Yeah, I've been feeling the desire to play some old school games the old school ways.
I'm not ditching (or dissing) my current faves: WFRP, Dark Heresy, WoD, etc.
I'm just in the mood for some AD&D 2nd Ed, or test out the new S&W game, maybe RedBox D&D, but play it like we used to...totally RP it up, not be limited to what is in the rules but go crazy with it and drift way outside the lines.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Ugh...
It's 7am on Thursday and I need to get crackin'.
I didn't get much done yesterday. Between the headache of DOOM and farting around online making playlists: http://view.playlist.com/user/27276001 I didn't finish what I planned to.
Granted, My closest deadline is DECEMBER and I have to color one image yet...I'm not too worried about taking a day off here and there. I've done my self-pimping for the week already.
I DO need to crank out some self-promotion pieces. Finding the motivation for that sometimes is a bit harder than doing the dailies (my daily work on paid projects). Still...the work must be done. I have several pics that need to vanish from my portfolio. A lot of awesome stuff has been done recently...but I can't use them yet as they won't hit print for another month. CRAP!
Okay, I'm outy. Getting some coffee and getting to it.
I didn't get much done yesterday. Between the headache of DOOM and farting around online making playlists: http://view.playlist.com/user/27276001 I didn't finish what I planned to.
Granted, My closest deadline is DECEMBER and I have to color one image yet...I'm not too worried about taking a day off here and there. I've done my self-pimping for the week already.
I DO need to crank out some self-promotion pieces. Finding the motivation for that sometimes is a bit harder than doing the dailies (my daily work on paid projects). Still...the work must be done. I have several pics that need to vanish from my portfolio. A lot of awesome stuff has been done recently...but I can't use them yet as they won't hit print for another month. CRAP!
Okay, I'm outy. Getting some coffee and getting to it.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Gaming and game design...
I'm somewhat torn on gaming and by extension game design.
On one hand I believe a game system needs to cater to its strengths: like a cinematic game setting should have a system that is quick, fast, maybe have some cool maneuvers that makes things pop.
At the heart of this is (in my mind) G/N/S theory.
Try and accomplish one or two of these, but avoid trying to accomplish them all.
Don't try and do too much with your game: have a focus, and design your system to fit it. Don't be too broad and do it all. Jack of all trades, master of none. That sort of idea.
Along with this comes the idea that the system is part of the game, and it's all one thing. Role-playing is a part of the whole, and the system is a part as well.
Drifting the system isn't playing the system anymore...you're playing a homebrew.
AND THEN we have the other side...
How do "I" like to play?
I'm absolutely cool with drifting a system to make it fit what I want. I hate the idea of the rules being the game. I hate the idea of "if it's not in the rules, it's not a part of the game".
I hate that shit.
I really MISS the old days of old D&D where we had great games that had great roleplaying (even for a system that for many of thr game-design nazis say wasn't rewarding of RP and really was just a gamist vehicle for killing monsters), great campaigns, and we "drifted" the system regularly and it was okay.
Granted, nowadays I play more WFRP, Savage Worlds, CoC and WoD-type games. I think maybe this is partly because I like the rules to be somewhat fluid or even minimalist and leave me to free-form Roleplay as I wish. I DO like the idea of a unified mechanic (ala D20) for everything. Shadowrun used to drive me crazy because everything had its own system (thank you SR4 for cleaning that up).
Looking back at OD&D and maybe even 2nd ED D&D, I loved those games and that system (with a couple tweaks on occasion) and we played them very loosely...and that was okay.
Why isn't that okay anymore?
There are a number of folks who are steadfast in their belief that that way of playing is somehow "bad" or "wrong" or at the very least a waste of time because there are "better" vehicles for the same play that does it entirely within the rules/ mechanics.
This brings me right back to the frame of mind that reminds me that I HATE folks that live and breathe system System SYSTEM. I don't CARE. I'm here to have a good time with friends in a fantastical make-believe setting and want a bit of escapist fantasy for a few hours with friends.
So how do I make all that jive up in my head?
Social Contract.
Yeah.
As long as everyone is open about what they want, their expectations and all that...who gives a shit? As long as everyone involved is more or less on the same sheet of music, or at least open to what's proposed, then it's doable. You can play V:TM with Rocks Paper Scissors for all I care and make it work.
;)
On one hand I believe a game system needs to cater to its strengths: like a cinematic game setting should have a system that is quick, fast, maybe have some cool maneuvers that makes things pop.
At the heart of this is (in my mind) G/N/S theory.
Try and accomplish one or two of these, but avoid trying to accomplish them all.
Don't try and do too much with your game: have a focus, and design your system to fit it. Don't be too broad and do it all. Jack of all trades, master of none. That sort of idea.
