Reading: My book of Kafka short stories is on my table and in my bag but doesn’t get read. I just didn’t read anything but articles in magazines this week.
Suck.
Wearing: A gray long-sleeve t-shirt and a clean pair-o-jeans.
Planning: Houses of the Blooded tonight and off to Albany tomorrow. There’s a final paper to re-write this weekend.
Writing: Nothing, nothing at all. Time needs to be carved off the bone for this.
And you?
Githyanki Diaspora 
Reading: Halfway through Murakami’s Wind-up Bird Chronicle.
Wearing: Astrobase Go! shirt, jeans, sneakers.
Planning: A surprise for a friend, and a hike on Sunday with Brenna.
Writing: When I have a spare moment at work I open up Monster World and right 100 words or so for that.
hike
Where are ya hiking?
Re: hike
The Cayuga Trail I think. It’s a 6 mile hike.
Re: hike
The Cayuga Trail I think. It’s a 6 mile hike.
Re: hike
The Cayuga Trail I think. It’s a 6 mile hike.
hike
Where are ya hiking?
hike
Where are ya hiking?
shenanigans
Surprise for a friend?
Did Janaki rope you into some role concerning my birthday shenanigans?
She and my mother were devious for my 30th, I suspect EVERYone. I suspect Rob for acting like he didn’t know anything about it over IM. Everyone’s a suspect.
Re: shenanigans
Chris’s bday. If it was yours I wouldn’t be commenting about it in your lj.
Re: shenanigans
Chris’s bday. If it was yours I wouldn’t be commenting about it in your lj.
Re: shenanigans
Chris’s bday. If it was yours I wouldn’t be commenting about it in your lj.
shenanigans
Surprise for a friend?
Did Janaki rope you into some role concerning my birthday shenanigans?
She and my mother were devious for my 30th, I suspect EVERYone. I suspect Rob for acting like he didn’t know anything about it over IM. Everyone’s a suspect.
shenanigans
Surprise for a friend?
Did Janaki rope you into some role concerning my birthday shenanigans?
She and my mother were devious for my 30th, I suspect EVERYone. I suspect Rob for acting like he didn’t know anything about it over IM. Everyone’s a suspect.
Reading: Halfway through Murakami’s Wind-up Bird Chronicle.
Wearing: Astrobase Go! shirt, jeans, sneakers.
Planning: A surprise for a friend, and a hike on Sunday with Brenna.
Writing: When I have a spare moment at work I open up Monster World and right 100 words or so for that.
Reading: Halfway through Murakami’s Wind-up Bird Chronicle.
Wearing: Astrobase Go! shirt, jeans, sneakers.
Planning: A surprise for a friend, and a hike on Sunday with Brenna.
Writing: When I have a spare moment at work I open up Monster World and right 100 words or so for that.
Reading: Between things right now, although I need to grab a paperback to take with me on my upcoming trip to DC.
Wearing: Tan pants, blue shirt, yellow tie, green sweater vest, red Chucks.
Planning: Playing my first ever Burning Wheel session tonight! I’m very excited about that. Packing tomorrow to go to DC on Sunday to attend and present at the Computers in Libraries conference.
Writing: Various bloggy things for work, as well as working on my CiL presentation (pretty much done) and my Kansas Library Association conference presentation (loosely planned, but we’ll probably play it by ear for the most part).
What is your BW game about?
The set-up the three of us playing came up with is this: centuries ago, Men united into one kingdom, allied with the Elves and Dwarves to battle the northern menace of the Wolfen (huge, ferocious wolf-men). A great wall was built on the northern border of the kingdom to keep the Wolfen out. But it’s been hundreds of years since the last Wolfen raid. The kingdom of Men has collapsed into various duchies, baronies and the like, caught in political intrigue and infighting. The Elves have become almost completely withdrawn from others, and the Dwarves aren’t much better.
