“Strange as News from Bree…”
The Lord of the Rings Chapter 9
Welcome
Welcome to the latest issue of News from Bree. As you can see, we’ve moved the newsletter onto our website, which we hope will be its new regular home.
In this issue you will find the results of our recent player survey, details of turn discounts and improvements to the game, a player guide from Brad Brunet, and more besides.
As you’re aware we’re continuning to develop the game, so any feedback on what you’d like to see in the coming year would be very much appreciated.
Games are up, variants are up and things are looking….well… up. So your continued support is very much appreciated. I’d love to see more articles from you all for News from Bree though, such game reports, that sort of thing – even maps of the game at the end are great fun to look at and easy to export from JOverseer. Or perhaps you have questions about the game mechanics that you’d like us to answer? So if you have anything you’d like to submit for the next issue, please do send it in.
Survey Results
Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete our player survey.
Your individual replies are, of course, confidential. But we thought you might be interested in some of the overall results…
Favourite module
1650: 50%
Kin-stife: 25%
FA 16%
2950: 9%
Favourite game variant
Normal: 46%
Gunboat: 28%
12 vs 12: 26%
How many games you like to play at once
1: 36%
2: 39%
3: 21%
4: 4%
5+: 0%
Ideal turn speed
Fortnightly: 59%
Weekly: 32%
Other: 9%
Do you use JOverseer?
Yes: 76%
No: 24%
Many of those who do not use it prefer Automagic. So we are working on a new version of JOverseer which has two views, ‘full’ and ‘classic’, with classic being as close to Automagic as we can make it. Hopefully this will mean more of you can enjoy the benefits of JOverseer, without losing the simplicity of Automagic.
As for new features you would like, the most requested were more nation design choice, and more encounters. We’re working on it!
Website
As you will have noticed, we have a new website!
Our old site was beginning to show its age, having been designed well over a decade ago. And so we’re pleased to announce that our brand new site is now open for business.
So what’s new?
Well, firstly the new site is designed to work on mobiles as well as PCs. We’ve removed a lot of outdated material, added quick links for experienced players at the top of the site, and simplified the payment pages. But perhaps most importantly, you can now browse through all the new games due to start, and sign up to play directly on the website.
Not only that, but over the coming months we’ll be continuing to work on the site, adding new articles and content.
So please do take a look around before you go.
Order Clarifications
Q: Gandalf has two movement artefacts (Staff of Gandalf – Path Mastery, and Robes of Aman – Grey – Teleport). The problem is that the 805 order in JOverseer only allows for the entry of the artefact number. There is no way to enter the spell or movement hex, etc. So how do I use a movement artefact?
A: Your first order should be use artefact, 805. Then your second order is the actual movement order using the spell. For example, 825 – 314 – 1234, where 1234 is the hex you want to move to.
Q: Why was my character was unable to join a navy at 0513?
A: 0513 is a sea hex. Characters need to join the navy (870 Join Army/Navy) when it is on a land hex.
Turn Discounts for Multiple Positions
We are now offering discounts of up to 33% off for playing multiple positions in a game. Check out our list of games starting soon for details of which allow multiple positions:
We can also run 1 vs. 1 games on request. So if you’re interested in taking an entire side of Kin-strife (challenging but fun!), or share a 1650 or 2950 game with a friend, just ask.
Fourth-age Improvements
We’ve made several improvements to our classic Fourth-age module, including:
- King, Queen, Prince and Princess Royalty Characters, with more points to spend on set-up and 3 characters orders a turn.
- Improved Population Centers in worse terrain, allowing better strategic set-ups.
- Better SNA Calculations, to ensure a fairer distribution, enabling improved nation set-ups.
So if you haven’t played it for a while, why not give it a go?
Check out our list of games starting soon for Fourth-age modules:
GAMES STARTING SOON
Player Companion
Have you see the Player Companion, by Brad Brunet?
It takes a look at how the game works, by exploring the various orders that can be given to your characters:
That’s It For Now
We hope you enjoyed this issue of News from Bree.
If there is anything you would like to see in the next issue, please do get in touch and let us know.
And a reminder that if you have anything you would like to submit for publication, from articles and advice on gameplay, to game reports or even fan fiction, you can submit it by email to john@middleearthgames.com.
Finally, if you want to catch up on back issues, you can find them in our Vault.
Good Gaming
Clint