Along with this comes the idea that the system is part of the game, and it's all one thing. Role-playing is a part of the whole, and the system is a part as well.
Drifting the system isn't playing the system anymore...you're playing a homebrew.
AND THEN we have the other side...
How do "I" like to play?
I'm absolutely cool with drifting a system to make it fit what I want. I hate the idea of the rules being the game. I hate the idea of "if it's not in the rules, it's not a part of the game".
I hate that shit.
I really MISS the old days of old D&D where we had great games that had great roleplaying (even for a system that for many of thr game-design nazis say wasn't rewarding of RP and really was just a gamist vehicle for killing monsters), great campaigns, and we "drifted" the system regularly and it was okay.
Granted, nowadays I play more WFRP, Savage Worlds, CoC and WoD-type games. I think maybe this is partly because I like the rules to be somewhat fluid or even minimalist and leave me to free-form Roleplay as I wish. I DO like the idea of a unified mechanic (ala D20) for everything. Shadowrun used to drive me crazy because everything had its own system (thank you SR4 for cleaning that up).
Looking back at OD&D and maybe even 2nd ED D&D, I loved those games and that system (with a couple tweaks on occasion) and we played them very loosely...and that was okay.
Why isn't that okay anymore?
There are a number of folks who are steadfast in their belief that that way of playing is somehow "bad" or "wrong" or at the very least a waste of time because there are "better" vehicles for the same play that does it entirely within the rules/ mechanics.
This brings me right back to the frame of mind that reminds me that I HATE folks that live and breathe system System SYSTEM. I don't CARE. I'm here to have a good time with friends in a fantastical make-believe setting and want a bit of escapist fantasy for a few hours with friends.
So how do I make all that jive up in my head?
Social Contract.
Yeah.
As long as everyone is open about what they want, their expectations and all that...who gives a shit? As long as everyone involved is more or less on the same sheet of music, or at least open to what's proposed, then it's doable. You can play V:TM with Rocks Paper Scissors for all I care and make it work.
;)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Been busy...
Art every day. All day...every day.
Well...that's a bit of an exaggeration, but close.
So I'm a freelance illustrator. Anyone can do that. You don't need a license or hang a shingle really. Just say you are... and you are.
Sort of.
What do I do?
I'm up and working around 7am. Why? Because my wife is up and on the road and I get up as well.
I start the coffee, grab some cold pizza and check emails.
After emails, I'll check Facebook, Livejournal, and a couple forums for open calls...then get some coffee and schedule my day.
Which pieces am I working on currently, where are my deadlines, prioritize my work and get it ready to go.
Next I'll pick up my office area (which happens to be my livingroom), feed the dog and cats, start up the current favorite playlist and get to work.
I take little breaks when I finish a section successfully: check email, update an adventure in D&D:TA, pee the dog.
Around 1200 I take a lunch. This is usually 30 min, but sometimes is an hour (like today).
I'm back to work until about 5:30pm (which is when my wife gets home).
Sometimes I need to work late, so I do. But usually I work from 7-7:30am to 5:30-6pm, every weekday, just like clockwork.
Why?
Because I have an xbox 360 staring at me from across the room, and if I don't keep a disciplined work schedule (pronounced shh-edule BTW) I will find a way to screw off...I won't allow that. The TV doesn't get turned on during the day at-all.
So I'm a Freelance Illustrator. I take a lot from Matt Forbeck's playbook. That man is the living embodiment of a Freelancer! Holy Shit that is one working man. I stick my nose in everything to make my work better. I'm involved in a wide variety of interests to expand my knowledge of what I do. I expand my breadth of work daily (though it sometimes takes a while to get those pieces in the portfolio by nature of NDAs and publication schedules). I like WORKING.
I'm a big fan of social networking, and I'm always on the hunt for more work. I actually keep a spreadsheet of clients and publishers who I hit up for work every two or three weeks. It's not all-inclusive, but I'm getting there. I've got to stay busy.
Staying busy means digging my hands in the work and doing it, all day, every day, and there's no better teacher than first-hand experience. Especially with art: fine art and traditional skills as well as Photoshop/ digital skills. It likely applies to writing and macrame too, but right now I'll stick with what I know.
Right now I'm not a superstar. I'm not Steve Prescott, or RK Post, or Sam Wood (thankfully these guys are all really cool too). I'm not a Boris Vallejo or Frank Frazetta either. But you better keep your eyes open boys (and girls) because I'm coming up fast and catching up skill-wise with every piece I do.
Well...that's a bit of an exaggeration, but close.
So I'm a freelance illustrator. Anyone can do that. You don't need a license or hang a shingle really. Just say you are... and you are.
Sort of.
What do I do?
I'm up and working around 7am. Why? Because my wife is up and on the road and I get up as well.
I start the coffee, grab some cold pizza and check emails.
