Saturday, January 05, 2013

What I've Been Up To

Wow has it been a long time since I posted. Some updates--
  • I play a lot of Magic now. It's basically a once a week (or more) habit. That's cooled off a little in the last couple of weeks but I've been busy with holiday stuff and a new set comes out at the end of the month so who knows.
  • I play RPGs once-or-twice a month with Risus Monkey and his crew. We're starting a new campaign and ending an old one soon so that should be fun.
  • I'm on G+ on-and-off, and I talk a lot with Trollsmyth. That's where a lot of the game thoughts that once-upon-a-time would have ended up on the blog have been going.
  • Work lately has been being on the computer a lot, doing very repetitive, computer-y tasks, so by the time I get home I am sick of it and want to be off the screen for a while.
And here's a thought:

RPG design is in a lot of ways amateur-hour, compared to the games that make Real Companies Real Money. 

Getting outside of D&D for a while and playing a lot of another (much more financially successful) game has been eye opening in that regard. There's a lot of stuff that people in Magic design know and think about and talk about that just never comes up in RPGs. Or the reverse-- there's a lot of pointless stuff that RPG people fight about that never comes up in Magic because people have better things to do with their time.

Like: different people play the game in different ways and for different reasons is basically taken for granted in Magic. When players complain about a card the standard response from the designers is "Of course you don't like it. It's not for you." Everyone with aspirations to Magic design accepts and understands this. Understanding this makes Wizards an awful lot of money, so they have an incentive.

There are still fights on the player/community level, of course. But RPGs are, in comparison, basically all player/community.

19 comments:

  1. It is -amazing_ how many people in RPGs are too dumb to know not everyone is them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I played a fair bit of MtG back in Ye Olden Dayes (basically starting around the time Arabian Nights came out and drifting away around the time Ice Age was released). I've been giving some thought lately to jumping back into that world. Your points about the different tenor of that particular gaming crowd are only adding to my interest.

    The amateur hour element of the RPG hobby has really been wearing on me lately. I'm about to start up a Cthulhu by Gaslight campaign, and the number of typos in the latest edition of the Gaslight sourcebook (released less than a year ago) is alarming. As is the bickering going on in the Cthulhu fan community over the forthcoming 7th edition, which dares to actually introduce a few minor rules tweaks, and the predictable freak-outs and edition wars that are already flaring up. Someone cogently observed that the differences between the current and upcoming edition are about on par with the shift from 3e to 3.5, but some people are acting like Chaosium's going from Basic D&D to 4e in one fell swoop.

    And lastly, allow me to formally register my supreme jealousy that there's a gaming group that contains both yourself AND Risus Monkey and that I'm not part of it. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Echoing Natalie, you'd totally be welcome to drop in on one of our games. And *hopefully* I'll be increasing my own blog/community presence soon. Life disruptions have started to settle out.

      And hey Natalie, we'll miss you this weekend. Assuming we play. I seem to have a bug that has robbed me of my voice.

      Delete
  3. Zak: It is amazing how many people are too dumb to know not everyone is them.

    David: I know! That group is amazing. If you're ever in the DC area for a weekend you should come chill with us.

    Magic is really, really good right now. The flavor is good and the design is good and they're really well integrated. The crowd itself-- ie., the player base-- is pretty much the same pack of raving sub-humans everywhere in gaming (with a few bright spots) but because of the nature of the game your fun generally isn't as impacted by your fellow player's deficiencies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any insulation against raving sub-humans is always welcome.

      Are there any particular packs/expansions you're particularly fond of, or that you'd steer clear of? Any other advice for an old salt looking to jump back in?

      Delete
    2. "The Boy" discovered MTG this Christmas, and we've been using 'event decks' - 60 card precons with sideboards. They seem like a good casual way to play without cracking tons of boosters or grabbing singles, and they seem like a few more rares could tune them up.

      Oh, and welcome back to the blogs Oddysey!

      Delete
    3. David: Hmmm... out of what's in print right now I like Innistrad best. It's a gothic horror set-- if you like werewolves, zombies, ghosts, and vampires, Innistrad has 'em in spades. If "Phyrexian" means anything to you, you might want to check out New Phyrexia.

      The thing I always tell people who are getting into/back into the game is Duels of the Planeswalkers. It's a pretty good video game and gives you a good understanding of the basic rules-- which have changed some since Ice Age. Uh. Which may have changed a lot, actually. Do the words "the stack" mean anything to you?

      Beedo: Sweet. Yeah, the event decks are really great. They're very uprgradeable-- both by adding new rares, and just additional copies of the rares they already have. Which ones do you guys have?

      Delete
    4. We have the event decks from Ravnica, Avacyn, and 2013. I figure by Gencon next summer, we'll have started building our own. I second the recommendation to try Duel of the Planeswalker or even the iPad version (Magic 2013); that's how the kid learned, and there's a ton of playability. I had previously played around Ice Age as well, stopping sometime after the Tempest block.

