tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57957835171756049862024-03-18T09:00:52.624-05:00GopherDave Abides...Mostly pictures... with occasional words and deep thoughts...GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.comBlogger758125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-53736325162801844172016-09-14T20:12:00.002-05:002016-09-14T20:12:27.508-05:00Twelve-Hour Day Sandwich...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuyIxBL1GrAqG4GEsA3VUuIImGvNVKUcYu1V3TzsT7T-DOF75VxAtQEWi_3rA7u3yguugmyUCH3vGbWBr93S7YmTygB-qTUM_m4NrTosN2mviOg6Y3mZwCiCDHXjGUG7vASVeQf_JYX1o/s1600/9-12-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuyIxBL1GrAqG4GEsA3VUuIImGvNVKUcYu1V3TzsT7T-DOF75VxAtQEWi_3rA7u3yguugmyUCH3vGbWBr93S7YmTygB-qTUM_m4NrTosN2mviOg6Y3mZwCiCDHXjGUG7vASVeQf_JYX1o/s640/9-12-2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGiS8iiAo1wqO5gEEIty31HnSbXRIKc1_Ai0XRWXzZJXhgb_H4oCKcdxj-x_L17cBYJIxtWkqU1riFuPIVoQCjFkQsYDaSyshw9LdpTrvGqQ-Bk3JAGtU6IXOoeEm3-Ai5sSwovvehbgc/s1600/9-14-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGiS8iiAo1wqO5gEEIty31HnSbXRIKc1_Ai0XRWXzZJXhgb_H4oCKcdxj-x_L17cBYJIxtWkqU1riFuPIVoQCjFkQsYDaSyshw9LdpTrvGqQ-Bk3JAGtU6IXOoeEm3-Ai5sSwovvehbgc/s640/9-14-2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wednesday</td></tr>
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Two more days, with one off inbetween to take care of a favor I promised second-spawn a couple of months ago. That said, Monday and Wednesdays are my 12-hour days, and they bracketed the favor for the Thing#2 that onvolved driving them to another city roughly 90 minutes away to wait aorund a couple of hours to drive her back...<br />
<br />
Not much has happened on any of these days other than I worked 24 hours and drove for another 3-4 or so. Tuesday, I got back together with a group of folks I used to game with, but I had stepped away from for personal reasons. In my absence from the group, some other stuff happened with them, and they were without game... ...and without GM as the person who had been doing had some things happen, and no longer has the ability to do so.<br />
<br />
This is where I step in... I am coming back, and I have agreed to run a game for them. This is the fourth game I will be running currently, but this has a twist. I'm writing the system for this one because I don't have enough to do... =P<br /><br />We got together and spoke a little bit about what we wanted from the game, and I explained some of where I was taking the system and background I had in mind. Then we shot the shit for a couple more hours before back pain sent me home early. I did, after banging my head on the desk for a few weeks, get more of an idea of where I am taking the game and the system, and have started laying down words. I will lay down some more later tonight. It'll be fun...<br />
<br />
Basically a D12-based, dice pool system with some narrative elements that has a working system title of "EFF-CON12". Think White Wolf's storyteller, Evil Hat's FATE, and Pinnacle's Savage Worlds slammed together at high speeds, with whatever parts that stuck together becoming the bulk of the system, and me contributing spit and polish. Now add comic-book superheroes...<br /><br />It'll be ***GLORIOUS***<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDave<br />
<br />GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-53877616775522348902016-09-09T21:51:00.004-05:002016-09-09T21:51:45.317-05:00Depression and the Evil Spiral...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPT4jd2cCxnyC0-oeBwU_mDhg_aNhzNkDUVPFkQt5RjVswnB7YGkKn6ATjs3xj5NxtJiLBFrfeV5jptitSgXMJooylMHd_UqDlLinduMZ44VLTChxOoO1-aJs3CQERz4FVIEHPBynR0dGa/s1600/09-09-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPT4jd2cCxnyC0-oeBwU_mDhg_aNhzNkDUVPFkQt5RjVswnB7YGkKn6ATjs3xj5NxtJiLBFrfeV5jptitSgXMJooylMHd_UqDlLinduMZ44VLTChxOoO1-aJs3CQERz4FVIEHPBynR0dGa/s640/09-09-2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't let the shot fool you. The sweater is jet black. It just looks like a really badass charcoal gray due to lighting.<br />I would **TOTALLY** buy a sweater in this color, though... Just for those of you keeping score at home. =P</td></tr>
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I had a good conversation with a friend of mine about his ongoing battle against clinical depression. As we spoke, the talk had me thinking about my mind set over the last couple of years. Looking back, I have very little doubt that I have been coping with a MASSIVE fit of depression myself for the last 3+ years. Since I am also a person with minor (untreated) bi-polar syndrome, this depression would occasionally get punctuated with a spike of manic that would last for a day or two, but then I would sink back into my malaise.<br />
<br />
Consequently, the longer things went on, the more depressed I began to feel, but it was so slow in onset that I literally did not noticed that it had happened until earlier this year. It was, in a word, insidious. It is only with the clarity that "distance" provides that I am beginning to understand just how f****d up I was.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>My weight had a lot to do with it, but even that was just a result of my not wanting to do anything meaningful. The less I did, the more weight I gained, and the more weight I gained, the less I wanted to do anything at all. I am just now pulling out of this in a number of areas, but some damage has been done (health-wise) that will take a fair amount of time to fix.</li>
<li>My realtionship with Mrs. Gopher, which has been rockier than we ever let on in the last couple of years, is showing signs of improvement because I am putting effort back into it. Part of our issue wasn't that I didn't care about my marriage, but instead it was my not realizing that I was NOT actively caring that did most of the damage. I was distant, lost, and pretty much unapproachable, and I had NO idea I had become that way.</li>
<li>The store, which had slid into being sort of a dingy clubhouse, is now getting more of my attention once again, and things are slowly coming back from that. The main reason with us changing the hours back to opening at 11AM after two and a half years of opening at 3PM was to force me to be in the store more than I had been. As tired as I am, it is helping both the store and myself.</li>
<li>My gaming life? That's still being worked on, but I am taking steps to address that as well.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Plans are in place to take my life back... =)<br />
<br />
Another friend asked me if I felt my current upswing is just another manic hiccup and if I will, after a brief period, slide back into my long-term funk. Honestly, I'm not sure, but if I believe it to be, then my depression has already won the battle again. However, another part of me is saying "screw that noise". Now that I've opened my eyes to my own (in-)actions, I can address them for what they are. Knowing what they are... They're gonna get fixed, by sheer force of will and good (re-built) habits.<br />
<br />
