A very long weekend, Gaming Updates, Activism on Political Economy

[tcpip]

Spent three days off work last week feeling more than a little under the weather; mostly OK now. Prior to that managed to get an ab-initio simulation package installed on the main cluster; it wasn't easy and there are still MPI bugs to iron out. In my time off I did put up some more Bahasa Indonesian lessons; two, three, and four. Also spent a bit of time playing Solar Wolf; best personal score is now close to that of the designer's. SW is, imo, particularly interesting for developing heuristic solutions to shortest path problems. Or at least that's what I thought whilst dosed up on Demazin, Mersyndol etc etc.

I also took some time to do some more editing on Rolemaster Cyradon; a final draft is due on May 1st and thankfully it is pretty much finished. Managed to squeeze in a game D&D/Pathfinder Fantasy Australia and, on Sunday, ran part two of the famous "Cradle" scenario in the RuneQuest game in which the PCs engaged in some thoroughly heroic actions to protect the giant baby. Took the opportunity to name all the forty or so NPCs siding with the defenders; surprised in both this and the preceding session on how smoothly the RQ combat system operates with such large numbers of participants as well.

Next week will be busy; speaking next Sunday at the Unitarian Philosophy Forum on "The Philosophy of Economics Part I: Normative Economics or, Who Gets What and Why" (will be followed up with Part II: "Positive Economics, or, What Works And What Doesn't"). Preparing another article on LeftFocus on "Labor's Georgist Tradition" for later this week and speaking at the St Kilda branch of the ALP next week on the global financial crisis. Writing a new article for Isocracy on "Nationalism and Internationalism" Express your thoughts on the Melbourne's public transport system and potential solutions here.

Comments

[sandypawozbun.livejournal.com]

*wistful sigh* Rolemaster was the first gaming system I ever used. No one I know now even knows what it is, let alone how good it was.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It's not too bad. I rated the old books pretty harshly on RPG.net (giving a 2/5 for Character Law, 2/5 for Arms Law/Claw Law, 3/5 for Spell Law and 5/5 for Campaign Law), but that's for an early 80s game in the late 2000s.. By picking the right options from the various Companions I think you could create something quite good.

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

I admired Rolemaster rather than liking it. "A mistake carried through to perfection", to apply a quote from a rather different area.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It had some excellent ideas for its time. The entire of upbringing (character class) strongly influencing but not restricting skills that could be learned. The relationship between injury type and wounds. The distinction in the magic realms depending on source and effect etc.

Of course, the execution of some of these ideas could have been better...

Apropos the post, for something you'll get, the PCs have powered their way past the Lunar's in Pavis. Rather than having the cradle simply float downstream they met up with Brighteye, the Zola Fel fish priest, and sacrificed 9 points (!) of their own Power to summon a new set of Water Elementals to power the vessel. Brighteye was sufficiently impressed so he he added a requisite amount of his own Power to Extend the spell..

And the Dragonewt character gave up her immortality in favour of saving the giant baby!

Now the cradle is floating past the Rubble with Dragonnewts on board, rather than Lunars... Heheh..

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

Ooh, nice work! Er hang on - Dragonnewt PC? How on earth/the lozenge are you handling that?

You might like a look at what the Swords campaign did with the Cradle. I don't know how much is suitable for other groups, though.
http://www.jane-williams.me.uk/glorantha/swords/index.cfm
The quest to get the Golden Wheel Dancer back got quite fun.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Oh handling it hasn't been too bad at all. The player has been quite good at acting as if their character is torn between their human past and dragonnewt transformation... It all came from a small modification that I made to the Five Eyes Temple. The Dragonnewts visited her just before the Cradle came downstream and asked her whether she wanted to support the "human-giant illusion" that is this reality or fully become a dragonnewt. When she refused to kill the giant baby they accused her of being like Windwhistler the Sun Dragon :)

That's a lot of detail on your Swords campaign! I'll have to read it all over the next couple of days!

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Oh my. Do you spend hours every day playing video games? =)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Only when I'm not well.. Otherwise, I do spend an hour or so each day doing play-by-email roleplaying games and do face-to-face roleplaying games on average twice a week for four-five hours.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Do you know the Icelandic online strategy EVE Online?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, quite a few people have told me about it and all have giving it glowing reviews; one person (lj user="nickedmetal">) was even considering working for the good folk... However, I've studiously avoided the entire MMORPG phenomenon thus far... apart from investigating it from a programmer's perspective.

(The most advanced MMORPG is simply a MUD with a good graphics skin)

[niamh-sage.livejournal.com]

Hi there! I do believe I remember you from university. :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The convergence of interests... Murdoch University, rodents, good speculative fiction... I couldn't resist.

However I can't say I recognise you from your icon, although I must say that's a cute nose. :)

[niamh-sage.livejournal.com]

Haha, thanks! :D She was a lovely rat, a favourite among all the rats I've been privileged to know. They're such amazing animals!

If it helps as a reminder, my name is Camilla and I studied Biology at Murdoch. I think I was a first year and if I remember correctly, we met through the medium of the MU Chocolate Appreciation Society. Either that or the infamous Social Club. Gosh that was years ago now.

Which of the speculative fiction caught your eye, out of interest?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yes, they are amazing animals... As smart as any dog or cat (despite those little heads) and certainly with equal personality, if not more. I have two currently bouncing all over me..

Hmmm... I remember MU ChocApSoc, and yes, that was years ago... And I do remember your name; you were involved in BESA?... I was EVP of the Guild for most of the time that you were on campus; indeed, we had almost exactly the same period of time there (I was '86 to '92) :)

Now the speculative fiction part; oh the usual suspects, LoTR, Pratchett, Gaiman...

[niamh-sage.livejournal.com]

Awww lucky you, to have rats bouncing all over you! I can't have any at the moment - my mother-in-law is terrified of mice and rats and wouldn't come here if she knew there were ratties about. Maybe when we come back to Aus one day...

Re: BESA, yes, I was involved with that! I have lots of happy memories of student camps, caring for and feeding the loan labcoats (after a semester of use they definitely had their own personalities), oooh and doing the rounds of the various Happy Hours on a Friday afternoon. *nostalge, nostalge* I remember you being Guild EVP too!

Re: the speculative fiction, excellent taste, I see ;)

[roblayton.livejournal.com]

This post reminds me that I really need to find an actual physical community where I can engage in discussions about complex issues before entropy sets in.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

This is very true. Online material helps establish a written record and fleshing out of ideas. The real world provides the face-to-face connections and localises the implementation of social change.

PS: Join isocracy.org I think you'll like it there...

[roblayton.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Lev.