My local players appear to have settled on GURPS Cabal as our next campaign. It's easy enough for me to grasp, since I've been doing plenty of Cabal at conventions. It might even give me some serious fuel for more con material, so I'm really looking forward to it. Some of the early character concepts have a lot of promise.
I think my next convention scenario will be for Paranoia. I've been meaning to get back to it for some time, and unfortunately, recent events at work have given me plenty of inspiration. I'll avoid ranting here and simply work my frustrations into satiric form. I'm still not sure if I'll be going to the fall MEPACon, but if this falls into place quickly enough, I might have enough new material to offer to make it worthwhile.
And on an entirely different front, I'm going to try writing songs again for the first time in many years. Might work out, might not. It's something I set out to do a long time ago and got sidetracked by the necessities of keeping cover bands working (which is nobody's fault but my own). I don't have any outlet to do anything with the songs, so this is really just for me to find out what happens in the attempt.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tiger by the Tail - Panic was Unnecessary
So what did I do with my three day weekend, during which the weather was absolutely beautiful? Went on a writing binge and barely even went outside! I came home from work uncharacteristically exhausted on Friday night and fell asleep around 6:30 PM or so. I woke up before dawn on Saturday morning and messed up my sleeping rhythm for the rest of the weekend.
However, on the plus side, I got on a writing roll first thing on Saturday morning and spent most of Saturday, most of Sunday, and a little time on Monday writing and creating GURPS character sheets. Some of the characters need a little tweaking (which I expect to do over the next two or three days), but I could run it right now if I had to.
Not bad for a scenario I was worried about finishing in time for DexCon! I don't usually like to write like this, but I'm not going to reject it when it happens. It's fitting in that I'd gotten the initial idea the same way, as a burst of creativity that insisted on being expressed. Like "A Slice of Blackwoods", this one is a decent enough fantasy adventure, but it's the character dynamic that really drives it.
However, on the plus side, I got on a writing roll first thing on Saturday morning and spent most of Saturday, most of Sunday, and a little time on Monday writing and creating GURPS character sheets. Some of the characters need a little tweaking (which I expect to do over the next two or three days), but I could run it right now if I had to.
Not bad for a scenario I was worried about finishing in time for DexCon! I don't usually like to write like this, but I'm not going to reject it when it happens. It's fitting in that I'd gotten the initial idea the same way, as a burst of creativity that insisted on being expressed. Like "A Slice of Blackwoods", this one is a decent enough fantasy adventure, but it's the character dynamic that really drives it.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tiger by the Tail
I've gotten a decent start on "Tiger by the Tail", the sequel to "A Slice of Blackwoods" for GURPS Banestorm. I have an appropriately revised version of "Yrth in a Nutshell" done as well as revised character write-ups completed for the two characters that are being carried over from the Blackwoods story.
I should have some writing time tonight to get started on write-ups for at least one of the new characters, and I have a solid idea of who all four of them are as people (though I don't have GURPS stats for them yet) and how they relate to each other.
So it's looking pretty good for me to get these done in time for DexCon, if I stay on the ball for the next couple of weeks.
I should have some writing time tonight to get started on write-ups for at least one of the new characters, and I have a solid idea of who all four of them are as people (though I don't have GURPS stats for them yet) and how they relate to each other.
So it's looking pretty good for me to get these done in time for DexCon, if I stay on the ball for the next couple of weeks.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Dramaville Season One Completed
We finished our current In Nomine campaign last weekend, which was actually something of a surprise. It looked like we were coming to the end of the angel of Destiny's storyline, so I decided to weave everybody else's story lines into the conclusion of that one, for a nice climactic feel appropriate to a major plot point.
So the angel of Destiny had finally convinced her charges to leave town for a new and safer life, and the opposing demon mobilized every force she could to prevent that from happening, which included most of the demons in the campaign. The problem with that idea turned out to be that it gave the other angels the opportunity to take out their main opposition as well.
