Here are 3 versions of a song we use to sing on Halloween when I was a kid and thought I would share.
The Hearse Song v1:
The old grey hearse goes rolling by,
You don't know whether to laugh or cry;
For you know some day it'll get you too,
And the hearse's next load may consist of you.
They'll take you out and they'll lower you down,
While men with shovels stand all a-round;
They'll throw in dirt and they'll throw in rocks,
And they won't give a damn if they break the box.
The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out,
They crawl all over your chin and mouth,
They invite their friends and their friends' friends too,
And you look like hell when they're through with you.
The Hearse Song v2:
Do you ever think as a hearse goes by, that you may be the next to die?
They wrap you up in a big white sheet
From your head down to your feet.
They put you in a big black box,
And cover you up with dirt and rocks.
All goes well for about a week,
Then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.
A big green worm with rolling eyes,
Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And pus pours out like whipping cream.
You spread it on a slice of bread,
And that's what you eat when you are dead.
The Hearse Song v3: This is the version I remember from when I was a kid.
Do you ever think as a hearse goes by, that you may be the next to die?
They wrap you up in a big white sheet,
And bury you six feet deep.
They put you in a big black box,
And cover you up with dirt and rocks.
All goes well for about a week,
Then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.
A big green worm with rolling eyes,
Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And pus pours out like whipping cream.
You spread it on a slice of bread,
And that's what you eat when you are dead.
Showing posts with label Reviews and Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews and Culture. Show all posts
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Iron Man 2: Quick Review
I took the family to the drive-in Saturday night to see the newest Shrek movie and Iron Man 2.
Shrek was pretty much what I expected, a good family movie. There were some really funny parts, a good moral lesson (ala It's a Wonderful Life) and fairly enjoyable. If I didn't have a daughter I probably would not have seen it, but I don't think it was a waste of money.
As for Iron Man 2, I have mixed feelings. Part of me thought it was absolutely awesome, but I also felt kind of let down. The story seemed to go in too many directions needlessly and there were just too many characters. Favrea played too big of a part in the movie. I just don't think his character was important enough to get as much screen time as he did, it added nothing to the movie. Actually knowing who he is kind of distracted from the story.
Cheadle was great as Rhodey as was Paltrow as Pepper. Downey Jr. made Tony Stark a little to cocky and arrogant for my tastes. It was almost as if he got his billionaires mixed up and was playing Bruce Wayne, the publicly flamboyant and inept alter ego of Batman. Although he got some bad comments from reviewers I liked Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. Of course I think Rockwell is one of the most underrated actors when it comes to playing slime-balls.
While everyone seemed to rave about Rourke's character Ivan Vanko I thought the character was dull and uninteresting. I'd rather have seen Rockwell as the primary bad guy who designs and builds an army of armored drones to battle Iron Man and War Machine with Rourke's Whiplash/Crimson Dynamo amalgam removed from the story completely. Scarlett Johanson as Black Widow, while I will never complain about seeing Johanson in skintight black leather, served no real purpose in the movie except as a quasi team up with the chauffeur.
The fight scenes were cool, though they were over too quickly. While it was neat to see War Machine and Iron Man duke it out, that part of the movie seemed forced to me. We all remember how much trouble Stark had learning to use the armor, but Rhodey puts it on and acts as if he has been using it for years. I also thought that Stark build the armor(s) to be powered by the arc reactor in his chest. Since when does he build them with the arc reactors already in place? Otherwise how did Rhodey power the suit? Plus the reason behind why he put on and then stole the armor just seemed wrong to me. Very out of character. They could have come up with something better. Also Stark's illness and miraculous cure, kind of lame and a big time waster.
Over all I liked the movie and will definitely be buying it on DVD. I will also be watching it multiple times as Iron Man is one of my favorite Marvel characters, but I was kind of let down.
Shrek was pretty much what I expected, a good family movie. There were some really funny parts, a good moral lesson (ala It's a Wonderful Life) and fairly enjoyable. If I didn't have a daughter I probably would not have seen it, but I don't think it was a waste of money.
As for Iron Man 2, I have mixed feelings. Part of me thought it was absolutely awesome, but I also felt kind of let down. The story seemed to go in too many directions needlessly and there were just too many characters. Favrea played too big of a part in the movie. I just don't think his character was important enough to get as much screen time as he did, it added nothing to the movie. Actually knowing who he is kind of distracted from the story.
Cheadle was great as Rhodey as was Paltrow as Pepper. Downey Jr. made Tony Stark a little to cocky and arrogant for my tastes. It was almost as if he got his billionaires mixed up and was playing Bruce Wayne, the publicly flamboyant and inept alter ego of Batman. Although he got some bad comments from reviewers I liked Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. Of course I think Rockwell is one of the most underrated actors when it comes to playing slime-balls.
While everyone seemed to rave about Rourke's character Ivan Vanko I thought the character was dull and uninteresting. I'd rather have seen Rockwell as the primary bad guy who designs and builds an army of armored drones to battle Iron Man and War Machine with Rourke's Whiplash/Crimson Dynamo amalgam removed from the story completely. Scarlett Johanson as Black Widow, while I will never complain about seeing Johanson in skintight black leather, served no real purpose in the movie except as a quasi team up with the chauffeur.
The fight scenes were cool, though they were over too quickly. While it was neat to see War Machine and Iron Man duke it out, that part of the movie seemed forced to me. We all remember how much trouble Stark had learning to use the armor, but Rhodey puts it on and acts as if he has been using it for years. I also thought that Stark build the armor(s) to be powered by the arc reactor in his chest. Since when does he build them with the arc reactors already in place? Otherwise how did Rhodey power the suit? Plus the reason behind why he put on and then stole the armor just seemed wrong to me. Very out of character. They could have come up with something better. Also Stark's illness and miraculous cure, kind of lame and a big time waster.
Over all I liked the movie and will definitely be buying it on DVD. I will also be watching it multiple times as Iron Man is one of my favorite Marvel characters, but I was kind of let down.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The RPG community a damn good bunch of people.
All of the other RPG Bloggers are doing a terrific job covering the RPGNow/DriveThruRPG Hati megabundle, so I really don't have a whole lot to add. I will spare you a long post extolling the greatness and generosity of the rpg community and the companies that participated. At least for the moment.
In lieu of an actual post I am going to re-post a comment I made on Creatively Anomalous.
"I finally got all of mine downloaded, though I never had the problems that plagued everyone else. It just took me around 4 hours to download that many items.
I have to say that was the best $20 I have spent on my rpg hobby/addiction in my life. As a diehard cheapskate, that is also one of the only times I have felt good about spending $20.
It is also the first time I’ve actually been proud of us, the rpg gaming community. No bickering, flaming or edition wars. Just a bunch of gamers stepping up to help our fellow man, and get some cool stuff in the process.
Kudos to everyone that spent the $20 and to all the companies that participated. Especially DriveThruRPG/RPGNow for putting it together.
I’ve been telling everyone I know about this deal. Hopefully that $70K will be a much bigger number tomorrow."
In lieu of an actual post I am going to re-post a comment I made on Creatively Anomalous.
"I finally got all of mine downloaded, though I never had the problems that plagued everyone else. It just took me around 4 hours to download that many items.
I have to say that was the best $20 I have spent on my rpg hobby/addiction in my life. As a diehard cheapskate, that is also one of the only times I have felt good about spending $20.
It is also the first time I’ve actually been proud of us, the rpg gaming community. No bickering, flaming or edition wars. Just a bunch of gamers stepping up to help our fellow man, and get some cool stuff in the process.
Kudos to everyone that spent the $20 and to all the companies that participated. Especially DriveThruRPG/RPGNow for putting it together.
I’ve been telling everyone I know about this deal. Hopefully that $70K will be a much bigger number tomorrow."
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Mutant Epoch
The Mutant Epoch is a science-fantasy role playing game coming out from Outland Arts in early 2010. The game takes place in the 27th century where bio engineering, and contamination has caused plant and animal life to evolve quickly and in “fantastic” ways.
Mutant Epoch uses the Outland System Game Mechanic and while the system may be unique to Outland Arts it is still a traditional role playing system. From what I have read it is meant to allow “fast paced adventure action “ and still have “as much character to character interaction and story narrative as desired.” Like most games it is advised that the game master be familiar with the rules (a GM’s work is never done), but the game is designed to allow even a new player to catch on quickly, without worrying about a lot of reading or complicated math.
The game uses character types in place of races, as all the characters are assumed to be of human ancestry. There seems to be quite a variety of player character types such as Clones, Bioreplicas, Cyborgs, Mutants and unmutated humans. The Beta copy I have also mentions that there will be other character types available through the Mutant Epoch electronic magazine and expansion rule books that will be released to support the game.
Character generation seems like it will be fairly similar to most rpg’s and relatively easy to understand. Mutant Epoch uses the percentile (d100) dice for combat and character generation but all the standard polyhedron dice gamers are familiar with are used in the game. PC’s will have 8 basic traits in place of ability scores and as your PC goes up in rank (similar to leveling up) they will gain bonuses to their traits. They can also acquire permanent penalties to their scores in the event of serious injures or illness.
The main objective of the game seems to be more focused on survival in this harsh futuristic world than the old standard of adventuring for treasure; although I am sure you can do that too.. While I have only had glimpses of the world and the creatures that the characters will encounter I have to say I am intrigued by this game. The setting and character types seem to be flexible and varied enough to satisfy any type of gamer. I will definitely be sharing more information about this Mutant Epoch as I find it. In the mean time go to the site and check it out for yourself.
There are several nice downloads so you can preview the game on the site.
Mutant Epoch uses the Outland System Game Mechanic and while the system may be unique to Outland Arts it is still a traditional role playing system. From what I have read it is meant to allow “fast paced adventure action “ and still have “as much character to character interaction and story narrative as desired.” Like most games it is advised that the game master be familiar with the rules (a GM’s work is never done), but the game is designed to allow even a new player to catch on quickly, without worrying about a lot of reading or complicated math.
The game uses character types in place of races, as all the characters are assumed to be of human ancestry. There seems to be quite a variety of player character types such as Clones, Bioreplicas, Cyborgs, Mutants and unmutated humans. The Beta copy I have also mentions that there will be other character types available through the Mutant Epoch electronic magazine and expansion rule books that will be released to support the game.
Character generation seems like it will be fairly similar to most rpg’s and relatively easy to understand. Mutant Epoch uses the percentile (d100) dice for combat and character generation but all the standard polyhedron dice gamers are familiar with are used in the game. PC’s will have 8 basic traits in place of ability scores and as your PC goes up in rank (similar to leveling up) they will gain bonuses to their traits. They can also acquire permanent penalties to their scores in the event of serious injures or illness.
The main objective of the game seems to be more focused on survival in this harsh futuristic world than the old standard of adventuring for treasure; although I am sure you can do that too.. While I have only had glimpses of the world and the creatures that the characters will encounter I have to say I am intrigued by this game. The setting and character types seem to be flexible and varied enough to satisfy any type of gamer. I will definitely be sharing more information about this Mutant Epoch as I find it. In the mean time go to the site and check it out for yourself.
