She Said: Origins 2011 Part 4 - The Funny, and Interviews!

The Funny

Story of the Flower Seller

This is more 'WTF' than funny, but I had no where else to put the story. So, here goes.

(Setting: Walking out of the Hyatt Regency at 1:30am. Tired and slightly tipsy, with my husband and my father walking right behind me. There's a short, not very well lit area which you have to walk through to get to a crosswalk. This gentleman starts coming towards me, the outline of a flower clearly visible in his raised hand.)

Him: Sir! Sir! Excuse me, sir!

Me: ...

Him: Sir! Would you like...

Me: No, thank you, sir. And I'm a MA'AM.

Him: Oh..ok...

If he'd been hungry and asked for the doggy bag of leftovers from Barley's in my hand, it would've been his. If he'd waited at the crosswalk for me to get to him, I would've been much more polite. But you do NOT run towards a woman at 1:30am on a fairly dark street trying to sell her a f*$#ing flower. Or call her 'sir'. That's just salt on the wound.

I Walk the Line ... While in Costume

I like to think I don't give a poo what anyone else thinks of me. I like to think I have high self-esteem. Every year, that illusion is dissolved when I walk out of my hotel and go 2.5 city blocks while in garb. Some people can do that, no problem. And if you're one of those that can, I wholeheartedly salute you, and wonder what your secret is. Because damned if I don't feel like a two-inch worm when I get 'looks' from those that do not attend Origins. But, every year, I do it. And you know why?

/sigh

The Interviews

I did promise you interviews! And here goes.

Eric Wiener

Eric is a member of Team Paradigm, the guys that lead and guide the happenings of Arcanis/CSE from the background. (Think the Illuminati, but with bowling shirts.) He's also been a good friend of mine for 6 years, and he graciously agreed to answer my questions.

~~~~~

Sarah: What is in the works for Witch Hunter, both as an on-going campaign and as a game in general?

Eric: We are waiting on a proposal that will determine our plans for Witch Hunter.
Our plans are pretty much linked into that proposal, both for the product line and the interactive campaign. The one thing we are firm on is that we will be doing an expansion called Witch Hunter 2012.

Sarah: Are you planning to convert Caliphate Nights to either your new Arcanis system or D&D 4th ed.?

Eric: If we do revisit Tales of the Caliphate Nights, it would likely find a home in more than one system. We've considered the WH system, the new Arcanis system and even some other manufacturer's systems.

Sarah: Think Henry can be persuaded to write some Arcanis fiction?

Eric: Frankly, the releases needed to support and expand the Arcanis RPG line are going to keep everyone busy for the foreseeable future. Arcanis fiction, not only short stories but up to and including full-on novels has been something we've discussed. It just doesn't seem to be a near-future option for us.

Sarah: Production and publishing costs being what they are, is there any plan for either a B&W print of the new CSE book or possibly making the PDF widely available?

Eric: We have no plans for a gray-scale version of the Arcanis: RPG. On the other hand we have plans regarding the PDF that we are going to announce just as soon as we resolve the technical aspects. In short, the PDF will be more readily available.

Sarah: Are there any planned release schedules for additional CSE material, either gaming supplements or modules?

Eric: Arcanis: the RPG has a street date of July 25. Forged in Magic, the first supplement, was at Origins with some advance copies and will follow the core rulebook by a couple of months. The Arcanis Bestiary, should be at GenCon and then released late in the year. We have some printed adventures in the works as well as a Campaign Guide for the Crusade that are still to be announced for release dates from 4Q 2011 - 2Q 2012. Our major releases planed for next year are the Hero's Codex and Chronicler's Codex (GM book)

Sarah: Is there any plan to bring back the Invisible Kings program?

Eric: We don't know. We are certainly interested in story development in areas we are not going to visit for some time (if ever). The actual form of any such program is still up for grabs because we haven't yet built the foundation to build upon. Such is the hazards of relaunch. I would like to add that many authors are currently doing great work by submitting soft points. A couple of years worth of mods should clear everything up for all parties.

Sarah: Thanks, Eric. I owe you some coffee or something

Eric: *laughs* That's all you got?

Sarah: Yup. Short and sweet. I'd make a $#!tty reporter.

And last, but most certainly not least...

Shane Hensley

I've known Shane for going on 5 years, but then again, about a gazillion people can claim the same. Talk with this guy for a few minutes, and see if he doesn't practically make you feel like family. He has been the man behind the dizzying array of products, ranging from table-top RPGs to computer games to card games to books to...

Shane, do you ever sleep, my friend?

Listing all of his achievements would put cramps in my hands, so I will just link to where you can read them yourself.