The bottom line result was that two of the angels succeeded in their main mission of the campaign (leaving them with no reason to continue to hang around the area), one of them failed spectacularly but not irrevocably, and the fourth angel's situation hadn't appreciably changed (though it was going to be a lot more peaceful without two of the other three around). We talked about it, and concluded that this was at the very least a suitable ending for the first "season" of the campaign, and that it was time to move on to something else. I still love running In Nomine and would like to see us pick it up again with at least one of the two remaining characters and adding some new blood to the mix, but that will have to be a story for another time.
So what's next? I really don't know. I'd like to take a little time off to clear my crowded schedule, but I enjoy GM'ing too much to sideline myself entirely. We'll have to discuss it as a group, and see what we come up with.
So the angel of Destiny had finally convinced her charges to leave town for a new and safer life, and the opposing demon mobilized every force she could to prevent that from happening, which included most of the demons in the campaign. The problem with that idea turned out to be that it gave the other angels the opportunity to take out their main opposition as well.
The bottom line result was that two of the angels succeeded in their main mission of the campaign (leaving them with no reason to continue to hang around the area), one of them failed spectacularly but not irrevocably, and the fourth angel's situation hadn't appreciably changed (though it was going to be a lot more peaceful without two of the other three around). We talked about it, and concluded that this was at the very least a suitable ending for the first "season" of the campaign, and that it was time to move on to something else. I still love running In Nomine and would like to see us pick it up again with at least one of the two remaining characters and adding some new blood to the mix, but that will have to be a story for another time.
So what's next? I really don't know. I'd like to take a little time off to clear my crowded schedule, but I enjoy GM'ing too much to sideline myself entirely. We'll have to discuss it as a group, and see what we come up with.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Dollhouse Renewed!
As much as I like the show personally, this was a happy surprise to me. "Dollhouse" got off to a relatively slow start, even for my tastes, but by the last four episodes I was 100% on board. It's tough to build an audience if you've already made a negative first impression for one reason or another, so I think they still have a very uphill battle if they want to make it to season three, but hey, at least they'll have the chance.
The standalone episodes don't do much for me, to be honest. On the other hand, I can't wait to see what happens next to, oh, just about everybody. I especially want to see what happens to the current Dr. Saunders, who I expect will be replaced by Victor as a new Dr. Saunders. And what is Alpha's next move going to be now that his original plan to make Echo like him failed? There's still so much to be explored, and now they'll have at least a little longer to do it.
The standalone episodes don't do much for me, to be honest. On the other hand, I can't wait to see what happens next to, oh, just about everybody. I especially want to see what happens to the current Dr. Saunders, who I expect will be replaced by Victor as a new Dr. Saunders. And what is Alpha's next move going to be now that his original plan to make Echo like him failed? There's still so much to be explored, and now they'll have at least a little longer to do it.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Happy Vesak!
Today is Vesak, sometimes referred to as "Buddha Day". Among other practices, I'm going vegetarian for the day. I don't believe it's necessary to go 100% vegetarian to be Buddhist (though it's probably a very good idea), but I believe that the human body is built to be omnivorous and that it's probably a good idea to eat what we're structurally set up to eat. I'll also admit that I simply enjoy eating meat, though it may be that this is a weakness for me to overcome.
I was recently reading some articles about meditation, and this seems like a good time to comment on the subject. One question that came up more than once from non-meditators was regarding what exactly meditation is supposed to do for you. As I understand it, several well known authorities have answered that question with "nothing!". It's true that you're not supposed to do it with any expectations, which I think is the reason for that answer. If you do it with expectations, then you're not paying the correct sort of attention and will get nothing out of it, or you're likely to get something not-especially-useful out of it that was shaped by those expectations.
I'll attempt a more practical answer here by example, and it's an answer that some beginners are likely to encounter for themselves. I can always tell when I haven't been getting enough sleep by the way my daily meditation sessions go. It may be that I can function perfectly fine in every other respect, but when I haven't been getting enough sleep, my concentration during my meditation is noticably poor, and I sometimes even experience moments of nodding off just for a second. It's subtle, but it's enough to tell me I'm doing something wrong in my life, so I simply change what I'm doing and move on from there.