There are several nice downloads so you can preview the game on the site.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Spreading the Word
After my last post I'm now trying to think of new ways to "spread the word" about games other than D&D.
The only problem is that I'm not exactly sure what would be the optimal way to do this. I mean I can blog about it all day but I doubt that will be very effective. Mostly because we bloggers are predominately blogging for each other and not really exposing many other gamers to what we know and love outside of D&D.
I have discussed other games with the group I DM for, but again that is a fairly self contained group and the discussion doesn't generally go beyond my dining room walls.
I had thought about making flyers for the RPG Bloggers Network and hanging them in various comic book/gaming shops, as well as non-gaming stores but again I'm not sure how effective that would be. I mean really, who looks at those flyers anyway.
So I'm asking the bloggers and readers of the RPGBN to make some suggestions. I'll keep thinking and trying to come up with good ideas, posting them for feedback from on occassion, but I am happy to use or take part in someone else's idea. Also I wouldn't be against this being a group effort. After all we are a pretty resourceful group of gamers, from all walks of life, located all over the country/world, surely together we can come up with something.
The only problem is that I'm not exactly sure what would be the optimal way to do this. I mean I can blog about it all day but I doubt that will be very effective. Mostly because we bloggers are predominately blogging for each other and not really exposing many other gamers to what we know and love outside of D&D.
I have discussed other games with the group I DM for, but again that is a fairly self contained group and the discussion doesn't generally go beyond my dining room walls.
I had thought about making flyers for the RPG Bloggers Network and hanging them in various comic book/gaming shops, as well as non-gaming stores but again I'm not sure how effective that would be. I mean really, who looks at those flyers anyway.
So I'm asking the bloggers and readers of the RPGBN to make some suggestions. I'll keep thinking and trying to come up with good ideas, posting them for feedback from on occassion, but I am happy to use or take part in someone else's idea. Also I wouldn't be against this being a group effort. After all we are a pretty resourceful group of gamers, from all walks of life, located all over the country/world, surely together we can come up with something.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Is D&D really all that most gamer know?
Usually when I stop by Emipre Comics to pick up my books, I am either heading to or from work/school so I don't get a chance to browse and chit chat. I tend to run in and out with little more than a polite "hello" and "see ya next time" , but the other day I was fortunate enough to have a few minutes to browse and actually have a short but thought provoking conversation with the shop's owner and another customer.
The conversation started after I took a few minutes to browse around the gaming area of the store, which I had never really done before. I was checking out some of the newer 4e Dungeons & Dragons books when I noticed a shelf that still held many 3e/3.5 books. Upon noticing these older books I immediately glanced around to see if there was a copy of Pathfinder on any of the shelves. There wasn't.
I already own a copy of the Pathfinder RPG Core book, which I pre-ordered on Amazon as soon as it was available, but I was a little disappointed to not see a copy on the shelves. As a Paizo fan and 3.5 supporter, there is definitely a part of me that wants to see the system not only succed but thrive. I freely admit that I do entertain the fantasy that PfRPG could knock the industry giant off its pedestal. I know this is unlikely, much like the super hot lady that wears chainmail bikinis and finds your character concept to be fascinating, but it is my fantasy after all.
I walked up to the counter and waited for the owner to get my comics from my file before asking him if he was planning to carry Pathfider. He said that he was planning to carry and support the game if he could ever get a copy. Now the owner is a pretty smart guy so he began to talk about print runs, small publishers, and things of that nature. Things that I have heard/read and discussed on the various forums or RPG blogs. He also mentioned that people had started coming in asking for Paizo products, or products that Paizo happens to produce as if they were new concepts, despite the fact he has carried them for years. This made me feel a bit hopeful that my desire to see Paizo become one of the gaming industries big dogs would come to be. But then he said some things that honestly took me by surprise.
He mentioned the fact that the customers, more specifically experienced gamers, had been asking about Paizo and Pathfinder because they had just recently heard about them/it. As I said before, I was taken by surprise and could not believe that anyone who had ever gamed did not know about Pathfider. After all it has been discussed on every message board and blog on the net for over a year. I expressed this to George who replied that most gamers didn't even know that games other than D&D even existed. I believe the number he used was 1 out of every 30 had played other systems, which I felt was ridiculous.
I was about to tell him this when I thought about the people I had gamed with over the years, including my current group. Sure I own a ridiculous amount of gaming books and have almost an obssessive desire to keep up with the latests and greatest systems, but everyone else I have played with pretty much only owned D&D.
The group I originally played with as a kid naturally all just owned D&D, that was back in the 1e & 2e days, but we were kids with very limited funds and new to gaming so that was understandable. That group grew up and we all went our seperate ways, but I branched out and started buying new systems. I assumed that those in the original group that kept gaming had done the same. Never really considering that maybe that hadn't.
Then I thought about the short lived 2e groups I had in my early 20's and realized that once again, other than myself, they had all owned only D&D with few exceptions. Granted there were a few guys I gamed with during that time that had played Champions or Palladium systems, and natrually Magic the Gathering, but they never asked to play anything but D&D/AD&D.
After those groups I didn't game for 3-4 years, until finding the foundations of the group I currently play with, and have mentioned a few times in various posts. Of that group only 1 guy still remains as a full time member, though my fiance who was also in that group still sits in on the rare game. Most quit playing all together or due to various circumstances (divorce, broken friendships) moved on to other groups. Yet when I think about them only one, the guy that is still in the group, had every played anything but D&D, and maybe Vampire. As a matter of fact, at the time I started gaming with them none of them even knew 3e was coming out until I took over DMing duties and switched the group from 2e to 3e. Naturally the last remaining member has played a few of the systems I own over the years and is a little more amiable to trying new systems, but he only owns D&D. Until I brought up the fact that Pathfinder was coming out, he had no idea it even existed and assumed we would continue as a 4e group or go back to our 3e books given that we were only moderately happy with 4e.
Of my current group 2 of the regular players are teenagers, and are new to gaming so their lack of knowledge is understandable, but the other 2-3 have been gaming as long, if not longer,than I have, one still runs a 2e game with another group. How could they not know about games other than D&D?
Because of the internet, the countless blogs and messageboards I have erroneously assumed that every gamer is as well versed as those of us that blog or post. I was apparently way off base.
D&D is the industry giant not only because it was the foundation of the industry, but because that is all most gamers know. Since D&D is generally the game we start out with, I can completely understand that newer gamers have yet to be exposed to the other great systems being produced. But what about the older, more experienced gamers? Outside of D&D, and more specifially the system they are currently playing, nothing else seems to exists to them.
Now it could be argued that those of us that do expand beyond D&D are more "hardcore" or that those other gamers are more casual. Yet the groups I have played with, regularly played weekly if not more often. That's not really casual in my book.
I started to argue the point with my comics shop's owner that as a member of the RPG Bloggers Network, there are tons of gamers out there that have played and own other systems. After all there have been numerous posts about how many books we all own since the network came into existence. Surely, the gamers in my area are a fluke, an anomoly in the gaming world.
Then it hit me that many of the same people on the RPGBN are the ones who are posting on the message boards, producing podcasts and leaving comments on the various blogs. Then I thought about the various posts on the RPGBN, the majority of which are about D&D. I had no argument. We are not the standard in gaming, at least given the circumstantial evidence I can come up with.
So what is the point of this post? Honestly I'm not 100% sure. I just found the revelation a bit surprising and suppose I am curious to see if this is something that others have encountered. Are those of us on the RPGBN and the various message boards, numerous though we seem, really in the minority? Are the majority of our fellow gamers really so isolated and uninformed about what else exists in this age where information about nearly any topic is just a Google search away?
If this is the case and our fellow gamers are caught up in a world where D&D is all that exists, how can we change that? Surely there is some way to "spread the word" and get D&D only players to try other systems. I'm not saying that they should abandon D&D, I love the game too, but they should know there are other options available to them.
I'm open to suggestions.
The conversation started after I took a few minutes to browse around the gaming area of the store, which I had never really done before. I was checking out some of the newer 4e Dungeons & Dragons books when I noticed a shelf that still held many 3e/3.5 books. Upon noticing these older books I immediately glanced around to see if there was a copy of Pathfinder on any of the shelves. There wasn't.
I already own a copy of the Pathfinder RPG Core book, which I pre-ordered on Amazon as soon as it was available, but I was a little disappointed to not see a copy on the shelves. As a Paizo fan and 3.5 supporter, there is definitely a part of me that wants to see the system not only succed but thrive. I freely admit that I do entertain the fantasy that PfRPG could knock the industry giant off its pedestal. I know this is unlikely, much like the super hot lady that wears chainmail bikinis and finds your character concept to be fascinating, but it is my fantasy after all.
I walked up to the counter and waited for the owner to get my comics from my file before asking him if he was planning to carry Pathfider. He said that he was planning to carry and support the game if he could ever get a copy. Now the owner is a pretty smart guy so he began to talk about print runs, small publishers, and things of that nature. Things that I have heard/read and discussed on the various forums or RPG blogs. He also mentioned that people had started coming in asking for Paizo products, or products that Paizo happens to produce as if they were new concepts, despite the fact he has carried them for years. This made me feel a bit hopeful that my desire to see Paizo become one of the gaming industries big dogs would come to be. But then he said some things that honestly took me by surprise.
He mentioned the fact that the customers, more specifically experienced gamers, had been asking about Paizo and Pathfinder because they had just recently heard about them/it. As I said before, I was taken by surprise and could not believe that anyone who had ever gamed did not know about Pathfider. After all it has been discussed on every message board and blog on the net for over a year. I expressed this to George who replied that most gamers didn't even know that games other than D&D even existed. I believe the number he used was 1 out of every 30 had played other systems, which I felt was ridiculous.
I was about to tell him this when I thought about the people I had gamed with over the years, including my current group. Sure I own a ridiculous amount of gaming books and have almost an obssessive desire to keep up with the latests and greatest systems, but everyone else I have played with pretty much only owned D&D.
The group I originally played with as a kid naturally all just owned D&D, that was back in the 1e & 2e days, but we were kids with very limited funds and new to gaming so that was understandable. That group grew up and we all went our seperate ways, but I branched out and started buying new systems. I assumed that those in the original group that kept gaming had done the same. Never really considering that maybe that hadn't.
Then I thought about the short lived 2e groups I had in my early 20's and realized that once again, other than myself, they had all owned only D&D with few exceptions. Granted there were a few guys I gamed with during that time that had played Champions or Palladium systems, and natrually Magic the Gathering, but they never asked to play anything but D&D/AD&D.
After those groups I didn't game for 3-4 years, until finding the foundations of the group I currently play with, and have mentioned a few times in various posts. Of that group only 1 guy still remains as a full time member, though my fiance who was also in that group still sits in on the rare game. Most quit playing all together or due to various circumstances (divorce, broken friendships) moved on to other groups. Yet when I think about them only one, the guy that is still in the group, had every played anything but D&D, and maybe Vampire. As a matter of fact, at the time I started gaming with them none of them even knew 3e was coming out until I took over DMing duties and switched the group from 2e to 3e. Naturally the last remaining member has played a few of the systems I own over the years and is a little more amiable to trying new systems, but he only owns D&D. Until I brought up the fact that Pathfinder was coming out, he had no idea it even existed and assumed we would continue as a 4e group or go back to our 3e books given that we were only moderately happy with 4e.
