tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75769496164207438962024-03-13T10:30:01.936-07:00The Safe Houseespionage roleplaying gamesJeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-85105198530771772052016-12-08T21:51:00.000-08:002016-12-08T21:51:24.831-08:00OneDice- Spies: Martinis and Masterminds<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uulpMRwNANw/WEpAPAgzzhI/AAAAAAAAZNE/1vbFMTTdMK8qp0CgSa7GG5tymUva_ud3wCLcB/s1600/197633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uulpMRwNANw/WEpAPAgzzhI/AAAAAAAAZNE/1vbFMTTdMK8qp0CgSa7GG5tymUva_ud3wCLcB/s320/197633.jpg" width="216" /></a>Cakebread and Walton's OneDice RPG system's espionage thriller installment for the Spies line is here.<br />
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Here's the publisher's blurb:<br />
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Welcome to OneDice Spies: Martinis and Masterminds, a game of daring and not-so-secret agents, charismatic megalomaniacs, international conspiracies and glamorous locations. It is a world that resembles our own of years gone by, but has taken one step smartly to the side; a world where killer satellites are launched into orbit with startling frequency and evil organisations can construct vast bases in the craters of extinct volcanoes without anyone noticing. Within the pages of this book you will find an in-depth look at the genre; all the rules you need to play; several ‘skins’ that present different ways to run OneDice Spies: Martinis and Masterminds; and, of course, a list of groovy gadgets.<br /><br />Pack your evening wear, ensure that there is a full clip in your Walther, and don’t forget the keys to the Aston, because it is time to enter the world of Martinis and Masterminds.<br /><br />Suitable for ages 10+</blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197633/OneDice-Spies-Martinis-and-Masterminds" target="_blank">Currently available in PDF</a>. These are often quickly also available in print-on-demand format, as well.</div>
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The OneDice system is a very light 1d6 game designed more for quick one shots or newer or younger players. There are several mini settings and genre books for the rules and many more are coming, it seems.<div>
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<a href="http://waveyourgeekflag.blogspot.com/search?q=onedice" target="_blank">Here's more information about OneDice</a>.<br /> <br /></div>
Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-47306581000517376042016-12-07T20:50:00.001-08:002016-12-07T20:50:38.355-08:00Spycraft 2.0 SRDI recently discovered a website that lays out the rules for Spycraft 2.0 as a system reference document.<br />
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<a href="http://sc2srd.rpgnet.be/">http://sc2srd.rpgnet.be/</a><br />
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<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-14057174292333841422014-08-15T20:42:00.004-07:002014-08-15T20:42:41.072-07:00tremulus + Agents of Oblivion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reality Blurs produces <i>Agents of Oblivion</i>. Have been doing so for some time. The first we heard of it was as one of the mini-settings that popped up with Green Ronin's True20. It later returned for the Savage Worlds system. Found some very nice support there.<br />
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Reality Blurs announced an upcoming 3rd rendition for <i>Agents of Oblivion</i>. This time it appears the game will be powered by the same system as one of their other quite successful products- tremulus. tremulus (spelled with a lower-case t) is a variant of the ever-more popular Apocalypse World Engine.<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Time marches ever onward, and I would like to make an announcement prior to the results of the ENnie awards. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tremulus</strong> has been nominated for 5 ENnies and we’re proud, honored, and delighted. As I write these words, I note the ceremony is a handful of hours away, and rather than being there amongst friends, fans, and colleagues, I am in the Mad Lab working on the next thing. Something which both pleases and delights me to finally announce. Something I have quietly been working on (in those random bits of time here and there) while continuing to get new tremulus materials out the door, developing our upcoming fiction lines, and releasing new Savage Worlds settings into the wild. While I may have been largely quiet to you, I have continued to write. It is a need, a necessity, and something I imagine I would do whether eyes ever saw the words or not. And the support you have shown me and Reality Blurs over the years has been tremendous and humbling. Where I once wrote materials to be used once by my game group and then never revisited, I have been afforded the opportunity to share my visions with many people all across the world. Should I pause to reflect upon that, it would be rather scary and daunting, so here I sit, continuing to refine my craft, continuing to watch words trickle out of my fingers and out into the world, and whether we win or lose later on tonight, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support. And, yes, your criticisms. The latter drives me to reach ever inward to refine and improve the former, which gives me the energy and confidence to embrace each day before the keyboard and create.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">I am presently working on <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Agents of Oblivion: A Storytelling Game of Horror and Espionage</em>. This is its third incarnation, having originally been one of the winners of the True20 Setting Search and an ENnie-nominated setting for Savage Worlds. I am proud of all the work that has gone before with this setting and fully intend to bring some of the lessons learned through the development of (and reaction to) tremulus coupled with the action and excitement inherent in the sandbox setting of Agents of Oblivion.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">First and foremost, this is a storytelling game. We are striving to make it the best expression of <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Agents of Oblivion</em>to date, building everything geared for you to create your agent and face the horrors awaiting you. While you trembled when facing down abominations in <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tremulus</strong>, in <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Agents of Oblivion,</em> you are the Agent, a once normal citizen, pulled into a dark world of nightmares, conspiracies, mystical madmen, rival organizations, and alien intrigues. Your responsibility? Prevent the world from falling forever into the ever-yawning abyss.</span></div>
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<a href="http://realityblurs.com/wordpress/?p=4589" target="_blank">link</a>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-24789499640998148922014-08-10T16:39:00.002-07:002014-08-10T16:39:32.000-07:00book and box coversI love how the cover of <i>Covert Ops: Operation: Burning Presidents</i> resembles the covers of <i>Top Secret </i>and <i>Top Secret/S.I.</i> box sets.<br />
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<i>Operation: Burning Presidents</i> was done by <a href="https://plus.google.com/103978694457030937705/posts" target="_blank">Eric Quigley</a>. The <i>Top Secret/S.I.</i> photo work was done by Uldis Saule. Unforgettable.</div>
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<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-27782203257804556662014-08-10T13:45:00.001-07:002014-08-10T13:45:39.335-07:00Classified<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Classified is a d% based retro-clone of the <i>James Bond 007</i> RPG from Victory Games from 1983. Here is a review of the game by Gary Brown.<br />
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Disclaimer: I am a fan of Victory Games James Bond 007 RPG (1983). Over the years, I’ve often wondered why nobody had produced a second edition or even a retro-clone of the James Bond 007 RPG from the 80s. It was way ahead of it’s time in terms of genre emulation, featuring hero points to shift results in favor of the player characters including the creation of “lucky” narrative advantages such as a handy makeshift weapon or a passing vehicle that blocks an otherwise deadly shot. The game was built around a d100 core mechanic and it placed emphasis on skills that blended nicely with core characteristics (Intelligence, Strength, Perception, Dexterity, and Willpower). Skill rolls yielded results in five levels of quality to determine the effectiveness of the action or task. Weapons and equipment featured a satisfying amount of “crunch” – enough to be mechanically significant – but not so important as to overshadow good old player ingenuity or character skill. </blockquote>
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Speaking of skills, they are represented in three categories:<br /><ul>
<li>Skills – Areas of performance and expertise linked to core characteristics which make-up the heart of the character.</li>
<li>Abilities – a sub-class of skills representing things that are common to the genre or setting. All abilities have a static rank of proficiency and do not increase over time.</li>
<li>Fields of Experience – these represent informational areas of knowledge linked to the character’s former profession or history. Success rolls are not usually needed for fields of experience. Either you know it or you don’t.</li>
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Today, many role-play gamers would balk at this system because it uses charts to determine levels of success, and *gulp* there is a multiplication table. How dreadful, right? I used to think that way too. In the past couple of decades, however, I’ve tried virtually every modern action RPG that has come along, but few of them ran as smoothly as the old James Bond RPG. I’ve also tried some other contemporary games such as Dogs of WAR, Agents of Oblivion, and Night’s Black Agents, but by comparison they lack the details and granularity that make skills, weapons, and gadgets an engaging aspect of spies and modern action. </blockquote>
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So… Classified. What is it? </blockquote>
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It is a retro-clone that faithfully updates the old James Bond RPG to today’s tech level. In the standards of Expeditious Retreat Press, Classified is to the Bond RPG what OSRIC is to AD&D. Backwards compatibility is the goal. </blockquote>
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What is different? </blockquote>
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Some terminology has changed, but the underlying foundation of the game is exactly the same. Ease Factor is Difficulty Factor. Quality Rating is now Success Quality. Primary Chance is now Base Chance. These changes were likely necessary for copyright purposes.<br />Character creation points have essentially been reduced by a factor of 10. For instance, a rookie-level character is now built with a 300-point limit instead of 3000 points. The relative values and balance for skills and characteristics is about the same, so this was an “easy” change that just makes the numbers smaller across-the-board. </blockquote>
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Photography is no longer an Agent Ability. Makes sense. Digital photography and the ubiquity of phone-cameras has shifted things dramatically in 30 years. </blockquote>
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Language was added to the skill section. This was an interesting choice and it appears to be something that is not entirely settled in the rules. You might expect to find languages listed in the Fields of Experience section or as an Ability. Non-fluent language proficiency could even be rolled into the Local Customs skill. There is a Linguistics field of experience with a language benefit, so that is a logical approach for characters who want a foreign language as part of their backstory. Having the language skill is useful for characters who are investing experience to gain proficiency over the course of play. However, the sample NPCs in the back of the book have specific languages listed as abilities. Clearly this is a detail that is yet to be ironed-out. </blockquote>
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The changes to Combat, Chapter 7, are subtle. The author has done a nice job of reorganizing and clarifying the key rules. Mechanically, the biggest change I noticed involved replacing d6 rolls with d100 or d10. For example, draw situations are now a d100 roll, modified by +20 increments for a character’s Speed rating. Yes, weapon’s Draw modifiers may also apply. The Incapacitation wound level now differentiates unarmed damage from more severe weapon damage. The rules for thrown weapons have been clarified and expanded in a good way, eliminating the hand-waviness of the original rules. </blockquote>
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Overall, the core game stands up remarkably well, which is why a retro-clone is such a good thing in this case. What this old spy game really needed was an update and Classified definitely delivers in the hardware department. Chapter 10: Equipment, is 37 jam-packed pages of vehicles, gadgets, weapons, drugs/poisons, and accessories that literally bring the game into the 21st century. There are a few art pieces to break up the text, but this section is all about the tools of the spy trade. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book for anyone who still enjoys the original. </blockquote>
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Speaking of art, it is excellent. Classified RPG features all black and white art done in a style that perfectly captures the feel of the game and harkens back to the original. Fans of action movies will easily recognize the inspiration for many of the art pieces which are focused on characters in action. Presumably for the sake of space, Classified does not provide many weapon and gadget illustrations like you saw in the original core rules or the Q Manual. This is an understandable choice, since the internet puts images of these items at our fingertips. </blockquote>
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The writing style is somewhat clinical and that, I believe, is a good thing too. Classified is presented as a rulebook and a reference, although I should point out that this copy does not have an index. To be honest, with a smallish book and the improved organization of the rules, I don’t think it really needs one. The core of the game is under 100 pages, including the meaty equipment section! But the final 30 pages also provide solid resources and advice on how to write adventures, generate NPCs, encounters, and conduct a campaign. The author does show his creativity in Chapter 13, which details the villainous organization of Osiris – a nice collection of Bond-esque bad guys in the mold of SMERSH or SPECTRE. I would happily use this organization in my next campaign and I have hopes that Osiris will be involved in one of the upcoming modules. </blockquote>
