Hail and well met
This message goes out to the 37 inch gamers. I know that I had planned a campaign, which has failed to appear. Well there is a reason, honestly I am sick of fantasy. Yup I have gone and said it. I am really sick and tired of fantasy all together. Some of it may come from 4th just coming out but this has been building for some time. I have a great story and a world all planned out, heck I have 3 continents planned out for crying out loud. It came to a head this weekend when I was planning on trying to have a meeting on the game and when push came to shove I just wanted to throw out all of my books.
Oh and on a side note, if we have given up looking at the message board could someone please take it down or put up a message saying it is pointless to post there. It was working so well then it just putted out. I had put up a message about the meeting and no one knew about it at all.
Ok so with all of that behind me I had to make a decision about the whole role playing thing. I could just give up and not even try to run anything or I could figure out what the heck did pique my interest and run it. Well I have a couple of ideas and I hope for the love of the Creator that some of you still stop by and read this so you can comment. Here are the ideas I came up with.
1. A super hero game run with Silver Age Sentinels D20 (Ok I heard that collective sigh of "not again")
2. A off the wall modern game set in the World of Darkness (no not vampire or any other book but right out of the basic WOD book, oh and for this game none of the others exist either) Think a crazy combo of Ghostbusters, MIB and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This one is the least completed in my mind but shouldn't be hard to come up with some...wait I had a brain storm and have an idea.
3. A really strange game of All Flesh...where you are the zombies! Yeah a crazy idea I have had ever since I played Stubbs the Zombie. I am not sure on the time era but that can be discussed if I go that way. Oh important point on this one it is not super serious but tongue in cheek and funny, yes you are eating the living but it is going to be funny...I don't know how just yet but it will be I promise.
There they are. Let me know if you think any of them sound better then any others. I am kind of looking at the super hero one only because I haven't yet run a successful game yet...well complete is a better word cause you all said they were good.
Anyway I will also make sure to get with everyone personally just in case no one reads this.
For anyone not part of the 37 inch gamers thanks for reading anyway. I will post about 4th edition soon. I really have to formulate my thoughts into a cohesive tapestry of inspired cogitation. Yeah I can use my mouth better then a 20 dollar whore! (um just a clarification that was a joke from "Blazing Saddles")
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Matt-Man Chimes in on 4.0
Hail and well met
I am going to talk about 4.0 for a second or two. First off I would like to direct everyone's attention to this post I found. You should read it as it gives an excellent showing of what is wrong with the mentality behind 4.0. Oh and before you do I am doing this to bash 4.0, I am doing this to bash WOTC.
Missing the point entirely: D & D 4.0
Ok now that you have jumped right over and read that blog I am going...wait you didn't read it, did you? You just plowed right on ahead and started reading this paragraph totally ignoring the link. How rude! I go to the trouble of putting that link there and you just treat it like it doesn't exist! Well I see how it is. I know when I am not appreciated.
Ha made you screw up your eyebrows and go WTF. Actually I have to jump away from the computer for a few hours so I will comment on that post in later.
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!
I am going to talk about 4.0 for a second or two. First off I would like to direct everyone's attention to this post I found. You should read it as it gives an excellent showing of what is wrong with the mentality behind 4.0. Oh and before you do I am doing this to bash 4.0, I am doing this to bash WOTC.
Missing the point entirely: D & D 4.0
Ok now that you have jumped right over and read that blog I am going...wait you didn't read it, did you? You just plowed right on ahead and started reading this paragraph totally ignoring the link. How rude! I go to the trouble of putting that link there and you just treat it like it doesn't exist! Well I see how it is. I know when I am not appreciated.
Ha made you screw up your eyebrows and go WTF. Actually I have to jump away from the computer for a few hours so I will comment on that post in later.
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Matt-Man vs Anime?
Hail and well met
Well I just spent several days catching up on some anime that I had started watching years ago and ended up missing for one reason or another. It is by far the truth that I could have gone the rest of my life without ever seeing them at all. Now don't get me wrong, they were well done and visually pleasing, with some great story telling as well. No the problem is that so far they have all done the same thing, bait and switch.
