Spoilers will be littered throughout this entry. You have been warned!
The only game currently running within my immediate circle of friends is my Pathfinder campaign running through the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path. This write-up will cover the first session. Our current cast of characters includes:
Bane - N Human Cleric of Pharasma (played by Tito)
Tzaira - CN Elf Witch (played by Captain Crimson)
Zstelian - CN Human Oracle (played by Eelface)
Ddal - LN Dwarf Fighter (played by Kitsukisama)
Two others still wait in the wings.
The Adventure Thus Far
The heroes found themselves on Smuggler's Shiv after being shipwrecked due to unknown circumstances. After some early conflicts involving poisonous crustaceans, they determined that someone had drugged the crew and caused the terrible accident. Our heroes, along with five other NPC castaways began to make their way across the island, headed toward the remenants of a previous civilization, home of the lighthouse that they hoped would lead to their rescue. Some miscellaneous encounters here and there sapped some of their resources, but they endured, finding numerous hauls from unlucky visitors from the past. As they traveled the coast, they came across two terrible discoveries. Some creature in the woods had been stalking them throughout the journey and leaving mangled animals as some sort of warning. One night, as they attempted to locate the creature, it made off with their NPC gnome companion, who ended up worse for wear, requiring Bane's skillful healing hand. They resolved to move on without delay, hoping to outpace the demon who had become fixated on the group.
The second discovery shed some light on their circumstances, as it seemed that one of the passengers had engineered this scenario for some purpose, possibly in collusion with the missing captain. Their resolve to track down these two individuals met with some opposition, as the path had become obscured by a nest of particularly deadly spiders. The group opted to circle around in the hopes of picking the trail back up at a later date.
This skirting led to the major encounter of the night, for which the party was somewhat ill-prepared and the GM a bit heavy-handed in his approach. The NPCs conveniently business (sneeze "quests") for the PCs to complete around the island as a means of forcing the PCs to explore the various corners of the Shiv. The most lucrative "business" by far was the rogue's desire to locate buried treasure. Since he would allow the PCs to take a cut, they agreed to help and once the location had been discovered, they uncovered the underground chamber containing the loot...and 4 Lacedons hoping to splish them across the walls. Given the make-up of the party, 1.5 melee combatants and spell support that would not work on the undead, life got pretty complicated quickly, particularly since my initial full attack splattered the fighter all over the room. What ensued was a clusterfuck of bad roles combined with strong hits against the party. However, I am not above allowing a deus ex every now and again, so after some divine intervention and a slight nod toward completing the quest, they mustered their resolve and continued to kill the lacedons and claim their treasure.
Initial Module Thoughts
It goes without saying that this module is quite fun. It represents my first foray into running published adventures, but I am having a great time each time I sit down. Part of the benefit to module and published campaigns is that I am able to address my two glaring weaknesses as a GM: continuity and pacing. Since the module lays out the scenario from start to finish, I can avoid going off onto moon-jumping tangents and alien invasions (true story). I am a bit taken back by the amount of awesome loot given to the PCs in the module. Without spoiling too much, my part already has some access to +1 weapons and crapload of potions. However, since the PCs are completely isolated and without any support, this approach makes a lot of sense.
I will continue this write-up throughout the next few months, and the next post should be up by the middle of next week. Until then, stay tuned.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Returning from the Grave
Again, it seems that I have lapse in my upkeep, but now that this Labor Day weekend represents a new era of organization in my life, I am hoping that I will be more diligent. So speaking of returning from the grave, my old phone has resurfaced after my panic-filled Friday last week, which resulted in my gleeful purchase of a Droid 2 phone. I have since fallen very much in love with my new phone and am currently undertaking the exciting process of integrating it more and more into my life. But alas, yesterday, I found a notice that a lost phone had been turned in on campus, and sure enough, it was mine.
I loved my previous phone quite a bit, but the larger keyboard and touch screen of the Droid is just so much more snazzy. Also, it is currently feeding my book addiction with Kindle on Android, which for me, is a potent combination. Currently, there are merely three texts, one of which is simply introductory material, but I foresee more purchases in the future.
On a gaming-related note, while I have not started the Pathfinder game, a series of unfortunate and terrifying events yesterday did lead to some Smallworld action, which again, I lost, but that is not as important as playing an awesome game.
Now, onto organization and thesis work.
I loved my previous phone quite a bit, but the larger keyboard and touch screen of the Droid is just so much more snazzy. Also, it is currently feeding my book addiction with Kindle on Android, which for me, is a potent combination. Currently, there are merely three texts, one of which is simply introductory material, but I foresee more purchases in the future.
On a gaming-related note, while I have not started the Pathfinder game, a series of unfortunate and terrifying events yesterday did lead to some Smallworld action, which again, I lost, but that is not as important as playing an awesome game.
Now, onto organization and thesis work.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Game Nostalgia - 4-Bit Fanaticism
(I have removed Friday from the posts since I will likely never post on time.)
"You're still playing Atari?" my dad asked me today as I was piddling around on Game Room before we headed out. The truth is that I have always been behind the video game evolutionary curve. We had our Atari 2600 burning up the T.V. well into 1990 when my parents finally broke down and bought a Nintendo system. I have been consistently rewarded with a system about two years before it goes out of style. (With computers and cellphones, it is about two months.)
With this in mind, I must say: I FUCKING LOVE ATARI GAMES! Yes, their graphics are about as interesting as day old coffee grounds, and game plots were as thin as William Shatner's sanity. Yet they existed in an age when graphical limits challenged designers to innovate games more intriguingly, or steal from everyone else, as game copyright laws were extremely lax at the time. I still remember running through endless mazes to avoid Zots for hours of endless fun, and this happened only three weeks ago.
Tunnel Runner, 1983. Copyright CBS Electronics
Now, one could say that games have evolved so much that there is no point to looking back, and in some regards this is true, for nostalgia is often used as a cheap marketing ploy in lieu of innovation. However, to deny the roots of gaming is to forget the foundations that they laid for the games of today.