Of my current group 2 of the regular players are teenagers, and are new to gaming so their lack of knowledge is understandable, but the other 2-3 have been gaming as long, if not longer,than I have, one still runs a 2e game with another group. How could they not know about games other than D&D?
Because of the internet, the countless blogs and messageboards I have erroneously assumed that every gamer is as well versed as those of us that blog or post. I was apparently way off base.
D&D is the industry giant not only because it was the foundation of the industry, but because that is all most gamers know. Since D&D is generally the game we start out with, I can completely understand that newer gamers have yet to be exposed to the other great systems being produced. But what about the older, more experienced gamers? Outside of D&D, and more specifially the system they are currently playing, nothing else seems to exists to them.
Now it could be argued that those of us that do expand beyond D&D are more "hardcore" or that those other gamers are more casual. Yet the groups I have played with, regularly played weekly if not more often. That's not really casual in my book.
I started to argue the point with my comics shop's owner that as a member of the RPG Bloggers Network, there are tons of gamers out there that have played and own other systems. After all there have been numerous posts about how many books we all own since the network came into existence. Surely, the gamers in my area are a fluke, an anomoly in the gaming world.
Then it hit me that many of the same people on the RPGBN are the ones who are posting on the message boards, producing podcasts and leaving comments on the various blogs. Then I thought about the various posts on the RPGBN, the majority of which are about D&D. I had no argument. We are not the standard in gaming, at least given the circumstantial evidence I can come up with.
So what is the point of this post? Honestly I'm not 100% sure. I just found the revelation a bit surprising and suppose I am curious to see if this is something that others have encountered. Are those of us on the RPGBN and the various message boards, numerous though we seem, really in the minority? Are the majority of our fellow gamers really so isolated and uninformed about what else exists in this age where information about nearly any topic is just a Google search away?
If this is the case and our fellow gamers are caught up in a world where D&D is all that exists, how can we change that? Surely there is some way to "spread the word" and get D&D only players to try other systems. I'm not saying that they should abandon D&D, I love the game too, but they should know there are other options available to them.
I'm open to suggestions.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Update to 3e, 4e post...
jreyst over at Cavernia left a comment on my previous post to inform me that there is a Pathfinder SRD and a google group. While on the SRD site I also found a link to the Patfinder wikia which was pretty interesting. This got me to wondering how many Pathfinder sites had popped up recently and suprisingly there weren't that many. However, after a quick search I did find a couple that are worth mentioning, Pathfinder Portal and Pathfinder Open Game Content.
Now that my curiosity is piqued I will do a more thorough search and see what other Pathfinder related sites I can come up with for a future post.
*I am including my list of links at the end of my post because they are apparently causing issues with the RPGBN. So from now on you will likely find all of my links listed at the end of my posts.*
Now that my curiosity is piqued I will do a more thorough search and see what other Pathfinder related sites I can come up with for a future post.
*I am including my list of links at the end of my post because they are apparently causing issues with the RPGBN. So from now on you will likely find all of my links listed at the end of my posts.*
Monday, June 22, 2009
4e, 3e does it really matter any more?
As Paizo's Pathfinder Roleplaying Game nears final release, the edition war seems, to me at least, to be picking up steam.
There are multiple posts on the RPG Bloggers Network as well as countless message boards discussing this very topic. Whether players are in the 4e, 3e, or retroclone camp doesn't seem to be as big an issues to me as the fact that so many people are talking about Dugeons & Dragons with a passion that has been missing for some time. While some claim that the anti 4e sentiment is reminiscent of what occurred when both 2e and 3e were released, I don't agree.
Granted the internet is much more prominent than at the time the other editions were released, but even in my local gaming community I am finding a great deal of discention in the ranks of gamers. In the shops that I get to visit on extremely rare occassions, gamers of all ages are picking sides in this discussion and surprisingly many of the younger gamers I've spoken with are either sticking with 3e/Pathfinder or going with retroclones. I don't know how it is in other areas, but some of the most vehement supporters of 4e seem to be the older gamers. Chalk it up to older gamers having experienced edition changes in the past and understanding, even looking forward to the experience of learning a new system, and younger gamers being protective of the first edition that they learned to play, but I find that kind of interesting.
For a while I was in the anti-4e camp myself, but I came around and have openly admitted that I was wrong, 4e is a good system. However, I find that I still prefer 3e and am axiously awaitining the arrival of Pathfinder. I've liked what I've seen in the beta and have gotten all my old 3e books out of the closet to start preparing 3e games once again. I've even discussed it with some of my group and so far it looks like 3e is back and here to stay with us. I'm not going to abandon 4e and will likely buy the occassional book, but 4e isn't my game of choice anymore. It had a short lived stay at the top, and it may once again, someday, but for now 3e is back. In case you haven't noticed the 3.5 resurgent logo on the sidebar, I'm sticking with 3e and happy about it. BTW, thanks 6d6 fireball for coming up with that.
This gets me back to my point. Having support for multiple editions, thank you Paizo, is great for the industry as far as I'm concerned. This can only help both the industry and retailers in the long run.
Those of us that are sticking with 3e will have continued support for our preferred edition, old schoolers have seen an incredible resurgence of retroclones to feed their gaming need and 4e players have new books coming out all the time. How could this be bad?
The only part of all of this that kind of bothers me is that gamers are tending to get at each other's throats in declaring their edition "the best" or "real" edition of D&D. As far as I'm concerned it simply doesn't matter. What ever edition you prefer playing is completely legit and you should enjoy it without feeling you need to defend that decision or attack a fellow gamer's preference. If you feel like Paizo's Pathfinder (3.75 or 3.52... whatever you want to call it) is the only true D&D then so be it. Granted it technically isn't, but I'm on board as that is the edition/rules I plan to play with as well.
While I hold no ill will against 4e, I can't help but feeling the the anti- WotC feelings, which I share and believe is well deserved in many regards, will help to keep the 3e movement alive. Then again I hope 4e has a long life, I just doubt that it is doing as well as some say it is doing. (If you want to read the great response to the post in that link check out Wonderous Imaginings... ) Then again I am not an industry insider and have nothing more invested in the success in one edition over the other than my personal preferences. So like I said before, play the edition of the game you prefer and have fun. After all that's what gaming is all about, but that's just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.
There are multiple posts on the RPG Bloggers Network as well as countless message boards discussing this very topic. Whether players are in the 4e, 3e, or retroclone camp doesn't seem to be as big an issues to me as the fact that so many people are talking about Dugeons & Dragons with a passion that has been missing for some time. While some claim that the anti 4e sentiment is reminiscent of what occurred when both 2e and 3e were released, I don't agree.
Granted the internet is much more prominent than at the time the other editions were released, but even in my local gaming community I am finding a great deal of discention in the ranks of gamers. In the shops that I get to visit on extremely rare occassions, gamers of all ages are picking sides in this discussion and surprisingly many of the younger gamers I've spoken with are either sticking with 3e/Pathfinder or going with retroclones. I don't know how it is in other areas, but some of the most vehement supporters of 4e seem to be the older gamers. Chalk it up to older gamers having experienced edition changes in the past and understanding, even looking forward to the experience of learning a new system, and younger gamers being protective of the first edition that they learned to play, but I find that kind of interesting.
For a while I was in the anti-4e camp myself, but I came around and have openly admitted that I was wrong, 4e is a good system. However, I find that I still prefer 3e and am axiously awaitining the arrival of Pathfinder. I've liked what I've seen in the beta and have gotten all my old 3e books out of the closet to start preparing 3e games once again. I've even discussed it with some of my group and so far it looks like 3e is back and here to stay with us. I'm not going to abandon 4e and will likely buy the occassional book, but 4e isn't my game of choice anymore. It had a short lived stay at the top, and it may once again, someday, but for now 3e is back. In case you haven't noticed the 3.5 resurgent logo on the sidebar, I'm sticking with 3e and happy about it. BTW, thanks 6d6 fireball for coming up with that.
This gets me back to my point. Having support for multiple editions, thank you Paizo, is great for the industry as far as I'm concerned. This can only help both the industry and retailers in the long run.
Those of us that are sticking with 3e will have continued support for our preferred edition, old schoolers have seen an incredible resurgence of retroclones to feed their gaming need and 4e players have new books coming out all the time. How could this be bad?
The only part of all of this that kind of bothers me is that gamers are tending to get at each other's throats in declaring their edition "the best" or "real" edition of D&D. As far as I'm concerned it simply doesn't matter. What ever edition you prefer playing is completely legit and you should enjoy it without feeling you need to defend that decision or attack a fellow gamer's preference. If you feel like Paizo's Pathfinder (3.75 or 3.52... whatever you want to call it) is the only true D&D then so be it. Granted it technically isn't, but I'm on board as that is the edition/rules I plan to play with as well.
While I hold no ill will against 4e, I can't help but feeling the the anti- WotC feelings, which I share and believe is well deserved in many regards, will help to keep the 3e movement alive. Then again I hope 4e has a long life, I just doubt that it is doing as well as some say it is doing. (If you want to read the great response to the post in that link check out Wonderous Imaginings... ) Then again I am not an industry insider and have nothing more invested in the success in one edition over the other than my personal preferences. So like I said before, play the edition of the game you prefer and have fun. After all that's what gaming is all about, but that's just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Geek Gazette on Examiner.com
While looking for RPG related news I stumbled upon Examiner.com. It is basically an online news and events site. While the focus of the site is not gaming there are quite a few Examiners that do specialize in various games. There are Examiners, each writer is called an Examiner, for video games, boardgames, music, paganism, atheism, politics and the list goes on and on.
There are examiner pages for most of the major cities in the U.S. and each of them is employs 1 Examiner for the various topics. These aren't exactly blogs, though some aren't far from it. Still there is a wealth of good information on these site and they are worth checking out.
Here is a list of the some of the gaming related Examiners, but there are many more.
Chicago Games and Hobbies Examiners
Minneapolis Games and Hobbies Examiners
Los Angeles Games and Hobbies Examiners
Indianapolis Games and Hobbies Examiners
Atlanta Games and Hobbies Examiners
and of course me The Louisville Table Top Game Examiner
I figured after years of putting the Geek Gazette out as a print fanzine, and now a blog, I'd try my hand at writing for someone else. You will likely see some cross-content, but the Gazette will predominately remain my place for opinions and musings about comics, gaming and other geeky stuff.
So check out the various examiners and if there isn't one in your area, maybe you should take the title of the local Examiner.
There are examiner pages for most of the major cities in the U.S. and each of them is employs 1 Examiner for the various topics. These aren't exactly blogs, though some aren't far from it. Still there is a wealth of good information on these site and they are worth checking out.
Here is a list of the some of the gaming related Examiners, but there are many more.
