I was taken off the crew I was on and put on yet another crew. I was told at lunch about it Tuesday. I don’t really mind though. Especially since the scenes I’m working on involve BOARD GAMES. Woo Hoo!
In other news…Paul finally got his sketchbook out:
Most of the people in that crowd are based on real geeks Paul know or took pictures of. I’m in the back cover.
The sketchbook is great. If you want to buy a copy you can order one from STUART NG BOOKS. He printed it for Comic Con and sold it there. He told me one of the people that bought a copy was none other than Disney Animator Glen Keane. Glen Keane was the head animator on such Disney characters as Ariel, The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tarzan, and Long John Silver. He told Paul that it was his first time at Comic Con and that Paul‘s sketchbook and Ronnie Del Carmen‘s sketchbook were the only things he had bought at the Con. Paulwas very honored.
He also told me that, since he was a Dealer, he was able to walk around the show floor before it officially opened. As he walked by a booth and saw a bunch of pictures of Edward James Olmos on a table.
“Oh wow, Edward James Olmos.” He turned to the guy in the booth, “Is he here?”. The guy in the booth didn’t say a word, he merely pointed next to were Paul was standing. He turned his head only to come face to face with Mr. Olmos himself. Paul nearly jumped out of his skin and stood dumbfounded not able to speak. After a few moments he was able recover and asked Mr. Olmos for an autograph, shook his hand and got a picture taken with him. Paul is a huge Battlestar Galactica fan. Later on during the Con he got to meet other cast members, such as James Callis.
Sounds like the had a fun time.
Oh…and I also heard from from him and quite a few of my co-workers that they saw Leonard Nimoy walking around the show floor, enjoying the chaos.
BOARD GAMES
I invited my parents over Saturday for a game night. I definitely took out “family games” this time around, or at least I thought they were all family games. Something fun and lite with a little bit of strategy. To this end, I brought out Ticket to Ride: Europe, Modern Art , Vegas Showdown, and Tichu . I would have brought out Ingenious but I wasn’t in the mood to play that game.
I asked everyone what they wanted to play after I explained the gist of how each game played. My mom wanted to play Tichu so that’s what we played. It was the first time I’d ever played it. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it didn’t really seem too complicated when I read the rules. Then we started playing it. Woah, for such a simple game it sure forces you to make difficult decisions from the get go. Everyone was a bit overwhelmed by how deep the game was.
It’s a bit of a partnership trick taking game. You win a trick by trying to put down higher combos of cards than the other players on the table. Thing is, there is some really nice nuances in the game that dictate when you WANT to win the trick, when it’s a good time to play certain cards and when you want to be the first player to play all your cards. We all had a good time but, man, it was really shocking to discover how deep the game was. I recommend it.
FAMILY
So Munchkin was on my lap this weekend as I looked some stuff up on my computer. She notice my Avatar in one of my file folders so I clicked on it so she could take a better look. My Avatar animates so she likes it. It isn’t the first time she’s seen it and often asks me if she could see the “funny face”. This time though it suddenly dawned on her that the avatar was suppose to be me and she sat up, pointed at it and exclaimed:
She started laughing, “That’s a very funny daddy”. Now she calls it, “funny daddy”. I showed her the other drawings on my blog and she thought they were very funny too. It still hasn’t dawned on her that the little girl in all those blog drawings is her. I tried to tell her but she didn’t get it. She’ll figure it out eventually.
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
I write a lot about the Board Game Geek Website (BGG). It’s a fantastic resource for discovering every kind of tactile game you can play with friends and family. Well, the creator of BGG, Scott Alden (Aldie), has decided that he was going to branch out to other types of games. To that end he has created Geek DÓ, the brand under which, BGG will now reside. His newest Geek game site is Role Playing Game Geek (RPGG). It’s just like BGG for table top role playing games, only a tad bit more complicated. Mostly because of the subcategories that many table top role playing games need to be placed under. For example, Dungeons and Dragons, alone, has four editions and each edition has tons of books under it.
It’s a fantastic site and a much needed site. It’s a pain to try to find info on many role playing games. Up until know when I wanted to read a review for an rpg I went to Rpg.net, but I’ve never really liked that site. It’s very clunky and difficult to find things in, and the colors on the site are a bit off putting . Now with RPGG it’s going to be so much easier and it’s a nicer brighter atmosphere. I’ve already started helping out the data base by putting up pictures and things for the site. There are a few thousand role playing games up on the site already and it’s growing by the minute. It’s fantastic, it was love at first site (pause for the “boos”) . I’ve already started to make a wish list and uploading all the games I own.
If you’re a gamer but aren’t a board gamer or an rpger, don’t worry. The next Geek database site Aldie is going to work on, will be Video Game Geek. You will soon be assimilated.
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Nothing exciting to report. Been working on storyboard revisions this last week. We’ve been given a good amount of time to get the show ready.
If there is one annoyance, it’s that I don’t have the other program I need to do my job installed in my computer. It’s pretty darn ridiculous. I have to go to another cubicle if I want to use the program. We’ve already asked to get this taken care of, but as of the time of this writing, it hasn’t been.
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Kids are great. They just ooze imagination. The other day, Munchkin discovered the teddy bear I keep by my bed. She immediately took a liking to it and gave it to me to “puppeteer” The little guy, came to life for her and she started adventures with it, right away. It was amazing. I was blown away.
When we were kids, my brother and I did something similar (I’d control a toy and he pretended it was real) but it just seemed natural to do back then. Now that I’m older, I’m much more aware of what’s going on. Still, I found myself getting into the “role” of the teddy. Munchkin made it so easy. It was fun.
When you’ve got young kids around, who needs complicated Roleplaying game books.
BOARD GAMES
So I was going to write about non mainstream games. In other words, games that can’t be found at regular stores. Then I realized that some of the “hobby board games” I play CAN be found in some of these stores, they just tend to be overlooked, looked down upon or just thought to be too weird and generally avoided. This week I’m going to be writing about one of those games. Today I’m going to be writing about Magic: The Gathering.
I’m pretty sure, at some point, you must have seen a set of Magic cards somewhere, either in booster pack form or in Starter Deck form. They tend to be sold in most of the American “Mart” stores (Walmart, Target, K-mart) as well as many Pharmacies and toy stores. The last time I visited my relatives in El Salvador, I saw the game being sold (in Spanish) in liquor stores. The game has been translated to many different languages by now.
What is Magic: The Gathering?
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game where in you take the role of a wizard who is partaking in a magical duel against another wizard by summoning Creatures to fight for you.
It borrow a small element from the game, Cosmic Encounter. As can be seen from the following quote:
But it’s a unique game all it’s own (well…sort of. It’s been copied so many times that it might not be so unique anymore. It became so popular, it created it’s own genre of games). Magic: The Gathering is to Collectible Card Games/Trading Card Games (CCG/TCG) what Lord of the Rings is to Fantasy Novels.
It even has a Pro Tournament. Gran Prize for first place in the Pro Tournament, $40,000.00.
Each player needs to have their own deck of Magic cards. You can either build a customized deck yourself by buying a Starter Pack and a few booster packs or you can buy pre-built themed decks. Your deck is your repertoire of Magic spells. Your Spell Book, if you will. Officially called, your Library. Your Library consists of a minimum of sixty cards.
Each player has twenty points of life. The object of the game is to reduce your opponents points, down to zero. You do this, mainly, by “summoning” (playing) Creatures onto the table which you use to “attack” (reduce the points of) your opponent. Creatures you summon can also be use to defend you from you opponent’s Creatures. You also have other magic spells in your deck that can be used to do damage to your opponent or to his Creatures. As well as cards that add benefits to your Creatures and/or generally break the rules of the game. It’s pretty simple. In fact, you can make the argument that Magic is, in essence, a very elaborate game of trumps. All you’re essentially doing in the game is trying to put cards on the table that can’t be trumped or that can trump your opponent’s cards.
Each has it’s use within the game. For example: some Enchantment cards can be played on your Creature cards to strengthen them or benefit them in some way, while other Enchantment cards can be used to cause an opponent’s Creature cards some ill. Meanwhile, Instant cards can be played at anytime during the game. The effect of Instant cards vary greatly from countering opponent’s spell cards to…well…many other things.
The theme and flavor of the game goes something like this: You (the wizard) tap into the magic of the land you are affiliated with and soak up that land’s “Mana” (magical energy). By doing so you can bring forth your Creatures or spells. The more powerful the spell or Creature you attempt to bring forth, the more Mana from Lands you have to tap into.
In game play terms: both players start off with a hand of seven cards. On your turn you “Untap” (see below) any Lands and Creatures you have tapped and then draw a card from your deck.
After that you check to see if you have any Land cards in your hand. If you do, you place one down. You may only place one Land card per turn.
