Star Trek XI

Like most geeks, I'm keeping tabs on what's going on with the new Star Trek movie coming out in May 2009. Looks like someone from AICN got a brief preview of two scenes and chats about it here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37648

But it is this line in particular that stood out to me: I can't emphasise how real they look. They all use models, no super shiny pure CGI like in Nemesis.

That just does my heart a world of good. The models are what made the ship scenes for me. They're much more real than the plethora of CGI thrown at movie-goers today (I'm looking at you, Lucas, and those insipid Indy IV prairie dogs). Star Trek XI just keeps sounding better and better.

"The 11th Hour" Review

This was a pdf I wrote a couple years back featuring a unique (well, unique among rpgs anyway) twist and no suggested combat encounters. Frequent reviewer of all things, Chris Gath, has kindly posted a review of The 11th Hour pdf on his enworld blog: http://www.enworld.org/forum/blog.php?b=546

Shadowbred

I just finished this first novel in a new trilogy from WotC by Paul Kemp and, let me tell you, it was damned good! Sembian political maneuvering, Shadovar machinations, a jail break inside a magic-dead zone--this book keeps you reading happily until the cliffhanger ending. I know this title has been available for awhile but I'm trying to read these gradually since there's such a break in between the novel's release dates. Hate to read book one only to forget what's going on by the time book two comes out the following year. You know what I'm talking about.

Still, there's something about title character Cale which just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe I've read to many Drizzit novels, but I'm weary of the bad dude trying to make good routine. Granted, Cale is more "dark" than everyone's favorite dark elf but...I can't really put my finger on it. The fact that Cale gives in to his dark side once in awhile is more realistic...eh, I've never been good at book reports. I say go read it (and the other Cale books) and judge for yourselves. Good stuff, all the same.

Tricky Owlbear Store

We just set up our own little corner of cafepress here: http://www.cafepress.com/trickyowlbear

Our wonderful logo by Rick Hershey is the only image on the items for now but we're brainstorming new images so keep watching!

Podcasts

One of my web-buddies, Ed Healy, started up a podcast recently here: http://www.atomicarray.com/

It's good stuff! They spoke with Richard Iorio of Rogue Games about his cool-sounding game Colonial Gothic. I know Ed through Kobold Quarterly, but he's far busier than being involved with one magazine. See his info here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ephealy

So what podcasts do you listen to? I can't say there's one in particular that I go to again and again (can't seem to find the time).

Vacation Thoughts

My long vacation is at an end and tomorrow it's back to work. So what did I do with my time off? The first portion--last Thursday thru the weekend--was a blur of preparing and unleashing the planar adventure. Entitled "The End of Days, part I" the module saw the unfolding of my "Stop 4th Edition!" story arc. As you may or may not know, the planar campaign is based in Sigil where the party belongs to an organization called the Protectorate. This power group runs missions through Starg--er, I mean glyph gates that are scattered throughout the multiverse. For this story arc, there is a nemesis called the chidahn, a militant race of humanoid dragonfly-men from another dimension bent on the annihilation of our multiverse. Apparently, the chidahn invaded millennia ago but were stopped by the gatebuilders. The PCs learned that the gatebuilders used an artifact to capture the chidahn and trap them in a special demi-plane; the artifact sending some kind of magical wave outward through all glyph gates. Some of the chidahn escaped imprisonment and went into a kind of coccoon-like stasis.

But now that artifact is nearly spent (or, as referred to in the module, "is dying") and the glyph gates are coughing up chidahn at random places. Unless the PCs can fix the problem, the artifact will be spent and a massive shockwave of power will explode through the gates, wreaking havoc on any world they are on and unleash the chidahn from imprisonment (some of this info will be revealed next game). Should be fun!

After Sunday, my last week was spent going in day trips: hiking, Atlantic City, and, perhaps my favorite trip this week, going to the Princeton Record Exchange in NJ. The place isn't huge but it's got a lot of music and dvds. And by music I mean everthing from cds to vinyl. Most items are used and the prices are thus quite good. I picked up 2 cds, the special edition of Highlander and 2 seasons of JAG that Scot, Zlaty and I have been watching. Friday was a stay at home day. Sat saw an outing to Red Robin and back-to-back mini-golfing sessions with Scot, Zlaty, and the Cuthberts. Much fun was had. Today was the customary cleaning and relaxing.

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of Tricky Owlbear's existence and we'll have a special announcement about a certain product everyone's been waiting for.

Celebrate Your Independence

Although you probably think this is a 4th of July post, it is not. (All the same--Happy 4th!!) What this post is, however, is a call to cherish the gaming legacy we pave everyday. What the heck am I talking about? How often do you get a slight feeling of guilt or shyness when you admit to a stranger that you roleplay (be it D&D or whatever)? I thought about this the other day and realized--there is no reason for shame! Gamers of my age and older who are still playing are actually blazing a trail for everyone behind us. There is no basis of comparison or standard by which gamers of our generation can be judged since we are the first. We shall determine at what age it is "socially acceptable" to game.

I'm not espousing that gaming be equated to "coolness" but we have the opportunity to make it less awkward at the very least. If we unite in our common response of, "I'm gaming this weekend," then soon it will be just like saying, "I'm fishing" or "I'm golfing." Hmm, maybe we can get some bumper stickers made:" Gone Gaming'"

So this 4th of July, revel in your gaming independence and, like this country's founding fathers, be a beacon of hope for all roleplayers to follow.