Ramping Up for Con Season

As I should be Fall-In! right now, it's a good time for a general update.

Work and activities for the Viscount's household are at a breakneck pace, leaving me little time for my much needed activities.  I've actually seen my paint bench this week, as I cleaned up the basement started prepping the heating system, and pulled the gnomes out of the mothballs.  I think the long-pending queue needs an overhaul, focusing on some Christmas game figures, next year's Pulp campaign, and gnomes.

The kid's after-school schedules have tightened so much, that I don't know when I have time to hug them, much less my wife, much less play a game with them.  Maja and I are still scheming on story ideas for all those Pony games at Mepacon. but I don't know when we're going to finish the Family Decathlon of games.

The Monday night 5e game on Roll20 continues to hit snafus, be it Monday Night football match-ups, or a GM who snags all the bugs his twins bring home.  As a positive we finally broke the ice this past week and ran a test "session zero" for my own online game, "Adventures in Gulluvia."  The session allowed for the plot to proceed, if not the scenario.  Fingers crossed, I'm looking into running a full session zero with most interested players on Sunday.  

As I should be Fall-In! right now, it's a good time for a general update.

Work and activities for the Viscount's household are at a breakneck pace, leaving me little time for my much needed activities.  I've actually seen my paint bench this week, as I cleaned up the basement started prepping the heating system, and pulled the gnomes out of the mothballs.  I think the long-pending queue needs an overhaul, focusing on some Christmas game figures, next year's Pulp campaign, and gnomes.

The kid's after-school schedules have tightened so much, that I don't know when I have time to hug them, much less my wife, much less play a game with them.  Maja and I are still scheming on story ideas for all those Pony games at Mepacon. but I don't know when we're going to finish the Family Decathlon of games.

The Monday night 5e game on Roll20 continues to hit snafus, be it Monday Night football match-ups, or a GM who snags all the bugs his twins bring home.  As a positive we finally broke the ice this past week and ran a test "session zero" for my own online game, "Adventures in Gulluvia."  The session allowed for the plot to proceed, if not the scenario.  Fingers crossed, I'm looking into running a full session zero with most interested players on Sunday.  

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

These Kids and Their Technology!

So, my daughters are pretty close to crisis addiction level when it comes to scouring Youtube looking for blindbag videos.  In gamer-speak, a blindbag is the equivalent to opening up Heroclix singles on video, only for kids they're opening up a wide variety of collectibes from a wide-range of brands.

If you know what a Shopkin was for the last three years, you know what a blind bag is.

However, this whole concept isn't just relegated to kids toys.  There are plenty of videos where gamers crack open new product for the world to see.  And, of course, there are people ripping open packs of Beta Magic: The Gathering cards, only to find a Purelace as the rare.

With Millie (GnomeGirl #2) at a karate party *shudder*, I took a few moments with Maja (GnomeGirl#1) and we finally opened up the My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria - Curse of the Statuettes Boxed Set that I ordered on Amazon a few weeks ago.

First take, no editiing, no scripting, and some whining and gnashing of teeth and it's on Youtube.

I'm keeping my day job, and I'm certainly not advancing into the realm of professional vlogging any time soon.

So, my daughters are pretty close to crisis addiction level when it comes to scouring Youtube looking for blindbag videos.  In gamer-speak, a blindbag is the equivalent to opening up Heroclix singles on video, only for kids they're opening up a wide variety of collectibes from a wide-range of brands.

If you know what a Shopkin was for the last three years, you know what a blind bag is.

However, this whole concept isn't just relegated to kids toys.  There are plenty of videos where gamers crack open new product for the world to see.  And, of course, there are people ripping open packs of Beta Magic: The Gathering cards, only to find a Purelace as the rare.

With Millie (GnomeGirl #2) at a karate party *shudder*, I took a few moments with Maja (GnomeGirl#1) and we finally opened up the My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria - Curse of the Statuettes Boxed Set that I ordered on Amazon a few weeks ago.