Next, you can play any of your spell cards in your hand that you can “pay” for. You see, every Magic card costs “Mana”. The cost of the card is on the card itself (on the right top corner). Some cards cost Mana from certain types of Land. These Lands are forests, swamps, mountains, islands, and plains. If you can pay for the card you wish to play, you “Tap” the Land card, which is to say, you turn the cards sideways to show that you are using the Land or Lands’ Mana this turn. Once you pay the cost of the card you put it in play. Tapped Land stays Tapped until the beginning of your next turn. Depending on which type of card or cards you put down this turn, or have put down in previous turns, different things will happen. You can put down as many cards as you can pay for. Meanwhile, your opponent can cast certain cards that he has, by Tapping into his Lands, to try to interrupt some of your spells, which in turn you can counter, if you have enough Lands left to Tap with the right card to counter it with.
Now, you can attack with any summoned Creature that you have summoned on previous turns. The ones you have summoned THIS turn can’t attack because they are suffering from “summoning sickness”. Your opponent can then decide to use his Creatures (if any) to defend, take the blow, or cast some other spell to try to prevent you from taking points away. If your opponent decides to block with his Creature or Creatures, your Creatures battle it out. Strongest Creature wins. Losing creature goes to the discard pile. If the Creatures are equally strong, they both go to the discard pile. If both creatures have good defense but low attacks, the battle is a draw and nothing happens. During a battle, players often try to use spells and counter spells to insure victory for their side.
Then, that’s it. Your turn is over and your opponent does the same thing. Rinse and repeat until one player loses twenty points. Below is short video showing you what I’m talking about:
I’ve left out a ton, but this is the essence of the game. What makes the game unique, of course, is the variety of cards in the game, and the plethora of card combination players can put together.
So up until a few weeks ago, it had been some 13 to 14 years since I had played Magic. I had completely forgotten how much fun it was. I first got into Magic when the game first officially came out in 1993. I was wandering around a store that sold novelties and I saw a Starter Deck there. I think perhaps I saw some kids at that same store looking at the cards or perhaps playing the game. I got curious, read the back of the box, got really intrigued by the fantasy feel it invoked, but I didn’t buy it. For the next couple of days, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I began to romanticize about what the game might be like. It’s silly to think about now. In any case, I finally caved in and bought the deck. I fell in love with it before I had even read the rules. I’d never played anything like it. I realized then that I’d always wanted card games to feel like this when you played them. This was the card game I had always wanted.
I got many of my friends into it and we used to play quite a bit. It was an expensive game for a teenager to get into, especially since I was still in high school and didn’t have any money (I graduated that year and began an unpaid internship on The Simpsons). Still, I managed to get enough cards to play the game and have fun but not nearly as many cards as my friends did. I found out, real quick, that if you didn’t buy as many cards as your friend did, you would always lose. I stopped after that. I felt cheated.
About three years after, the Pro Tournaments began.
Now a days, I can play the game without having the “feeling cheated” problem. Mainly because the friends I play with don’t have every card ever made. They just have some cards and I have some cards so the playing field is fairly even. Magic is a blast to play again.
Why do I like it?
First of all, Magic is a deep game. There is tons of things to think about and tons of ways to play this game. It’s also a game which is infinitely customizable. If you want to play a game that keeps on giving, this is it. It’s officially on it’s tenth edition, which is really crazy for me to think about. Playing Magic can be a very personal thing. The way you set up your deck is very much a reflection of the type of game you want to play. Aggressive, defensive, chaotic, quick, it’s all up to you. The game gives you the rules and you get to decide what it will feel like.
Like with Dreamblade, part of the fun is building up a combination of cards that will work well together. The other part of the fun is trying it out to see if what you built was any good. In this way, the game is very creative. It’s also very satisfying when you build a deck that works well.
The game itself has a bit of luck in it, but since your deck is meant to be optimized to mitigate that, it’s not too big of an issue.
Magic is both an expensive and inexpensive game. On the one hand, you can buy a fifteen dollar pre-built deck and play with it all you want, without having to buy anymore cards. On the other hand, if you really like the game, you may start buying a three dollar booster or two just for the heck of it. This wouldn’t be too big a deal, except that you had so much fun opening up the booster you bought and seeing the new cards and thinking about the possibilities of those cards, that you can’t wait to buy another…and another…and yet another. Pretty soon you’ve spent tons of money and you have no idea how that happened.
Still, isn’t this a sign of how creative the game is? How each booster gives you more ideas for possible combination of cards? How it makes the game new, over and over and over again? It’s debatable whether the collectible aspect of Magic is a good thing or a bad thing. It doesn’t take away from the fact that the game is just really fun to play in spite of this.
I highly recommend it (in moderation).
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THE SIMPSONS NEWS
Nothing much to report, except that we seem to be doing well for once. We might actually ship the show on time. I’ve worked on a few scenes this week and last week that have been a combination of 2D art with 3D elements. Besides that, there hasn’t been as much drama at the studio as there was a few weeks back.
FAMILY
Yay, my sister (who was pregnant all this time. Something I’ve forgotten to mention) had her baby last week. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I was sooo excited and got all choked up when I saw the pictures. I want to meet the little munchkin. It’s too bad we can’t afford to fly over and see them right now.
My sister is doing well. She had to get a C-section because of some issues that turned up but she sounds very happy.
The baby girl has been given the unusual name of Hunter Rose Miyan. It’s unusual but it’s pretty. My sister, has all the symbolism behind it all worked out. The funny thing is, when I first heard the name, after my dad told what it was, my first question was, “Hunter Rose? Like the comic book character?!” Yes, I’m a comic geek and yes, one of my favorite comic book characters is called Hunter Rose. It’s a comic originally written and drawn by an artist by the name of Matt Wagner (who owns the character). Hunter Rose is a character who is a thief, wares a mask and goes by the name Grendel.
In any case, I just thought it was funny. To me, it’s as if she would have named the kid: Clack Kent (aka. Superman, or Kara Zor-El (aka. Supergirl), or Barbara Gordon (aka. Batgirl/Oracle). My sister had no clue Hunter Rose was the name of a comic character.
Well, now I have a niece, and she’s a Grendel and I think that’s cool, so I’m very happy.
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
I’ve recently been reading the rule book of a Roleplaying game that I think has a fantastic setting. In fact, not only is it a fantastic setting, it’s a fantastic game as well. It’s called Houses of the Blooded by John Wick*edit: I forgot to credit John originally*. This game describes itself as the anti-D&D game. What does it mean by that? Well, this game is to D&D what Micheal Moorcock’s character Elric, is to Robert E. Howard’sConan. D&D is all about being a nomad adventurer going around exploring, having adventures and killing monsters for fame and glory. Houses of the Blooded is all about, being a person who is settled, has all the fame and glory and is trying to keep it and gain more power. Houses of the Blooded makes use of all the things that are completely useless in a D&D game. Things like, land you own, vassals, personal fashion, status, intrigue, spouses, children, retainers, etiquette, style…etc. Everything you’d never think would be useful in an RPG is really useful in this one. You can even use the property you own to develop resources that can allow you make things that could give you advantages in the game, like in a game of Civilizations or Settlers of Catan. That is just really great.
The mechanics are really cool and unique. I won’t go into it too much here but let me just say that there is an element in the game that is called a “wager”. What you are basically doing is wagering dice from the pool of dice you use to try to overcome a conflict, by putting the aside and not rolling them. These dice then come into play if your roll succeeds by allowing you to embellish the circumstances that occur. For every dice you wager, you can add one new circumstance. If the conflict was a contest between two players, this becomes a bit of a game of wits where each player is trying to one up the other trying to find creative ways to add to the circumstances to benefit their side of the story. Trust me, when you actually see an example of how this works, it’s just really neat.
The setting, in this game totally ROCKS. I will be as brief as I can be since the background history and flavor text was 70 pages long. In a nutshell, you play a character of a race called the Ven, who were created by the Sorcerer-Kings to be their servants. The Sorcerer-Kings fought for thousand of years and finally ended up destroying each other and the world. Out of the rubble the surviving Ven slowly rebuilt civilization by taming some of the crazy chaotic world that was left. After taming as much of the land as they could, they fought each other for dominance. Some found some ancient relics or sorcery left behind by the Sorcerer-Kings. Out of the this came fourth those who called themselves The Blooded. They split off into Noble Houses and little by little, “The Great Game” or “The game of Houses” began. I would love to tell you the whole history because it’s fantastic but it’s waaay to long so I can’t. You can download the first 40 pages of the 436 page book with all the history for free from the website if you want to read more. All you need know is that, the game is all about intrigue, backstabbing, out witting and out maneuvering your opponents, rituals and playing with outlawed sorcery without getting caught while all the time attempting to get more statues, more lands and generally more power over everyone else. For some reason, this sounds like so much fun to me. It would be interesting to see what a crazy mess you can get your imaginary character into, living out a machiavellian life.