I guess in the end, what I find most fascinating about my 4Bit Fanaticism is that it mimics my attachment to other hobbies, for I often love my gateway item and my current fascination. All matters in between are immaterial, and it is often the first that stands as the most endearing and memorable experience.
So, for me, when I fire up Game Room, I wish not only to reclaim something that I once loved, but also to remind myself of where I am now and the path that I took to get here. Wiping out the horror of NES-level game difficulty though is an important step in the process.
"You're still playing Atari?" my dad asked me today as I was piddling around on Game Room before we headed out. The truth is that I have always been behind the video game evolutionary curve. We had our Atari 2600 burning up the T.V. well into 1990 when my parents finally broke down and bought a Nintendo system. I have been consistently rewarded with a system about two years before it goes out of style. (With computers and cellphones, it is about two months.)
With this in mind, I must say: I FUCKING LOVE ATARI GAMES! Yes, their graphics are about as interesting as day old coffee grounds, and game plots were as thin as William Shatner's sanity. Yet they existed in an age when graphical limits challenged designers to innovate games more intriguingly, or steal from everyone else, as game copyright laws were extremely lax at the time. I still remember running through endless mazes to avoid Zots for hours of endless fun, and this happened only three weeks ago.
Tunnel Runner, 1983. Copyright CBS Electronics
Now, one could say that games have evolved so much that there is no point to looking back, and in some regards this is true, for nostalgia is often used as a cheap marketing ploy in lieu of innovation. However, to deny the roots of gaming is to forget the foundations that they laid for the games of today.
I guess in the end, what I find most fascinating about my 4Bit Fanaticism is that it mimics my attachment to other hobbies, for I often love my gateway item and my current fascination. All matters in between are immaterial, and it is often the first that stands as the most endearing and memorable experience.
So, for me, when I fire up Game Room, I wish not only to reclaim something that I once loved, but also to remind myself of where I am now and the path that I took to get here. Wiping out the horror of NES-level game difficulty though is an important step in the process.
Console Sprite Stays Home, Part IV - A Little AFK
Today brought about anticipated family obligations. My mom saddled up in the old family wagon with...my dad, who has not been able to come down in years due to his health. While he is still not recovered fully (we sorta left him in the apartment while we went out to do some initial shopping), the fact that he actually made it down here was extremely satisfying for the day. We hit the usual locations for clothes, as I seem to be losing pairs of khaki shorts at an alarming rate, but we also ran by Best Buy for the most anticipated stop on the trip: camera action. I have been wanting a small digital camera for about four months, and with the near arrival of another paycheck, I should have enough money to buy one. Chronic Geek helped out with some suggestions and I have a couple of options in mind, although with the impending influx of new students, they might sell out of the models that I would like.
After a brief stop back home, we collected the third party to head out to a Lonestar lunch, the remnants of which are still festering in my intestinies. After some conversation and a mushy apple cobbler, we made our last important stop at the local used bookstore, where my father and I were assigned the role of porters carrying around my mother's loots, and believe me, there were quite a few blues in the set.
After we had a few parting words and they departed awaiting my arrival at Thanksgiving, I sat down with my own loots for the day: a couple of books, but most importantly, my first module on the Adventure Path. Staring at it with fanboy glee, I cracked a few pages and relished in the thought of staring it in a few weeks. Life is about to get interesting...
After a brief stop back home, we collected the third party to head out to a Lonestar lunch, the remnants of which are still festering in my intestinies. After some conversation and a mushy apple cobbler, we made our last important stop at the local used bookstore, where my father and I were assigned the role of porters carrying around my mother's loots, and believe me, there were quite a few blues in the set.
After we had a few parting words and they departed awaiting my arrival at Thanksgiving, I sat down with my own loots for the day: a couple of books, but most importantly, my first module on the Adventure Path. Staring at it with fanboy glee, I cracked a few pages and relished in the thought of staring it in a few weeks. Life is about to get interesting...
Console Sprite Stays Home, Part III - ZOMG Zombies!!!
Today, to whet my geek palate, I wondered up to the FLGS during what turned out to be one of the most enjoyable days of late summer. 80* temperatures and slight northern winds made for one helluva nice walk uptown. Self-restraint was the name of the game today though, and simply to spite every bone in my body, I walked out with nothing more than a bottle of water, as the walk back to campus would be a bit long and the concrete was starting to warm just a bit. Work ensued, and the day turned out to be fairly productive, with only a few primary responsibilities remaining until the big event next Wednesday.
Upon arriving home, I spent much of the evening moving my boardgames out to the dining room in order to make them more accessible to play in the coming weeks. However, after some prodding and pleading, I finally convinced Kitsuki-sama to play a game this evening too. What was on the menu? Why, Last Night on Earth, an intriguing entry into the zombie apocalypse genre, albeit much more enjoyable than traditional zombies. The scenario involved saving the townspeople from their gruesome fate, and being the Zombie Player, I threw as much as I could muster at Kitsuki-sama, who was catapulting his four heroes (four heroes has become quite an iconic number) against the hordes of zombies. However, luck was not on my side, and I was unable to defeat him. I would have snapped a couple of pictures, but the game was impeding our attempt to eat, so to speed things along, we quickly cleaned up the table to dig into some delicious pizza.
While not the most exciting of evenings, the trend in board gaming is coming along nicely, although I am dreadfully afraid that the return of Tito will push the compass back toward 40K. We shall see...
Upon arriving home, I spent much of the evening moving my boardgames out to the dining room in order to make them more accessible to play in the coming weeks. However, after some prodding and pleading, I finally convinced Kitsuki-sama to play a game this evening too. What was on the menu? Why, Last Night on Earth, an intriguing entry into the zombie apocalypse genre, albeit much more enjoyable than traditional zombies. The scenario involved saving the townspeople from their gruesome fate, and being the Zombie Player, I threw as much as I could muster at Kitsuki-sama, who was catapulting his four heroes (four heroes has become quite an iconic number) against the hordes of zombies. However, luck was not on my side, and I was unable to defeat him. I would have snapped a couple of pictures, but the game was impeding our attempt to eat, so to speed things along, we quickly cleaned up the table to dig into some delicious pizza.
