u/Cothonian

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

*Picture of the potatoes, because beef patty with mayo on it just looks wrong.

Beef Patty, Jalapeno: B. Presentation is poor, but flavor is good. I paired it with an included wrap and mayo.

Au Gratin Potatoes: B. Potatoes in cheddar cheese sauce. Pleasant. Nothing to write home about.

Cheese Spread with Bacon: A. On of the better spreads. Recommend on crackers or toast.

Mayo: B. It is in fact mayo.

BBQ Sauce: B. Is as advertised. Nothing special.

Tortillas, Plain: C. Thin and papery. They do their job.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookie: A+. Leans sweet. Crunchy.

Peanut M&Ms: A+. As advertised. Best buy date of October 2023.

Beverage Base Orange: B. Mixed with 3/4 of a typical water bottle. Tastes like orange peel. Reminds me of another orange drink - I don't recall which.

Overall a solid MRE. The genuinely enjoy the beef patty in a wrap with mayo.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

Flavor Text:

The Empire is secure, held between the nations of Sylvania, Reikland, and Nordland.

The Orks of the East have been brought to heel.

The Northmen have been pacified, now a vassal of The Empire.

Now, we march north, into the Chaos Wastes to purify the world once and for all.

Details:

Played as Vampire Counts (Von Carstein) for the first time ever. I typically run Empire, so the idea of crushing them was a little rough on the psyche. Then I learned: The Vampires have campaign mechanics that completely resolve that.

Norsca nearly wiped out Reikland. Reikland submitted to vassalage in exchange for me returning their capital, at which point we became strong allies. This also gave me artillery and handgunners, which are downright nasty when paired with Vampire Counts' melee troops. I continued giving Reikland territory, making them a powerhouse under my command.

Nordland and Kislev followed - Short Campaign Victory achieved.

Together we forced Norsca back, which was a brutal affair as their legendary lords were majorly leveled up at this point. Eventually, we pushed them to the edge of extinction. Managed to make them vassal in exchange for a peace deal. Now I had Wulfric the Wanderer on my side to smash anything on the north-western flank.

I decided to check on the Long Campaign Victory conditions. Surely, I had to be close.

Objective: Make Reikland Extinct.

Well then... I guess that concludes my Vampire Counts - Empire Patriot campaign.

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

Beef Ravioli in Meat Sauce: C. Very bland.

Italian Bread Sticks: B. Good flavor. Dense. Surprisingly moist (in a good way).

Peanut Butter: A. It is as advertised. Worth noting that I wasn't sure where to use it here.

Recovery Bar, Salted Caramel Marshmallow Crisp: A. Grade lowered due to personal preference. Quality item. It is like caramel popcorn. Would expect to find similar products outside an MRE.

Carbohydrate Electrolyte Beverage Powder, Fruit Punch: A. Aromatic. Pleasant. Indistinct flavor.

M&Ms: A+. As advertised.

Tabasco Sauce: ???. I could not get any of it out of the bottle. I am assuming it is the same as tabasco outside an MRE.

Overall: Lots of sweets in this MRE.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

Showing off some of the new models and associated artwork for Enemy Visible, a game I am working on.

Started with pixel art. Imported that art into Blender. Created an array the same size as the art then broke it down by loose parts. Extruded parts vertically to create the 3d models.

Overall, I am very happy with progress thus far. I should look into a more precise nozzle for my 3d printer. I bet I could get crisper results that way.

Project and models here for anyone interested: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EnemyVisible

Submission Statement:

Enemy Visible is a tabletop wargame based in a cold war themed science fiction environment. The primary objective of this project is to provide a streamlined, intuitive wargame that encourages fire and maneuver over stacking abilities.

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

Mexican Rice and Beans: B. Mild flavor. Leans bland. The powdered hot sauce helps.

Pretzel Nuggets Honey Mustard and Onion Flavor: B. Small quantity. Flavor is good, but I find myself comparing them to Snyders of Hanover which isn't a winning prospect.

Crackers: A+. Obviously God's gift to humanity and any lesser rating would be unacceptable. Jokes aside, they are good when used as intended - to be combined with other products within the package.

Peanut Butter: A. It is as advertised.

Chocolate Protein Drink Powder: C. Chemical flavor. Extremely difficult to mix, even with extra water and vigorous shaking.

First Strike Energy Bar Cran-Raspberry Flavor: B. Twizzler like. Difficult to chew. Fine as a snack, but poor as an energy bar (consuming one pre-workout does not provide the strength of other foods. A simple peanut butter and jam sandwich yields better results.)

This MRE was nice in that it had a variety of options. The components were not great individually, but together provided balance.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

Chicken Burrito Bowl: A. Good flavor and texture. Mild by default. Powdered hot sauce brings it up a level.

Tortillas, Whole Grain: C. Dry and brittle. Flavor not great.

Toaster Pastry, Chocolate Chip: C. Similar to a poptart.

Peanut Butter: A. It is as advertised. Worth noting that I wasn't sure where to use it in this MRE (my blessed crackers were absent.)

Beverage Base Powder Lemon-Lime: B. It is best when using less water than recommended.

Recovery Trail Mix with Pretzels: C. Pretzels were flavorless. Nuts were alright. Could have used some salt.

Overall a solid MRE. The sweet elements complimented the main course nicely. Only hiccup was finding a purpose (within the MRE) for the included peanut butter.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

TLDR: Hoping for some ideas on how to create game sets faster/more efficiently for play testing.

Not TLDR:

I've reached the point with my project that I am ready for wider-scale public play tests. I have a local game shop that is willing to help out. The hiccup: This means I need to build out multiple game sets, and it is a tedious process.