You can buy the book in Pdf form for 5$ at Indie Press Revolution or you can buy the actual book for 45$ there also.
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Well, I haven’t heard anything yet about when I should come in and move my stuff to my new desk. All I know is that I’m going to have to do that before my start date so I can get to work right away. When they’re ready to have me do that, I was told I would get a call. No call yet.
BOARD GAMES
After owning the game for about three years or so, Alesha and I finally got around to playing my Tales of the Arabian Nights board game. This is a storytelling adventure board game. It’s by far one of the most unique games I own. It’s a cross between a roleplaying game and a choose your own adventure with storytelling optional rules (one of 5 optional rules). Very odd but tons of fun.
When I read about the game on Boardgamegeek.com (BGG), I was very intrigued. I decided to get a copy but the only one I found was being sold on BGG by another user. I bought it from them and found, to my dismay, that it was all in German. Lucky for me, the person who sold me the copy help me get a translation for everything in the game. This was a good thing because this board game has a very important item that absolutely needs a translation, namely The Book of Tales. This book is the heart of the game.
During a turn, a player can move a number of spaces on a map of Europe, the Middle East, Asia and a bit of Africa, according to your wealth level. Once you finish your move (if you chose to move) you take a card from the encounter deck. If you flipped over a Fate card you can choose to keep it for later. If you flipped over an encounter, you have some sort of an adventure. Depending where on the map you are, what time of day it is, and what number you roll on a six sided die, the person on your left looks up what happens to you in The Book of Tales. Once they do, they tell you what or who you encounter. You then choose what you want to do, from a small unique group of decisions, based on what you just encountered. Once your choice is made and depending on what skills your character processes, the person on your left reads you a paragraph of what happens to you. The outcome can be good, bad, or sometimes, a bit pointless. Never the less, you have a small adventure. Each adventure you have changes your character in some way, either by giving you Story points, Destiny Points, a new skill, a change in your statues (for good or ill), a change in wealth (for good or ill) or even a treasure.
So what’s the point of the game? Well, that depends on what version of the game you are playing. At the beginning of the Standard and Storytelling version of the game you are asked to secretly distribute 20 points between Story points and Destiny points on a separate piece of paper, this is your secret goal called your Formula (for example if you put 12 points on Story points and 8 points on Destiny points that is your Formula). If during the game, as you travel around the board, you manage to meet your Formula (to continue from the example above…you happen to accumulate 12 Story points and 8 Destiny points) you can return to Baghdad (where all players started from) and win the game.
In The Adventure version of the game, the goal is different. If you manage to complete two quests and return to Baghdad first, you win the game. The adventure version of the game is a little more involved but just as much fun. During the Merchant version of the game, the object is to set up trade routes though out the map in order to gain great wealth. You win if your the first player to return to Baghdad with a treasure. If you’re playing the Solo adventure, you have to complete all the goals of all the other versions of the games (complete your formula, complete two quests, and obtain great wealth).
Out of all the ways to play the game, the Storytelling version is the most unique. This version of the game is different in that, instead of passing The Book of Tales to the person on your left, you keep the book, read what happens to you to yourself, and then you are given two minutes to tell the story in your own words to the people at the table. The more entertaining your version of the story, the more rewards you can get out of your adventure. If you recruit others at the table to help you tell the story by having them make sound effects for you or play a spontaneous supporting role, they might get rewards out of it as well.
I have not played this version of the game yet, but it really sounds like something that would be fun and silly to play. I can picture how much laugher there would be around the table if played with the right group of people.
All in all, we really enjoyed playing the game. Even though it was just the two of us. In fact, I was surprised my wife liked it so much. She like it so much that we played it two nights in a row because Alesha wanted to play it again. She beat me in the game we played the night before. It was a fun time. Alesha had an adventure in the Valley of Diamonds that had her laughing. The floor of the Valley of Diamonds is covered in diamonds but no one goes down there because giants snakes live down there. Alesha decided to risk going down there in a very unique way (but I won’t say what it was so I won’t spoil it for anyone who decides to play the game and investigate the Valley). To make a short story shorter, she didn’t quite succeed in her attempt and was lucky to escape with her life.
We had a blast playing this game. I highly recommend it. Up until now, there is no English version of this game, but that’s going to change soon. Z-man games is releasing an English language version. The version they’re releasing doesn’t seem to support the Merchant variant of the game, like my copy does, but hopefully they won’t change too much more. The new version will have 1000 new paragraphs that my version doesn’t have. In any case, the art looks amazing. It’s much better than the art in my copy (for a view of the new artwork click here). Depending, on how pretty the game is and depending if I happen to have a little extra cash on me, I might want to pick up a copy of the new version as well. Especially since my wife likest the game so much. As of the date of this writing, the game is suppose to come out late this year. You can already pre-order it from Thoughhammer.com.
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
This weekend, my wife invited her nephew and one of her best friends to stay over. I know that her best friend likes playing board games, and her nephew likes to come over, mostly because he wants to play my video games (he’s ten years old). I tried to play Dreamblade with him earlier in the day because I thought he’d get into the figures and the dice rolling, but the game fell flat because it was too complicated for him.
I wanted to play a game with him that he’d be into. The last time they were both over, we played Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery, and even though my wife, her best friend and I had fun, her nephew was bored. I don’t have any board games that would really appeal to a ten year old boy like him. If I had Heroscape it would be a different story, but I don’t. I needed a game that was Heroscape like. I also needed a game that would appeal to my wife and her friend because I wanted them to play as well. I knew that my wife’s best friend would have fun playing anything so after thinking it over and looking into the game closet I took out, Dungeons and Dragons 3.5.
A years or so ago, I picked up a Dungeons and Dragons Basic Game box. It looks like a board game box and it comes with miniatures, pre-generated character sheets, dice, an adventure, basic rules, and a bunch of boards that you can put together to make a dungeon. I brought that down, put it on the table and pretty much treated as if it was a board game. Of course, an hour before, I had to quickly read the adventure so I could take the players through it and I was familiar enough with the rules, that I thought I could play through it without really having to look many of them up.
Besides my wife, no one else knew what to expect from the game. I was not going to make it a heavy Role Play experience. All I was going to do is run a good old fashioned mindless “Hack and Slash dungeon crawl”. Having the minis and the boards helped a ton. The game played without any complications. It also helped that my wife was familiar with the game and she took it upon herself to lead by example, showing everyone all the endless choices that could be made in the game. All in all it was a hit with them. They were having a fantastic time playing the game. We played for four hours before my wife asked if we could stop because she was really tired and wanted to go to sleep. Everyone else at the table wanted to keep on going. They all thought that the game had stopped just as it was getting interesting. I was very surprised how much they liked it. In fact, the whole next day, they were constantly asking me when we would be able to play again. Unfortunately circumstances that day made it impossible to get back to it. Never the less, I got a new appreciation for the game.
Up until that day, I thought that if you were going to play D&D and just run a Hack and Slash Dungeon crawl, you might as well just play a video game that does that, like Diablo, Baldur’s Gate, or Champions of Norrath. Playing the game that night showed me that playing over a tabletop is much more fun. Yes, the fighting it s bit slower but because it’s not a scripted video game, you can choose to do much more creative things. This makes a huge difference, and makes the game much more fun than just playing a video game. Lesson learned.
Speaking of video games…
BOARD GAMES/VIDEO GAMES
Ticket to Ride came out on Xbox Arcade on the 24th of June. I’ve been reading the reviews, just to see what people say about it. Over all the game has gotten dissent reviews. Some player are even shocked at the way the game makes them feel. Like this quote from the Official Xbox magazine site:
Turns unfold steadily but relentlessly, and since you can perform only one action per turn, every moment is significant. We found ourselves at the edge of our seats with Ticket to Ride, hoping our rivals didn’t take certain stretches of track before we could. Yes, on the edge of our seats during a board game! In fact, we got so set on completing our Destination Tickets that the end of the game nearly always caught us by surprise.
Not all the reviews are like this. The IGN review is down right odd. For example this statement in the review:
It’s also a shame that there’s zero story built around the action. There’s no need for much, but something to tie it all together would have really helped this game gel.
Uh…someone should remind him he’s playing a board game not a roleplaying game or a first person shooter. How much story does UNO or RISK have?
Anyway, most everyone likes the game. The thing most reviewers are disappointed with is the visual presentation. They say it looks a bit dull. I agree, compared to the other modern board games on Xbox Arcade, Ticket to Ride doesn’t look as good. Still, it’s about the game play and as far as that goes, they all agree it’s a fun game.
