TigerDave's page

Transitioning into science fiction:

Starship Troopers. Very political though - you may get some interesting (moreso than you wanted) discussions out of that.

Merchanter's Luck. Dragon Song, Dragon Singer, Dragon Drums. All 4 are short, easy, and flavorful.

OMG OMG OMG! Is it that day?? Woooo! Last year I was flying planes over Iraq >:( I get to par-tay this year, even if it is the latter parts of the day! Woooo!

Happy Erik Mona Day!!

On the gardening note, has anybody tried out an AeroGarden? I've wanting one (or three) for ages and I'm curious to know what others think.

Mrs. Tiger has one. So far, our "harvests" have been emaciated, shrivelled looking things, not those lush "chia-pet" gardens the pictures have.

I remain unimpressed.

As to ripping into Vegans/Vegetarians, I think it's stupid. I also, however, think it's stupid when they waggle their fingers in my face (not toward me, but literally in my face) while I am trying to eat. I appreciate the passion, and I appreciate the belief, I just don't share it. Obnoxiousness can go both directions. I, however, have little tolerance for it regardless from which direction it comes.

For example, this thread was talking about voting. Well one of the concerns for Reps is that only those who are legal able to, should vote (i.e. voter fraud is a concern). While for the Dems one of the concerns is that everyone who legal has a right to vote gets a chance to (i.e. disenfranchisement is a concern). The fact is, both of these are legitimate issues and both are things that every single voting citizen should care about. Dismissing one aspect or the other is doing a disservice to everyone.

This is what I value about our party system, and what I think happens when one side gets too much of a voice as opposed to the other side. While we'd like to point fingers to the left or the right for the current situation, I think the real truth is that we've flip-flopped between strong left to strong right instead of taking the more rational median road. I am afraid that, regardless of the fact that the balance has shifted again, has it shifted too far to the left?

I pushed buttons and got a sticker! Yay!

I also got a sticker! Yay! And ... it was good for a free Starbucks coffee <gasp>.

And yes, I *did* go get my coffee.

When the Democratic noms came out, originally I was against Hillary Clinton for a whole lot of reasons, hoping that the Dem pick would be Obama. "Anything has to be better than another Clinton," I thought to myself.

Didn't realize how wrong I was.

Amusingly, at the polls, I voted at 0930am and was voter #100. The guy there said it was the largest turnout they ever had.

By 0930. I wonder what it will be by close?

Well looks like All Hallows Eve has come to close. I hope everyone had a good day.

Sigh.

I experienced the worst horror of all (yeah - I worked. Even worse, I worked Swing and missed ALL of the good parts.)

Not really a "Fall" book by topic, but I *always* start my long cold season off with a reading of The Hobbit.

EDIT: Yuletide already? Dang.

The Belgariad - David Eddings
Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe

As we get closer to Christmas itself, I most likely will slip into some lighter fare: Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (you left me too soon, sir!), and DEFINITELY will restart another read through the Myth Inc. series by Robert Lynn Asprin.

Other winter reads on my list this year will be to get back to the Steven Brust books (I stopped at Orca - I have some catching up to do.)

I'm also catching up on some L5R d20 gaming material I never finished getting - I have about 6 Secrets of ... books to catch up on.

I *love* winter ...

The Serenity Net. We are both autonomous AND interconnected.

I've played L5R RPG since its inception, and just started playing the CCG again after a hiatus of several years.

The CCG is a quality game. I feel that the gameplay has much greater depth, requiring greater attention to strategy (deckbuilding) and tactical employment (actual gameplay.) I also am feeling the call to buy some cardstock.

I think one of the things I've always appreciated about L5R is that the RPG really emphasizes roleplaying. I'm looking forward to getting back to this aspect of gaming deeply.

EDIT: Legend of the Burning Sands? How do you feel about that product? I had been visiting the L5R forums and was disappointed to hear that the L5R 3d Rev had so many issues and errors tied to it. I am interested in taking a peek, but "I have a bad feeling about this."

I started a L5R game, I posted the campaign journal for it here. :)

OUTSTANDING!