First take, no editiing, no scripting, and some whining and gnashing of teeth and it's on Youtube.

I'm keeping my day job, and I'm certainly not advancing into the realm of professional vlogging any time soon.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Playing at the World: Vintage Ad: Why Women Don't Play Wargames

The blog Playing at the World recently posted a picture of an ad that TSR used to "lure" women into the burgeoning fantasy role-playing hobby.   Vintage Ad: Why Women Don't Play Wargames:

From Playing at the World

The blog Playing at the World recently posted a picture of an ad that TSR used to "lure" women into the burgeoning fantasy role-playing hobby.   Vintage Ad: Why Women Don't Play Wargames:

From Playing at the World

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

300K For the Gnomies!

With the help of bots from Italy, the Ukraine, and Russia, plus the views of thousans of real people, Gaming with the Gnomies just hit 300,000 page views.

I already provided by plans for world domination this year a mere two weeks ago, so not much has transpired.  My crazy busy season at work and the kid's activities have kept me from the basement, but I have gotten some time beyond my two-hour online RPG sesion in the office to work on a slew of projects.

I did take a minute to go through the blog journal, just to make sure I still had all my plans were still in the queue.

• Adventures in Gulluvia:  The relaunch of the old weekend group on an online platform is progressing slowly, but I think I have enough options for them, plus a few scenarios from some peculiar sources.
• 5th Edition D&D: Oh what fun it is to play a mixture of Robin Hood and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.  Falgor the Barbarian rocks!
• My Little Pony:  Reviews of the Core Rulebook and Curse of the Statuettes are pending.  I have a little administrative work to do, but the multiple sessions at Mepacon are ready!  
• Fall-In!:  Finally registered, room reserved
• Pulp Alley:  It took a few days of digging through my junk mail, but I did find my Pulp Alley Lost World of Lemuria PDF that they sent directly to me.  Still planning on Season 3 of the Pulp Game to be back in "Egypt," but it's a fun campaign to run for future sessions.
• Risus: Going through the Blogging Journal, I re-discovered the previously shelved "Planet Mirrorball."  With the cancellations of the 5e game, Risus - IOU will make a comeback after attacking the water plant.
• PROJECT ZERO:  Super-secret project I can't discuss at all.  Only thing I'll mention has been missing my nightly writing goals of a 1,000 words a night.  Getting that corrected ASAP.

The furnace needs to be serviced, so I'll be downstairs shortly.... and revisit the painting bench.  

With the help of bots from Italy, the Ukraine, and Russia, plus the views of thousans of real people, Gaming with the Gnomies just hit 300,000 page views.

I already provided by plans for world domination this year a mere two weeks ago, so not much has transpired.  My crazy busy season at work and the kid's activities have kept me from the basement, but I have gotten some time beyond my two-hour online RPG sesion in the office to work on a slew of projects.

I did take a minute to go through the blog journal, just to make sure I still had all my plans were still in the queue.

• Adventures in Gulluvia:  The relaunch of the old weekend group on an online platform is progressing slowly, but I think I have enough options for them, plus a few scenarios from some peculiar sources.
• 5th Edition D&D: Oh what fun it is to play a mixture of Robin Hood and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.  Falgor the Barbarian rocks!
• My Little Pony:  Reviews of the Core Rulebook and Curse of the Statuettes are pending.  I have a little administrative work to do, but the multiple sessions at Mepacon are ready!  
• Fall-In!:  Finally registered, room reserved
• Pulp Alley:  It took a few days of digging through my junk mail, but I did find my Pulp Alley Lost World of Lemuria PDF that they sent directly to me.  Still planning on Season 3 of the Pulp Game to be back in "Egypt," but it's a fun campaign to run for future sessions.
• Risus: Going through the Blogging Journal, I re-discovered the previously shelved "Planet Mirrorball."  With the cancellations of the 5e game, Risus - IOU will make a comeback after attacking the water plant.
• PROJECT ZERO:  Super-secret project I can't discuss at all.  Only thing I'll mention has been missing my nightly writing goals of a 1,000 words a night.  Getting that corrected ASAP.