While not the most exciting of evenings, the trend in board gaming is coming along nicely, although I am dreadfully afraid that the return of Tito will push the compass back toward 40K. We shall see...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Console Sprite Stays Home, Part II - Revenge of the Squid
So tonight, Kitsuki-sama and I sat down to avenge our honor, which had been cruelly torn from us by the unrelenting evil that is Arkham Horror. We staked our claims and proceeded to weave the story of four unlikely allies: the student, the photographer, the nun, and the gangster. Our heroes stood against the iconic foe, squidman himself Cthulhu. Though at times it looked unwinnable and the stakes grew more perilous with each roll, we braved through monsters, otherworldly planes of existence and sinister stranglers. In the end, we stood victorious as we closed the last remaining gate...
But the game had one last surprise to unleash upon us...CHIBI CTHULHU!!! His anger and rage know no bounds, and soon our four heroes stood frozen, gazing upon their inevitable annihilation...
But the game had one last surprise to unleash upon us...CHIBI CTHULHU!!! His anger and rage know no bounds, and soon our four heroes stood frozen, gazing upon their inevitable annihilation...
But the game had no concept of the true horror that it had unleashed, for once Chibi Cthulhu's appetite had become whetted by the four heroes, it turned to the next logical target: the players...
Yes folks, it was truly a terrifying day, for no one knew that when two gamers sat down at their favorite horror game, the insatiable appetite of plushy cuteness would be unleashed upon the world. Remember this lesson...and our sacrifice.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Console Sprite Stays Home, Part I - Feel My Module
Yes, this is true...I did stay home instead of heading out to GenCon like everyone else. Personal and professional obligations have tied me down and I could not find a way out. Now, I do not want to spend any time moping about it, as my personal obligations will hopefully turn out to be quite fun over the weekend. In lieu of any talk about GenCon, I will talk mainly about the geeky things that I have been doing that have no relation to the event, so get ready for the first entry: Feel My Module.
When I arrived home from the horrendous August heat, I sat down at my computer to feast my eyes on my latest acquisition: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv, the first module in the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path for Pathfinder. This will represent only the second module that I have ever run in my life, the first of which being The Tomb of Iuchiban for L5R. To summarize that experience, the boxed set should have included the following tagline: "Just tear your PCs' character sheets up at the start. It will make their lives easier." It was quite brutal, even for high-level PCs, but it was a lot of wonky fun. This new module, however, promises to be a fun experience, as it pushes characters from the baby steps of level 1 to the somewhat normal chaos of level 4. Just briefly reading through it has made me quite giddy, as the premise looks entirely pulpy and adventurous. I won't go into details to spoil the fun and ruin any future entries on the subject (which there will be).
Also, I might have talked Kitsuki-sama into pulling out Arkham Horror tomorrow so that we might actually finish a game without dying horribly. With some additional house rules and two characters per player, I am optimistic about our chances to defeat the base game. Our track record is 0-4, but this is mainly due to the lack of investigators on the table. Addressing this problem should make the game easier to complete.
And finally, when poking around the gaming sites, I found this gem: Blood Bowl. This game definitely represents a future investment of funds, but for right now, I am content with simply drooling.
The night grows short and I must be on my way. Stay tuned for the next part tomorrow....
When I arrived home from the horrendous August heat, I sat down at my computer to feast my eyes on my latest acquisition: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv, the first module in the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path for Pathfinder. This will represent only the second module that I have ever run in my life, the first of which being The Tomb of Iuchiban for L5R. To summarize that experience, the boxed set should have included the following tagline: "Just tear your PCs' character sheets up at the start. It will make their lives easier." It was quite brutal, even for high-level PCs, but it was a lot of wonky fun. This new module, however, promises to be a fun experience, as it pushes characters from the baby steps of level 1 to the somewhat normal chaos of level 4. Just briefly reading through it has made me quite giddy, as the premise looks entirely pulpy and adventurous. I won't go into details to spoil the fun and ruin any future entries on the subject (which there will be).
Also, I might have talked Kitsuki-sama into pulling out Arkham Horror tomorrow so that we might actually finish a game without dying horribly. With some additional house rules and two characters per player, I am optimistic about our chances to defeat the base game. Our track record is 0-4, but this is mainly due to the lack of investigators on the table. Addressing this problem should make the game easier to complete.
And finally, when poking around the gaming sites, I found this gem: Blood Bowl. This game definitely represents a future investment of funds, but for right now, I am content with simply drooling.
The night grows short and I must be on my way. Stay tuned for the next part tomorrow....
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Game Nostalgia - First PC Death
I am thinking back to the first character that I ever lost in an RPG, campaign death not withstanding. The game was Legend of the Five Rings, Second Edition (and yes, I must qualify that) and the character was a young Lion tactician hoping to make his name among an empire emerging from the Scorpion Clan Coup. What followed was a horrific foray into the Clan Wars, a time of great strife and evil as Fu Leng made his move to cast the empire into the 1000 Years of Darkness. The young Ikoma bravely fought alongside his campaigns until that fateful moment: exposure to the Wasting Disease. After much suffering (and 16 failed dice rolls), his life came to an end, as his unsteady hand during his final act of seppukku was met with the honorable duty of his second. The character was burned and buried in a tender bonding moment among the PCs before they had to move on in order to warn the empire of the approaching Crab/Shadowlands army. The back-up character, the Kitsu Shugenja, really never meshed with the group, and eventually, succumbed to the seductive evils of maho.
Lessons
The lessons that I took away from the event were quite simple:
(The second most memorable death resulted in an awesomely gruesome display in Call of Cthulhu, but this story should be saved for another day.
