Yes, this is an entry about "The Book That Must Not Be Named!" If you want to avoid this at all costs, do not click the LiveJournal edit below.

Warning - it's long.

Now, how do I do a LiveJournal cut...
( Warning:  )

Tags: harry plotter, review, the book that must not be named
Current Mood: pensive

Where's the year gone?!?

I've been off the gamer-dar this year. That's sucked. Missed two cons - one as a Player, the other I had to cancel on due to work (and thankfully so, as Daniel fell feverishly ill that weekend!).

My health's back on the rollercoaster ride, but less dramatically so than last year. Every 6 weeks there are ulcers that appear on my tonsils/nasal passages. That's weirdly disorientating and more painful than your standard mouth ulcer/cut on the tongue! This week there's been some stomach acid burning away as well.

All these sharp bursts of pain make me angry. Like a good boss, I just take them out on my staff :p (One of the ONLY benefits of being Middle Management?!? ;)

On the Gaming-news side, I have 1 x new CSS-friendly web site about to go up soon (pmc.com v3.0), trying to figure out how to register a sub-domain & then ask the friendly people @ Vurt if they need to set something up at their end, and assist Mr White in an Ars Mag E-zine (editing, and just setting up some basic stuff @ pmc.com).

Also, the strangest thing has happened. After 3 years in Melbourne, I've always had to hunt Games out, prodding under rocks to find Gamers. In the last two weeks, 2 Games have come to me! Wierd.

Must get better before September -- need to go home to Adelaide for Vorpalcon, birthday festivities, catch up with friends flying in from overseas and get some R&R in there somewhere!

Tags: mark, pmc web site, sick!
Current Location: Melbourne
Current Music: (Insert your favourite song here to dull the pain/speed up reading this Entry :)

Since I have only one passionate idea I'd like to develop into a Game for a Con in the future, I'm wondering what people would like to play in at a Con / see myself or PMC write.

Any suggestions from those who occasionally glance at these words?

Tags: cons, pmc, writing

Photos from Mythbusters B.C. and a copy of the module are now available @
http://www.pointlessmentalcruelty.com/

Tags: mythbusters b.c., pmc, pointless mental cruelty, web site update

(Warning : Some serious feedback for a serious Game! No couching here...)

I forgot to review "The Elevator", which I played at Arc in the second-to-last session on the Sunday, when the writer(s) were tired, a little nervous and had seven Players trapped in about a 3 m x 3m space.

It was the Game of the Convention for many Players. I enjoyed it. 2 1/2 hours passed quickly. If the Game was poorly written and not thought through, those 2 1/2 hours would have been painful. Playtested twice (always a good sign), and with Duncan trapped inside the elevator to press buttons, all that it took was 7 excellent Role-Players to really get things going!

I respected the Game for its preperation, set-up, structure and characterisation.

I played a deluded Character. I have no problem with this. It was an interesting take on the delusion : I started trying to redeem all of the other characters trapped in the lift with me, appealing to them to ask for forgiveness for their sins before they died. I also tried to warn the doctor she was on someone's 'hit list'...

I did think the Game would have been just that little-bit edgier if the supernatural component (aka angels and demons) wasn't present. Duncan, you have the capacity and skills both as a writer and Role-Player to do that - an elevator full of losers plummeting to their death would have been just as sexy, if not more controversial. If the debrief was left at choosing who Players were and their backstories not being revealed (or summed up in a sentence), that would have been another powerful piece of the puzzle. Can you imagine people having to THINK about who they were trapped in that elevator with, making their own assumptions for the entire Con about every other character???

Credit to Duncan, Lon, Scott and Shell and Mik's girlfriend for stellar role-playing.

My one regret : not starting a MAJOR ARGUMENT or confrontation in the elevator. I almost had a go at Shell and Scott, but I could see that ruining the social dynamics I was developing (aka allies/friendships with the doctors and the languid-one).

Tags: arcanacon, the elevator

The Con
-------

A quick whip around Arc 2007...

Pre-registration was simple. There was a minimal amount of shuffling of sessions, and the rego desks were manned pretty much throughout the rego session.