I got involved with L5R back when the card game was in the Shadowlands set. I have complete sets all the way through Scorpion Clan Coup and several beyond but I stopped chasing them as rampantly as I did when I started. I also have almost all of the L5R RPG line (1st edition) and I think EVERYTHING ever released for Clan War (Miniatures.)

In fact, I used to be an Imperial Ambassador for them, doing all three product lines. It was around about '99 when I "fell from the fold" because I went to Korea and had no access. I wasn't greatly enamored of the materials (or Shawn Carman's writing/direction) when I got back in late 2000, so I just let it all drift away.

I am CERTAIN that there will be many out there that disagree strongly, but I felt that ORIENTAL ADVENTURES, using Rokugan as the base setting, was 100% absolute genius! I love ORIENTAL ADVENTURES, and I want to get back into running OA, using an upgrade to current time.

That being said, thanks for all the help!

I would strongly recommend investigating the Heroes of Rokugan "living" style campaign, which has generally produced adventures of extremely high quality.

Much appreciated! I, however, tend to design my own material. I have extensive "old world" knowledge, and think I can craft entertaining adventures. I just want to upgrade my knowledge.

The 3rd Ed, Rev., is pretty much completely caught up with the card game's current timeline, including information on the Spider Clan and the many changes that have occurred within and between the other Clans (the adoption of the Fox into the Mantis, the reabsorption of the Hosi and Hitomi families into the Togashi, etc.).

Domo!

Sadly, I am way out of touch with L5R, having been a rabid fan up to the second Day of Thunder and then getting overwhelmed with "blah!" and falling away since then. While I haven't particularly cared for the direction the story has gone, it probably has established the most stable, most RPG-friendly Rokugan.

Yea, I said enough of that! As a consumer I want to feel proud of my purchases not silently being ashamed of wasting money. Would I buy them again if I could do it all over again....nope, I would have stuck with the metal ones. Sure I have to paint them....but at least I get to choose what colors...and they cost about the same. Oh, wait...their not random....

I think that, as a miniatures gamer, I've always enjoyed the painting aspect as part of the hobby. Growing up we always had a big love of "showing off" our latest character in metal! Also, no matter how craptastic the paint job, we always had a lot more appreciation for "I made this" than some of the rubber crap we've seen lately.

Alright, I'm tired of this *(&*.

Isn't it funny that, the more politically correct we become, the more oppressed we are? In other words, are you enjoying your freedoms, or are you being forced to observe someone else's agenda in an effort "not to offend?"

I love responsibility. I love being responsible for my actions. I cannot guarantee that I will not offend you. Just by wearing a "Yay 4E!" or "Yay Pathfinder!" shirt I'm going to offend someone. Should we really step that far?

Amusingly, I never knew Halloween to be a Christian event, or tied to All Saints Day, or that there even WAS an All Saints Day!

Still, I liked picking up the commons on the $1 shelf to use for RPGs. If they don't randomize the packs, I'll have to buy boxes to get what I want.

The more I think about it, the more I think this may be the reason why they're keeping the randoms, Tarren. If not, there will be NO secondary market, and individual figures will dry up fast.

My personal prediction: Singles figures will skyrocket for about the next 4 months, and then tank. I expect demand for most recent product to go into a sort of singles feeding frenzy, and then the bottom will drop out of the DDM market.

Of course, I thought when West Germany and East Germany reunified that the value of the duetchemark would tank as well as they assumed all the debt for the new government, etc.

Boy was I wrong ...

A stupid one, but a favorite: I'm a big fan of production. I really enjoy the tactile feel of the 4E cover template. The "flat" has a rough feel to my fingers, but when I hit the slick it is so cool, and smooth. It's like drinking straight tequila with an OJ chaser. The tequila is NOT KIND as it ravages your taste buds, but the OJ is so smooth and cool ... Being older, I like the larger typeface. I don't feel like I am trying to read an infernal contract.

I generally prefer a lower level of fantasy, but if you're going to do high fantasy, well, I think you can do worse than what 4E presents.