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some life to attack... =)<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-53408113007357919822016-09-09T01:36:00.000-05:002016-09-09T11:17:46.383-05:00Ideas Forming, Though Not As Quickly As I'd Hoped...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-eG-u1ygvOXo0xelcjT3uULj6SOJ74ekvmLclL9PhBKAo7DFKq0bHZzvGm4g5RlWhk3lRqYQbhcbxz20fPjhMNf00w2mfoCSOz2qM7pKI9FciU-Kw0U_qsCzLSEOxyEAFXsbCNjeSELX/s1600/09-08-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-eG-u1ygvOXo0xelcjT3uULj6SOJ74ekvmLclL9PhBKAo7DFKq0bHZzvGm4g5RlWhk3lRqYQbhcbxz20fPjhMNf00w2mfoCSOz2qM7pKI9FciU-Kw0U_qsCzLSEOxyEAFXsbCNjeSELX/s1600/09-08-2016.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On point once more... I might be getting the hang of this again...</td></tr>
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<br />
Been thinking about the superhero game and the system I am going to run/write here soon and came up with a few concepts to fold into the mix...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>No sort of endurance/fatigue rules... Too much tedium and bookeeping in a genre that rarely lets heroes be seen as human. If there is a fatigue mechanic contained within, it'll be expending extra effort which will begin to wear on a character.</li>
<li>REEEAALLLLLYYYY slow experience build-up for characters, if any at all... The one thing I've seen kill too many games is that characters become so powerful that there is nothing left to challenge them that doesn't seem like the GM is cheating more than a little bit. Superheroes do change and evolve, but typically only at key story points (or change in the writing team).</li>
<li>Trying to evolve some form of dice pool mechanic that will eliminate the swing of single-die systems, or even exploding die systems. This one gets more difficult as I am trying to keep things simple and free-flowing from a mechanics standpoint. The thought seems like an oxymoron to me at this stage. Hmmmm...</li>
<li>Given that I want to run a more lighter and upbeat superhero game than I typically do, character death is never a result of a normal fight. A character will have to PURPOSEFULLY state something along the lines of "I am trying to kill him" in order for it to stick and have meaning, and even then, it will be at some dramatic cost...</li>
<li>Speaking of drama, trying to working a drama/karma system the can play off of the players and the GM where we can trade cool moments almost tit-for-tat... Thinking about a starting pool equal to the number of players that the players begin with having access to, and a smaller pool equal to half the players (round up) that the GM gets to use initially. Players can claim a drama point for themselves and spend it later personally, or they may leave it in the group pool where all PCs have access to it to do the same tasks, but at double cost. Points spent by the players end up in the GM pool, and vice versa... or something along those lines.</li>
</ul>
<br />
That's just off the top of my head currently... Hopefully more, and more concrete, stuff to come...<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-9735288219057039142016-09-07T13:09:00.001-05:002016-09-07T13:09:58.891-05:00Steady as She Goes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYtLtdjHADcXMmL4SaHWE8dVqQ2LotWtuLnwap1un1zO08gmg-0dcvKnBr1Mrx4Nve1t5V3l4IzF5CI7jhUumsGsAO2rgOu42ERXmkyUrhtXdIcQ8y5X_TfiGuPGjbYoyTqSf2DVZwdhI/s1600/09-07-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYtLtdjHADcXMmL4SaHWE8dVqQ2LotWtuLnwap1un1zO08gmg-0dcvKnBr1Mrx4Nve1t5V3l4IzF5CI7jhUumsGsAO2rgOu42ERXmkyUrhtXdIcQ8y5X_TfiGuPGjbYoyTqSf2DVZwdhI/s640/09-07-2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I got exactly NOTHING done last night on the game. I did get a fair amount of laundry done, though...<br /><br />Basically, I have some backgrouond ideas, but no system yet. As I stated before, I'm working with an odd mix of player expereince levels. As a group, they need something simpler than average, but with more mechanics than say FATE. Still looking at writing my own game... I have to do one for the convention in January. I may as well use this as a test of basic mechanics. Now I just have to come up with some basic mechanics. =P<br /><br />So... the earlier store opening has been nabbing us some sales I don't think we would have gotten otherwise, but it has really cramped into my ability to run errands. I desperately need to shop for soda for the store, but have not managed to do it in four days. Today didn't help either as I woke up about 45 minutes before the store was supposed to open at 11AM. I made it, but had no room for side trips, so... Still working out the kinks... ;)<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-91258845082991808612016-09-07T00:26:00.001-05:002016-09-07T00:26:16.532-05:00One Day at a Time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Things are proceeding as well as can be expected. Plans are in place for the slow (re-)improvement of the store to bring it back to where it once was, and then take it a little beyond. It will all take time, effort, and a bit more money, but if we put the first two in, the third will come.<br />
<br />
I have a game I am supposed to start next week, but I have nothing ready yet. I have a genre (superheroes), but no system. I also have some restrictions in what systems I can use to make things work for everyone. Player experience varies, and I don't have the prep time for a crunchy system like HERO or M&M. I'll work something out here shortly, though. I always do. =P<br />
<br />
I already have some ideas on how I want the world to be. Now I just have to get them on paper. ;)<br />
<br />
(I'll be over here laughing at myself for that last statement...)<br />
<br />
-- GopherDave<br />
<br />GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-19917779559339798082016-09-05T12:47:00.003-05:002016-09-05T12:47:29.929-05:00Just Over a Week In...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVV_jjVS2FdWxpRUfbn3B857LDtwXhFkKAdA6jvORqLHa-EiMQ2ScmrQo8-UES6nOboO3-0qXdiyjJ_7xj5zigwoRzcsjwdl3chaCp3QNucGALk_HbPKVHUdmA9mtDLYwdH0Zjar0zsIEs/s1600/Comeback+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVV_jjVS2FdWxpRUfbn3B857LDtwXhFkKAdA6jvORqLHa-EiMQ2ScmrQo8-UES6nOboO3-0qXdiyjJ_7xj5zigwoRzcsjwdl3chaCp3QNucGALk_HbPKVHUdmA9mtDLYwdH0Zjar0zsIEs/s640/Comeback+2.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday... I was off on Saturday... kind of...</td></tr>
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<br />
So far, so good... The early opening times are slowly starting to catch on once again. After 2.5 years, it'll be slow going, but I am optimistic...<br />
<br />
Game-wise, I am running three games, committed to running a fourth (why did I do that?), and trying to plan five events for the convention in late January. I not a glutton for punishment at all... (read: sarcasm).<br />
<br />
Beyond that... all is as well as it could be... =P<br />
<br />
-- GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-13637569846466367092016-09-01T03:09:00.001-05:002016-09-01T03:09:30.329-05:00Can It Be Sustained?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz9qEj1NMlcRJXvMWSQd_54CglnMw6cyLT4fUxJBbi4MnFIUp_KiH6x3M3nLggqimv2QeWtI_dM15so_Z6pj1Dq5GgTLrpgV8xW0LrCz8R6EZIbiWD7wRg0u-juRRvtBuv1CxuBRJHQ3b/s1600/Comeback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz9qEj1NMlcRJXvMWSQd_54CglnMw6cyLT4fUxJBbi4MnFIUp_KiH6x3M3nLggqimv2QeWtI_dM15so_Z6pj1Dq5GgTLrpgV8xW0LrCz8R6EZIbiWD7wRg0u-juRRvtBuv1CxuBRJHQ3b/s640/Comeback.jpg" width="377" /></a></div>
