Wednesday 22 August 2012

Vampifan's Views 27 - Twenty Questions

  Two of my favourite bloggers, Ray of Don't Throw a 1 and Fran the Angry Lurker, recently ran a Q and A session on their blogs. It has proved so popular that other bloggers have decided to run it with their own answers. So here's my answers to the questions.

1.       Favourite Wargaming period and why?
Zombie apocalypse gaming. It is something I have wanted to do ever since I saw Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" at the cinema in 1978. That film had a huge influence on me. It is only in recent years I have been able to achieve my goal, but it has been well worth waiting for. Thank God that All Things Zombie caters for the solo gamer.
2.       Next period, money no object?
So many to choose from, but if I had to choose just one I'd say the Wild West in 28mm scale.
3.       Favourite 5 films?
Listed alphabetically, although Dawn of the Dead is my number one film of all time.
       1. Dawn of the Dead (1978 version) by George A. Romero.
       2. Day of the Dead (1985 version) by George A. Romero
       3. Hard Boiled by John Woo.
       4. The Outlaw Josey Wales by Clint Eastwood.
       5. Underworld by Len Wiseman
4.       Favourite 5 TV series?
Again, listed alphabetically.

       1. Angel.
       2. Being Human.
       3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
       4. The Sweeney.
       5. True Blood
       Just bubbling under is The Walking Dead
5.       Favourite book and author?
Sigh, just one choice! Fair enough then - Feed by Mira Grant. It's one of the few books that deserves to be called unputdownable.
6.       Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!
 Admiral Ackbar, commander of the rebel fleet in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." Hey, he was ultimately responsible for defeating the Empire. Respect!
7.      Favourite Wargames rules?
All Things Zombie by Two Hour Wargames. Their decision to cater for the solo gamer has been a life saver for me. 
8.      Favourite sport and team?
I have no interest in sport but I did end up watching far more of the 2012 Olympic Games than I intended. Team GB made me feel very proud, so I nominate them as my favourite team.
9.      If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?
If it ever did exist in reality, I'd like to go back to the time of King Arthur and to see Camelot.
10.   Last meal on Death Row?
Roast chicken and chips, followed by Vienetta chocolate ice cream.
11.   Fantasy relationship and why?
If we're talking pure fantasy, it has to be Vampirella, otherwise, someone who looks like Vampirella, like the adorable Leslie Culton, pictured below Why? I fell in love with Vampirella as soon as I saw her. She was the first "good" vampire that I'd read about. Up until then I believed all vampires were evil. Of course, things are a lot different nowadays as attitudes have changed and vampires can be good or evil.
12.   If your life were a movie, who would play you?
Mel Smith.
13.   Favourite Comic  Superhero?
Ho, ho, ho, need you ask? With Vampifan as my alias, it can only be Vampirella.
14.   Favourite Military quote?
"Upon my command unleash hell!" by General Maximus Decimus Meridius
15.   Historical destination to visit?
The OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.
16.   Biggest Wargaming regret?
Losing my old bunch of gaming buddies as they left the area. Most left to get married and settle down elsewhere. One died very young at the age of 34. Now I'm a solo gamer and I just think, if they could see my gaming set up now, they'd be gobsmacked.
17.   Favourite Fantasy job?
Getting paid to indulge in my gaming hobby - making models, painting figures and skirmish gaming.
18.   Favourite Song Top 5?
Listed in alphabetical order.
       1. Listen To Your Heart by Roxette.
       2. The 1812 by Bond
       3. The Winner Takes It All by Abba.
       4. Vampyre Erotica by Inkubus Sukkubus
       5. When The Night's On Fire by Mike Oldfield.
19.   Favourite Wargaming Moment?
 In my Necromunda campaign, which was one of the most successful gaming campaigns I ever ran, I played a Goliath gang led by Big Fub. He became the target of the Orlock gangers in an Assassinate scenario. Sadly for me, the scenario lasted half a turn. An Orlock heavy with a Plasma Cannon made a lucky hit on turn one and knocked Big Fub out of the fight. It just goes to show how unbalanced this scenario was when a person could lose without even getting to move or fire! No matter, I got my revenge when I rolled for Big Fub's injury. He scored 65 on the injury table which incredibly, earned him Impressive Scars. Everyone remembered Big Fub walking away from a Plasma Cannon hit. No one remembered the name of the cowardly Orlock who tried to backstab him. That was a pivotal point in the campaign because after that, my Goliath gang went on winning streak that just defied all odds.
20.   The miserable Git question, what upsets you?
Far too much! However, seeing as Fran and Ray limited their answers to 11, so shall I.
1.   Having to go to a job centre to sign on every two week's to pick up a paltry Jobseeker's Allowance. It is soul destroying!
2.   The DWP (Department of Worthless Pricks) who run the job centres.
3.   ATOS (Association of Twats and Odious Shitheads) the incompetent scum who decide that 7 in 8 of the sick, the infirm and the disabled are actually fit for work. I hope all ATOS staff burn in Hell for all eternity. Yes, they did declare me fit for work  and my hatred for them knows no depths!
4.   The current government who haven't got a bloody clue how to run this country. Don't get me started on that waste of skin that is George Osborne!
5.   So-called reality TV "stars" without an ounce of talent but are looked up to as acceptable role-models.
6.   The shameful way our elderly are treated in this country. Why can't we show them some respect?
7.   People who talk in cinemas when a film is showing. Two words to them - SHUT UP!
8.   All adverts on TV. They're just boring and repetitive!
9.   Cruelty to animals.
10. Litterbugs.
11. The fat cats who run our banks.
I'd better stop there, otherwise this is going to run and run.