A new phenomenon appears to be emerging though: pre-reg Players vs those who rock up and play. I scheduled a 12 Player Game for 2 Sessions based on previous experiences with filling sessions. This year we (the PMC crew) didn't have that problem. We filled both sessions almost before the con began, and even had to expand the Game to 16 Players. So instead of 24 people, we ended up with 35! Ouch...

Perhaps in the future I'll arrange more sessions, or perhaps recommend that some kind of pre-reg controls be reviewed.

Canteen good. Rego good. Vibe nice. Awards sweet and short. What can I say? Con good!


GM-ing : Mythbusters B.C.
--------------------------

Alex re-joined the crew for the first time in awhile. Shell, our latest PMC member was officially initiated into the wonderous world of Freeforms. Together, the four of us ran around for 6 hours listening to various amounts of sophistry while Players 'Busted' Myths. I hope the majority of Players had fun.

Stuff that was good : Players working together in groups and generally getting into the 'feel' of the Game.

Stuff that could be improved : Hmm... Getting the mix of Player groups right. Sometimes it can be hard to work with a new person who has a different approach. That can lead to a little friction (not the worst thing), but a little group-based social engineering can alleviate that problem. Also, I'd like to write a less comic Game in the future - one with less paper!

Overall : I'm happy with the end result. There were game mechanics. I hope every Player was involved (I understand there were some ill Players in Session I/2 - that's understandable Day 3 of a Con). I also am beginning to wonder if the PMC name's starting to be recognised!


Games : An Illithid Affair
---------------------------

Shell likes Illithids ("Squid things!"). Don't ask why! We played, we squidded, we kicked some ass... It was light-hearted, systemless, directionless fun.

Stuff that was good : Bad D'n'D jokes, freedom to do whatever we wanted.

Stuff that could be improved : An interactive plot would have made the Game more than just us entertaining ourselves for 2 1/2 hours.

Overall : I liked this GM. He was friendly. I'd like to see him do something with a plot. It would rock.


Games : Dinosaurs and Scones
-----------------------------

5 Characters, day 2. 4 Character Sheets, one was missing. I played the "5th Character", the American film star and movie producer.

I'm glad I didn't have a Character Sheet!

So, the GM's descriptive style's evolved nicely from previous Cons. I felt like I could 'do stuff', even though I possessed no weapons in a strange, eerie, dangerous world. A film camera vs a T-Rex. A jet pack vs a zepplin. The Game wasn't rushed as well. The GM paced it well. I enjoyed the style...

Stuff that was good : Pacing, genric description, enjoyable story. There were dice!

Stuff that could be improved : A more open plot, someone next to me not yelling in my ear, and perhaps a Character Sheet (I didn't need one, really!)

Overall : I think I received the most interesting Character. I look forward to a sequel : Did the American die, or is he alive in the Lost World?!?


Game : A Grimm Substitution
----------------------------

AKA "Gilly-Doo is coming for you!"

I swear it was the voice that made the Character in this session. I played an autumn tree spirit/faerie. One of the nicest, KINDEST Characters I've ever seen at a Con.

I became the moral compass of the group of Faeries running through a realm of dreams and inspirations, ruining fairy tales of old in order to escape their fate (or perhaps the linear plot?!?).

As a tree spirit I rustled, shambled, loped, swayed, sang (!?!) and even managed to break up a few fights.

All of the Players did a good job throughout the Game. Sadly, I didn't manage to work in an oath though...

Stuff that was good : The GM kept a straight face for most of the Game. He carried the feel well, described things from the perspective of normal people, and managed to keep us entranced for 2 1/2 hours.

Stuff that could be improved : It was a linear, allegorical plot, but that didn't truly matter. I think it would have been hard to write the Game any other way. I would recommend a briefing sheet on "What Faeries Are" - we had 3 different interpretations in the group, each valid.

Overall : This GM is on my "watch" list (yes, "Gilly-Doo is WATCHING you!").


Game : Campfire Tales
----------------------

There was an intro Game. Then, Daniel was an asshole and told a totally horrific story involving Nazi's in the woods and his father. When the GM's were lulled into a false sense of security, we deconstructed the Game.

There was the Pirate Story with the kraken, which led to me as the Captain telling a story about my father and when he met a mermaid, who told a story about an illiterate Pirates of the Caribbean Character being chased by lawyers until he cornered one and forced him to tell a story about a slasher...