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There are a few type-o’s in this pre-release copy, but the ones I noticed are mostly in tables or sub-headers. The body text is pretty tight at this point. There is an odd carry-over from the original game in the Damage Rank Chart. Damage Ranks I and J are identical, but this quirk has no real impact in play. This is like two different weapons doing 1d10 damage in D20 or 1d6+1 in Gumshoe or Dogs of WAR, but in Classified there are 11 distinct damage ranks which is significant in comparison to most other modern action RPGs. </blockquote>
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The long hibernation of the James Bond 007 RPG is about to end. Classified has resuscitated a great action hero system and updated it for contemporary missions. I am looking forward to seeing this game supported again and maybe expanded as well. The book already provides enough material to conduct a straight-up para-military campaign in the vein of The A Team or the The Expendables. It would be great to see Classified as the core rules for weird investigation similar to Delta Green or X-Files or adapted to an action-horror setting akin to Apocalypse Prevention Inc or Night’s Black Agents. </blockquote>
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There are certainly plenty of options for modern action role-playing, but for me, dare I say… Nobody does it better… than Classified. </blockquote>
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Grab your Glock and a silencer. Your country needs you.</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.modus-operandi.co.uk/generic/classified/" target="_blank">link</a>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-74606254756022504252013-11-04T20:18:00.000-08:002013-11-04T20:18:18.199-08:00Covert Ops review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was recently honored with a request to write a review for an RPG coming out soon on behalf of the Modus Operandi. In short, this is a very promising new game that feels like a direct spiritual descendant of the big two d100 espionage games from the 1980s- Top Secret/S.I. and James Bond 007. Here is that review...<br />
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Covert Ops is described as a barebones RPG of espionage and paramilitary operations. This review covers the Covert Ops Core Rulebook and the Covert Ops GM Operations Manual.<br />
Don’t judge a book by it’s logo. The cover artwork of the Core Rulebook is credited to Eric Quigley. It is a bit stiff portraying a collage of modern actions scenes poses rather than a snapshot or still-frame of an action scene. It feels conservative and safe, not striking or particularly memorable. The people are pretty cool looking and could be recognizable iconic characters. They seem to stand as examples of some of the most typical types of spies or agents.<br />
I like the GM Operation Manual’s cover more, however. It was simply one of the larger interior pieces, but with a solid blue overlay tint. This one is more like a comic book panel or a scene from an actual mission, etc.<br />
Covert Ops as a title is great. However, the logo on the covers is a bit bland. I feel the game could use a more striking font or usage of the titling. The first page with the credits and copyright info has the title in a rough print kind of font which I felt looked cooler and more appropriate than the metallic font style with rivets. NOTE- I happened upon a more updated version of the cover while writing this. Most of this opinion still stands, however.<br />
The interior artwork for both books are all black and white. The Core Rulebook’s artwork is exclusively done by <a href="https://plus.google.com/+KhairulHisham/posts" target="_blank">Khairul Hisham</a> who has a great eye for comic book action. Having one artist throughout the core book was very nice and solidly consistent, this works if the artist is good. In this product the artist delivers. The action and figure art is shaded dynamic, while the gear and weapon art is flat clip-art in design. The GM Operation Manual’s artwork seems collected from other sources and used with permission. There is an obvious range of styles and it does take away some of the quality established presented in the Core Rulebook.<br />
The books are presented in single column, lettering is easy to read with no background imagery. Each page has a nice clean header design labeling which chapter the reader is currently on with modern and easy to read fonts throughout. Each page’s footer labels which part of the chapter you are in, a detail I find nice in gaming books. There is not much, if any, wasted space. The artwork is laid out amongst the text nicely.<br />
DwD is expanding the usage of their d00Lite system first appearing in BareBones Fantasy roleplaying game. D10 are the only die type used. The core mechanics are percentile die rolls, rolling a target number or lower. Sometimes the rules call for several d10 dice summed up.<br />
Doubles are critical successes and fails, depending on the target number. Any reasonable action succeeds on a roll of 00-05, while a roll of 95-99 automatically fails. Streamlined simple. Other details of the rules are in line of what one would expect. The game is aiming for solidity more than clever mechanics and they achieved it.<br />
Bones are the game’s term for action points. These are tokens or chips that can be spent to boost rolls or enhance character’s actions. The GM also has access to Bones to oppose the PCs. This makes the phrase “throw me a bone” literal (I see what you did there!)<br />
The d00Lite system uses a simple hitpoint style which they call BPs or Body Points. Usually half of the STR score.<br />
Characters have four attributes. Generating stats options is rolling five d10 and adding 30 for each of them (STRength, DEXterity, LOGic, and WILlpower).<br />
There is a FUDGE/Fate kind of element in the character creations process. With Skills you can choose one as your primary talent, that one thing you do real well, and assign a +20 to that skill (or randomly roll for which skill), Then you get two secondary skills and assign +10 to each of them.<br />
The next step is come up with two Descriptors. These are phrases, etc (much like FATE’s aspects) that help define the character and provide opportunity for DP point rewards- development points are BareBones RPG experience points. There is a Moral Code system to help flesh out motivations and roleplaying, etc. and derivative formulas for movement, attacks and defence.<br />
There are Origin packages that give the character a defined direction as well as appropriate bonuses to certain skills.<br />
I am left with the impression that the system is pretty solid.<br />
One unique take the game has is there isn’t a typical universal list of Skills. The list appears more like a list of Careers or almost Character Classes, yet different than the above listed Origin packages. Each of these are broken down into more focused or specialized skills. The list is Academic, Detective, Leader, Martial Artist, Medic, Pilot, Scout, Soldier, Technician, and Thief. Each of these have a formula anchored to half of one of the attributes +10. Like this… Score: half DEX +10 per pilot level- as an example. It’s an interesting take and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.<br />
Characters are given an equipment allowance which simplifies the paperwork of keeping track of funds and gear, but also prevents characters from gaining too much monetary resources, keeping the game balanced.<br />
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In combat, characters are able to purchase Martial Manoeuvres. These are special moves or techniques that are really specialized Martial Artist skills. Presented on a random table if you wish, which was interesting.<br />
There is a chapter detailing the DPs for character development and making a base of operations. One detail in the DP dispersal checklist that I found kind of neat was there is a phase where one of the characters is rewarded DPs by vote. All the players have to vote for one of the other players (not their own) based on Style- (coolest moment of the session), and Brotherhood (which character demonstrated the most faith and sacrifice for the team). I liked that bit.<br />
The next chapter covers Action rules mainly for combat and other task resolutions. This is very straightforward, not attempting new gimicky dice mechanics.<br />
There are several tables provided for mission generation for the GM which look quite useful. Even a table for cool mission code names!<br />
Covert Ops is not necessarily a generic espionage RPG, there is a pretty nicely fleshed out setting included. The final chapters get into the details of the secret and epic battle between SECTOR and CITADEL.<br />
SECTOR, a mysterious international paramilitary and counter-espionage organization. This is the agency of the good guys secretly fighting the also secret forces of CITADEL. If you are familiar with TSR’s old Top Secret/S.I., you may recognize this as ORION vs WEB with the serial numbers thinly filed off. And this is not a negative thing at all. I loved that setting then, and I’m really digging this version, now.<br />
The part of the GM Operation Manual clearly defines each level of the Operative (the PC)’s Ability Scores. This may feel like it’s directed towards newer gamers, and it might be. But I think it’s a good move eliminating many questions that might exist. This is followed by several tables designed to determine an Operative’s Abilities, etc via random rolls.<br />
The GM’s Operation Manual is more of an optional rules book than a GM manual. It contains rules examples that really help define exactly what the Core book’s rules represent. It also contains a plethora of optional rules that could potentially add a lot of complexity, making it a very crunchy system. The optional rules expand nearly everything established in the Core Rulebook. It was a good idea to keep much of this separate. However, I feel the title is a bit confusing as all of the essential GM material is already in the Core Rulebook. The GM’s Operation Manual could more appropriately be called the GM’s Operation Options or something along those lines. It was a very good idea to keep this information separate from the Core Rulebook, in any case.<br />
I come away from this with a very solid confidence in using this game for running a modern day spy campaign. This fulfills a long-time hunger for anyone who was a fan of the two big percentile die espionage RPGs from the 1980′s (Top Secret/S.I. and James Bond 007, Roleplaying in Her Majesty’s Secret Service). I hope to see long lasting support for this line from DwD Studios.<br />
About DwD Studios: It helped me understand where this game was coming from when I discovered who was making it. DwD Studios are the folks who acquired permission from Wizards of the Coast to host the Star Frontiers RPG line on the web. They’ve done a fabulous job keeping that old game alive and creating new material for Star Frontiers. All with WotC’s blessing. A while back it appeared they may have attempted a similar venture with the Top Secret/S.I. line which didn’t seem to pan out. It is very likely many of the above comparisons and similarities of Covert Ops and Top Secret/S.I. are no coincidence at all.</blockquote>
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This marks my first game review for Modus Operandi (or for any website, actually). It was an enjoyable experience. I thank <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109330334871198358493/posts" target="_blank">Dave McAlister</a> for thinking of me for the job.Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-83644742564867975982012-07-13T18:23:00.000-07:002012-07-13T18:23:03.547-07:00ORION and WEB t-shirtsRedBubble is offering t-shirts with the Top Secret/S.I. the espionage agency logos.<br />
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<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-32465358407948931282012-06-02T23:09:00.000-07:002012-06-02T23:09:01.498-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Agent 13 is getting all sorts of love lately. Hermes Press to reprint the graphic novels...</div>
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Howard Chaykin has designed a special cover for this Agent 13 collection, which collects The Midnight Avenger and The Acolytes of Darkness.<br />I've got nothing snarky to say about this one, folks. Flint Dille, famous for his work on the 80s GI Joe and Transformers animated series, co-wrote these with David Marconi, and Flint Dille is all kinds of awesome. Hermes does a great job of reprinting classic and sometimes overlooked material, so make sure to pick this one up. The press release is embedded in the first image below.</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/comics-news/19608-hermes-press-to-reprint-agent-13.html">link</a>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-52739588872134846252012-05-02T09:41:00.002-07:002012-05-02T09:44:51.911-07:00Agent 13 film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Agent 13</i>, the Top Secret/S.I. setting, to be made into a film!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Two days ago, we reported on <a href="http://thefilmstage.com/news/apes-director-rupert-wyatt-bringing-charlize-theron-to-space-for-agent-13/">an intense bidding war</a> between all the major studios for<i><b> Agent 13</b></i>, a sci-fi project from writer T.S. Nowlin that has both director Rupert Wyatt and Charlize Theron attached. Well, it looks like the mysterious movie has found its home; <a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052940">Variety</a> reports that Universal has won the bidding war and will be making a deal with WME to formally acquire the project. In addition to starring, Theron will also be producing <i>Agent 13</i>.<br /><br />Considering it’s in early development, plot details are scarce — but if we go by what Variety is saying, it is, indeed, based on a comic book/novel series from writers Flint Dille and David Marconi that lasted from 1986-1988, one which mixes science fiction with the setting of the 1930′s, giving it a pulpy dime novel feel. (In addition to two graphic novels, Agent 13 also spawned three “regular” novels.) With the title character being male, it’s a good bet that Theron won’t be playing the lead — unless they’ve changed up the story — but will factor into the movie in a prominent role in some other way. Maybe a villain?<br /><br />Theron‘s resurgence, which began last year with Young Adult, continues in 2012 with two very high profile tentpole releases in June: the revisionist fairy tale <i>Snow White and The Huntsman</i>, and Ridley Scott‘s much anticipated return to science fiction, <i>Prometheus;</i> the two movies will be released back-to-back, so I hope you are ready for some Theron overload. As for Nowlin: He’s currently writing <i>Wild Guns</i> (a Western featuring the iconic Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday) for Warner Brothers. Wyatt, meanwhile, is laying low since resurrecting the <i>Planet of the Apes</i> franchise last August with <i>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</i>, though <a href="http://thefilmstage.com/news/graham-king-says-rupert-wyatt-will-direct-londongrad-talks-tomb-raider-reboot/">Londongrad</a> and <a href="http://thefilmstage.com/news/aural-issues-arise-in-the-dark-knight-rises-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-sequel/">a sequel</a> to the aforementioned reboot lie somewhere in the future. With <i>Agent 13</i>, something of a wrench may have just been thrown into the plans of either.<br /><br />We’ll keep you updated on <i>Agent 13</i> as more information becomes available.<br /><br />Have you read the <i>Agent 13</i> source material? Will it make for a worthwhile movie? </blockquote>
