The Dungeon Master of Beginner's Dice

Well, I finally went and did it. I am finally DMing my own game. It's awesome and terrifying. Now, I'm not just telling a story. I'm building a world and asking people to play in it. Play in it, play and hope they enjoy it. I have been wanting to DM my own campaign for quite some time. I had run storylines on roleplay forums before. But something about being a DM in a live game is different.

I started roleplaying back in college. I had a number of DMs who displayed a number of different playing styles. And after a while, I knew that I wanted to run my own game. However, I was too scared. Too self conscious. I didn't know the rules well enough to be comfortable running a game with my friends, who had more experience than me. I wasn't as familiar with fantasy or fantasy settings as the rest of my friends were. I always believed there had to be a perfect streamlined story which everyone was to follow and I did not believe that I could come up with something that anyone would enjoy. So I never opted to run a game. Just sat and wished; until finally one day I decided to just do it, fear and all.

Firstly, being a DM is way more time consuming that I had believed it was going to be when I decided that I was going to do this. Partially because of my perfectionist disposition and partially because I wasn't entirely in the know about what a DM had to do in order to run a campaign. But mostly because I took it upon myself to design the entire world from nothing. Because why make it easy on myself, right? The writer in me wanted to create and world build. This is where I have the most fun as a DM. Designing people, places, structures and ruling powers. Making an intricately complex, living, breathing landscape. I could get lost in it for hours. But this takes a lot of time. And I have to make decisions on what parts in this world are more important, meaning they will be completed first. I won't lie, I was very overwhelmed when I started out. I mean, how do you create an entire world from a blank sheet of paper? But I found out that you don't. Not at first. First, you start off small. You make a village, then a town, then a small city and continue from there as the group explores. Once I learned that, world building for the game became much easier to manage.

The terrifying part of running a game for me is the uncertainty that comes with preparing for the unpredictable. I was completely under the impression that DMs knew exactly what would happen at all times and had a plan for everything that would happen during the session. I quickly came to understand that was an illusion. I don't know what the players are going to do from one moment to the next. I don't know if they will take the plot hook. I don't know how they are going to interact with the NPCs. Or if they will even head in the direction that I have set up. For all I know, they could end up on some uncharted path that I had not given any thought to in the least. But it is this uncertainty that makes the game exciting for me as DM. The players don't know what the plan is. So they could be surprised at any moment. I don't know how my players are going to react to what I have planned. So I too could be surprised at any moment. So, instead of being anxious about it, I try to stay open and as flexible as possible.

My thinking like a DM has been slowly evolving as well. As a writer, I have complete control of the entire story. A story that centers on a cast of characters that I have constructed to fit seamlessly into my narrative. But now, I am more focused on the players and trying to figure out what would be awesome for their characters. Trying to make a narrative that everyone can participate in and feel a vested interest. I never had a "cool" character when I roleplayed. I was always outshined by someone else in the group. Someone was always faster, louder, more charasmatic, or better at minmaxing the dice. And I never played campaigns long enough for my character to have goals or something to obtain or aspire to. My character was simply just another body in the group. I don't want that feeling for any of my players. I want each person to feel like they have their moments in the spotlight. To feel like their characters matter in the story they are playing through.

 I am not sure how long this campaign will last or how often we will play. But I am very glad that I got over my self consciousness and I did this. It is a different feel, writing something for others to mess around with. Being flexible and thinking on my feet for several hours at a time. And to watch others interact with what you have put together. I am going to have as much fun as I possibly can and hopefully those who are coming along with me on this journey will have just as much fun as I am.

TV Talk: Van Helsing

(There are some minor spoilers in this review.)
 
Van Helsing. Where to even begin with this show. Let's start with the basics. Van Helsing is a show on SyFy that centers around a woman named Vanessa. As the first episode starts, you see an unconscious Vanessa lying on a metal table in a nondescript medical room of some sort. She suddenly wakes up to find the world she once knew decimated, the human race enslaved by vampires and her daughter is missing. It does not take long for the viewer to understand that, though her last name is not Van Helsing, Vanessa is going to be the vampire slayer in this series. It is made quite clear that she is a reluctant savior of mankind and we are to follow her story to ascension. That is if I last that long.
 
As this series starts, you are introduced to a bleak world and a soldier named Axel who is hold up in a now defunct hospital building that he has made his fortress since the Uprising started. He takes in a group of people running from vampires. And this is when everything takes a free falling nose dive and I am ready to check out. Every new group introduced on this show seems to feel as if they own whatever save haven they have been invited into and suddenly begins making all the rules. I instantly became irritated with the entire lot and simply wished for them to be thrown back outside. Well not all. Mohammed and Sam could stay. But I'll get back to that later.
 
