Oshiah of the Undying Nomads
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Fri, Sep. 12th, 2008, 08:34 am
Mystery Meme
1. No one I know 2. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) plmvent 3. Anyone lacking in perspective. 4. wilgar 5. wickedthought (in a blog, podcast, forum, novel, etc etc kind of way) 6. Havoc (my #2 son) 7. mnight 8. wilgar 9. wilgar and plmvent and Cirox 10. Anyone can, few should be allowed to. 11. Only those who like lying to themselves. 12. You don't really want to hear my answer. 13. wickedthought 14. Everyone in their own way 15. Oh everyone I know, for 30 days. 16. Anyone who's given up on their dreams. 17. Anyone who wants something they can't have. 18. Only my Princess 19. You, if you can get over yourself. 20. Only those who recognize the human condition. 21. You. 22. You. 23. No one. 24. No one I know. 25. Nothing up my sleeve... 26. Watch the birdie... 27. An idiot? 28. Everyone. 29. No one. 30. Don't take life so seriously. It's not permanent. (but we're working on that) Agree to re-post and receive the questions. (pretty much everyone on my friend list has already seen this though. Makes my job easy).
So you know where I’m coming from; I’m a role-player. As in the table-top, pen and paper, dice tossing, Jolt-chugging, pizza-sucking, giant wall of books of rules, maps, charts, tables, and naked elf-art that inspired almost every computer game out there. I’ve played Diablo I and II (plus LoD), all of the Warcrafts, Neverwinter Nights, Bards Tale, Pool of Radiance (and it’s kin) as well as Guild Wars, EverQuest (1), Tabula Rasa, and currently play World of Warcraft. I’ve pretty much given up on the dream that an online game can give me a role-playing experience. That doesn’t stop me from role-playing in those games. This often annoys the others that are there just to play the game. Hey, if I have to put up with your 1337 speak and your whining, you have to put up with my rp’ing. From the role-players perspective: MMO is not equal to RPG. Can I just get over it already? Yes. There. Done.... But it's not. Can you rp in AoC, WoW, FtW, EtC? Yes. You can rp in the tub if you want. Nothing’s stopping you. Does the environment promote role-playing? Somewhat. In the same way many wanna-be rpgs do. “Look, here’s a cool setting, neat drawings, and some background detail…” That’s a start, but no computer based game is able to go beyond that. Perhaps one day. Maybe. The Hyborian age setting is rich with mythical cultural details. That alone is a great draw and it makes me want to role-play. Does it make you role-play or reward you for role-playing or have a mechanic in the game that interacts with role-playing? No. Suggestion for my MMO: Keep working on it. When your games AI is an actual AI… we just might get there. For now, the machine can’t give me what the meat can. But I’m banking on it doing so one day. From the power-gamers perspective: Dude, my 24th level ranger is almost 40 dps! Plenty of crunchy bits to munchkin your character into the best killing machine in the game. It’s just like every other D$D inspired effort. You find someone that disagrees with you, you murder them in their home, and you steal their stuff. The game rewards this just like its predecessors do. Who needs GTA when we have AoC? Suggestion for my MMO: Reputations go a long way. Faction, rep, influence, whatever you want to call it, it needs to mean something and it needs to stick. You get a rep as a street thug, it should stick. When I need someone roughed up, I call you. When I need my contraband moved, I call Vincent. He knows about moving stuff. You want to change your rep; it’s going to take work experience. And you can’t get work experience unless someone gives you a break. You don’t get a break without doing some favors. From the art appreciation perspective: These landscapes look so realistic! The graphics on my low-end machine look great. They’re not so overwhelming that they detract from play, but if you just stop and look at the scenery for a while, you’ll enjoy the landscapes of Aqulionia (or wherever you are). The vegetation looks real; the buildings have that lived-in look. Some are under construction (but we’ll never see them get finished!) or have temporary repairs done where they’ve been damaged by weather or war. All great stuff. Until you look at it for a year and realize it will never change. Suggestion for my MMO: I’m not running on a bleeding edge pc. So piling another terabyte of graphics in isn’t going to help my play at all. BUT, a living world would really frelling rock! AND it would really frelling suck. Let’s say a port city is recovering from a big storm. It shouldn’t look exactly the same after 12 months of play. The docks should be rebuilt, the fish mongers are happy again, and the city is dealing with other issue. Not so in an MMO. If I come to town at 8th level, I go harvest lumber to rebuild the docks. When I come back at 12th level… guess