Ocelot

I've been working a lot. I was hoping that the passing of Christmas would signal an end to horrendous overtime, but it has done just the opposite. January is looking busy indeed.

Outside of work, I write, I watch movies, try to sleep as much as possible given my schedule, and I find myself playing Neverwinter Nights every so often (and it's a poor substitute for actually playing). That's not to say I don't game, but that pool dried up before Thanksgiving, and I'm waiting for things to get rolling again.

Gary

It looks like I spent the first eight months of the year living like I had been accustomed to, which (I suppose) was a kind of denial. Sure, I had a job that paid me well, but the job itself was a purgatory of sorts.

The job situation fell apart in August, leaving me (and my wife) looking for new work. We both found jobs in good time, but the stress of the situation brought with it many sleepless nights and nail-biting days.

The new job pays less, but in a lot of ways, it is better. No more of the petty chicken-#### of the old job, though the environment is highly corporate (which is a new experience for me). Even though I'm only a glorified mail boy, I still get a good taste of the corporate lifestyle.

Too much of a bad thing becomes almost normal after a time. Sitting where I am now, I look in the mirror some mornings and ask myself, "What in the hell were you thinking?" I should've left that job a long, long time ago. I'd probably be a lot more stable now if I had. Better late than never, I guess.

That's the biggest life-changing event of the year for me, though I did finally manage to get (professionally) published in Dungeon Magazine #106. It only took seven years of trying, but I finally did it. I'm currently working on a project for another game company, due in early February. I doubt I'll ever get rich writing this stuff, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

I have nothing but the best of wishes for everyone in the new year. Lurking on these boards, I know that everyone has had ups and downs around here. Let's hope that '04 is, by and large, good for us all.

Cheers,

Gary

Happy holidays. I hope everyone has a nice, peaceful time this year, eating the animal of their choice, giving & receiving gifts, and (of course) gaming a little bit.

Bests,

G

Go for it, man. You know you'll kick yourself later if you don't. And even if you don't kick yourself, I'm sure there are a few folks hereabouts who would more than happily do the kicking for you.

Gary

Yeah, same here.

G

I spent Friday through Sunday this past weekend in Anaheim at the first Gen Con SoCal. As far as GenCon goes, it was relatively small and had pretty light attendance. Still, it was the biggest game-centric convention I've ever seen in my neck of the woods.

Most game companies were represented pretty well. Although R. Talsorian didn't make a showing, Social Games (the folks behind the new Cyberpunk CCG) were giving demo after demo of their game to passers-by and hangers-on. For anyone with an interest in both CCGs and Cyberpunk, the card game is definitely worth checking out.

I ran into Mike Pondsmith in the exhibit hall on Saturday morning, and we walked and talked a little bit while he checked out the booths. He had a role to play in that evening's Cyberpunk game (so did I, for that matter), which is one of the things that had brought him down from Washington for the weekend.

Besides being an assistant GM in Social Games' ambitious Cyberpunk event, I was at the convention to sell myself as a freelance writer to any game company willing to give me a chance (well, maybe not just any company -- I do have some standards). I made a lot of contacts, a couple of new friends, and my future looks to be busier than usual.

Saturday's Cyberpunk game, as I said, was an ambitious scenario. Ten teams of eight players each were to simultaniously hit the same target in search of the same prize. That's eighty players, on the outside. The GMs, wearing radio headsets, were to keep in touch with sysops who were monitoring a large map and keeping track of game time, minute by minute.

The player turn-out was a modest sixteen, for a total of two eight-person teams. I played as assistant GM to Marcus Pregent, who is an old friend of Michael's and a contributor to several of the Chromebooks. He's also a damn good GM, and a nice guy to boot.

My role as assistant GM quickly evolved as the two groups fractured into pieces or lost members to enemy fire. A third group, formed after two players (each from opposing teams) managed to kill each other in a Gemini vs. Gemini shoot-out. One lost his head, while the other lost his arms and legs (and was succinctly dubbed "the Black Knight" by just about everyone present).

I'm not entirely sure how the game ended, as I begged off my duties at around 3:00am (the actual start time was somewhere around 9:00pm). Suffice it to say that the festivities finally ceased between 5:00am and 6:00am. Most of the GMs involved in the event were still comatose in their hotel rooms when I showed up at the Social Games booth the next day.

Beyond the gaming and self-promotion, I managed to see a few celebrities at the convention. The big name there was William Shatner, though I'll admit that I only saw him sitting in his limousine outside the convention center. I had closer looks at the likes of Val Kilmer, Dirk "Starbuck" Benedict, Richard "Apollo" Hatch, Herb "Boomer" Jefferson, and Virginia Hey. I'm not a big celebrity hog, especially when autographs are a minimum of $20 apiece.

