If life were a video game, people would get achievements for jobs, marriage, self-sacrifice, and sticking with goals. Perhaps, if they were older games, we would be facing holes in the ground, which we would, of course, jump over. Door on the second floor? No problem. You can jump over than your head...if you can jump at all. I prefer the jumping; I hate video games where a small pile of trash you could step over blocks your way.
Our pockets would be infinitely deep. We could carry around furniture and all our worldly possessions in a backpack or a pair of cargo pants. Moving to another town would be an epic journey requiring the assistance of someone with an oversized sword and a hero complex. Hey, the hero complex would be so common as to be practically normal.
We would have random encounters with strange monsters whenever we travelled...and zombies while at home. But don't worry, a lone hero would come, perhaps gather friends, and save us all. Or, perhaps you're the hero. You could be; or perhaps, in trying, you might become the hero. Or their ally, or a warning for someone else.
If life were a video game, there would be countless princesses of countless kingdoms, and every one of them would be good and beloved and endlessly in danger. But worry not, these troubled times will pass, for the prophesied hero will come and save her, restoring the kingdom to peace and prosperity. Or perhaps she is not kidnapped. Perhaps she goes out to set right the things that have gone wrong in her kingdom. That happens, right?
Maybe you're in a different genre altogether, with pigs stealing eggs and birds knocking down towers. Maybe you're an intellectual being, and your power to save the world lay in your ability to crack a code or solve a puzzle. Alternately, you're an aspiring tyrant, and to take over the world, you must use tactics and strategy.
Maybe you've chosen a dark game. You may be alone, or nearly so, and just to survive. Maybe you are the last human, and the remaining bits of humans are slathering monsters. You discover something, a secret, maybe other survivors. Maybe a cure is just around the corner. You would have to find that cure. Unless you're one of the slathering monsters.
Let's swing things back around to happier games. Say you need someone to love; you could gather a few flowers, recite a few poems, and become inseparable. Your relationship would be limited to a small selection of phrases. But that would be enough, right? Certainly it would be; isn't that all a pixelated hero needs?
But in all these cases, these wandering monsters and slathering subhumans, fear not. There is a healing potion, or a blast of adrenaline, or a magical flower. You will be healthy at a mere taste. Catch a disease? Chances are, this potion will heal you. Health is great and incurable diseases unheard of.
Maybe there's magic involved. Perhaps you, and/or others, can cast great and powerful spells, or create rituals that will save humanity. You're in a video game; anything is possible.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Role Playing Tropes: Four Classes
Role-playing began with wargaming - people built armies and attacked other people's armies. Then, says legend, Gary Gygax asked "What if you were one soldier on the battlefield?" The people in the original role-playing group were reading Tolkien and studying medieval history. If they had been reading Heinlein and studying engineering and astrophysics, I imagine gaming would look a little different.
The wargaming, fantasy, and medieval origins of Dungeons and Dragons plays a key role in its tropes. For example, the four classes - fighter, cleric, wizard, and rogue. Fighter is fairly easy to see - on the battlefield, the soldier is a fighter. Cleric makes some sense. Medieval armies had priests with them for blessings and prayers. And wizards - well, what's fantasy without spellcasters? The thief (called rogue in later editions) was added for city adventuring.
An interesting thing about fighters is that they are always geared toward being toe-to-toe melee combatants. There might be customization options, but a ranged or deterity focused fighter has wasted and mismatched class features in third edition, and must choose another class altogether in fourth.
There is a class variant in "Unearthed Arcana" for third edition which works well for dexterous and ranged fighters. Start with a rogue. Remove the sneak attack and add the fighter's bonus feats. Compared with the fighter class, you sacrifice fortitude for reflexes. You don't have the array of weapons and armor, but you have defensive abilities the fighter doesn't (uncanny dodge, evasion, trap sense). You have a lower attack but more skills to jump and tumble across the battlefield. Essentially, you have a class designed for mobile combat, skilled in new areas.