My character, Edmund StarMound, is the son of a baron. His family used to be pretty high up in the Mannish Kingdom, with lots of property and fame, but has fallen into being a minor family. Edmund wants to be a political player and regain what his family has lost, but his father wants to get him away from the politics and has sent him to be stationed at the Northern Wall, now considered a safe, boring place. The other character is Harkas Faldor, a Dwarf soldier who has been sent to recover a Dwarven mine lost long ago to Wolfen raids. The mine just happens to be below a tower once controlled by my family, which my character wants to recover by forging an alliance with the Dwarves (to prove to his father he can play the political game). Harkas doesn’t trust Men and is working to convince the Dwarves to completely sever all ties with Men. And the GM has promised that early in the first session, the Wolfen will raid the area we’re in, for the first time in centuries. Oh, and we know (but our characters don’t) that the Mannish General stationed at the Wall is a traitor, a spy working for the Wolfen–and my character aims on marrying his daughter.
Lots of conflicting BITs + unifying external threat = potential for loads of game fun.
attack of the wolf-men
That sounds fantastic.
attack of the wolf-men
That sounds fantastic.
attack of the wolf-men
That sounds fantastic.
The set-up the three of us playing came up with is this: centuries ago, Men united into one kingdom, allied with the Elves and Dwarves to battle the northern menace of the Wolfen (huge, ferocious wolf-men). A great wall was built on the northern border of the kingdom to keep the Wolfen out. But it’s been hundreds of years since the last Wolfen raid. The kingdom of Men has collapsed into various duchies, baronies and the like, caught in political intrigue and infighting. The Elves have become almost completely withdrawn from others, and the Dwarves aren’t much better.
My character, Edmund StarMound, is the son of a baron. His family used to be pretty high up in the Mannish Kingdom, with lots of property and fame, but has fallen into being a minor family. Edmund wants to be a political player and regain what his family has lost, but his father wants to get him away from the politics and has sent him to be stationed at the Northern Wall, now considered a safe, boring place. The other character is Harkas Faldor, a Dwarf soldier who has been sent to recover a Dwarven mine lost long ago to Wolfen raids. The mine just happens to be below a tower once controlled by my family, which my character wants to recover by forging an alliance with the Dwarves (to prove to his father he can play the political game). Harkas doesn’t trust Men and is working to convince the Dwarves to completely sever all ties with Men. And the GM has promised that early in the first session, the Wolfen will raid the area we’re in, for the first time in centuries. Oh, and we know (but our characters don’t) that the Mannish General stationed at the Wall is a traitor, a spy working for the Wolfen–and my character aims on marrying his daughter.
Lots of conflicting BITs + unifying external threat = potential for loads of game fun.
The set-up the three of us playing came up with is this: centuries ago, Men united into one kingdom, allied with the Elves and Dwarves to battle the northern menace of the Wolfen (huge, ferocious wolf-men). A great wall was built on the northern border of the kingdom to keep the Wolfen out. But it’s been hundreds of years since the last Wolfen raid. The kingdom of Men has collapsed into various duchies, baronies and the like, caught in political intrigue and infighting. The Elves have become almost completely withdrawn from others, and the Dwarves aren’t much better.
My character, Edmund StarMound, is the son of a baron. His family used to be pretty high up in the Mannish Kingdom, with lots of property and fame, but has fallen into being a minor family. Edmund wants to be a political player and regain what his family has lost, but his father wants to get him away from the politics and has sent him to be stationed at the Northern Wall, now considered a safe, boring place. The other character is Harkas Faldor, a Dwarf soldier who has been sent to recover a Dwarven mine lost long ago to Wolfen raids. The mine just happens to be below a tower once controlled by my family, which my character wants to recover by forging an alliance with the Dwarves (to prove to his father he can play the political game). Harkas doesn’t trust Men and is working to convince the Dwarves to completely sever all ties with Men. And the GM has promised that early in the first session, the Wolfen will raid the area we’re in, for the first time in centuries. Oh, and we know (but our characters don’t) that the Mannish General stationed at the Wall is a traitor, a spy working for the Wolfen–and my character aims on marrying his daughter.
Lots of conflicting BITs + unifying external threat = potential for loads of game fun.
What is your BW game about?
What is your BW game about?
Reading: Between things right now, although I need to grab a paperback to take with me on my upcoming trip to DC.
Wearing: Tan pants, blue shirt, yellow tie, green sweater vest, red Chucks.
Planning: Playing my first ever Burning Wheel session tonight! I’m very excited about that. Packing tomorrow to go to DC on Sunday to attend and present at the Computers in Libraries conference.