This has been a whole lot of fun to do. A big thanks to Fran and Ray for compiling the questions. 

18 comments:

  1. Some interesting and not so surprising answers as you put it yourself.

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    1. Anyone who knows me will have been able to guess quite a few of those answers, Simon.

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  2. A very interesting selection. Some of which we share. I knew you couldn't hold out against the tide of this Q & A.

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    1. To be honest, Irqan, I almost posted this last Sunday but I had the Cottage review already prepped to go.

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  3. Great answers Bryan, I had forgotten about Hard Boiled and remember The Killer as well as many others from Mr Woo and your miserable git answers.....very true and apt!

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    1. The Killer was the very first John Woo and Chow Yun Fat movie that I saw and it just blew me away. That made me seek out more of their work and led me to Hard Boiled, possibly the greatest action movie ever made.
      As for the miserable git question, I could have easily doubled ot trebled that total! Yes, I am a grumpy old git and proud of it!

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  4. Very good answers, though you're right, most of use readers could predicts at least a few of them. Ever think of a Wild West Zombie campaign?

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    1. He, he, yeah, I admit, I am Mr. Predictable. But hey. I'm not apologising for it! Adam, I have thought about a Wild West Zombie campaign. I already have some Cowboy and Indian zombies. That really shouldn't surprise you!

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  5. he he!!! Some great answers Bryan, great git answers and I found myself agreeing to them all!! I'd like to see some Wild West figures on your blog, I'm sure there's a company out there selling zombie cowboys so you could kill two birds with that one.

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    1. Thanks, Ray. Regarding zombie cowboys, see my answer to Adam above. I have a set of Foundry zombie cowboys and a couple of old Grenadier zombie Redskins.

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  6. A few things there I wouldn't have guessed, but equally a lot of predictable stuff.
    Having read through many of these Q&A's now, I don't thin that there's any "Old Git" answers I don't agree with !

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    1. Many thanks, Joe. I am in total agreement with you about the many replies to the old git questions. It is rather reassuring that as a group we are all in agreement. Yay us!

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  7. I guess dissatisfaction with governance is pretty standard throughout the anglo-sphere!

    If you ever get into the Western stuff, Six Gun Sound by THW is pretty fun, and does well with solo play from all I've heard. Between Blue Moon Manufacturing's 15mm Western line and Blackwater Gulch's Hollywood Western line I'm pretty pleased with my choices over here.

    I always love reading these sorts of posts, it gives us a chance to delve a little deeper into who we each are, and that's usually pretty fun!

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    1. I already have Six Gun Sound and if I ever did get back into Wild West gaming (I used to play Wild West skirmish gamus in 54mm scale many years ago) they would be the rules I'd use.

      I agree with you about thee types of posts. I find them fascinating and I thoroughly enjoy learning a lot more about my fellow bloggers.

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    2. I have to admit, 54mm intimidates me a bit. The hobby capital that gets put in for any game is pretty intense, at that scale I can only imagine it was a whole new ballgame!

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    3. Yes, 54mm scale is a whole new ballgame. I used to play at my local wargames club and always gamed on a table tennis table, which I could comfortably fill with buildings. Some were bought but most were scratchbuilt by me. This is where I learnt the art of making card buildings. It was good fun and not as expensive as you'd imagine due to the availabilty of a lot of cheap plastic figures. I'd hate to imagine the cost of gaming in that scale now.

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