I *never* play wizards. Ever. Evereverever. Not because of Vancian magic (ROFL - sorry, insider joke) but because, while I can grasp difficult concepts and mechanics just fine I tend to get overwhelmed with options. When that happens I end up going "Thogg smash!" 4E has me practically wetting my pants to play a wizard! Not because they're stupid, underpowered, or whatever, but because the path has been cleared of so much dead wood I can see where to put my feet! I can't wait to get this guy in game!

YAY! PCs separate from critters! YAY! You get to see the heros! YAY! As a GM I will buy my critters without all of those pesky PCs clogging my mini bin.

This is really good news.

You need to send me some of your pesky heroes. I have ... I think about 5 figures that can do PC work. As a role player, this is solid. Let me put my dollars where I want to. Like Sebastian said in another thread, pure win would be to ditch random altogether. This way, I don't have to spend forever to get a real-sided kobold warband.

I didn't know DDM was in trouble. The concept stuns me, and as I look through history, I see a lot of D&D product that has failed:
Spellfire: Lackluster, but they put a ton of product out for it
Blood Wars: Caught themselves before they followed suit
Chainmail
DDM

I just wonder, why is it you get such brilliant product with MtG, but D&D-licensed goods just tend to wither so soon off the vine.

I think 4E could be a pretty solid CCG, if WotC can get the materials out of the hands of the RPG folk and into the hands of the CCG developers.

Concerning the Legend of the Five Rings RPG, 3rd Edition:

When, historically, is this game set? Has it been driven forward to the "current" cycle?

I own the 1st Edition of L5R and most of the support materials, Oriental Adventures and its support materials, but I'd like to leapfrog the history and such to "modern L5R."

Sadly, I'd look myself, but Alderac has been deemed NSFW.

So your saying the WOTC GSL is the cause and not Paizo? See that's what I had thought had happened ages ago but have not kept up with the latest changes.

I thought that with Goodman games creating 4E stuff the restriction on 3rd parties and 4E had 'softened', I take it that's not the case? I didn't get the impression that Paizo was disinterested with 4E but that they just gave up the 4E option due to the GSL.

As of the 17th of this month, the announced revision of the GSL has NOT been touched. Don't take my word for it, however, go straight to Mr. Rouse, who mentions it here. Whatever deal Goodman Games got is between them and WotC. They may have flexed based upon conversation with WotC on what the GSL is supposed to be, or may have decided to risk working under the GSL in order to get an early market establishment. For whatever reason, it definitely isn't because the promised revised GSL is in anyone's hands.

I'd say it's a bit shortsighted to claim that you WON'T be entering a market whether it Paizo cutting off 4E, XBox not taking on Grand Theft Auto games or similar.

Steve, I'm not entirely certain you have a full grasp of the situation here. I am not trying to be insulting, or raise questions, but I think you misunderstand Paizo. I think it is easy to do.

Paizo had full intentions since announcing Pathfinder of doing Pathfinder AND 4E. The intended solution was to develop their own RPG to support Pathfinder materials, and also to develop 4E products through Necromancer. At this juncture, it was a match made in heaven. 3.5/Pathfinder AND 4E: whichever game you played you got lovin'.

Right now, you still don't have 4E support. This still has NOTHING to do with Paizo. It has EVERYTHING to do with the abomination called the GSL. Some companies felt it worth their while to go ahead and accept the GSL as written, but most of the bigger 3PP choked on the initial GSL.

The biggest thing to understand is that lack of support for 4E is clearly hinged on the quality and the timeliness of the GSL. I'd bet dollars to donuts that 1) had the GSL been released as promised, in a prompt and timely fashion, and 2) that it was written as a partnership between WotC and 3PP instead of what it is now, we'd more than likely be gearing up for a 4E Pathfinder.

I don't hate 4E. I don't hate WotC. I've been a fan for many years, and I don't suffer from a lot of tin hat issues. I own EVERY WotC 4E product released to date, including extra copies of players' guides. However, I absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, allow others to point the blame to anyone but mismanagement by WotC, through their own overwork, lack of foresight, or whatever. Regardless of the exact cause (and you and I will never truly know what it was) this situation, lock-stock-n-barrel, is fully purchased and owned by Wizards of the Coast.