Writing: Various bloggy things for work, as well as working on my CiL presentation (pretty much done) and my Kansas Library Association conference presentation (loosely planned, but we’ll probably play it by ear for the most part).
Reading: Between things right now, although I need to grab a paperback to take with me on my upcoming trip to DC.
Wearing: Tan pants, blue shirt, yellow tie, green sweater vest, red Chucks.
Planning: Playing my first ever Burning Wheel session tonight! I’m very excited about that. Packing tomorrow to go to DC on Sunday to attend and present at the Computers in Libraries conference.
Writing: Various bloggy things for work, as well as working on my CiL presentation (pretty much done) and my Kansas Library Association conference presentation (loosely planned, but we’ll probably play it by ear for the most part).
Reading: A Feast For Crows.
Wearing: Jeans and an Arrogant Bastard Shirt.
Planning: Trip to Middletown.
Writing: I’m working on the Spirit of the Exalted again, an unholy mix of Exalted and Spirit of the Century.
Be careful.
Once you walk down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
I’d love to be able to put some aspects on my First Age Incarnation and forge relationships with other PC’s that some of us won’t fully remember.
That’d be neat.
Be careful.
Once you walk down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
I’d love to be able to put some aspects on my First Age Incarnation and forge relationships with other PC’s that some of us won’t fully remember.
That’d be neat.
Be careful.
Once you walk down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
I’d love to be able to put some aspects on my First Age Incarnation and forge relationships with other PC’s that some of us won’t fully remember.
That’d be neat.
Reading: A Feast For Crows.
Wearing: Jeans and an Arrogant Bastard Shirt.
Planning: Trip to Middletown.
Writing: I’m working on the Spirit of the Exalted again, an unholy mix of Exalted and Spirit of the Century.
Reading: A Feast For Crows.
Wearing: Jeans and an Arrogant Bastard Shirt.
Planning: Trip to Middletown.
Writing: I’m working on the Spirit of the Exalted again, an unholy mix of Exalted and Spirit of the Century.
Reading: Tuf Voyaging by GRRM, scanning some books for articles on globalization of human rights and SF fandom, still working through Mauss and his stuff on magic.
Wearing: Green long-sleeve henley, my favorite cardigan, and dark blue jeans.
Planning: Course outline for next week, some VTES decks for tonight.
Writing: Bleh.
VTES
Man, you guys have been playing VTES for like…ten years or more.
That is fucking wild to me. It is like a timewarp in that building every Friday night, circa 1994 CCG.
Has the game changed much?
What do you dig about it?
My memories of it are vague.
Re: VTES
I’ve only been playing for about 2.5 years. Peter and most of the others have been at it since ’94. It stopped being produced for a few years until White Wolf picked it up from WotC, but I came in after it has started up again. Of course, I now have a good-sized collection and can actually seed new players, which is how we tend to get people into the game who are intimidated by the decade worth of cards that have been produced. . . .
The game mechanics have not changed since its inception, and I think the basic strategies still hold. This is both a good and a bad thing; it means that someone who has not played in awhile can bring an old deck with them and often do well. It also means, however, that some new mechanics do poorly against the older, more basic ones. It is a complicated game of rock/paper/scissors in some ways, and on a certain level, a straightforward approach works best.
Fortunately, it is more than a game of RPS. I like the fact that you have to play the person and not just their cards, unlike Magic where you can plan two-turn wins that have little to do with what your opponent is going to do. There are table politics because it is always a multi-player game, yet the predator/prey structure (you always attack left, essentially) provides a tactical focus for your efforts. Depth of play comes from trying to get your own game going while making deals and keeping your predator at bay. It takes awhile to learn, and I like that too. It honestly means that it is a game of pretty smart people for the most part, and that you can play for years and still be learning how to improve your game and try new angles.
Re: VTES
I’ve only been playing for about 2.5 years. Peter and most of the others have been at it since ’94. It stopped being produced for a few years until White Wolf picked it up from WotC, but I came in after it has started up again. Of course, I now have a good-sized collection and can actually seed new players, which is how we tend to get people into the game who are intimidated by the decade worth of cards that have been produced. . . .
The game mechanics have not changed since its inception, and I think the basic strategies still hold. This is both a good and a bad thing; it means that someone who has not played in awhile can bring an old deck with them and often do well. It also means, however, that some new mechanics do poorly against the older, more basic ones. It is a complicated game of rock/paper/scissors in some ways, and on a certain level, a straightforward approach works best.
