Some of you may have guessed this already, but I am a DnD nerd. I have been playing since the 4th grade, when my best friend Chuck introduced me to this cool game that had funny dice and you killed stuff. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Currently, I am DMing a campaign that has been going on for about 14-years. It has an over-arching plot and everything and the players are really close to actually finishing it (I figure another two-odd years should do it).
In working on my game the other day, I was reminded of my first DnD adventure and my first character: Darger the Fighter. Chuck helped me roll Darger up and DMed my first adventure.
Darger was a human with 15 strength and 6 hit points. He had a broad sword, ring mail, a small shield, and high, soft boots. I hesitated about the boots, as footwear seemed like an important decision, but neither Chuck nor I were clear on what high, soft boots actually were.
Being nine, we of course argued the point for the better part of 30-minutes. I championed the idea that high, soft boots were more like high-top sneakers, while Chuck insisted that they were more like army boots. This debate could have gone on all day, but then Chuck said that he was right because he was the DM.
This was my first encounter with DMs Prerogative, which loosely translated means I am the DM, so shut up.
I was forced to give in. However, when Chuck went to the bathroom I drew a quick picture of Darger and he was clearly wearing a pair of black Converse All-Stars. So there.
With footwear decided, I entered the dungeon.
Tomorrow: The Rat of Doom!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Jason is having more technical difficulties.
Jason is having technical difficulties once again. His DSL seems to be really unreliable lately.
Rather than attempting to be funny or informative myself, I will simply link to something that amused me recently. Warning, viral music included. http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgerphone
Apologies to any who have already seen it.
Apologies also to those that follow this link and get it stuck in their heads.
-Leigh
Rather than attempting to be funny or informative myself, I will simply link to something that amused me recently. Warning, viral music included. http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgerphone
Apologies to any who have already seen it.
Apologies also to those that follow this link and get it stuck in their heads.
-Leigh
Monday, September 10, 2007
THWAP!
It is true. One of the greatest cinematic heroes of all time is making a comeback.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html
I freely admit I love the movies, even the rather pedestrian Temple of Doom. I love the car chases, the gun fights, and the booby traps.
I especially love the fist fights and the fact that when somebody gets punched, there is a THWAP! that is louder than a gunshot.
This does not actually happen. I train in martial arts and punch people and get punched on a regular basis. In fact, last Saturday, I got bludgeoned once and nearly stabbed, but that is neither here nor there. The point is that there are never any really cool sound-effects.
Obviously, Indiana Jones is not real life. It is better, which is why we queue up and pay 10-bucks a pop to watch it.
Memorial Day, 2008. I will be there.
Cheers,
-Jason
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html
I freely admit I love the movies, even the rather pedestrian Temple of Doom. I love the car chases, the gun fights, and the booby traps.
I especially love the fist fights and the fact that when somebody gets punched, there is a THWAP! that is louder than a gunshot.
This does not actually happen. I train in martial arts and punch people and get punched on a regular basis. In fact, last Saturday, I got bludgeoned once and nearly stabbed, but that is neither here nor there. The point is that there are never any really cool sound-effects.
Obviously, Indiana Jones is not real life. It is better, which is why we queue up and pay 10-bucks a pop to watch it.
Memorial Day, 2008. I will be there.
Cheers,
-Jason
Friday, September 7, 2007
BioShock (no spoilers)
I have been playing BioShock (Bioshock? BIOSHOCK?) lately and thought I would post a quick review of my thoughts.
As an FYI, I do play all the major FPSs (and some of the lesser known ones), so I have some familiarity with the genre. I have not yet finished BioShock, but am probably better than 80% finished.
First, the good news.
The game is gorgeous. The environments are really spectacular and the game conveys a slightly claustrophobic, slightly crazy atmosphere. The world feels right for the game, if that makes any sense. The sound is likewise impressive, from the scratchy records playing in the background, to the whistling of an enemy as he wanders the halls. The voice acting is excellent throughout, making the near constant diary entries actually pleasant to get through.
The plot is likewise interesting. I did guess at one major revelation early on (it is not particularly tricky). There is another, bigger twist that I did not see coming that is handled very well.
There is a scene with Ryan later on that I particularly liked. It was actually rather moving.
The level layout is decent, though not particularly imaginative. The weapons all look good and feel right, if you know what I mean. There is enough variety in the Plasmids and Gene Tonics to allow a variety of play styles and once you get enough slots, you will be able to custom-tailor your gameplay significantly.
Now, the bad:
The game crashes on my system roughly every three-four hours. I updated all my video and sound drivers, but that still has not really helped. I also have a weird problem where the game sometimes restores the default settings. I have some of the high-end graphics options turned off and on a number of occasions, I have had to go back in and reset them. This is a really strange bug that I have never seen in a game before.
There are really only 4-5 enemies in the game and I am getting tired of killing them over and over. The enemies also level as the game progresses, so the enemy that took 5 pistol rounds on level 1 now takes 15 on level 3 and so on.