<a href="http://thefilmstage.com/news/rupert-wyatts-agent-13%E2%80%99-lands-at-universal/">link </a>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-41625906740740408842012-03-30T09:44:00.002-07:002012-03-30T09:44:12.257-07:00James Bond 007<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Victory Games' <i>James Bond 007</i> is legendary in the RPG hobby for one of the most successful and memorable licensed games ever. It was one of the few original espionage RPGs published from 1983 to 1987 and seemed to capture the feel of the films with a great deal of success. The rules were solidly built around a d100 percentile system. James Bond 007 won several awards- Origins Award in 1983 and Strategists' Club Award for Outstanding Game in 1984.<br />
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One nice decision (whether it be an actual decision or a licensing necessity, I do not know) is the lack of photo stills from the films in favor of original art and painted covers. The portrayal of Bond is a nice mash-up between Sean Connery and Roger Moore, and stills from the movies- other games with this don't seem to age well.<br />
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There were five suppliments for the game:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Q Manual</i> (October 1983) - A sourcebook detailing required equipment for a "00" agent.</li>
<li><i>Gamesmaster Pack</i> (October 1983) - various tools including a gamesmaster screen with charts and other game-related references.</li>
<li><i>For Your Information</i> (1983) - additional rules as well as information on characters and equipment not included in the original rulebook or Q Manual.</li>
<li><i>Thrilling Locations </i>(June 1985) - detailing hotels, casinos, restaurants, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient_Express">Orient Express</a>, with floorplans and NPCs</li>
<li><i>Villains </i>(1986), by Gerard Christopher Klug - 7 original major villains, and an updating of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMERSH_(James_Bond)">SMERSH</a> for the modern day</li>
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As for adventures, eleven were published:</div>
<ul>
<li><i>Goldfinge</i>r (October 1983) - based on the book and film.</li>
<li><i>Octopussy</i> (October 1983) - by Gerard Klug, based on the film.</li>
<li><i>Dr. No</i> (1984) - by Neil Randall, Gerry Klug, based on the book and film.</li>
<li><i>You Only Live Twice</i> (1984) by Neil Randall, Gerry Klug, based on the film.</li>
<li><i>Live and Let Die </i>(1984) - based on the book and film.</li>
<li><i>Goldfinger II - The Man With The Midas Touch</i> (1985) - by Robert Kern - sequel to the <i>Goldfinger</i> adventure</li>
<li><i>The Man with the Golden Gun</i> (1985) - by Brian H. Peterson, Gerry Klug, based on the film (Solitaire Game)</li>
<li><i>A View to a Kill</i> (1985) - by Gerard Christopher Klug, based on the film</li>
<li><i>You Only Live Twice II: Back of Beyond</i> (1986) - by Raymond Benson, Gerry Klug - sequel to the <i>You Only Live Twice</i> adventure</li>
<li><i>For Your Eyes Only </i>(1986) - by Robert Kern, Gerry Klug, based on the book and film</li>
<li><i>On Her Majesty's Secret Service</i> (1987) - by David Spangler - four linked solitaire adventures, based on the book and film</li>
</ul>
Here is the story of the James Bond 007 Roleplaying Game:<br />
<blockquote>
<i><b><u>Of Dice and Men</u></b></i> <br /><i>The Story of the James Bond OO7 Role-Playing Game</i></blockquote>
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By Paul Landry and Deane Barker </blockquote>
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The fate of secret agent James Bond tumbled into the hands of thousands of game fans in 1983 with the release of the "James Bond 007 Role-Playing Game." Victory Games, a subsidiary of the wargame company Avalon Hill, brought Bond and M.I.6 into living rooms and onto kitchen tables nationwide with what would eventually become one of the most successful releases in its history.<br />For the uninitiated, role-playing is essentially a game of "Let's Pretend" with rules. Players step into an alter-ego defined on paper by various statistics denoting the character's strength, dexterity, intelligence, etc. All the action takes place in the minds of the players, with dice being used to resolve any actions and conflicts. One person presides over the game as a referee, and guides the players through play sessions, or "adventures."<br />Role-playing games were some of the hottest items on the market during the early eighties. Dungeons and Dragons -- easily the most popular role-playing game of all time -- had been formally released several years earlier and the newly-formed Victory Games elected to pursue a role-playing title as their first official release. It was obvious that a game based on a recognizable character stood the best chance of surviving in the then-turbulent marketplace.<br />"Our marketing director felt strongly that it should be a licensed product," game designer Chris Klug said, "We investigated several licenses and the Bond people were the most receptive." Design work began in the summer of 1982, as it was absolutely critical for the game to be released in time for the 1983 Christmas season.<br />Thousands of faithful Bond fans dictated a need to deliver a product that was true to thirty years of character development. Consequently, Klug called in fellow designer and "Bond Savant" Bob Kern. "They kind of called me in as a consultant," Kern remembers, "I had seen all the films, read all the books -- I had literally grown up with it. My function was to adapt the world of James Bond to a role-playing system, expand on it where necessary and make sure that the flavor stayed true to the character."<br />But which character? The literary Bond and the cinematic Bond are quite different, and the question of which conception the game would emulate was critical. Klug and Kern didn't want to alienate fans of the books or fans of the films, so the game mechanics had to strike a balance somewhere in between. Kern explains, "We wanted to capture the grittiness of the books and the glitz of the films."<br />"It's a real design issue," Klug said, "Trying to design a system that would allow you to simulate the Baccarat game from 'Casino Royale' and at the same time do that sort of weird combat stuff that happens. It was hard trying to take the best of the fantastical stuff, without taking the worst of it."<br />"We had a problem where the books portrayed one kind of world, and the films portrayed another, and we tried to straddle the two so that you could do either style. But there's no question that when I was designing the original game, it was the books I was trying to emulate. I would read the books, and come upon an incident and it would strike me that this moment had to be in the game. I would attempt to design the system to handle that moment, and when I was confident that the system could handle it, I would continue to read."<br />Working with the companies that owned the rights to the James Bond franchise was the next great challenge. Ultimately the game was licensed through two entities: Danjaq S.A./EON Productions (which holds the film rights), and Glidrose Publishing (which holds the literary rights). Approvals, which were sometimes excruciatingly long, had to be obtained from both companies before any work could proceed.<br />"We knew they were going to be a demanding group," Kern said, "They looked at everything we wrote, they looked at our outlines, they checked and double-checked everything. But for the most part, their suggestions were very helpful."Inevitably there were times when their lack of experience with role-playing proved to be an obstacle. Both Klug and Kern remembered an incident involving the adventure for the film <i><b>Goldfinger</b></i>. Following an explanation of how the adventure supplement would be organized, a representative from EON inquired "So, why does the adventure have to be any different from the movie?" He just didn't understand that the players would then simply go to Fort Knox and wait for Goldfinger.<br />In fact, creating adventures for fans who had already seen the films proved to be something of a challenge as well. Eventually, nine films were translated into adventure supplements, including <i><b>Dr. No</b></i>, <i><b>On Her Majesty's Secret Service</b></i>, <i><b>For Your Eyes Only</b></i>, and <i><b>A View to a Kill</b></i>. Two original adventures were also written as sequels to films: "<i>Goldfinger II: The Man with the Midas Touch</i>" and "<i>You Only Live Twice II: Back of Beyond</i>." The latter was written by current Bond author Raymond Benson, and has many parallels to his first novel, "<i>Zero Minus Ten.</i>"<br />The designers tried to "shuffle the deck" and rearrange the elements of the film so that the characters couldn't depend on any prior knowledge to guide them. "But if the plot was so linked and linear that we couldn't do that," Klug said, "then we needed to change things. And thus if we changed three of four things at the beginning, we might be able to keep the rest of it very similar, but the player is still doubting that this is the case because we already changed something."<br />The design issues eventually resolved themselves, and the resulting game captures the flavor of James Bond remarkably well. Included in the 160-page basic rulebook are rules common to most role-playing games -- fire combat, hand-to-hand combat, experience points, etc. Amid these, however, one also finds numerous devices that would look out of place in any other game but are right at home in the context of 007. Players can employ rules covering gambling (six pages with different rules for each game), chases in vehicles or on foot, the effects of fame on how easily one is recognized, and a section on seduction complete with five stages of increasing difficulty: The Look, Opening Line, Witty Conversation, Beginning Intimacies, and When and Where?<br />Reference resources include statistics and background information for Bond's allies -- Anya Amasova, Kerim Bey, Mary Goodnight, and Quarrel among others -- and his enemies, which include such famous figures as Sir Hugo Drax, Jaws, Red Grant, and Odd Job. Conspicuous by his absence is perhaps the most famous of villains, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The rights to Blofeld and SPECTRE having been challenged by <i><b>Thunderball</b></i> producer Kevin McClory, they have been neatly replaced by the criminal organization TAROT (Technological Ascension, Revenge, and Organized Terrorism) and its leader Karl Ferenc Skorpios.<br />Not to be without sufficient weaponry or transportation, statistics and rules are included for numerous firearms and vehicles including Bond's trusty Walther PPK, the Lotus Esprit, and his beloved Aston Martin DB5 (which appears to have been souped up a bit for its appearance in this game, as it's remarkably easy to run roughshod over your enemies with the car no matter what they're driving).<br />Presentation for the game and the subsequent supplements is exceptionally high. Artwork is abundant, both black-and-white pencil images and full-color covers for the different books and adventures. (In fact, you could buy several adventures for the cover art alone and be quite satisfied.) Supplements such as "Thrilling Locations" and the "Q Manual" also have photographs of different real-life locations and vehicles being being descibed, as well as a few stills from the various films.<br />Background information and details are provided for everything from a lowly Honda Accord which may change lanes in front of Bond during a chase ("the Accord is powered by 1751c, 75 bhp engine..." Q Manual, page 54), to multi-level criminal organizations and the officers and personalities with them "("The Prosinski family has been in the shipping and iron indisutries for three generations..." Villains, page 58). Some details are so obscure as to seem extraneous, but the level of detail is still to be admired.<br />After more than a year of design and testing, "James Bond 007: Role-Playing in Her Majesty's Secret Service" debuted on schedule at several gaming conventions in the summer of 1983, including GENCON and Origins. Commercial release quickly followed and the basic set hit hobby store shelves in September of that year.<br />The game was a success from the start. While the role-playing market as a whole was quite competitive, espionage games were just being pioneered in 1983. TSR's "Top Secret" was perceived as the only serious competition. The appeal of the world's most famous secret agent tilted the playing field markedly, however. "We outsold Top Secret a lot frankly because of the license," Klug admitted.<br />Numerous awards followed the game's release. The basic rules won the prestigious H.G. Wells Award for Best Role-Playing Rules of 1983, and the adventure "Live and Let Die" won a second H.G. Wells Award the next year. "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice" were likewise nominated ("They kind of split the vote," Klug said.) <i>Dragon Magazine</i> awarded the game the Strategist's Club Award for Outstanding Role-Playing Game of 1984. Additionally it was one of four role-playing games named to the Games Magazine Top 100 list for 1984, and again in 1985.<br />Critical acclaim continues to this day. Lawrence Schick, author of "Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games" said James Bond 007 "was an immediate hit. [It had] a smooth, fast-playing style and was well-supported by scenarios for one, two, or three players." Schick named it Top Espionage Role-Playing Game.