Fortunately, it is more than a game of RPS. I like the fact that you have to play the person and not just their cards, unlike Magic where you can plan two-turn wins that have little to do with what your opponent is going to do. There are table politics because it is always a multi-player game, yet the predator/prey structure (you always attack left, essentially) provides a tactical focus for your efforts. Depth of play comes from trying to get your own game going while making deals and keeping your predator at bay. It takes awhile to learn, and I like that too. It honestly means that it is a game of pretty smart people for the most part, and that you can play for years and still be learning how to improve your game and try new angles.
Re: VTES
I’ve only been playing for about 2.5 years. Peter and most of the others have been at it since ’94. It stopped being produced for a few years until White Wolf picked it up from WotC, but I came in after it has started up again. Of course, I now have a good-sized collection and can actually seed new players, which is how we tend to get people into the game who are intimidated by the decade worth of cards that have been produced. . . .
The game mechanics have not changed since its inception, and I think the basic strategies still hold. This is both a good and a bad thing; it means that someone who has not played in awhile can bring an old deck with them and often do well. It also means, however, that some new mechanics do poorly against the older, more basic ones. It is a complicated game of rock/paper/scissors in some ways, and on a certain level, a straightforward approach works best.
Fortunately, it is more than a game of RPS. I like the fact that you have to play the person and not just their cards, unlike Magic where you can plan two-turn wins that have little to do with what your opponent is going to do. There are table politics because it is always a multi-player game, yet the predator/prey structure (you always attack left, essentially) provides a tactical focus for your efforts. Depth of play comes from trying to get your own game going while making deals and keeping your predator at bay. It takes awhile to learn, and I like that too. It honestly means that it is a game of pretty smart people for the most part, and that you can play for years and still be learning how to improve your game and try new angles.
VTES
Man, you guys have been playing VTES for like…ten years or more.
That is fucking wild to me. It is like a timewarp in that building every Friday night, circa 1994 CCG.
Has the game changed much?
What do you dig about it?
My memories of it are vague.
VTES
Man, you guys have been playing VTES for like…ten years or more.
That is fucking wild to me. It is like a timewarp in that building every Friday night, circa 1994 CCG.
Has the game changed much?
What do you dig about it?
My memories of it are vague.
Reading: Tuf Voyaging by GRRM, scanning some books for articles on globalization of human rights and SF fandom, still working through Mauss and his stuff on magic.
Wearing: Green long-sleeve henley, my favorite cardigan, and dark blue jeans.
Planning: Course outline for next week, some VTES decks for tonight.
Writing: Bleh.
Reading: Tuf Voyaging by GRRM, scanning some books for articles on globalization of human rights and SF fandom, still working through Mauss and his stuff on magic.
Wearing: Green long-sleeve henley, my favorite cardigan, and dark blue jeans.
Planning: Course outline for next week, some VTES decks for tonight.
Writing: Bleh.
Reading: Alarums and Excursions issue #391, and some old issues, write ups, and pb(e)m moves. Just not in the mood for Titans of Chaos now.
Wearing: Cthulhu fhtagn t-shirt, white jeans, button up sweater cuz it’s flipping cold inside Columbia University’s Lerner Hall.
Planning: More job hunting. Posting old write ups to wiki. Keeping house clean, since we actually have it clean in the wake of our houseguests. Working on larps.
Writing: My 201st zine for Alarums and Excursions.
job
Good luck with the job hunting.
Re: job
Thanks!
Re: job
Thanks!
Re: job
Thanks!
job
Good luck with the job hunting.
job
Good luck with the job hunting.
Reading: Alarums and Excursions issue #391, and some old issues, write ups, and pb(e)m moves. Just not in the mood for Titans of Chaos now.
Wearing: Cthulhu fhtagn t-shirt, white jeans, button up sweater cuz it’s flipping cold inside Columbia University’s Lerner Hall.
Planning: More job hunting. Posting old write ups to wiki. Keeping house clean, since we actually have it clean in the wake of our houseguests. Working on larps.
Writing: My 201st zine for Alarums and Excursions.
Reading: Alarums and Excursions issue #391, and some old issues, write ups, and pb(e)m moves. Just not in the mood for Titans of Chaos now.