what? Some 8th level guy is harvesting lumber to rebuild the docks. However… if my lumber fixed the docks, what quest is the new guy going to do? And on the real world side of that, who’s going to write this mountain of quests that need to be done and how do we keep them fresh? It would kill game designers and my poor limping dinosaur PC. It’s what I want, but I’m not ready for it any more than the designers are. From the game play perspective: Wait. This is what you call “revolutionary?” They spent how many years and all they came up with is “push the buttons in a different order?” The base mechanics are the same as any other MMO that I’ve played. Many of the controls are the same. It’s good to see some standards established somewhere along the line. Tab still switches targets; the number row still makes you whack the bad guy with your main weapon. The lack of an auto-attack function is an interesting change. I can’t turn on my base attack while I answer the phone or tear the top off of my box of Fiddle Faddle. However, that means I have to pay more attention to fighting. But not a lot more. Combos were a good try, but I already had combos in other games. My WoW warlock combo looks like this; 3, 4, 5 (dots and pet attacks), 8 (direct damage), 9 (channel dot). My AoC combo looks like this; 5 (bash), 4, 3 (sweep attack combo), and 2,2,2,1 or 1,1,1,3 or 3,3,3,2 depending on where my target is blocking. So this is your greatly-hyped combat engine? It ain’t all that. It’s just mashing the same buttons in a different order. Areas I’ve had problems are around grouping. Compared to other games, it almost doesn’t feel like you’re in a group when you’re in a group. The difference between some random person diving into my fight to bail me out and my party member helping me beat up the bad guy is nearly nil. Group communication and interaction is more difficult to accomplish and the mini-map makes coordination nearly impossible. I didn’t get far enough to see the mass melee of guild battles and city sieges and stuff like that. The neat targeting thing… well, I tried this. I attack left, left, left, left. All my shots seem to hit the foes right arm. Repeated hits don’t seem to slow down his ability to attack or make him drop his club. What’s the point of all these directions if an arm attack doesn’t affect the arm? It just reduces the hit points. Same as a groin shot or a head shot. If I sneak attack a guy and hit his head instead of his arm… it still has the same effect. Hit point reduction. So I don’t see any difference here from other MMO combat systems. Suggestion for my MMO: Don’t go ‘round touting the combat system if it’s just like everyone elses… but different. From the character builder perspective: A bone thrown to the role-player at last! Ok, I’ve gone into the character builder function several times just to mess with it. Each of my characters that I’ve played took me at least 30 minutes to make. Not to say it takes that long, I take that long. You can choose your gender, nationality, class, click Random Head and Random Body and pick a name and you’re wrecking a slave ship in under five minutes. Using the advanced customizations, you can adjust the angle of your characters eyes, the width of their mouth, and the thickness of their thighs. That’s all really friggin cool. First time a friend let me play with their City of Heroes account, I spent two hours building my character and one hour playing him. For me, character design is an important part of the game. AoC did not let me down when it came to fleshing out the little details of my v-self. Suggestion for my MMO: Perhaps a lesson from games like Fable or Black & White could be learned and integrated into future MMO’s. What if the “starter island” quests developed your character? Make a choice and the choice makes you. How do you get the key from the bandit? Do you seduce him, go barter with him, or bash his head with a rock? Hire someone else to do it? Instead of helping the wench he's got locked up, go have your way with her and then spit on her when you’re done? Fine. Every choice influences the look, feel, and demeanor of your character. In the end, it’s just another MMO. They make a big deal out of the differences, but at its core, it’s the same. I came to AoC with one purpose. I wanted to see what more it had to offer to my MMO time. I spend a few hours a week playing WoW. That time obviously would be better spent studying anthropology or writing my first novel. But it isn’t. It’s a chunk of my time that I can’t really commit to something creative or constructive, so I spend it as a virtual person hanging out with my virtual friends in a virtual world. Hyboria is a darker, harsher world than Azeroth, and has more of a real-world feel to it both due to content as well as advanced graphics. But that difference isn’t enough for me to leave one for the other. My service to King Conan has been enjoyable, but my loyalties lie elsewhere.
Thu, May. 29th, 2008, 07:46 am
GO SEE REDBELT
I saw this movie last week thanks to mnight and wickedthought. Not enough people are seeing this movie and it needs a much bigger spotlight on it. It's a modern day movie with authentic fighting. It's not an action movie, but it does take place in the martial world. Go see it. Then take your friends to go see it. Tell everyone else to go see it.
Mon, Dec. 17th, 2007, 07:58 pm
I Am A: Chaotic Good Human Sorcerer (5th Level) Ability Scores:Strength-13 Dexterity-11 Constitution-17 Intelligence-12 Wisdom-13 Charisma-17 Alignment:Chaotic Good A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society. Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit. However, chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment because it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves. Race:Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like. Class:Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast. Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus</a></b> (e-mail)
Comment on this post and I will pick seven of your interests. You then explain them in your journal and re-post. Taken from wickedthought Transhumanism Humans have systematically eliminated all natural motivations to evolve. Coat, umbrella, shoes, AC, innoculations, roof, etc. It's up to forward thinking humans to make the next step happen. Either through genetic modification, nanotechnology, space colonization, etc. It's an optimistic view (and I'm no optimist) of the future that was always riiight there in my brain but just out of focus. Once I found it, I knew it was right. Biotechnology Hmm, see above (sequence chosen for a reason!), Frankenstein be dammed! We have the technology at our fingertips. With the right ethical controls (touchy subject!) it should be used to improve our world. Genetic Engineering Specifically, engineering the human body and high-functioning non-humans to improve upon the trial and error model we have. In the very near future, eliminate disease and defects, in the farther future (but not so far) adding things such as zero-gee adaptation, gills, radiation tolerance, to help take our next big step. Fantasy - As a genre of fiction. It feeds on the near-universal fascination for the days when people thought the stars were diamonds in a curtain and the sun revolved around the cylindrical earth. When evil spirits could enter your body through an open wound, and blasphemy would cause your genitals to fall off or turn your wife into a goat. Back before science fracked it all up for everyone. Gaming - The portal to shared hallucinations (without the need for chemical assistance, so shut it!) and a way to get to know other people with like interests. If I had encountered role-playing when I was seven, I would've started then. It's a piece of me that I hadn't found until my teens. GURPS - I started writing my own role-playing game a week after I started gaming because what existed just wasn't enough. I ran that game for years and constantly refined it toward what I wanted it to be. When I met GURPS, I saw what my game was headed toward and would more or less become in a few more years. Just another example of Evil Stevie stealing ideas from my brain (and making them better!). Martial Arts - Because I'm a ninja. No, really. One of the things that was always there but I hadn't yet realized it. The achievments through martial training are amazing. One of the true sources of superhuman abilities. Like magic, but real. My own martial development has been a fascinating journey. It's had a large impact on who I am today.
Wed, Oct. 3rd, 2007, 09:28 am
Umm... WoW?
Yes, I'm playing World of Warcraft now. I've been playing Guild Wars for the past two years and been very happy with it most of that time. Like everyone else in my guild, I've had my periods of inactivity or burnout, but I've always come back. For my birthday I got a gift card and WoW just happened to be the right price, so I picked it up. Of course all my friends that play have been doing so for a while so I'm a bit behind. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not into the power-leveling or metagaming, farming, camping drops, etc. I like to play the game. I also try to maintain at least a minimal level of role-playing, especially if I'm not getting my role-playing fix in face-to-face gaming. So if anyone out there is WoWing, let me know. I'll be on the lookout for like-minded players and/or guilds. I'm having fun with it for now, but I'd be happier with a few more friends in the game. Now the real question is; what do I do when my "free" first month is up? Will I pay or will I go?
Avast all ye Pastafarians! It be the day o' talkin' like a scruvy bilge rat. Do yer part ye lubber. We break full and by jack tar or they're be no room to swing a cat. Now back to work you dogs and we'll be over the yardarm by
Fri, Aug. 24th, 2007, 10:56 am
The Grimwatch
My name is Kreldin Grimwatch. My father was Erdich Grimwatch. His father was Horix Grimwatch. Our line has guarded the Silver Pond gate since the first watch. We are demon slayers to the last. Our family and six others have kept the horrors of the pond in their place until seven days ago. A shivering mound leapt from the pool. Our seers warned us, so we were ready. It's barbed tentacles whipping about as its shape solidified. Bronze arrows rained on it from the archers on the tower. I didn't move. I stood at my post as it drew closer. I readied my axes and prepared. As it's head lifted from the mass, I could see the malice in it's multifaceted eyes. More tentacles. My brethren fended them off from the sides of the pond with long barbed spears. We had learned a lot about weapons and pain from these denizens. As it tired of being attacked from every side, it moved forward. The only opening in the circle of spears; and it led directly to me. It's dark glare locked onto my face. Several more appendages emerge from the mass. Legs this time. As it lifts itself up, it charges at me full tilt. I spread my arms out. The rows of jagged spikes down my back-armor were made just for this. Two tentacles come for me. Fast. I sink both axes into one of them, severing it clean. The second whips about my body quickly lifting me from my post. Once again, I wait. But this time I dig my arm into the tentacle. The serrated jawbone strapped to my arm tears into the leathery flesh of the beastie. Finally, it's time. It brings me in close. I can see a gaping maw surrounded by hundreds of tiny feelers. As it draws me in, my wait is over. I sever the tentacle holding me, slam the front row of teeth with my bronze boot-plate, and dig in with both axes. Suddenly it stops caring about the twenty four spears thrusting at it from all angles. It's concern turns to me. I leap forward, just beyond the rows of teeth and the fingery feelers, right into the soft pink back of its throat. All at once, the long spears pierce its flesh from all sides. As it recoils from the pain, I lurch forward once again. This time my blades tearing at the soft flesh over the throat. I use my serrated armbands to pull myself upward, cutting my way out through the top. As it slumps forward, I continue hewing the inside of its head until the tentacles stop. As I peeled the torn sheet of fleshy membrane from off my helmet, I could see our oracle running toward the pool. They never come down here unless there's a problem. "Rider" he yelled "Rider" dropping the book he carried and pointing frantically at me. Looking around, I saw nothing. But I felt something. A chill came up my leg. The black cloudy tendrils twisted around my leg and climbed under my armor. I was frozen in place. I started tearing my armor off to get at it. I could hear my brothers on the walls. Their bows flexed in unison, all trained on me. A name came to mind, Leial, and a purpose. One of sheer malevolence. Some days I can control the words that come from my mouth, and some days it's Leial. He... or she... sometimes I can't tell, curses at my people from my lips. There's one Dwarf that has a chance of getting this thing out of my body. He's three days away and Leial gets stronger every day. So once again, I wait. Kreldin Soulbound
Thu, Aug. 23rd, 2007, 07:47 pm
Shambling Sara
My name is Sara. My memories are hazy, but I know I was once Human. I was once a woman, a sister, a wife, and a mother. All is gone now. Even my life. After the Naga attack on our town, many were left dead. Others were carried off and probably enslaved. I was part of the first group. When they first arrived, they sent a dozen yoked Ogres through with spiked clubs. My son Theos was killed on the first swing. His little body hit the ground like a broken doll. My husband Markell killed that Ogre where he stood. He climbed it's spiked armor like a ladder and drove his axe into the back of its neck over and over until it crashed to the ground in a heap. His death was just as swift. Several arrows suddenly appeared, protruding from his chest. The snake-man on top of our town hall hissed as he rained arrows down on my people. I ran to Markells side as my vision blurred with tears. I picked up his axe and stood in time to receive my own not so quick death. A spear tore through my thigh, dropping me onto my back. One of the Ogres picked me up and bit into my side. I would've screamed, but the sheer weight of his maw crushed the air from me. As my vision faded, I felt my insides come out. When I awoke, it all seemed like a dream. It was dark and quiet. I stood slowly and walked toward my house. My leg seemed to drag. I looked down in time to see my guts slide from my side through the hole the Ogre had chewed into me. I gasped and realized it was the first breath I'd drawn since I was awake; if I was awake. It wasn't a dream. They're all dead now. I'm dead too. But for some reason I got back up. My flesh doesn't heal, but I don't feel pain either. I don't seem to need sleep, or food, or anything else. I want to find out if there are others like me and maybe learn how I got this way. I'm also getting really good with Markells axe. Next time I meet a Naga, things will be different. Sara
