceptions to the rules on character cards and item buffs to keep the game interesting. For example, the sword of power can use mana to increase its attack. Characters can also spend a turn focusing to improve their odds the following turn.

A well set out and clear rulebook, an additional book of different missions and some high quality plastic parts make this a great starter set. There are two 'Wave one' add ons available now with a third 'Wave two' coming in October with extra characters and cards. Fingers crossed eventually we might even get She-Ra and Swift Wind!