Lessons
The lessons that I took away from the event were quite simple:
- When it counts, I will fail the roll that will be needed to save my character...or in this instance, all 16 rolls.
- Character death can be a wonderful story point to bring the others together, but it is often trivialized in many RPGs.
- The second character will never have the same impact on the story as the first. He/she will undoubtedly feel out of place and isolated from the rest of the group, possibly because he/she was never part of the bonding moment.
(The second most memorable death resulted in an awesomely gruesome display in Call of Cthulhu, but this story should be saved for another day.
Fun Times Ahead
I don't want to spoil any surprises, but I hope to post a short segment starting Wednesday...Details soon...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Epic Fail - Post and Rant
My diligence has not been strong right now. Thesis work and independent studies have consumed too much of my time and I am really feeling a bit burned out, thus I have not been doing updates. However, a recent excursion with my new Gameinfo magazine has led me to today's slightly hypocritical post: sequel mania.
One of the main articles in the magazine feature the top 50 games to premiere at E3. While many of them will likely be stunning titles, I couldn't help noticing that nearly all of the games are simply sequels, remakes, or extensions of previous games. Where was the host of new IPs that are not simply motion sensor gimmicks? Now, I am a bit biased, being a total Shin Megami Tensei fanboy, but even I must ask where the hell are all of the new games without the guaranteed series backing. This fits into a much larger discussion of the distinct hole plaguing many artistic venues, as it seems that there is an initiative in place that stifles and/or discourages any active movement toward risky new properties.
I have watched this phenomenon develop throughout the course of the horror movie genre, which has only shown a few moments of punctuated equilibrium, characterized by radical shifts in the genre. During the rest of the time, one can find hundreds of imitations and copies that simply do not take any risks or cash in on a prevalent trope without any useful exploration.
While I will likely partake in a few of the titles, I will simply hold out for the next new, innovative title, or Persona 4 Portable...
One of the main articles in the magazine feature the top 50 games to premiere at E3. While many of them will likely be stunning titles, I couldn't help noticing that nearly all of the games are simply sequels, remakes, or extensions of previous games. Where was the host of new IPs that are not simply motion sensor gimmicks? Now, I am a bit biased, being a total Shin Megami Tensei fanboy, but even I must ask where the hell are all of the new games without the guaranteed series backing. This fits into a much larger discussion of the distinct hole plaguing many artistic venues, as it seems that there is an initiative in place that stifles and/or discourages any active movement toward risky new properties.
I have watched this phenomenon develop throughout the course of the horror movie genre, which has only shown a few moments of punctuated equilibrium, characterized by radical shifts in the genre. During the rest of the time, one can find hundreds of imitations and copies that simply do not take any risks or cash in on a prevalent trope without any useful exploration.
While I will likely partake in a few of the titles, I will simply hold out for the next new, innovative title, or Persona 4 Portable...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Long Overdue Blog Post
It seems that my diligence toward blog posting has waned in some respect, so a massive general update is in order. To keep things organized, I will hit the highlights below.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition
Yes, folks, it is official: I am now the proud owner of both the core box set and GM toolkit for this redesign of the traditional Warhammer roleplaying system. For those of you unfamiliar with the history behind this particular edition, you should follow some of the hate threads online discussing gamer disgust toward the game's packaging. Many people pan the reboot as being too much like a board game and not a roleplaying game. To this stance, having not played or run the game yet, my response to all haters is to shut the hell up. True, you do have spend loads of money on an assload of chits and cards and skinny rulebooks, but as one poster has stated, you can use whatever elements suit your needs. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of materials, although with Fantasy Flight Games, quality is hardly ever an issue. I will save the larger review of the components for either a lengthy post or a video post with the help of my nemesis 8-bit Emma.
The Big Bang Theory and Genshiken
Well I have watched these two series before, I am becoming obsessed with both shoes, although I cannot understand why. Both are excellent, but my fanboy appreciation and attention toward these shows have reached epic proportions (I am on my third run-through of Genshiken in a month). Sadly, after posting this entry, I shall return to a few more episodes of Genshiken before bed.
Comfort Breeds ADD
As I am becoming more comfortable with my hobbies and expressing those feelings to other people, I find myself running into a significant problem regarding focus. To begin, I have never been ashamed of gaming and geekiness. However, I tend to be a very private person about some matters, and these two facets of my personality sometimes fail to make into conversations, often deliberately. However, in recent years, I have become more forward with them, as well as other things, and I find that pronounced underdevelopment in my hobbies have forced a turbulent period that has caused me to view numerous different sub-hobbies as viable options for collection and exploration. However, the bank account has stipulated steep purchasing restrictions, so I have spent the last two weeks trying to figure out which hobbies represent the most viable options. Hopefully, once I figure this issue out, I can begin a slow, steady initiation into it/them rather than my usual approach, which often leads to ridiculous amounts of buyer’s remorse.
That is all for now. Hopefully, I shall have an initial review of WFRP 3rd up in the next few weeks.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition
Yes, folks, it is official: I am now the proud owner of both the core box set and GM toolkit for this redesign of the traditional Warhammer roleplaying system. For those of you unfamiliar with the history behind this particular edition, you should follow some of the hate threads online discussing gamer disgust toward the game's packaging. Many people pan the reboot as being too much like a board game and not a roleplaying game. To this stance, having not played or run the game yet, my response to all haters is to shut the hell up. True, you do have spend loads of money on an assload of chits and cards and skinny rulebooks, but as one poster has stated, you can use whatever elements suit your needs. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of materials, although with Fantasy Flight Games, quality is hardly ever an issue. I will save the larger review of the components for either a lengthy post or a video post with the help of my nemesis 8-bit Emma.
The Big Bang Theory and Genshiken
Well I have watched these two series before, I am becoming obsessed with both shoes, although I cannot understand why. Both are excellent, but my fanboy appreciation and attention toward these shows have reached epic proportions (I am on my third run-through of Genshiken in a month). Sadly, after posting this entry, I shall return to a few more episodes of Genshiken before bed.