<br />
Not sure if I can keep it up, but I seem to be in a good place once again... This is three of the last four days for work. I had a day off, so I'm allowed to skip. Sue me... =P<br /><br />In other news, I'm reopening up the store at 11AM on the weekdays beginning... well... today. We shall see how that goes as well.<br />
<br />
Now I'm off to take a four-hour nap. See folks later...<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-53593871543714544802016-06-08T22:14:00.000-05:002016-06-08T22:14:01.690-05:00Realizations...Okay... This is going to be written a little off the cuff, but that's how I typically do things anyway.<br />
<br />
First, this is about game stuff, so if you're looking for life/music/anything else, feel free to move on.<br />
<br />
Second, this came about from a conversation that I had with my love wife, MrsGopher, with me lamenting about some things. The spouse stated that she misses me working on something creative, and the passion that I pour into something when I am excited, but she also stated something that I have long known, but never really admitted to myself until the last few days...<br />
<br />
I am not a setting guy in regard to creation. I have ideas, and love to try to flesh them out, but I always get stuck on some facet of the setting that is not quite how I want it. Then when I attempt to refine that facet, it all seems to go invariably awry, and I lose interest in the project. I can create very limited settings, as long as the scope is small. The players and their most immediate surroundings. Trying to do anything larger just doesn't work with me.<br />
<br />
No... not a setting guy. What I am is a system tinkerer with a more than fair ability to meld cool ideas to game mechanics. Be it making something work for an existing game, or coming up with new game systems whole-cloth to make the idea flow right... that... that I can do.<br />
<br />
So, if you have a setting you need help "mechanizing" that isn't High Fantasy or Hard Science-Fiction, hit me up. I'm most comfortable using Savage Worlds and HERO System, but I can also create full game engines from aether to fit ideas if wanted. =)<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-69051654068948477272016-05-17T02:06:00.001-05:002016-05-17T02:06:28.201-05:00New Medium...With hopefully more focus and less whiny "life stuff"...<br /><br />Go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RShrySNkZ-w">here</a>...GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-5016514258172881012016-03-24T04:05:00.001-05:002016-03-24T04:05:49.057-05:00Back to the Capes...One of my frequent (and frequently broken) new years' resolutions is to become a published author in the medium of pen-and-paper RPGs. I've started a myriad of projects with the intent of finishing, and I never do. This year is no different.<br />
<br />
After blowing up all the games I was running (though I hope to revisit one sometime soon), I started running a number of Savage Worlds campaigns (I'm up to three now) for various reasons over the last couple of months. In those three games I am visiting Modern-Day Horror, Post-Apocalyptic Horror, and Science-Fiction. The itch I am not scratching is my love of the Superhero genre.<br />
<br />
I adore the modern myths of superhero comics, and the current media flood of genre movies and television just has me giddy. I am truly digging all the movies and TV shows coming down the pipe (though I am miffed that I have to wait until 2019 for an Inhumans movie). In regard to RPGs, if I am offered the chance to play a game, and have to choose between D&D, Shadowrun, or *ANY* superhero themed game, I'm running for the capes and cowls. I have acquired (and sold) at least three collections of comic books in my lifetime. In fact I am currently building another small comic collection that I may have to tone down due to lack of storage space in our current house (the comics have to compete with two other sizable collections (RPG books/Board Games and music CDs)).<br />
<br />
Back to the games... Like stated above, I am not currently scratching my superhero itch. Typically, when I run a game in that genre, I reach for Champions/HERO System. It simulates the genre better than anything else on the market. The last two editions of the game, however, are not newbie-friendly, and the books for the 6th Edition (the latest) are thick enough to scare off most veteran gamers. Also, as much as I like Champions, running a game of it can be *VERY* prep-intensive with regard to time involved. I had that time when I was younger, but no longer in my later adult life. The Hero Designer software helps, but not by as much as it really needs to at this point in life. This lack of "prep time" is the main reason why I am running three "canned" (read, pre-written) campaigns in Savage Worlds. The work is pretty much done, and doing anything else I might need on the fly is ridiculously easy.<br />
<br />
So, I set aside my stock "National Guard" background for Champions, and began to think about writing another superhero background, one that doesn't have 20+ years of history and baggage. As I jot down ideas for this setting, I began to think about what game system I would run campaigns of it in. I was trying to avoid Savage Worlds, as I am already running three games in that system. However, as I write things down for the "Shiftverse", I figure I might as well embrace the system for a fourth game.<br />
<br />
Hence, I am writing and creating this current project as a Plot Point campaign for Savage Worlds... and ICONS... and SUPERS... and possibly a couple of other systems... if I can get the licenses for them. I currently have about four whole pages of notes written, with the basic structure planned out. I have started filling in small gaps as time and creativity allow. I have gotten in touch with a graphic designer/artist friend with regard to art and layout for the project. Things are very much in the preliminary stages with this,but I'm liking where it's going at the moment...<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-6093461107993909432016-03-13T04:58:00.000-05:002016-03-13T04:58:35.086-05:00From the Journal of Rick Wallaby, Day 1...<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday, August 19<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I woke
up this morning, I was dreading today. The three-hour drive combined with
move-in, and finally some lame freshman orientation thing this place called “Sweat
Lodge” just did not seem like it had the makings for a good time. I mean, I’ve
been to a couple of freshman orientations already. Don’t they count for
something? Turns out that I was wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was right
that the drive sucked (too long). Plus, move-in sucked. It didn’t take that long
as Dad made me leave a LOT of stuff at home. Important stuff like my gaming
laptop, my movie collection, and anything he called “a distraction”. I mean, I
understand where he’s coming from, but jeez. I’m an adult. I can handle it.