Chicago Games and Hobbies Examiners
Minneapolis Games and Hobbies Examiners
Los Angeles Games and Hobbies Examiners
Indianapolis Games and Hobbies Examiners
Atlanta Games and Hobbies Examiners
and of course me The Louisville Table Top Game Examiner
I figured after years of putting the Geek Gazette out as a print fanzine, and now a blog, I'd try my hand at writing for someone else. You will likely see some cross-content, but the Gazette will predominately remain my place for opinions and musings about comics, gaming and other geeky stuff.
So check out the various examiners and if there isn't one in your area, maybe you should take the title of the local Examiner.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
WotC drops pdf, Other Publishers Try to Draw in Customers
As anyone who reads the RPG blogs knows WotC pulled all of its pdf products from every online distributor with almost no advance notice. To make matters worse, fans who previously bought WotC products as pdf's have lost the ability to redownload their books from the sites where they bought them. Though pdf's can technically last forever, as they only exist in digital form, this decision means that if your hard drive crashes and you didn't back up your pdf's, they are lost forever and you wasted good money. WotC cited piracy as the basis of the decision but some think it was, as Geek Related put it, just a "dick move" by the industry giant.
While it has been said that this decision may benefit brick and mortar stores, which is a good thing, it has also further lessened the image people have of the company. Because WotC has seemingly shown little regard for its partners and fans with some of their choices over the past few years (lying to fans, laying off good employees, cease and desist letters to fan sites, suspending publication of magazines, pulling licenses, etc.), their image has been tarnished substantially in the eyes of many. This is just another reason for fans to turn to some of the other companies that put out quality products
As one of the companies affected by WotC's decision, the former publisher of 3e products, Paizo, is offering 35% off Pathfinder pdf products in retaliation, according to ICv2. White Wolf, who some consider to be #2 in the RPG industry, is offering the second edition of Exalted free through RPG now and if you use the code, wwlovesyou, (expires April 12) you can also get a one time, 10% discount on any White Wolf pdf. Green Ronin, makers of the Mutants & Masterminds RPG, are now offering their True 20 pdf for $9.99, likely in an attempt to take advantage of fans' response to WotC's decision.
WotC, and by default Hasbro, may hold the license to the biggest name in the RPG industry, but with so many complaints arising since the announcement of 4e, I wonder how long before a competitor steps into the top spot. Right now any lessening of the brand is detremental to the industry, since a very large portion of new rpg gamers get their start playing Dungeons & Dragons. If long time fans begin turning away from the game that started the hobby, and a lesser known brand takes top spot, will the new top dog have what it takes to draw in new players? Or will D&D remain the game that brings in the ever dwindling new gamer, while experienced players support another system? I almost hope that Paizo, Green Ronin, Kenzer or one of the many other quality game producers does have what it takes to knock WotC down a peg of two, draw in new gamers, and hopefully breath new life in to the hobby.
While WotC says they are not abandoning the idea of digital distribution of their products, they will be doing it on their terms from now on. Given the companies near inability to follow through on any digital initiative they have attempted, DDi still isn't what they promised and it's been almost a year since 4e's release, I tend to think they may have bitten off more than they can chew once again. However, this time the fans may not be as forgiving.
For a list of other pdf deals from some of the other great RPG companies out there, in response to WotC's decision, check out the great post over at Mad Brew Labs.
I also recommend reading the 10 Theories About WotC's Bonehead Decision as well as this post from RPGpundit
While it has been said that this decision may benefit brick and mortar stores, which is a good thing, it has also further lessened the image people have of the company. Because WotC has seemingly shown little regard for its partners and fans with some of their choices over the past few years (lying to fans, laying off good employees, cease and desist letters to fan sites, suspending publication of magazines, pulling licenses, etc.), their image has been tarnished substantially in the eyes of many. This is just another reason for fans to turn to some of the other companies that put out quality products
As one of the companies affected by WotC's decision, the former publisher of 3e products, Paizo, is offering 35% off Pathfinder pdf products in retaliation, according to ICv2. White Wolf, who some consider to be #2 in the RPG industry, is offering the second edition of Exalted free through RPG now and if you use the code, wwlovesyou, (expires April 12) you can also get a one time, 10% discount on any White Wolf pdf. Green Ronin, makers of the Mutants & Masterminds RPG, are now offering their True 20 pdf for $9.99, likely in an attempt to take advantage of fans' response to WotC's decision.
WotC, and by default Hasbro, may hold the license to the biggest name in the RPG industry, but with so many complaints arising since the announcement of 4e, I wonder how long before a competitor steps into the top spot. Right now any lessening of the brand is detremental to the industry, since a very large portion of new rpg gamers get their start playing Dungeons & Dragons. If long time fans begin turning away from the game that started the hobby, and a lesser known brand takes top spot, will the new top dog have what it takes to draw in new players? Or will D&D remain the game that brings in the ever dwindling new gamer, while experienced players support another system? I almost hope that Paizo, Green Ronin, Kenzer or one of the many other quality game producers does have what it takes to knock WotC down a peg of two, draw in new gamers, and hopefully breath new life in to the hobby.
While WotC says they are not abandoning the idea of digital distribution of their products, they will be doing it on their terms from now on. Given the companies near inability to follow through on any digital initiative they have attempted, DDi still isn't what they promised and it's been almost a year since 4e's release, I tend to think they may have bitten off more than they can chew once again. However, this time the fans may not be as forgiving.
For a list of other pdf deals from some of the other great RPG companies out there, in response to WotC's decision, check out the great post over at Mad Brew Labs.
I also recommend reading the 10 Theories About WotC's Bonehead Decision as well as this post from RPGpundit
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Battlestar Galactica Finale
I'm going to keep this brief to try and avoid spoilers for those that haven't seen the finale, but there may be a few slips.
Over all I have to say this is one of the best series finales I have ever seen. It was chocked full of action, emotion and definitely left the characters with the dignity they deserve, for the most part.
Roslin and Adama's ending was great. McDonnell and Olmos are incredible actors and the finale only made me respect their abilities more. Emotions were high and seemed pretty genuine. Apollos ending was a bit lame, but since the character only had a few truly memorable moments in the entire series, I didn't really notice. Baltar and Caprica's ending was really good and I think the way they fleshed out Baltar in the last few episodes was excellent. I actually came to empathize for a characters that I had spend most of the series wondering why Adama hadn't flushed him out of an airlock. Saul and Ellen had a good, if uneventful ending. Theirs was more meaningful in flashbacks than it was in "current" time. Tyrol's ending was uneventful, but understandable given what he's been through. Hera, with parents in tow, ended up having a bigger part in retrospect than I thought, which put the whole "survivial of the species" tag she has been carrying in perspective and made sense in the end.
While there were actually 3 disappointing parts of the finale for me, 2 of which are minor so I won't mention them and risk ruining it for everyone else, there was only one that really bugs me. Kara's ending was kind of dumb. Again I won't go into detail, but after Kara's ending the only thing going through my mind was WTF? I don't like being left with a huge question mark in a finale. It's not like this is a cliffhanger, it's the end of this story. Now I do understand what was implied by Kara's ending, but I just don't like it. It doesn't sit right with me in the context of a sci-fi show. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about... watch the show. For those that did watch it and understand where I'm coming from I'd like to know if you agree and what your take on the finale is.
Depsite my few complaints, I was impressed with the finale and will sincerely miss BSG. I have pretty much quit watching television, with the exception of BSG, & Heroes, which only serves to speak for how much I like those shows. I am genuinely sad to see BSG end and will miss these characters I have become accustomed to spending time with each week. Sure they will live on in my DVD collection, but that's not the same.
On the upside we have Caprica and the BSG TV movies to look forward to in the future.
Over all I have to say this is one of the best series finales I have ever seen. It was chocked full of action, emotion and definitely left the characters with the dignity they deserve, for the most part.
Roslin and Adama's ending was great. McDonnell and Olmos are incredible actors and the finale only made me respect their abilities more. Emotions were high and seemed pretty genuine. Apollos ending was a bit lame, but since the character only had a few truly memorable moments in the entire series, I didn't really notice. Baltar and Caprica's ending was really good and I think the way they fleshed out Baltar in the last few episodes was excellent. I actually came to empathize for a characters that I had spend most of the series wondering why Adama hadn't flushed him out of an airlock. Saul and Ellen had a good, if uneventful ending. Theirs was more meaningful in flashbacks than it was in "current" time. Tyrol's ending was uneventful, but understandable given what he's been through. Hera, with parents in tow, ended up having a bigger part in retrospect than I thought, which put the whole "survivial of the species" tag she has been carrying in perspective and made sense in the end.
While there were actually 3 disappointing parts of the finale for me, 2 of which are minor so I won't mention them and risk ruining it for everyone else, there was only one that really bugs me. Kara's ending was kind of dumb. Again I won't go into detail, but after Kara's ending the only thing going through my mind was WTF? I don't like being left with a huge question mark in a finale. It's not like this is a cliffhanger, it's the end of this story. Now I do understand what was implied by Kara's ending, but I just don't like it. It doesn't sit right with me in the context of a sci-fi show. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about... watch the show. For those that did watch it and understand where I'm coming from I'd like to know if you agree and what your take on the finale is.
Depsite my few complaints, I was impressed with the finale and will sincerely miss BSG. I have pretty much quit watching television, with the exception of BSG, & Heroes, which only serves to speak for how much I like those shows. I am genuinely sad to see BSG end and will miss these characters I have become accustomed to spending time with each week. Sure they will live on in my DVD collection, but that's not the same.
On the upside we have Caprica and the BSG TV movies to look forward to in the future.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Watchmen. Was it worth the wait?
I managed to finally see Watchmen last night and have to admit I was both amazed and disappointed. On one hand the movie stayed incredibly true to the source material, something I applaud the film makers for doing. Yet at the same time I can see that as a fan of the material, it could have been a bit distancing for those not familiar with the original story. Thinking back I, like many others, tend to remember the story fondly and forget that non comic book readers may not get it. The story is pretty deep and requires you to think a little, something too few people are willing to do.
So my final opinion on the film is definitively positive. I thought it was great and I will definitely be buying the extended DVD version. But for someone who doesn't know the characters and the story, I have to admit that it may seem rather dull. The story is kind of slow. If someone goes into this thinking they are getting a movie like X-men, they will probably be disappointed. But for fans, it was definitely worth the 20+ year wait.
So my final opinion on the film is definitively positive. I thought it was great and I will definitely be buying the extended DVD version. But for someone who doesn't know the characters and the story, I have to admit that it may seem rather dull. The story is kind of slow. If someone goes into this thinking they are getting a movie like X-men, they will probably be disappointed. But for fans, it was definitely worth the 20+ year wait.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Hollow Earth Expedition (HEX) pt.2
As I said in part one of this post I am a HEX fan and can't recommend this book enough. In part 2 I am going to look at and rate the various sections of the book on a scale of 0 (horrible) to 5 (awesome).