Comfort Breeds ADD
As I am becoming more comfortable with my hobbies and expressing those feelings to other people, I find myself running into a significant problem regarding focus. To begin, I have never been ashamed of gaming and geekiness. However, I tend to be a very private person about some matters, and these two facets of my personality sometimes fail to make into conversations, often deliberately. However, in recent years, I have become more forward with them, as well as other things, and I find that pronounced underdevelopment in my hobbies have forced a turbulent period that has caused me to view numerous different sub-hobbies as viable options for collection and exploration. However, the bank account has stipulated steep purchasing restrictions, so I have spent the last two weeks trying to figure out which hobbies represent the most viable options. Hopefully, once I figure this issue out, I can begin a slow, steady initiation into it/them rather than my usual approach, which often leads to ridiculous amounts of buyer’s remorse.
That is all for now. Hopefully, I shall have an initial review of WFRP 3rd up in the next few weeks.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Pathfinder...You and I must mate ideas.
It's true. After much reflection and helping of witty banter from 8bit Emma, I have decided that revisiting my old 3.5 setting through the new Pathfinder system shall be the best way to assist our new recruit into the pen and paper world. This decision does not come without some reservation, for I have not touched the setting, let alone a 3.5 variant in over two years. What's even better is that my old notes are mostly on my previous HP desktop, the victim of a transformer overload critical failure. However, as providence would have it, I located the old website where numerous bits of information had been previously uploaded. I have established the shell of a wiki and should have the migration complete in a matter of weeks.
I must begin preparations immediately...
I must begin preparations immediately...
Monday, May 31, 2010
Game Nostalgia Friday...On Monday
Yes, it has been a few days since the previous posting for this article. When the weekend strikes, shit usually hits the fan and this weekend was no exception, albeit some laziness does apply. Without further delay, I wish to discuss my topic of choice: The Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game
Background
One of my many games attributed to the local college gaming club, Amber represented one of my longest investments in a roleplaying game. While the group was often turbulent and I left halfway through the campaign due to school obligations, I still have some fond memories of the campaign and the motley bunch of misfits causing chaos throughout the realm. For those of you who are unfamiliar with game, it revolves around adventuring through Roger Zelazny's world of Amber, in which godlike beings (Amberites) use their powers of reality manipulation, sorcery, epic strength, and shameless Machiavellian politicking to battle against the forces of Chaos. In this game, you play one of the young neophyte spawned by one of the named characters in the series. You spend much of the time plotting against one another and striving to amass a certain level of power over others.
System
As stated previously, this game is diceless, completely and utterly diceless. Moreover, it also lacks a distinct resource allocation system as well, although the attribute rankings can serve as a crude model. Essentially, you have four major stats (Psyche, Strength, Endurance, and Warfare) into which you sink character creation points and set up a system of rankings against other players. Often, this system is run in a fairly blunt fashion, so the person with the top rank in Strength is simply stronger than all other PCs, and likewise with the other stats. The only way to defeat the top rank is a careful strategy that renders their stat complete useless or hampered. Putting zero points into an attribute still makes a character quite competent against any normal threat, as a zero point Warfare PC could survive most mortal battles with only a few residual scratches. In addition to these four stats, players can also buy numerous other bennies, including powers to manipulate order or chaos, items of true power, personal shadows, which are universes completely modeled to the PCs tastes, and allies to help protect you. Essentially, after spending your allotted points, that is the last you have to deal with the rules. The rest is fairly freeform, allowing a highly narrative experience without relying too heavily on die rolls.
Why I love this game
Since it was one of my first heavily narrative games, I fell in love with the sheer requirement of making my character stand out through well-developed, articulated description. I had the responsibility of making the character jump off the page with my own storytelling abilities rather than rely on die rolls to talk for me. Zelazny's world has a number of strong structures, but the game allows you to explore aspects undiscovered through the ten novel series.
Why I hate this game
This game is an obvious example of early generation attempts at diceless systems, and its age is unmistakable. While the system is simple, it is also quite janky and left entirely up to interpretation. The Power System for example is very loose on its interpretation, and given that Pattern abilities, the set most readily available to the PC, involves reality bending hijinks, it is disheartening to see such poor attention devoted to it. A Google search for rearticulations of the powers system will lead one to multiple interpretations that create a web of confusion. Furthermore, even Wujick's system stipulates that a GM can adapt the system and setting in any conceivable way. While sandbox lovers might rejoice, believe me, given how complex the setting is, such ill-conceived discussion does not help for newer and/or unfamiliar players. Is it possible to play the game without any knowledge of the universe? Yes, but the side effect is that much of the smaller nuances of the setting are often lost in the translation.
Verdict
The system is good for a test run, but be very cautious about investing wholeheartedly into this vintage model without a good look under the hood.
Background
One of my many games attributed to the local college gaming club, Amber represented one of my longest investments in a roleplaying game. While the group was often turbulent and I left halfway through the campaign due to school obligations, I still have some fond memories of the campaign and the motley bunch of misfits causing chaos throughout the realm. For those of you who are unfamiliar with game, it revolves around adventuring through Roger Zelazny's world of Amber, in which godlike beings (Amberites) use their powers of reality manipulation, sorcery, epic strength, and shameless Machiavellian politicking to battle against the forces of Chaos. In this game, you play one of the young neophyte spawned by one of the named characters in the series. You spend much of the time plotting against one another and striving to amass a certain level of power over others.