Wearing: Cthulhu fhtagn t-shirt, white jeans, button up sweater cuz it’s flipping cold inside Columbia University’s Lerner Hall.
Planning: More job hunting. Posting old write ups to wiki. Keeping house clean, since we actually have it clean in the wake of our houseguests. Working on larps.
Writing: My 201st zine for Alarums and Excursions.
Reading: Judas Unchained, the sequel/second half of Peter Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star. Unshelved Book Club’s synopsis
Wearing: The e’er so comfy moss green t-shirt, jeans, and my birkies.
Playing: A buddy of mine is submitting his games to Mayfair; we spent last night in playtest mode.
Watching: Charlie Jade, Max Headroom, and the first episode of the new season of Doctor Who.
playtesting
How’d the playtesting go?
Re: playtesting
Pretty darn awesome! We’re doing card and board games in the playtest group and one of the games we tested out was really fun, encouraged a lot of table talk to get you into the game, but ran very long. The designer was hoping it was a forty-five to sixty minute game, but it’s turning out to be a two-hour game. This is a problem as the game is fun for about 90 minutes. If the game goes on past that, it’s just repetition and feels like the game is dragging on.
Afterwards, we discussed several things about the game and how to make it shorter, yet not lose the essential elements of the game that make it fun. There also was a problem where if you don’t make one of the few optimal moves in the first or second turn, there’s no way to win the game. We think we’ve solved that problem as well.
It’s good to be able to give direct feedback to any creator. There’s a bit on one of your shows where Storn was talking about critiquing; what’s good about the playtest group is the designer is cool with receiving critiques, especially when we don’t like a game or an aspect of a game.
Re: playtesting
Pretty darn awesome! We’re doing card and board games in the playtest group and one of the games we tested out was really fun, encouraged a lot of table talk to get you into the game, but ran very long. The designer was hoping it was a forty-five to sixty minute game, but it’s turning out to be a two-hour game. This is a problem as the game is fun for about 90 minutes. If the game goes on past that, it’s just repetition and feels like the game is dragging on.
Afterwards, we discussed several things about the game and how to make it shorter, yet not lose the essential elements of the game that make it fun. There also was a problem where if you don’t make one of the few optimal moves in the first or second turn, there’s no way to win the game. We think we’ve solved that problem as well.
It’s good to be able to give direct feedback to any creator. There’s a bit on one of your shows where Storn was talking about critiquing; what’s good about the playtest group is the designer is cool with receiving critiques, especially when we don’t like a game or an aspect of a game.
Re: playtesting
Pretty darn awesome! We’re doing card and board games in the playtest group and one of the games we tested out was really fun, encouraged a lot of table talk to get you into the game, but ran very long. The designer was hoping it was a forty-five to sixty minute game, but it’s turning out to be a two-hour game. This is a problem as the game is fun for about 90 minutes. If the game goes on past that, it’s just repetition and feels like the game is dragging on.
Afterwards, we discussed several things about the game and how to make it shorter, yet not lose the essential elements of the game that make it fun. There also was a problem where if you don’t make one of the few optimal moves in the first or second turn, there’s no way to win the game. We think we’ve solved that problem as well.
It’s good to be able to give direct feedback to any creator. There’s a bit on one of your shows where Storn was talking about critiquing; what’s good about the playtest group is the designer is cool with receiving critiques, especially when we don’t like a game or an aspect of a game.
playtesting
How’d the playtesting go?
playtesting
How’d the playtesting go?
Reading: Judas Unchained, the sequel/second half of Peter Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star. Unshelved Book Club’s synopsis
Wearing: The e’er so comfy moss green t-shirt, jeans, and my birkies.
Playing: A buddy of mine is submitting his games to Mayfair; we spent last night in playtest mode.
Watching: Charlie Jade, Max Headroom, and the first episode of the new season of Doctor Who.
Reading: Judas Unchained, the sequel/second half of Peter Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star. Unshelved Book Club’s synopsis
Wearing: The e’er so comfy moss green t-shirt, jeans, and my birkies.
Playing: A buddy of mine is submitting his games to Mayfair; we spent last night in playtest mode.
Watching: Charlie Jade, Max Headroom, and the first episode of the new season of Doctor Who.