Sort of.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway,
near the end of my moving in, I met my roommate, Jason. Jason’s a great guy. He’s
really smart and he didn’t tell me to “fuck off” with the first hour. We’re
going to be the best of friends!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once we got
settled in, and got an idea of where we were supposed to go, we head over for
the “Sweat Lodge”. I was expecting this to be some mind-numbingly boring thing,
and the first part of it was. Droning on and on, some old fart sang us a bad
fight song, and I was sure that I would not leave there with my sanity intact. Turns
out, I almost didn’t leave with my life! It was great!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once the
droning ceased, we were all directed to rooms in small groups where we to get a
“sage advice” from a senior here. Ours was some cool dude named Robby. Well, he
started out cool, but then turned lame once he offered up his “advice”. Of all
the things he could have told us, what was the one thing he stressed most? “Be
a zebra”. I shit you not. Be a fucking zebra. Really? Five years of this place
and that’s the best you got? We’re fucked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of
we, I suppose I should talk about the other freshman in the room. First, there’s
Jason, my roommate. Like I said before, he’s a great guy. He’s gotta work on
his cardio, though. Next is Tommy. Tommy’s a dick! At first he seemed cool,
acting like my friend and handing out advice on how to get girls. His advice
sucks and he sucks, too! Next there’s Dylan. He’s here on a football
scholarship or some such. He’s okay. Can’t fight worth a damn though. The one
girl in the group is some chick named Mina. She’s hot. She’s also a soul crushing
harpy. I’ll probably hang around her because, well, she’s hot. And boobs. Can’t
forget boobs. Lastly are two are other guys named David and Stevie. David’s
kind of squirrely, but he’s pre-med, and knows a bit about first aid, which is
good because this group is going to need it! Stevie is a pretty basic dude.
ROTC cadet. Kind of has a jarhead army mentality (be a zebra, anyone?), but he’s
cool, and nice. Stevie’s also the only one who seemed to care after Mina shot
me down hard while using Tommy’s shitty advice. If I haven’t said it already,
Tommy’s a dick!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Going back
to the rest of the night, after the useless be a
sheep-goat-mongoose-zebra-whothefuckcares piece of wisdom got handed to us, we
heard noises from back upstairs that the band they had brought in started
playing. They were okay for a local act. The university also sprung for free
pizza from a local place called the “Pizza Barn”. Yeah, I don’t know what you
folks were thinking there. I cook my pizza in an oven. Most barns don’t have
ovens, last I checked. Business name fail.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I’m drowning
my sorrow in some diluted rat piss they call punch and chewing on my third
piece of sauced cardboard from this place when weird things start happening.
First, some of the security guards got sick. REALLY SICK. Like, head for the
toilet and don’t leave for three days type sick. Must’ve had the pizza. It was
around now that Jason or Stevie, I’m not sure which, noticed that someone had
painted on the walls with red paint. The folks in charge blamed it on senior
pranks, and never seemed to care about it, taking it all in stride like this
happens every year. Then my man, David, catches the eye of some other hot chick
and takes off with her. SCORE! That’s when I tried to get to know Mina a little
better only to find out that Tommy is not my friend and that I’m not sure I
want to get to know Mina any better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I’m
sulking in the bathroom, and it turns out that David’s hot girl was a REALLY
hot girl and tried to set him on fire. He said something about a ghost, but I
wasn’t paying much attention. That was right about the time the red paint
started setting the gym on fire. Everyone freaked out about that like they had
never been in a fire before. It’s a big concrete building, we have time…
besides, I noticed a bunch of fire extinguishers in another room downstairs. I
was about to go get them when some dickhead security guy showed up and tazed
me. Prick.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I laid
there for a bit, trying to get my head around me, when the others notice and
get David. The pre-med thing is going to work out for him. Really. He gets me
up on my feet and I’m stumbling around for a bit gathering my wits and trying to figure out what to do as all
the other sheeple are freaking out over the fire that’s happening. I stumble
downstairs to find Dylan and David fighting with the same dick security tool
that tazed me earlier. Fucking zap me and attack my friends? I don’t think so
Hillbilly Bob! I ran over there and clock the guy a good one, and this jackass
goes and hits me again with the tazer. Son of a bitch! So after some more
twitching, I get up with more help from David, and find my main man, Jason,
just pepper spraying the hell out of that fool. Yeah! Take that, Rent-A-Flop!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then some other
stuff happened that you’re just going to say was a side effect of the meds,
Dr.Grafmeyer, so we’ll leave it at that. Oh yeah… We put out the damn fire. And
I **TOTALLY** kicked that guy’s ass!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best. Day. Ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-24071250172044878732016-03-13T04:52:00.000-05:002016-03-13T04:52:40.984-05:00the Birth of Rick Wallaby...A few weeks back, I started running a Savage Worlds campaign for the East Texas University setting using the "Degrees of Horror" plot point campaign. It's a cool setting that is pretty much described as Buffy-Goes-To-College, but there's no "chosen one", and the stuff that happens at ETU is wierder.<br />
<br />
During character creation, one of the players took the "Annoying Roommate" hinderance. Drawing a card on the appropriate table indicated that the source of the annoyance was said roommate's ADHD condition. I kind of ran with it from there. One order of annoying, highly distracted motormouth coming right up! Thus, Rick was born...<br />
<br />
While we played the beginning of the first plot point for the game ("Sweat Lodge"), it turns out that Rick began to flesh himself out quite quickly. At the end of the night, I had determined that Rick was going to have a journal of sorts, kind of detailing the groups adventures from his point of view. The in-game reason for this journal is as an assignment from his therapist, which Rick sees twice-a-week in an effort to control his ADHD condition, instead of letting the condition control him. The first game ran long, so we had to pick up the rest of it two weeks later. That happened Saturday night...<br />
<br />
A good time was had...GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-28209031487813766842016-03-11T03:04:00.001-06:002016-03-11T03:04:08.322-06:00Five Month Check In...Hmmm... Where to begin?<br />
<br />
A lot has happened over the last five months, and most of it is not good, though some of it is pretty okay...<br />
<br />
In a nutshell, and in no particular order...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A good friend (and chairman/coordinator of the local game convention) passed away about seven weeks before the most recent convention. The convention went on with a few hiccups, and looks like it will continue on for a bit as a number of folks figure out and pick up the work that this man did. I am not as involved as I would like due to all of us trying to avoid the apperance of a conflict of interest (My wife and I own a local game store, and there were problems in the past when a local store owner (not us) had a sizable finger in the convention set-up/management), but it looks like it will continue for at least a few more years...</li>