What do I mean by that? Well it is simple, they start promising to be a straight forward giant robot battle opera and lead you on with what seems to be straight forward story telling. Each episode building to the climactic final battle where all is revealed. The switch is when they totally drop the final battle/enemy angle and jump into some heavy psychobabble and introspection. Then to top it all of they have the audacity to drop a "deus ex machina" twist in the last few episodes that robs the viewer of a real ending but instead we get to see the writers idea of what God is and how we all were created or some such contrivance.
Why do they have to do this? What is the deal? I just wanted a intriguing story, with deep characters that interact and develop, while fighting horrors in giant robots/cyborgs/alien machines. I wanted to be entertained, enthralled and allowed to lose myself for a few hours...ok days. Is it that hard to come up with a story that doesn't end with some version of a god like entity showing up roaring around for twenty minutes while we are told how it is the creator of everything and how it is going to recreate the world? Or how it is going to jump back in time and change everything...yeah there is another pet peeve.
Time travel is something that I have spent a great deal of time reading about, thinking about and playing with in games. All of it seems to boil down to one simple point, every event is shaped by thousands of others leading up to it. So the two theories I have are these...
One- By changing the proper event the situation in the present is changed drastically. This totally changes the landscape of the present from the previous reality. People will be mostly the same but the events that you will remember them doing or being involved with will have been erased for the most part, in fact some of them may even be dead and others that did die will be alive. There is little to no way to know the full extent of the changes made to the present by changing even the simplest thing in the past.
Tw0- Some events are brought about by long term chains of events made by people that the time traveler is not aware of. Thus they may go back to change something but not knowing the real cause cannot alter the right events. This means that all they will most likely do is alter the players but not the event. They may even alter the outcome of the event but only along the lines of possible results of that event happening. In the end the thing that was trying to be changed only changes slightly with the end result being mostly the same.
Either way it would take a AWESOME story to encompass time traveling on even the smallest level. This is why I shudder when suddenly the term "time travel" shows up late in any series or show. Most of the time it is well founded as it totally screws up the plot and destroys any credibility it may have built up with me.
I could go on for a long time on that one. Suffice it to say that I have had it with anime for a long time. I mean really a long time. It would take a incredibly great anime that delivered what it promised from the beginning to the end with no damn twists! Maybe it is out their but for now I am not looking for it.
So this post was a little off the beaten path but I just had to vent.
Well off to work on going to sleep and then finishing my campaign.
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!
Well I just spent several days catching up on some anime that I had started watching years ago and ended up missing for one reason or another. It is by far the truth that I could have gone the rest of my life without ever seeing them at all. Now don't get me wrong, they were well done and visually pleasing, with some great story telling as well. No the problem is that so far they have all done the same thing, bait and switch.
What do I mean by that? Well it is simple, they start promising to be a straight forward giant robot battle opera and lead you on with what seems to be straight forward story telling. Each episode building to the climactic final battle where all is revealed. The switch is when they totally drop the final battle/enemy angle and jump into some heavy psychobabble and introspection. Then to top it all of they have the audacity to drop a "deus ex machina" twist in the last few episodes that robs the viewer of a real ending but instead we get to see the writers idea of what God is and how we all were created or some such contrivance.
Why do they have to do this? What is the deal? I just wanted a intriguing story, with deep characters that interact and develop, while fighting horrors in giant robots/cyborgs/alien machines. I wanted to be entertained, enthralled and allowed to lose myself for a few hours...ok days. Is it that hard to come up with a story that doesn't end with some version of a god like entity showing up roaring around for twenty minutes while we are told how it is the creator of everything and how it is going to recreate the world? Or how it is going to jump back in time and change everything...yeah there is another pet peeve.
Time travel is something that I have spent a great deal of time reading about, thinking about and playing with in games. All of it seems to boil down to one simple point, every event is shaped by thousands of others leading up to it. So the two theories I have are these...