Mini-Rant: I hate it when enemies level as the game progresses. My problem with it is that essentially any enemy from the end of a game could wipe out everything at the beginning. This always feels like lazy design to me. Give me new tougher enemies. Better yet, mix in the new, tougher in with the old, weaker enemies. That way I have to think about what I am shooting. I will also feel powerful (by wiping out the cannon fodder), but challenged by the bigger boys.
The Big Daddies are not particularly interesting to fight. I tried a variety of fancy tactics, but eventually got bored with trying to set elaborate traps. I just blaze away with whatever weapon has the most and best ammo. I die a lot on them, but it does not really matter.
Death does not matter. Often times, you repop right around the corner and just continue the combat, making any battle really a matter of time. In its defense, BioShock is not really a true FPS (more of a FPS/RPG hybrid), so that was probably a very conscious decision to make the game easier and more accessible.
The hacking gets very old very quickly. There is no reason not to hack everything, so obviously I do, but you can only play Plumber so many times. Alternated mini-game styles would have been nice.
Overall, the core of the game (the visuals, sound, weapons, etc) feel and look really great, but the constant crashes and setting resets hurt. The gameplay is decent, but there is nothing that really stands out. They do deserve props for some interesting plot twists and characters, however. Ultimately, I feel like more could have been done with the game.
BioShock is like a really fancy sports car with a crappy engine. Once the initial thrill fades and you realize its going to break down once a week, youre probably going to leave it in the garage.
Cheers,
-Jason
As an FYI, I do play all the major FPSs (and some of the lesser known ones), so I have some familiarity with the genre. I have not yet finished BioShock, but am probably better than 80% finished.
First, the good news.
The game is gorgeous. The environments are really spectacular and the game conveys a slightly claustrophobic, slightly crazy atmosphere. The world feels right for the game, if that makes any sense. The sound is likewise impressive, from the scratchy records playing in the background, to the whistling of an enemy as he wanders the halls. The voice acting is excellent throughout, making the near constant diary entries actually pleasant to get through.
The plot is likewise interesting. I did guess at one major revelation early on (it is not particularly tricky). There is another, bigger twist that I did not see coming that is handled very well.
There is a scene with Ryan later on that I particularly liked. It was actually rather moving.
The level layout is decent, though not particularly imaginative. The weapons all look good and feel right, if you know what I mean. There is enough variety in the Plasmids and Gene Tonics to allow a variety of play styles and once you get enough slots, you will be able to custom-tailor your gameplay significantly.
Now, the bad:
The game crashes on my system roughly every three-four hours. I updated all my video and sound drivers, but that still has not really helped. I also have a weird problem where the game sometimes restores the default settings. I have some of the high-end graphics options turned off and on a number of occasions, I have had to go back in and reset them. This is a really strange bug that I have never seen in a game before.
There are really only 4-5 enemies in the game and I am getting tired of killing them over and over. The enemies also level as the game progresses, so the enemy that took 5 pistol rounds on level 1 now takes 15 on level 3 and so on.
Mini-Rant: I hate it when enemies level as the game progresses. My problem with it is that essentially any enemy from the end of a game could wipe out everything at the beginning. This always feels like lazy design to me. Give me new tougher enemies. Better yet, mix in the new, tougher in with the old, weaker enemies. That way I have to think about what I am shooting. I will also feel powerful (by wiping out the cannon fodder), but challenged by the bigger boys.
The Big Daddies are not particularly interesting to fight. I tried a variety of fancy tactics, but eventually got bored with trying to set elaborate traps. I just blaze away with whatever weapon has the most and best ammo. I die a lot on them, but it does not really matter.
Death does not matter. Often times, you repop right around the corner and just continue the combat, making any battle really a matter of time. In its defense, BioShock is not really a true FPS (more of a FPS/RPG hybrid), so that was probably a very conscious decision to make the game easier and more accessible.
The hacking gets very old very quickly. There is no reason not to hack everything, so obviously I do, but you can only play Plumber so many times. Alternated mini-game styles would have been nice.
Overall, the core of the game (the visuals, sound, weapons, etc) feel and look really great, but the constant crashes and setting resets hurt. The gameplay is decent, but there is nothing that really stands out. They do deserve props for some interesting plot twists and characters, however. Ultimately, I feel like more could have been done with the game.
BioShock is like a really fancy sports car with a crappy engine. Once the initial thrill fades and you realize its going to break down once a week, youre probably going to leave it in the garage.
Cheers,
-Jason
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Bananas Float
Yes, it is true. Bananas float. This is my sole contribution to the world of science. I am not sure about other fruit, but I have my suspicions.
How, you may ask, did I come to this profound conclusion? (Huh? and WTF? are also perfectly acceptable reactions).
Well, I will tell you.
As a teenager, I worked in Swensens Ice Cream parlor. Swensens thing, if you did not have them, was that they made all their ice cream on the premises. That was my job, I made ice-cream. I was a Manufacturer.