Joela -

I don't know if anyone ever says it, but I for one would like to say a hearty "Thank you!" for your little snippets! I tend not to frequent all the sites I probably should, not out of lack of interest, but either lack of awareness or lack of time. I'm not always curious in what you post, but I'm always grateful you took the time. So, once again,

THANKS!!

- Dave

The better material we turn out (no matter the system), the more folks game. And the more folks game, the better for everyone.

//H

QFT.

Especially since I game both editions.

Title says it all.

I lost my job today and have nothing lined up rof the foreseeable future. Until I get back on my feet, please cancel my subscription.

I absolutely hate doing this. Your products are the best in the industry. But sometimes you do what you have to do.

Best of luck Krome - hope you get a job soon. Prayers from this end.

- Dave

This right 'ere.

I should post something similar ... on the wife's pot roast.

::shudder::

3.5 Saw, and someone correct me if I am wrong, The greatest increase in new 'D&D'ers. There must be a reason for that. It was a very successful system. WotC decision to produce 4e was not because 3.5 wasn't selling. My belief is because they were having a hard time coming up with new ideas to produce 'splat' books from, and 3pp were beginning to steal their limelight with the production of better modules.

WotC's exact motivations would be difficult for any of us to pin down, and, whilst they have shown a lack of culpability, I tend to take what they say at face value because of this.

That being said, Games Workshop "rotates" its games rules about every 4 years. The set of rules that I have for 40K, for example, is 2004, and yet here we go, another edition just released this summer. Its how they keep their game line fresh and alive. It *IS* expensive, no doubt about it, and there are PLENTY of beardy grognards that hail all the way back to the initial 1987 edition of Rogue Trader as the only TRUE 40K they will ever play. GW is still alive, the hobby is still alive, and it's something we've come to expect, and in a way appreciate. For example, I enjoyed the unit types for the Dark Eldar, but felt a majority of the figures were crap glued to a plastic base. I'm looking forward ANXIOUSLY to see that line restarted. By the by, that analogy doesn't fit for EVERY player, or really, any player outside of myself, but it IS a viewpoint.

While I don't necessarily want to see another edition of D&D in 4 years, at the same time it wouldn't be the death of me, as I have a shelf of awesome to turn to, and a strong curiosity to see what comes next.

I have noticed a trend in my years of GMing and playing.

PCs usually range from unsavory to down right evil.

As a person of a particular faith, I am always amused when told from those OUTSIDE the faith or its study are busy telling me how I am to believe, behave, etc.

Having played a paladin predominately in my gaming life (1976 forward) I have experienced the exact same effect in game. We come to a situation, and everyone around the room starts mandating what my character's response is. It's like I have become a party-controlled NPC.

It's an unfortunate byproduct of metagaming. The best DM I ever played with, upon XP countup time, gave all the XP to my paladin. When the players started complaining he affixed each one of them with a steely gaze and told them they were too busy playing my character to play theirs, therefore no XP for their characters. That lesson learned, next session I was allowed to control my own destiny, and we had a really good time.

Looks to me like Enworld just spikes a lot and not that they are doing particularly worse then their historical average.

I have to disagree with your interpretation of the chart. Whilst ENWORLD enjoyed a "turbulent" period, the median of that is clearly twice what the median trend of the last 3 months are; the 48% decline interpretation is correct. The dropoff is dramatic and pronounced.

HOWEVER, there is plenty of data missing! IE - what was traffic prior to the 4E announcement? Has ENWorld settled back down to its normal flow of regular users? How much traffic has it lost do to the technical issues they were having, etc. I would be especially interested to watch this when WotC ramps up its next big release block of Round II materials and Ebberon setting.

All of that said I used this website to compare wizards to enworld and paizo and they are just not in the same league. En world and Pazio are both in the are of 50,000 most popular website while Wizards is around 2000 most popular (amazon is 33 and Blogspot is 9).