The furnace needs to be serviced, so I'll be downstairs shortly.... and revisit the painting bench.  

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Even for a fellow that preps early, #RPGaDay was a vast undertaking.   That, and the premise of online gaming, has distracted me from painting and the normal wide latitudes the blog ventures into.  Sure, I almost averaged a non-#RPGaDay post a day for August, but sometimes my heart wasn't in it.

Looking back at September 2016, it took awhile to get my bearings right. Masks of Nylarathotep was wrapping up, my Burning Trogs Rule! campaign journal finished just after Labor Day, I only painted  a few random figs, and relied on cutesy humor and Kickstarters to fill the void. I don't anticipate a major deviation from that this year.  Between my Pigeon God weekly entries, Apathy of the New Releases, and a pile of stuff that I never found room to post in August, I had material for 14 out of the 30 days in September as of the 1st.

I can easily see the dream list I mentioned two weeks ago filling in the remaining days, but reviewing last September's list, I completely forgot about the Family Game Decathlon.  I can't do a game-a-day concept for the month of September, but I can offer come competitive games as a reward for getting back in the homework swing of things.

Of course, the long term planning for seasonal help at work crumbled just hours before my all-intern staff was supposed to report in.  Lucky for us, my staff is still arriving earlier than previous years.  I just need to lower my expectations.

And as I mentioned back on Day #22, we did get to play my Terraforming Mars game using Risus, although I'm waiting for an opening to finish it. I'm sticking with Ponies for this upcoming Mepacon, including Friday sessions, but Terraforming Mars appears to be flexible enough to run in a four hour session (or perhaps two under a PbtA system, or something simpler, like Lasers and Feelings/Rockerboys & Vending Machines.

As my Track and Cross Country coach always said, "We shall see what we shall see."

Even for a fellow that preps early, #RPGaDay was a vast undertaking.   That, and the premise of online gaming, has distracted me from painting and the normal wide latitudes the blog ventures into.  Sure, I almost averaged a non-#RPGaDay post a day for August, but sometimes my heart wasn't in it.

Looking back at September 2016, it took awhile to get my bearings right. Masks of Nylarathotep was wrapping up, my Burning Trogs Rule! campaign journal finished just after Labor Day, I only painted  a few random figs, and relied on cutesy humor and Kickstarters to fill the void. I don't anticipate a major deviation from that this year.  Between my Pigeon God weekly entries, Apathy of the New Releases, and a pile of stuff that I never found room to post in August, I had material for 14 out of the 30 days in September as of the 1st.

I can easily see the dream list I mentioned two weeks ago filling in the remaining days, but reviewing last September's list, I completely forgot about the Family Game Decathlon.  I can't do a game-a-day concept for the month of September, but I can offer come competitive games as a reward for getting back in the homework swing of things.

Of course, the long term planning for seasonal help at work crumbled just hours before my all-intern staff was supposed to report in.  Lucky for us, my staff is still arriving earlier than previous years.  I just need to lower my expectations.

And as I mentioned back on Day #22, we did get to play my Terraforming Mars game using Risus, although I'm waiting for an opening to finish it. I'm sticking with Ponies for this upcoming Mepacon, including Friday sessions, but Terraforming Mars appears to be flexible enough to run in a four hour session (or perhaps two under a PbtA system, or something simpler, like Lasers and Feelings/Rockerboys & Vending Machines.

As my Track and Cross Country coach always said, "We shall see what we shall see."

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

More Flip Flops Than a Jimmy Buffet Concert

This week, I've found myself on too many late-night phone calls and typing away at the computer. No big news right now, but since I haven't had time to venture to the painting bench, I'm calling a few audibles.