<br /><br />In the years after its release, the game sold almost 100,000 copies and spawned several additional adventures and supplements. Required materials for any hard-core fan included the exotic casino, hotel and restaurant descriptions of "Thrilling Locations"; the 32-page description of SMERSH included in the "Villains" supplement; and the weapon, vehicle, and gadget lists of the "Q Manual" (because what secret agent could ever do without a "Seismic Intrusion Detector"?).<br />Nevertheless, the credits would begin to roll in 1987, four short years after the game debuted. Despite financial success, critical acclaim, and a broad fan base, Danjaq and Avalon Hill failed to come to terms in negotiations to renew the license. As a result, the project was terminated, and no new supplements were authorized. Avalon Hill retained the right to sell its remaining inventory.<br />"We were in the middle of coming up with an adventure for <i><b>Diamonds are Forever</b></i> and I was excited about that at the time," Kern said, "but the plug got pulled right in the middle of it...if the contract had been renewed, I'd still be working for the company."<br />The actual details of why the contract ended are still up for debate. The designers believe that Danjaq wanted to re-negotiate the contract for a larger royalty share. Danjaq, however, disagrees. According to John Parkinson, Vice-President of Marketing, "it was really they (Avalon) who decided it would finish, not us. We didn't particularly want it to finish, were we very pleased with it. It was one of our most successful licenses."<br />Would Danjaq consider re-licensing the game and allowing future products to be released? "If they thought there was a market out there, I wouldn't be averse to continuing [the license]," Parkinson said.<br />Avalon Hill President Jack Dott seems to agree. He stated that Avalon Hill would certainly consider bringing the game back "if the opportunity presented itself." Indeed, Avalon has just recently re-packaged its remaining inventory of the game and has bundled the basic rules with several adventures. The set sells for just under $30.<br />One would think that with the success of <i><b>GoldenEye</b></i> and the re-appearance of James Bond in the theaters, the stage would be nicely set for an encore presentation of the game. Kern seems to think so anyway: "This would probably be a great time to renew the game...the Dalton films wouldn't have been too exciting role-playing-wise, whereas <i><b>GoldenEye</b></i> had a kind of glitter about it."<br /><ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul Landry lives somewhere in the Upper Midwest, where he hides from SPECTRE and diligently guards James Bond's missing hat.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Deane Barker is a co-editor of MKKBB</span></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/?archive_id=0&page_id=277717229&page_url=//www.ianfleming.org/mkkbb/magazine/diceandmen.shtml&page_last_updated=2003-12-31T16:33:05&firstName=Jack&lastName=Dott">extracted from cached info via Zoom in 1993 </a><br />
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<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-82588985517922864182012-03-24T10:51:00.000-07:002012-03-26T04:33:29.984-07:00SpyLite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www2.abillionmonkeys.com:3389/spylite/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Myo-MV-ME2w/T2y8q4tcqvI/AAAAAAAAGK4/PxtO0kX8Ed8/s320/SpyLite.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
Greywulf made waves in the RPG hobby with his brilliant <a href="http://www.microlite20.net/index.php?title=Main_Page">Microlite20</a>. It quickly took off in all directions as it had a toe in many facets of the hobby- a bit of old school, a bit of rules-light, it was free, and a big chunk of d20. No wonder it was so successful. One of the variants that spun off was for d20 Modern-like games and an influence from Spycraft and Spycraft 2.0. That was<b><i> <a href="http://www2.abillionmonkeys.com:3389/spylite/">SpyLite</a>.</i></b><br />
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This is a game of espionage, based on Greywulf's excellent <a href="http://www.koboldenterprise.com/" style="color: black;">Microlite20</a> system. It's intended to be a quick and dirty game, inspired heavily by the also-excellent Spycraft 2.0, but easier to get into and faster playing.</div>
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Inspirations range from NOLF to Alias, with a heavy dose of Mission: Impossible. Some A-Team may or may have not crept along for the ride. ;-) I also tend to use this as a toolbox system for making other games, such as "Where No Man Has Gone Before" or "Argo".</div>
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SpyLite is perfect for one who wants to run Spycraft 2.0 for new or young players who would be completely lost in the vast rules. I'd like to try to slowly inch over to the Spycraft rules after a while and the players are ready.<br />
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SpyLite is available for free in <a href="http://www2.abillionmonkeys.com:3389/spylite/">PDF</a> as well as in a <a href="http://www2.abillionmonkeys.com:3389/spylite/">pocke-mod</a> format.Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-68690672353084288792012-03-24T06:05:00.000-07:002012-03-24T09:17:39.328-07:00Gosh, Spies!<br />
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In the ongoing search for that one game to run with my teen step-daughter one appeared on the radar seemingly custom made for my needs. <a href="http://postmortemstudios.wordpress.com/tag/agents-of-swing/">Postmortem Studio</a>'s <i><b>Agents of S.W.I.N.G.</b></i> has a supplement called <i><b>Gosh, Spies!</b></i> that expands the '60s spy-fi genre of it's core book into the world of younger agents and adventurers.<br />
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<a href="http://top-secret-s-i.blogspot.com/2012/03/agents-of-swing.html">Like it's companion book that contains the core rules</a>, this one features a cast of NPCs that are slightly altered from popular characters from this genre. Its fun to try to figure out who they really represent (just with the serial numbers thinly filed off). And many of them are actually not that obvious. I still can't figure some out!<br />
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We have:<br />
<ul>
<li>Alex = George Kirrin (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(series)">Famous Five</a></i>)</li>
<li>Bank Tardy = Frank Hardy (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hardy_Boys">Hardy Boys</a></i>)</li>
<li>Bee Pike = ?</li>
<li>Bessie Cannon = Jessica Bannon (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest">Jonny Quest</a></i>)</li>
<li>Chase Cannon = Race Bannon (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest">Jonny Quest</a></i>)</li>
<li>Daisy Denton = Clover (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totally_Spies!">Totally Spies!</a></i>)</li>
<li>Dotty = ?</li>
<li>Dr. Capitol = Rusty Venture (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_bros">Venture Bros</a></i>)</li>
<li>Dr. Mission = Dr. Benton Quest (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest">Jonny Quest</a></i>)</li>
<li>Elaine Drake = ?</li>
<li>Pam = Anne Kirrin (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(series)">Famous Five</a></i>)</li>
<li>Frank and Gene Capitol = Hand and Dean Venture (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_bros">Venture Bros</a></i>)</li>
<li>George = Alexandra (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totally_Spies!">Totally Spies!</a></i>)</li>
<li>Harold = Gerald Lewis (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totally_Spies!">Totally Spies!</a></i>)</li>
<li>Henry = Samantha (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totally_Spies!">Totally Spies!</a></i>)</li>
<li>Hunk Meatloaf = Brock Samson (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_bros">Venture Bros</a></i>)</li>
<li>Ivanna Gobbleov = Molotov Cocktease (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_bros">Venture Bros</a></i>)</li>
<li>Jane Changeling = ?</li>
<li>Jenny the Jinx = ?</li>
<li>Jimmy Mission = Jonny Quest (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest">Jonny Quest</a>)</i></li>
<li>Jimmy the Dog = Timmy (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(series)">Famous Five</a></i>)</li>
<li>Lee Tardy = Joe Hardy (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hardy_Boys">Hardy Boys</a></i>)</li>
<li>Pansy Draft = Nancy Drew (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew">Nancy Drew</a></i>)</li>
<li>Prakash Petal = Hadji Quest (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest">Jonny Quest</a>)</i></li>
<li>Rick = Dick Kirrin (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(series)">Famous Five</a></i>)</li>
<li>Selma = Velma Dinkley (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo">Scooby-Doo</a></i>)</li>
<li>Tarquin = Julian Kirrin (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(series)">Famous Five</a></i>)</li>
<li>Wendy Hanse = ?</li>
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The book is a great resource for gaming with younger players. It is not intended for kids, rather, it is aimed at parents or adults who will be running games with or for kids. </div>
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The first chapter discusses many common issues that might come up when gaming with young players who might not have any gaming experience- some examples would be: attention span; the child's frustrations at some aspects of the game being difficult or characters getting injured, killed or just failing; other kid's parents, etc.</div>
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The next chapter talks a bit about gaming with young girls in particular, which is a unique topic. Written by Filamena Young, its short, but very interesting and insightful and a very useful guide for geek dads who have considered some of the points very little.</div>
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There's more about how to slim down the FATE system more in favor of younger players and inexperienced players with the intention of adding more detailed rules back in little by little.</div>
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I find <i>Gosh, Spies!</i> a very worthy and positive guide for gaming with young girls using the FATE system in particular. Very nice product.</div>
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<a href="http://postmortemstudios.wordpress.com/tag/gosh-spies/">Check out the web site</a>.<br />
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<br /></div>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-10867064784409689332012-03-18T18:45:00.000-07:002012-03-18T18:45:20.804-07:00Spycraft - A Memoir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was a wonderful and heartfelt review by <a href="http://rpggeek.com/user/Hida%20Mann">Jaime 'Hida Mann' Lawrence</a> on <a href="http://rpggeek.com/thread/720998/spycraft-a-memoir">RPG Geeks</a>.<br /><blockquote>
<b><u>Spycraft – A Memoir.</u></b><br />When one is born into times of controversy, one has only two options; to become flexible, or to break. Being the child of such times, I was faced very early on with this choice, but thanks to my innately wide interests and the support of loving but troubled parents, I became extremely flexible. It was this defining quality which, over the years, was to win me legions of fans, to give me a second chance at life and if I may be so self-appreciative, made me so attractive to so many. For what am I if not flexible?<br />Gentle reader, my name is Spycraft. I am the child of the <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/1788/d20-system-ogl-product-dd-3-0-compatible">Open Game License</a> and <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgpublisher/396/alderac-entertainment-group">Alderac Entertainment Group</a>, a roleplaying game recognized internationally and highly regarded, having been nominated for the industry’s highest awards. Above all of this, however, I am without boast the most flexible incarnation of the d20 system ever to have appeared.<br />My youth was tumultuous; even before my release, rivals of my parents had announced that they were going to produce a superior game, a broad and intuitive system that would allow players to build characters in any genre for a modern game. That game, <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/305/d20-modern">d20 Modern</a>, has since passed into obscurity. I know not if that is my doing, but if so, I can only say that it got its just desserts, for it ended up being a pale imitation of many of my core mechanics, but according to critics, lacked my “elegance and flair”. Flattering though this is, I’m not sure how much elegance I truly have. I am sure, however, that d20 Modern deserved obscurity; it was very rude to me and worked hard to try and muscle me out of the market. Even if we hadn’t been born into competition, I doubt we ever would have been friends.<br />My parents were supportive and caring; though I was the product of teamwork, the two faces I saw the most in my infancy were those of <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgdesigner/13988/patrick-kapera">Patrick Kapera</a> and <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgdesigner/2336/kevin-wilson">Kevin Wilson</a>, both of whom have themselves moved on to impressive careers, Patrick now being the driving force behind <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgpublisher/10170/crafty-games">Crafty Games</a>, Kevin doing wonderful work over at <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgpublisher/17/fantasy-flight-games">Fantasy Flight Games</a>. They were both working at AEG, a fine company to this day, where they had collaborated on <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/963/legend-of-the-five-rings-1st-edition">Legend of the Five Rings (1st Edition)</a> and <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/199/7th-sea">7th Sea</a>, both RPGs with strongly thematic mechanics and essentially my paternal cousins. Patrick, Kevin and I remain in contact and I know I am never far from my parents’ thoughts, but the heady days of my childhood are behind us now. Still, one cannot weep for the past too long, or one misses the present.<br />People remark now that I am old and outdated, yet I am still very active for my age; In the UK, a living campaign exists to promote me. It is called ‘For Queen and Country’ and I am proud to be in attendance whenever I am in the country. Though many have moved on and consider my ‘rebirth’ to be a superior incarnation, I am proud of my origins. Let us look together at what I achieved in those early years.