It becomes very apparent that Axel is the leader that no one wants to listen to. But no one has a choice but to listen, because he is the only one with any common sense. In the mean time, Vanessa does not seem to care that world is full of monsters, she can heal almost instantaneously or that she woke up with ninja-like fighting abilities. She simply wants to scour the streets of Seattle to find her daughter. No map, no plan, no clues where to start. She is just going to look around and hope for the best. Never mind she has been unconscious for 3 years and everything she knew about the world is obsolete. So Axel is doing everything in his power to keep this motley crew together and alive. And the group is seems to be doing anything it can to make that task as difficult as possible.

Let's talk about the antagonists, the vampires. There is a main ruling power, a brother sister duo whom all vampires bow the knee, Dimitri and Rebecca. But whenever there is someone with great power, there will always be those who are trying to take it. So that does give some underlying intrigue mixed in with the main plot that is human enslavement. From the vampire's point of view, the viewers first hear about the human rebellion and how Vanessa's existence is a problem that needs to be dealt with. It becomes apparent that it is race to see who can get to Vanessa first; the vampires or the humans. By this point, I am rooting for the vampires, because the humans are driving me insane.

My shining light in this mess was Mohammed and Sam. They looked out for each other. And unlike the rest, understood the situation they were in. Stronger together and all of that. Mohammed was the resourceful young one and Sam was the gentle giant. The relationship between these two characters was very heart warming and endearing. And I wanted nothing more than for these two to persevere to the end. Notice how I said was? Yep. Thanks Van Helsing for dousing that flickering candle with a bucket of ice water, you beasts. I can hear you.

When protagonists started dying, because let's face it, that was pretty much inevitable, I was happy instead of grieved. One less idiot to be squawking about what they want, who they don't trust and a whole laundry list of grievances which they should have been kicked in the teeth for having in the first place. But, even in dying, these characters still manage to be incredibly stupid. And yes, I'm talking about that door scene with Doc and Axel. What the holy fish sticks was that? Again, I'm rooting for the vampires. My only qualm with them is that I wish they would wipe their mouths every once in a while.

I don't know what is going on in this show. There is a reluctant hero who has no interest in saving anyone. The group that surrounds her only survives because a Marine is brute forcing them into survival and even that proves to not be enough in the end. There is mystery and intrigue that surrounds Vanessa and who she is, but honestly, I just can't make myself care. The show feels like it is throwing everything it can at the wall and seeing what sticks. Who knows, maybe the vampires will get a spin off show. I'd give that a chance.

Game Review: Mandagon

There are times when games catch me by surprise. Whether it is story elements, the enjoyment of game play or just being more than what I expected, there is something that pleasantly gives more than I thought I would receive. A game that has recently surprised me with more than I had anticipated is Mandagon.

Mandagon is a free to play Indie PC game developed by Blind Sky Studios. I am honestly not sure how to describe what genre it falls into, because it does not feel like it fits under one specific descriptor. In this game you play a stone totem, 2D platforming your way from statue to statue, map point to map point until you have successfully solved the puzzle that I wasn't sure I understood the answer to; or the question for that matter. And that was part of the fun.

The story behind the game is inspired by Tibetan philosophy on life, death and sacrifice. As you explore each area, the story unfolds. Who you are. Why you are here. What you are doing. I had this very strange feeling exploring this beautiful world while at the same time exploring thoughts about the end of life. Something so breathtaking juxtaposed with a topic usually seen as somber. It was a feeling that I can only describe as odd and unexpected.

The pixel art style of this game gives the feeling of platforming through picturesque temples and their surrounding villages. The soundtrack is very relaxing, almost meditative. And the game play is more focused on exploration than anything else. There are no enemies to fight, no levers to pull or boxes to push. You simply explore and understand. That is one of the main things I loved about Mandagon. There was no tutorial, no hand holding, nothing to tell you what to do next. I simply explored at my leisure until I found the answer.

My hang ups about this game are minor. One, the game is very short. I was finished in a little over an hour. Mandagon definitely left me wanting more of this game and wanting to see more content from Blind Sky Studios. My second gripe was that I had basically been given the answer to what was going on in game by just reading the game description on Steam. Personally, I think that took away a bit of the unveiling and realization I would have gotten if the game description had been a little less giving of details and I had been allowed to piece together the complete story on my own.

