Games and Gaming 4: Steam and Strategy Prolog

Ok, The ultimate goal of the "Steam and Strategy" is a place for me to update the status of my progress in the translation of Goodman Games Dragonmech Setting from it's d2o 3.x roots to 4E compatible. Something i really started on some months ago, but have recently decided that I would as my new years resolution complete the project by the end of 2009, a bit late but for a pet project, not bad.

So We'll go with some set up for now. Things that need a change and update.

Setting history and background for the setting.
Races.
Classes.
Weapons.
Spells.
Steam Powers.
Mechs.
Factions and faction specific all of the above.

Ok, easy stuff first, spells are now powers, so no problem there.
Mechs, pretty easily covered by the new vehicle rules.
Weapons, easily integrated a few new classes of weapon: guns, bladed things with tiny bits of metal moving at rocket speeds around them, flamethrower, lightning generator.

Those last two are steam powers, and pretty basic things for Coglayers who used them as what amounted to basically their only power if taken to extremes. So What I've thought is to make steampowers like Magic items, but obviously not magical, just technologically better in ways, Something else for coglayers to futz with. So the items normally associated with Coglayers anyone will be able to use, Coglayers will just be able to use them better.

I've also been thinking of a malfunction system something to the effect of when using a steampower that is roughly when you activate the item(for other than at will powers) make a save, if it's sucessful the power works normally on a failure it malfunctions(without expending the power) somehow and needs some emergency repairs, roll on the right skill against 10+level of the item as a full round action, success means you can use the device again for powers, Failure means you didn't fix the malfunction and you can spend another round attempting to restore the device to functionality, roll of natural 1 on the emergancy repair check causes a catastrophic failure of the device, ranging from a fuel rupture to self targeting effects, depending on the device and power. On the occurance of catastrophic failure, it may be repaired or replaced in a short rest or extended rest. All of this stacks up to allowing the Coglayers powers to be a little more powerful as there is a chance of failure and time wasted.

Checklist:

Background and Setting (update, with some more time elapsed to advance the world and allow for some minor changes)
Races (minor adjustments for a few races, total rehauls for others)
Classes(80+ powers each, 1-3 paragon paths for each class, 5-6 Epic destinies)
Weapons
Steam Powers
Magic items
Mechs
Feats
Skill (to cover the loss of craft skills and knowledge of steam powers)
Salvage Rules

Games and Gaming 3: Tuesday Maintenence 2

Attack of the patch.

Patch 3.0.8 is looming on the horizon for World of Warcraft. Plenty of new and fun things in this patch but you can read all about that at www.mmo-champion.com they have all the data I'm too busy to research myself.

This blog isn't about the game it's about what I and maybe you do during the downtime of our favorite games.

This week:

Last nights, Top Gear.(50 minutes)
Additional blogging on my part.
Finish up Kanon(12 episodes)
Fiddling with blog settings to make this thing a bit less blocky, and get some formatting going.
And haunt a few forum trolling people for no reason other than being kinda bored with the current episode of Kanon.

Games and Gaming 2: Tuesday Maintenence 1

Ok, it's Tuesday, and for most people this means 8(or more) hours of notbeing able to play their crack simulation game.

Mine is World of Warcrack... Warcraft, sorry.

So the things come down to what to spend this time doing.

You could whine and complain and not understand timezones on the Worldofwarcraft.com forums.
But that will only get you laughed at and people will make fun of you.

You could try, every 4 seconds that the server is off, to sign onto the game. But that's about as frustrating trying to milk your cat, but at least there will be less scaring.

The most common advice given, for something to spend the time on is taking a shower, and sleeping. Because as a MMO gamer we are all unwashed red-eyed freaks. Only some of are.

I myself, will spend this Tuesday Maintenance, catching up on DRVed shows, a few episodes of anime(7-12 of Kanon, two hours), and end by playing some video game(probably Megaman 9 or Eternal Sonata).


After all that, I'll log on and work on the holiday event achievements(only 3 left, stupid PvP)

Gaming and Games 1

Tiny adventures.

Tiny adventures is nice little time waster application on facebook that gives an entertaining romp thru some DnD "gameplay".