So, perfectly rested after having gotten enough sleep, I sit down the following morning to meditate, and other things come into my mind. I consider those thoughts and the meaning of them in the larger context, and notice other things about where I am in life, and hopefully I learn from those things as well. It might have to do with how I'm treating other people (and how they are responding to that), or another problem I'm experiencing with my body, or how I'm spending my time. It might be something less important, like the time a new approach to playing bass guitar came to mind. The point is that whatever issues you've successfully dealt with in your life, there is always something else there the next level down that you may not have noticed, and won't notice until you pay enough attention. And if you haven't dealt with whatever the issue is, it will keep causing trouble for you until you do deal with it.
It's nothing terribly metaphysical; it's just the practice of cultivating the ability to notice things, which is possibly the most useful ability of all. Others may see it differently, but that's what it is for me at this point.
I was recently reading some articles about meditation, and this seems like a good time to comment on the subject. One question that came up more than once from non-meditators was regarding what exactly meditation is supposed to do for you. As I understand it, several well known authorities have answered that question with "nothing!". It's true that you're not supposed to do it with any expectations, which I think is the reason for that answer. If you do it with expectations, then you're not paying the correct sort of attention and will get nothing out of it, or you're likely to get something not-especially-useful out of it that was shaped by those expectations.
I'll attempt a more practical answer here by example, and it's an answer that some beginners are likely to encounter for themselves. I can always tell when I haven't been getting enough sleep by the way my daily meditation sessions go. It may be that I can function perfectly fine in every other respect, but when I haven't been getting enough sleep, my concentration during my meditation is noticably poor, and I sometimes even experience moments of nodding off just for a second. It's subtle, but it's enough to tell me I'm doing something wrong in my life, so I simply change what I'm doing and move on from there.
So, perfectly rested after having gotten enough sleep, I sit down the following morning to meditate, and other things come into my mind. I consider those thoughts and the meaning of them in the larger context, and notice other things about where I am in life, and hopefully I learn from those things as well. It might have to do with how I'm treating other people (and how they are responding to that), or another problem I'm experiencing with my body, or how I'm spending my time. It might be something less important, like the time a new approach to playing bass guitar came to mind. The point is that whatever issues you've successfully dealt with in your life, there is always something else there the next level down that you may not have noticed, and won't notice until you pay enough attention. And if you haven't dealt with whatever the issue is, it will keep causing trouble for you until you do deal with it.
It's nothing terribly metaphysical; it's just the practice of cultivating the ability to notice things, which is possibly the most useful ability of all. Others may see it differently, but that's what it is for me at this point.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
SortaCon - The People
These guys have quite the fascinating game community. Hanging around with them was like being in a Kevin Smith movie for three days, which is fine because I happen to like Kevin Smith movies (well, maybe not "Jersey Girl", which I've never seen, but nobody hits it out of the park every time). What I mean by that is that the, um, colorful language flew thick and fast, and yet there was enormous heart. It's clear that they really look out for each other in every way, and I'm not accustomed to seeing a non-family situation where that is true to this degree. Almost every situation I've ever seen involving human beings has it's own politics, even the most close knit groups, but it doesn't seem to be a problem here. They may have been on their best behavior in the presence of a relative stranger, but it would be awfully hard to maintain it to that degree for nearly three full days. They have differences, but they really get along, and as corny as it sounds, I found it very inspiring in a human sense. At least in small groups, we can in fact get along.
The key to it seems to be mutual respect, including tolerance for differences. As a gaming group, they seem to play absolutely anything anybody wants to play, at least on a trial basis, and that appears to extend to everything else they do as a group. It's not a surprise in theory, but it's great to see it in practice.
The key to it seems to be mutual respect, including tolerance for differences. As a gaming group, they seem to play absolutely anything anybody wants to play, at least on a trial basis, and that appears to extend to everything else they do as a group. It's not a surprise in theory, but it's great to see it in practice.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
SortaCon - The Games
I knew I'd be posting about this past weekend, but hadn't realized quite how much I'd have to say, so I'll probably have to break it down into pieces.