I agree, and I believe that other posters have mentioned this. The point isn't the amount, but rather, the consistency. This may very well tie into Vic's comments about front-ending. Perhaps we've reached that point and now that 4E has released the drop-off is natural, and expected.

Let me throw another wrench into the gears. Put Playdnd.com into the mix, and tell me how you interpret that. Small hint - complete opposite of any of the above. I would say a large part of this is the "forced utilage" of the site with the advent of e-zines and tools, especially the e-zines. How to interpret the data inside of its context is well outside of my abilities.

It's only useful if you want to run a 1st Ed AD&D FR campaign before the Time of Troubles and lack another setting overview.

...or if you're an obsessive/cumpulsive collectionist ....

^^^^ guilty

Dragn -

Something for you to think about. What I do is I get one of those "fill with money at Wal-Mart" credit cards for my online purchases. That way I never go into overdraft. If I didn't do good budget planning then there is no money in the card, and I get a little note from Cosmo or someone else saying "Look, dufus, your card isn't good" and then I work on a budget shift.

With all the issues with today and online fraud, I will only do that method for buying something. This way - I have no surprises (I have had a few in the past - owch - not from Paizo, but from certain <insert colorful euphemism here> that managed to shanghai my card number.)

Again, we are confident we made the right decision for ourselves and for our customers.

...which is why, since the announcement of Pathfinder #1, Paizo has gotten $854.06 of my earnings.

When I clean up my play room I will have to submit some pix of my "bookshelf of awesome." Lol!!

Here is an article from the Sci-Fi Channel Website which shows the cover of an upcoming Entertainment Weekly issue showing Spock and Kirk (Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine).

Do take time to hit up the EW article. They have a really nice ensemble(-) shot (the (-) = not everyone is in the picture).

The Number 1 thought running through my mind? "Wow, Spock looks REALLY young!" Not a problem, just an observation.

There is always single sales & such

All these collectibles games are definitely tied in to appeal to the obsessive-compulsive gamer.

If you intend to be a casual player, I recommend getting a starter, and then limiting yourself to no more than 2 boosters per set.

If you intend to be a competitive player, listen to Haldir. In fact, a lot of competitive players use the proxy concept - they use the miniatures they have on hand, test their tactics using stats they've gotten from online, and then buy singles in order to field a legal force when they're satisfied.

I've been buying boosters of collectibles materials for so long my wallet is empty, and my closet is fat of stuff I can't use. So, consider me a singles customer from now on out as well.

Regardless of how sweet a cup a joe that pathfinder may or may not be, I don't think anyone would deny that 4th edition is a mucho bigger cup of joe.

While its nobel and such to try to cater to old fans, I really think paizo practically walked away from money.

business that walk away from money are making a mistake

(factor in larger audience, and remove the costs of trying to develop and brand your own game = moar profit)

L

John Wick, original writer for the Legend of Five Rings CCG and RPG, wrote when he left FRPG and Alderac Publishing that writers should always ensure that they own their own work.

When I was part of NIOGA and working with the SANCTUM online CCG, one of the things I wanted to ensure when we took over the product was change it so that the artists (Lee Moyer in this instance) maintained ownership of their art. This is a common thread amongst graphic novelists as well, but usually they do NOT own their own work.

The point of this reply? Paizo owns their own works. They have the freedom to do as they see fit. In doing so, they also make enough money to ensure that they continue to do what they love. In other words, it's not all about the Benjamins, but there is plenty there regardless.

In the marketplace it's about supply and demand. There is enough demand for 3.5-friendly product, and Paizo is filling that with some amazing supply. Pure WIN. Pure AWESOME.

So, how would you characterize your D&D table? Optimizers through and through, casual players not interested in that side, some of each? Sound off!

Casual/RP-based.

For us'ns, role play gaming is a social event, not a competitive event. At my table we use (3.5 era games) PHB, DMG, MM. Oh, Expanded Psionics too.

Yup. That's it. Generally speaking, most of us don't even multiclass! For us the game isn't about "winning" against the monsters moreso than the monsters are there to provide challenge.