The cover:
HEX is a hardcover book and has one of the best covers I've seen on any RPG. The artwork for the cover really gives me a sense of what the game is about danger and adventure, something most RPG cover art fails to accomplish. Even the title font conveys a sense of adventure.
Rating: 5
The table of contents:
This sections pretty much shows that the book is set up in about the same order as every other RPG. Everything is pretty much where you would expect it to be. However, chapter 2 (Characters) also lists the subheading, archetypes, motivations, attributes, skills, talents, resources and flaws. This makes quick referencing character creation easy.
Rating: 5
Flight of the Eagle:
The book begins with the diary of Knut Fraenkel detailing the story of the Eagle and her crew as they journey to the Hollow Earth. As far as flavor text goes this is a pretty good read. It really does a good job of introducing the setting and giving new players a sense of what the game is about. Though there is an adventure included in the book, I'll get to that, this section could easily be converted into a gaming session.
Rating: 5
Introduction:
This section is pretty much the same regurgitated intro you will find in all other RPGs, though the What is Pulp Adventure section could prove helpful to those new to the genre. While I usually just skip this section in most books, a new gamer could find this short intro useful. Not very original, but thankfully short.
Rating: 3
Chapter 1 Setting:
This section does an excellent job of introducing players to the setting. I especially like the inclusion of historical information from the era. It really does a good job of giving you a sense of what the world was like and what was going on in the late 30's. Everything from the cost of every day items to helpful statistics and info about 40 different countries as well as political and social information from the era. My only complaint about this sections is that the info is very oriented towards the surface world. The actual Hollow Earth info is saved for a later chapter.
Rating: 4.5
Chapter 2 Characters:
This section is a pretty basic character creation chapter. There are some very good sample characters and suggestions for customizing. Other than the fact is is organized well, better than a lot of other RPG books, it is pretty basic information.
Rating: 4
Chapter 3 Rules:
Again this is a pretty basic chapter that you will find in most RPG books. It is very clear and the rules are easily understood. Of course the Ubiquity system isn't that difficult to master. But the section is well organized and does a good job of making sure readers aren't left scratching there head regarding rules. Short chapter so it is easily referenced.
Rating: 4
Chapter 4 Combat:
Again this chapter is pretty much what you would expect, though it is well written and clear. Like most books a sample of play is included as are many charts, tables and helpful sidebars.
Rating: 4.5
Chapter 5 Equipment:
The title says it all. It is hard to screw this chapter up as it is pretty much a list of items and their costs with descriptions. I only wish they would have included a few more weird science items which are a big part of pulp adventure stories.
Rating: 4
Chapter 6 Gamemastering:
This short chapter does a good job of detailing how to run Hollow Earth games. For experienced GMs it may be more of the same, but for a new GM it is great chapter.
Rating: 4.5
Chapter 7 The Hollow Earth:
This is a great chapter. It does an excellent job of describing the Hollow Earth, how to get there, its geography and detils like how magnetic fields influence electronic devices. Due to the continual "sun" it even has a section on how constant daylight may affect characters biological cycles. Naturally there is a section on the Atlanteans, their technology and abilities.
Rating: 5
Chapter 8 Friends and Enemies:
This chapter details the potential allies, villains, secret societies and creatures PC's are likely to encounter during their adventures. While it is a pretty basic chapter in most books, the information, especially for the secret societies, is well written and interesting to read. Much is based on supposed real world societies like the Thule.
Rating: 5
Sample Adventure:
While I am not a fan of prefab adventures, this one seems to be a good intro for those new to gaming or as a single session to introduce new players.
Rating: 4
Overall rating: 5
This is a great game that is well put together, fun to read and aesthetically pleasing. For pulp gamers or those interested in pulp adventure games, this book is a must have for your gaming shelf.
The cover:
HEX is a hardcover book and has one of the best covers I've seen on any RPG. The artwork for the cover really gives me a sense of what the game is about danger and adventure, something most RPG cover art fails to accomplish. Even the title font conveys a sense of adventure.
Rating: 5
The table of contents:
This sections pretty much shows that the book is set up in about the same order as every other RPG. Everything is pretty much where you would expect it to be. However, chapter 2 (Characters) also lists the subheading, archetypes, motivations, attributes, skills, talents, resources and flaws. This makes quick referencing character creation easy.
Rating: 5
Flight of the Eagle:
The book begins with the diary of Knut Fraenkel detailing the story of the Eagle and her crew as they journey to the Hollow Earth. As far as flavor text goes this is a pretty good read. It really does a good job of introducing the setting and giving new players a sense of what the game is about. Though there is an adventure included in the book, I'll get to that, this section could easily be converted into a gaming session.
Rating: 5
Introduction:
This section is pretty much the same regurgitated intro you will find in all other RPGs, though the What is Pulp Adventure section could prove helpful to those new to the genre. While I usually just skip this section in most books, a new gamer could find this short intro useful. Not very original, but thankfully short.
Rating: 3
Chapter 1 Setting:
This section does an excellent job of introducing players to the setting. I especially like the inclusion of historical information from the era. It really does a good job of giving you a sense of what the world was like and what was going on in the late 30's. Everything from the cost of every day items to helpful statistics and info about 40 different countries as well as political and social information from the era. My only complaint about this sections is that the info is very oriented towards the surface world. The actual Hollow Earth info is saved for a later chapter.
Rating: 4.5
Chapter 2 Characters:
This section is a pretty basic character creation chapter. There are some very good sample characters and suggestions for customizing. Other than the fact is is organized well, better than a lot of other RPG books, it is pretty basic information.
Rating: 4
Chapter 3 Rules:
Again this is a pretty basic chapter that you will find in most RPG books. It is very clear and the rules are easily understood. Of course the Ubiquity system isn't that difficult to master. But the section is well organized and does a good job of making sure readers aren't left scratching there head regarding rules. Short chapter so it is easily referenced.
Rating: 4
Chapter 4 Combat:
Again this chapter is pretty much what you would expect, though it is well written and clear. Like most books a sample of play is included as are many charts, tables and helpful sidebars.
Rating: 4.5
Chapter 5 Equipment:
The title says it all. It is hard to screw this chapter up as it is pretty much a list of items and their costs with descriptions. I only wish they would have included a few more weird science items which are a big part of pulp adventure stories.
Rating: 4
Chapter 6 Gamemastering:
This short chapter does a good job of detailing how to run Hollow Earth games. For experienced GMs it may be more of the same, but for a new GM it is great chapter.
Rating: 4.5
Chapter 7 The Hollow Earth:
This is a great chapter. It does an excellent job of describing the Hollow Earth, how to get there, its geography and detils like how magnetic fields influence electronic devices. Due to the continual "sun" it even has a section on how constant daylight may affect characters biological cycles. Naturally there is a section on the Atlanteans, their technology and abilities.
Rating: 5
Chapter 8 Friends and Enemies:
This chapter details the potential allies, villains, secret societies and creatures PC's are likely to encounter during their adventures. While it is a pretty basic chapter in most books, the information, especially for the secret societies, is well written and interesting to read. Much is based on supposed real world societies like the Thule.
Rating: 5
Sample Adventure:
While I am not a fan of prefab adventures, this one seems to be a good intro for those new to gaming or as a single session to introduce new players.
Rating: 4
Overall rating: 5
This is a great game that is well put together, fun to read and aesthetically pleasing. For pulp gamers or those interested in pulp adventure games, this book is a must have for your gaming shelf.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sad Times Indeed....
The cancellation of gaming icons Dungeon Magazine and Dragon Magazine caused a bit of an uproar in the RPG community, but their demise was just the beginning. (I know they aren't officially gone, but moved to digital format. Since I refuse to subscribe to the farce that is DDI they are gone to me.) Inquest was another gaming magazine that got the axe. Now it seems that Electronic Gaming Monthly, one of my favorite video game magazines has been canceled recently and Scrye magazine will end in April.
The section of the magazine rack, small though it was, where gamers could find periodicals related to their interest has pretty much become non-existent. Sure there are a few video game magazines remaining for now, but I fear those too will soon be replaced by hunting and NASCAR magazines or another Cosmo clone. It seems that gamers and geeks will have to rely on the internet from now on.
I've expressed my disappointment over the death of print media for the past few years and though I am not a huge fan of pdf periodicals, however I do readily admit that some are quite good, it seems that's all we have left. It's a sad thing to see an industry with loyal fans die, but in these tough economic times I suppose ours is only the first of many.
On a side note I plan to have my completed review of Hollow Earth Expedition up next week. It seems that my life revolves around work, research projects and papers of late. There simply isn't enough hours in the day or days in the week to get everything done.
The section of the magazine rack, small though it was, where gamers could find periodicals related to their interest has pretty much become non-existent. Sure there are a few video game magazines remaining for now, but I fear those too will soon be replaced by hunting and NASCAR magazines or another Cosmo clone. It seems that gamers and geeks will have to rely on the internet from now on.
I've expressed my disappointment over the death of print media for the past few years and though I am not a huge fan of pdf periodicals, however I do readily admit that some are quite good, it seems that's all we have left. It's a sad thing to see an industry with loyal fans die, but in these tough economic times I suppose ours is only the first of many.
On a side note I plan to have my completed review of Hollow Earth Expedition up next week. It seems that my life revolves around work, research projects and papers of late. There simply isn't enough hours in the day or days in the week to get everything done.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Battlestar Galactica
If you haven't been keeping up with the current episodes of BSG you are missing out on some of the best episodes in the series.
So far we've seen the Prez and Adama consummate their relationship, the Cylons join the fleet, Starbuck burn her own dead body, and a mutiny that dethroned Adama. I hope the creators don't drop the ball as the series comes to an end, but if the first few episodes for this, the final "season", are any indication the series will go out with a bang. The series is getting so good that it is on the verge of knocking Firefly out of the #1 spot of my all time favorite shows.
If you missed this seasons episodes, check them out on HULU.
So far we've seen the Prez and Adama consummate their relationship, the Cylons join the fleet, Starbuck burn her own dead body, and a mutiny that dethroned Adama. I hope the creators don't drop the ball as the series comes to an end, but if the first few episodes for this, the final "season", are any indication the series will go out with a bang. The series is getting so good that it is on the verge of knocking Firefly out of the #1 spot of my all time favorite shows.
If you missed this seasons episodes, check them out on HULU.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hollow Earth Expedition pt 1
The first time I encountered Exile's Hollow Earth Expedition (HEX) was a couple of years ago at Gen Con. I remember walking by the booth several times during those 4 days and picking up the book several times, but never buying. As anyone who has been to Gen Con knows it is an overwhelming experience at times. There are just so many great products, deals, events and things to try that at times my gamer brain just didn't know which way to go. So while the game definitely piqued my interest, I just didn't have enough gp to get all the gaming gear I wanted. I was forced to be very selective with my purchases and didn't get it at that time.
After returning home I kept thinking about HEX and kicking myself in the butt for passing it up. I love reading pulp stories, I love playing pulp games and yet I didn't get HEX because I wanted to buy the new L5R. I really like L5R, but now that I look back I should have gotten HEX instead.