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On Monday I got an e-mail from one of our Simpsons producers telling us that the actors signed their new contract. We were informed that the rest of the day, they were going to begin figuring out a schedule for the shows in order to have some idea for our start dates. That’s really good news for us. Hurray! Although, I don’t expect to be back to work until sometime in late July early August. We were told, before our hiatus, that we were to expect to come back a month after the writers signed. Although, because the shows start up about two to three weeks from each other, not everyone will be coming back at once.
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
So I was listening to The Daily Breakfast#492 last Tuesday, and I heard myself there because I left a voice message, earlier in the week. I had called to say something about Role Playing games based on a comment from another caller.I really didn’t think much about it until I heard what happened next.It went something like this:
Yeah, so now that I opened my big fat mouth, I thought I should write a little about some Role Playing Game systems in case people have decided to come to my blog because of what I said.
Here’s a small list of the games I own.Hopefully this will give you an idea of the games that are out there.I’ll give you the name of the game or game system and a description of it.I will also put Pros and Cons for each one when I could.If it’s a games system I will put the games that can be played with it.A Game System is a generic system of rules that could be used to play just about any game genre.Some are better and more versatile than others.
This was my favorite system, mostly because I was able to make superheroes with it.
PROS:Very, very versatile.You could play just about anything you want with it.You can play Star Wars in it, if your willing to put the time into creating the Star Wars universe from scratch. You can play Pulp, Fantasy, Sci-fi…you name it, you can play it in this system.
CONS:Very complicated.Character creation takes a very long time.If fighting occurs the game begins to get very sloooow. It has no ‘official setting’ which means you have to create everything from scratch.This involves a lot of work and it means that you won’t actually be playing a game right away. Someone will have to sit down and create the setting.(This may not be a con if you love doing that sort of thing anyway).
HERO SYSTEM GAMES I OWN:
·CHAMPIONS: Superheroes
·PULP HERO:Like Indiana Jones…
·FANTASY HERO:Any kind of Fantasy setting you can think of.
·STARHERO: Any kind of science fiction space genres.
My new favorite system for playing superheroes. This game (unlike HERO) is only a system to play superheroes games.It uses a very heavily modified D20 3.5 system.So heavily modified, that its now its own system.This system is very much like the HERO system Champions game only a lot easier.
PROS:The system is easy and fast.The artwork in the game is great. If you like superheroes, this is the game to play. You can make Jedi with this system. You might be able to use this system for anything you want.
CONS:To be very honest, I can’t think of any right now.If I do, I’ll but them in.
This is my second favorite system. It’s lighter than Hero system and almost as versatile. It’s a little like the D20 3.5 system only easier.
PROS:Not very complicated. Easy for beginners to use so it’s a great starter role playing game.Character creation takes fifteen minutes.Quick combat mechanics.Has some official settings.
CONS:Not as versatile as Hero system.(in other words you wouldn’t be able to make Superheroes or Jedi using this system). Otherwise good system.If you want to play a game outside of some of the official settings it has the same world building problem as Hero System.
SAVAGE WORLDS GAMES:
·DEADLANDS: This game seems like a very interesting wild west game with fantasy and horror elements. Some of the mechanics of the game require using Poker cards.
(Here is the official description of the game):
Welcome to the Weird West!
The year is 1879, but the history is not our own. The guns of the Civil War are silent thanks to a tense cease fire between North and South. California is shattered by the Great Quake of ྀ, a new superfuel called ghost rock is revealed in the flooded channels and buried in the cliff faces that loom above. Powerful Rail Barons strive to be the first to complete a transcontinental railroad, and the Great Rail Wars exact a bloody toll on an American frontier divided between not only the Union and Confederacy, but the Sioux Nation, the Mormon state of Deseret, and the Independent Commonwealth of California.
Amid the chaos, fortunes can be made by those bold enough to make their way West. These brave souls have more than plain old human violence to contend with. Something’s going on in the West, something downright nasty. Fear stalks the land like a hungry beast, and abominations from man’s myths and nightmares haunt the High Plains. Legends tell of ancient and powerful beings that thrive on the fear created by these horrific creatures. All around, the night grows darker and the shadows grow longer as evil twists the land.
Arrayed against the forces of darkness are the heroes of the Weird West: Grim gunslingers, spell slinging hucksters, brilliant mad scientists, and wizened Indian shamans stake their souls and fortunes on the battle against the evils of the frontier, and often lay down their very lives for the cause of righteousness and light. And sometimes, death is not the end.
This is the most popular system out there.Wizard of the Coast owns it (they make Magic the Gathering collectible card game) and it’s an open game license, which means anyone can make and sell a game using the rule system .It’s famous because Dungeons and Dragons and Star Wars RPG used it.Now both Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons have their own separate systems.The Star Wars game is: Star Wars Saga Edition.The new Dungeons and Dragons game is: Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition.I don’t own either of these systems, so I really can’t comment upon them.
PROS: Not too complicated.Easy for beginners to use but a bit “crunchy” (rules heavy) it’s a good starter role playing game.It’s everywhere. Lots of games use the system.Fights are moderate in length.Lots of resources out for it.Great to play ‘Hack and Slash’ games with.You could play Paranoia with it!
CONS: It’s a bit shallow.Not very customizable.It’s very limiting in the type of characters you can make.It almost forces you to make stereotype characters rather that deep ‘real’ characters.It’s more a miniatures game than a role-playing game.Too heavy an emphasis on fighting and very little on character development.
D20 3.5 GAMES:
(I will limit this list to the games I own.)
·D&D 3.5:Dungeons and Dragons is the game everyone thinks of when they think RPGs.I thinks it’s fun to play if all you want to do is “hack and slash” monsters but it you want a deeper fantasy experience then there are other games that work better.This game tends to pigeon hole you into making very limited character types.
·CONAN: I ain’t talking lame Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan here, I’m talking Robert E. Howard’s Conan.From the books.This game is interesting because you don’t play as Conan but you play in the world of Conan which is as interesting as Tolkien’s Middle Earth.One of the things I found interesting, is that in order to do magic, in the world of Conan you have to, in some way, sell a little of your soul.The more magic you learn the more of yourself you lose. Very interesting.
(Here is the official description of the game):
‘Know, o prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars – Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyberborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.’
The golden age of fantasy is brought back to gaming as Conan and Hyboria stride into the realms of gaming once again. This 352-page, lavishly illustrated full-colour book realizes the world of Conan as never before.
Exhaustively researched, Conan The Roleplaying Game features new innovations to ensure combat, magic, character creation and development reflect the epic writings of Robert E. Howard. From the shores of the Western Ocean, to the Sea of Vilayet, the countries of Hyboria are explored, detailed and illustrated. The cultures, religions, traditions, legends and more are all explored to ensure this is the most definitive Conan roleplaying game of all time. This complete roleplaying game lets players and Games Masters alike step into the world of the greatest fantasy hero of all time and shake the world of Hyboria.
·TESTAMENT: This is a game where you play during the age of the Old Testament. I bought this because I was curious.It’s an interesting game.It might be interesting to play this as a political game. Problem with this book is that it was originally written for D20 3.0 not 3.5.But it’s not too big a deal to modify it to 3.5.
(Here is the official description of the game):
You’ve Read The Book, Now Play The Game!
There were giants in the Earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in onto the daughters of men and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
—The Book of Genesis
The world of the Bible comes to life in this campaign setting for the d20 System. Play a wandering Babylonian magus, a sorcerer in the service of Pharaoh, a Canaanite maker of idols, or a prophet of the God of Israel. Walk the streets of ancient Jerusalem, stand beside King David as one of his Mighty Men, smite Philistines, ponder the mysteries of gargantuan tombs, look upon the dwellings of the gods, and battle demons, dragons, plagues, and the legendary beasts of Babylon. Testament gives you everything you need to immerse yourself in the Biblical Era, including:
A dozen new core and prestige classes, including the Levite Priest, the Egyptian Khery-heb wizard, and the Desert Hermit.
Over 30 new monsters, including Nephilim, Tempter Devils, and Zebub-Spawn.
Over 50 new feats and over 100 new spells.
Rules for barter, curses, piety.
Guidelines for leading a small tribe through the hazards of the Bronze and Iron Age world.
The Biblical Battlefield Resolution System, a new way to fight epic combats.
Full cultural details on ancient Israel, Canaan, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, including history, beliefs, holy days, architecture, and more.
Dozens of new magic items and artifacts.
Part history, part mythology, Testament is the d20 System setting that’s both instantly familiar and yet unlike any game world you have ever experienced.