System
As stated previously, this game is diceless, completely and utterly diceless. Moreover, it also lacks a distinct resource allocation system as well, although the attribute rankings can serve as a crude model. Essentially, you have four major stats (Psyche, Strength, Endurance, and Warfare) into which you sink character creation points and set up a system of rankings against other players. Often, this system is run in a fairly blunt fashion, so the person with the top rank in Strength is simply stronger than all other PCs, and likewise with the other stats. The only way to defeat the top rank is a careful strategy that renders their stat complete useless or hampered. Putting zero points into an attribute still makes a character quite competent against any normal threat, as a zero point Warfare PC could survive most mortal battles with only a few residual scratches. In addition to these four stats, players can also buy numerous other bennies, including powers to manipulate order or chaos, items of true power, personal shadows, which are universes completely modeled to the PCs tastes, and allies to help protect you. Essentially, after spending your allotted points, that is the last you have to deal with the rules. The rest is fairly freeform, allowing a highly narrative experience without relying too heavily on die rolls.
Why I love this game
Since it was one of my first heavily narrative games, I fell in love with the sheer requirement of making my character stand out through well-developed, articulated description. I had the responsibility of making the character jump off the page with my own storytelling abilities rather than rely on die rolls to talk for me. Zelazny's world has a number of strong structures, but the game allows you to explore aspects undiscovered through the ten novel series.
Why I hate this game
This game is an obvious example of early generation attempts at diceless systems, and its age is unmistakable. While the system is simple, it is also quite janky and left entirely up to interpretation. The Power System for example is very loose on its interpretation, and given that Pattern abilities, the set most readily available to the PC, involves reality bending hijinks, it is disheartening to see such poor attention devoted to it. A Google search for rearticulations of the powers system will lead one to multiple interpretations that create a web of confusion. Furthermore, even Wujick's system stipulates that a GM can adapt the system and setting in any conceivable way. While sandbox lovers might rejoice, believe me, given how complex the setting is, such ill-conceived discussion does not help for newer and/or unfamiliar players. Is it possible to play the game without any knowledge of the universe? Yes, but the side effect is that much of the smaller nuances of the setting are often lost in the translation.
Verdict
The system is good for a test run, but be very cautious about investing wholeheartedly into this vintage model without a good look under the hood.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Newest Distractions
My life has been consumed by two new pastimes that might become staples of my weekly routine. Though my feud with 8bit Emma has not been resolved by any means, our Wednesday trip to the Castle P to obtain new delicious comics has become something I now cherish greatly. Though I did not buy any new comics, I bought some newish Marvel Ultimates comics that take place after the Ultimatum debacle. I have committed to getting into a few series on a monthly basis as opposed to my usual routine of spam buying trades when I come upon them.
The second distraction, totally awesome and fitting within my love of old games, is the download and expansion of my Game Room on Xbox Live. For those of you unfamiliar with this program, it is a virtual space, modeled after a retro arcade, where you can buy old Konami arcade, Atari 2600, and Intellivision games, and install their arcade likenesses into this space. You can also buy mascots from the games that float around inside your game room looking totally pimped out and awesome. Any friends on your Xbox Live account appear as patrons in your arcade, and if they decide to download the free program and expansions, they can visit your arcade and see how you have designed it. My room is starting to look fairly active, as I have the bottom floor completely decked out in themed rooms, while the second floor has two rooms according to game system.
Despite these distractions, I still hope to continue with Game Nostalgia Friday tomorrow, but I have decided to review a tabletop roleplaying game instead of another video game. While I will not divulge the identity of the game, I hope that you will find it most enlightening.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Game Nostalgia Friday...On Saturday
I apologize for my lack of punctuality, but my conflict yesterday with 8bit Emma took a lot out of me. But without further adieu, let us begin the first Game Nostalgia Friday entry
PERSONA PSP
This game holds a special place in my heart as being the first console RPG that I played on the PSOne, and man, was it a piece of shit. Its early incarnation suffered from what all RPGs suffer in the early stages of a console: mediocre graphics, un-user friendly interfaces, horrendous load times, and overall asstastic editing. The game was no exception, so being allowed to play it again on the Playstation Portable was greatly appreciated (GO ATLUS!)
The game fits into the larger Megami Tensei series, which has spawned dozens of offshoot titles and series. The basic premise behind most games in the series is that the world is about to undergo a cataclysmic event and the protagonist is endowed with demon summoning abilities to change the world for the better...or the worse, should the player choose. The Persona series takes a unique spin on this formula and instead of summoning demons, the protagonists summon these creatures as aspects of their personality in a Jungian-Pokemon fashion. Through character actions and serious grinding, newer, more powerful personae emerge to assist the heroes in stopping the forces bearing upon them.
(Minor Spoilers Ahead)
The basic plot of the first Persona game is snatched right from your traditional anime series, as our youthful protagonists begin playing a local game in an abandoned classroom of their school. Upon witnessing the ensuing events, their town is overrun by monsters and with the help of their newly awakened persona ability, they charge off to locate the source of the madness and promptly kick its ass. Along the way, the protagonists learn the truth about the demon invasion, come to a decision about how to handle it, and save the world for the better. Sounds pretty run of the mill stuff for a console game, but adding in parallel worlds, cosmic gods, split personalities, and evolving personae does give the game its charm. One of the things that the Persona games have always been adept at doing is providing a limited physical landscape to travel, but providing endless story lines and plot hooks to explore.
In terms of the game play elements, as many people discuss, the game does not age well. Even though the PSP version sports an entirely new battle and overworld interface, reduces load time, and provides much needed additional save points, the first-person dungeon perspective and lack of developed dialogue makes for some jarring experiences. The characters themselves are a bit two-dimensional and fail to live up to the standards set by other entries in the series. Aside from all that, here is what does work. The game has two divergent story lines which players can follow: the SEBEC story and the Snow Queen Quest, the latter of which is a themed dungeon run. The persona aspect, in its infancy, departed wildly from its contemporary PSOne counterparts, and the PSP version still holds the same charm of coaxing cards from demons with conversation rather than brute force and fusing them together to create new personae. For those who love the grind and their Pokemon, this element will hold your interest. The conversation system is fun as well, and those playing the game blind will enjoy locating the exact dialogue choices to get the cards. As an aesthetic note, the electronica music from the original has been replaced by Shoji Meguro's interpretation of the original soundtrack.