One- By changing the proper event the situation in the present is changed drastically. This totally changes the landscape of the present from the previous reality. People will be mostly the same but the events that you will remember them doing or being involved with will have been erased for the most part, in fact some of them may even be dead and others that did die will be alive. There is little to no way to know the full extent of the changes made to the present by changing even the simplest thing in the past.
Tw0- Some events are brought about by long term chains of events made by people that the time traveler is not aware of. Thus they may go back to change something but not knowing the real cause cannot alter the right events. This means that all they will most likely do is alter the players but not the event. They may even alter the outcome of the event but only along the lines of possible results of that event happening. In the end the thing that was trying to be changed only changes slightly with the end result being mostly the same.
Either way it would take a AWESOME story to encompass time traveling on even the smallest level. This is why I shudder when suddenly the term "time travel" shows up late in any series or show. Most of the time it is well founded as it totally screws up the plot and destroys any credibility it may have built up with me.
I could go on for a long time on that one. Suffice it to say that I have had it with anime for a long time. I mean really a long time. It would take a incredibly great anime that delivered what it promised from the beginning to the end with no damn twists! Maybe it is out their but for now I am not looking for it.
So this post was a little off the beaten path but I just had to vent.
Well off to work on going to sleep and then finishing my campaign.
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Matt-Man Runs with Daikaiju!!!!!
Hail and well met!
Things have been good for me as of late. I am working more then less which is good as it keeps me in funds. The allergy season has fallen hard on me and my sinuses, especially on days when I work since I am out in a rural area with tons of farmers pouring stuff on their crops and people with more lawn space then brains paying to have grass cut and manicured like some models hair. Chemicals abound as well as pollen and mold, fun times for all who have mega doses of antihistamines. Ah well I am alive and that is all that counts.
The major topic of this post is going to be the up coming release from Privateer Pres:
For those that have no idea what it is here is a basic run down. Think the simplicity of most clix games but add the awesomeness of Giant Monsters! Oh yes throwing buildings, being thrown into buildings, titanic slugfests punctuated by belching nuclear fire or cosmic laser blasts. Not only do you have the big guys but they have the obligatory fodder running around filling support functions as well.
The team at Privateer have come up with a great looking game. Realizing the need for factions they quickly came up with some really cool ideas. Here is a look at them.
The Lords of Cthul
These bad boys are a classic idea that has never been really brought into the arena of Daikaiju (giant monster) entertainment. Well it is about time in my opinion, what could be more monsterific then some ancient monster that eats humans, both in body and mind, rising to consume the city. Their main figures are awesome as well as their support troops, which have some really cool abilities.
G.U.A.R.D.
Where would we be if we didn't have the giant human driven robot defenders of the world. I love the Giant Robo look that these guys have, well with a little sprinkle of Johnny Sacko's Giant friend. This represents the best the human race can muster to defend itself from the giant monster menace. There support troops are tanks and helicopters which are to be expected. I have no intel on what they are capable of doing so I can say little else.
The Martians
If I was impressed with the idea bringing the tentacled menace into the ring I was blown away by this addition. We are talking the tripods people! Yes those annoying war machines from H.G. Wells imagination. Here they are in all their three legged glory to conquer the world, and kick a little giant monster butt! There is little about these up at the web site but I am waiting with baited breath!
The Planet Eaters!
This is probably my favorite faction. Of course it stems from my youth and watching way to much Ultraman and Specter man. Wait you don't get it Well see I liked the cool monsters more then the men in rubber suits. Don't get me wrong but they were simple while the monsters were covered in spikes and fins and flashy thingies. How could you not like them more!? Well here they are and I am looking forward to playing them! I would try and remember the stuff they do but all I can say is...THEY LOOK COOL! So doe their support troops which look like different bugs.