When the slasher story became too silly the lawyer was killed, England was saved from the lawyers, my father escaped the mermaid and we ended up singing the kraken to sleep with a really, REALLY BAD improvised sea shanty (my fault!).

I did slip in an Arabic story, followed by a horror tale about a boy who met the Fates and was granted 'the power of self-delusion' (I blame my fellow Players!). Shell did well to play the boy until she was carted off to a mental assylumn.

Props to the GM's for trying a different style of improv that's not been seen at Arc for a few years.

Stuff that was good : Good GM's and fellow Players (well, mostly).

Stuff that could be improved : More structure would have made the experience about telling horror stories, rather than us running ONE MASSIVE TALE going for 1 1/2 hours! Thankfully I pleaded to the GM's when the D'n'D references started...

Overall : A sexy, fun Game that introduced Shell to improv (which I love).


Game : Celebrity Hunter
------------------------

I was Jackie Chan for 15 minutes, Charlton Heston for 2 hours. In the end we kidnapped the Game and turned it into a mini-Freeform - the alternate STAR WARS script! Thank you Daniel!

Stuff that was good : Duncan as "The Crocodile Hunter". There were dice... It was easy to pick up!

Stuff that could be improved : A stronger plot. Strangely, I like plot.

Overall : It was a string of bad puns in the end, made more than this by the Players.


Game : Baron Munchausen
------------------------

Lee timed and pacced this perfectly!!! It's tough making up a story in 3 1/2 minutes! And there were quite a few Players this year. Daniel stole the show with his Professor routine (stolen from the Chek theatrical version of Baron Munchausen!!!). Italian Painters (you asshole!).

The German girl who actually tried to tell stories in English was fantastic; the usual Players were present + a few new ones; and this year nobody choked (literlly, as in coughing, spluttering, etc)! The jam and scones were a nice touch.

My hat goes off to Lee Davis-Thalbourne. I liked him as MC.

No good, no ideas for improvement. It was good.


In Conclusion
-------------

I had fun! I was ill, but I survived... Thanks to all the people who made the Con happen, to all the GM's who donated their time, and to all the Players who played "Mythbusters B.C.". I'm looking forward to truly wreaking havoc @ ConQuest!

Tags: arcanacon, review

So, it's December. Where did the year go?

2006 has seen some food, a trip, lots of illness, a slight hiccup in the 'grand scheme of things' and lots of time off from work.

There are only 8 working days until Christmas. It doesn't feel festive yet... In fact, it feels distinctively normal rather than close to the Silly Season.

2007 will be here in about 2 1/2 weeks. That's not a scary thought, which is unusual.

So... So... So it's been awhile since I've written here. It's not like I have a loss of self-important shite to write about, but a lot of what I read in blogs and journals and diaries these days seems to be just that, self-important shite. Some of it has its time and place, such as stuff that happens. A lot of entries seem to be about memes, even more about over-inflated opinions about nothing. Then there are the warped perspectives (subjective perspectives would be a kiinder word) on 'stuff that's happened' in peoples lives. Occasionally I read something interesting.

Reading's pretty passive. It's safer in a lot of ways. You get to voyeristically take a look at what someone's posted, while not being committed to writing anything yourself. While when you put pen to paper (or in the digital word, fingers to keys) your thoughts are recorded, posted for anyone who finds them to see.

I always seem to write late at night. I guess it's a time thing (I find the time at the end of the day?).

So... 8 more working days. That's 64 hours at work. 8 hours of commuting. 4 non-working days. 287 hours, 6 minutes until Christmas. I'm sure there's a clock somewhere counting down the seconds for anxious, excited children to glare at!

After Christmas will come the New Years Resolutions. The plans for 2007. The catching-up and celebratory visits. Yule-tide feasts in the middle of Summer. Then life will go on, back to a more normal routine involing waking, working, living, sleeping.

All of this means I'll have to read more self-important 'festive' entries and likely write 'cheery' notes, merry SMS's and the occasional catch-up phone call. How many words, how many letters will these things end up consuming?

Hmmm... Well, i guess I can hope that somewhere amongst all the drivvel there are a few pearls of wisdom or some insightful words that shine through the shite. If not, I guess that's life.