<li>My father has recently had a combination stroke/seizure that has left him unable to walk without a walker (and poorly at that) and has dampened his faculties to the point where he doesn't know where he is most of the time. This has caused some stress in the family as I see where this is going (my father moving into a nursing home equipped to deal with Alzheimer sufferers) and had had the temerity to voice this. My mother, nor my older brother like this concept, nor do they agree with me. For my brother, our father is his hero and my brother is having more than a difficult time coming to grips that the man he knows and loves is effectively no longer with us. My sibling is of the opinion that "dad will be fine once we get him home". My mother was of this opinion, as well... initially. The more she deals with the problem, the more she understands that her husband may never come home, or if he does, it won't be for long as he will require more care than she can give him. Normally, I take a bit of pride in being correct about many situations. This one? I honestly wish I am completely wrong and that my father makes a full recovery. Barring divine intervention, I don't see that happening...</li>
<li>I been told to lose pretty much half of myself in weight or die...</li>
<li>I've been diagnosed as "pre-diabetic", which is apparently a danger zone where one is not diabetic yet, but if they keep going down the path that they are on, they will be soon. As a result, I've been put on a low-carb diet that pretty much rules out anything I really like (pizza and Mexican food) in favor of yogurt, salad, vegetables, and meat. Okay... meat's not so bad...</li>
<li>My pacemaker, after having been confirmed as working in December of 2015, apparently died in January of 2016, so that has to be replaced...</li>
<li>My Feng Shui 2 game has been set aside due to rapid and frequent player turnover. Hard to run a serial game if characters and players change almost every session...</li>
<li>My Champions game has been placed on hiatus for a variation of the same reason. Six players... Three consistent... One bailed due to health (he contracted cancer). He's forgiven. Another insisted on staying in the game even though his employment was screwing around with him hard enough that his attendence was consistently *VERY* late, if at all... A third one showed up more often than not, but never could be bothered to actually show any real interest in the game... I know some of these players read this blog when I infrequently post, and if what I have typed here upsets you, I apologize to a certain extent, but realize that some of what was happening was also causing me some undue frustration.</li>
<li>I recently began a Deadlands: Hell on Earth Reloaded campaign (the Worms' Turn) that was going *REALLY* well for three runs... ...and then it wasn't. Part of it is my fault for the scenario of the evening, but part of it has to do with some of the rules (and my implementation of such, as written). That will get rectified soon...</li>
<li>I also began a game of East Texas Univeristy in order to fulfill a promise I had made to a few people to run them through it once my schedule cleared up. One run down, thus far, and it is mostly good. A couple of snags here and there, but overall not bad. I'm sort of waiting for session number four to see if the other shoe drops...</li>
<li>I will be starting a campaign of the Last Parsec (Eres Beta-V) this upcoming Sunday. We'll see how that goes as we have one player who has a dislike of Savage Worlds as a game system, but after a bit of badgering, he gave in and is willing to try..</li>
</ul>
<br />
On top of all of this, I still have the desire to run a superhero game. It just cannot be with my go-to game system for the genre (Hero System/Champions). As much as I love the system for superhero gaming, it requires far too much prep-time to be useful to me. I want to concentrate on story... not making NPCs. Unfortnately, I have a *DEEP* love of tactical combat for superhero games, and nothing does that better than Hero System. I don't really have time to create a system of my own, but I do want something that fits a few requirements...<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tactical combat...</li>
<li>A die-rolling mechanic that is related more to a bell curve rather than a single-die system that lends itself to a linear probability...</li>
<li>A character system that lends itself to comic-book tropes without feeling too cartoony...</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
The setting for this game will have to be all-new. I have a background that I have used for a number of games, and it is good and solid, but it also tends toward the darker side of the genre, and I am trying to break away from that. Thus, I am planning a new background/setting for this as yet unrealized superhero game. I have a few ideas in my head. I just have to put them on paper. Here goes nothing...<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-88281454275655062232015-10-22T22:15:00.002-05:002015-10-22T22:15:55.821-05:00A Cry From The Dark...Still alive... I haven't written much for the blog as I have not had a great deal of time to do so. I have noticed something, though. When I stop writing things here, I pretty much stop writing anything and my games suffer. As it stands, I am struggling with my creative juices with regard to both my Champions and my Feng Shui 2 games, but for some reason, my brain is trying to force another game out of me... sigh...<br /><br />On top of that, Winter War is coming up and I have games to prep. I have one game sketch plotted, and the characters converted from the old edition of the rules to the new edition of the rules that came out earlier this year. The NPCs need to be put together and the plot needs to be fleshed out a bit for that one to be considered done. I have another game that doesn't even have a title, but the overarching plot for the series of eight is jotted down in note form. Both of the games I am discussing are the next installments in a couple of series that I ran last year. I'd like to do one more game, but I have no idea what that would be...<br />
<br />
Beyond that, I've been running the store, listening to music, reading some comics, and trying to spend some time with my wife, kids and dogs...<br />
<br />
Sleep is that thing that other people do...<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-72212150386905392322015-06-23T12:18:00.000-05:002015-06-23T12:18:00.221-05:00Heart Still Beats... Life Goes On...So, it's been two and a half months since my last post... What's been up? Oh... just about everything...<br />
<br />
There's a lot, so I'm going to sum up in as small a chunks as I can...<br />
<br />
BUSINESS: We lost a competitor here in town, making us the oldest active (8+ years) game store now. Things have been interesting, as we absorb some extra customers and work out game schedules so "everybody gets to play". It's kept us hopping. We've also been offered a game store to buy that's just over an hour away, we've been offered space (when it's ready) for a second location about 25 minutes away, and have heard about yet a third prospect that may be ready for the buying as their ship is not currently stable. Opportunities abound, but I'm not certain what path (if any) to take at this point.<br />
<br />