All in all, Mandagon is a lovely game that I highly recommend trying. It is on Steam right now for free and can be played on PC, Mac and Linux. The game soundtrack and art book are also on sale currently for $3.99

What I'm Watching: Team Medical Dragon

It is interesting how I find new shows to watch. I was having a conversation with a friend about a musical composer who we both liked. My friend told me that this composer had done music for a Japanese drama called Team Medical Dragon and he strongly suggested that I watch it. I will be completely honest, the name of this show didn't really instill any confidence in me. In fact, I dragged my feet a bit before finally watching it (at my friend's behest, I might add). Now that I have seen it, there isn't enough good things to say about it.

Team Medical Dragon is a medical drama that centers around one man, Dr. Ryutaro Asada, a virtuoso in the area cardiovascular surgery. He is so talented, he has been dubbed a surgical genius. However, his moral convictions about how one should act as a medical professional causes him to challenge his superiors and eventually gets him blacklisted from the Japanese medical community. Several years pass and Asada is given the opportunity to re-enter the surgical community, despite the black mark on his name. But only because of one simple reason. He is the only surgeon in the country who is skilled enough to undertake one of the riskiest heart surgeries known, the Batista.

This show is brilliant on so many levels. There are numerous power struggles layered through out the show. The struggle against corrupt authority, to fall in with the crowd or to stand alone on your beliefs, finding one's personal convictions and understanding your true self, the show goes through all of these and more with seamless continuity. I also love the medicine that is shown on the show. There is always a thorough explanation of what is happening while the surgical procedures are taking place or being discussed. I cannot express how much I adore shows that take the time to get the medical aspects of the situation correct and present it in a logical manner. (Time Slip Dr. Jinn does a good job in this same area).

And of course, I have to talk about the music. I don't believe I have ever been so excited, anxious, and on the edge of my seat while watching surgeons walking down a hallway to the operating room. It is like watching a group of superheroes slowly stroll out to the battlefield. Sawano does a magnificent job with the score on this drama series. My favorite song from the soundtrack right now is Dragon Rises. You should give it a listen.

Team Medical Dragon has 4 seasons and currently can be viewed on Crunchyroll (www.crunchyroll.com) for anyone who is interested in watching. I highly recommend watching it. It is well written, you become invested in the all characters almost from the moment they appear on the screen. And there is no lack of plot twists and surprises. In my opinion, this show is absolutely wonderful.

Game Review: Tokaido

I come from a family of game lovers. Especially games where we all are able to come together and have fun with one another. Just about every year, we purchased some kind of board game which we would open up and play during the holidays. That is, after we have stuffed ourselves full of food, of course. The bright and shiny flashing of video games does tend to swallow all of my attention at times. But, other times, there is nothing better than sitting around a table and playing a board game.

At PAX East, my sister and I came across a board game that I had never heard of before, Tokaido. Upon first glance, the game looked very pretty and very Japanese. While I was interested in purchasing the game, I had no idea how to play it (even after reading the box). And I had even less of an idea on how to win. The man at the booth nice enough to explain the game to Frankie and I. But even after that, I still wasn't sure what the game was all about. So, of course, we had to buy it and play it.

My first impression of the game, before we even got started, was: "Wow, this is the most beautiful board game that I have ever played with." My second impression was: "This game has a lot of pieces. I hope it isn't too difficult to get the hang of."

Tokaido is one of those games that is simplistic in gameplay, but challenging when it comes to mastering it. The game is set in feudal Japan and you traveling on Tokaido, the road between Kyoto and Edo. There are many experiences to be had as the player travels. And the player who has the most experiences (visting temples, buying souvenirs, etc) by the end of the trip, wins the game.

What makes this game unique is choice. There is no dice to dictate how many spaces you move. There are no cards telling you what experience you need to do next. You, the player, make those choices yourself. And there are many things you have to keep in mind when you make these choices: the amount of money you have, the special ability of the character you chose to play, the choices of the other players, etc. The point is not to get to the end first, but to enjoy the journey as much as possible.

All in all, Tokaido is a very fun game. It is easy to pick up and has a very enjoyable levity to it. You characters are enjoying hotsprings, eating food from different inns, seeing what nature has to offer all along Tokaido. Who would not enjoy a game like this?

Movie Review: Exodus: Gods and Kings

The story of Moses is a familiar one. I remember the old TV movie The Ten Commandments playing every year as the back drop to my family celebrating Easter at my grandfather's house. Later, there was an animated adaptation, which I enjoyed watching. It had a very good soundtrack. So, I was quite surprised when, recently, my mother wanted us all to go out and see Exodus: Gods and Kings. If anyone knew the story of Moses inside and out, it was us. So why would we spend money to go and watch it again? I am going to tell you why.

