kr1mz0n_ghoti

Tuesday, October 25th, 2009

So, I'm looking at kicking off my first live test of FG2 tonight...

Things to do:
- Find Headset
- Test Skype
- Open Session (publish alias for folks to find)
- Try stuff out...

hopefully I can get some folks to log in and chat... and we can figure it out...

Non-FG2 related things to do:
- Go shopping for pot-luck stuffs
- Rake Leaves
- Cook Pot-luck stuffs
- Cook dinner
- Eat
- etc.

Stay tuned to see how it plays out.

So, I've been running a 4th ed game, called Kingom Under Seige, where the characters started as 16th level champions of the Reclaimed Myth Drannor... We're 10 games in so far (http://rpgdb.pbworks.con/kingdom/) (I think that link is right, damned limitation of posting by phone)

So, last night, after a couple of folks left, we discussed incorpotating fantasy grounds into the game. Though, we'd actually be incorporating it to supplement our tabletop game, while we're all sitting around the table, as opposed to when were all sitting at our own houses.

Basically it would be tactical assistant... Probably help organize skill challenges as well.

Right now, the game pretty much has 6 to 7 players at the table (+me) with everyone using a laptop. These laptops can get in the way of having/using a battlemap (which 4th ed kinda requires)... So using FG, every player could have the linked battlemap in front of them...

But we'd still be able to benefit with face-to-face RP... Which imo can't be beat with text-based rp... Sure, in text rp, you can stay in character more, and you can emote better... And if you are a decent write, it can generally flow better... But it lacks the speed of face-to-face conversation... And the dynamicness of a heated argument... And it generally feels more authentic/less contrived.

So... I have two weeks to see what I can cobble together, and hopefully test things out... And see about getting licenses for everyone (which since they offer discounds for multiple versions, I might get them all, and get them to pay me.

Hopefully, I'll be able to use my tuesday night attempt to figure out how to use this system... If only I didn't keep filling my tuesdays with 'that other stuff I can't do any other time.'

Anyway, that's enough typing on my phone.

WOOHOO...

Somewhere between lastnight and this morning, I managed to use the parser (along with the compendium scrape) to grab and build the PHB library and the monster manual library. It's hawt!

(well, I need to figure out why my MM library has phb data in it also (or the ghost of data)... and I need to figure out how much "flavor text" I'm okay with not having.)

But, regardless, I'm very happy.

Next step is start working through the other core (in my mind) books... like the powers books, and the second MM and PHB.

But yay.

Also good news, the DDI character builder now puts your magical tomes' powers into the power-selection... so it'll make cards for them. I had worked around this by choosing those powers, printing the character out, then taking the powers off... this is much simpler.

Made an assassin character.. might get to play him, might not... we'll see.

sigh...

need more time to game.

I'm looking at trying out FG live on tuesday the 13th (which is a very unluky day in latin american countries)... we'll see how it works. (Still need to make malpanda a shaman, though.)

Tried using the compendium scraper last night (way too late last night) and it didn't work as well as I was hoping...

But I think if I actually bothered to read the version notes, I would have known it would happen that way. I think it only really grabbed feats and powers, I have to grab everything else on my own. If that's true, that's okay... it'll just take some time, now that I know what I'm doing.

I'm still quite excited.

...

Turns out tonight I'm not going to use FG for my tabletop game... I didn't have the time to load H2 into my FG... but I'll discuss it with my players, and mkae sure they're good with it.

I so don't want to be at work today. I just (finally) found a clear post on how the 4e Parser works with the DDI Compendium... and it sounds SO easy that I want to race home and try it, even though I won't actually benefit from it for a while.

Sigh.

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6022699918919039124&postID=658748342645513470&pli=1

I'm not 100% sure what the out put will look like, and how I'll be able to incorporate that into my library modules, but I'm very excited.

Still considering how I can use this tool (the FGII in general) for my tabletop games.... I like the idea of using the masking with player views and gm views...

Hm... on the game at play at my place, I could set up the player side on the entertainment center computer in the liviing room, and drag the mouse/keyboard to the coffee table... then I have my computer off to the side... that way, when combat starts, the PC's can do their thing on the map, and I can do mine... I like that.

I have that game tomorrow... I'll just have to work quick at getting the maps set up and stuff...

Damn, I hate having to be at work some times.

(I'll publish the alias if people are bored enough to want to watch the map... though I don't think there will be much RP or Combat happening, as I'm not sure I'll be using the combat tracker... /shrug)

So, I still haven't loaded the parts of the phb stuff... but I did load the first dungeon in the 'dungeon delve' book... and I started to make some completely random npc's... (using the ddi's 'quick start' generator... though the 'cleric' it made had an 11 wisdom and 20 strength... but all the powers were strength related, so it looks like it could be an effective cleric... maybe.)

I figured I'd try the dugneon delve as a trial run, since it's short, has 0 to no rp, and allow me to get used to running a combat in FG, which strikes me as the hardest part... running the RP in FG will only be difficult to keep it text based, instead of just going off on skype (as I believe people would consider more natural, but if you're going to keep a log of what was said, it has to be said by text...)


/shrug...

just wanted to update.

okay, I've got the rest of the encounters uploaded... and the maps are done... next up is to make tokens for all the monsters (maybe) and of course, find players and run the game.

Gonna wait, I think, until dmnsqrl's sister and soon to be brother in law get back from their honeymoon... and then is the effort of finding a gaming day.

Mondays are out (two alternating 'every other week' games... though I'm playing in both which is a treat.)
Wednesdays are out (an every other week game (running) and a every other week get together with the larp crew.)
Thursdays might work, if we do 1 game a month... running an every week game and then I have to stay late at work.
Fridays are out... playing in an every week game.
Saturdays are out... larping or playing in a game
Sundays are out... running a game, or staying late at the folks place.

So... that looks like Tuesday is the best day, and since I already dropped out of my wow-raid-group (to free up tuesdays) I might be able to do an every other... or maybe one tuesday, one thursday, to spread the love.

Sigh... we need more days (with less work.)

Oh, back to the stuff I need to do... I need to figure out how to import more rules stuff into the database, for people to look at (especially powers and magic items and stuff.... you know, the hard stuff.)

First, let me say this is the maiden voyage of using my phone to hit LJ. If this works, I _might_ post more often... Though we'll see.

Second... Fantasy grounds. www.fantasygrounds.com ... The wheels in my mind are constantly spinning wrt running something on the virtual tabletop. It was the promise of the vtt that got dmnsqrl and I all excited about 4th edition in the firstplace, and ddi in general. (Course, now they don't even talk about it, despite how heavily they sold it originally.)

I've bought a full and a lite version (for me and dmnsqrl respectively) and am 75% of the way through importing, "rescue at rivenroar" the first module in the scales of war adventure path. I was a little sad to see that while a 3rd party has made a rule-set for 4th edition, you have to parse the rules your self, and while many people have run the rivenroar module, no one is sharing... (Or my google-fu is unable to find it, at least)

Anyway, 75% done, I've got all the maps copied and cleaned... I've got the first half of the encounters copied over, and all the monsters statted out. Next up is to finish the encounters, make tokens, see about sizing all the maps, then learn how the 'flow' of the game works... With fg2, and sharing the maps and moving the tokens and managing the combat tracker.

Then there is the next step, actually getting players, and figuring out communications. They say that it is effective to rp using the fg2, with text and stuff... But to whip out skype for the combats... While others I've talked to personally say that the rp should be done by skype...

Personally, I like the idea of being abble to keep written track of the rp (spelling errors and all) so that there is a history that can be refered to... Course, I could record/save/publish the skype stuff too, but it lacks automatical retrival of data, and the ability to parse.

So, as I struggle with these dire and serious thoughts, I also am contemplating my current tabletop game, and the events that are unfolding... I have a far off plot, that I want to introduce slowly... but in such a way that when the pc's see what's happening, its to late (ie: the boiling frog scenerio)

so many gaming hamsters running around in my head... So little room for any other thoughs.

Added to that, I've finished farm frenzy 2, and have gone back and won each level with a "gold"... If only such an achivement would help with either "Kingdom under Seige" (my tabletop game) or my FG2 game...

That's enough typing for now on my tiny keyboard, we'll see if I can stick with it.

So, started listening to a Podcast today, to see if I'm going to like it, and during their 'intro: episode 0' cast, they mention the fact that there is apparently an unwritten rule for gaming podcasts that they shouldn't have gaming stories, because, "no one wants to hear gaming stories."

So, I'm left wondering... am I a freak that actually likes to hear people's gaming stories... or do I just understand that whether or not a gaming story is entertaining depends 99% on the teller, and only like 1% on the subject matter.

There are people who I could pay to read me the ingredients of my Diet Coke with Lime... where there are other people whom I would not listen to a retelling of my favorite book (ender's game.)

Some people tell good stories, and some people suck. Unfortunately, most people only remember the people that suck (because usually they _really_ suck, or more likely, they represent the greater population) and so consider all gaming stories are bad.

If told right, a gaming story is no different than a novel/movie, or no different than a "so there I was..." story, depending on your preference.

Anyway, that's all I had to say.

Silence...

Silence...

Silen- (*krshhhhk*) "ok, it looks like were going to..."

- paraphrased from too many things.

All too often, in the communities I'm in (including, but not limited to: my family, work, wow, and larp) does it seem that people who have some sort of authority (preceived or actual) over me are making choices that involve me, without involving me... Or at the very least showing their work.

When I know there is an issue ahead, and I look to those authority figures and see them being silent (though, that is only because I'm not on the same secret 'officer' channel) I think to myself, well... No one has even started talking about it so either it isn't an issue, or they are waiting for me to suggest/do something.

Though I'd better not leave, expecting that nothing is happening, because I'd damned well better be ready to act when they are... Hell, I've had all this time to get ready, since _obviously_ they were discussing what was going to happen next!

And I'd better not suggest anything, lest I look like a fool suggesting something they've already discussed. (I cringe at dmnsqrls willingness to charge in and voice something they may (*do, I'm certain*) already know...)

The only way I can preceive to solve this is to prevent anyone having authority over me, so they can't have hidden means of communications to conspire against me. Yeah, that'll happen.

(Yes, I realive it might be related to being jealous that others are talking about something, and directly or undirectly they are telling me I'm not _cool_ enough to participate.... Well screw them. My gemini soul has a secret communication with itself, and those 'authority' figures aren't invited!!!

(There... I feel better... Kinda)

Came across a list of questions, and while I doubt I have the follow through for all 365... but I'd like to do this for all/most of my characters:

Domenico Luciano (Werewolf larp)
William Niklaren (Infinite Invasion)
Dallas Cavanaugh (Twilight City)
Kai (Blackthorne Bay)
Cade Frost (Mutants and Masterminds)

http://bakersfieldrpg.com/Documents/365charques.pdf

Though, to be realistic, I probably won't do all of them each day....

September
14. When was the last time your character took a vacation?

Nico: Brianna and Nico went to Chicago to attend a gathering for the departed of a glasswalker. We spent some time there, though it really wasn't a vacation. We ate at some nice resturants, stayed at a posh hotel, and Brianna went shopping for a bit while I spoke with some of the Glasswalker of the Chicago Sept.

Niklaren: Before joining the warders, Kiklaren took some time before making the final choice of joining the order of Warders. Spent time in Europe, from Germany to Greece, Portragal to Poland.

Kai: Before being taken by the Fey, Kyle and his family took a trip to Disneyworld. They spent a week there, it was the first vacation the family took together to somewhere famous, so his parents pulled out all the stops.

Cade:

In an email exchange with some folks I table-top game with, we were trying to
determine how much xp we started with for a new campaign (that we didn't want
to start at 1st.) It is a D&D 3.5 campaign, and I thought we had 6,000xp, to
start right at 4th. But other people thought we had 6,500xp (enough to make
some magic items/scrolls).

During the discussion, one guy says, "My notes say we started at 21,000xp"
which would put us at 7th. I mentioned that originally we discussed stating
at 7th level, but then we decided to go back to 4th, so he must looking at
old notes.

Then he followed up with, you right, if I look even further back, they say we
started with 14,500,000xp. (Which would put us at 170th level, with some to
spare :) ) But then I pointed out, that he had switched games, and that
was actually the number of Legend Points we had to make our 15th circle
earthdawn characters.

But then another guy followed the tangent of making 170th level characters in
D&D.

Which is just sick.

We've made and played characters that were between 25-37th level, for an epic
campaign that broke down under the stress of having too many house rules.
And those characters were fun, and I believe still challenging. But 170th?

So, when does a D&D character become too powerful to have fun with? Granted,
if you play style is 95% roleplay (talking or puzzles) and 5% combat (vs
monsters or traps) then really, level has very little to with it... and heck,
as you drop the %combat, you sometimes don't even need a charactersheet.

But, as much as we like roleplaying, and as proficient as we are (we've had
many really good sessions with character interaction, and "gut-check" moments
where we had to choose to do something hard because it had to be done, in
character...) our play style still heavily revolves around combat... because
we like to fight.

So... when do you become to powerful to actually enjoy playing the
character? Personally, I think with the right group, you could definitely
play a 40th level character and still find it challenging. After that, I
think it might be getting a bit difficult.

I believe as you get more powerful, the range between "not challenging"
and "impossible" gets narrower and narrower... and past 40... maybe even past
30, the range (now almost just a thin line) takes a very good GM with very
Trusting players to hit it.

The first rule of movie club... :)

Acutally, I was just thinking, dmnsqrl really likes the
discussion after events (especially shared events that she doesn't have to re-
describe.)

And a buddy of mine at work is part of a book club where they get assigned
books (the assigner rotates) that they have a month to read (they may have
more than a month, I dunno) and then they get together at the assigner's
house to discuss the book and what they thought.

While I may have the time to read books... I really don't have the desire to
prioritize it above nearly anything else. But movies... think on that.

Imagine a group of people, who would get together (maybe more often then once
a month... ) to watch a movie of the assigner's choice... then there would be
dinner involved, then discussion.

All participants would know, going in, that they are expected to comment on
the movie in whatever way they feel like particpating.

I think this could be a blast... I think I am going to suggest this to some
friends and see if people want to do this. (Course, it would be even cooler
to suggest this to people that aren't quite 'friends' yet... and use it as a
device to get to know them better... but that would involve inviting
strangers into my house... or into my mind... I am not sure which is scarier
(and for whom.))

(from dmnsqrl from aridane)
Introduce Yourselves

You're on my friends list.
I'd like to know 25 things about you. Thanks!

You'll be surprised how much you didn't know about your friends after this!

( Read more... )

yoinked from dmnsqrl who in turn yoinked it from hazeleyedfae

(Click here to post your own answers for this meme.)

✓ I miss somebody right now.	× I don't watch much TV these days.  (Heh, much like dmnsqrl I watch all together too much TV.)	✓ I own lots of books.  (I assume that gaming books count... and audio books... actual novels though? Not as many as dmnsqrl)
✓ I wear glasses or contact lenses.	✓ I love to play video games.	✓ I've tried marijuana.
✓ I've watched porn movies.	× I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.	× I believe honesty is usually the best policy.
✓ I curse sometimes.  (too much, probably.)	× I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.	× I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.

( it goes on... )

At first I thougth I was really behind the times, but then I find I am only
10 days behind... (I can live with that).

Apparently, Buffy-Maker Joss is no longer going to be helming Wonder Woman.

:( it would have been fun.

http://whedonesque.com/comments/12385

From a post on the Unknown Armies Mail List (From Aug 26)...

"In the game world of 'Delta Green' a 'Green Box' is a storage locker or building that contains things left over from previous missions that might prove useful for later operations (& stuff the current team can't deal with.)

Anyway someone has put together a generator to create lists of contents for these places.

It can be reached at: http://www.nemesis-system.com/greenbox/"

That site is SOOO cool :)

according to a latin translator online...

Spero = to hope for
Renovo = to renew, to revive, etc...

In what order would I put those words to make them say "to revive hope"

:)

(and... please let me know, if you know, if there is conjugation involved :)

Yoinked off a mailing list for Unknown Armies (from around 08.20.06) ... the
subject started off about this "Suicide Timer" that someone had created
because this girl posted on her blog that she was going to commit seppuku on
a certain day.

Well, the conversation ranged from suicides, to cries for help, to internet
hoaxes. This snippet of the post deals with the last one... Internet Hoaxes.

"Hoaxes on the internet make me think of a whole host of paradoxes associated
with the internet in general - it's this completely anonymous place, where
people can be completely untrustworthy - and yet, at the same time, people
are /quicker/ to trust than anywhere else. It creates a feeling of
interconnectedness and community - and yet these communities are composed
largely of people who will never even meet."

It is amazing how often I fall into the pit of, "if it is written than it
must be true... they wouldn't lie to me..." despite how often I tell my
sister, "Bah! Just because someone wrote it down, doesn't make it gospel" (I
blame my Gemini dual nature for any hypocrisy that might be detected)

Anyway, I realize that this could be seen as an obvious thought... but it
isn't one that I've voiced to myself recently... so I now find myself
saying "hmmmm... interesting."

On a wiki for Cyblade (of Image Comics' "Cyberforce") there is a trivia line
which I found funny... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyblade)

"Trivia
Many fans have claimed that she resembles Psylocke and critics have claimed
this because she resembles Psylocke."

:)

So people think she looks like psylocke because she looks like psylocke... my
question is, why else would people say she looks like psylocke?!