C-Punk 2.0.2.0. has inspired me... It was the idea that won out after all!

--- --- ---


Night City. It rains all the time. There's a bitter smell that permeates the air. Smog maybe, or acid rain. The food ain't fit for fertiliser, yet alone for eating. Nothing works right, save in the Corporate towers that glitter and shine like real-life holovids. And every day and night there's gunfire, screams and sirens that herald another murder, another shooting, another theft...

It ain't no place to live. No place is fit anymore though, so I s'pose it's as good as any. When it comes down to it though, it's where YOU live.

You're not making a difference. You're no hero, nor any kind of hack. You're just trying to etch out a living in a hellhole where crime does pay and folks like you dodge whatever's thrown your way on a daily basis.

Then there's Wu, and the love of his life, "Jenny". A strange old man who's just retired, working now out of an office in Chinatown. He is one of those do-gooders who believes he can make some kind of difference. Perhaps a little naive for an old guy. He's advertised for someone like you to work for him, 'coz he knows at least to help people these days you need people who can get things done, no questions asked. He doles out the cash, you get results.

Suits you fine enough.

Being a Troubleshooter in Night City is better than being no none. At least you get a badge and a gun!

--- --- ---

Tech-noir... It's appealing to me more and more. There's something about the flawed characters, the hopeless outlook with sparks of hope, stories where black and white isn't as clear-cut as 'good' and 'evil'. Stories with meat on their bones. With body and shape and form rather than following the 'Yellow Brick Road'.

Now, on to that most arduous of tasks. Now I'm on the mend, I need to find Players (I believe they live in Melbourne, they have to! Somewhere...).

Writers Itch has struck me...

A flurry of ideas have peaked my interest of late.

(1) A Western - gritty, yet not as intense as DEADWOOD - set in Virginia City, Nevada 1871... A wealth of possibilities in the town that was dubbed, "The wealthiest city on Earth" in its day!

(2) Cyberpunk. Again with the gritty, save this time the focus is on a futuristic detective agency. Imagine 1930's detective noir meets BLADERUNNER with guns! I've ran a Game akin to this before, save that was more comic melodrama (the RockerGirl started dating a mafia guy who fell in love with her, the freaked out borg ex-Cop was having life issues, the Japanese Corp had to manage all of his staff, and the almost full borg Netrunner was so divorced from reality he almost had his own spin-off plotlines...). I'll use the whacky again, but for edge.

(3) Ancient China. I hear the call of great heroes coming of age and the consequences of their actions... Lots of martial arts whackiness involving tournaments, adventures, negotiations, rebellions and heroic deeds. Who knows what system I'd use, but the seed of the idea is there.

All three are nice. I don't think the Western has enough schwing to ever get off the ground in Melbourne. The C-Punk idea has the most momentum, crawling ever so slowly through my brain, with germinating ideas and distracting memes twisting their way along neural pathways like creepers. The Ancient China idea will likely find an early grave or come back again one day (it's the Asian DVD collection calling out to me, I have to say!).

Now... To find me a few more roustabout Players! That's the annoying thing about having your energy drained away by pain - I can't network and find me some Players :)

Current Mood: Compulsive

1st day back at work after 1 month off. It was very light, involving doing a bit of talking, a lot of watching and a bit of admin work. I was in a bit of pain throughout the day - good stuff indeed! At least I could breathe...

Matthew and Chantel departed yesterday. I had breakfast 5 doors down from my place with them on Sunday at the cafe where pancakes with ice cream sees half a tub of ice cream scooped up on top of a massive pancake. Breakfast was good. Matthew unloaded some roleplaying things on me, and some PC games. I'm now trying to play "Soldier of Fortune II" after finishing "Bladerunner: 2019".

Doctor's appointment again on Thursday. I think I need some kind of industrial strength antacid and possibly a stronger antihistamine. I've stopped the hypertension medication due to the Doctor believing I didn't need it afterall (!?!) :) Well,not at this point in time...

What else? Spent an hour outside today. Nice weather... Good sunshine. Not too hot. I'm happyier than the last few weeks! Escaping the 4 corners of my living room's a good thing, even if it can be somewhat painful.

It's a few more weeks before I know what else lies ahead (yaaay for such dodgy delays!).

Current Location: Home