~~~~~

Sarah: Besides The Last Sons, what else is coming for Pinnacle?

Shane: Savage Worlds Deluxe just dropped! After that is the Horror Companion, 50 Fathoms Explorer's Edition, and the collected Trail Guides for Deadlands. Two other Deadlands books are in their early stages (Relics and Ghost Towns), and Hell on Earth is laid out and going through playtesting and artifying!

Sarah: Any new editions for Savage Worlds planned and, if so, will you stick with an Explorer's Guide-type of book?

Shane: Savage Worlds Deluxe isn't a new edition, but there's lots of cool new stuff in there to *expand* the game. We're doing a limited number of hardbacks, then we'll go back to Explorer-sized versions.

Sarah: You once said Lacy O'Malley was based off of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, but were Stone, Hellstromme, or Grimme based off of anyone?

Shane: Stone was based off Clint Eastwood in a backwards way. I asked for a hero and Brom gave me the image you saw on the first edition of Deadlands. When I saw it I knew it had to be Stone instead. Grimme and Hellstromme are completely original, but their *looks* are based off the preacher from Poltergeist 2 and Vincent Price, respectively.

Sarah: What's your favorite game that you've written?

Shane: They're all my babies. The Plot Point in 50 Fathoms works the best, I think. City by the Silt Sea (for TSR's Dark Sun) was a blast. Evernight was a BLAST to run. I guess I have to go with Deadlands and Hell on Earth though--there's a lot of my soul in those books. :)

Sarah: Due to the awesomeness that is Zombie Pirates, are there any more computer games in the works?

Shane: My day job is at Cryptic Studios where I'm working on Neverwinter. I'd LOVE to do more casual games. I'm very proud of Zombie Pirates, and love the way the gameplay and the story turned out. But it's tough finding funding for smaller games, even though I think they have the greatest potential compared to their risk (Plants vs Zombies or Angry Birds, anyone?)

Sarah: Thanks again, Shane. I owe you (and Michelle) a drink next Origins if you guys go.

Shane: I never turn down a drink!

Thanks!

All in all, Origins was a convention well worth the time and effort. A+ eBay. Would buy again.

I now leave you guys in the capable hands of my husband. Thanks to Eric and Shane for answering my questions. I now apparently have many drinks to hand out for next year...

She Said: Origins 2011 Part 3 - The 'Meh...'

The "Meh.."

Costumes 

As the attendance for the convention seemed down, so did the number of brave ladies and gents that decided to go around in jedi robes, steampunk finery, and Renaissance velvets. There were still a few I managed to find, but very little. Above and below are a few of my own pictures.

The Arcanis Soft Point
One of Arcanis' most prolific authors, Scott Charlton, has been with the gaming community for eons. He wrote Carnival of Swords, In the Shadow of the Devil, and The Bloody Sands of Sicaris. He also enjoys writing fiction based on the intricate stories already woven by the industrious Henry Lopez. His latest creation, Kiss of the Beautiful Devil, was one of the modules played at Origins this year. It's also, in my opinion as a player, his worst. I'll not give away spoilers, but it will require heavy editing and lots of feedback. I also do not mean to discourage or deride Mr. Charlton's abilities. He can weave a tale like a spider weaves a web. But, sometimes a web can be so full of various sticky threads that even players are caught as flies, with no way out. In fact, I encourage you, if you have played it, to send feedback to Kitty Curtis (feedback@shatteredempires.com). We love feedback, whether it is good or bad, just so long as it's also constructive.