<br />Based on the d20 model, I changed the core mechanics of the game in many significant ways. It was outmoded as soon as it was born, a clunky failure of a few good ideas. I won’t claim to have invented them, but the first thing I did was expand greatly the concept of action dice, making them not only a little bonus when needed, but the means by which critical success could be activated and building them into a narrative exchange system between the players and the Game Control.<br />I also introduced new mechanics for selecting Gear and conducting chases. Rather than simply relying on dice checks, this new and innovative system offered players exciting games of bluff as they would attempt to select manoeuvres to outdo and penalize their opponents. The tension and atmosphere of the game expanded greatly under my ruleset as players could imagine themselves swerving up side streets, playing chicken or just plain gunning it to get away from an opponent. A part of the game that had formerly been a dice roll and a few sweet words was now an epic in which players could achieve triumphs that previously resided only in the imagination. The system worked so well the <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgpublisher/464/white-wolf">White Wolf</a> would later borrow it for their d20 adaptations of their games <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/3994/trinity-d20-version">Trinity (d20 Version)</a> and <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/1083/aberrant-d20-edition">Aberrant (d20 Edition)</a>.<br />I added a level-based bonus to initiative and defence, so that more experienced agents would have a boon over those with less field hours. This was a small but meaningful change that also allowed me to further distinguish the classes from one another. While my ancestor had rangers that were suspiciously similar to fighters and assassins that were nigh-identical to rogues, my classes were distinct and flavoursome. Characters for my game would select not a race, but a department, which defined their background and training, then a class.<br /> <br />The Faceman, deathlessly cool in the toughest of spots.<br /> The Fixer, able to obtain anything from anyone, anywhere.<br />The Pointman, bolstering his comrades and directing traffic during an op.<br />The Snoop, a born investigator with two eyes for detail.<br />The Soldier, a paragon of violence.<br />The Wheelman, who could pilot anything home in one piece.<br />It was not an exhaustive list, to be sure and later supplements and revisions would perhaps improve on my model, but they were my creation and I’m damn proud of them.<br />Finally, I adopted the wounds/vitality system that my cousin, <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/251/star-wars-weg-original-edition">Star Wars (WEG Original Edition)</a> had invented. Why improve on something that already works, right?<br />Of course, looking back, it isn’t the mechanics I remember. No, they were good, a significant improvement on what had gone before, but what really makes me proud was how incredibly slick and cool I looked in those days. My stark silver covers with flashes of colour and chiascuro-lit figures in espionage gear made me the envy of every other RPG on the shelf. It was <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgartist/14345/veronica-jones">Veronica Jones</a> who gave me my dynamic looks and it must certainly be said that without her, I never would have flown off the shelves as I did.<br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://rpggeek.com/image/881207"><img border="0" src="http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic881207_t.jpg" /></a><br />The team behind me went a step further though, adding quotes from the most sensational of espionage films to my chapter title pages and taking the time to build theme into my mechanics. Look at my feats, for example – not just the sensibly titled “Punching Basics” or “Defensive Driving”, but the creative and expressively titled ones such as “One Hand on the Wheel” and “And a Gun in the Other”, or “Five Star Service”, or “Trail of Blood” – my feat trees are artistic and give players something to aim for besides a cool set of mechanics.<br />My parents included so many nice little details in me too; an table of international travel times, a gadget construction system, a villain construction system, an extensive Game control Advice chapter and sections for players on how to use evidence and clues. I was the complete package in my day.<br />Dark times were ahead though. Economic downturn hit AEG and they had to drop my line, only a short time after my <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/2153/spycraft-2-0">Spycraft 2.0</a> was released. Patrick and Kevin parted ways and thankfully Crafty Games gave me a shot after that and soon, version 3.0 will be doing the rounds.<br />If you are to take anything from my life, other than my existence as a truly original sandbox RPG that offered players the opportunity to adopt the roles of their favourite characters from multiple genres, it would be this: Be flexible. Encourage those around you to be flexible and to play with the rules and roles they are so used to. There’s a lot out there, but if you break when you encounter difficulty, you’ll never know what it’s like to be Spycraft.</blockquote>
<a href="http://rpggeek.com/thread/720998/spycraft-a-memoir">link</a>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-1165792185455678772012-03-10T08:22:00.000-08:002012-03-18T10:06:08.944-07:00Agents of S.W.I.N.G<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMhJ048WJhA/T1rFxsbpGAI/AAAAAAAAGD0/AKjeUsIDf6c/s1600/pic1000577_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMhJ048WJhA/T1rFxsbpGAI/AAAAAAAAGD0/AKjeUsIDf6c/s320/pic1000577_md.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><b>Agents of S.W.I.N.G.</b></i> has been a good guide to the ways of the FATE RPG. Having been a gamer for more of my life than not being one I've studied many different RPG systems. Some of them are very calculated, extremely logical and some even very realistic (GURPS, I'm looking in your direction). So trying to wrap one's head around the FATE system can be difficult at first. There is a degree of unlearning that has to be done. The best way to do this is to actually play the game. When one isn't able to do that you read the rulebook and seek out the online communities. Fortunately, the FATE fanbase has some particularly helpful contributors out there.<br /><br />When it comes to the rulebook (FATE books tend to be large for some reason and this one is no exception), <i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G.</i> is very good in that it has a plethora of examples. One whole chapter is dedicated to NPCs that illustrate various ways characters could be made and Aspects that could be assigned. These NPCs are also a lot of fun, they're all characters from the movies, shows, books, and comics that inspired <i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G</i>. Some of the characters are pretty obvious- just barely changed, the serial numbers thinly filed off, many where not so obvious to me.<br /><br />On the <a href="http://rpggeek.com/thread/765234/who-are-the-swingers-in-the-book">RPG Geeks database</a>, some very astute geeks have made the effort to compiled a list of which NPCs are based on who:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CydgdiIX6cM/T1t9lYO2PDI/AAAAAAAAGEE/Ergh-KFf3Wk/s1600/s640x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CydgdiIX6cM/T1t9lYO2PDI/AAAAAAAAGEE/Ergh-KFf3Wk/s320/s640x480.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><ul><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8FXTG--N7I/T1t89Z-N42I/AAAAAAAAGD8/KfyGZMd912w/s1600/SWING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8FXTG--N7I/T1t89Z-N42I/AAAAAAAAGD8/KfyGZMd912w/s1600/SWING.jpg" /></a><li>Aunty = Mother (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)"><i>The Avengers</i></a>)</li><li>Andrew Bowie = Bodie - full name William Andrew Philip Bodie (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Professionals_(TV_series)">The Professionals</a></i>)</li><li>Cobalt = Saphhire (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire_%26_Steel">Sapphire and Steel</a></i>)</li><li>Ryan Colt = Richard Barrett or Craig Stirling (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Champions">The Champions</a></i>)</li><li>Jay MacCready = Joe McClaine (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_90">Joe 90</a></i>)</li><li>Tracy McCloud = Sharron Macready (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Champions">The Champions</a></i>)</li><li>Johnny Free = Danny Wilde? (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persuaders!">The Persuaders!</a></i>)</li><li>Baron Drew St John = Lord Brett Sinclair (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persuaders!">The Persuaders</a>!</i>)</li><li>John Kerrigan = Jack Regan (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweeney"><i>The Sweeney</i></a>)</li><li>Gordon Cooper = George Carter? (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweeney"><i>The Sweeney</i></a>)</li><li>Jackson Queen = Jason King (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_S">Department S</a></i> and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_King_(television)">Jason King</a></i>)</li><li>Iron = Steel (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire_%26_Steel">Sapphire and Steel</a></i>)</li><li>Marybelle Horst = Annabelle Hurst (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_S">Department S</a></i>)</li><li>Darling = Purdy (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Avengers">The New Avengers</a></i>)</li><li>Mick Trick = Mike Gambit (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Avengers">The New Avengers</a></i>)</li><li>Richard Foyle = Doyle (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Professionals_(TV_series)">The Professionals</a></i>)</li><li>John Swan = John Drake (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_Man">Danger Man</a></i>)</li><li>Agent Zero, John Chain = <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_bond">James Bond</a></li><li>The Angel, Jack Chevalier = Simon Templar (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Templar">The Saint</a></i>)</li><li>Agent Crimson Saul Metford = Captain Scarlet (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Scarlet_and_the_Mysterons">Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons</a></i>)</li><li>Number 8 = Number 6 (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner"><i>The Prisoner</i></a>)</li><li>Joanna Pare = Emma Peel (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)"><i>The Avengers</i></a>)</li><li>Zara Prince = Tara King (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)"><i>The Avengers</i></a>)</li><li>The Professor = Doctor Who (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Doctor">the 3rd Doctor</a>)</li><li>James Ryde = John Steed (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)"><i>The Avengers</i></a>)</li><li>Doctor David Stern = Doctor David Keel (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)"><i>The Avengers</i></a>)</li></ul>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-44764899081170391882012-03-09T09:15:00.002-08:002012-03-24T06:41:16.746-07:00Buck Rogers XXVc was to use the TS/S.I. system?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bAB7vMpHy3k/T1o2cOP5EHI/AAAAAAAAGDc/AzdOwgkpNmY/s1600/wp2d52b955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bAB7vMpHy3k/T1o2cOP5EHI/AAAAAAAAGDc/AzdOwgkpNmY/s320/wp2d52b955.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've always felt the percentile based system of Top Secret/S.I. would have worked for many other genres other than modern espionage. There exists some evidence that the guys at TSR thought the same thing.<br />
<br />
There was a cross-posted thread in a couple of message boards; one for <a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/25th_Century/message/49">TSR's Buck Rogers RPG</a>, and the other in the late TS/S.I. forum. The post stated that the <i><b>Buck Rogers: XXVc</b></i> was possibly going to be powered by the Top Secret/S.I. system.<br />
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In the end it didn't end up that way, The Buck Rogers game used a variant of the AD&D system, THAC0 and % skills, etc.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Here is that discussion:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">--- In </span>tssi@yahoogroups.com<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">, Justin Mohareb <justinmohareb@...> wrote:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> I spoke to Doug Niles at a convention a long time ago (gah I'm old) and he</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> did mention that he'd lobbied to have Buck use the TS:SI rules, but was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> overruled. I'm not sure about how wide/deep the discussion was about using</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> a system other than AD&D.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> Justin</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 9:28 AM, Renin <webasaurusrex@...> wrote:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> > I could swear I read somewhere that Jeff Grubb or somebody tagged to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> > develop the Buck Rogers XXVc game had originally argued to use the TSSI</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">> > rules. Does anyone else remember seeing this?</span></blockquote>