This movie spends a lot of time focusing on Moses and Ramses II. Focusing on them as people, reacting to the situation that they have found themselves in. Two brothers in staunch opposition to one another. Personally, I like the take on Moses that this film presents. Here you have a man, raised Egyptian, a prince and general, farming goats. The entire movie, you see a push and pull relationship Moses has with God, which is very different from prior adaptations. Moses is normally shown as being very accepting from the moment he encounters God on the mountain.

This film makes the character of Moses feel more human to me. He struggles with putting away what he once had to transition into the leader of a people he barely knows. I also like the fact that the film creators chose to give a face to the voice of God, rather than making Him an invisible presence. A face gives the conversations an extra something that a disembodied voice cannot.

The only negative thing I have to say about this film is that there were sections that felt rushed. One scene in particular is where Ramses is talking to Miriam about Moses. There was little setup for that scene and I felt we were simply to accept what was happening because we knew it had to happen. We know there is a huge climatic ending and only 2 hours to get there. So, certain scenes have to happen in order to progress, no matter if they flow seamlessly into the story line or not.

Exodus: Gods and Kings is a good movie. It takes a familiar story and re-imagines it into something new and different than its predecessors. I enjoyed watching it.

Game Review: Botanicula

A while back, I was watching a stream on Twitch TV where one of the viewers requested the caster to play Botanicula. From the moment the game started, I was hooked. I not only wanted to play the game myself, I wanted everyone to know about it and play it as well. Recently, I streamed this game over at Community Casters Live. These are my thoughts on Botanicula.

The premise of the game is pretty simple. Some evil, black, spider thing has come to town and is sucking the life out of all the trees. Trees which house teeming amounts of life, including the group of "heroes" this game centers around. It is your job to protect a seed that escaped the bad spider, make your way to the ground with it, and plant it so it grows a new tree.

A simple story with a simple goal, but nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to actually playing this game. Botanicula is a quirky, point and click puzzle game that takes a grand step outside of the box. Personally, I'm not sure the designers of this game even knew that a box existed to begin with. The game has lots of unexpected happenings, interesting characters, and many peculiar things that make you simply want to click everything, just to see what it does.

There is really no description about this game that would do it any justice. The art style is very unique and lends itself to the whimsy and bizarre feelings the game produces. The characters in the game do not actually speak, but instead, simply make sounds and noises that resemble speech. I thought that was interesting. I absolutely loved the music, especially at the end of certain puzzles.

Botanicula is on the short side when compared to the play time of other games. Of course it does depend on how quickly you see patterns and solve puzzles. I would definitely recommend it, just for the experience alone. Everyone I know who has seen this game has asked "What is this?" and so far no one has come up with a comprehensive answer. We usually say something along the lines of "We aren't sure". It is a game, you should play it. I believe that will always be the best response.

My Obligatory PAX East 2014 post

Best gaming convention NA!

Now that I have recuperated, I guess it is time for me to write about my experience at PAX East this year. There is absolutely no way that I can shove everything that happened this past weekend into one blog post. Instead, I will give a few highlights and leave the rest for my YouTube video.

Hugs for everyone!

First thing first, I met some of the most amazing people; my Twitch family. It was the strangest feeling, because the majority of us had never met face to face. And yet, it felt like a reunion, a coming back together. Within a few hours, I felt like I had known these people all of my life. As if we had grown up together or something. And while it was a strange sensation, it was a great sensation at the same time.You can't fake that kind of connection. I can't wait to see them all again. 

RAWR!!

PAX East is this huge mesh of everything that excites me about gaming: new games, live streamers, YouTubers, music, every aspect of gaming culture comes out in full force, flooding your mind and body for 3 days. One of my favorite parts has to be getting to play the game demos. Yeah, the lines to tend to get a bit a long, but this is just part of the experience after a while. One of the games I got to demo Lichdom: Battlemage. This game was made for players like me. While I died within moments of the boss battle, it was still a game that I want to see more from. I mean, really, who doesn't want to be a battle mage.

Yes, that is a bike ramp.

There were two panels that I was looking forward to from the moment the schedule came out. That was the Chainsawsuit Podcast and Acquisitions Inc. Acquistions Inc. was something that I had been following for years. And when I say years, I came in on Season 2 of the game and wanted nothing more than to see them game live. So when I heard they were doing it in Boston this year, I lost my mind. And it was everything that I had hoped for it to be. Comedy, drama, cliff hangers, just all in all good storytelling. I could not have been happier

About the Chainsawsuit Podcast...I have a confession to make. I was a bit late on this train. I started listening to Mikey and Kris about a month before PAX East, but even with that short amount of time, I knew that I wanted to see these two live. They just have a humor that is so complimentary. Seeing the two of them interact with each other and the audience was great.