·PARANOIA: Yay Paranoia!One of the games most ideally suited for Play By e-mail games.Its a slapstick comedic game about about stabbing other players in the back and being the only one left alive by the end of the game. You play a person who lives in a world controlled by an evil computer.Everyone is out to destroy it and it knows it.You happen to work for it and your job is to find the people who want to destroy the computer and terminate them.Thing is, you want to destroy the computer also.You are part of a team that hunts down rebels but you and everyone else on the team are rebels also, the problem is that everyone is from a rival rebel faction and they are out for themselves. If you manage to prove to the computer that the other people on your team are rebels you will get great rewards, but the others are thinking the same thing.Your job is to complete whatever task that computer has given your team to do while also doing the secret task your rebel faction has given you to do and at the same time try to incriminate and execute your fellow team mates, but watch out.Just because you kill one of them doesn’t mean he won’t be back after being downloaded into a new clone body looking for payback. Fun.
(Here is the official description of the game):
TRUST THE COMPUTER! THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND!
Greetings, citizen! THE COMPUTER has made you a TROUBLESHOOTER, a protector of the underground city of ALPHA COMPLEX. You and your fellow Troubleshooters will have lots of fun rooting out Communist mutant traitors. The Computer says so.
Members of treasonous secret societies like the Frankenstein Destroyers, the Illuminati, Psion, PURGE and the Sierra Club may attack, maim or blackmail you. Treasonous mutants with powers like Electroshock, Pyrokinesis, Charm, Puppeteer and Bureaucratic Intuition may shock you, incinerate you, subvert you, control you or bury you in paperwork. But it will be fun. The Computer says so, and The Computer is your friend.
Most fun of all is uncovering your fellow Troubleshooters’ secret societies and mutations, accusing them of treason and persuading The Computer to terminate them — before they do the same to you.
PARANOIA: The Roleplaying Game of a Darkly Humorous Future
Pursuant to Central Processing Unit directive 214.08.20/547.4 ‘Restoration of Classic RPGs to Print After Unduly Prolonged Absence,’ Mongoose Publishing brings you PARANOIA, an entirely new edition of the classic science fiction game originally published in 1984. In service to a well-meaning but deranged Computer, you and your fellow players seek to eliminate traitors. Your deepest fear: Your fellow players will discover YOU are one of those traitors.
PARANOIA: A light-hearted game of backstabbing, treachery and guile, where trusting other players is a sure route to the termination centre.
PARANOIA IS FUN. OTHER GAMES ARE NOT FUN. THE COMPUTER SAYS SO, THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND.
Okay, first, all the games I put here are out of print and have been replaced by the new World of Darkness system.The only reason I’m putting them here at all is to just to have them represented.The new World of Darkness games are just updated versions of the ones below, so you’ll still get the idea of what your getting into by reading this. There are also far more of them than the ones I’ve written about. I just don’t own them.
This system has a lot of good creative ideas.The problem with it is mostly the tone and theme.Most of these gamesmostly revolve around playing a monster of some kind and all the horror that comes with it.It is a Role playing Game system of “personal horror”.So if you want a game to take you to a place like that, this might interest you, otherwise don’t bother.
PROS:Many official game worlds. Very character driven story system. Simple system.Lends itself to deep story driven games.Lots of atmosphere, lots of drama, very rich world.
CONS:Not a versatile system. You can only play in official game worlds.The mood of the game is sometimes too oppressive.Some of the game worlds are better than others. You really have to be in the mood to play these games. They are very moody.
WORLD OF DARKNESS GAMES:
·VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE: You begin the game as a human who somehow ends up becoming a vampire.This is a game about either fighting to keep your humanity in spite of the fact you’re monster or embracing your inner demon.Lots of politics, intrigue and drama.
·DARK AGE VAMPIRE: Similar to VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE but set in the Middle Ages.
·MAGE THE ASSENTION: Is perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch.You play a person who suddenly “awakens” to a magical power you didn’t know you had.It’s a game about seeing the world from a new perspective.Magik in this game is a world view shift (there is no spoon). Reality as we know is actually a philosophical perception given to us by a group of wizards. Technology is a type of magik but we don’t see it that way because it is the norm.Other Magicians have different world views.If you learn them you can do different magik. For example, the world view that sees space as two dimensional rather than three could be used to teleport you from one place to another simply by changing the two dimensional picture that is before you.It’s a very creative game.Lots of drama and intrigue. It sounds a little like the Matrix movies. The thing is, this game was out long before the Matrix came out.
·RAGE: You play as a werewolf in this game.It’s pretty much the “I want to fight a lot in my role playing game” game in the World of Darkness universe.
·WRAITH: You play as dead person in a dark limbo like place (notice I didn’t say Purgatory).It’s a pretty oppressive game.
·CHANGELING:The most lighthearted of the World of Darkness System.It takes place in modern times and you play a fairy that has replace a human baby when you yourself were a baby and no one knows.It’s very fantastic.The new version of this game is far darker and I personally think it sounds like a lot of fun.
·CALL OF CTHULU: If you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, this is the game for you. It takes place in the world he invented. This game is a game the player characters aren’t meant to live through.In this game players play some sort of investigators that gets entangled in the hidden TRUE world according to Lovecraft.The truth you find will lead you to see horrors that, if they don’t kill you, they will surely drive you mad.(Think, Hellboy,Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, Re-animator.) This game uses a percentage dice system. There is a d20 version of this game but it’s not as good.
INDEPENDENT GAMES:
Independent games don’t have a generic system that applies to a bunch of games. They tend to be one shot games with their own rules specific to each individual game.
INDIE GAMES:
·DOGS IN THE VINEYARD: This game is one of the coolest games ever. The game is set in “a West that never quite was” – loosely based on the Mormon State of Deseret in pre-statehood Utah. Players are “God’s Watchdogs” (Dogs), who travel from town to town delivering mail, helping out the community and enforcing the judgments of the True Faith of the King of Life. This may involve anything from delivering new interpretations to the town’s Steward to executing heretics. Dogs have absolute authority within the Faith, but not within the laws of the Territorial Authority, and so their actions can lead to conflict with the government in the East. This game is all about internal conflicts and external conflicts. As a Catholic I like this game because it has a way to play out moral conflicts in an amazing and fun way. It uses an unusual form of conflict resolution, where die rolls are used in poker-style bids. It’s darninnovative.Especially since it makes conflicts far more creative than they would be otherwise and very very personal. It can also be customized to play out Catholic priests, monks or Knights in the middle ages or, if you want, in the modern age. It’s great.Here’s the official description for the game:
You stand between God’s law and the best intentions of the weak.
You stand between God’s people and their own demons.
Sometimes it’s better for one to die than for many to suffer. Sometimes, Dog, sometimes you have to cut off the arm to save the life.
Does the sinner deserve mercy?
Do the wicked deserve judgement?
They’re in your hands.
Dogs in the Vineyard: roleplaying God’s Watchdogs in a West that never quite was.
·THE PRINCES’ KINGDOM: This is basically, Dogs in the Vineyard for kids.Instead of “God’s Dogs” You play as young princes that have been sent off into the world by your father the king in order to learn to rule the kingdom justly.So you go from town to town setting things right and attempting to solve any problems you come across within your kingdom.It usesa more simplified (kid friendly) Dogs in the Vineyard, mechanic. Here’s the flavor text of the game:
You are nine years old! You just had a birthday, and your brothers gave you a puppy. The three of you are seeing the world from your very own boat. You are the sons of the King of Islandia!
And you are the only three that can stop the war.
The Princes’ Kingdom is a game about children, adults, and ideals.
·BURNING WHEEL: This game has a system to solve debates with other characters called “duel of wits” and the fighting system is very unique. If you want to play a game of Lord of the Rings, this is the system to do it in.It’s a very interesting system over all but I think it’s also a very “advanced” system.A little bit of Role Playing experience my help to play this game.
·POLARIS: In a word, “brilliant”.This game is amazing.No Game Master needed to play this game.All you need is four people and a fantastic imagination.This game takes place at the end of a civilization of magical people who live in the North Pole as the coming of the Sun approaches.The game is meant to be a bitter sweet tragedy, about how deep dark mistakes in the heroes lives and civilization is causing the death of their civilization at the hands of demonic monsters that are approaching ever closer.The game system is like nothing out there.If I was to write down how it’s different, I would be here far too long. I can’t recommend this game enough.Here the official flavor text:
Once upon a time, as far north as north can go, there lived the greatest people that this world will ever see. They are gone now, destroyed just as the world destroys all beautiful things. All that remains are these moments we call memories, moments frozen from the flow of time.
Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at Utmost North is a game for three to five players set during the final years of the Northernmost People, just before the remnants of their civilization were swallowed up by their own Mistake.