The game basically plays itself so no need to worry about it ever minute of the day. The characters are not terribly customizeable due to program limitations but it can involve some gear switching and assistance from your facebook friends. If you have any.

The number generator appears to be random most of the time but seems to get very angry and start rolling a string of single digit numbers. The rolls seem to square up in the long run avraging out to what it should but it seem to know when you NEED to win, and it makes you lose. But that's just a gripe.

The big thing in the game is as you complete the adventures of a certain character you retire that character for the next "Generation" and doing so unlocks some useful and interesting things, like more options or abilities to get thru the game.

Good game little timewaster overall, with a few annoying problems, hopefully they expand on this idea and make a slightly more interactive and extanded version next.


Extra news:

PETA, those crazy animal rights people have done it again. Their new game is aimed to please, and just in time for the holidays.

http://www.peta.org/cooking-mama/index.asp

PETA's up to it's high standards once again, blowing things out of proportion like a one eyed crazy person. I understand the want to protect animals from animal cruelty and all that jazz, but seriously? Do they have video footage that isn't 10 or more years old? Do those scare tactics work? Personally I'm offended by this game, not because of the blood, guts, and sinew, but because they attacked a completely wholesome idea, a video game about cooking.

Not even a real chef, or a major corporation that kills thousands of tasty tasty animals for our enjoyment and consumption. A videogame. Their claim? Meat is bad, Blah blah blah. Oh and there should be a vegitarian version of the game, for vegans(cause milk and butter are evil too).

Did they approach the company with the idea for the game? No. Did they even make a broad suggestion? Nope, other than the normal moaning about how meat is bad. Yet they attacked the innocent fictional character.

I'm sure that nothing will happen to PETA because of this other than the free press from the reactions posted all over the internet.

The quality is low and the simulation is of something I can be safe in saying 99.9% at least, of all cooks would never have to do. Head and feathers still on? Giblets still attached to the interior of the bird? Wow, I feel like buying a frozen turkey to beat live turkies to death with, thanks PETA! Not really, but anything to be contrary to PETA's freakish desire to keep me from eating meat.

Happy Thanksgiving PETA! I'll send a picture of my super turducken as I put it together. Chicken strips surrounded by meatloaf wrapped in a few sliced up turkey breasts and then the whole thing wrapped up in a pork loin. Serve with sausage gravy AND giblet gravy. And If I can get my hands on it maybe use some duckfat to keep the interior moist, and some thin slices of goat meat as a garnish to give the whole thing some international flare.

NEXT TIME: Gaming and Games 2: Sunday RPG Session 1

Caution: Memetic Hazard 1

Meme, anyone familiar with the term probably knows it from it's plethora of incarnations on the internet. The number and evolution of memes is said to be a study in how biological beings evolve. The strong survive, the weak die off. Not all memes are bad, but many are destroying our society, we'll be covering the bad ones.

But first a lesson.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
Now that that's done.


Motivators or more commonly demotivators.

Initially a simple encouragement tool for office workers, used to cheaply fill wallspace in otherwise barren offices, it's transformed by the fickle and often crazed minds that inhabit the internet. The idea is simple; a picture, a title, and a small statement about the picture or title. the whole thing should motivate, or enlighten, however the images are often of an offensive, erotic or just simply weird origin and are ment to confuse, anger, arouse, and sometimes more than one.

And that's the problem with this meme. Abuse. Speaking of the abuse you can make your own. Go here.
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php
Congratulations, you're part of the Meme now. For good or for bad, welcome to the internet, it's not likely the first meme you've encountered but this is one of the more common and when topical can be entertaining to read thru a few dozen at a time of the thousands out there on the internet.

NEXT TIME: another memetic hazard and possibly a few lessons on keeping yourself from perpetuating them.

1 GET!

Stupid internet, I've avoided these things for so long but things change.

It's time to build a virtual community! All bow down to the Blog Gods and weep as the mightiest blog ever is brought before your eyes.

Future posts to inculde...

Caution: Memetic Hazard
Mr. Moneybags
Steam and Strategy
Gaming and Games
YOU'RE FIRED!
GET
and anything else I can come up with that is only important to me but other peple may find interesting.