The Origins Swag Bag

Origins veterans likely know what the Origins Swag Bag is. It's a medium-sized plastic bag that acts as kind of a Christmas stocking for us gamers. It has all sorts of coupons for booths in the Exhibit Hall, cards for newly developed games, keychains emblazed with the names of various gaming companies, and the coveted "Origins (Insert Year Here) d6 Die". This year, though, was filled merely with advertisements, a small Pog-like token (you guys remember Pogs?) that I have no idea of its purpose, and a keychain/beer bottle opener.

It did have the Origins d6 Die and a page of coupons to the food court. The staff at said food court, however, was seen being derisive at the coupons to the customers there, to the point one customer in front of me decided it wasn't worth it and kept the coupons in his pocket, unused. Bad food court. No cookie!

Guess Who's Coming to Democratic Dinner?

This might also fall in 'The Funny' category too, but I more shook my head than laughed at this particular scenario. Imagine, if you will, a bunch of gamers, dressed in steampunk costume, carrying various weaponry with them as either part of their costume or new purchases from the Exhibit Hall. Now imagine the look on a Secret Service agent's face, one who's job it is to protect Vice President Joe Biden, when said group of gamers passes him.

Probably not plotting anything concerning the Democratic Party.
(Doc is pictured in mid-game, 2nd from left.)

Columbus Convention Center. A word of advice. Do not schedule a Democratic Party dinner at the same time as a gaming convention, where all of us weirdos are gonna be high on Mtn. Dew while carrying swords and crossbows. It's bad form.

Tomorrow: Last in this series (Origins: The Funny and Interviews), and then the reins of the blog will be back in the hands of DocStout!

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Some mods for Oblivion to hold you over

Here are some mods for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that will hold you over until the amazing fifth installment in the series is finally released for us to play!

She Said: Origins 2011 Part 2

Yesterday, I posted about The Good about Origins 2011. Well, unfortunately, it's that time where I talk about the not-so-good. I wish this was a bit shorter, but I promise to not drop the critical hit with Wall 'o Text on you this time.

The Bad

Origins 2011 Attendance

Origins has, historically, been the second-largest gaming convention in the U.S., with GenCon far in the lead. With that said, Origins can still boast an attendance number of 8,000-10,000, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Unfortunately, for this year, it felt more like 6,000. In years past, I have seen lines for tickets and badges wrap entirely around corners, down halls, up staircases. I've sat in line for hours, cursing my inability to pre-register for events, and wishing the lines were shorter.

Be careful what you wish for.

The Exhibit Hall

I swear, I get this feeling every time; it's the giddiness of walking into an Exhibit Hall on Thursday morning and looking at all the fun stuff to demo, the nifty costumes, old gaming books for deep discount. I can go up to the CEO of a gaming company and completely nerd out with him over his new Shadowrun 4th ed. books. (Which, by the way, are absolutely gorgeous.) But like the attendance, this year's Exhibit Hall seemed small in comparison to days of old. Although GAMA has said it sold out all booths before the convention, the Hall did not give me the feeling of elation, only mild disappointment. The number of booths demonstrating their new games felt was about right, but NOTHING looking interesting enough to demo. And that makes for a sad panda.

Doesn't everyone use this picture in at least one of their posts?

Mage Wars Cards

While waiting in line for tickets, a gentleman wearing an Arcane Wonders t-shirt came up to me and handed me a card for a new card-based board game called Mage Wars. After looking over the flimsy thing, I didn't realize the source of my distaste with it until my husband made the comment, "You can tell it's not professionally produced." I asked how he knew that, and he replied, "Because of the borders, they're all scuffed up. It would've been much better to have a white border, instead of a black one that has paint coming off in places. If you know your deck well enough, you can cheat just by memorizing the scuffs on individual cards."

And he's right. I remember that being a problem with M:TG Alpha, although M:TG cards, even during Alpha, were better made and not nearly as brittle around the edges. Shame too. It looked like an interesting game, but that just killed my interest in it.