In older editions, Clerics couldn't use bladed weapons. They could beat someone to death with a mace - but if they fought with a sword, they lost their powers. That changed in third edition, when they were given broader access to weapons and armor. I think they should have dialed back the armor proficiencies and given them more skill points, but that's just me. Now, with D&D Next, larger portions of the cleric's class features are determined by their deity choice. This pleases me.
Finally, there's the wizard, who illustrates the question of relative power and levels. There are those who complain that, in third edition, a 20th level fighter is powerless next to a 20th level wizard, and at low levels the wizard is powerless next to the fighter. Some argue that's how it should be, but I think level should mean something - people of a given level should be of the same power.
I tried to fix that in my games - more low-level spells and fewer high-level spells for wizards, for example - but didn't get it quite right. Then came fourth edition, and everybody's the same power at every level. Perhaps it went too far - people complained that all classes were essentially the same. D&D Next is trying to fix that by giving wizards reusable low-level spells and fiddling with spellcasting. We'll see how that works out.
I don't have any comments on the rogue today, but I will come back around to them.
The wargaming, fantasy, and medieval origins of Dungeons and Dragons plays a key role in its tropes. For example, the four classes - fighter, cleric, wizard, and rogue. Fighter is fairly easy to see - on the battlefield, the soldier is a fighter. Cleric makes some sense. Medieval armies had priests with them for blessings and prayers. And wizards - well, what's fantasy without spellcasters? The thief (called rogue in later editions) was added for city adventuring.
An interesting thing about fighters is that they are always geared toward being toe-to-toe melee combatants. There might be customization options, but a ranged or deterity focused fighter has wasted and mismatched class features in third edition, and must choose another class altogether in fourth.
There is a class variant in "Unearthed Arcana" for third edition which works well for dexterous and ranged fighters. Start with a rogue. Remove the sneak attack and add the fighter's bonus feats. Compared with the fighter class, you sacrifice fortitude for reflexes. You don't have the array of weapons and armor, but you have defensive abilities the fighter doesn't (uncanny dodge, evasion, trap sense). You have a lower attack but more skills to jump and tumble across the battlefield. Essentially, you have a class designed for mobile combat, skilled in new areas.
In older editions, Clerics couldn't use bladed weapons. They could beat someone to death with a mace - but if they fought with a sword, they lost their powers. That changed in third edition, when they were given broader access to weapons and armor. I think they should have dialed back the armor proficiencies and given them more skill points, but that's just me. Now, with D&D Next, larger portions of the cleric's class features are determined by their deity choice. This pleases me.
Finally, there's the wizard, who illustrates the question of relative power and levels. There are those who complain that, in third edition, a 20th level fighter is powerless next to a 20th level wizard, and at low levels the wizard is powerless next to the fighter. Some argue that's how it should be, but I think level should mean something - people of a given level should be of the same power.
I tried to fix that in my games - more low-level spells and fewer high-level spells for wizards, for example - but didn't get it quite right. Then came fourth edition, and everybody's the same power at every level. Perhaps it went too far - people complained that all classes were essentially the same. D&D Next is trying to fix that by giving wizards reusable low-level spells and fiddling with spellcasting. We'll see how that works out.
I don't have any comments on the rogue today, but I will come back around to them.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Dungeons and Dragons: Next
I've played Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) for 13 years. More, if you count the times I created characters but didn't play, or the books and shows set in their universe. So 13.
I've mostly played 3rd Edition, with a healthy dose of 4th. For those unfamiliar with the game, D&D is played with paper and pencil, not computers. New sets of rules and ways to play are periodically published. That is called an edition.