      Delete
  4. Atlanta home inspection is a booming industry because of the many cases found inside the homes which were proven to affect the health of the residents and the structure of the house. House inspection companies help out the residents in finding out what is wrong with the place they are residing or even if they are buying that property. Champia Real Estate inspections have the best home inspectors Atlanta has to offer because of their vast experience and their expertise in this field. Champia Real Estate Inspections has been working in Atlanta since 1987 and have a great number of positive reviews in their pocket to back their services. Their home inspectors are friendly and adaptable hence they make it easy for the customer to address their issues to them in order to understand the situation completely and take the necessary steps needed. To make it more comforting, they back their services with a number of warranties so that customers can rely on them completely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There are two very important things that come to our mind when we think about a home inspection:
     Is it safe to let a stranger inside our house?
     Is spending money on this worth it?
    We have the answers for you. While residing in Atlanta, and along with many options to choose from, Champia Real Estate is the best choice for you. While spending on getting a home inspection from them, it is affirmative that in whole Atlanta home inspection prices are very affordable as compared to the quality of services they are providing. They make sure that the money you are spending is worth the hustle. They involve you in the process to give you proper insights and maintenance tips. home inspectors in atlanta sent by Champia are certified professionals and they come with insurance plus different sorts of residential warranties so you can totally rely on them when it comes to these two terms which can make you worry about the process.

    ReplyDelete
  6. When it comes to Mold Testing Champia real estate inspections have the best services to offer. As they have the best home inspectors in Atlanta who have the necessary expertise to perform a successful home inspection and adequate experience. They have completed over 50000 inspections and a great number of positive reviews as a proof that you can rely on them completely when it comes to the healthy environment of your home. They provide a number of warranties as well for residential inspection so you can be relaxed about the outcome of the inspection. For residential inspection, they give 24 hours ultimatum and schedule and complete the appointments and reports at the exact time. The home inspectors at Champia are very adaptive and care about your comfort. They love it when you are an active part of the home inspection because in this way you can get to know more about the details and they can give you more tips about the maintenance about how to take care of your house after the inspection process.

    ReplyDelete
  7. When it comes to home inspection Atlanta ga has the best home inspection company who will deal with all your problems relating to the health of your house. One of the very common problems that are present in almost every house either known or unknown is the presence of mold inside the house. Mold is present around us everywhere so it is nearly impossible to eradicate them completely unless it is some heavy mechanical equipment. They are present in the air in the form of spores and spread on moist environments. It is a good new and bad one too because if you have moist surfaces at your home, there is a good chance that mold is present around you too and it can cause many harms to your health. It is also a reason to worsen present medical conditions like allergies and respiratory diseases. Champia offers the best Mold testing atlanta has. They have necessary expertise and equipment to deal with this problem and help you get rid of it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. In Atlanta, Real Estate Inspections are an important part to be included in your property maintenance routine because as much as getting your painted or getting apparent repairs done is important, a home inspection is important in order to know if your house is safe for you and your family to live or not. There are many factors that are hazardous for your family such as high levels of radon inside your home, mold problems, water leaks, termites, air pollution and other factors that pose a threat to your health. A known name for Home Inspection Atlanta has is Champia Real Estate Inspection which deals in home inspection as well as commercial inspections. They were founded in 1987 and have a record of over 50,000 completed inspections and a completion time of 24 hours which is pretty quick. Not to forget their multiple warranties on home inspection which makes it even more reliable.

    ReplyDelete
  9. In Atlanta real estate inspection is considered an important factor before proceeding with that property, whether its a workplace or your home. The fact that wherever you are going to spend the maximum of your time should be healthy for you. While we take care of the cleanliness of the space we are working in, taking care of the air quality around us is important as well. One of the most dangerous toxin that is present in the air around us is radon. Radon gas is present in the air around us but when it gets trapped around us inside our property where we breath, it can get stuck inside our system and its prolonged inhalation is the leading cause of lung cancer in non smokers. Champia real estate inspections offer bestRadon testing in Atlanta as they have the necessary equipment and experienced professional with relevant expertise and a huge number of positive reviews so one can completely rely on them regarding your safety and satisfying results.

    ReplyDelete
  10. DR EMU YOU ARE REALLY GREAT. I WILL KEEP COMING TO YOU WHEN EVER I NEED YOUR HELP.
    WEBSITE: HTTPS://EMUTEMPLE.WORDPRESS.COM 
    WHATS APP: +2347012841542

    I want to thank DR EMU for the wonderful work he done for me and my family, i was having a serious breakup with my ex but when i contacted him for help he brought him back to me with his historical powers, and also helping me to get a job, since he cast his spell for me things has really be good to me and since i know him my husband has been faithful to me, well i will say that this man is a really great spell caster that every one must contact for help, if you are facing breakup or marriage problem just contact this man for help he will help you settle everything with his power, please contact him on his email: emutemple@gmail.com once you contact him all your problems will be solve.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A really nice blog where we can found useful information.Thanks you.
    We are one of the top-notch Exporters of Fresh Fruits vegetables from Pakistan.
    rosetta potatoes
    asterix potato

    ReplyDelete
  12. A really nice blog where we can found useful information.Thanks you.
    We are one of the top-notch Exporters of Fresh Fruits vegetables from Pakistan.
    Fresh Vegetable Export from Pakistan
    Halal meat Export from pakistan

    ReplyDelete
  13. A really nice blog where we can found useful information.Thanks you.
    We are one of the top-notch Exporters of Fresh Fruits vegetables from Pakistan.
    Mozika potatos export from pakistan
    Rice Export from pakistan
    Mozika potato

    ReplyDelete
  14. A really nice blog where we can found useful information.Thanks you.
    We are one of the top-notch Exporters of Fresh Fruits vegetables from Pakistan.
    Fresh Fruits Export from pakistan
    sindhri mango from pakistan

    ReplyDelete