GAMING: The Champions game continues to get better, though it is not without its fits of drama. If the drama with fully within the game, it'd be no issue, but it's not. One player feels picked on by a few of the others, and while he's not entirely incorrect, given what he's established his character's history to be, the way the player is playing it, the player is drawing legit aggro. The player in question does not read, nor has he ever really read, superhero comic books. He's a fine player, but he's come with a character with an extesive written history that if it gets tampered with in any way, he loses his nut. The last time he had a semi-meltdown, I told him that if he wants to write a story that he has complete control over, then he should go write a book. Within an RPG, it's cooperative storytelling and improvisational theater, and he needs to be flexible as the story unfolds during play. We'll see how it goes...<br /><br />The Feng Shui 2 game is actually going fairly well. Almost lost two characters last run as the group gets thrust further into the Secret War. I have the PDF of the upcoming book, and while there are a number of questionable bits in the way of typos and little mistakes, the overall feel of the updated system is solid. I, at some level, wish they had done away with the shot cost/initiative/turn system in favor of something a little more "fair", but it still works and doesn't really slow the game down.<br />
<br />
LIFE: Still married to a wonderful woman... still have two great kids (one of whom is now engaged)... and have increased the number of dogs in the household from one to two... and that's been a struggle. The new dog is fine. The old dog is not... He's nine years old and is pretty much the pulling the whole canine version of "get off my lawn, you punk" with the new dog. They are both absolutely sweet dogs alone, and the new one stays sweet when they are together, but the old guy is a furball of aggression. It's slowly getting better, but we have a ways to go...<br />
<br />
MUSIC: Been seeing a few shows lately and buying music here and there. The only concise things I can say is...<br />
<br />
FAITH NO MORE: SOL INVICTUS: BUY IT!!!<br />
ONE-EYED DOLL: WITCHES: BUY IT!!!<br />
PSYCHOSTICK: If you have the chance to, see them in concert!!!<br />
<br />
That's it for now, as my sleep-deprived brain kind of wanders off to another place...<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-49939797053140925102015-04-11T19:22:00.001-05:002015-04-11T19:22:43.787-05:00Second Verse, Same As The First... Plus Bonus Material...Ran the second session of Feng Shui this Thursday passed... Once again, it was a lot of fun... We enjoyed it a great deal.<br /><br />It is going well enough that I am setting up a second campaign of it, but I am waiting to start it until the final PDF for the revision is ready before I do so. It has been indicated that the file should be ready by the end of the month, and I for one am almost giddy...<br />
<br />
I really dig this game, and it is one of those little-known gems in the RPG section of our hobby that folks don't seem to pay much attention to.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, over on the other side of the table...<br />
<br />
The last run of my Chicago-based "Collapsed Timelines" Champions game went fairly well. We were down a couple of players, but those that were there did alright. They fought a group of hyper-powered assassins called the Hired Guns. In the end, the still as-yet-named group of heroes captured two of the four culprits, and lived to fight another day.<br />
<br />
The run went well enough that I am working on bringing back another thing I used to do for my Champions games back in the late 80s/early 90s. I am hoping to find some space that will host PDF files that is fairly easy to us, as I would love to make a campaign site that my players could use and the rest of y'all could dig through.<br />
<br />
Toodles for now... =)<br />
<br />
peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-70567340010806032292015-04-01T20:24:00.002-05:002015-04-01T20:24:49.104-05:00The Ol' Switcheroo...Well... After weeks of agonizing, I have a great idea of what I want the sci-fi space opera setting to be. I just don't have a system for it. Looking at what I trying to bring into being, I can't seem to find a game system that will handle what it is I need entirely. Given that problem, I usually just write my own. However, I don't really have time for that currently.<br />
<br />
That stated... I just broke out a new version of an old friend...<br />
<br />
The old friend in question... Feng Shui 2.0 (Playtest Draft)... It's been a while since I have visited the Secret War, and like a familiar shoe, it fit beautifully. I have seven players for this game, and of those seven, five have never encountered the sheer, over-the-top glee that this game can be. As it goes, I need to run a second campaign of it to fill demand. =)<br />
<br />
Now to find a day for that... =)<br />
<br />
-- GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-56252054215584167012015-03-15T02:44:00.001-05:002015-03-15T02:44:50.657-05:00Slow Corrosion...The metaphorical creative wall is slowly being worked through, with a couple of hitches...<br />
<br />
The setting is coming together nicely in my head and on paper in the form of trace notes. There's still a lot of details to work out, plus a timeline and some rudimentary maps, but I at least have *SOME* handle on it. Yeah, there's a lot of work to do for it, but getting enough done to start should not be that difficult... except...<br />
<br />
I still have no idea what system I am using...<br />
<br />
I have looked through and/or thought about all the systems I have that are generic... I have looked through specific systems... Hell, I have looked through "dubiously acquired" PDFs of games I do not currently own to see if something really fits what I am trying to do... and I am at a loss... I currently have nothing system-wise that I feel comfortable shoving this setting in.<br />
<br />
Trouble is... I know that every time I write a "new" game system, I am just re-inventing the wheel, and there's not always a need to do so. I mean, if you want to play high fantasy, there's really no reason to reach for something other than D&D/Pathfinder. If you want to play superheroes, grab Mutans & Masterminds or Champions/HERO. Horror? Call of Cthulhu or Chill will serve you well. Science-Fiction... it's not that simple as there as has never been a truly definitive system for it other than Traveller, which does hard sci-fi REALLY well, but mucks space opera all up. There are games that can do space opera, but most of the them are tied to a licensed setting and have added "features" I want nowhere near my game.<br />
<br />
What I have in mind is space-opera with hard sci-fi leanings. The closest analogue to the setting I can think of is Firefly/Serenity, but the system published for that is horri-bad. Plus, it has a couple of elements that don't jibe with my setting. One is small, but the other makes a huge difference. Religion... F/S has it, though in a minor capacity. The setting I have in mind doesn't... at least not in large enough doses to make a difference. Second, F/S has no non-humans, and for once in my miserable gaming life, I want some alien weird shit available to my players. No non-humans will kind of kill the history I have in mind for the whole thing...<br />
<br />
It's enough to make a crazy man crazier, but not quite enough to make him sane...<br />
<br />
I understand this is a prison of my own making, but I'm typically crafty enough to escape... This one, though... This one's tough...<br />
<br />
Knowing me, I'll kluge together a "new" homebrew and make it fly... 'cause when you don't have an actual key to the cage, you gotta fashion one out of gum wrappers, toenail clippings, and nacho chips because that may be all you have available... and you gotta try to escape... It probably won't work, but who the hell knows...<br />
<br />
It just might...<br />
<br />
-- GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-55927934198305135892015-03-10T20:40:00.002-05:002015-03-10T20:40:45.723-05:00Changing For The Sake Of Change...Okay... After about 18 months of running, I am putting aside my Tai'eres game. Love the setting... Love the system... but I can only handle so much fantasy before my eyes itch.<br />
