Rants/Raves
MUD In Your Eye
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a breed of online text-based game called a Multi-User Dungeon, or MUD. The MUDs thrived for a time, and then along came a beast called EverQuest, followed by its larger cousin, WOW. Together they killed the MUD forever. Or did they?
Harry Potter and the Chronicles of the Lord of the Golden Compass of the Jedi
In a world gone mad, one special child stands alone against the forces of darkness. They alone must wield the power of the sacred artifact to deliver the land from the power of the one true evil, before all the world is swallowed in war. This Christmas, take a journey into a magical land of wonder.
Anthropology, Psychology, and High Fantasy
While I love the game and the endless hours of fun it provides, anyone with a passing knowledge in Anthropology, Psychology, or even a college degree has to secede any chance of Dungeons & Dragons being “realistic.” This is my big problem with D&D.
The Ten Commandments of Villainy--minus Charlton Heston
In the beginning, the darkness came from the valley and spoke unto me, “Dost my will?” and I asked humbly, “I am thine servant Theo, what is thy desire?” The Darkness replied. “Show them, the true power of the dark side, show them what you have been taught of evil through comic books. Lead them into a land of Mountain Dew and Bugles!” And so, I the Prophet received the Ten Commandments of Villainy, to help steer the chosen people from cliches of necromancers and demon lords.
Tekken Story Debate
A singular conflict in my love-hate relationship with GD:T&P, my topic-inspiration crutch, is over a passage on story in the design of Tekken, the first game of the well-known fighting game series. I say the passage is a dirty sucker-punch motivated by some unseen bitterness and deserves a fair shot for rebuttal.
Running with the Demon
Shadowrun is a game filled with imagination set in the postmodernist dystopia of the bleak near-future. Shadowrun is also one of the biggies, a game created by one of the roleplaying giants that generated video games, action figures (well, all right, they were like giant mage knight figures) and a novel series. Because of this, why is it so underground?
The Pros of Cons
Rather than a discussion of people making a living at running scams, this article focuses on the beneficial point of conventions. Science Fiction, Gaming, and Comic conventions are discussed.
Eco-Gaming
A new ideology for gaming, both play and design, based on an unusual example from the world of sports. Salacious hype or a genuine hypothesis that's time has come? You make the call.
Monographs and Call of Cthulhu
One of the most interesting aspects of the new Chaosium line-up is the monographs, freelance tape-bound splatbooks detailing a very specific setting within a game. But do they help or hinder the actual creative development of the game itself?
Magic Penny Jar & the Essence of Play
A nostalgic look back at early play and pondering the making of a gamer. Where did it all start? Where could it all go? Come share your early gaming experiences and help unravel the mysteries of play.
One Run, Pure Fun
It’s a Friday night after a long week that was both physically and mentally challenging. What better way to start your weekend than with a new system and a bunch of newbies (myself included). The system was Risus, a system where the only goal is humor, and where anything goes.
Gaming 2007: The King is Dead, Long Live the ?????
Ryan Dancey, the former VP at Wizards of the Coast and one of the major players in D&D 3rd Edition and the d20 OGL movement, has posted some rather dire predictions in his blog. But at the end is one small nugget of hope...
Happy Holidays
Gamegrene is taking some time off to enjoy the holidays. We hope everyone out there has a great holiday season, and that you get many, many gaming-related presents, be they under a tree, in a stocking, or otherwise. Be sure to post in this thread to let everyone know what great gaming gifts you got. We'll see you in 2007.
Why I Hate Dice, Or Rather, Why Do Dice Hate Me?
I've always had ridiculously bad luck when it comes to the rolling of dice. Usually I can get by in spite of terrible die rolls, but a recent experience almost made me want to go diceless forever.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies.
There's an apocryphal cop-out that bad Dungeon Masters are reputed to use whenever they get pissed at their players, or can't figure out how to end an adventure. It's called "Rocks Fall. Everyone Dies." Spoilers (and an explanation) inside.