There was a ton of stuff that happened. There were concerts, karoke, meet ups, dancing, eating, taking of pictures and recording video. In that one weekend, memories were made, friendships were forged, inside jokes were created. So much awesome happened. It is probably going to take a month or so to come down off this high I'm riding.

HOPE TO SEE ALL YOU GUYS NEXT YEAR!!

Reminiscing about the days of make believe

Once upon a time, when times were different, a girl was handed her first set of dice.  Little did I know that night was going to open the door to something that I would enjoy being part of for years to come.

The first time I got invited to a roleplaying session, I remember my reaction quite vividly. I wrinkled my nose, twisted my lip and said no without a second thought. I didn't want anything to do with sitting around and pretending that I was casting a spell or some such nonsense. I could think of better ways to spend my weekends. However, I am guessing that was not the first time a reaction like mine had been given, because I was asked again. This time, it was to just sit and observe. If I didn't like what I saw, then I would never asked again. I went, prepared to be underwhelmed and practicing my rejection speech in my head. These were my friends, after all. No need to be nasty.

They pulled out pencils and character sheets, books and guides. Then the discussion of who they were to become started. I am not sure what it was about the character creation process that tapped into my curiosity. The thought that went into crafting a character, making a person that you were to play, it was like making a character for a performance that was happening in real time. And perform they did. Perform we did.

From that moment on, roleplaying became an almost weekly ritual. In the same way people got dressed up and went out to bars and clubs, I grabbed my bag of dice and headed to a friend's house to immerse myself in a world of make believe. I credit a large amount of my ability create characters and build worlds to those nights where I sat on couches, drinking Mountain Dew and eating Papa Johns, listening to the elaborate setups and situations our characters found themselves in. Imagining city streets and back alleys, weighing words of NPCs, wondering if they were friend or foe, always thinking "What would my character do?".

Unfortunately, time changes things. Too soon I was packing up my life and moving forward with it. All of my roleplaying circle did much the same and our nights together are now nothing more than fond memories I replay in my head from time to time. Like old home movies stored away in a dusty beaten up box somewhere. Fighting enemies, solving puzzles, battling in arenas, arguing amongst ourselves, buying my first set of dice, being taken to my first game shop, looking at figurines, so many good memories from those times I would have missed out on because of a preconceived notion that wasn't even mine to begin with.

I miss those days now. I miss them a lot.

Game Review: The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

 Recently, I have been playing The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. The game was released in 2010, developed by Frogwares and published by Focus Home Interactive. What caught my attention for this game was the fact that the main character was Sherlock Holmes. I have loved just about everything Sherlock since I read "A Study in Scarlet" a long time ago. So when I saw there was a video game that had gotten good reviews, I thought this would be something that I would enjoy. And I could not have been more right.

In this game, you are Sherlock Holmes and you are trying to solve a brutal murder of a bishop. You also play John Watson and suspicion starts to rise that perhaps your detective flatmate and friend is not everything you once believed him to be. As the mysteries unfold, the questions continue to mount.

I don't want to talk too much about the story (because SPOILERS!) so I will focus more on the actual game play. I found at the beginning of the game, I was not the greatest at seeing the whole picture of what was going on. I would find all the clues and successfully put about half the story together. The rest of the time, I was in left field somewhere. While the game does a good job explaining what all the clues mean, I really wanted to be able to do it on my own. I got better as the game went on, but I don't think I ever figured out 100% of the story before the game told me.

The puzzles that had to be solved ranged in difficulty and type. Some were not that hard, some took some time, and others were just flat out enraging. (Never looking at another chess game the same way again). I will not lie, there might have been 2 or 3 puzzles where I hit skip and continued on with the game. But for the most part, I solved them myself and felt very accomplished about doing it.

The Deduction Board was very unique. I liked how it made you put the pieces together to create the larger picture. I felt like I was sleuthing too, trying to figure out what all the clues where leading to. And they didn't make it easy either. I felt like I was really working for those answers. And most of the time the answers just lead to more questions.

In conclusion, I really liked this game and recommend it to anyone who likes a mystery game or a good puzzle game. I am very excited about the next installment to this series, Crimes and Punishments. I also plan on playing through the previous Sherlock games by this company, that is just how much I liked this one.

Anxiety, you aren't helping

Why is it that when I try something new and put myself out there, that it terrifies me? And I don't mean that as a figure of speech. I actually get very very anxious to the point I start pacing and I can't think straight.

For those who might not know, I got into livestreaming game play a few months ago. First stream was right before Christmas and for the most part it was successful. I streamed a few more times after that, but wasn't really getting that much traction. No one was stopping by and if they did, they didn't stay long. It was mostly just me and Pandora, hanging out with 1 or 2 people sitting in chat. A short time past, my life started getting hectic once again and streaming got put on the back burner. I thought about going back to it. But every time I thought about it, I didn't see the point. No one wanted to watch me so why try?