Out of the entire series, this is the weakest entry, but to be fair, it has to live up to three monster sequels that all redefined RPG storylines and mechanics. So if this game whets your appetite, seek out Persona 2 if you still want the linear gaming experience, or Persona 3 and 4 if you like your Persona goodness paired with some wholesome dating sim fun.
Here is a brief video of the Snow Queen Quest. Beware that it has some minor spoilers:
Captain Osmotic's Faves and Hates
Most Awesome Character
PERSONA PSP
This game holds a special place in my heart as being the first console RPG that I played on the PSOne, and man, was it a piece of shit. Its early incarnation suffered from what all RPGs suffer in the early stages of a console: mediocre graphics, un-user friendly interfaces, horrendous load times, and overall asstastic editing. The game was no exception, so being allowed to play it again on the Playstation Portable was greatly appreciated (GO ATLUS!)
The game fits into the larger Megami Tensei series, which has spawned dozens of offshoot titles and series. The basic premise behind most games in the series is that the world is about to undergo a cataclysmic event and the protagonist is endowed with demon summoning abilities to change the world for the better...or the worse, should the player choose. The Persona series takes a unique spin on this formula and instead of summoning demons, the protagonists summon these creatures as aspects of their personality in a Jungian-Pokemon fashion. Through character actions and serious grinding, newer, more powerful personae emerge to assist the heroes in stopping the forces bearing upon them.
(Minor Spoilers Ahead)
The basic plot of the first Persona game is snatched right from your traditional anime series, as our youthful protagonists begin playing a local game in an abandoned classroom of their school. Upon witnessing the ensuing events, their town is overrun by monsters and with the help of their newly awakened persona ability, they charge off to locate the source of the madness and promptly kick its ass. Along the way, the protagonists learn the truth about the demon invasion, come to a decision about how to handle it, and save the world for the better. Sounds pretty run of the mill stuff for a console game, but adding in parallel worlds, cosmic gods, split personalities, and evolving personae does give the game its charm. One of the things that the Persona games have always been adept at doing is providing a limited physical landscape to travel, but providing endless story lines and plot hooks to explore.
In terms of the game play elements, as many people discuss, the game does not age well. Even though the PSP version sports an entirely new battle and overworld interface, reduces load time, and provides much needed additional save points, the first-person dungeon perspective and lack of developed dialogue makes for some jarring experiences. The characters themselves are a bit two-dimensional and fail to live up to the standards set by other entries in the series. Aside from all that, here is what does work. The game has two divergent story lines which players can follow: the SEBEC story and the Snow Queen Quest, the latter of which is a themed dungeon run. The persona aspect, in its infancy, departed wildly from its contemporary PSOne counterparts, and the PSP version still holds the same charm of coaxing cards from demons with conversation rather than brute force and fusing them together to create new personae. For those who love the grind and their Pokemon, this element will hold your interest. The conversation system is fun as well, and those playing the game blind will enjoy locating the exact dialogue choices to get the cards. As an aesthetic note, the electronica music from the original has been replaced by Shoji Meguro's interpretation of the original soundtrack.
Out of the entire series, this is the weakest entry, but to be fair, it has to live up to three monster sequels that all redefined RPG storylines and mechanics. So if this game whets your appetite, seek out Persona 2 if you still want the linear gaming experience, or Persona 3 and 4 if you like your Persona goodness paired with some wholesome dating sim fun.
Here is a brief video of the Snow Queen Quest. Beware that it has some minor spoilers:
Captain Osmotic's Faves and Hates
Most Awesome Character
- Yuki - Out of the entire group of teenagers, we get one really cool and responsible person.
- Nanjo - He is a real bastard and his arrogant dialogue makes me want to punch his pixelated face.
- Starting the Snow Queen Quest - The opening FMV is really cool.
- Listing to Nanjo talk - Really, it is that bad.
- "PERSONA!!!" - When calling out your persona.
- Persona 2 (Innocent Sin/Eternal Punishment) - Playing in one game, then playing in a weird alternate reality of the first game=Epic
- Persona 3 - The second game in my entire life that I couldn't bear to finish, but still did. I never wanted it to end, and I was almost in tears to see it over.
- Persona 4 - Huh, so you can refine the gameplay of 3, give me characters that I am ambivalent toward, and provide an engaging mystery for them to solve, all of which add up to a fun game. Who knew?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Lost, But Not Forgotten...
It has been awhile since I have posted, but that is mainly due to post-semester depression and reorientation for the summer months. I have a few updates and a preview of my new Friday segment, "Game Nostalgia Fridays."
Updates
I spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday wrapping up a little post-semester business, but my primary engagement was...Warhammer 40k. The roomie took me out to watch his epic game with two other friends and I spent the better part of eight hours witnessing the carnage and bloodshed. This experiment was mostly designed to see if I really wanted to assemble my own army in the fall, and the answer is.................Plague Marines!!!! Yes, I will yet again put disposable income into a hobby that I will likely drop again in the future. On the bright side, once the minis get painted, I can always display the nicer ones.
Summer gaming is adrift in a sea of uncertainty, as I don't know what the plans are at this point. Hopefully, Exalted will start up again, which I hope to discuss in blog entries, pursuant to GM's permission. If that doesn't pan out, I have supers on the brain, so I can probably pull a group together and start running M&M.
Tomorrow: Game Nostalgia Friday
Tomorrow will mark the first entry in a series of discussion about console, computer, tabletop, and other gaming. Brace yourself for my endless ramblings about my experiences and advice for those seeking or considering these games.
Tomorrow's game shall be........................Persona PSP
See you then.
Updates
I spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday wrapping up a little post-semester business, but my primary engagement was...Warhammer 40k. The roomie took me out to watch his epic game with two other friends and I spent the better part of eight hours witnessing the carnage and bloodshed. This experiment was mostly designed to see if I really wanted to assemble my own army in the fall, and the answer is.................Plague Marines!!!! Yes, I will yet again put disposable income into a hobby that I will likely drop again in the future. On the bright side, once the minis get painted, I can always display the nicer ones.
