Archive for August, 2006
Dead Rising
Trapped in a mall with thousands of zombies and hundreds of weapons to slaughter them with. Fuck yeah!
I’m rather partial to the electric guitar, it has good mass, a wide arc when swung, and gets the ladies. The lawnmower’s hard to say no to as well.
15 commentsHelp Mike Craft a Game: Time Period
So, I’ve read the basic rules for HârnMaster and when I have free time, like now, I’m going to craft a world and game to use them in. I’ve no interest in using HârnWorld, as it’s just another derivative fantasy setting with more Plot Vouchers explaining the presence of Trolls and Demons than is really necessary. The idea behind getting this system was to have a game where I could run a low fantasy setting with harsh enough combat (kind like WFRP) to provoke a little less swordplay. It should also help showcase the significance of particularly nasty fights. Fiction influences include “A Dream of Eagles” by Jack Whyte and “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George RR Martin, books and setting with more to do than kill the goblins terrorising the village of Speilburg. Since I’ve got a few place I want to start from, I’m going to ask my reader(s) for advice.
2 commentsHow is he Special?
So he doesn’t pay taxes, didn’t pay for the plot and doesn’t work for a living, yet he deserves the land more than the city or someone who might pay for it? He says it’s just an attempt to get rid of the visible homeless. Fucking great! The less I have to sit through some scrote’s disgusting urine stink on the train to work the better. It’s nice to know the law only applies when the lefties want it to. Thanks again Mayor Miller.
5 commentsNinety-Nine Nights
Skip it. It gets very monotonous after about two hours. I’m much happier I picked up Dead Rising.
No commentsTwinkies
We at Warrom Junior call those that make PCs who soley exist to do harm to the NPCs, the game, and the enjoyment of others. Sometimes they’re called Munchkins, Min/Maxxers or Beardy, but the idea is the same: They hate all that flowery story crap, ignore social skills or any that don’t allow their character fight better, and their characters lack any social grace. Dealing with them is simple: Either kill their characters until they get the point, or kick them out of the group like Warrom Junior did with its last one years ago. It’s the more covert aspect of Twinkies that can be devastating.
12 commentsThe “R” Word
Me and Teddy broached this topic in the now inaugural “Pen and Paper” category post, but one of the touchier words someone can throw at me when discussing a PnP system is “Realism.” Why? Because real isn’t necessarily fun.
I tend to regard someone criticising a mechanic or rule as unrealistic as a weak attempt to cover up for the fact that their precious character is disadvantaged. My favourite little saying is, “It’s hard to argue the finer points of realism in a setting where you can utter a few syllables, wave your hands, and fire a lightning bolt at a 45-tonne flying dinosaur that breathes fire.” Teddy struck on a good point, however, realism is a setting is best used contextually. In D&D realism usually takes a back seat to balance, otherwise everyone would just play one class. In Dream Pod 9’s Silhouette settings, it’s a little more relevant. The shame is DP9 appears to be hopping on the d20 System/Open Gaming License bandwagon.
6 commentsA Dream of Eagles
I don’t tend to read fast unless I really like the book. Even then, a 250 page novel will take me a month plus a couple weeks. A Dream of Eagles Book I: The Skystone took me a weekend. Unheard of at almost 500 pages. Even A Song of Ice and Fire took about a month per book. It seems combining the Roman Empire (of which I’d read scant little of until now) and the Arthurian Legend (which I knew the basics of) is a magic combination foe me. At least that’s what I thought.
1 commentStop! Or Else We’ll… Ask Again?
Kofi Annan proves once again the UN is a paper tiger.
Seriously: Last I heard one third of the UN’s “resolutions” have been to curb Israel’s heavy-handedness. How can they not hear Prime Minister Olmert laughing at them by now?
7 commentsHey Jordan
If you’re going to make you URL that particular site, my SPAM filter’s going to block your comment and I’m not going to to bother fixing it.
Keep it to a minimum level of civil, please.
No commentsI Thought He Just Charged a Machine-gun Nest
Rank and organization:’ Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January, 1945.
Entered service at: Dallas, Texas. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Texas, G.O. No. 65, 9 August 1944.
Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. Lt. Murphy’s indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy’s objective.
This is how Audie Murphy got the Medal of Honor.
When I get the time I’m going to have to see what others have done. Including the Victoria Cross.
I know Erik says 9 times out of ten it starts with the recipient getting pissed off and saying, “Oh to Hell with this!”
1 comment