Skip ahead several months and I just had to have the game. Since I blew my gaming budget for the year, and then some, at Gen Con I opted to get the pdf and loved the game instantly. I have read the pdf several times and just never could get over how beautiful and well done the book was, even though it was only a pdf.
Finally I decided to buy the hard copy a few weeks ago. With out a doubt the pdf does not do justice to the HC. This book is 250+ pages of awesome. While I was not that confident in the ubiquity system at first, I now like it a lot.
Ubiquity is fast and fun. While it did take a few times to get use to the new system, it was not hard to pick up. So far this is my favorite pulp game out there. I can't get enough of the Hollow Earth setting, which is just loaded with adventure potential, but the game is not limited to that setting. You can play an entire pulp campaign on the "surface world", but having some hollow earth connection just adds to any game.
Everything in the system is easy to learn. Though I will say that the Ubiquity system can be a bit annoying if you don't have ubiqity dice. Any dice work for the system, it just requires a few more to get the same results.
As for the book itself, the flavor text is both informative and well written. Potential PCs cover pretty much any type of pulp character you can think of and are very easy to customize. Every thing from masked mystery men, daredevil pilots to occultist can be rolled up and played. While the recently released Secrets of the Surface World (review coming soon) expands on the first book, allowing even more customization, it isn't necessary to enjoy the game.
The core book not only covers all the basics of an RPG like character creation, combat, and equipment, it gives you a real sense of the time in which the game is set. A little bit of everything about the world during that era is covered including populations for many countries.
I really can't recommend this game enough for pulp fans. I can't wait to get my hands on the Mysteries of the Hollow Earth and Revelations of Mars sourcebooks.
I will go a little more indepth in pt 2 of this post. Soon after that I will post my review of Secrets of the Surface world.
After returning home I kept thinking about HEX and kicking myself in the butt for passing it up. I love reading pulp stories, I love playing pulp games and yet I didn't get HEX because I wanted to buy the new L5R. I really like L5R, but now that I look back I should have gotten HEX instead.
Skip ahead several months and I just had to have the game. Since I blew my gaming budget for the year, and then some, at Gen Con I opted to get the pdf and loved the game instantly. I have read the pdf several times and just never could get over how beautiful and well done the book was, even though it was only a pdf.
Finally I decided to buy the hard copy a few weeks ago. With out a doubt the pdf does not do justice to the HC. This book is 250+ pages of awesome. While I was not that confident in the ubiquity system at first, I now like it a lot.
Ubiquity is fast and fun. While it did take a few times to get use to the new system, it was not hard to pick up. So far this is my favorite pulp game out there. I can't get enough of the Hollow Earth setting, which is just loaded with adventure potential, but the game is not limited to that setting. You can play an entire pulp campaign on the "surface world", but having some hollow earth connection just adds to any game.
Everything in the system is easy to learn. Though I will say that the Ubiquity system can be a bit annoying if you don't have ubiqity dice. Any dice work for the system, it just requires a few more to get the same results.
As for the book itself, the flavor text is both informative and well written. Potential PCs cover pretty much any type of pulp character you can think of and are very easy to customize. Every thing from masked mystery men, daredevil pilots to occultist can be rolled up and played. While the recently released Secrets of the Surface World (review coming soon) expands on the first book, allowing even more customization, it isn't necessary to enjoy the game.
The core book not only covers all the basics of an RPG like character creation, combat, and equipment, it gives you a real sense of the time in which the game is set. A little bit of everything about the world during that era is covered including populations for many countries.
I really can't recommend this game enough for pulp fans. I can't wait to get my hands on the Mysteries of the Hollow Earth and Revelations of Mars sourcebooks.
I will go a little more indepth in pt 2 of this post. Soon after that I will post my review of Secrets of the Surface world.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
I did it! No D&D for me...
With the exception mentioned in my last post, I managed to go through the holidays D&D free and my plan worked. I have found that my little bout of RPG abstinence has left me with a renewed interest in not only D&D, 4e in particular, but gaming in general.
I have campaign ideas seeping out my ears, I can't write them down fast enough. I also have been energized and can't wait to set up a D&D, Hollow Earth Expedition, Dead Reign or Serenity/BSG game. I don't think that it was just the lack of gaming that recharged my batteries, but what I did during my time off. What did I do? Well with the exception of spending a lot of time on my PSP (see previous post) I read some books, surfed the net and watched some movies, all of which I think were contributing factors.
First let's start with the books.
"Hollow Earth: The long and curious history of imagining strand lands, fantstical creatures, advanced civilizations and marvelous machins below the earth's surface" by David Standish and while the title may be long the book itself is just about 300 pages and a pretty quick read. It tells the story of where the idea of hollow earth came from, the real life people who believed in it and tried to find it, what people believed they would find there, as well as the stories written about it. It is a very interesting book which inspired me to do some googling to learn more. The hollow earth is a topic overflowing with gaming potential and I can't wait to get into it.
"World War Z" by Max Brooks is another book I managed to finally finish during this time which has me itching to run Dead Reign or throw a bunch of zombies in my next D&D game. If only they had the Necromancer class up and running.
"Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth" by Max McCoy is the book I'm reading now which is only feeding my desire to run a hollow earth/pulp game. I can't wait to put some PCs up against Nazis in the center of the earth.
Dreseden Files by Jim Butcher, I actually read two more Dresden novels during this time and am eagerly awaiting the release of the the RPG.
I also managed to fit in a Forgotten Realms novel, Mistshore, and have recently gone back to reread the Campaing Setting so guess where my next D&D game is going to take place.
Next are the movies, most of which were directly linked to the books I was reading in some manner. I watched several Zombie movies, Dagon, Call of Cthulhu, all the Mummy movies (#3 was not my favorite BTW), all of the Indiana Jones movies, Serenity, past seasons of BSG, Tombstone (I'm your Huckleberry), and all six Star Wars during this time.
Between the books, the great blogs on RPGBN, and movies I actually had time to enjoy gaming. I know that sounds weird given that I didn't do any, but it did help. I think it was the fact I was able to step back and just be a geek, a fan and not have to worry about coming up with any content. I didn't do many posts on the Gazette so I was able to just be a fanboy for a while. I didn't even do more than an handful of posts on the various RPG forums. I just blocked out all the bad and concentrated on the fun parts of being a gaming geek. The things that attracted me to gaming in the first place.
This may not work for everyone, but I have to say that taking a break worked wonders for me. I'm more jazzed about everything, including 4e, than I have been in a long time. I've also managed to decide on which systems I want to run regularly, a dilema that has plagued me for a while now. For the forseeable future the primary game systems will be D&D 4e, Serenity/BSG, Mutants & Masterminds, Dead Reign and Hollow Earth Expedition. I realized that I spend so much time trying to find systems that had the things I wanted I was overwhelming myself with games. Granted many were very good, but these are the ones I think that offer everything I want to do. I plan to cut back all my gaming purchases to just these systems/games, which I realized cover nearly everything I could want to run. Well maybe with the exception of Dresden Files when it comes out, but that's it.
It's good to be back.
Also I would like to mention the great reviews done by Kurt Wiegel, nearly all of which I have watched over the past month. If you haven't checked out his vidoes on YouTube you definitely should. The reviews are great and give you just about everything you need to know about the games he covers before buying.
I have campaign ideas seeping out my ears, I can't write them down fast enough. I also have been energized and can't wait to set up a D&D, Hollow Earth Expedition, Dead Reign or Serenity/BSG game. I don't think that it was just the lack of gaming that recharged my batteries, but what I did during my time off. What did I do? Well with the exception of spending a lot of time on my PSP (see previous post) I read some books, surfed the net and watched some movies, all of which I think were contributing factors.
First let's start with the books.
"Hollow Earth: The long and curious history of imagining strand lands, fantstical creatures, advanced civilizations and marvelous machins below the earth's surface" by David Standish and while the title may be long the book itself is just about 300 pages and a pretty quick read. It tells the story of where the idea of hollow earth came from, the real life people who believed in it and tried to find it, what people believed they would find there, as well as the stories written about it. It is a very interesting book which inspired me to do some googling to learn more. The hollow earth is a topic overflowing with gaming potential and I can't wait to get into it.
"World War Z" by Max Brooks is another book I managed to finally finish during this time which has me itching to run Dead Reign or throw a bunch of zombies in my next D&D game. If only they had the Necromancer class up and running.
"Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth" by Max McCoy is the book I'm reading now which is only feeding my desire to run a hollow earth/pulp game. I can't wait to put some PCs up against Nazis in the center of the earth.
Dreseden Files by Jim Butcher, I actually read two more Dresden novels during this time and am eagerly awaiting the release of the the RPG.
I also managed to fit in a Forgotten Realms novel, Mistshore, and have recently gone back to reread the Campaing Setting so guess where my next D&D game is going to take place.
Next are the movies, most of which were directly linked to the books I was reading in some manner. I watched several Zombie movies, Dagon, Call of Cthulhu, all the Mummy movies (#3 was not my favorite BTW), all of the Indiana Jones movies, Serenity, past seasons of BSG, Tombstone (I'm your Huckleberry), and all six Star Wars during this time.
Between the books, the great blogs on RPGBN, and movies I actually had time to enjoy gaming. I know that sounds weird given that I didn't do any, but it did help. I think it was the fact I was able to step back and just be a geek, a fan and not have to worry about coming up with any content. I didn't do many posts on the Gazette so I was able to just be a fanboy for a while. I didn't even do more than an handful of posts on the various RPG forums. I just blocked out all the bad and concentrated on the fun parts of being a gaming geek. The things that attracted me to gaming in the first place.
This may not work for everyone, but I have to say that taking a break worked wonders for me. I'm more jazzed about everything, including 4e, than I have been in a long time. I've also managed to decide on which systems I want to run regularly, a dilema that has plagued me for a while now. For the forseeable future the primary game systems will be D&D 4e, Serenity/BSG, Mutants & Masterminds, Dead Reign and Hollow Earth Expedition. I realized that I spend so much time trying to find systems that had the things I wanted I was overwhelming myself with games. Granted many were very good, but these are the ones I think that offer everything I want to do. I plan to cut back all my gaming purchases to just these systems/games, which I realized cover nearly everything I could want to run. Well maybe with the exception of Dresden Files when it comes out, but that's it.
It's good to be back.
Also I would like to mention the great reviews done by Kurt Wiegel, nearly all of which I have watched over the past month. If you haven't checked out his vidoes on YouTube you definitely should. The reviews are great and give you just about everything you need to know about the games he covers before buying.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Inescapable D&D
I know that I was going D&D free for the past month or so and I guess I can say that is true, kind of. I did not roll any dice or break out my D&D books for any reason over the holidays so in that I was truthful. However, I did receive a copy of Dungeons & Dragons Tactics to play on my PSP for Christmas and believe me I have been wearing it out.
The game is based on the 3.5 rules so it is familiar. The game stays pretty true in feel to the pen and paper version in almost every way. Everything from character creation to the use of spells feels like a real D&D game. Granted there were some liberties taken, but over all I didn't notice or care.