Summer gaming is adrift in a sea of uncertainty, as I don't know what the plans are at this point. Hopefully, Exalted will start up again, which I hope to discuss in blog entries, pursuant to GM's permission. If that doesn't pan out, I have supers on the brain, so I can probably pull a group together and start running M&M.
Tomorrow: Game Nostalgia Friday
Tomorrow will mark the first entry in a series of discussion about console, computer, tabletop, and other gaming. Brace yourself for my endless ramblings about my experiences and advice for those seeking or considering these games.
Tomorrow's game shall be........................Persona PSP
See you then.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Time for Some Humble Roots
At long last, my responsibilities for the semester are winding down and I have time to write again. Sure I have a ton of grading to do, but my attempt to go back to villainous writing will certainly be more apparent. I hope to have a review for both The Boys Volumes 5 & 6 up in the next few days, along with some photos of recent miniature acquisitions.
For now, I leave you with a small observation and an awesome Youtube video. To deal with the stress lately, I have dusted off some old Atari games that I have playing online to curb my desire for super villainy. I must say that in the video game department, I was always a late bloomer, as family finances and country living did not always allow for easily upgradeable systems. So Atari 2600, and briefly 7800, were the staples at our home for quite awhile, so I migrate back when I want some mindless, unending fun. While the graphics are terrible and certain games leave a bad taste in your mouth (fuck you E.T.), they will always hold a place in my heart.
Which is why this video made my day...
Stay tuned for more...
For now, I leave you with a small observation and an awesome Youtube video. To deal with the stress lately, I have dusted off some old Atari games that I have playing online to curb my desire for super villainy. I must say that in the video game department, I was always a late bloomer, as family finances and country living did not always allow for easily upgradeable systems. So Atari 2600, and briefly 7800, were the staples at our home for quite awhile, so I migrate back when I want some mindless, unending fun. While the graphics are terrible and certain games leave a bad taste in your mouth (fuck you E.T.), they will always hold a place in my heart.
Which is why this video made my day...
Stay tuned for more...
Friday, May 7, 2010
The White Lanterns Assemble...
The week has come to an end...and once again,
I have spent far too much money.
However, the experience has not left me without some brief anecdotes, especially some good lunch gossip. Wednesday was the obligatory trip to Castle P with 8bit-Emma in order to acquire more items to satiate my current superhero binge. Four boxes of Heroclix later, I had three super rares and three Marvel Zombies figures. Apparently, my "Godpack" fingers still hold some juices.
Thursday brought a needed luncheon at the local vegetarian coffee bar with two colleagues . Still a little uneasy about giving up meat, I ordered the Veggie burger as a compromise. The topic of conversation: gossip about work, Facebook, and summer plans. The last one forced me to realize that I really had none.
Friday...the last day of the regular semester had not come a day too soon, and as usual, my reward was another spree at Castle P with 8bit-Emma and her hubby, where I picked up Issues 0 & 1 of The Brightest Day, the free White Lantern Ring, and 3 more lackluster boxes of Clix, although my man Luke Cage decided to make an appearance. A late lunch at Tres and a whole evening of procrastination ensued and here I am now, dreading tomorrow's workload. At least I bought enough distractions to make the weekend interesting and stressful.
To end, I must say: "Bow down to the power of the ring!"
I have spent far too much money.
However, the experience has not left me without some brief anecdotes, especially some good lunch gossip. Wednesday was the obligatory trip to Castle P with 8bit-Emma in order to acquire more items to satiate my current superhero binge. Four boxes of Heroclix later, I had three super rares and three Marvel Zombies figures. Apparently, my "Godpack" fingers still hold some juices.
Thursday brought a needed luncheon at the local vegetarian coffee bar with two colleagues . Still a little uneasy about giving up meat, I ordered the Veggie burger as a compromise. The topic of conversation: gossip about work, Facebook, and summer plans. The last one forced me to realize that I really had none.
Friday...the last day of the regular semester had not come a day too soon, and as usual, my reward was another spree at Castle P with 8bit-Emma and her hubby, where I picked up Issues 0 & 1 of The Brightest Day, the free White Lantern Ring, and 3 more lackluster boxes of Clix, although my man Luke Cage decided to make an appearance. A late lunch at Tres and a whole evening of procrastination ensued and here I am now, dreading tomorrow's workload. At least I bought enough distractions to make the weekend interesting and stressful.
To end, I must say: "Bow down to the power of the ring!"
Monday, May 3, 2010
Inaugural Entry
So, yeah...This is my blog.
I have had so many different blog programs over the years that have fallen victim to my constantly shifting attention. You should speak to my derelict LJ account for the real scoop on that. It's not that I'm lazy...just highly unfocused and a little crazy.
What I hope to do with this blog is just start randomly spotting nonsense about my "usual" hobbies (I must stress usually because like my blog un-focus, I tend to shift hobbies quite a lot): gaming, comics, movies, MMOs, videogames, and social relationships. While I hope that it gets interesting, expect a few lackluster entries to begin this latest creative endeavor.
Hopefully, in a few weeks, when my life calms down a bit, I can devote a little more time to making it purty...
I have had so many different blog programs over the years that have fallen victim to my constantly shifting attention. You should speak to my derelict LJ account for the real scoop on that. It's not that I'm lazy...just highly unfocused and a little crazy.
What I hope to do with this blog is just start randomly spotting nonsense about my "usual" hobbies (I must stress usually because like my blog un-focus, I tend to shift hobbies quite a lot): gaming, comics, movies, MMOs, videogames, and social relationships. While I hope that it gets interesting, expect a few lackluster entries to begin this latest creative endeavor.
Hopefully, in a few weeks, when my life calms down a bit, I can devote a little more time to making it purty...
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