I'm sure I've forgotten more, but I figured some of you folks might be interested in a condensed report of SoCal's first Gen Con. I'll be heading to Indy next year (for more self-pimping), and I might be involved in another CP game (or two).

Gary

Does Cyberpunk USA have a new URL?

Gary

Agreed. I don't think I've ever seen any kind of flame on these forums. You folks are some of the most civilized people on the planet.

Gary

I suppose, if I had to make a list, I'd ask for a new PDA (the old one is getting on in years), a DVD or two, and some more (paying) freelance work. A winning lottery ticket would be nice, too, but I don't think Mr. Claus and the elves keep a stock of those.

Gary

I'm done making the cranberry relish. Tomorrow, I peel a million potatos so I can boil and mash them. At least I don't have to cook the bloody turkey.

Gary

Thanks for the welcome-backs, guys. I appreciate 'em.

Concerning SoCal, it should be a good time. I'll be pimping myself out to the industry in general, and with luck I'll land some contacts (and maybe a potential assignment or two).

I've been thinking about Cyberpunk 2020 a lot lately, but that doesn't mean I'm playing (which doesn't mean I don't want to). No time, no time! No energy, either, to start up a new game (which would probably require me to trash the D&D game I'm running right now).

What'd I miss while I was away? Anything specific you can fill me in on, or do I need to break down and read the plethora of threads you guys have made since July?

G

How long has it been since I've surfed through here? Months, I suppose. Life has taken several interesting turns for me since my last post, so I'll bring anyone who gives two eurocents the short version of my tale.

I lost my job, and then I got a new one.

Basic details are that I'd been at my old job for about eight years, so the circumstances surrounding my departure and subsequent job search weren't exactly pleasant. Things seem to be working out with my new job, so I figure I can at least crawl out of my hole and say hello.

I'll be at GenCon SoCal next month. Anyone else planning to attend?

Gary

The continuity flaws between 1 and 2 were basically this:

Reese, after saving Sarah's bacon at the club, tells her that "nothing dead will go" through the time machine.  No guns, no clothes, etc.  The terminator can get around this because it's surrounded by living tissue.

In the second movie, this prohibition was broken by the T1000, which was obviously a big blob of memory metals devoid of any flesh at all.  That, and you'd think that if every terminator looked like Arnold, the humans of the future would be able to pick them out really quick.

Does T3 solve the "nothing dead will go" rule set down by the original movie, or does it dance around the issue?  Is the Terminatrix really a cyborg, or just another tricked-out robot?

Gary

I won't be seeing it.  From what I've seen, it just doesn't do it for me.  Heck, the continuity flaws of T2 really cheesed my anal-retentive geek/fanboy side off something fierce when it was released.  I guess that wound has never quite healed, either, which doesn't make me want to see the third one at all.

Gary

Quote

We're not bitter, honest...

Ah, don't sweat it.  You're better off without us.  How does the saying go?  "Australia got all of Britain's criminals, and America got all of Britain's religious freaks."

Gary

You may have been reading a d20-related post (we've had a few of those lately).  In the d20 system, initiative is only rolled once at the beginning of a combat, and people keep the same number throughout the combat (barring some special circumstances).

In Cyberpunk 2020, everyone rolls for initiative each and every round.  So no worries!

Gary

It looks like we've got a little while to wait before the Blue Planet forum gets slapped up.  Let me ask a few questions of you guys, and see what it nets us.

How do you prefer that I handle character creation?  Would you rather go point-by-point, or do you feel comfortable enough with giving me an idea of the type of character you want to play, creating it on my own, and then presenting it for your approval?  Either way, I plan to post a character questionairre prior to putting anything on paper, which should help to guide whatever process we ultimately decide upon.

Considering what you've told me, how about we present the three of you being fresh on the surface of Poseidon from Earth, as Malek suggested?  We might even start with a "prelude" of sorts set on Earth, and then shift to the sunny shores of Poseidon once we get things moving.

Would you prefer to start as independents, perhaps a group of private "contractors" who've managed to save enough to ship themselves off-world in order to make their fortunes in a golden land of opportunity and adventure?  Or would you rather be employed, either by a government organization or an incorporated interest?

So far as flexibility is concerned, starting as independents is your best bet, but I'd like to know what you're all comfortable with before I make any concrete plans.

Cheers!