After emails, I'll check Facebook, Livejournal, and a couple forums for open calls...then get some coffee and schedule my day.
Which pieces am I working on currently, where are my deadlines, prioritize my work and get it ready to go.
Next I'll pick up my office area (which happens to be my livingroom), feed the dog and cats, start up the current favorite playlist and get to work.
I take little breaks when I finish a section successfully: check email, update an adventure in D&D:TA, pee the dog.
Around 1200 I take a lunch. This is usually 30 min, but sometimes is an hour (like today).
I'm back to work until about 5:30pm (which is when my wife gets home).
Sometimes I need to work late, so I do. But usually I work from 7-7:30am to 5:30-6pm, every weekday, just like clockwork.
Why?
Because I have an xbox 360 staring at me from across the room, and if I don't keep a disciplined work schedule (pronounced shh-edule BTW) I will find a way to screw off...I won't allow that. The TV doesn't get turned on during the day at-all.
So I'm a Freelance Illustrator. I take a lot from Matt Forbeck's playbook. That man is the living embodiment of a Freelancer! Holy Shit that is one working man. I stick my nose in everything to make my work better. I'm involved in a wide variety of interests to expand my knowledge of what I do. I expand my breadth of work daily (though it sometimes takes a while to get those pieces in the portfolio by nature of NDAs and publication schedules). I like WORKING.
I'm a big fan of social networking, and I'm always on the hunt for more work. I actually keep a spreadsheet of clients and publishers who I hit up for work every two or three weeks. It's not all-inclusive, but I'm getting there. I've got to stay busy.
Staying busy means digging my hands in the work and doing it, all day, every day, and there's no better teacher than first-hand experience. Especially with art: fine art and traditional skills as well as Photoshop/ digital skills. It likely applies to writing and macrame too, but right now I'll stick with what I know.
Right now I'm not a superstar. I'm not Steve Prescott, or RK Post, or Sam Wood (thankfully these guys are all really cool too). I'm not a Boris Vallejo or Frank Frazetta either. But you better keep your eyes open boys (and girls) because I'm coming up fast and catching up skill-wise with every piece I do.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Getting back on track...
So lately I've been working OT on playing artist. Illustrator. Concept Artist. Not really blogging here so much.
So my friends have been bugging me about Warmachine for a while. I resisted as well as any other immature guy does and eventually caved to peer pressure at GenCon. So for $50 I picked up Cygnar warjacks and warcasters. Two Lancers, One Charger, One Ironclad, One Hammersmith, One Sebastien Nemo, one Journeyman Warcaster...all with cards. (I already had a LT Alister Caine and CDR Coleman Stryker at home) I also picked up the Warmachine Prime-Remix book.
To be honest, the point where I decided to go for it was that the 40k Space Marine Spearhead is $244, and you can't even field an army with that. For that same money I can own every Cygnar model ever made, and for $50 I can field a Warmachine force.
So that being said, my guys are all assembled.
Now usually I'm a BIG advocate of plastic minis. Dude, they are so nice to assemble and convert! No drilling and pinning. plastic cement and you're done!
Warmachine figs are ALL METAL.
Fortunately, and this was a biggie, they are very well cast and designed. All the joints have big holes and plugs or well defined locations. No need for the most part to drill and pin (though I do sometimes just out of habit and it's a good practice anyhow.) The parts to be glued slide nicely together, often snugly so all you need is a drop of super-glue and you're done.
Based them up and primed them white (I want the colors to POP!) and am in the process of painting them now. Photographs to follow.
So my friends have been bugging me about Warmachine for a while. I resisted as well as any other immature guy does and eventually caved to peer pressure at GenCon. So for $50 I picked up Cygnar warjacks and warcasters. Two Lancers, One Charger, One Ironclad, One Hammersmith, One Sebastien Nemo, one Journeyman Warcaster...all with cards. (I already had a LT Alister Caine and CDR Coleman Stryker at home) I also picked up the Warmachine Prime-Remix book.
To be honest, the point where I decided to go for it was that the 40k Space Marine Spearhead is $244, and you can't even field an army with that. For that same money I can own every Cygnar model ever made, and for $50 I can field a Warmachine force.
So that being said, my guys are all assembled.
Now usually I'm a BIG advocate of plastic minis. Dude, they are so nice to assemble and convert! No drilling and pinning. plastic cement and you're done!
Warmachine figs are ALL METAL.
Fortunately, and this was a biggie, they are very well cast and designed. All the joints have big holes and plugs or well defined locations. No need for the most part to drill and pin (though I do sometimes just out of habit and it's a good practice anyhow.) The parts to be glued slide nicely together, often snugly so all you need is a drop of super-glue and you're done.
Based them up and primed them white (I want the colors to POP!) and am in the process of painting them now. Photographs to follow.
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