Characters kind of look like minis that are moving around a table map which was a nice addition. The story is one big campaign broken down into smaller adventures. Which is nice since I often don't have time to play a full 4-6 hour adventure. Overall the game takes about 30 hours to complete which isn't bad for a PSP game.
Character creation is pretty basic for someone familiar with the RPG and has just about all the options you have available in the PHB, including those damn Gnomes. You can pick a pre-generated party or build your own, but you really do need to keep party balance in mind. I tried making a magic heavy party with no rogue and no figher and got my butt kicked when we ran out of spells. Since it was still the first adventure I took it as a lesson learned and rebuilt my part. As the game goes on and your characters die, you can hire premade characters at various points. I've had to hire 3 wizards so far and have yet to find a place to ressurect the old ones.
Pros:
The game is based on the 3.5 rules so it is familiar. The game stays pretty true in feel to the pen and paper version in almost every way. Everything from character creation to the use of spells feels like a real D&D game. Granted there were some liberties taken, but over all I didn't notice or care.
Characters kind of look like minis that are moving around a table map which was a nice addition. The story is one big campaign broken down into smaller adventures. Which is nice since I often don't have time to play a full 4-6 hour adventure. Overall the game takes about 30 hours to complete which isn't bad for a PSP game.
Character creation is pretty basic for someone familiar with the RPG and has just about all the options you have available in the PHB, including those damn Gnomes. You can pick a pre-generated party or build your own, but you really do need to keep party balance in mind. I tried making a magic heavy party with no rogue and no figher and got my butt kicked when we ran out of spells. Since it was still the first adventure I took it as a lesson learned and rebuilt my part. As the game goes on and your characters die, you can hire premade characters at various points. I've had to hire 3 wizards so far and have yet to find a place to ressurect the old ones.
Pros:
- The game is D&D 3.5 and a lot of fun. Granted it isn't the same as sitting down with friends but it is a nice substitute when you don't have a game going on.
- The storyline isn't bad, I've played with DMs that have come up with worse (myself included), and overall it is somewhat interesting. I've actually decided to set up a campaign based on the one in the game. Granted I will embelish and change a lot of the details and add more depth. I will also allow the characters to interact with the NPC villagers and kill them if they feel the need.
- You can actually tell the difference in your characters as they progress in levels, this helps give the illusion that you are accomplishing something.
- You get to play with a full party of 6 for most of the game, your primary character and 5 party members, which enables you to keep party balance and include a variety of characters. Unless you do something stupid like I did and make a one sided party.
- Cross class training is also an option, so you can min/max your character with almost the same customization as in the actual pen and paper game.
- The camera angles during certain missions suck. They jump around and at times you can't see what is going on so you have to constantly reorient the view.
- My main complaint with the game is the fact that there aren't enough side quests. Granted you can, at certain points, pick your path, but for the most part you only have limited choices and kind of need to follow the story. Of course it is a video game and you can't just do what you want, but it would be nice if there was a little more Knights of the Old Republic or GTA feel to the game. It would be nice if I could just run through the village picking fights with random NPCs but that isn't an option. Some times you just wanna kill stuff.
- There is actually no real NPC interaction, this is just a straight duneon delve. Here is the mission, go kill the goblins/zombies. But what the game lacks in actual roleplaying, it more than makes up for in action, which is pretty much constant.
- Controlling a party of 6 can be cumbersome. While it gives you the ability to make sure every necessary skill is covered, it does make it difficult to keep track of all the characters when eveyrone is in different areas.
- Encumberance is also a pain. If you have one character that isn't carrying much they get can get waaaay ahead of others and get pinned down by six monsters while you spend the next 2-3 turns trying to get eveyrone else there to help. So you have to try and keep everyone together, which can be tiresome and boring.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Intervview with Jonathan Coulton
This interview is reprinted from an issue of the old Geek Gazette e-zine. I have tried to add notes and udates to any outdated information.
If you listen to geek podcast or read the Geek Gazette you’ve probably heard the name Jonathan Coulton once or twice. Mr. Coulton is a talented musician that embraces the concept of geek music in a way that is unlike any other performer that I have encountered. His music is funny and serious at the same time. With a sly wink and a nudge he can present you with the most ridiculous of notions in the most sincere way. Unlike other niche musicians Mr. Coulton’s music can make you laugh or make you think. Hailing from Colchester CT, he began his musical career as a drummer in his high school marching band, eventually switching to guitar. His love of music, which he studied in college, and performing has followed him throughout his life. His music covers topics as varied as the loyal fans who enjoy it. Whether he’s singing about a disgruntled computer programmer, Bigfoot or broken hearts his songs range from the truly geeky to the sincerely emotional. Even the most absurd subject is treated with what Mr. Coulton refers to as a sincere truth. He is a truly talented and imaginative performer who gives a part of himself to his fans with each song and only ask that they listen and enjoy. A true rarity in this selfish, American Idol society where most artists expect much more than they ever give to their fans.
Geek Gazette: From the bio on your website you obviously have a love for music and performing, but have you always had an inclination towards more humorous music?
Jonathan Coulton: Definitely. I loved Tom Lehrer as a kid, even though I didn’t get all the jokes. And when I first started writing the funny stuff came pretty naturally. Though I tend to oscillate between funny and sad – I think my first song ever was about a guy who wakes up on a cold rainy day and feels lonely. Not so funny actually. And my favorite songs are the ones that are balanced precariously on the edge between the two.
GG: Do you think your musical interest and abilities were natural or were you brought up in that kind of environment?
JC: Ah, nature vs. nurture. I’d have to say a little of both. My parents are both very musical people, and I was singing harmony with my family in the car as soon as I could speak. And I remember as a kid using two tape recorders to try and recreate the vocals for That Boy (Ringo’s Theme). Actually, it sounded terrible. I do think to be a musician you need to have some innate abilities, but it also definitely helps to have people around you making music.
GG: What artist or bands to you feel had the most impact on you musically?
JC: Answering this question always feels like pulling my pants down in front of an audience. Get ready for the free show everybody. I’ve always loved The Beatles and their offspring. Though I’m into the sensitive folky singer songwriter vibe as well. Watch this: Dan Fogelberg! Billy Joel! Simon and Garfunkel! And vocals really get me going, which is why I loved listening to old Whiffenpoofs records as a kid. These days I’m very strongly influenced by (read: derivative of) They Might Be Giants, Ben Folds and Fountains of Wayne.
GG: Your songs not only show your talent as a musician but your incredible imagination, where do you get the inspiration for your lyrics?
JC: I’m a geek at heart, so I have this background noise of geeky stuff, both popular culture and actual science. On the stove a pot is simmering and in it are Avagadro’s number, some Star Trek episodes, Bernoulli’s principle, and all the James Bond movies. I’m often writing about misunderstood characters - I like to use all this stuff to get a feeling of longing, or a bad breakup, or any kind of bottled up personality. Monsters who don’t get why everybody’s running away…
GG: Unlike Weird Al or Adam Sandler the humor and geekiness in many of your songs is very subdued, if you don’t listen to the lyrics you could miss it. A perfect example of this is Under the Pines, where you never actually state that it’s Bigfoot and Leonard Nimoy. Do you write your songs aiming for this subtlety or does it just come out that way?
JC: That one I definitely kept as subtle as I could. I try to be as sincere as possible, even when I’m writing about Bigfoot and Nimoy getting it on. There’s a danger in doing such goofy subject matter, because it’s easy to slide into the realm of “novelty songs” (some people would say that I’m there). Sometimes the more direct approach just sounds clunky and contrived to me, and in a song like that the word “Bigfoot” would stick out like a boiled egg in the middle of a wedding cake.
GG: As I am sure you know a large portion of your fan base is the “geek” community , do you consider yourself a geek?
JC: ? chr(89) + chr(101) + chr(115) + chr(46)
GG: Speaking of geeks a great many of us that listen to your music, and several of the podcast that have spotlighted your music are RPG players and comic book collectors Yet, I have never heard one of your songs that focuses on either of these topics, have you ever thought about doing one?
JC: I have, though I don’t actually have a lot of experience with comics and RPG. I know: I call myself a geek? I didn’t get into D&D because the learning and buying curve seemed like too much trouble, and I’m afraid to even get involved with something like WoW because I know that I would spend all my time on it. It also feels a little gimmicky to me – one of those subjects that can all too easily slip into the novelty zone. I wouldn’t want to write about those topics unless I could find some kind of sincere truth in there to address (not that there isn’t any sincerity in RPG and comics, just that it hasn’t revealed itself to me yet). Freakin muse – what are you gonna do?
GG: First of May, I Feel Fantastic and Skull Crusher Mountain are three of my personal favorites, which one of your songs is your personal favorite or which one do you love to play the most?
JC: My favorites to play live are the funny/sad ones. I love introducing “I Crush Everything” as a song about a giant squid who hates himself. The audience gets all ready for hilarity, and there are a couple of moments where they feel like they’re going to get it, but then it just gets sadder and sadder until everybody’s crying. It almost makes the audience uncomfortable, which I find thrilling. Of course Skullcrusher Mountain and First of May are both exciting to play because it’s really fun to watch the punchlines hit, especially with an uninitiated audience.
GG: While all of your songs are better than a lot of the music on the radio, you continue to put out mostly humorous, off beat songs, why? With songs like When You Go you obviously have the ability to write mainstream music, why stay off the radar?
JC: Somehow it’s easier for me to get at what I want to express by going through the offbeat subjects. I don’t know why that is. Maybe I’m afraid of writing about myself, and so I have to do it with a sneak attack. It’s also that I can’t often get any traction when I start with a premise like “this song will be about a boy who loves a girl.” I need a hook of an idea to hang the song on, and until I have that, I just can’t get excited enough to generate anything that I like.
GG: Some of the fan made videos for your songs are pretty good, did you encourage this or was this something the fans started?
JC: I think that I encouraged it – all my songs are released under a Creative Commons license that allows for any noncommercial re-use of the music, so the permission to do it is there explicitly. But I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who have taken up the challenge. All these different styles and techniques, all these people spending hours and hours working on a video for one of my songs; it’s incredibly gratifying. And I love the idea that the creative process doesn’t stop when I finish a song – obviously the beholder of any piece of art becomes part of the creative process by interpreting what they see or hear, but this goes past that. It’s like we’re collaborating on something beyond the song.
GG: Your fans are a very loyal group and I’ve heard it commented that you are the geek equivalent to Jimmy Buffet. Do you see yourself this way?
JC: Jimmy Buffet. OK, I’ll take that. I get a lot of labels like “Balladeer” or “Troubadour” and I accept them gratefully. But I’m not going to come up with some shark fin dance that everybody has to do at my concerts. OK, maybe a zombie thing, but no shark fin stuff.
GG: Since Jimmy Buffet Fans are called Parrot Heads, what would you call Jonathan Coulton fans?
JC: JoCoists? Coultonistas? Half-pony, half-monkey monsters?
GG: The internet has become the bane of the music industry, yet you seem to have embraced it. Do you think you could have achieved the following you have with out it?