The Shadow Sun Syndicate
Well speaking of guys in suits, here they are. These are the classic giant space men fighting the monsters, with a "twist". As their name implies, something is not quite right and there may be some "strong arming" going on behind the scenes. I love it! I mean why wouldn't aliens who stand 50 stories tall look down on us and say "Hey you want protection? Whada ya got?". I would hate to see the territory war if the mob found out...or maybe they would just steal some G.U.A.R.D. stuff and make a go of it? Oh their support troops are a mix of vehicles and smaller guys which is pretty cool and adds to the "gang" feel.
The Terrasaurs
Hailing from South America here comes the classic giant monster. A huge lizard that has to belch fire, they haven't said so directly on the site but come on...it has to! The faction's support troops are various age groups of the adult creature and boy are they cute! Not like I would want to take care of one but still I can see myself petting a belly or two.
Well now you know the players so here is the game. In a nutshell you are fighting over land (ok not a big surprise what war hasn't) on this land are points of power that you need to take. There are also points that if destroyed hinder you opponent. By holding the good points and destroying the bad ones you can unleash you forces to their full potential and annihilate your opponent. But just think about doing so by saying "My Planet Eater picks up your G.U.A.R.D. and throws him into the building", that is so awesome!
If you want a better idea and pictures of actual mini's go to the website...
Monsterpocalypse
and visit their blog for some cool insights into their thought processes at...
MonsterInsider
All I know is that when it comes out I will be getting some. I know Val is as well so if nothing else we will be playing.
Whelp till next time I am out. Have some laundry to do as well as typing a few more episodes of "The New Adventures of Matt-Man!", oh and miniatures to paint. Whoops almost forgot that campaign I have to polish up and get ready as well as several game ideas to get down on paper and start developing. Man I am a busy guy, can I get paid for it some day? Please?
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!!
Images provided by Privateer Press are © 2001 – 2008 Privateer Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All images property of Privateer Press are used with permission. Privateer Press, Monsterpocalypse, G.U.A.R.D., Martian Menace, Terrasaurs, Planet Eaters, Shadow Sun Syndicate, Lords of Cthul and their associated logos and slogans are trademarks of Privateer Press, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wow never had to put one of these up before, feels kinda like cool.
Things have been good for me as of late. I am working more then less which is good as it keeps me in funds. The allergy season has fallen hard on me and my sinuses, especially on days when I work since I am out in a rural area with tons of farmers pouring stuff on their crops and people with more lawn space then brains paying to have grass cut and manicured like some models hair. Chemicals abound as well as pollen and mold, fun times for all who have mega doses of antihistamines. Ah well I am alive and that is all that counts.
The major topic of this post is going to be the up coming release from Privateer Pres:
For those that have no idea what it is here is a basic run down. Think the simplicity of most clix games but add the awesomeness of Giant Monsters! Oh yes throwing buildings, being thrown into buildings, titanic slugfests punctuated by belching nuclear fire or cosmic laser blasts. Not only do you have the big guys but they have the obligatory fodder running around filling support functions as well.The team at Privateer have come up with a great looking game. Realizing the need for factions they quickly came up with some really cool ideas. Here is a look at them.
The Lords of CthulThese bad boys are a classic idea that has never been really brought into the arena of Daikaiju (giant monster) entertainment. Well it is about time in my opinion, what could be more monsterific then some ancient monster that eats humans, both in body and mind, rising to consume the city. Their main figures are awesome as well as their support troops, which have some really cool abilities.
G.U.A.R.D.Where would we be if we didn't have the giant human driven robot defenders of the world. I love the Giant Robo look that these guys have, well with a little sprinkle of Johnny Sacko's Giant friend. This represents the best the human race can muster to defend itself from the giant monster menace. There support troops are tanks and helicopters which are to be expected. I have no intel on what they are capable of doing so I can say little else.
The MartiansIf I was impressed with the idea bringing the tentacled menace into the ring I was blown away by this addition. We are talking the tripods people! Yes those annoying war machines from H.G. Wells imagination. Here they are in all their three legged glory to conquer the world, and kick a little giant monster butt! There is little about these up at the web site but I am waiting with baited breath!