The protagonists of the story are Knights of the Order of the Stars, beholden by ancient oaths to serve the stars and protect their people. The antagonists facing the knights are multitudinous — demons from the mistake, doubters from the people, and even betrayers within the brotherhood of Knights.
Polaris uses a set of simple and easy-to-learn mechanics to help guide your game’s storyline to an appropriate tragic ending. Each player at the table guides the protagonist in a different capacity, and the central points of the story are further shaped by the twelve Key Phrases.
This is no longer a history; this is not yet a story. This is all that remains. Whatever else is what you make of it.
·HERO’S BANNER:This game is another that is uniquely suited for playing online.It’s short and the characters only have three stats.Once one of the stats reaches 100 the character’s life path is sealed and he dies.The end.How interesting and dramatic the person’s life was when he dies in determined by how well you play the game.
(Here is the official description of the game):
Great heros walk the land. They alone have the power to lead their people to a better life.
But there was a time before these men and women were remembered for their deeds.
The fate of a kingdom lies in your hands and you must choose a path to glory.
What cause will you fight for? Who will you leave behind? How will you be remembered?
Hero’s Banner: The Fury of Free Will is a fantasy roleplaying game about making life choices in a world filled with expectation. Your character consists, primarily, of three “influences,” or possible life callings. These might include anything from choosing to marry for love instead of political gain to choosing the life of a soldier over that of a courtly diplomat. Whatever the character is struggling with, he spends his time forming alliances and developing other connections to each influence. But with choice comes loss. As your character slowly progresses towards an inevitable end he will lose friends and ability along the way. The more he specializes, the better he becomes, but also the more he must give up. And eventually, he will have to abandon two of his influences altogether—making one final choice.
·SHADOW OF YESTERDAY: This game is Noir meets fantasy.It’s a grim and gritty fantasy setting that revolves around the characters ambitions.
(Here is the official description of the game):
The Shadow of Yesterday is a pulpy, sweaty role-playing game set in a world climbing back from the edge of destruction, filled with adventure, love, poison, sex, and true friendship. Inside you’ll find:
How to make a character who advances for player-chosen reasons.
Goblins that change their shape at will, and find their form through love.
Broken lands at war, rich swamps full of poisoners and slavers, and a decimated people with incredible magic.
Jungle-dwelling kayakers who have mastered the world of the dead.
If you’re ready to plunge into truly bizarre, fully human fantasy, you’re ready to play The Shadow of Yesterday. This game is recommended for ages 18 and up.
·UNIVERSALIS:This game is perhaps the only one that isn’t actually a role-playing game.It’s a story making game. Everyone gets a certain amount of coins or ‘points’ every ‘scene’.Before the ‘scene’ begins everyone bids to see who will set the ‘scene’ up. That person uses the coins or ‘points’ to buy story ideas.As the ‘scene’ goes on, everyone else who has ideas can put them in by buying them using their coins.As coins run out players can get new coins by introducing conflict into the story.Conflicts are resolved using dice.The person who wins the conflict not only gets coins back but wins the privilege of not only saying what happens but how it happens. The tension and drama of the game comes when the players have different ideas of the direction the story should take.Because of this the group as a whole doesn’t really know what will happen next and the results are always surprising.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTIONS
Here’s an update on the Orphan Works bill:
JUNE 2, 2008 An Orphan Works Update
Backers of the House version of the Orphan Works bill are now asking artists and photographers to oppose the Senate bill unless it’s amended to contain at least the “minimum provisions” that appear in the House version.
Although they don’t say so, opposing the Senate bill in this manner is a vote FOR the House bill.
We’ve been asked to explain why:
The Senate bill is similar to the bill we opposed in 2006. The House bill (H.R. 5889) is the result of a year and a half of closed door negotiations between Congress and representatives and lobbyists for special interest groups. These groups have agreed to either endorse the House bill or remain neutral to insure its passage.
The House bill endorses the concept of coerced “voluntary” registration with commercial databases and seeks to make these databases infringer-friendly.
– It would require infringers to file a simple “notice of use” before they infringe.
– It calls for an archive of the notices to be maintained by the Copyright Office or an approved third party.
Why do backers of the House bill want these databases to be infringer-friendly?
Because to thrive, commercial databases (registries) will have to do a robust business in rights-clearing and orphan certification. That means encouraging infringers to infringe.
How will these registries work?No details have been given, but experience with image banks suggests the following:
For unregistered work: infringers will use the registries to identify pictures that aren’t registered. Infringers will probably pay the registry a search fee, then use or market the “orphans” like royalty-free art.
For registered work: the registries will act as a kind of stock house: Users will go to them for one-stop shopping to clear rights to your pictures. The registry will probably charge you a commission when they do.
In other words, urging Congress to pass the House bill makes very little sense to us unless your business or organization expects to become a commercial registry.We believe the only way to oppose these bills is to oppose them both.
If you agree, now’s the time to write Congress or write again.
You can urge Congress to oppose these bills by linking here to a special letter.
Tell Your Senators and Representatives to Oppose the Orphan Works Act at:
Please forward this message to every artist you know.
And here’s how his Bill will effect non artists:
FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP
The Orphan Works Act: Warning to the Public
Should the general public care about the Orphan Works Act?
Yes, because the effects of this bill will expose any citizen’s visual images to infringement, including infringement for commercial purposes or distasteful uses.
Most people don’t understand current copyright law. But under current law, they don’t have to – the law itself protects them from not understanding it. Anything you create is considered your private property.
But under this amendment, all citizens would be required to understand that they must now take active steps – not to actually protect their work (because registries won’t protect it) – but merely to preserve their right to sue an infringer in federal court (in case they ever find out they’ve been infringed in the first place).
Otherwise, ignorance of copyright law will be be no excuse against an infringer who has done a “reasonably diligent search” for a photo he found on a blog, photo sharing site, Facebook page, or other source.
Proposal for Copyright Warning and Public Awareness Campaign
If this bill is passed, copyright will no longer be considered the exclusive right of the creator. Therefore, Congress should direct the Copyright Office to commence an awareness campaign to be conducted in all media, explaining to all copyright holders the new terms of copyright protection. Public warnings should state at least the following:
“Due to a change in US copyright law, citizens should now be aware that any creative expression they put into tangible form – from professional artwork to family photos – will be subject to infringement, including infringement for commercial uses, by anyone in the United States who is unable to locate them by what the infringer determines – and a court agrees – to be a reasonably diligent search.
“To preserve your right to sue infringers in federal court, you are advised to take active steps to assert authorship of every work you create.
“These steps will include inserting meta-data in each work, marking each work with a copyright symbol and contact information and registering each work in commercial databases where infringers can search for your work.
“Ignorance of copyright law will be be no excuse against an infringer who has done a “reasonably diligent search” according to guidelines established by Congress.”
This should be the minimum warning information and it should be issued to the public on an on-going basis to alert successive generations of the legal obligations they will have to observe as the price of creating art of any kind. We also ask Congress to direct the Copyright Office to establish and maintain local law clinics where creators and other citizens can seek clarification about their obligations under Orphan Works law.
Don’t Let Congress Orphan Your Work
You can urge Congress to oppose these bills by linking here to a special letter.
Tell Your Senators and Representatives to Oppose the Orphan Works Act at:
As of the time of this writing, the actors haven’t signed. The table read has been postponed until Monday. If they sign this week, Fox won’t wait until next Thursday for the cast read. This means the show might begin storyboarding and designing next week and layout might start near the middle of July.
Please pray that things get settled soon. Thanks.
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
So I was reading an article in a gaming news site that really caught my attention. It asked a very interesting question which went like this:
The article itself is a little all over the place but in the end, it does answer the question. It’s interesting but it made me wonder how different games would be, had someone invented Role Playing Games (RPGs) earlier in history. Just look at what D&D has done in the short while it’s been around. If it wasn’t for D&D, games like World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings Onlinewouldn’t exist. These games are basically taking similar D&D mechanics and instead of rolling dice, uses computer generated randomness to calculate successes or failure. But of course the biggest difference between games like this and a tabletop RPG is the lack of versatility the computer game has. Where in a tabletop RPG you can do anything and go anywhere you want, computer RPGs are limited to what the computer game program allows you to do.
Well anyway, I just thought it was a very interesting article and it just made me think.
MOVIES
Last Monday, Alesha and I went to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. For quite some time now I’ve had the feeling that the movie wasn’t going to be all that good. I thought it might be about as good as Temple of Doom, and I’m not a big fan of Temple of Doom. Well, we sat down in the theater at 11:45 am (less expensive around that time) and watched the movie. We were treated to pretty much what I expected, an entertaining, forgettable, shallow movie. In fact, even though it was entertaining, the movie just seemed to go through the motions of an Indiana Jones movie, but lacked the heart of an Indiana Jones movie. I actually think Temple of Doom is better. At least in that movie, the action had a purpose. There was always something greater at stake than just showing a fight. Not in this movie. In fact, the fights were so meaningless that they felt like I was watching a video game.
