Pollbludging, Gaming, Socialising, Sexpo, Novel

[tcpip]

Saturday's Victorian state election had a easy victory for the Labor Party. Spent significant time with an old friend, The Pollbludger. In an otherwise dull campaign the Greens can't seem to get the extra 2% or so that they need to get lower house representation, People Power didn't do particularly well, the Nationals have re-established themselves despite claims of their impending doom, Family First's first preference swag seemed equal to the decline in the Labor vote and the Liberal's don't look like they'll have a chance to win until 2014 at the earliest.

In the fantastic worlds of cooperative storytelling, have started playing a PBeM (2 players in Australia, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K.) DragonQuest game with a weretiger with a (pseudo) Malay-Indian background. Wednesday was DQ of the face-to-face variety which continued in The Palace of Ontocle (image) and concluded with an invasion by wizards in airships no less. On Sunday played Urban Arcana as the party of paranormal investigators discover they have a common background (they're all orphans of some description) which apparently will aid them in preventing upcoming ritual summonings of The Thing Man Was Not Meant To Know. The Italians have gone quite crazy in Diplomacy, declaring war on my peaceful ally, France whilst being stabbed in the back by the Austro-Hungarians. Meanwhile Russia has made moves against Germany, who speaks softly and carries a large fleet.

In the "different but compatiable" edition of "something like" DragonQuest, I am halfway through the first chapter on the background world having completed the cosmology, astronomical data, and most of the geography and weather, along with new rules for the astrological aspects. The planet is smaller than Earth, but with greater density, a shorter day, a big red cool sun, a huge axial tilt and lots of volcanos, earthquakes and the like and the remains of a precursor species. I've checked and double-checked the astrological and relevant earth sciences, which has actually been an enjoyable process. Next step is the flora and fauna, in where I'll populate heavily from the Pleistocene.

Hosted a "Mediterranean" dinner on Friday night with several usual suspects in attendance (Katherine, imajica_lj, ser_pounce, wolf_in_winter, caseopaya. Wondering what to do with the enormous "cake" of highly salted sardines from Sardinia. On Saturday, attended Sexpo with caseopaya and rode 'the Gerbil', an adult version of a fairground ghost train. Highlight of the day was the fashion show by Marquis de Sade, including the delightful devilgirly.

With all this activity, it is highly improbable that I'll complete The Outcast Girl within the allocated NaNaWriMo timeframe. Some have suggested that I include the words of my DragonQuest game, as I am writing two projects simultaneously. Regardless, I will be happy if I am half-way complete by the end of the month. Following encounters with Garuda, it's off to the land of the Badui.

Comments

[curufea.livejournal.com]

On a side note - I'm seriously considering starting a PBeM game of Universalis myself.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I'm up for it. PBeM is, in many ways, easier than F3F game, but the lack of synchroncity can be annoying.

I reckon one day I'll run a PBeM HeroQuest, simply because I reckon the system will be well suited for such gaming.

[curufea.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of using a message board though, so you can include dice rolls.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Sure, but for each "round" of combat? Or does Univeralis have a narrative combat? Because HQ does the latter.

[curufea.livejournal.com]

Universalis is quite interesting. I doesn't differentiate between combat, arguements or world creation when it comes to determining outcomes.

It's a resource management type game, in that you create items with traits, and use those traits in "complications". Each trait is worth 1d10. If the "complication" is a conflict, then you will most likely be using combat related traits. You can use traits of objects you currently control - or other people's objects that haven't yet committed to the complication.

Forum- http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=21.0
homepage-
http://www.ramshead.indie-rpgs.com/

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Right, so it is narrative based. In which case it will work quite well with pbem.

[curufea.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm thinking. I believe that was how it was originally designed - 2 players in a chat room.

I view it as more storytelling than traditional roleplaying because the players do not exclusively own any characters. Ownership may change throughout the game. That - and there is no GM of course.

Capes also has no GM, but is more roleplaying than Universalis - because to use the character you have, you need to understand how they use their traits from the inside.

[ser-pounce.livejournal.com]

Yeeeeees, that was definitely an 'interesting' sardine cake. :) I wasn't game enough to try it but everything else was lovely. Thanks :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well, it tasted of salt and sardines ;-)

Love the icon. Leviticus is one of my favourites.

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

I think the pollbludger shares an office with me. If so, it's a small world.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

William Bowe? PhD student at UWA? Used to work for Rehame?

(It's OK to say this, his name is one the pollbludger site)

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

Tick tick and tick. Desk not a metre from my own.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Very small world indeed. You have the opportunity to play a bit of practical joke on him on his return. ;-)

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

Perhaps...depends when he gets back (as well as on my ability to conjure up some sort of trick). I'm leaving on the 5th and won't be back until 15th Feb...not entirely sure when he'll get back.

[lula-neith.livejournal.com]

"Rode the gerbil.." ...o-0...Mwaahaaaha...*ahem* Even in context, that phrase caused me to regress to preadolescent immaturity. Forgive me. *runs away laughing*

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

They were selling t-shirts with the bold emblazon "I Rode The Gerbil At Sexpo".

So you are not alone ;-)

[ktwhoopi.livejournal.com]

the marquis de sade site is amazing!! i want, i want!!!!!! :D

(sorry for hotlinking, but i just gotta!)


but in black


just divine!!

is there pics of devilgirly somewhere? she's hot isn't she?? :D *looks at her profile* yup, she's hot

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I just want them to update their web content and make the damn thing standards compliant. But I'm fussy like that.

All said however the clothes are very nice indeed.

looks at her profile* yup, she's hot

We keep telling her that, but she doesn't believe us!

[ktwhoopi.livejournal.com]

nothing on the site that catches your eye? ;) don't think though that i can put any of them on my christmas list, might freak my family out :D

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Oh heaps of things catch my eye. But I already have quite a good collection of PVC and netting clothes.

Now if I only I could lose a few centimetres of girth I might be able to fit into them again...

[ktwhoopi.livejournal.com]

But I already have quite a good collection of PVC and netting clothes.

ok now i'm jealous!!