About

    Here Be Gamers!

    is a podcast about tabletop games and hobbies, be they RPG’s, cardgames, wargames or boardgames. Join Marty and Nathan each episode as they share their thoughts and experiences in a light-hearted conversation about their hobbies.

    Marty

    Where's Marty? There's Marty!

    Hello,

    My name is Marty and I’m a gamer. I have been game free for… well, since the last time I slept, I suppose, tho I suspect I might even dream about gaming. I was ten when I first discovered gaming and I realised all those comic books and fantasy novels were just a primer for full-blown escapism and wild adventures.

    My first taste of real gaming came when I was shown Warhammer Quest, a game where dastardly adventurers raid dungeons to relieve innocent monsters of their loot. I played a Halfling Thief and Imperial Noble and thus was born my enduring love of swashbuckling scoundrels and light-fingered, hungry midgets. From there I plunged into full-blown miniature combat, first with Warhammer, then Warhammer 40K, dabbling in a bit of Mordheim and Necromunda along the way. Since then I have discovered Privateer Press and their awesome steam-powered robots. From time-to-time computer games have grabbed my attention. Among them have been gems such as the Baldurs Gate and Neverwinter Nights series, the Half-Life saga, Bioshock, Fallout 3, the awesome Blood Bowl and the often over-looked The Witcher. Anything with a great story or interesting theme grabs me really. Recently I have been trying to branch out into other gaming, such as boardgames, card games and RPG’s. Nathan seems to take evil delight in finding new stuff for me to try out.

    I like to think I’m an active gamer. This doesn’t mean that I use my figure cases for weight lifting (although I COULD do a serious workout – damn I got a lot of little men). What I mean is that I’m generally up for anything and like going to tournaments. I thoroughly enjoy learning to master new games and enjoy the challenges of tournament play. My one wish is that I had more time to paint all my mini’s, but I guess if leaving them in their birthday suits means I get to actually play with them, so be it.

    I call Nathan the “old man” of gaming. There is a reason for this, apart from stirring him. Firstly, ‘ol Mr Russell worked at my local Games Workshop when I was just getting into the hobby and so has been my gaming crack dealer for almost fifteen year. The depth of his gamer knowledge never ceases to amaze me – and mildly scares me!

    I love gaming and the seemingly endless options for fun times, adventures and friendships it offers. I see gaming and the gaming culture reaching a new era of growth and innovation (and widespread acceptance?) and can’t wait to see what comes next. That’s why I do Here Be Gamers!

    - Marty

    Nathan, at play...

    Nathan

    Hey,

    My name is Nathan and I am a writer, gamer and occassional mad dreamer. I have been gaming for a couple of decades now, much to the surprise of friends and family who thought I would “grow out of those games”.

    Marty calls me the “old guy”, but I’m not much older than most of you (and probably a lot younger than some of you!). I was born the same year that Star Wars was unleashed on the world (the original, not that Episode 1 stuff!), which means I wasn’t around when “original” D&D was concieved, but I cut my gaming teeth on D&D 2nd Ed, GDW games, Vampire: the Masquerade, Warhammer 40,000, Magic: the Gathering and Arnold Schwartzenegger movies. Being the “old guy” means I get to fondly recall the “good ol’ days” and chastise Marty for playing too many computer games.

    I love wargames but don’t find a lot of time for them these days. With a couple of kids running around the house it is hard to set up a game or even do painting, but I try to keep up with what’s going on in the industry. I have played everything from Warhammer to DBM, Wargods to Super System and a bunch of stuff in between. I even worked for Games Workshop for a couple of years. I really like systems that force you to make tough decisions, whether that is in force choice, deployment or actual play.

    These days most of my gaming involves roleplaying and wargaming. RPG’s, in partcular, are a passion of mine and I have… hundreds of different games. I just love to read the rules, see the different approaches designers take to character creation, combat and task resolution. Ever since I read my first Lester Smith review in Dragon magazine I have had a huge interest in small press games (fondly I remember Lost Souls, Fuzzy Heroes and Legend Quest). These days this interest manifests in a passion for “indie” games. I have even published a game myself, and designed a bunch more.

    Gaming is an integral part of my life, providing opportunities for entertainment and escape, making new friends, learning new skills and having loads of fun. I love all kinds of games and I want to share my enthusiasm with everyone. That’s why I do Here Be Gamers!  I hope you enjoy the show!

    If you want to see some of my games, check out www.perilplanet.com

    - Nathan