I think the game would've held up well using the d% skill based system. It wouldn't be difficult to convert. In fact TSR published some information on how to do that very thing. These articles appeared between stories in the issues of a comic-book/module series called <b><i>Intruder</i></b>.Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-30136178816361252352012-02-27T12:01:00.000-08:002012-03-18T10:06:08.977-07:00Gateway to FATE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4gVtjetjhMo/T0vaC6eJInI/AAAAAAAAF84/wrV2HUKrGvk/s1600/FATE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4gVtjetjhMo/T0vaC6eJInI/AAAAAAAAF84/wrV2HUKrGvk/s200/FATE.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As a fan of the pulp genre, I was quite aware of the <i>Spirit of the Century</i> RPG when it came out. As awesome as it seemed, I've avoided that game. It was the FATE system that freaked me out. I hadn't played, read or owned any games like that so I hand-waverly dismissed it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CZHwfF2ghc/T0vxnATLUrI/AAAAAAAAF9o/m5RxDYwn6P0/s1600/Fate+Dice" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CZHwfF2ghc/T0vxnATLUrI/AAAAAAAAF9o/m5RxDYwn6P0/s200/Fate+Dice" width="200" /></a></div>FATE is a variant version of the 1990's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fudge_(role-playing_game_system)">FUDGE</a> RPG and has since powered some very highly regarded and successful RPGs, such as the <i>Dresden Files</i> RPG. FATE is currently in it's 3rd edition. This is one of those games that has special dice. More special than the funny polyhedrons. Just d6 with two faces marked with a +, two faces marked with -, and two faces left blank. The thing about FATE that was so different to me was there aren't the standard set of attributes that define a character's abilities. This game system is much more story driven, so the things that define a character are their attributes. There are a lot of meta-gaming aspects to this system. Also some very loose free-form aspects. (puns not originally intended, but then I decided to go for it!).<br /><br />So why did I shy away from it? FATE is completely thinking outside the box compared to most other games. Kurt Wiegel's fantastic reviews made me even more nervous about how the game works. As a traditional gamer, I wasn't ready for something so out of the norm. I can see as someone who wasn't into gaming or new to it, this could be seen as exciting.<br /><br />See for yourself what he says:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uc2tO5-ACvk" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iWF8O3NoVKw" width="420"></iframe><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cNY4m7Leps/T0vgcAdRjgI/AAAAAAAAF9I/RuWOFh64hqk/s1600/Agents+of+SWING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cNY4m7Leps/T0vgcAdRjgI/AAAAAAAAF9I/RuWOFh64hqk/s320/Agents+of+SWING.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />So last year I started seeing the very attractive cover (attractive to me, hit all the right espionage buttons of style) of a new game called <i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G</i>. Alas, as it was a powered-by-FATE game, I dismissed it. Oh my, we've been here before! Another FATE game in one of my very favorite genres. That's fine.<br /><br />Then suddenly a new suppliment appears for <i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G.- <b>Gosh, Spies!</b></i> Come on! Its as if <a href="https://plus.google.com/113549258074749840512/posts">James Desborough</a> knows I've been trying to find the perfect game setting for gaming with my teenage step-daughter!<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><em><strong>Gosh, Spies!</strong></em> is 120 pages of information for your <strong><em>Agents of SWING</em></strong> games, expanding the scope of the game into the realms of Saturday Morning Adventure cartoons with a particular emphasis on girl’s adventures.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The book has information and ideas on running <strong><em>SWING </em></strong>games for children and particularly for girls. While the book itself is not necessarily for kids and younger teens, it should help you create and run games for them.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">More generally Gosh, Spies! contains rules for creating child characters, some new child/teen oriented stunts, background for two boarding schools, information on the teen subcultures of the 60s and 70s and an introductory, Saturday Morning style adventure called ‘Field Trip’</div></blockquote><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8bMvFm5zNc/T0vhBI2iftI/AAAAAAAAF9g/uVH0T-_gbuk/s1600/Gosh+Spies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8bMvFm5zNc/T0vhBI2iftI/AAAAAAAAF9g/uVH0T-_gbuk/s1600/Gosh+Spies.jpg" /></a>So I broke down and ordered the paperback of <i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G.</i> from Lulu and plan on picking up the other supplements soon. Especially <i>Gosh, Spies</i>! What won me over was basically reading <a href="http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?611764-Everybody-explain-FATE-to-me-because-I-don-t-get-it">this entire thread</a> at RPG.net over the weekend. Somewhere around page 6 or 7 I went and ordered my copy. In the meantime I'm reading up all I can about FATE 3.0. I've been really enjoying the free <a href="http://www.faterpg.com/dl/FATE2fe.pdf">PDF of 2.0</a> and looking at the <a href="http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html">SRD</a> when I can.<br /><br />Looking back, I know now that FATE was inevitable for me. And <i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G</i> serves as my gateway.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TkghQihlPIA" width="560"></iframe>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-13011374671412326492012-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:002012-03-24T10:52:06.372-07:00G.I. Joe RPG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G1HXFAP6yUM/Tz1G2kmSE8I/AAAAAAAAF34/qCuDWkDPKBU/s1600/SnakeEyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G1HXFAP6yUM/Tz1G2kmSE8I/AAAAAAAAF34/qCuDWkDPKBU/s200/SnakeEyes.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
There has never been an official <i>G.I. Joe</i> RPG. Which is a real shame and a missed opportunity since d20 and G.I. Joe are both owned by Hasbro. <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/114845/g-i-joe-the-rpg">Fan, Jay Libby went off and created his own unofficial G.I. Joe RPG that uses the logo and the characters</a>. This is a fan-made effort and it appears to be a pretty good one. The setting is obviously the comics and the cartoon and now the film/s. He based the mechanics on the Fuzion system, which I know very little about.<br />
<br />
The other two significant RPGs are not exactly G.I. Joe, but it's pretty obvious that G.I. Joe served as the main inspiration for each of them. I do not intend to review the systems. They're are varying game systems here. I'm looking at the setting fluff.<br />
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<b><i>Strike Force 7</i></b> is available for Savage Worlds, d20 and RuneQuest. I've only seen the Savage Worlds version I suspect the setting material is nearly all the same. It's written by Caias Ward and Hyrum Savage and published by Super Genius Games. <a href="http://www.supergeniusgames.com/savage-worlds/">More info here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GcxewsDMV9c/Tz1SxlH7uLI/AAAAAAAAF4I/c-Kb5Q-cVbM/s1600/63145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GcxewsDMV9c/Tz1SxlH7uLI/AAAAAAAAF4I/c-Kb5Q-cVbM/s200/63145.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
The Strike Force 7 back story makes for a pretty good read and is extensive going into the various government intelligence departments from WWII through the Vietnam war leading up to the founding of the Strike Force 7 and how it separated itself from government funding and ties. There is a science fiction tangent in the back story that involves government operatives with mental powers and an explanation to what the Men in Black really is. It's fantastic, but not too far fetched. Especially compared to some of the things in G.I. Joe.<br />
<br />
Where the main protagonist in Joe is COBRA, here we have Skorpion. The rise of this terror organization is much like Cobra Commander's- fanatical and extreme, but some valid opinions- Skorpion lead by Pharaoh was very similar. One interesting thing, while the events of 9/11/2001 were instrumental in the final stages of the Strike Force 7 manifestation, Pharaoh disapproved of the Twin Towers attack as well. <br />
<br />
This is new setting on it's own. It definitely is not a replica or parody of G.I. Joe. There are obvious parallels. I like it. <i>Strike Force 7</i> is a pretty serious take on a G.I. Joe-like setting.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IvTjEejuU7A" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OE8Jjd22280/Tz1PD4-u81I/AAAAAAAAF4A/fmCuetIta1o/s1600/SCRealAmericanHeroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OE8Jjd22280/Tz1PD4-u81I/AAAAAAAAF4A/fmCuetIta1o/s200/SCRealAmericanHeroes.jpg" width="154" /></a>Crafty Games' <i><b>Real American H.E.R.O</b></i>.es is G.I. Joe with the names just barely changed. This came off as a parody to me. H.E.R.O.es is Headquarters for Eminent Risk Oversight. Versus their enemy, NME (National Military Exports). Destro's M.A.R.S. becomes the Morrigna Corporation. The Arishikage Clan here is the Shirobikou Ninja Clan, and Zartan's Dreadnoks are The Wreckers. It's all here. Some of the back story, while entertaining, is just kind of stupid. For example, in a sidebar in 1984 the timeline credits Kenny G and Michael Bolton for inadvertently saving America from N.M.E's mind control lasers inducing nation-wide violence, or among several crisis in the '80s- big hair bands were the doing of N.M.E. <a href="http://www.crafty-games.com/node/968">Here's Crafty's page</a>.<br />
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I'd choose the Spycraft 2.0 system over the d20 or d20 Modern system for Strike Force 7. But I think the setting is a little too much of a joke.<br />
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<i>Real American H.E.R.O.es</i> review starts at about 3:00 minutes in...<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/n1pyPxWaPAE" width="420"></iframe><br />
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*edit<br />
Another G.I. Joe inspired game for Savage Worlds has been brought to my attention that deserves mention. <i><b>G.E.T. Into Action!</b></i> by <a href="http://www.daringentertain.com/">Daring Entertainment</a> (thank you, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/14439758029465341353">Sean</a> [check out his<i> <a href="http://wineandsavages.blogspot.com/">Wine and Savages</a></i> blog]). Here's the blurb:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
When the organization known as STORM announced a New World Order under their tyrannical rule, conventional military proved unable to oppose them. Determined to safeguard the world, the United Nations formed a covert team to counter the terrorist organization. Wherever STORM appears, the men and women of Global Elite Tactical sound the Battle Cry and G.E.T. Into Action!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7CgS3Y8NE6Y/Tz3MHZ1-grI/AAAAAAAAF4Q/q9Fa0iG8OmE/s1600/63871+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7CgS3Y8NE6Y/Tz3MHZ1-grI/AAAAAAAAF4Q/q9Fa0iG8OmE/s200/63871+(1).jpg" width="153" /></a>G.E.T. Into Action! is a new ongoing adventure series from Daring Entertainment. Inside the pilot episode you'll find background information on Global Elite Tactical and STORM, equipment and personnel information, new Edges, Hindrances, and Setting Rules, and guidelines for running a G.E.T. Into Action! campaign set in either the non-lethal 1980's cartoon method, the 1980's comic book method, or a style and tone similar to the modern day reboots of the 1980's cartoons.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
Included is also a full-length adventure, the pilot episode: The Rising Storm! When STORM agents kidnap Dr. Jennifer Kenson, Global Elite Tactical quickly realizes it's to get their hands on the experimental BIND technology. A new interface that allows pilots to control any vehicle with the speed of thought. Assigned to infiltrate Mexico to retrieve the Dr., can the team rescue her while avoiding an international incident and facing the power of STORM?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
Action, Adventure, and Drama await you! It's time to strap on that side-arm and get your gear in order. It's time to <strong>G.E.T. Into Action!</strong></div>
</blockquote>
<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=63871">link</a><br />
<br />
So there you go. Now you know and knowing is half the battle!<br />
<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-31070867841332059612011-11-23T14:19:00.000-08:002012-03-24T10:52:59.586-07:00The Mastercraft RPG System<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A4lLOwOMTLA/TiJMoYTQWvI/AAAAAAAAFHg/55sx1DT9jyQ/s1600/Mastercraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A4lLOwOMTLA/TiJMoYTQWvI/AAAAAAAAFHg/55sx1DT9jyQ/s200/Mastercraft.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Mastercraft</b> is the RPG system from <a href="http://www.crafty-games.com/">Crafty Games</a>. The company will be producing different genre roleplaying games that will all use this one unified system.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7qciw3YhL4/Ts2ylGCQG8I/AAAAAAAAFcE/4M8QAXp99rI/s1600/Spycraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7qciw3YhL4/Ts2ylGCQG8I/AAAAAAAAFcE/4M8QAXp99rI/s200/Spycraft.jpg" width="148" /></a><br />
It's origins start with AEG and their espionage roleplaying game, <i>Spycraft</i>, which used <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> 3.0 and even required those books to properly run it. Originally the game was conceived under the title <i>Series Archer</i>, but then the plan was to release with two product lines. There was the generic silver books which expanded every character class. The other line was a campaign setting that featured secret societies and psionic powers. This line was called <i>Shadow Force Archer</i> all in black covers.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wUA1EQQ9eCQ/Ts20Amni9oI/AAAAAAAAFcM/MKHBrgWtXQs/s1600/StargateSG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wUA1EQQ9eCQ/Ts20Amni9oI/AAAAAAAAFcM/MKHBrgWtXQs/s200/StargateSG1.jpg" width="155" /></a><br />
AEG updated several rules with a licensed game, <i>Stargate SG1</i>, a <i>Powered by Spycraft</i> product with a core rule book and two supplements before being discontinued.<br />
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The next edition of <i>Spycraft </i>saw a complete overhaul of the system. In 2005, <i>Spycraft 2.0</i> took the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Game_Licence">OGL</a> as far as possible, it seemed. What came out the other end was an extremely detailed and very comprehensive game system that no other OGL system has yet reached. The book is huge and the rules are so detailed that it seemed most found it completely overwhelming. Many criticizims said that the game was trying to be too much of a general modern RPG toolkit instead of focusing on what was on the tin- spies.<br />
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With that, AEG discontinued the <i>Spycraft</i> game.<br />
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But that's not the end! The guys that created <i>Spycraft</i> and <i>Spycraft 2.0</i> started <a href="http://www.crafty-games.com/">Crafty Games</a>, a the new company with the intent to continue the line and ultimately expand it into other genres.<br />
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<a href="http://www.crafty-games.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkA1qfkd6jw/TiJOL4wo3iI/AAAAAAAAFHk/wrn9rpzE5LU/s1600/Crafty-Games-Logo.gif" /></a>Much of <i>Spycraft 2.0</i>'s attention to detail stems from an active Living Campaign and organized play stemming from RPGA which justified such a high level of detail in the rules.<br />