The upcoming edition, "D&D Next" rather than "D&D 5th Edition" is being publicly playtested. This is, partly, to help avoid the uproar from some in the community that weren't happy with fourth edition, or previous editions. You can sign up for the playtest at http://dndplaytest.wizards.com/
It's an extensive playtest; they're getting lots of feedback and explaining their philosophy of design in a series of blogs. My favorite is Legends and Lore, which discusses general design. I'm also big on Wandering Monsters, which discusses monster design, and D&D Next Q&A, which attempts to answer community questions each week. Q&A makes more sense if you're already reading the other blogs and playing the game.
I've run a few dozen sessions of D&D Next; I've only played a character a couple of times. There's plenty about it to enjoy. There are enough ability increases to give a feel of progression. However, the bonuses to attack and skills remain relatively stable over time, allowing adventures and monsters to easily scale between levels. When it comes to skills, as they stand at the moment, you can choose either to gain new skills or to give all your skills a higher bonus, representing expanding your repertoire or focusing on existing abilities.
Feats are being overhauled. They've been part of the game since 3rd Edition, and a great way to customize your character. However, they add complexity to the game which some people don't like. When simplified characters became available for fourth edition, some people in my group switched to them.
There is an option in Next is to take a bonus to an ability instead of a feat. Since bonuses to attacks, skills, and other rolls are more rare, ability bonuses are a bigger deal than in previous editions. So feats, which are about equal to a +1 to an ability, also take on more meaning. Rather than being a minor tweak, they become major features of your character. You don't gain a new trick with your weapon; you master it. Or, that's where they're heading.
It's not all about stats and combat, however. They're adding in more options for personality and roleplaying and interactions with other characters, and ways to reward roleplaying beyond experience. They recently added rules for exploration. I haven't been able to play D&D Next for a while, but I have a group now. My players are in a city campaign, so maybe a trip through the sewers, or a chase through a busy neighborhood. There are powerful undead around they may need to find, or escape...
I've mostly played 3rd Edition, with a healthy dose of 4th. For those unfamiliar with the game, D&D is played with paper and pencil, not computers. New sets of rules and ways to play are periodically published. That is called an edition.
The upcoming edition, "D&D Next" rather than "D&D 5th Edition" is being publicly playtested. This is, partly, to help avoid the uproar from some in the community that weren't happy with fourth edition, or previous editions. You can sign up for the playtest at http://dndplaytest.wizards.com/
It's an extensive playtest; they're getting lots of feedback and explaining their philosophy of design in a series of blogs. My favorite is Legends and Lore, which discusses general design. I'm also big on Wandering Monsters, which discusses monster design, and D&D Next Q&A, which attempts to answer community questions each week. Q&A makes more sense if you're already reading the other blogs and playing the game.
I've run a few dozen sessions of D&D Next; I've only played a character a couple of times. There's plenty about it to enjoy. There are enough ability increases to give a feel of progression. However, the bonuses to attack and skills remain relatively stable over time, allowing adventures and monsters to easily scale between levels. When it comes to skills, as they stand at the moment, you can choose either to gain new skills or to give all your skills a higher bonus, representing expanding your repertoire or focusing on existing abilities.
Feats are being overhauled. They've been part of the game since 3rd Edition, and a great way to customize your character. However, they add complexity to the game which some people don't like. When simplified characters became available for fourth edition, some people in my group switched to them.
There is an option in Next is to take a bonus to an ability instead of a feat. Since bonuses to attacks, skills, and other rolls are more rare, ability bonuses are a bigger deal than in previous editions. So feats, which are about equal to a +1 to an ability, also take on more meaning. Rather than being a minor tweak, they become major features of your character. You don't gain a new trick with your weapon; you master it. Or, that's where they're heading.
It's not all about stats and combat, however. They're adding in more options for personality and roleplaying and interactions with other characters, and ways to reward roleplaying beyond experience. They recently added rules for exploration. I haven't been able to play D&D Next for a while, but I have a group now. My players are in a city campaign, so maybe a trip through the sewers, or a chase through a busy neighborhood. There are powerful undead around they may need to find, or escape...