*****Posted Notice*****in Elvish*** ElfHaven The grand glade, the home of the heart of the Elves. You, friend Elf, are welcomed to make your home here. In a peaceful woodland commune away from the bothersome lessers. Leave your sub-Elf slaves behind and join us in harmony. All Elves can be part of the highest culture and greater of all Lygath. Together, we can find that which was taken from us in the Long Dark. Come my brothers and sisters. Wash yourself of the under-kind. Be cleansed in our purity and be one with the Elves as your ancestors were. (and written in seven other languages) ELVES ONLY - OTHERS WILL BE PURGED FROM NATURE
Wed, Aug. 22nd, 2007, 11:45 am
Icthyians
Six bells past sundown and I'm watching the rolling tide as it disappears out of my lamp light. The tide broke around a rock that wasn't there a moment ago. The rock moved slowly toward shore and I could see it's scaled forehead and large black eyes. Some sort of large fish then. It's approach was slow and steady, even against the tide. As I grabbed my spear, three more heads rose from the water. They were fish-men. I'd heard sailors talk of them, out in the ocean beyond the horizon, but I didn't expect them to come here. Two of them carried spears and one held a large fishing net. As I grabbed my horn to sound an alert, a spear from the darkness tore into my chest. As my breath left me, I watched the peer come up to meet me and my blood dripped sideways through the planks. In the distance I could hear sounds of fighting. It didn't sound like we were winning, either. A moment of pain and a wash of warmth and my eyes drifted closed. When I awoke, I found that I had been one of the lucky ones. Several others were killed or carried off. In fact, some were killed AND carried off. If the sailors tales were true, this was a hunting party. And we were the prey. That was three weeks ago. I've regained most of my strength. I still work the night watch. But now there are nine of us on the beach each night. We've spotted them here and there, but they seem hesitant to attack the town again. But I suspect their food will run out and they'll be back. The scar on my ribs stings and my breath catches for a moment. It'll be soon. -Sgt Davis o' the Boar Shorline Patrol
Tue, Aug. 14th, 2007, 10:34 pm
Old Croghan
Before time was time, he was there. The swamp seemed to grow right from his back. He skulked, and hid, and waited until it was time. When the moons were just right, he'd come to feed. The swamps would part, and the muck would cower. His long, thing fingers reaching up between the boards. A little girl plays on the pier. She sings a pretty song to her doll of straw and twine. Her eyes see a shiny sparkle in the water. A jewel perhaps. Something special for a little girl. She reaches into the water slowly but determined. She feels the smooth knobby surface and smiles. A green sinewy hand wrapped around her foot. The doll floated in the water, surrounded by screams and crying. Old Croghan has been fed for the season.
I received two separate, but somehow linked, lab results today. One was good. It tells me that a surgery I had in January was very likely successful (another test in 30 days will confirm). The other was bad. It tells me that my chemistry is bad (bad chemistry, no protons!). So I have an appointment to discuss the results... and the resulting efforts to mix me better. Outside the pre-storm is brewing. IF the real storm ever gets here, I'll be out in it. It's been too long since I felt the power of Infinity's embrace.
Sun, Jul. 22nd, 2007, 02:06 pm
Woot! GURPS
Had the first gathering of most of my players for my upcoming GURPS game. Right now I'm writing NPCs. Specifically the brood of children belonging to the two characters that are married. I'm watching Brady Bunch episodes for how kids can be plot complications. From what I have so far for PCs and NPCs, it looks to be a very interesting ride. The Elf trapper, the Gnome armorer, the Elf bard, and the Goblin mother with her gaggle of offspring. Details on my current game world can be found here; http://members.cox.net/gurps.gaming/
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crazy
bitchy
hopeful
discontent
contemplative
nauseated
devious