Now - you take the same set of players and throw down some 'clix, or MtG and it's a different story.

We're still tickling the surface of the water with 4E, but I think we'll still remain pretty much casual/rp in that one. I think the base classes have a lot of strength and I am just not interested in Orcus Killer builds. I'm glad there are folk out there that are to keep the game clean, but I'm not one of them.

Callous Jack wrote:

Woo hoo! I knew those extra points in Charisma would pay off!

Isn't your Charisma 0?

Racial mod.

With DDI now charging, is anyone actually paying for this?

Has the quality increased now the big $ is rolling in?
Just curious.

This has been discussed some in this thread. Basically for me, my dislike of being tied to a computer screen for reading purposes (and yet I can do forums, games, etc for hours - go figure) drives my decisionmaking process. I do think WotC releasing an e-version was an important step, but I don't think it should have been the ONLY option.

The books a million near me has had 40 since day one, they have sold 3.They have know sold out of all 3.5 stuff and was ordering more from what they had in wherhouse I was told. each area is diff I guess.

It really is. Gaming is very much area-centric, and reflects largely the "majority voice" of the player base in the area. This is no different from any nationally available product - sales of one item might be high in one community and not so in another. Nothing new about this. A prime example of how this works is examining the regionals for any CCG. You'll notice certain theme decks are prevalent in one area and not so in another. Just the way it works.

In my area, our one FLGS is pro-4E, and I agree that 4E brings a lot to the table. However, Pathfinder also sells well, so perhaps we're not so divided between games here but more of a moderate mindset.

I keep looking at John's copy of the original Forgotten Realms boxed set on the shelf and keep saying I need to buy it ...

To try and turn this discussion from the somewhat silly edition war it seems to be degenerating into... let's get some actually thoughtful discussion going!

For those not subscribing, what changes would entice you to subscribe? Higher quality of dragon magazine? A reduction in price? Having print versions available? More payment options? (I know they are already working at adding Paypal as an option.)

For me, pure WIN for DRAGON magazine would be that it would be combined with DUNGEON into one monthly periodical, and that it is sold in the exact same format and method as PATHFINDER, with a PDF version for e-subscribers as well.

I've always felt that, in gaming, it's all about OPTIONS. Players want options. It's evident in the discussions on the WotC boards concerning DDI subscription formats, and I really am surprised at how heavy-handed WotC has been regarding their package deals. I love WotC, play a ton of their games, and sometimes I just sit back and wonder if these folks are living in the same space-time continuum as the rest of us.

To be fair, we don't know what kind of women were doing this. There are some people you don't want to see naked.

... yet they usually insist on wearing spandex, as well ...

Just out of curiosity I know I kinda made it harsh for someone for something like this to chime in. But if there is anyone out there who supports something like this (even if not this specific one because you don't live in FL) care to explain why so I can try to understand it?

Unfortunately, you've already discredited me with this just-as-discriminatory statement:

hardcore religious nutjobs with a bad education

I can't even open my mouth without you automatically dismissing my discussion, and yet you bandy me with demands for tolerance, even if I address the subject from a clearly secular standpoint.

Ideally...Iggwilv. That's right, Iggwilv will be in the Sanctum Sanctorum of tech equipment, behind a dual screen Linux setup. ;)

I always suspected ...

So today DDI goes on sale.

<snip>
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts who are also making a decision.

I *want* to subscribe, I really do. I want to support 4E because, aside from what's observed here on the boards, my 4E materials coexist quite peacefully with my 3.5/Pathfinder goodies (and my Powers and Perils stuff, Original D&D materials, Hollow World setting, BESM, Oriental Adventures (L5R version), etc.)

However, in the thread LAMENT FOR PRINT (I'm having problems accessing the WotC forum pages lately), I discussed at WotC that, while I have downloaded everything so far, the ONLY article I actually take time to read regularly is Shelly's CONFESSIONS... I did print out the conversion notes for placing Keep... in Faerun, but other than that, it's been mostly a wasted effort for WotC (I haven't even looked at the Barbarian playtest rules!! Gasp!!). The odd part is, and I want to stress this strongly, it wasn't a conscious decision! It was something I didn't realize until later when I was sitting here trying to convince myself to read an article.