In a video game, you might enter an area to get some treasure or a key or something and then you get attacked by random ninjas that “spawn” before you or just come out of the wood work. You fight them, defeat them, get the treasure or whatever and then you go to the next area, where you get attacked by random ninjas again, you defeat them, get in a car were you get attacked by more random ninjas…and so on. Well, this new Indiana Jones movie not only felt just like this, it actually had “random ninjas”, in the form of natives, that came out of nowhere just to fight them. It was ridiculous and the main bad guys, who were communist Russians, were no better than that as well. They weren’t even an actual threat. I never, for one second, thought Indiana Jones was in some sort of danger while they were around, which was not the case in any of the other movies.
Not only that but the creators of the movie assumed every one in the audience was as big a moron as the characters in the movie and had to spell everything out for us. (The following is not a spoiler) There actually was a moment at the end of the movie where the characters of the movie discover the big ‘mysterious secret’ of the movie but the audience had pretty much figured it out from having watched the first ten minutes of the film. It was embarrassing. Am I suppose to respect these heroes if they don’t even have the same common sense as the audience? None of the other films talked down to the audience like this (although Temple of Doom came close).
Overall, the movie was a little worse then I thought it was going to be. It did have it’s moments though. It might be a great movie to watch and make fun of with a group of friends and family (like Temple of Doom).
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I’m doing Storyboard revisions on Lance’s show this week. All the other storyboard artists on the show were too busy to help, so they asked me to do it. I’m so happy they did because I’m having so much fun doing it. I’m enjoying going to work again. Doing the same thing over and over for sixteen years tends to get old after a while so doing a different job all together tend to be refreshing. I’ve found myself very focused on what I’m doing. Storyboard revisions can be tedious or fun depending on how much creativity your allowed. It’s an interesting challenge because you’re trying to adjust shots or add shots to an existing show so that they run seamlessly into each other. It’s also challenging working out shots from scratch because your trying to find the best way to tell the story or the joke while working out how to put them all together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s so fun!
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Urge to role play…rising….
For my birthday, my compadres (my daugher’s Godparents) got me Star Hero, a table top Role Playing Game (RPG) setting book for the HERO SystemRPG . It’s funny because they got it off my Amazon.com wish list and had no idea what it was for. Star Hero is a book that helps you run a game in any sci fi universe that you come up with. Thing is, getting and reading this book has inadvertently rekindled my table top RPG itch.
What is a table top RPG? The simples way to describe it is, it’s like playing pretend with your friends with rules. Some people like to do Live Action Role Playing (LARP), which is like improve theater, but most people just sit around a table and play it like a board game. Role playing was invented by E. Gary Gygax (who just recently died a few days ago) and Dave Arneson. They were miniatures wargamers. They where the ones who invented the famous (or infamous, depending on who you speak to) Dungeons & DragonsRPG and in doing so, invented RPGs.
When I was in high school my friends introduced me to RPGs through my love of comics. My friends and I played superhero RPGs where we created superheros and played out adventures with them. It was so fun. We had these really involved back stories written up for our characters and it really felt like a giant collaborative story we were all coming up with. It was my first introduction to creative writing and story telling. Since the games took place in our imaginations, they all seemed so much larger than life to me. The system we used to play these games was what is now called the HERO System but at the time was just called Champions.
Getting the Star Hero book really brought back memories. It also made me want to start up a game. Problem with playing RPGs is that they requires a lot of work and a lot of time to play (a minimum of about three hours to play and at least a day to prepare) if you want to get the most out of it. Otherwise you get a lack luster game that feels kinda shallow and dissatisfying. Still, it made me want to play anyway.
BOARD GAMES/VIDEO GAMES
I’ve been playing a play-by-web game of Chase over on the Super Duper games website against someone I don’t know and I’m having a really good time playing it. My opponent is really nice and helpful but he isn’t holding back at all and is just working me over. I really recommend the site, it has all kinds of abstract games you can play. The best part about it is that you can play them on your own time. It’s been a week since the game started and I’ve been making a move a day. It’s great! I get an email whenever it’s my turn, I click on the link in the email, and it sends me straight to the game board on the site so I could make my move. I feel like I’m playing a game without having to spend much time doing it.
Of course, like it always happens to me, I get all obsessive about the game, thinking about it all the time and worrying whether the move I made isn’t going to get me into more trouble. I’m so lame about these things.
Well, it’s clear to me that you are really a cartoon interrupted by reality. Those poor guys need a life, too.
Have you given any thought to any number of podcasted novels? My friend Rob Suarez wrote one which I am enjoying, called Murder by Design. His site also has links to the novels he listens to: http://robsuarez.blogspot.com/
Happy Birthday Maria! I should have written that on your blog but I’ll do you one better and recommend everyone to go to your blog and say happy birthday. Also, I read the post named, Oh! The humanity! it’s really great.
Speaking of great posts, Maria also wrote an article for Rosary Army called The Family that Plays Together… It’s about board games and I love it. Oh, and by the way, when you’re at her site, be sure to pick up one of her books. I just ordered Darknet this Monday. Can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the book suggestion Maria, I downloaded the first two chapters.
Wow, I can so relate to your obsessions-story. I never imagined that another person could have that same ‘issue’, if I may call it like that. My obsessions are throughout the year, not just when I’m very stressed -or maybe I am always stressed :). I used to play Everquest as well (Taoni, halfling druid) and I played Guild Wars for a while. At the moment I am in the middle of my ‘Rome’-obsession. I watch the TV series, I read books about it, I listen to podcasts about it. I try to emerge myself in that world. I don’t have it at work though. Since I work in a photoshop, I can’t help customers while laughing out loud from Fr Roderick’s jokes
It is so great to hear from another person that he also lives ‘inside his head’. I thought it was just me and that it made me very weird. Well, maybe it does. But at least I’m not alone anymore
Thanks for the comment Yelda. My obsessions are throughout the year as well only they go into overdrive when I’m stressed.
Yeah, in Everquest I played a halfling cleric named Sammo. It took over my life. It was awful, I promised myself I’d never play a MMORPG again and so far I’ve kept that promise somewhat intact (although I once played Flyff for about thirty minutes or so.)
As for the Rome HBO show, my wife and I enjoy that show very much as well. We are currently watching Disk 2 of Season 2. Both the show and your comment set off my “Catholicism obsession” so bare with me.
While watching the show, it’s very cool to see how different Roman people behaved in a pre-Christian world. It’s interesting to see how the pursuit of pleasure and power was something that was encouraged. It gives great context to the world Jesus was born into. It also really makes you realize how radical his teachings must have sounded. In a world were helping people who are sick or in need, who aren’t your friends or family, is seen as a sign of weakness, to have Jesus do so, must have been crazy. It also shows how alien the Romans must have looked at the Jews who held to the Commandment, “Though shall not commit adultery”. It seems that, adultery was one of the things the Romans also encouraged. Then, of course, along comes Jesus and shocks both Jews and Romans by raising the bar still higher by saying:
27 You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. 28 But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. ”
They must have felt as angry, indignant and upset as even our modern society does, where lust is used to sell everything. Above all, they seemed to really love to get revenge for every slight done against them. Then of course Jesus comes along and says:
27 But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies. Do good to them that hate you. 28 Bless them that curse you and pray for them that calumniate you. 29 And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away from thee thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every one that asketh thee: and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. 31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner. 32 And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also do this. 34 And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks are to you? For sinners also lend to sinners, for to receive as much. 35 But love ye your enemies: do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest. For he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
They must of thought he was nuts. Hmmm, come to think of it, there are many places in the world today that are trying to rid themselves of these teachings, in order to become more like the Romans.
Writing about this stuff reminds me of a quote from G.K. Chesterton :
If you’re obsessed with Rome, I encourage you to read the works of a famous African Roman who had a fascinating Roman life. My uncle August, (A.K.A. St. Augustine of Hippo) . His autobiography, The Confessions is just amazing. He wrote about how he ran away from his mother (who chased after him) as he traveled through out the Roman world, sleeping around with women, and seeking out wisdom from all the famous Philosophers of his day only to find it in the most unlikely place. After finding wisdom, he then wrote about how he saw the Roman world around him. An incident with one of his best friends and his addiction to the blood lust in the Colosseum comes to mind. It’s an amazing book. It’s part theological analysis of the universe and God, and part autobiographical adventure. While I’m on the subject. I also recommend The City of God, which is also by St. Augustine, but this one is his analysis as to why Rome fell (which he lived through). I’ve provided links to the free versions of both books above if you want to read them right away. Just click on the underlined names.