Just recently I was gently coerced into returning to it. It seemed that people found (more accurately, they were showed to) my corner of the internet. It was a fun time. I honestly had not expected as many people to show up as did that night. So when it came to streaming last night, I felt like I was trying to trap lightening in a bottle twice. My brain went through all the ways that everything could go wrong and all the disappointment that would come with it. You would think that I was doing something important and not just playing video games. 

I don't understand why stuff like that happens to me. I make such insignificant things into these huge ordeals. And I have been doing it since I was a teenager. It is like my brain decides that I am having way too boring of a day and hits the overdrive switch. I imagine that everyone goes through a little nervousness when stepping out into something different and unknown. But I don't think everyone overthinks and panics the way I do.

The thing is the stream was a disaster. I had so many technical issues that I had no idea how to fix. But the world didn't end. The viewers didn't leave. Even after all the things that went wrong, they called my 2 hour stream too short and wanted more. So all the worrying was for absolutely nothing.

Next time, I am just going to make myself a cup of tea and start playing meditation music when I start feeling anxious.

PAX East 2013

I really don't think there are any words that describe what PAX East is aside from 'awesome'. And you can only use that word so many times before people get sick and tired of hearing it. I didn't quite know what to expect several months ago, when I purchased my 3 days pass to this thing. This huge daunting convention in a city I had never visited in order to do something I had never done before. And that uncertainty was only heaped on all the more when I found out that my guides were going to be two guys that I only knew through the internet. I felt like I was breaking every cardinal rule I was taught as a kid when it came to strangers and the world wide web. But all in all, I am so glad that I did it.

I suppose I should talk about all the games I saw, the costumes I took pictures of, the swag I tried to nab, but really that wasn't what left a lasting impression on me after all was said and done. Sure I got to play NeverWinter and Wildstar. I got to see PAX exclusives about Watch Dogs and see RoosterTeeth in person for the first time in my life. And yep, the concerts blew me away and I never wanted to nights to end. But PAX was so much more than that.

Being clustered in a convention center with thousands of strangers, there was still this sense of camaraderie and belonging. Just about everyone was nice (except for when they were hungry or their feet hurt) and I felt included. I was finally in this space where I didn't have to explain myself. Everyone got it. It just felt like riding this wave of connection for the entire weekend and it was a space that I didn't want to leave. It was great. So much energy, so much excitement. People just talked to you for no reason except you were next to them. We clapped for the worst dancers we had ever seen, because they were gutsy enough to play Dance Central, on a stage, in front of everyone. We laughed at each others jokes, while playing our DSes as we waited in line. We were this community of strangers and yet, it felt like nothing could have been farther from the truth.

I am definitely going back next year. I want to try more things, talk to more people, explore every bit of everything that this convention has to offer. Because there is something about what Penny Arcade created when they made PAX and I don't think I will ever get enough of it.

More Late Night Ramblings

As I have gotten older, I have found myself more involved in playing video games and being part of gaming communities. I think I am going backwards, because usually you are supposed to do stuff like this when you are younger. At least that is what I have always been led to believe.

Anyway, I have started to accumulate a good number of games (for better or for worse) both for PC and console. And now this has presented a new situation; playing with other people online. Now, I am not really a stranger to that, because I played WoW for years. I'm very used to raiding, PvPing, talking on Vent and all of that. But for some reason, I find myself not being as active when it comes to online play as I used to be. Especially when it comes to console games. That darn controller is the bane of my existence and I really rather not have my stumbling around scrutinized by other folks who are more advanced that I am.

And then there are some games where I just don't want to play with certain people. *cough* League of Legends *cough*. Honestly, I would rather just play with random people in the kiddie pool section of the game with beginner bots. I don't have to talk, get on Skype or anything like that. Just log in, punch at some pixels and go on my merry way.

Not sure when I got so introverted about online gaming. This definitely wouldn't have been the way I handled things several years. My God, I was all about meeting new people over the internet and becoming buddies. Now, I don't know. I don't mind making friends, but I'm not so much chasing after it. I just want to play the game, enjoy having fun. And I don't really need other people to do that. (Unless the multiplayer is better than the single player :P).

I suppose I look at all these other people and see how they amass a group of players around them and I wonder if I should be doing the same thing. Their friends lists are full. Whenever they turn a game on, there is someone to talk to. I am quite the opposite. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it wrong. Other times, I don't really care to know.