In my mind, there is more to interacting with an article than staring at liquid crystal, and it isn't something that I can do as a standard form of reading. Perhaps it is a result of reading in bed, of finding a specific spot in which to enjoy reading, etc. Persons of my generation and older are probably too habit-ingrained with print material to readily accept the digital medium as the primary presentation source.

As for story the Death of Captain Marvel <snip> To bad they ruined it by bringing him back.

My biggest lament concerning the universe of pulp media, and a prime example of why the customer is NOT always right.

The following stories really rung true with me:

[Uncanny] XMen from around issue 85 (??) (its been a good thirty-ish years - after the reprints and into the modern era) forward to the death of Jean Grey. The restart of that line into a more modern book was absolute genious, and Byrne/Claremont was, I think, the team to beat during that era. Another example of "should have left 'em dead." Sadly, I no longer have these first-hand - the concept of 'collectable' was lost on me back then, even though I bought the Overstreet guide every year and was WELL-VERSED with the concepts of collectability and the impact that the War years and paper recycling and such had on them.

Watchmen. It goes without saying. The opening narration of that book is so powerful.

Kingdom Come. His (edit: Alex Ross') work in Astro City was definitely a precursor to this magnificent work. I definitely appreciate the Amazon Warrior aspect of Wonder Woman in here.

Green Lantern: Rebirth. I love Hal Jordan. I love having a good guy that stands opposed to Batman's cynicism. I know Superman is supposed to be that, but they've managed to write Superman into marginality.

Countdown to Infinite Crisis, specifically the death of the Blue Beetle/Ted Kord. I'm kind of an anti-Batman fan, and to have so powerful an "I-told-you-so" to throw in his face appealed to me.

ULTIMATES Volume 1 and 2, specifically Thor. I love the direction they took him, especially when, for a good 10-ish books you didn't know if he really was just crazy or what. Favorite line (paraphrased) - Thor talking to Steve Rogers' dismissal of his self-proclaimed divinity, "You go to church every Sunday. How is this any different?"

It was touched upon in another thread about the relevance of "art" over "mainstream." For me, even mainstream can have moving, relative stories, sometimes just as powerful because it isn't presented with all the pomp and self-congratulations that some "art" books seem to carry. What is most important is that moment when the artist/writer is able to connect to the audience, and there's this moment of gesalt, when the audience perceives a truth. Then again, sometimes, there's just the sheer joy of a righteous drubbing in five panels per page, and that carries forth a peculiar truth of its own as well.

Hmm. Afraid mine's a bit darker. Let me put some lights on...

I Love this game Moonpie.

Heh.

This was a great movie! Much better than the cheesy remake.

I found this funny article in an Indian newspaper. So far there has been no comment from the McCain campaign.

Heh. From a poster at work:

"The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance."

I have heard that at least one MMO is considering player-submitted quests, but I have no idea what mechanic they are considering for it. (I think it was City of Heroes, where I read they were working on such a thing.)

It was indeed, and I believe it is lined up as Episode 14: The Architect. I know that, as a long time CoH beta tester, I was given a questionaire with a series of proposed screen shots. I am not sure how much is being governed by NDA, but knowing how these things work I won't go into any detail other than it looks like these would have some meat to them. I wouldn't be surprised if other games considered something similar, either as a baseline product in future releases, or as an add-on to certain products.

TigerDave wrote:

That being said, I want a frickin' magazine ... snip ... I really miss my magazine.

I totally agree. I'm not sure a 3rd party will be able to produce a mag to the level that we'd like to see (full color gloss, lots of content). We may to pray to the Gygax on high for this one.

Yeah. It's not something I'm holding even a glimmer of a hope on.

Still, it would be nice ...

I played Original and MegaTraveller. Loved them both. Read but never played T20. Never got into anything else. I did play GURPS 3rd edition and ... will never read or play GURPS Traveller.

Sorry to those of you that love GURPS, and I don't lambast your game. It's simply not for me.