Phew, had to get that off my chest. Sorry. Thanks for baring with me and thanks again for the comments
leah wrote:
Luis, thanks for sharing about your obsessive-thing. I go through phases when I’m really focused on (okay, obsessed with) one thing, too, and I’ll spend all my free time amassing all the info I can get. Until I read your post today, though, I didn’t connect those phases with being under stress, but now I can totally see that. Thanks – that makes a lot of sense for me and is a very helpful insight!
I’m also very introverted and have a hard time coming out of myself in social situations. I find that what I really need to do is focus on developing a genuine interest in other people – each other person is another “self”, another human being with all the dignity and value that entails. Ask them about themselves, see what they are interested in, what their world is like. It can be fascinating and is a great way to get out of the inward-focused interior life I find myself in so often.
Wow, thank you so much for the insight Leah. I think the key word in what you wrote is, “developing a genuine interest in other people”. That is exactly what I need to work on. I’m the most self centered person I know (which shows how interested I am in other people, if I haven’t talked to anyone who is more self centered). Being married and having kids is helping me out with this problem because it’s awfully difficult to stay self centered and still care for them at the same time. Still, it’s a struggle I face everyday. I’ve definitely taken your insight to heart and it’s helped me out a great deal in the last few days. Thank you.
By the way, I’ve been meaning to post this link for some time. It’s an article I read about introverts that really hit home for me. It’s called: Caring for Your Introvert. Take a read and let me know what you think.
If you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
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Storyboard Revisions, Heroes, Chase, Birthday, Rome, Selfcenteredness, Caring for Your Introvert
March 13, 2008 in ANSWERING COMMENTS, BOARD GAMES, BOOKS, CATHOLICISM, introvert, ROLE PLAYING GAMES, THE SIMPSONS NEWS, VIDEO GAMES
THE SIMPSONS NEWS
I’m doing Storyboard revisions on Lance’s show this week. All the other storyboard artists on the show were too busy to help, so they asked me to do it. I’m so happy they did because I’m having so much fun doing it. I’m enjoying going to work again. Doing the same thing over and over for sixteen years tends to get old after a while so doing a different job all together tend to be refreshing. I’ve found myself very focused on what I’m doing. Storyboard revisions can be tedious or fun depending on how much creativity your allowed. It’s an interesting challenge because you’re trying to adjust shots or add shots to an existing show so that they run seamlessly into each other. It’s also challenging working out shots from scratch because your trying to find the best way to tell the story or the joke while working out how to put them all together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s so fun!
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Urge to role play…rising….
For my birthday, my compadres (my daugher’s Godparents) got me Star Hero, a table top Role Playing Game (RPG) setting book for the HERO System RPG . It’s funny because they got it off my Amazon.com wish list and had no idea what it was for. Star Hero is a book that helps you run a game in any sci fi universe that you come up with. Thing is, getting and reading this book has inadvertently rekindled my table top RPG itch.
What is a table top RPG? The simples way to describe it is, it’s like playing pretend with your friends with rules. Some people like to do Live Action Role Playing (LARP), which is like improve theater, but most people just sit around a table and play it like a board game. Role playing was invented by E. Gary Gygax (who just recently died a few days ago) and Dave Arneson. They were miniatures wargamers. They where the ones who invented the famous (or infamous, depending on who you speak to) Dungeons & Dragons RPG and in doing so, invented RPGs.
When I was in high school my friends introduced me to RPGs through my love of comics. My friends and I played superhero RPGs where we created superheros and played out adventures with them. It was so fun. We had these really involved back stories written up for our characters and it really felt like a giant collaborative story we were all coming up with. It was my first introduction to creative writing and story telling. Since the games took place in our imaginations, they all seemed so much larger than life to me. The system we used to play these games was what is now called the HERO System but at the time was just called Champions .
Getting the Star Hero book really brought back memories. It also made me want to start up a game. Problem with playing RPGs is that they requires a lot of work and a lot of time to play (a minimum of about three hours to play and at least a day to prepare) if you want to get the most out of it. Otherwise you get a lack luster game that feels kinda shallow and dissatisfying. Still, it made me want to play anyway.
BOARD GAMES/VIDEO GAMES
I’ve been playing a play-by-web game of Chase over on the Super Duper games website against someone I don’t know and I’m having a really good time playing it. My opponent is really nice and helpful but he isn’t holding back at all and is just working me over. I really recommend the site, it has all kinds of abstract games you can play. The best part about it is that you can play them on your own time. It’s been a week since the game started and I’ve been making a move a day. It’s great! I get an email whenever it’s my turn, I click on the link in the email, and it sends me straight to the game board on the site so I could make my move. I feel like I’m playing a game without having to spend much time doing it.
Of course, like it always happens to me, I get all obsessive about the game, thinking about it all the time and worrying whether the move I made isn’t going to get me into more trouble. I’m so lame about these things.
ANSWERING COMMENTS
Maria wrote:
Happy Birthday Maria! I should have written that on your blog but I’ll do you one better and recommend everyone to go to your blog and say happy birthday. Also, I read the post named, Oh! The humanity! it’s really great.
Speaking of great posts, Maria also wrote an article for Rosary Army called The Family that Plays Together… It’s about board games and I love it. Oh, and by the way, when you’re at her site, be sure to pick up one of her books. I just ordered Darknet this Monday. Can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the book suggestion Maria, I downloaded the first two chapters.
Yelda van Eijk wrote:
Thanks for the comment Yelda. My obsessions are throughout the year as well only they go into overdrive when I’m stressed.
Yeah, in Everquest I played a halfling cleric named Sammo. It took over my life. It was awful, I promised myself I’d never play a MMORPG again and so far I’ve kept that promise somewhat intact (although I once played Flyff for about thirty minutes or so.)
As for the Rome HBO show, my wife and I enjoy that show very much as well. We are currently watching Disk 2 of Season 2. Both the show and your comment set off my “Catholicism obsession” so bare with me.
While watching the show, it’s very cool to see how different Roman people behaved in a pre-Christian world. It’s interesting to see how the pursuit of pleasure and power was something that was encouraged. It gives great context to the world Jesus was born into. It also really makes you realize how radical his teachings must have sounded. In a world were helping people who are sick or in need, who aren’t your friends or family, is seen as a sign of weakness, to have Jesus do so, must have been crazy. It also shows how alien the Romans must have looked at the Jews who held to the Commandment, “Though shall not commit adultery”. It seems that, adultery was one of the things the Romans also encouraged. Then, of course, along comes Jesus and shocks both Jews and Romans by raising the bar still higher by saying:
They must have felt as angry, indignant and upset as even our modern society does, where lust is used to sell everything. Above all, they seemed to really love to get revenge for every slight done against them. Then of course Jesus comes along and says:
They must of thought he was nuts. Hmmm, come to think of it, there are many places in the world today that are trying to rid themselves of these teachings, in order to become more like the Romans.
Writing about this stuff reminds me of a quote from G.K. Chesterton :
He also said:
If you’re obsessed with Rome, I encourage you to read the works of a famous African Roman who had a fascinating Roman life. My uncle August, (A.K.A. St. Augustine of Hippo) . His autobiography, The Confessions is just amazing. He wrote about how he ran away from his mother (who chased after him) as he traveled through out the Roman world, sleeping around with women, and seeking out wisdom from all the famous Philosophers of his day only to find it in the most unlikely place. After finding wisdom, he then wrote about how he saw the Roman world around him. An incident with one of his best friends and his addiction to the blood lust in the Colosseum comes to mind. It’s an amazing book. It’s part theological analysis of the universe and God, and part autobiographical adventure. While I’m on the subject. I also recommend The City of God, which is also by St. Augustine, but this one is his analysis as to why Rome fell (which he lived through). I’ve provided links to the free versions of both books above if you want to read them right away. Just click on the underlined names.
Phew, had to get that off my chest. Sorry. Thanks for baring with me and thanks again for the comments
leah wrote:
Wow, thank you so much for the insight Leah. I think the key word in what you wrote is, “developing a genuine interest in other people”. That is exactly what I need to work on. I’m the most self centered person I know (which shows how interested I am in other people, if I haven’t talked to anyone who is more self centered). Being married and having kids is helping me out with this problem because it’s awfully difficult to stay self centered and still care for them at the same time. Still, it’s a struggle I face everyday. I’ve definitely taken your insight to heart and it’s helped me out a great deal in the last few days. Thank you.
By the way, I’ve been meaning to post this link for some time. It’s an article I read about introverts that really hit home for me. It’s called: Caring for Your Introvert. Take a read and let me know what you think.
If you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
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