Being the Manufacturer had many perks:
1. I did not have to serve the public.
2. I made my own hours (the ice cream took approx. 24 hours to freeze after it was made, so it did not really matter when I made it). I could go to work at midnight if I really wanted to.
3. I did not have to talk to the public.
4. I did not have to wear a uniform, as the machine was in the back.
5. I did not have to interact with the public in any way, shape, or form.
So, one day while making some sort of banana-intensive flavor, I was cutting up bananas and dropped a slice into a sink full of water. It floated. I was intrigued. I dropped several more pieces in, just in case. They all floated. And then, being a curious lad, I dropped in a whole banana and then an entire bunch. They all floated.
This was one of those wow moments in a young mans life. An epiphany, if you will. I had discovered the scientific process, something I had happily ignored throughout my school career.
In someone else, this might have sparked an interest in science, a passion for testing how the world works. An eagerness even, to learn the fundamental truths of the universe.
Me? I devised a plan that if trapped on a deserted island, I would build a raft out of bananas and then eat them as I sailed along. This plan is not without its flaws, as I would eventually eat my raft, but there you go.
So, bananas float. No fooling.
Cheers,
-Jason
How, you may ask, did I come to this profound conclusion? (Huh? and WTF? are also perfectly acceptable reactions).
Well, I will tell you.
As a teenager, I worked in Swensens Ice Cream parlor. Swensens thing, if you did not have them, was that they made all their ice cream on the premises. That was my job, I made ice-cream. I was a Manufacturer.
Being the Manufacturer had many perks:
1. I did not have to serve the public.
2. I made my own hours (the ice cream took approx. 24 hours to freeze after it was made, so it did not really matter when I made it). I could go to work at midnight if I really wanted to.
3. I did not have to talk to the public.
4. I did not have to wear a uniform, as the machine was in the back.
5. I did not have to interact with the public in any way, shape, or form.
So, one day while making some sort of banana-intensive flavor, I was cutting up bananas and dropped a slice into a sink full of water. It floated. I was intrigued. I dropped several more pieces in, just in case. They all floated. And then, being a curious lad, I dropped in a whole banana and then an entire bunch. They all floated.
This was one of those wow moments in a young mans life. An epiphany, if you will. I had discovered the scientific process, something I had happily ignored throughout my school career.
In someone else, this might have sparked an interest in science, a passion for testing how the world works. An eagerness even, to learn the fundamental truths of the universe.
Me? I devised a plan that if trapped on a deserted island, I would build a raft out of bananas and then eat them as I sailed along. This plan is not without its flaws, as I would eventually eat my raft, but there you go.
So, bananas float. No fooling.
Cheers,
-Jason
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Undead American's ate Jason's time today.
Unfortunately Jason’s time (and brain) was eaten by Undead Americans today so he hasn’t been able to blog. Hopefully his brain will have regenerated by tomorrow.
Here are some pictures taken the last time Jason encountered Undead Americans. That’s Jason on the left, and my wife Laura on the right holding the extra bolts for the crossbow.
Actually Jason has been swamped with work, and he is not – as these photos would seem to indicate goofing off and playing with crossbows. I just thought it would be fun to post these photos which I took last year as filler.
- Leigh
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Shuriken of Gratitude
Greetings,
Here at Wayfarers Moon, we always send a thank-you and a wallpaper to the kind souls who donate to our comic. Lately however, we have gotten a few donations where our thank-you email came back as undeliverable.
So if you donated to us and never received a reply, that is probably why.
If you would still like your wallpaper, shoot a mail to us at mail@wayfarersmoon.com and include the email name you donated with. Your wallpaper and a thank-you will be promptly sent.
We appreciate being donated to and want to thank everyone who does so. We will thank you, regardless of the time or expense involved. Seriously. We will track you down. We are like bounty hunters. Granted, we cannot find our cell phones half the time and I get scared driving more than 30 mph, but we will find you.
No, wait. Ninjas. We are like ninjas that throw shuriken of gratitude. No? Pirates then? Firing broadsides of appreciation? Arrrr?
In all seriousness, we would like to thank you if you donated. It does mean a lot to us :)
Cheers,
-Jason
Here at Wayfarers Moon, we always send a thank-you and a wallpaper to the kind souls who donate to our comic. Lately however, we have gotten a few donations where our thank-you email came back as undeliverable.
So if you donated to us and never received a reply, that is probably why.
If you would still like your wallpaper, shoot a mail to us at mail@wayfarersmoon.com and include the email name you donated with. Your wallpaper and a thank-you will be promptly sent.
We appreciate being donated to and want to thank everyone who does so. We will thank you, regardless of the time or expense involved. Seriously. We will track you down. We are like bounty hunters. Granted, we cannot find our cell phones half the time and I get scared driving more than 30 mph, but we will find you.
No, wait. Ninjas. We are like ninjas that throw shuriken of gratitude. No? Pirates then? Firing broadsides of appreciation? Arrrr?
In all seriousness, we would like to thank you if you donated. It does mean a lot to us :)
Cheers,
-Jason
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