Each game piece is composed of a front, back, and 3d-printed tile, glued together with a gluestick. The fronts and backs are cut from print out sheets. There are ~100 tiles per set. I need six to eight sets. This is not a difficult process - just tedious. I turn on my Youtube watch later list and just hammer these out.

Any ideas on how to improve this process? The long term plan is to have card board punch-outs. Heck, might be worth it to just spend the money... anybody work with this site before? https://www.boardgamesmaker.com/customized/custom-punch-out-tokens.html

(It looks good, but would come out to ~$80 per set which is a lot.)

Some of the building artwork used to depict structures in the tabletop wargame I am working on.

All artwork in the game is pixel art, using 32 pixels per inch as the standard. Remarkably, the scaling for vehicles and infantry worked out (mostly.) I credit this more to luck than anything else. When the project first started, there was not a set art direction. The pixel art style came into being accidentally, as I found myself needing status markers and ended up making them pixel art as a quick stand in. It looked good, so I stuck with it.

Most of the building artwork is inspired by real locations. Others, like the L-shaped "Dorms," was inspired by the location in Escape from Tarkov.

The one irony with all this: despite the effort that went into detailing every interior space, it is strictly cosmetic. The game itself is abstracted to the point that individual rooms/hallways are not relevant to gameplay.

Project is here for those interested: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EnemyVisible

It's free/print and play. All you need is an office printer.

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

One hiccup with this MRE: The Chocolate Peanut Spread leaked, making all contents oily.

Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce: A. Surprisingly good. The balance of tortellini to sauce is done well. Very dense. Takes a long time to heat up.

Crackers: A+. Obviously God's gift to humanity and any lesser rating would be unacceptable. Jokes aside, they are good when used as intended - to be combined with other products within the package.

Chocolate Peanut Spread: A. Good flavor and texture.

Recovery Trail Mix with Pretzels: C. Pretzels were stale and flavorless. Nuts were alright. Would have been better without the pretzels.

Crushed Red Pepper: B. It is as advertised.

Lemon-Lime Carbohydrate Electrolyte Drink: B. Better when using less water than recommended.

Dry Roasted Peanuts: A. They are as advertised.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

Started with pixel art. Imported that art into Blender. Created an array the same size as the art then broke it down by loose parts. Extruded parts vertically to create the 3d models.

Not bad for someone who had no clue how to work with Blender prior to this.

Purposely stuck with the pixel/voxel art style because I like it.

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

I forgot to take a picture of the main course, so enjoy this empty packaging.

Mexican Chicken Stew: D. Smells gassy upon opening. Flavor and texture are not great. Everything is melded together in a brown goo.

Banana and Pumpkin Fruit Puree Squeeze: A. Not an expected combination, but it is good. Even better chilled.

Cheese Filled Pretzels Cheddar Flavor: A. Denser than the ones typically found at the store. Otherwise as advertised.

Crackers: A+. Obviously God's gift to humanity and any lesser rating would be unacceptable. Jokes aside, they are good when used as intended - to be combined with other products within the package.

Peanut Butter: A. It is as advertised.

Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Powder: A+. Excellent flavor. Good texture.

First Strike Bar Chocolate: A. Good as power bars go. Texture and flavor similar to chocolate-flavored cereal.

Powdered hot sauce: F. It's hot, but largely flavorless. Upsets my stomach. Perhaps I am using it incorrectly.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

Ratings are A+ through F. Details at bottom of post.

Pork Sausage Patty, Maple Flavored: B. Flavor is alright. Leans salty. The juices surrounding it are not great.

Hash Brown Pots with Bacon, Peppers, and Onion: B. Smells great. Tastes alright. The bacon flavor really comes through.

Table Syrup: B. It is as advertised.

Maple Muffin Top: B. Decent flavor. Surprisingly good texture. Moist.

Smoked Almonds: A+. They are as advertised.

Granola with Milk and Blueberries: A. Prepared with a little cold water. The berries re-hydrated surprisingly well. Flavor and texture were both excellent.

Grape Carbohydrate Powder: B. It's alright. Nothing to write home about.

It is worth noting that I'm not into breakfast foods, so that certainly didn't help with the review.

Rating System:

A+: Would seek out item to eat outside of an MRE.

A: Would recommend.

B: It's good.

C: Passable. Wouldn't recommend.

D: Would avoid eating it.

F: Inedible (exceptionally bad or spoiled)

1/3 inch in length.

No dark brown spots or stripes behind the head.

Popped up on my computer desk with the lights on. Food is not eaten or kept in the office.

I keep a clean house, but do have a roommate.

No signs of any others about or typical roach sign.

Still taking every precaution as I have heard roaches are demons to get rid of once established.

3d models are coming to Enemy Visible!

These are made in the same pixel style as the existing vehicle tile artwork. In fact, they are even scaled to be exactly the same size. As with other 3d models offered with the game, they will be provided in a 3d-printer-ready format.

It is worth noting that the game was not originally made with 3d models in mind. However, simple guidelines have been prepared for their use. The short version is as follows:

- 3d Models are to be placed on top of the tiles during gameplay

- The tiles themselves still dictate movement, line of sight, armor facings, and other game mechanics

In other words, like the tile artwork, the 3d models are strictly cosmetic and optional.

These models will make their way to the supporter tier alongside a full write up on their use.

Patreon announcement post here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/may-2026-3d-156382790

3d Model Collection here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2127055?view=expanded

Enemy Visible is a tabletop wargame based in a cold war themed science fiction environment. This game puts you in command of one to two companies of troops and accompanying vehicles. The primary objective of this project is to provide a streamlined, intuitive wargame that encourages fire and maneuver over stacking abilities. Dice rolling and random chance are minimized. The game uses tiles to represent infantry, vehicles, and buildings. The 2d-nature of the pieces makes them easy to transport and simplifies game play elements such as line of sight and measurements.

Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EnemyVisible