• Monday night is the online 5th Edition D&D game I'm playing in. Two sessions in and we've vacillated between a SyFy Channel Disaster Movie and Grey's Anatomy, with a few travelling montages out of Milo and Otis.  I'm not complaining at all.  
• If Jeff, our DM, cancels, I think I have a few interested parties for some random one-shots/playtests that I've been fleshing out from the blog's back-catalog of drafts.  If I want Terraforming Mars: The RPG, The Bloody White Baron of Mongolia, or George and Ike's Excellent Mexican Adventure, this might be a good avenue for it.  
• I had great online conversations with Nate (Norm Dingleberry) and Hoyce (Talis Makolin) to help flesh out final episodes of the Ballad of the Pigeon God. I still need to talk to Steve (Echelon), for his recollections, but the framework of those final days has been confirmed, and a few juicy details that I forgot after nearly twenty years.  I foresee the weekly episodes every Tuesday morning extending into July of next year.  
• I'm putting Rat-na-Rock on the far back burner of projects, alongside my Lost City and "Home" D&D campaigns.  The Frost Giants are still getting painted up.
• The 27th Leinenkugel Gnome Infantry are back up on the queue and more gnomes after that.  
• As God as my witness, the German Colonials and Treasure Chests will get finished.  
• Still trying to figure out my four hours of "grown-up" games to run at Mepacon.  Worst case, I may run more My Little Ponies Friday night.
• My Reaper Bones 4 pledge got dropped down to a $1 (Wave One).  Things are weird in the world right now, and I have have little under a year with the pledge manager to add what I finally decide on.  Plus Macrocosm Miniatures is having a one-week Kickstarter the end of August and it will end at the same time.  
• Michael's is currently clearing out their Spring/Summer Gnome & Fairy Home lines and has the Halloween and Christmas themes up (Thanks Mike for update!)

And while I figure out all of this, I'm trying to reconstruct the campaign map based off of all the campaigns I ran plus, the Epic of Aerth as the base...   Minor spoilers for the post-Pigeon God map. 

This week, I've found myself on too many late-night phone calls and typing away at the computer. No big news right now, but since I haven't had time to venture to the painting bench, I'm calling a few audibles.

• Monday night is the online 5th Edition D&D game I'm playing in. Two sessions in and we've vacillated between a SyFy Channel Disaster Movie and Grey's Anatomy, with a few travelling montages out of Milo and Otis.  I'm not complaining at all.  
• If Jeff, our DM, cancels, I think I have a few interested parties for some random one-shots/playtests that I've been fleshing out from the blog's back-catalog of drafts.  If I want Terraforming Mars: The RPG, The Bloody White Baron of Mongolia, or George and Ike's Excellent Mexican Adventure, this might be a good avenue for it.  
• I had great online conversations with Nate (Norm Dingleberry) and Hoyce (Talis Makolin) to help flesh out final episodes of the Ballad of the Pigeon God. I still need to talk to Steve (Echelon), for his recollections, but the framework of those final days has been confirmed, and a few juicy details that I forgot after nearly twenty years.  I foresee the weekly episodes every Tuesday morning extending into July of next year.  
• I'm putting Rat-na-Rock on the far back burner of projects, alongside my Lost City and "Home" D&D campaigns.  The Frost Giants are still getting painted up.
• The 27th Leinenkugel Gnome Infantry are back up on the queue and more gnomes after that.  
• As God as my witness, the German Colonials and Treasure Chests will get finished.  
• Still trying to figure out my four hours of "grown-up" games to run at Mepacon.  Worst case, I may run more My Little Ponies Friday night.
• My Reaper Bones 4 pledge got dropped down to a $1 (Wave One).  Things are weird in the world right now, and I have have little under a year with the pledge manager to add what I finally decide on.  Plus Macrocosm Miniatures is having a one-week Kickstarter the end of August and it will end at the same time.  
• Michael's is currently clearing out their Spring/Summer Gnome & Fairy Home lines and has the Halloween and Christmas themes up (Thanks Mike for update!)

And while I figure out all of this, I'm trying to reconstruct the campaign map based off of all the campaigns I ran plus, the Epic of Aerth as the base...   Minor spoilers for the post-Pigeon God map. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad