So, what have I missed?

I've augured in yet another attempt at the Byzantine campaign, and likely finished off my possibilities for player recruitment locally. Methinks that any further games I play will likely be carried off via skype. I'm part of one such group already, and although I was skeptical at first, it seems to work fairly well.

It has also sparked thoughts of working together something like really old school D&D (like Basic/Expert) and incorporating Aspects (a la Spirit of the Century). One of my problems with the most recent game, I think, was the battlemat driving everything to combat, and I've been mulling how to get away from that tendency. It's slow going, since I'm still trying to finish Arcadian Gate (thought I have a great track record of getting a quarter of the way through and restarting) but I'll eventually pick it up big time. I'm going to do a development blog and everything.

Went to HyperiCon, visited funkasite and bondagebear. did a couple of panels, talked briefly to devilbunny. I'll have to try to make it around the parties next time. Lots of fun, and something I look forward to every year.

Still writing, as I say. Lots of side projects beckon.

I've even been mulling a campaign idea cpip came up with and told me about once. An adjustment of timeline... and wouldn't it be cool if Thundercracker was one of these? *evil grin*

Still haven't gotten back into A&E yet. Money is going crazy.

And yet I still mull how to get the podcast back into public knowledge.

So that's me. I won't promise regular updates again, as I've clearly done a sterling job so far this year... but I'll try to keep up with things here again.

Yes, it's true; I promised at least a post a week in my only post in January. I never got the hang of these resolution things, anyway.

So, gaming has seriously picked up lately. With the GutterSkypes group, I'm currently running Starblazer Adventures, and the group looks to be doing well. With a little shuffling, the Thursday Night group (whether or not it continues to be The RoleMonkeys still to be determined) has run through a new member's (and occasional AGC listener) homebrew, and we start on Goodman's new Call of Cthulhu adventure this Thursday. Then finally, this past weekend, my second attempt at The Byzantine Game, this time using D&D 3.5, got off to a smashing start. Here's to finishing it this time. :)

By the way, if anyone with more knowledge of the confluence of European geography and myth can point me to some surprises I can spring on river travelers on the Rhine and Danube around 550 AD, please feel free to message or email me (tashkal -at- livejournal -dot- com still works, I think). I've found a couple of fun things already, but it never hurts to have additional options.

Tax refund is on it's way, so I may finally make an A&E return work.

I'm still plugging away at Arcadian Gate, and that does seem to have been promoted from working title to actual. I'm thinking an official podcast launch by May 1st, and I've looked into a couple of publication options. No promises on that last bit, of course, but still, it's something. I'm still mulling over plot points for my second planned project, Polybius, a hacker-type thriller involving the mythical 80s video game.

And in the middle distance, I shall make my third attempt at attending the entirety of HyperiCon in June.

And that's me at this point.

So, in the last half-year, I've really drifted away from here. I've shown up in other places, but I'm trying, in 2009, to do a better job of staying in touch with people. And so, here, at least, I plan to try to post something at least once a week. Probably more, if I can get my priorities arranged properly, but at least once a week.

I also plan to try to get a novel finished and start podcasting it by the end of March, which kind of throws a wrench in that, but there you go. But man, oh man, does it get you interesting Twitter followers.

Further, I think AGC is finally on the map.

And that's something else. Through AGC, I've been part of putting a new couple together, it would seem. Affecting people at that level... that is so new to me, it's not even funny. It's weird knowing you can connect people like that, as much as I'm happy to have been part of it.

I need to get back involved with A&E. Money issues caused me to have to drop my subscription about a year ago; hopefully I'll get things back together soonish and send something in.

Something.

Happy new year, everyone.

Wow, I need to post more here. I've been poking around Twitter far more than is healthy, probably. :D

In all seriousness, though... I'm looking to run a D&D game, probably 3.5, in 2009, probably a redo of the Byzantine Campaign.

I've got the details over at LouisvilleRPG in this post. I'll probably put a posting up at Louisville Game Shop next week (if I do finally break down and go grab Formula D). But if people I know are interested, so much the better.

I sort of have one person interested at the moment. We'll see how that goes.

More later...

So, a lawyer here in my stomping grounds of Louisville, Kentucky, is fronting a group looking to buy GenCon (obtaining the assets while liquidating the debts).

I suspect I know who the lawyer is, even though I haven't checked up on it. I know of at least one with fannish connections. Granted, there are probably more, but it's an easy guess.

[EDIT: And no, I was wrong. I don't know how that bodes, then... but the link to the letter of intent is at the bottom of the article.]

So I'm curious who the money is. Some people I know took the UPS hub here into consideration, thinking the money might incorporate it here (which is in fact the case) without actually being here. After all, a lot of GenCon stuff apparently ships through that hub. It sure as hell won't be moving -- Indy probably has more hotel rooms right around the convention center than in Jefferson and its surrounding counties.

So I remain curious.

So, for the past month or so, I've been playing a one-every-two-weeks game of Spirit of the Century over Skype.

I think I'm getting my GMing groove back.

It's 1919. The Shocking Shaman of Shanghai (don't blame me for that one, it's a PC's nemesis) is striving to seize the German High Seas Fleet from its internment at Scapa Flow (despite already having several wicked cool zeppelins and parasite fighters, not to mention Wilhelm Ace, Mercenary Pilot and his Coanda-engine powered jet fighter). The group just found out the Shaman's plans, caused a ruckus, and machine-gunner the control consoles on their way out (the Shaman can control electrical devices with a magical artifact, although that keeps him busy controlling the airship).

Next session, they make their escape from the airship and prepare the defense. When this is over, one of the others is taking up GMing for a bit, but I went ahead and pitched a FATE-powered remake of the Byzantine Campaign once that was finished, utilizing a combination of the FATE systems used in SotC and Starblazer Adventures.

I know, most of this likely means little to most of you. Suffice it to say that I feel I'm in my best GMing shape in a long, long time.

Okay, just so folks who care know, I'm still on the fence to cautiously optimistic about the upcoming Watchmen movie.

But...

I just want to say, though, that based on what I've read of it, I at least want to see the opening credits, which I expect to affect me similarly to the opening of Gods and Generals. In short, the history of costumed heroes in the book portrayed to Dylan's "The Times They Are A'Changing."

That, if nothing else, should be cool.

Instructions: from isolde_deely
* Grab the nearest book.
* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the next seven sentences in your journal along with these instructions.
* Don't dig for your favourite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

Hoping to level the playing field, she suggested going inside. "A cup of tea would be nice?"

Tania hesitated for a moment, but then showed her to the narrow door that led to her own quarters at the Hall. Ella had never been inside -- indeed, she suspected none of the villagers had. Once up the curling, tight stairwell, the sanctuary was revealed to be much like Tania herself; Spartan, but stylish. There was very little character anywhere in the room; no rows of books or sagging pot plants like Ella had.

"I'm just going to hang up this umbrella and get changed; it's a bit cold tonight."

(from Digital Magic, by Philippa Ballantine)

Ah, yes, this "Livejournal" thing...

Sorry to be gone so long; Twitter is sort of eating my online time. I'll try to be better.

Slowly making progress on Arcadian Gate; I ended up coming up with a character change that would help punch up the pacing, but nuked most of my writing at that point; since there were fixes to be made in the first chapters anyway, I went ahead and started a total rewrite (although I'll be able to salvage portions of the previous work, so that's all good). I've been away from it during the electrical crisis -- not because mine was off, because it wasn't, but because of getting work set back up and dealing with customers as their power comes back on.

And of course, I live/work in that part of town where people aren't rich enough to really be rich, but enough to give themselves an inflated sense of self-entitlement. So as you can imagine, I'm having lots of fun... I should be back at it soon, though.

Heroes tonight!

I'm thinking about trying to recruit a local gaming group to try a redo of the Byzantine campaign. I need D&D 3.5 books, at least, though (mine are still 3.0). I know the SRDs are an option, but I'm not printing the damn things out...

Not sure how it'll go over, though. The local gaming board hasn't been all that helpful since the failure of the Star Wars game.

And that's me, in a nutshell.

At home, we have power (though we apparently lost it briefly Sunday). Internet/land line has been on and off. Cellular phone doesn't pick up signal indoors.

In other words, I'll have plenty of time to write.

Work power is out, and we spent the last couple of days cleaning and throwing things out, and store security has had to block people driving up and trying to intercept things going to the dumpster. A few better things, they've actually cooked up for the employees.

It'll be a week or so after power comes back on before we can reopen, due to restocking and health inspection (since it's been down more than 24 hours).

We shall see...

Back pain this morning, a little twinge growing to all over soreness, then chills.

Not happy. Not at all.

Got to hang with cool people, though.

Now, to be glad I'm off tomorrow...

cpip, I think I'm going to need Spirit of the Century back soon.

I'm getting dragooned into running a Skype game, it would seem. With anim5 (of International Detective Dragons From Outer Space, for those in the podcasting know), among others.

At the table, we kind of stumbled through Sons of Liberty last night. I think we'll do better with it next week.

First, what I didn't get:
Trail of Cthulhu: It's out in stores, and all the other Gumshoe games out are horror based already.
The Black Company: I didn't realize they were only $5 until far too late.
Hellas: Though I'd have had a review copy for cpip if even the "battle-scarred" (ie banged around in the boxes during transit) hadn't completely sold out. (I did get a quick-start rules guide, though, to help with the rules reading on the PDF.)