<br />
So that leaves a slight hole that I do want to fill... and I want to fill it with something space opera-like... Therein lie some problems, as I have some very specific things that I do not want in my game. Should be easy, right? It's my game. Just rip 'em out of there. That is the plan, but I have some things to work through in my head and compiling a small list of things I would like to have (and not have) within the setting...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Nothing that resembles "the Force". Religion is fine... Faith that grants one extraordinary abilities and makes a limited range melee weapon more useful in a battle than anything with a range greater than a thrown rock needs to stay the hell away from my game.</li>
<li>FTL ships, but just barely. Maybe ships that go up to 3x-5x the speed of light at most. Enough that travelling within a system doesn't take weeks, but not so fast that travelling *BETWEEN* systems is as easy as hopping to the corner store for some milk. That being said, even that sort of limited speed makes actual starship combat nigh impossible as it becomes easy to outrace anything that is fired upon another ship. Hmmmm...</li>
<li>Need about seven to ten other races put together to hang out with the humies. Not all of them need to be player races, but something to add some variety is nice. Speaking of humans... Not sure if I want them almost extinct, or plentiful enough to be some sort of galactic power. That's something else to think about</li>
<li>Going back to weapons, I would really like to avoid light-based weapons. The reality of them is that they fire a continuous beam until power is cut. There are no "bolts" or "blasts" associated with them as light cannot exist without a source. Gyrojet are cool... Missles are okay... hell, even regular bullets work, be they projected via chemical propellent or magnetism. Plasma weapons that use some form of limited containment work as well, as they, while powerful, will eventually disperse.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Just looking at this limited list, it looks like I have a lot to think about. Shame I'm trying to put something together for two evenings from now...<br />
<br />
I hate the way I think sometimes...<br />
<br />
-- GDGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-40028057485093297912015-03-05T21:07:00.002-06:002015-03-05T21:07:46.561-06:00PING...Just a signal to let folks know that I still exist...<br />
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Let's just say that things have been... interesting... in the intervening time, and leave it at that.<br />
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As far as this blog goes, I'm not certain how often I will post here, even if I get back up to semi-regular writing. The original purpose of the place has sort of come and gone, and I am at an impasse on what to write about anymore.<br />
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Most of my gaming projects are at a lag, and while I have been steadily acquiring music, writing about it just seems to take some of the fun away. Ehhh... who knows...<br />
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I will leave with this comic-related tidbit, though... If you are not reading the current iteration of the Inhumans (titled "INHUMAN"), you are cheating yourself out of a damn fine read...<br /><br />-- GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-87585552286982400172014-11-19T14:31:00.001-06:002014-11-19T14:31:34.212-06:00Alive, Kicking, and Mending...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0e3vpQflO81AhN1jmpMoBMzrcPdJbyJ-cFo0ZIVUnZv2_tcNZb5Tl8DcADKELoIWLHy-7l57Cg_ZVB2xLurOVYt7DhbKYSV6SQt7EBIFli_bfOix7wY3iI8s6n2WcD5B3cmKHW8hq7A6/s1600/11-19-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0e3vpQflO81AhN1jmpMoBMzrcPdJbyJ-cFo0ZIVUnZv2_tcNZb5Tl8DcADKELoIWLHy-7l57Cg_ZVB2xLurOVYt7DhbKYSV6SQt7EBIFli_bfOix7wY3iI8s6n2WcD5B3cmKHW8hq7A6/s1600/11-19-2014.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Okay... I'm not dead... Though I may have been closer to it than I thought...<br />
<br />
Once I "recovered" from the whole sinus nastiness a few weeks back, I never really felt 100%. There was lingering fatigue that I just couldn't shake, and a barely there cough that showed up maybe six times a day, if that.<br />
<br />
Then a couple weeks ago, I ended up in the ER with what I thought was just abdominal cramping and food poisoning. I did indeed have that, but what I didn't know was that I also had pneumonia. Whoops!<br />
<br />
So, while I have been working, I've also been resting quite a bit more, and trying to take better care of myself. I'm not really wanting to go back to the gym, but I am eating a bit better, and I have kicked my 2-3 energy drinks per day habit I had built up.<br />
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Barring any other issues, health or otherwise, I am hoping to get back to finishing the Asylum in the next week or so. Beyond that, I promise nothing, as I have no idea how life is going to treat me...<br />
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So, if nothing else, this is an update post... Take it for what it is...<br />
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peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-58679535453982568782014-10-02T16:07:00.001-05:002014-10-02T16:07:37.477-05:00In Sickness and In Health...Work has been delayed due to a combination of MtG: Khans of Tarkir pre-release events and my getting heinously ill for a week plus soon afterward...<br /><br />The KTK pre-release events did go well, though, and were our best events of that type in two years. The set is slow, but good, with a fair chunk of value within, thus insuring that sales will be steady for the coming period.<br />
<br />
As for the sickness, in a day I went from having an annoying sore throat for the day to having my sinuses take a surprise dump into my lungs at the end of it. Drippy, draining, coughing misery followed... yay.<br />
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I am finally on the upswing. Still sick, but doing well enough to catch up on work. I've been reading through the contract that HERO Games sent me for all of this. It's pretty standard, though I am finding little bits that are apparently outdated according to their head honcho. That basically means once I parse it all out, we begin the contract back-and-forth and get things situated on that end. By the time that happens, I should have the Asylum done, the Gateway Guardians up and started, plus outlines for one of the other (now three) projects that are on the burner at least sketched out. Yeah, contract issues can take that long to work out to both parties' satisfaction.<br /><br />I figured folks would like an update, and I wish I had more to provide, but extra-curricular work moves slower than pace of real life...<br /><br />peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-61397777879470742922014-09-18T02:37:00.001-05:002014-09-18T02:37:44.882-05:00More Progress... the AsylumAfter a delay of a day due to some shenanigans at the store which interrupted a night off, I have finished the game mechanic bits for the Asylum. Next up are a group overview and backgrounds for the individual members, plus all the fiddly bits like quotes, appearance descriptions, etc.<br />
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Depending on what happens later on today, I should be able to finish the backgrounds for at least one of the characters, if not two. Given the group, they are a mixed bag of nuts, but they can be scary because they have a purpose and a mission.<br />
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I almost forgot that I have some gaps to fill in from an earlier post...<br />
<ul>