The comedic Sorcerer game went very well, so I expect to run it at DexCon. It needs a few tweaks, as I've realized that a couple of the demons I'd designed weren't quite right, but no major changes. The full title is "Clerks 1 1/2: Sex, Demons, and Videotape". Everyone played their characters pretty well (including the many Kevin Smith movie-appropriate f-bombs and sexually oriented jokes), but if I'd been giving out a prize, I think my winner would've been the guy playing Silent Bob. The player is usually pretty verbal, and did a fine job of managing to speak as little as possible, often to hilarious effect. One of my favorite moments of the scenario was when Jay called him (from jail) and he reacted entirely in character without saying a word, while Jay, of course, heard absolutely nothing from his end of the phone.
The Fluid session didn't work as well as I hoped, though we still got some big laughs out of it. The players had to choose a genre on the spur of the moment and chose to play... cavemen. Specifically, they were most of the men from a tribe of cavemen, and decided to steal the women from another nearby tribe, including a tall blonde with Asian features (a carryover joke from the Clerks session). In the end, they succeeded, but not without taking a few lumps, including being captured briefly by the other tribe. My favorite moment was when one of the cavemen dressed up as a cavewoman (putting casaba melons to use to cover his lack of certain necessary elements) and danced to distract members of the opposing tribe. As a Fluid session, though, it just didn't work that well. I could have improvised almost exactly the same thing with any system and the right mind set on the part of the players. I'm still not sure what, if anything, I'm going to do with Fluid.
My final session was effectively the playtest for my newest GURPS Cabal scenario, "Lives in the Balance". It's interesting to note that while the players involved are regulars at some of my convention sessions, not one of them had played any of my previous Cabal scenarios, primarily because they're not big GURPS fans. Still, they quickly grasped the characters (I think I had my best Jenny Keelin yet) and this was clearly the best session of the weekend all around. I suspect I'll see some of these players in future Cabal con sessions if I keep the series going. Again, I think it needs a few tweaks, but nothing major.
From a general gaming perspective, this was a great weekend, and a reminder of why this hobby can be so much fun.
The comedic Sorcerer game went very well, so I expect to run it at DexCon. It needs a few tweaks, as I've realized that a couple of the demons I'd designed weren't quite right, but no major changes. The full title is "Clerks 1 1/2: Sex, Demons, and Videotape". Everyone played their characters pretty well (including the many Kevin Smith movie-appropriate f-bombs and sexually oriented jokes), but if I'd been giving out a prize, I think my winner would've been the guy playing Silent Bob. The player is usually pretty verbal, and did a fine job of managing to speak as little as possible, often to hilarious effect. One of my favorite moments of the scenario was when Jay called him (from jail) and he reacted entirely in character without saying a word, while Jay, of course, heard absolutely nothing from his end of the phone.
The Fluid session didn't work as well as I hoped, though we still got some big laughs out of it. The players had to choose a genre on the spur of the moment and chose to play... cavemen. Specifically, they were most of the men from a tribe of cavemen, and decided to steal the women from another nearby tribe, including a tall blonde with Asian features (a carryover joke from the Clerks session). In the end, they succeeded, but not without taking a few lumps, including being captured briefly by the other tribe. My favorite moment was when one of the cavemen dressed up as a cavewoman (putting casaba melons to use to cover his lack of certain necessary elements) and danced to distract members of the opposing tribe. As a Fluid session, though, it just didn't work that well. I could have improvised almost exactly the same thing with any system and the right mind set on the part of the players. I'm still not sure what, if anything, I'm going to do with Fluid.
My final session was effectively the playtest for my newest GURPS Cabal scenario, "Lives in the Balance". It's interesting to note that while the players involved are regulars at some of my convention sessions, not one of them had played any of my previous Cabal scenarios, primarily because they're not big GURPS fans. Still, they quickly grasped the characters (I think I had my best Jenny Keelin yet) and this was clearly the best session of the weekend all around. I suspect I'll see some of these players in future Cabal con sessions if I keep the series going. Again, I think it needs a few tweaks, but nothing major.
From a general gaming perspective, this was a great weekend, and a reminder of why this hobby can be so much fun.
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