JC: Absolutely not. Something’s happened over the last year, and it had little to do with any of my activities in the real world. I’m well aware that what I do is pretty niche, and not that attractive to “mainstream radio” or “record labels” or “anyone with money.” The internet has allowed me to reach the pockets of people who would like my music. That’s an old story by now, but it’s no less true. Whatever success I’ve had so far would not have been possible without broadband and the mp3 format.
GG: Even if you never get a big time recording deal, do you see yourself continuing to play and produce music for the geek masses?
JC: I hope so – as long as I can stand it. At some point it may become necessary for me to get some kind of a job that makes money, when I have a midlife crisis and need to buy a sports car RIGHT AWAY. But for now I’m getting so much pleasure out of writing and playing and connecting with people, it’s hard to imagine giving it up. GG: What exactly is a Spizzsink and a Wiffenpoof?
JC: Spizzwink and Whiffenpoof. Both are a cappella singing groups at Yale where I went to college. A little dorky maybe, especially if you’ve never seen it before – you walk into a room and there’s a bunch of college guys dressed in tuxedos singing “Midnight Train to Georgia,” I can understand why you might be a little thrown. But when you’re in it, it’s such a thrill. It’s honestly one of the greatest musical experiences I’ve ever had, just singing harmony with a large group of people. And you get a lot of tail. I mean a LOT of tail. Just kidding.
If you aren’t already a fan of Jonathan Coulton’s music but you are interested in finding out more about this talented geek balladeer check out his website, www.jonathancoulton.com . From his site you can download songs, buy CD’s or get on the message forums and rub elbows with other half-pony half-monkey monsters. You can also subscribe to his Thing a Week podcast through itunes and download his latest geeky creations or subscribe to The Jonathan Coulton Project and download the fan made videos to his songs. ****Note: Since this article was originally published the Thing A Week Podcast has been discontinued. Although I do think you can still download some old episodes on itunes and ofcourse you can by Mr. Coulton’s music on itunes as well.****
If you listen to geek podcast or read the Geek Gazette you’ve probably heard the name Jonathan Coulton once or twice. Mr. Coulton is a talented musician that embraces the concept of geek music in a way that is unlike any other performer that I have encountered. His music is funny and serious at the same time. With a sly wink and a nudge he can present you with the most ridiculous of notions in the most sincere way. Unlike other niche musicians Mr. Coulton’s music can make you laugh or make you think. Hailing from Colchester CT, he began his musical career as a drummer in his high school marching band, eventually switching to guitar. His love of music, which he studied in college, and performing has followed him throughout his life. His music covers topics as varied as the loyal fans who enjoy it. Whether he’s singing about a disgruntled computer programmer, Bigfoot or broken hearts his songs range from the truly geeky to the sincerely emotional. Even the most absurd subject is treated with what Mr. Coulton refers to as a sincere truth. He is a truly talented and imaginative performer who gives a part of himself to his fans with each song and only ask that they listen and enjoy. A true rarity in this selfish, American Idol society where most artists expect much more than they ever give to their fans.
Geek Gazette: From the bio on your website you obviously have a love for music and performing, but have you always had an inclination towards more humorous music?
Jonathan Coulton: Definitely. I loved Tom Lehrer as a kid, even though I didn’t get all the jokes. And when I first started writing the funny stuff came pretty naturally. Though I tend to oscillate between funny and sad – I think my first song ever was about a guy who wakes up on a cold rainy day and feels lonely. Not so funny actually. And my favorite songs are the ones that are balanced precariously on the edge between the two.
GG: Do you think your musical interest and abilities were natural or were you brought up in that kind of environment?
JC: Ah, nature vs. nurture. I’d have to say a little of both. My parents are both very musical people, and I was singing harmony with my family in the car as soon as I could speak. And I remember as a kid using two tape recorders to try and recreate the vocals for That Boy (Ringo’s Theme). Actually, it sounded terrible. I do think to be a musician you need to have some innate abilities, but it also definitely helps to have people around you making music.
GG: What artist or bands to you feel had the most impact on you musically?
JC: Answering this question always feels like pulling my pants down in front of an audience. Get ready for the free show everybody. I’ve always loved The Beatles and their offspring. Though I’m into the sensitive folky singer songwriter vibe as well. Watch this: Dan Fogelberg! Billy Joel! Simon and Garfunkel! And vocals really get me going, which is why I loved listening to old Whiffenpoofs records as a kid. These days I’m very strongly influenced by (read: derivative of) They Might Be Giants, Ben Folds and Fountains of Wayne.
GG: Your songs not only show your talent as a musician but your incredible imagination, where do you get the inspiration for your lyrics?
JC: I’m a geek at heart, so I have this background noise of geeky stuff, both popular culture and actual science. On the stove a pot is simmering and in it are Avagadro’s number, some Star Trek episodes, Bernoulli’s principle, and all the James Bond movies. I’m often writing about misunderstood characters - I like to use all this stuff to get a feeling of longing, or a bad breakup, or any kind of bottled up personality. Monsters who don’t get why everybody’s running away…
GG: Unlike Weird Al or Adam Sandler the humor and geekiness in many of your songs is very subdued, if you don’t listen to the lyrics you could miss it. A perfect example of this is Under the Pines, where you never actually state that it’s Bigfoot and Leonard Nimoy. Do you write your songs aiming for this subtlety or does it just come out that way?
JC: That one I definitely kept as subtle as I could. I try to be as sincere as possible, even when I’m writing about Bigfoot and Nimoy getting it on. There’s a danger in doing such goofy subject matter, because it’s easy to slide into the realm of “novelty songs” (some people would say that I’m there). Sometimes the more direct approach just sounds clunky and contrived to me, and in a song like that the word “Bigfoot” would stick out like a boiled egg in the middle of a wedding cake.
GG: As I am sure you know a large portion of your fan base is the “geek” community , do you consider yourself a geek?
JC: ? chr(89) + chr(101) + chr(115) + chr(46)
GG: Speaking of geeks a great many of us that listen to your music, and several of the podcast that have spotlighted your music are RPG players and comic book collectors Yet, I have never heard one of your songs that focuses on either of these topics, have you ever thought about doing one?
JC: I have, though I don’t actually have a lot of experience with comics and RPG. I know: I call myself a geek? I didn’t get into D&D because the learning and buying curve seemed like too much trouble, and I’m afraid to even get involved with something like WoW because I know that I would spend all my time on it. It also feels a little gimmicky to me – one of those subjects that can all too easily slip into the novelty zone. I wouldn’t want to write about those topics unless I could find some kind of sincere truth in there to address (not that there isn’t any sincerity in RPG and comics, just that it hasn’t revealed itself to me yet). Freakin muse – what are you gonna do?
GG: First of May, I Feel Fantastic and Skull Crusher Mountain are three of my personal favorites, which one of your songs is your personal favorite or which one do you love to play the most?
JC: My favorites to play live are the funny/sad ones. I love introducing “I Crush Everything” as a song about a giant squid who hates himself. The audience gets all ready for hilarity, and there are a couple of moments where they feel like they’re going to get it, but then it just gets sadder and sadder until everybody’s crying. It almost makes the audience uncomfortable, which I find thrilling. Of course Skullcrusher Mountain and First of May are both exciting to play because it’s really fun to watch the punchlines hit, especially with an uninitiated audience.
GG: While all of your songs are better than a lot of the music on the radio, you continue to put out mostly humorous, off beat songs, why? With songs like When You Go you obviously have the ability to write mainstream music, why stay off the radar?
JC: Somehow it’s easier for me to get at what I want to express by going through the offbeat subjects. I don’t know why that is. Maybe I’m afraid of writing about myself, and so I have to do it with a sneak attack. It’s also that I can’t often get any traction when I start with a premise like “this song will be about a boy who loves a girl.” I need a hook of an idea to hang the song on, and until I have that, I just can’t get excited enough to generate anything that I like.
GG: Some of the fan made videos for your songs are pretty good, did you encourage this or was this something the fans started?
JC: I think that I encouraged it – all my songs are released under a Creative Commons license that allows for any noncommercial re-use of the music, so the permission to do it is there explicitly. But I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who have taken up the challenge. All these different styles and techniques, all these people spending hours and hours working on a video for one of my songs; it’s incredibly gratifying. And I love the idea that the creative process doesn’t stop when I finish a song – obviously the beholder of any piece of art becomes part of the creative process by interpreting what they see or hear, but this goes past that. It’s like we’re collaborating on something beyond the song.
GG: Your fans are a very loyal group and I’ve heard it commented that you are the geek equivalent to Jimmy Buffet. Do you see yourself this way?
JC: Jimmy Buffet. OK, I’ll take that. I get a lot of labels like “Balladeer” or “Troubadour” and I accept them gratefully. But I’m not going to come up with some shark fin dance that everybody has to do at my concerts. OK, maybe a zombie thing, but no shark fin stuff.
GG: Since Jimmy Buffet Fans are called Parrot Heads, what would you call Jonathan Coulton fans?
JC: JoCoists? Coultonistas? Half-pony, half-monkey monsters?
GG: The internet has become the bane of the music industry, yet you seem to have embraced it. Do you think you could have achieved the following you have with out it?
JC: Absolutely not. Something’s happened over the last year, and it had little to do with any of my activities in the real world. I’m well aware that what I do is pretty niche, and not that attractive to “mainstream radio” or “record labels” or “anyone with money.” The internet has allowed me to reach the pockets of people who would like my music. That’s an old story by now, but it’s no less true. Whatever success I’ve had so far would not have been possible without broadband and the mp3 format.
GG: Even if you never get a big time recording deal, do you see yourself continuing to play and produce music for the geek masses?
JC: I hope so – as long as I can stand it. At some point it may become necessary for me to get some kind of a job that makes money, when I have a midlife crisis and need to buy a sports car RIGHT AWAY. But for now I’m getting so much pleasure out of writing and playing and connecting with people, it’s hard to imagine giving it up. GG: What exactly is a Spizzsink and a Wiffenpoof?
JC: Spizzwink and Whiffenpoof. Both are a cappella singing groups at Yale where I went to college. A little dorky maybe, especially if you’ve never seen it before – you walk into a room and there’s a bunch of college guys dressed in tuxedos singing “Midnight Train to Georgia,” I can understand why you might be a little thrown. But when you’re in it, it’s such a thrill. It’s honestly one of the greatest musical experiences I’ve ever had, just singing harmony with a large group of people. And you get a lot of tail. I mean a LOT of tail. Just kidding.
If you aren’t already a fan of Jonathan Coulton’s music but you are interested in finding out more about this talented geek balladeer check out his website, www.jonathancoulton.com . From his site you can download songs, buy CD’s or get on the message forums and rub elbows with other half-pony half-monkey monsters. You can also subscribe to his Thing a Week podcast through itunes and download his latest geeky creations or subscribe to The Jonathan Coulton Project and download the fan made videos to his songs. ****Note: Since this article was originally published the Thing A Week Podcast has been discontinued. Although I do think you can still download some old episodes on itunes and ofcourse you can by Mr. Coulton’s music on itunes as well.****
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