Haven't played WoW in 3 months

So, I sat down and tried to figure out when the last time I actually jumped on WoW was. I don't really miss playing so much as I miss rping and messing around with my guildies online. I miss being part of the story arcs. And recently I found out that they ran one that I had even gone into dungeons and gotten rp clothes for. It all made me quite sad. They are an awesome group of people and I want to be in contact with them more. But my world forbids it. I just don't have enough time. And I don't like the idea of paying for something that I don't have enough time for.

It's so odd. A few months ago, I was all nervous about trying to find a guild that I liked and now I can't even play with them. I was so twisted about trying to find a good story hook for my character and I can't play it out. Don't know whether I am more sad about not being able to finish out what I started or that I wasted so much time and energy being worried over something that was never going to happen anyway.

So I heard about the Pandera class that was going to be added. I suppose I am of two minds about that. I think the class is a cool addition. I wouldn't mind playing a fluffy bear. But do I want to pay another $50 for that expansion pack? Not really. Not for bears. But knowing me, I will blindly buy any Blizzard product just because they own my soul and I have no other choice but to buy these things.

I want to get back into WoW some time soon. I just have no idea when that time is going to be. Life is just crowding out everything that I want to do. Free time is usually saved for other things that have higher rank at this point. My guild is cool about it. They totally understand that RL is priority. Doesn't mean that I don't miss the crap out of them.

Anyway, I suppose I should go back to working on my novel and studying and all those other things that get my time. I miss you, WoW, I really do.

GMX Day 2 and Day 3

I had to condense these two days down into one post because I wasn't there for the entirety of either two days. However, I want to talk about some of the things I saw and did the rest of the weekend.

The panels that were done this year were great. I know last year there were a few that I was a bit iffy about, but none of that this year. I went to several panels on writing and art, and it just felt good to sit down and talk shop with those in the same craft. I didn't get to go to all of the writing workshops that I wanted to because they were scheduled against things like Live Angry Birds (we will talk about that later) and stuff like that. But what I did get to sit on was really really awesome.

I have to say that the Geek Journalism panel was exactly the type of thing I was looking for. Yes it was Sunday and yes everyone was tired, but I was happy that I sat in on it. Sitting through the panel, I felt like the site that I work for was not the only one that had its problems, mess ups, and short comings. Everyone who did this kind of thing encountered the exact same obstacles. And they were willing to be open about it and give some pointers on how to overcome those problems. I wish all of the USH Staff would have been sitting in there with me to hear what these guys had to say. I guess I should have networked a bit more. Put the UnSung Heroes name out there. But I didn't. Maybe at MTAC?

So what was there to do aside from panels? There were several game-like events that happened. One was Game of Thrones: Human Chess. Now this event sounded good on paper, but I think there could have been some things done to make it a little better. First, the idea of having two people play a chess game and then have it reenacted on a life size board, with people as the pieces was a pretty cool idea. It is just that the way everything was set up didn't really lend to an audience watching. I'm sure if you were part of the game, it was cool. But I didn't spectate long before walking about. I hope they try it again next year, but change a few things. For instance, have the two players up on a stage where the audience can see them. And utilize the use of microphones. Also, make the markings on the squares a bit more clear, so when the play says "Knight to G4", the person can move. Someone shouting "Hey you, move there" sort of lessens the effect. However, the idea was pretty neat all in all. I hope they try it again.

One of the most entertaining things outside had to be the live Angry Birds. Yep, a team would build cardboard box buildings and the other team would shoot birds and try to knock it down. Inside some of the boxes were green water balloons signifying pigs. I know it is a sin to admit, but I have never played Angry Birds. However, watching these outdoor hijinks was very amusing. I wanted to watch the live Plants vs. Zombies, but there was Steampunk panel I wanted to get to.

And what would GMX be without a little Steampunk? Apparition Abolishers were set up in the Pavilion and some of the stuff they brought was jaw droppingly amazing. I will admit that my knowledge of Steampunk is a bit limited. But these displays they brought out expanded my creative knowledge by leaps and bounds. Aside from "woah" "cool" and "awesome", I don't know what other words I have to describe all the things that I saw. All you could do was have your mouth come open as you were surrounded by some fantastic work.

I met some really cool people and had the time of my life this weekend. I did a bunch of other things and saw a bunch of other things, but listing them would make this blog way too long. I am so glad that I attended GMX and will definitely put it on my list of things to do next year. I have a ton of pictures that will be going up on the USH Facebook page. I'll link it once they are up.

GMX 2011 - Day 1

So, the new location of GMX this year is awesome. The stage, the lights, it just feels so much bigger and more exciting this year. (Parking does suck just a tad though). Definitely had a blast tonight and I'm raring to go tomorrow morning. 