Gary

Thanks, Monk.  I'll be celebrating as part of an American Civil War color guard this Friday.  Should be fun if I don't trip over my own big feet..!

Gary

Kudos to The Leviathan, he hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned.  Nothing beats a rant like that.  While I don't agree with everything, I have always disliked incorporating "set piece" characters in my games.  I prefer to let my own NPCs speak for themselves.

I also feel that, while they aren't the only people on the planet, the PCs in my game are the heroes.  In games that I've played, my character (and those around me) have sometimes been overshadowed by uber-powerful NPCs who somehow accomplish what we were unable to do on our own (not that we were given a chance).  Nothing takes the wind out of my sails quicker than the GM's pet NPC coming to our rescue.  I'd rather die, crawling away with my guts hanging out my ass like a stomped cockroach, than claim victory because a powerful NPC rode in and insured that we couldn't fail.

I feel the same about any other campaign setting's high-powered movers and shakers: Elminster (Forgotten Realms), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Vlad Tepes/Dracula (Vampire: the Masquerade/the Dark Ages), etc.  What's the point?  Is interacting with powerful/famous/important characters supposed to make the PCs feel special?

This is not to say that these iconic characters don't exist in my world, but it's doubtful that my players will ever personally interact with them.  I enjoy taking these characters and turning them on their ears.  Sure, everyone's heard of Morgan Blackhand, but no one knows that he's really a pathetic alcoholic who is well past his prime; Silverhand has been in and out of drug rehab clinics more times than most people can count, beats up his paparazzi, and screws anything over the age of fifteen that manages to sneak back-stage.

I also need to throw in my lot with Dog Soldier concerning the whole "revolution" concept behind CP2013/2020.  I never "fought the good fight" when I played the game, and though the PCs in the games I ran would occasionally face down with "the man," they weren't doing it out of any particular political or moral conviction.  These games (and most CP literature) were about personal gain, be it wealth, power, sex, revenge, whatever.

Concerning the topic, though...is Silverhand an edgerunner?  I don't know about your games, but in mine, he's a spoiled, rich, drug-addicted sex fiend.  Considering that greed motivates a good many Cyberpunk characters, then maybe he is and edgerunner.

Gary

I'm not a big fan of RTG's armor layering system, either.  It was obviously written to keep people from wearing two armor jackets over their SP12 skinweave and SP 20 subdermal armor.  I don't know about you blokes, but I've never had much trouble with my players trying to pack as much armor as is unreasonably possible onto their carcasses.

Gary

I've got a copy of Night's Edge, and I don't much care for it.  There are some interesting tidbits, but it tried a little too hard, in my opinion.  It opened the door wider for powergaming in Cyberpunk, and my opinion on that is: who needs more powergaming in Cyberpunk?

As Thumper said, it's hard to get.  If you can get a line on a copy, you might as well scoop it up just for novelty's sake.  Otherwise, don't lose sleep over it.

Gary

I've asked Cyberjunk to create a "Blue Planet" forum.  Once that's up, I'll get into basic rules and character creation with you three (and anyone else who happens to come along).

Keep your eyes peeled!

Gary

Thinking about this makes me feel older.  Not sure why, but there will come a time when I say, "You know, I remember when Starbuck and Boomer were MEN," and my kids will look at me like I'm some kind of freak.

Yep, it's true.  Seems that the new version of Battlestar Galactica changes that quintessential womanizer, Starbuck, into a woman himself (or herself...take your pick).  Boomer gets a sex change, too.

I suppose it's geeky to complain, but dammit!  As a seven year-old, I idolized Starbuck.  He was good-looking (at least by late seventies/early eighties standards), he went out with the cute blond chick (Cassiopeia?), he won when he gambled, smoked cigars, and, on top of all that goodness, he got to zip around space in a viper, blasting cylons.  What seven year-old kid wouldn't want that?

Gary

Having the PCs "fresh off the boat" is perfectly acceptable, and I'll probably go that route with one of the plot arcs.  The only problem is that no one likes to be bald, pasty-white, and covered with a case of "the spots."  

I like you character concept, Malek, and it fits in pretty well with some of the things I'd had planned.

Gary

Well, that's two voices.

My idea, at its most optimistic, is to move two or three separate (but related) storylines at the same time, with maybe 1-3 players per thread (depending on that sort of response I get).  Even if I'm only running one storyline, that will be fine.

Getting to know my potential players' preferences is one way for me to figure out which story arc to place them into.  So let's start with you two, [M8]-HARRY and Dog Soldier.  Tell me a little bit about the games you like and the types of characters you enjoy playing.

Gary