Which brings me to...
Demo/Promo/Quick-Start
Song of Ice and Fire
Little Orc Wars
Murder at Miskatonic for Cthulhu Live (the last two were stacked in the press room)
Magic cards, and the HeroScape promo figure

Review Copies and such
Battle For Hill 218
Secrets and Poor Wizard's Grimoire for Colonial Gothic
Keep on the Shadowfell for 4E
Pyramid of Shadows for 4E
Knights of the Old Republic Sourcebook for Star Wars Saga Edition

Cheap/Discounted
Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names
Ultramodern Firearms d20
The Red Star Campaign Setting
Nyambe: Ancestral Vault
GURPS Arabian Nights
GURPS Age of Napoleon

RPGs and Related
GM Gems
Mutant City Blues
Old Frontiers
Starblazer Adventures
Timestream
Sons of Liberty

Boardgames (in this case, all wargames from the same line)
Freikorps
War Plan: Crimson
C.S.A.: America's Civil War (Complete with an uncomfortable article in the back of the rulebook; I hesitate to say "objectionable" but the subject does come with a lot of baggage.)

Almost forgot: Media!
The Gamers: Dorkness Rising
A Prisoner's Welcome by Shane Moore

Ever have one of those vacations that you don't want to come back from?

And then you get back to work and the grind, and come home to upsetting things, and then realize someone upended the universe on you?

Yeah, that's my day.

Back from GenCon. Lots of fun hanging out with cool people, doing stuff for AGC, and playing games.

A full loot list will follow eventually.

Other notable things:
1) Played in a demo of the upcoming new Doctor Who RPG. Looking forward to it.
2) What Are They Thinking Award: Blasphemy, the boardgame where you attempt to be the first Jesus to get crucified. Not sure what their approach is, from what I've seen of it.
3) A look at an upcoming board game... which is being saved for AGC. :D
4) Winning the original mock-up box from Wits and Wagers (the box calls it Trivia Casino</a>; the game inside is actually Pictionary).
5) Getting some big interviews... you know, like Wizards of the Coast.
6) Starblazer Adventures (relating to the 1970s British comic, not the anime), the 600-some odd page FATE game that could easily be used to bludgeon someone to death.
7) Killer Breakfast. Lots of fun, but still didn't get to participate.

Yeah, that'll do for now.

Before I head off to GenCon (and if any of you see me there, feel free to say hi), I figured I'd get this out of the way.

Comment and I'll give you a letter; then you have to list ten things you LOVE that begin with that letter. Afterward, post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.

roina_arwen gave me "C" (and unlike the questions meme, I think I can actually manage to pass out letters...)

1. Catan Or at least Settlers, although I am interested in trying out some of the associated games, like Entdecker.

2. Conventions Yeah, the convention scene, at least the ones I can get to, feel like home.

3. Computers At least when they work. I mean, I own four...

4. Card Games A lot of card games. Not the collectable ones, but I've got many, many card games.

5. Cutlery If you could refer to the sword collection in such a way...

6. Cinnamon Rolls Mmmmm....

7. Civil War Not that I think it was a good thing to happen, or that another should, or anything, but it's an endlessly fascinating period of American history to me.

8. Cider I really loved the Blackthorne that Molly Malones' used to carry, but I've come to like Hard Core, Woodchuck, and even Strongbow when it's on tap.

9. Coneys (or at least Cincinnati Chili) Skyline being the biggest one around here, but there are different ones all over the place in Cincinnati.

10. Cereal It's breakfast food! It's a snack! It's whatever you want it to be!

The fiction site got its first international visitor today, according to Feedburner's tracking information.

From a search of the terms "the story of zahhak" I got my first visitor, apparently, from Tehran.

Now, Zahhak himself is a figure from Persian folklore, so it's understandable, but still...

(But they haven't banned me yet! And just wait until I get an audience and am podcasting the third, and as yet unwritten, Ordo Nox novel...)

Got one.

I'm still having fun trying to get it to hook up to the wireless, though. I'll mess with that tomorrow.

Also saw The Dark Knight. Generally pretty good, but there were a few minor quibbles.

Tomorrow night, another AGC interview.

I want a Wii.

I've decided this after vacation. That thing was cool.

Finding one, though... that's the tough part. Any tips from anyone?

Well, I decided on the "Pay as you go" option at the hotspot, so you can bet there won't be too many of these updates unless I find more free options around here.

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is more or less nice so far. The parents got a big cabin up on some mountainside, complete with treacherous gravel roads with huge ditches on one side and huge dropoffs on the other (though the trees might catch you if you drive off one). It's a really nice place, though, even if there is no internet and rare mobile coverage. Brother-in-law Jeff brought his Wii along, and I'm finding it really cool. If I ever get one of the new consoles, the Wii is it. And it's hardly bigger than a CD-ROM unit!

As for things in town, expensive, yes. And I'm amazed at how much the local economy is based on pancake houses (there must be one or two every block) and miniature golf. I've played three games so far, and I'm about played out. I discovered the Knoppix Games Edition live CD I have features a miniature golf game, so maybe I'll stick to that.

And in a few days, I've managed 4000 more words, which is a start, but an important start. I'd been rather down on writing since the last move (well, since ConCave, really) but this trip will jump start things, I think, and give me a better chance of giving the Arcadian Gate podcast an October launch. I think I'm going to try to get a couple of short stories out of the way while I'm out here, too. I have one adaption of an older story to do, and a couple of other ideas floating in my head.

I'm probably more likely to text other small updates to Twitter, if you're on that; my ID there is tashkal, just like here.