The Planet Eaters!This is probably my favorite faction. Of course it stems from my youth and watching way to much Ultraman and Specter man. Wait you don't get it Well see I liked the cool monsters more then the men in rubber suits. Don't get me wrong but they were simple while the monsters were covered in spikes and fins and flashy thingies. How could you not like them more!? Well here they are and I am looking forward to playing them! I would try and remember the stuff they do but all I can say is...THEY LOOK COOL! So doe their support troops which look like different bugs.
The Shadow Sun Syndicate Well speaking of guys in suits, here they are. These are the classic giant space men fighting the monsters, with a "twist". As their name implies, something is not quite right and there may be some "strong arming" going on behind the scenes. I love it! I mean why wouldn't aliens who stand 50 stories tall look down on us and say "Hey you want protection? Whada ya got?". I would hate to see the territory war if the mob found out...or maybe they would just steal some G.U.A.R.D. stuff and make a go of it? Oh their support troops are a mix of vehicles and smaller guys which is pretty cool and adds to the "gang" feel.
The TerrasaursHailing from South America here comes the classic giant monster. A huge lizard that has to belch fire, they haven't said so directly on the site but come on...it has to! The faction's support troops are various age groups of the adult creature and boy are they cute! Not like I would want to take care of one but still I can see myself petting a belly or two.
Well now you know the players so here is the game. In a nutshell you are fighting over land (ok not a big surprise what war hasn't) on this land are points of power that you need to take. There are also points that if destroyed hinder you opponent. By holding the good points and destroying the bad ones you can unleash you forces to their full potential and annihilate your opponent. But just think about doing so by saying "My Planet Eater picks up your G.U.A.R.D. and throws him into the building", that is so awesome!
If you want a better idea and pictures of actual mini's go to the website...
Monsterpocalypse
and visit their blog for some cool insights into their thought processes at...
MonsterInsider
All I know is that when it comes out I will be getting some. I know Val is as well so if nothing else we will be playing.
Whelp till next time I am out. Have some laundry to do as well as typing a few more episodes of "The New Adventures of Matt-Man!", oh and miniatures to paint. Whoops almost forgot that campaign I have to polish up and get ready as well as several game ideas to get down on paper and start developing. Man I am a busy guy, can I get paid for it some day? Please?
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!!
Images provided by Privateer Press are © 2001 – 2008 Privateer Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All images property of Privateer Press are used with permission. Privateer Press, Monsterpocalypse, G.U.A.R.D., Martian Menace, Terrasaurs, Planet Eaters, Shadow Sun Syndicate, Lords of Cthul and their associated logos and slogans are trademarks of Privateer Press, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wow never had to put one of these up before, feels kinda like cool.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Matt-Man is Inspriation!!!!
Hail and well met
First off I have to give a shout out to Sara Jay for her recent email containing some amazing posters. I hope she doesn't mind but I am reposting them here for all to see. Hilarious! I laughed harder then I have in a long time.
Okay well it appears that I am having technical difficulties reposting those posters. Grrrrr why cannot things just work.
No matter. Thank you Sara Jay for sharing those with me and everyone you mailed them to. Keep it up cause they are funny.
Now on the the second reason for this post, besides the fact that I haven't posted in awhile. As some of you may know and some may not, in the past I have posted blogs on MySpace that were written adventures of Matt-Man. Several months ago I stopped for several reasons. Among them were a desire to polish the whole thing top to bottom so it worked better, then I wanted to solidify the universe it takes place in and finally I wanted to write the stories with continuity in mind, you know longer story arcs that mesh together not jump around all the time. There were other reasons that remain personal for personal reasons.
Well the time has come for me to kick my butt into gear and get things done. So with that in mind I began to write the adventures again. Originally it was to be returning to MySpace, but due to the interloping of Trans-Dimensional Error Imp Gnomes I have had to move it somewhere I could work everything out as I wished.
So without further ado here is the link to my new blog...
The Adventures of Matt-Man!!!
It is amazing! I even added a soundtrack! So here is to you all taking a look and liking what you see.
May the Force be with you
Excelsior!!!
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