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<i>Fantasy Craft</i> is the first and currently the only game released under the Mastercraft system in 2009. It is Crafty Games' fantasy genre toolkit which implemented Mastercraft as a streamlined and slimmed down version of many of the system improvements tried in <i>Spycraft 2.0. </i>The need for such rules for organized play isn't in as much demand these days. <i>Fantasy Craft</i> has seen a rather successful following with an abundance very positive reviews.<br />
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Last year Crafty Games officially announced the upcoming <i><b>Spycraft Third Edition</b></i>. It looks like the Third Edition of Spycraft will be a bit of a return to what the first edition was like with a more espionage flavored focus with the <i>Fantasy Craft-</i>compatible, Mastercraft system. Crafty plans on leaving other aspects of modern campaign settings to other Mastercraft releases, like for instance, the <i>Ten Thousand Bullets</i> campaign- which will focus on the criminal underworld.<br />
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What I like about the Mastercraft system and <i>Spycraft 2.0</i> is the amount of what the industry calls CRUNCH. This is the d20 version of GURPS and I mean that in the best way. I believe GURPS is the best, most comprehensive system invented for the hobby. Mastercraft/Spycraft 2.0 comes the very closest to that level, closer than any other game OGL I've ever read. I used to believe I preferred system-lite games, but for some reason I find my obsessions lingering on these far more detailed systems instead. Mastercraft is turning out to be one of the best.</div>
<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-7646275031635252262011-11-11T14:48:00.001-08:002012-03-24T06:36:52.765-07:00Beat Bond at His Own Game.Found on the back of <i>G.I. Joe A Real American Hero</i> issue #66. This was out December, 1987.<br />
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<br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-35131296203453551272011-10-21T19:41:00.000-07:002012-03-18T10:06:08.987-07:00Erin Esurance<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=erin%20esurance&order=9&offset=24#/d1te9o2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jynt-bWmXU/TqIq6TGQehI/AAAAAAAAFSA/LmR-2ztrh0c/s400/Erin_Esurance_by_MiloSaberhagen.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Erin Esurance</i> by <a href="http://milosaberhagen.deviantart.com/">MiloSaberhagen</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Erin Esurance is a guilty pleasure of mine. I used to delight in the many commercials that starred her longing for the chance that the character and premise would grow beyond the ad campaign into a series or something. The tropes that the Esurance ad campaign used hit me in all the right buttons- spy girl in a S.H.I.E.L.D.-like uniform, gadgets, espionage action. Not sure what it had to do with insurance, but cool anyways.<br /><br />Esurance has recently been assimilated by Allstate. This spells doom for Erin. Her espionage skills and gadgets may not be enough for her to get out of this one...<br /><br /><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #595959; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><h1 class="pos-title" style="color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The demise of the Esurance cartoon girl as Allstate moves in?</h1><div class="pos-meta" style="color: #969696; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="element element-itemcategory first last">Posted in <a href="http://dscriber.com/dscriber" style="color: #333435; text-decoration: underline;">dscriber</a>, <a href="http://dscriber.com/watch" style="color: #333435; text-decoration: underline;">watch</a></span></div><div class="floatbox" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="pos-content" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="element element-textarea first last" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The pink-haired, black-catsuit-wearing Esurance cartoon character, "Erin Esurance," may soon exit stage left leaving, however, in proverbial "good hands." In a note to its car insurance policy holders today, Esurance announced that it has been acquired by the nation's largest publicly-held personal lines insurance company, Allstate.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The companies will continue to run independently, according to a statement. "Your policy ID and coverages will remain the same and we'll continue to offer all the services we do today," policyholders were also told.<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There was no immediate news on whether the two brands would eventually merge into one and, if so, which name would win out over the other. Bets are that this is the start of the end for Erin Esurance, a familiar commercial figure. Allsate's familiar "good hands" logo may well stay given that the company has been leader in the U.S. insurance industry for more than 80 decades and fully acquired Esurance, founded in 1998.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If the Esurance brand disappears, Erin could survive under the right scenario. That's what happened in the last decade when Pets.com collapsed. The popular sock puppet dog that carries a microphone in its paw was sold to 1-800-BAR-NONE, an auto loan firm that focused on giving drivers (and corporate mascots) a "second chance."</div></div></div></div></div></span></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=erin+esurance#/d10uhdq" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqoVRVS17MM/TqIsKWWQ7kI/AAAAAAAAFSI/4yV-thsCzYQ/s400/Erin_Esurance_by_joeadonis.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Erin Esurance</i> by <a href="http://joeadonis.deviantart.com/">joeadonis</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://dscriber.com/3883-the-demise-of-the-esurance-cartoon-girl-as-allstate-moves-in">link</a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=erin%20esurance&order=9&offset=24#/d3jy1vd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JfzK-OUmNWQ/TqIskwnFNjI/AAAAAAAAFSQ/ykM_UXPTeyo/s400/erin_esurance_looks_like_kp_by_kimworld-d3jy1vd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Erin Esurance Looks Like KP</i> by <a href="http://kimworld.deviantart.com/">Kimworld</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-42313251225385746622011-08-27T11:09:00.001-07:002012-03-18T10:06:08.993-07:00Gallagher Girls advertismentFound - an advert for the Gallagher Girls series...<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yTokHWds6rc" width="560"></iframe>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-88659873742668520712011-08-23T13:48:00.000-07:002012-03-18T10:06:09.044-07:00James Bond<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=james+bond#/dxdsjq" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-du7ZmJ5QlYM/TlQQSTUrDuI/AAAAAAAAFOI/ip37Wq1LorE/s320/BOND_by_RM73.jpg" width="124" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">BOND by <a href="http://rm73.deviantart.com/">RM73</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>An interesting article by Terence Bowman popped up on Den of the Geek today. It looks at the differences between literary characters and their film counterparts. In this post we'll look at Ian Fleming's 007, James Bond.<br /><br />As a kid I remember discovering James Bond through my dad. He being a fan of the films guaranteed that I was going to be a fan, too. We even went to <i>A View To A Kill</i> in the theater!<br /><br />Over the years I eventually saw films and appreciate them for what they are. However, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: serif;">getting into the Fleming novels AND gaining a perspective from film and video school revealed just how bad they really are. I believe that if you want to continue to like the Bond films, you must stay away from the novels.</span><br /><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">James Bond author Ian Fleming once described Sean Connery, the first actor to play 007 on the big screen, as "a Glaswegian lorry driver who mangles my character". Many Fleming fans might be inclined to agree with that sentiment, though their issues may not lie solely with Connery.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The 1959 novel <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Goldfinger</em>, for instance, opens with Bond sitting in a bar in Miami Airport. He’s just flown back from Central America, where he has just carried out an assignment to kill a drug dealer who was working for the Communists. As he sits there, Bond reflects on his deadly deeds in the line of duty. His internal musings on the nature of his dark and often brutal occupation depict a man questioning his own morality and place in the world. Fleming's writing in this part of the book is almost poignant in its existentialism.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Cut to the corresponding opening scene in the movie, <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Goldfinger.</em> Connery, as Bond, on a similar mission, emerges out of a lake with a plastic duck on his head. He then takes off his wet suit to reveal that he is wearing a perfectly dry tuxedo underneath. Nothing can describe the difference between the Bond novels and the Bond films better than that comparison.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Described by Fleming as a “blunt instrument” rather than a hero, the literary Bond bore only a passing resemblance to his cinematic counterpart. Bond was a cool, detached and efficient killer in the service of his country, hence the term, “Licence to kill”. He rarely uttered a joke or a witty one-liner, least of all in regard to someone that he had just killed.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The actors that followed Connery in the role of Bond strayed to and from Fleming in varying degrees. Roger Moore played a highly camp character that happened to have the same name as Ian Fleming’s Bond. Timothy Dalton took over the role in 1987's <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Living Daylights,</em> and is often denigrated by critics as one of the worst Bonds ever. Ironically, Dalton is lauded by fans as one of the best. They see him as the only actor who truly brought the spirit of Fleming’s 007 to the role.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Pierce Brosnan took over the cinematic Bond mantle in <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">GoldenEye </em>in 1995. Brosnan's interpretation was something of a compromise between the lighter Bond of Connery, Lazenby or Moore, and the darker Bond of Fleming and Dalton.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Finally, <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Casino Royale</em>, the Bond reboot of 2006 starring Daniel Craig as 007, brought back a darker Bond, even though he still wasn’t entirely based on Fleming’s work. Craig and the franchise both used Fleming, and at the same time did their own thing with the character. The result seemed to finally satisfy both fans and mass audiences alike.</div></span></blockquote><a href="http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/1025303/literary_adventure_heroes_the_movies_mangled.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+denofgeek+(Den+of+Geek)&utm_content=Google+Reader">link</a><br /><br />This article strikes a cord with me. I prefer the original concept of the character over the various film versions.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iiHtFbXe06I/TlQR6xNvkMI/AAAAAAAAFOM/T6Hn9HGKL64/s1600/769px-007.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iiHtFbXe06I/TlQR6xNvkMI/AAAAAAAAFOM/T6Hn9HGKL64/s320/769px-007.svg.png" width="320" /></a>As for the films, I really enjoy the music mainly. And the traditions that have stayed with the franchise throughout. I am enjoying the latest two films and hope to see more like them (especially the last one, <i>Quantum of Solace</i>- I think I'm the only person on Earth that liked it better than <i>Casino Royal</i>!).Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-85587264867219246112011-08-19T13:17:00.000-07:002012-03-24T10:53:56.508-07:00Pole Position<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HxpeywFGY2A/Tk69ktogDCI/AAAAAAAAFMc/uzAaaBz49UQ/s1600/pole_position_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HxpeywFGY2A/Tk69ktogDCI/AAAAAAAAFMc/uzAaaBz49UQ/s400/pole_position_02.jpg" width="400" /></a>The animated show called <i>Pole Position </i>was named after the Atari video game, but there was nothing in common between the show and the game other than they both featured cars. The show resembled the Americanized Japanese anime <i>Speed Racer</i> more than anything else. Perhaps there was a lot of influence from <i>Knight Rider</i>, too. The show is about three siblings who are agents for an investigative/secret agency that uses auto racing and stunts as a front. Even in the show's intro it lays out how these kid's parents were lost in the line of duty prior to the events of the show and their Uncle Zachery, head of the Pole Position Agency, acts as a surrogate father for the kids, or perhaps is the legal guardian. The agency issues the kids a semi-truck as a mobile base of operations and two cars that each have unique artificial intelligence as well as a wide array of gadgets that Q-Branch would be jealous over. Dan drives the futuristic concept car named Roadie which sort of resembles a blue DeLorean. Tess drives the red 1965 convertible Ford Mustang named Wheels. Daisy is their younger sister who always gets involved with the case or mystery providing many-a plot point, getting kidnapped and what-not with her cohort, Kuma, who is a lemur or a hybrid monkey cat of some sort. Most animated shows of the '80s had a token animal companion with a highly irritating voice and Kuma was Pole Position's. However, they stayed one step in reality by keeping the creature as an intelligent animal with no ability to verbally speak.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=pole+position#/dldv1x" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7K1UzUTDL3g/Tk7CZdKQ-UI/AAAAAAAAFMo/cvDk9We_JLA/s320/POLE_POSITION_by_rsj.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Pole Position</i> - by <a href="http://rsj.deviantart.com/">rsj</a></span></td></tr>
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In 1984 Pole Position stood out beyond it's peers in several areas. The sci-fi of the show was fantastical, but never went over the top. Sure there were talking cars with artificial intelligence that displayed emotion, but the events and stunts were almost always within a believable boundary. There were hints at some elements of espionage and spies.<br />