<li><b>the Orderly</b> -- A goon that drugs folks by shoving a veritable cornucopia of pharmaceuticals into the mouths of the unwilling. Barring being able to turn people into vegetables with pills, the Orderly is just as willing to beat a person into a mental lima bean.</li>
<li><b>Rubber Room</b> -- What stretches through cracks? Chokes necks and breaks back? It would be the one they refer to as Rubber Room. That said, the pliant one shows a softer side at times, shielding innocent witnesses to the brutality that the Asylum practices on a routine basis.</li>
<li><b>Lobotomy</b> -- Two drills, no waiting... Lobotomy is the tactician of the group, and is a highly skilled fighter with a mean streak a mile wide. His favorite trick is to grab a victim around the neck from behind and drill. Mess ensues...</li>
<li><b>E.S.T</b>. -- The name is short for Electro-Shock Therapy, but the only folks getting short-circuited are his targets. Be prepared for pain and the smell of ozone when this guy hits the proverbial dance floor.</li>
<li><b>Dr. X</b> -- All minds are pliant under to auspices of the "good doctor". Whether it's conjuring up nightmares or lulling victims off into hypnotic slumber, Dr. X seems to always have the right prescription on hand.</li>
</ul>
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Once I get the background bits done and into the Hero Designer files, I will be more than willing to fire those files off to a few discernable folks for perusal. However, current players in my game need not apply for that job... =P</div>
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<br /></div>
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peace... GopherDave</div>
GopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-74008106314344665092014-09-16T03:07:00.003-05:002014-09-16T03:07:52.687-05:00Progress Update... the AsylumCurrently working on the Sixth Edition HERO System mechanics for the Asylum, a group of villains I've been throwing against players since third edition. Three of them are done from a game mechanics standpoint. Two more to put together, and then I will need to do various background details that involve actual writing. In that regard, I have been taking notes (both mental and electronic) on both individual histories, as well as a group history. Progress is slow, but it is progress.<br />
<br />
From the art standpoint, I have been talking to a couple of folks, but I am not going to put out any sort of art direction until I get some more details worked out with game system licensing (which is in the VERY PRELIMINARY stages).<br />
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As it goes, in the group we have...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>the Orderly</b> -- A goon that drugs folks by shoving a veritable cornucopia of pharmaceuticals into the mouths of the unwilling. Barring being able to turn people into vegetables with pills, the Orderly is just as willing to beat a person into a mental lima bean.</li>
<li><b>Rubber Room</b> -- What stretches through cracks? Chokes necks and breaks back? It would be the one they refer to as Rubber Room. That said, the pliant one shows a softer side at times, shielding innocent witnesses to the brutality that the Asylum practices on a routine basis.</li>
<li><b>Lobotomy</b> -- Two drills, no waiting... Lobotomy is the tactician of the group, and is a highly skilled fighter with a mean streak a mile wide. His favorite trick is to grab a victim around the neck from behind and drill. Mess ensues...</li>
<li><b>E.S.T</b>. -- (mechanics in progress)</li>
<li><b>Dr. X</b> -- (mechanics in progress)</li>
</ul>
<br />
When I hit a wall with character work, I fire up Adobe InDesign and tool around with the look of the packaging. I've done one version of things in that regard thus far, but I am not real happy with it. So I'm going back to the drawing board.<br />
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I am also still looking for a project name. I've got a couple of ideas, but I'm not truly enamored with either of them. One references the police agency in the world in charge of keeping super-powered folks in check ("the H.U.R.T. Files" or "the H.U.R.T. Locker"), while the other refers to the main "super-prison" in the world ("the MESA Mandates"). Again, not my favorites, and I am still looking.<br />
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peace... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5795783517175604986.post-57293082204303778122014-09-15T00:57:00.002-05:002014-09-15T00:57:51.239-05:00Stay On Target...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJUrsV4BNeQMIkJknWpuHPsGdWpaXdQmj8ZiUsPayDuyQmLfLv58RA1vf6DaYjgwIZoLB2_GpZJjRfoHSBLu-iHDgHN9Rjtt2N1UcpMM4H6APVuT_1f3YzGQ6b8yK8hvI9VpXdlzzaTOh/s1600/09-14-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJUrsV4BNeQMIkJknWpuHPsGdWpaXdQmj8ZiUsPayDuyQmLfLv58RA1vf6DaYjgwIZoLB2_GpZJjRfoHSBLu-iHDgHN9Rjtt2N1UcpMM4H6APVuT_1f3YzGQ6b8yK8hvI9VpXdlzzaTOh/s1600/09-14-2014.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hate my phone camera... I had to doctor this shot up to get even close to colors I was actually wearing today... =P</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Okay... This is going out to all, I dunno, ten of you who actually read this thing. I am officially putting out the call for artistic types who can work in a superhero style/medium to do simple character portraits for a number of NPCs I'll be putting together over the next few weeks. The pay isn't great (in fact it'll be lousy), but it may get better with time.<br /><br />See? Not only am I thinking about doing these things for personal satisfaction. I am seriously considering going through the motions of actually publishing (PDF only) these things for a modicum of payment. Some license stuff has to be worked out first, and I actually need to put some of these character stories that are in my head onto "paper", but I am slowly cementing a plan of action on how to get all of this done. They say it never hurts to have goals, and in regard to my being actually published in the game industry, I think this is it. I attempted this once before about twenty years ago, but the timing was absolutely wrong.<br />
<br />
Now, while I'm not certain that the timing is right, it's at least better. Plus, I've been kind of inspired as of late...<br />
<br />
My first projects...<br />
<br />
the Asylum -- The approach to what the Asylum does is horrifying, sickening, and brutal, but what they are actually doing (and to whom) will present a serious moral challenge to the heroes they face. The subject matter around this group is dark, adult, and borderline explicit. Five characters, each with their own motivations, untied by a common thread.<br />
<br />
Gateway Guardians -- A team of NPC Superheroes based in St. Louis (Arcflight, Big Muddy, Cardinal Red, Echo, and Jetstreak), meant to give a game world more flavor and help any overworked and/or novice GMs populate their game with good characters outside of their own PCs.<br />
<br />
(Solo Villain Collection #X) -- It seems like this project needs some sort of cool "product name", but I really don't have one for it, yet. I'm thinking six to ten villainous characters for each "volume", possibly united by some sort of theme as well. Or maybe just a collection of whatever goobers I happen to bash out on the keyboard that month.<br />
<br />
(Heroic NPC Collection) -- A smattering (five to eight) of heroic (and anti-heroic) types meant to add flavor and drama to a GM's game world. The characters presented here won't be tied to a geographical location, and so they can dropped in just about any place the GM puts their campaign.<br />
<br />
I'm off, now... to go create "folks" and send off e-mails to potentially get this project up and running from a commercial standpoint...<br />
<br />
Laterz... GopherDaveGopherDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07205502194332440070noreply@blogger.com5