Unfortunately, the bear also looks like a screenshot from the Discovery Channel's website.

Barley's

Please don't get me wrong. Barley's has been a tradition with me and mine for many years now. We go there, drink their prized ales, eat Mildred's Sauerkraut Balls, and chat about the past few days of gaming goodness.

But you shouldn't make a group of 7 people wait for 45 minutes, and then try to seat 8 people that had just got there, no reservation either. One of our group, a feisty girl named Christina, even decided to go up to the hostess stand to give her what for.

We were seated 5 minutes later. And for the rest of the night, as I looked at the surprisingly poor food on my plate, I had disturbing thoughts resembling the scenes from Waiting.

Origins Future Dates

I'm sure some of you GAMAphiles have already heard. But for those of you who do not keep up with Origins/GAMA-related news, this will either upset or excite you. Here goes.

For at least the next two years, Origins will fall on Memorial Day. While that will obviously not affect the international community (unless there is also a holiday in their country that falls around late-May), it will have a definite impact upon the American gaming community, especially teachers and students.

Memorial Day is usually a time for families to have reunions, cook on their grills, and give thanks to the men and women of the Armed Forces, not to mention finishing up school and commencement ceremonies for graduation. It's a busy busy time for students, the parents of students, and teachers, all of which make up a decent chunk of the gaming community. While it will certainly help with costs in going to the convention, what money attendees might save in going, GAMA might lose with dropped attendance numbers.

She Said: Origins 2011

Hello! My name is Sarah and I'm the wife of DocStout, the author of The Unemployed Geek. I've been a gamer for over 17 years, my gaming experience largely encompassing D&D, Pinnacle Entertainment's Savage Worlds, and Paradigm Concept's Living Arcanis/Chronicles of the Shattered Empires. I'm also a published author and editor, with over a decade under my belt in working with some of the best and brightest the gaming industry has to offer.

Origins has always held a special place in my heart. It was where I first met my husband and many, many more dear friends. It was also where I first learned about and played in something called a "Battle Interactive." It was where I got Adrian Paul to sign my sling after I dislocated my shoulder (short version: a 325lb ex-Marine should not playfully try to put a 125lb woman in an armlock). I got a hug and cheek pinch from Don S. Davis "for being cute" and had a long chat with Teryl Rothery about being a female in a male-dominated industry. Every year, I manage to come back with tales of valor, of pranks played, of hilarity, and of fun times had.

This year was no exception. I'll start off with the good stuff.

The Good

The Drive

With the majority of gamers in the U.S. being centered across the Midwest, it makes sense for the two biggest conventions to be located there. (The other, of course, is GenCon in Indianapolis, IN.) For those of you who despise the TSA/Airlines, and wish to bring an entire household full of gaming books - you know who you are - driving is about the only reasonable method in getting to Columbus, OH. And if you are part of the majority, that drive is not too terribly long, thankfully. There is only so much Dramamine in the world. I can't be the only person in the world that gets carsick while reading in a moving car. And being unable to read gaming books while on your way to a gaming convention?

Think this, but with books.

The Soft Drinks

I know my husband has mentioned Mountain Dew Pitch Black before. I, like him, have sacrificed virgins in the name of the Old Ones in order for it to return to us. Or something like that. We thought we'd be clever and pick up an 8-pack here and a 12-pack there, slowly hoarding it, as we knew its time on our mortal plane was short. But, damnit, if everyone else didn't think of that same plan. You're lucky if you can find a single bottle of this stuff in Chicago.

In our pre-convention grocery run, we happened down the drink aisle. Just as my husband was saying, "I doubt they have Pitch Black," we looked down. Our eyes bugged. There, on the shelf, looking forlorn and unloved, were two 12-packs of ambrosia itself.

The Not-So-Soft Drinks

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with Irish liquors outside of Bailey's or maybe Caroline's. A friend of mine, Matt, has a definite love of a particular Irish liquor called Celtic Crossing, and since he brought a bottle with him to Origins, I felt I also needed to share the awesomeness with you all. Think scotch, but sweeter.

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

When you've been gaming for a long time, especially in an environment like an on-going RPG, you meet a great many people. A big reason people go to these conventions is to catch up on old friends and make new ones. Which, I suppose, is ironic considering the stereotype of the anti-social gamer. The games we play are, at their heart, socially-based. You will make more friends than you can remember. (You might make enemies too, but that's another story.) Which is why, when you go to a convention, you might catch yourself looking at someone in the face, then your eyes will flicker down to the name on their badge and then back up. I think it's a tradition now.

I'm not looking at your boobs, I'm trying to read your badge.

The New Arcanis

I'll do my best to not go into too much detail with this one, as my husband will be writing a later article reviewing the new Chronicles of the Shattered Empires (CSE) system. Needless to say, many man-hours were spent tweaking, editing, and playtesting the book that would become the basis for Arcanis.

Arcanis has, and probably always will, go by what's called a Hard Point-Soft Point story arc. Hard Points mean the story and scenario contained within a particular adventure directly impacts the main story arc that is planned. It is HIGHLY preferred that they be played in order. Soft Points, on the other hand, do not directly affect the story. They can be played at any time and in any order.

The Hard Points that premiered at Origins were penned by the master storyteller himself, Henry Lopez. They were story and role-play heavy, with a small amount of combat, as is Henry's M.O. I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for us Arcaniacs.

One of the Soft Points we played at Origins was GM'ed for us by the author himself, Tony Nijssen, a fantastic guy and great storyteller in his own write. (Write. Get it? I made a funny.) If you have not played Ancient Secrets Left Unspoken yet, I highly recommend it.

The Role-Playing Interactive (or LARP, if you prefer) for CSE was its usual. How it works is there is a small number of NPCs sitting at tables spread out around a large room (usually 5-8 NPCs, depending on the size.) Those NPCs usually represent certain important factions, royalty, and so on. And they need stuff done and accomplished with the other NPCs there. The problem? They cannot talk to each other, and hence need intermediaries. That is where the PCs come in. PCs usually join the entourage of a particular person, usually when the NPC's interests matches the PC's. What happens next is 4-hours of back-stabbing, diplomacy, lying, cheating, and political maneuvering goodness.

As mentioned earlier, there is something called a 'Battle Interactive' or 'BI'. If you do not know what this is, I hope to describe it well enough to do it justice.

Imagine this, but with 20 more tables in the same room.

It is roughly 10-12 hours of continuous fighting, usually centered around a siege or battle in the over-arcing storyline (hence the name.) It is a desperate fight for survival. Your table is sent on various missions (secure refugees here, destroy siege weapons there, usually lasting about 30 min-1hr) and your success or failure helps determine the success or failure of the entire battle. It is fast-paced and frantic, with people usually taking their actions at the same time while calling out numbers to the GM, who is juggling about 10-30 bad guys on the battlemat. There is a narrative between each missions, describing the ebb and flow of the battle at large and what your actions have done to control said battle.

It's also one of the absolute best parts of my convention experience.

Speaking of the BI, there is a new feature that Arcanis started doing this year, which is handing out patches as a sort of battle trophy. And when I mean patches, I mean the large sew-on/iron-on patches you got when you were in Boy Scouts, with the particular battle you participated in printed on it. While looking quite snazzy, they also have an in-game effect, making them much more valuable.

And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to extend my congratulations to Kitty Curtis for becoming the new Campaign Director for CSE. I'm sure her tenure as the head of this campaign will be an amazing, creative, and exciting one for everyone who loves Arcanis.

Coming Soon!

The Bad, The 'Meh', The Funny, and interviews with Pinnacle Entertainment's Shane Hensley and PCI's Eric Wiener.

Dead Island Screenshots, Concept Art, Trailer, Gameplay...

Dead Island looks to be an awesome game and it's getting a lot of attention; I think this game is going to be fun and beautiful at the same time. The game seems quite a bit more realistic than most zombie games in the past few years. I love zombies! >:D

Source:  http://e3.gamespot.com/image_viewer.html?sid=6318273&tag=thumb;1&img=1