So a break down of the night: I went to the comedy show first. For the most part, the comedians were really good. The nerd humor was great. There was an act or two that wasn't up my alley. But it was something new that was being tried out and I for one hope that it comes back next year. Then, I headed off to the panels, right after stopping by the arcade room.

The old school arcade machines were so awesome. I suppose I should have sat down and played a game, but I was too afraid of sucking. I never played these games. I would just keep dying repeatedly. I decided to leave the seat open for someone who knew what they were doing.

First panel was about WarSport 2041. I honestly had no idea what that was, but after hearing about it, I am so intrigued buy it. The story is set in a world where wars don't exist. Instead, problems are solved in games called WarSport. There are talks going on about this web series being turned into a mini series on Sci Fi (or SyFy, as I refuse to call it) and I for one hope that they do. It sounds so great. I wanted nothing more than to get a picture with those guys on the panel, but I found out at the Opening Ceremony that I had left my battery in the charger. So I will probably stop by their booth, get some photos and pick up a t-shirt. And I found out there is a prequel to the show that can be watched at www.youtube.com/warsport2041

Then I sat in on a talk about post apocalyptic art. It was quite an interesting talk that meandered around lots of different topics. How pop culture was affecting the art industry. What makes a picture scary? How you translate your own fear onto a canvas. People like this guy are the ones that I just want to sit under and watch their process. When I asked how could I make my art more scary, since my work never seem to take that turn, I got an answer that I didn't expect. He told me that I should just draw whatever it was that came to me naturally and I shouldn't fight it. I should just take what I do and turn it up to 11. I had honestly never really considered that. 

I was going to stay for some more panels, but I was honestly ready for bed. I shall be back with bells on tomorrow morning. Maybe with bells and Starbucks.

NaNoWriMo and GMX 2011

Well would you look at that, GMX is this weekend. I had a whole lot of fun last year and looking to have even more this year. Hopefully there will be more pictures and interaction than last year. GMX 2010 was the first con that I had ever been to, so there was a whole lot of me just trying to feel things out and figure out what does one actually do at a con. So this year I have a little bit more experience under my belt. I will probably look at more booths this year. I didn't go to any last year (except Questionable Content) because I felt like I had to buy something. But avoiding them all together probably isn't the greatest thing to do either. I will probably be posting pictures up on the USH Facebook page or something like that.

I will probably try and blog after every day like I did last year. Hopefully I will be able to keep up. A friend's birthday party is falling smack on the same weekend. I felt a little bad that I checked the schedule before I told her yay or nay about me coming. But hey, it is what it is. If I thought she would have a good time, I would just invite her to come with me. But I just have this strange feeling that I would be the only one having a good time and she would just keep giving me the sideways stare.

There is a little less than two weeks before the start of NaNoWriMo. I still haven't gotten the full plot of the story all penned out. I have been extremely busy and haven't had as much time to brainstorm as I have wanted to. Nothing has names, no one has names, I don't think I even have a solidified list of characters yet. This is probably the most behind I have ever been when it came to the start of NaNoWriMo. I'm not too worried however. I have this feeling that it will all come to me when it needs to. And if it doesn't...well, just start pulling stuff out of the sky.

YouTubers and Minecraft

I was pretty late to the game of Minecraft. I had heard about it, but never thought it was something that I was going to get into. I mean, just how fun could stacking blocks actually be? Well, I was shown just how fun it could be and I was hooked after playing only one time. However, what I found is that I enjoyed it much more when I was playing with other people. So that meant I had to convince my sister to play as well. No one knows me as well as her, and if there could be anyone I want to build things with, it would be her.

Being less of a gamer than I am, it was going to take a whole lot of convincing in order to get her on board. The graphics weren't that great. She wasn't much of a PC gamer. She had the same skepticism as me. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get her to budge. So I gave up on the idea of us ever playing together. Life moved on, my play time on Minecraft dwindled to nothing and I forgot about trying to get my sister to play. Then enter Simon and Lewis of Yogcast.

This was something that I stumbled on quite by accident. I was looking for tutorials on YouTube on how to build some cool looking things and I found Yogcast ; two English guys playing Minecraft. First thing that got me was the banter between the two and it was interesting to watch them play. But soon, the whole thing started to develop into a full blown story. The story was interesting and the things that were being built in game were absolutely spectacular. I had to show this to my sister. The players were funny, the story was amusing, it was just a good way to spend your time.

I didn't expect her to want to play Minecraft, but I had hoped that she would at least enjoy what was going on in the YouTube vids. The next day, after watching, she was ready to play. I was pleasantly surprised. Both of us really enjoy Yogcast and because of them, I have someone to play Minecraft with :)