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The show had a very smooth animated quality to it compared to many other shows of that era and even decades after. Where most other shows of it's type seemed very choppy with fewer frames of animation per second, Pole Position's integrity was etched into my memory as quality.<br />
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The musical score throughout each episode features variations of the theme song and fluctuates through many styles of music. There are some recognizable themes, all very nicely done. All of it was composed and arranged by Jef Labes under Saban Productions. He clarified some of the details behind the production of the music here:<br />
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px;">Dear Jeffrywith1e, I was actually the composer/arranger who wrote and produced the entire library of music for the whole Pole Position series, when I was a ghost writer for Saban Productions in L. A. The actual theme song was composed by my boss, and I did the rest. The same tactic was used to creat the library of music for Heathcliff, Kissifur, the Getalong Gang, Wolfrock, and several other shows, mostly the animation products of DIC production from Japan. Saban Prod. specialized in Sat. morning cartoon soundtracks back in the early 80's, and eventually got into the full production of Power Rangers and other shows of that ilk. I moved up to the Bay Area in 1985, and though I look back fondly on those busy days and nights in their studio in Studio City, I left behind the maelstrom for the quieter life in Marin. Cheers, Jefwith1f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: serif;"> </span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=pole%20position&order=9&offset=24#/d37naxu" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="71" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lD4G-Lg7ZKk/Tk7Caj_EAUI/AAAAAAAAFMs/YfWpIEIOpA4/s200/pole_position_roadie_color_by_gi_joe09-d37naxu.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Pole Position-Roadie </i>by <a href="http://gi-joe09.deviantart.com/">GI-Joe09</a></span></td></tr>
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The show aged rather well. The music may be the one thing that really stands out as genuine '80s. In the concept car and the '65 Mustang make the show timeless. The character design also is nicely timeless. The show looks like it could air today. The entire series is available for free at this time on hulu. Check it out right here <a href="http://www.hulu.com/pole-position"><b>hulu.com/pole-position</b></a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtkgDWk9c2o/Tk7BeSsJCxI/AAAAAAAAFMg/WoGPWOdJmF4/s1600/Shake+N+Go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtkgDWk9c2o/Tk7BeSsJCxI/AAAAAAAAFMg/WoGPWOdJmF4/s320/Shake+N+Go.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvhTEKoniVM/Tk7Bn8BKw2I/AAAAAAAAFMk/P1shxk4oNms/s1600/P8190006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvhTEKoniVM/Tk7Bn8BKw2I/AAAAAAAAFMk/P1shxk4oNms/s320/P8190006.JPG" width="320" /></a>I tell you what, my son <b>loves</b> this show. The only reason I even thought of it lately was a toy set he got from his grandparents for his 4th birthday. The Fisher-Price Shake N Go Xtreme Race Set. The two cars that came with it match the car's colors in the show. The designs vaguely do too. The blue car looks more modern and concept like Roadie and the red car has a more classic muscle car look similar to Wheels. I wonder if this was intentional on the part of some geek toy designer, but who knows. The toys are actually very cool. Each car has a tiny differential in their rear axle so there is a pretty sophisticated design going on in there (you can tell by spinning one rear wheel and seeing the opposite wheel spin in the other direction!). I think he thinks the show IS about these cars.<br />
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I think this setting could be good for a pulpy action roleplaying game. If I were to tackle it, I'd go with Savage Worlds or Ubiquity System and scrape the chase rules out of Spycraft 2.0. It could easily be done.Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-12523284515402370982011-08-16T16:35:00.000-07:002012-03-18T10:06:08.955-07:00Gallagher GirlsThe Gallagher Girls is a young adult series by Ally Carter which follows the adventures of Cammy "The Chameleon" Morgan who is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women (which is actually a training facility for young espionage agents!). Four books have been released in the series which is said to be six when it is all finished.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-82O9SPjZw4w/TkruEN4nRAI/AAAAAAAAFME/aOoiq6IJYk0/s1600/Out+of+Sight+Out+of+Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-82O9SPjZw4w/TkruEN4nRAI/AAAAAAAAFME/aOoiq6IJYk0/s320/Out+of+Sight+Out+of+Time.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://waveyourgeekflag.blogspot.com/2011/03/gallagher-girls.html">We've talked about the series here before</a>. We see the series as a fantastic and exciting venue for teaching conservative values and positive character development for young women. They are also pretty darn entertaining (no matter what age).<br /><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: serif;">Since our first look at the series, the fifth book has been announced, has a release date and cover art! <i>Out of Sight, Out of Time</i> will be released on March 20th, 2012.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: serif;"><br /></span></div><div>The first two books establish a vivid portrayal of the universe in which the story develops- perhaps overly so. After you finish book one - <i>I'd Tell You That I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You</i> you are left with a solid concept of who these characters are, where they live and what they do. But there really is no foreshadow of what's to come. The span of events and revelations from the end of the first book and the end of the fourth book (the last book at the time of this writing) is unbelievable. It's like the series grew up really fast. The first half of the series suffers from a lot of fluff. No one is really ever in danger. There are important characters introduced, but Carter sure takes her time getting to the real meat of the series. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6dT3fg5aQQ/TXpVs9ZPVwI/AAAAAAAAEuM/6YN7fCqFog0/s1600/Buddy-Icon-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6dT3fg5aQQ/TXpVs9ZPVwI/AAAAAAAAEuM/6YN7fCqFog0/s1600/Buddy-Icon-Logo.jpg" /></a>On her website, Carter states that she struggled with the 2nd book, <i>Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy</i>, which was the least of the four in my opinion, too. I speculate that she almost introduced some of the plot elements into book two that we see right out of the gate in book three. It probably was a good decision on her part. What now is maybe too long of a setting up for the series may have suffered stepping into the 3rd act in that second book. It could've made quite a cliffhanger, though. Even so, what we have in the end is good quality.</div><div><br /></div><div>The last half of the series- <i>Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover</i> and <i>Only the Good Spy Young</i> doesn't just turn up the action and danger, it's like suddenly just on! Full blast! These two books make for a very exciting espionage thriller, even for the young adult audience. I feel the first two books ought to be read for much back story, but it's the second two books that really make the Gallagher Girls books great.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br /><ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thgefl-20/detail/1423100042" style="color: #6a212b; text-decoration: none;"><i>I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You</i></a></span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thgefl-20/detail/1423100069" style="color: #6a212b; text-decoration: none;"><i>Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy</i></a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thgefl-20/detail/1423116607" style="color: #6a212b; text-decoration: none;"><i>Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover</i></a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><i style="color: #6a212b; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thgefl-20/detail/B0046LUTVO" style="color: #6a212b; text-decoration: none;">Only the Good Spy Young</a></i></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thgefl-20/detail/1423147944">Out of Sight, Out of Time</a> </i>(March 20, 2012)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">TBD</li></span></ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sbmk6a8OdxI/TXpVm8ALHAI/AAAAAAAAEuI/oZ1L3fXzLdA/s1600/club53184634034057760777679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sbmk6a8OdxI/TXpVm8ALHAI/AAAAAAAAEuI/oZ1L3fXzLdA/s1600/club53184634034057760777679.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div></span></div></div>Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576949616420743896.post-53891378285658284392011-08-12T12:21:00.000-07:002012-03-18T10:06:09.007-07:00Gaming<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=gaming%20dice&order=9&offset=96#/d1j1jkp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FYcFmab3hFA/TkMxl-PtoQI/AAAAAAAAFKE/ek5VPVtEyNI/s320/A_roll_of_the_dice_by_rumielf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>roll of the dice</i> by <a href="http://rumielf.deviantart.com/">runielf</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I was first a comic geek. Later a game geek.<br /><br />My first game was the TSR Marvel RPG. The next game I got into was TSR's <i>Top Secret/S.I.</i> and from there Star Wars d6. It wasn't until 3.0 that I ever got into Dungeons & Dragons. The main reason for this was that my parents were not comfortable with the magic, wizards and dragon tropes that go with fantasy gaming. And this was the mid '80s to early '90s where the mainstream view of such things were not that favorable. The settings where this wasn't so blatantly obvious were permissible, but still not completely comfortable with my mom.<br /><br />A majority of my gaming has been D&D 3rd Edition. I reserve a strong desire to play almost any system but that, but my usual gaming group are a bunch of old-school curmudgens who are stuck on 3rd- (I was able to nudge them on to Pathfinder, however which is where they still are for the most part).<br /><br />I have explored many of the more prominent game systems available, sometimes immersing myself into the game for a while. Many of these I have never actually played, just... studied. GURPS is one of these. I admire the system for what it is and seems it accomplishes. I think it'd be too cumbersome for me to actually apply. D6 System and True20 are some others that I got into for some time.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sXisUuorLM0/TkV7619fMpI/AAAAAAAAFK0/zG9BfGzQMUc/s1600/Adventurer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sXisUuorLM0/TkV7619fMpI/AAAAAAAAFK0/zG9BfGzQMUc/s1600/Adventurer.jpg" /></a>On one of their visits my father expressed that he didn't understand the hobby and my enthusiasm for it. He pretty much dismissed the whole idea. Not a big deal.<br /><br />A few weeks later my dad called to apologize for how that conversation went. He felt convicted and that he perhaps was too judgmental about the issue and asked for forgiveness. I told him not to worry as I wasn't offended- as gamers I suspect we all are calloused to some of this. Comes with the territory. He was forgiven, but in a moment of inspiration I told him that I'd like to run a game for him (with my mom, my wife and my step-daughter) so that he'd have first hand knowledge of what the game and the hobby is all about. He agreed. I set to work.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbQAKZVgHqs/TeD7bAETLZI/AAAAAAAAE-M/AWGvDgP9d4A/s1600/180px-Top_Secret_SI_vectorized+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbQAKZVgHqs/TeD7bAETLZI/AAAAAAAAE-M/AWGvDgP9d4A/s200/180px-Top_Secret_SI_vectorized+%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div>I finally settled on using the <i>Top Secret/S.I.</i> rules, but instead of the espionage setting I created a one-shot pulp adventure ambiguously set in no era with vague Nazi-ish bad guys with some relic macguffin. I pre-generated characters for everyone so as to get right into the game (robbing them of the joy of creating characters... perhaps another time). This was all with my dad as the main target audience (as this all started for him). The other element I was sure to add was to introduce my step-daughter to the concept of role-playing. Leesha was around 10 years old and had a vague idea what this gaming thing was all about. She was pretty clear she wanted a character that had a big cat as a pet. I started her off with no animal companion, but did plant a panther as an encounter in the adventure as a very likely animal companion if things played out in that direction.<br /><br />We played for a few hours, they made their way through the simple dungeon tomb and overcame the bad guy. We all really got into it, but what made it all worth while was my parents asking when we could do it again! I successfully ran a one-shot game for my folks, which they enjoyed and they <i>got it</i>. Sadly, we haven't been able to sit down and do it again. I do plan to return to that game one day. Perhaps with a different system, however.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y1LjULyVhzY/TccIhkFCfYI/AAAAAAAAE8A/d_h0V2NxQ6c/s1600/pic729961_t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y1LjULyVhzY/TccIhkFCfYI/AAAAAAAAE8A/d_h0V2NxQ6c/s1600/pic729961_t.jpg" /></a></div>My latest reads have been all about the Ubiquity System from Exile Game Studio introduced through the <i>Hollow Earth Expedition</i> RPG. I saw this game and it's system as one that could easily be understood and used with my children and family. Then I discovered the <i><a href="http://waveyourgeekflag.blogspot.com/2011/05/wilderness-kids-adventures.html">Wilderness Kids Adventures</a></i> which solidified the deal. I intend on using the Ubiquity System as our household game system.<br /><br />Why RPGs? This is a way for me to not have to grow up. My fondest memories as a child were exploring the amazing and strange worlds my brother and I would create through the lens of our action figures. We never played G.I. Joe or Star Wars properly, we mashed them all together and had intergalactic bands touring in concert or people stuck in a prehistoric world, or taped paper wings to their backs and made them insect hybrid people. Gaming is a way to continue that. To continue creating.Jeffrywith1ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04657915338624925974noreply@blogger.com0