Three Tower Defense Game Reviews
Okay, rather describe all the Tower Defense games I've played, I'll give you a run-down of three of my favorites. Incidentally, the games reviewed in this post can be found at kongregate.com
BLOONS TOWER DEFENSE
There are five incarnations of Bloons Tower Defense, plus a Player vs Player (PvP) version. My computer, which was old years ago, doesn't run Bloons 5. They all have a measure of fun, but the graphics get slicker and the monkey towers do more things in the higher version. What are monkey towers, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked. The towers you place are mostly monkeys throwing darts or glue or what-have-you. (This is a very weird game.) Even though maybe half the towers don't have monkeys, depending on the version, I still call them that because I like saying monkey towers. Monkey towers.
Anyway, there's a set path along which balloons travel, and you place monkey towers near the path to pop them before they complete it. There's too many tower types to go into detail, but I would like to highlight the "Super Monkey" - a very expensive tower which shoots darts really fast. Like, super fast. He wears blue and red and has a cape. Some Balloon types include the basic red balloon, the blue one which turns into a red when popped, ceramic and lead balloons which pretty much require explosives or fire to pop, camo balloons which require certain upgrade towers in order to see them, and the MOAB - Mother of All Balloons. It's a balloon pinata, with balloon prizes. You need highly upgraded cannons to deal with it.
On the surface, you wouldn't think I'd like this one. It has a set path on which nothing can be placed. However, the absurdity of monkeys popping balloons and the upgrade options of the monkey towers just make it fun - and there's enough challenge to the game to keep me coming back for more without being so challenging that it doesn't feel beatable.
CURSED TREASURE
In this one, you are an evil someone or other guarding their magic jewels from nasty adventurers who want to steal them. You have three towers: dens, which shoots arrow after arrow and can be placed on grassy areas; crypts, which shoot a limited number of magic balls and can be placed on ice; and temples, which continually shoot a stream of magic and can be placed on red tiles. (I think the red tiles are either supposed to be mountainous or burnt forests.) Towers gain experience as they kill monsters; when they gain enough experience, you can pay to level them up. Each eventually has two different types of towers they can level up to. You also have three spells: one allows you to cut down forests to make room for towers, one increases the attack rate of your towers, and the third rains a fiery meteor down on those annoying adventurers
Cursed Treasure has a leveling system. For each level, you gain experience (separate from your towers experience, which only applies to individual towers on a map) based on how many actual enemies you destroyed, how many waves were destroyed, and how many gems you save. When you level, you get three skill points you can put into one of three tracks - Orcs, which increases your tower's firing rate, Undead, which increases your tower's range, and Demons, which increases your tower's damage. Each skill point also grants or increases special abilities based on how they're spent.
Also, there's a rating system which displays the rank you've received for each completed map - good gives you a bronze star, excellent gives you a silver star, and brilliant gives you a gold star.
I have a lot of fun with this game. I enjoy seeing how different leveling paths affect the play of the game.
GEMCRAFT LABYRINTH
There are three games in the Gemcraft series: Gemcraft, Gemcraft Chapter 0 and Gemcraft Labyrinth. In each, you play a wizard who creates various gems and towers. When monsters pass by, the gems zap them. Different gems have different abilities, such as increasing damage, giving you mana, or poisoning the enemy. You can also combine multiple gems together to get gems that have multiple powers. You can also build traps that go off as monsters run over them. These things pretty much hold true over all three games. The rest of this review will just go over Gemcraft (Labyrinth).
You can place towers in the path of the monsters, although you cannot completely block them off, which I've found to be acceptable. You can still make mazes, to some degree, for them to go through. You can also place towers in areas beside the path, where the monsters cannot go. This breaks from most TD games, where it's one or the other. You can build "Shrines" which allow you to destroy gems to create special effects. There are amplifiers - towers that don't allow gems to fire, but do boost the power of gems in towers adjacent to it.
Then there is one of the key features. The mana that you use to create gems and towers? Yeah, that's also your health bar. It creates a real sense of strategy - do you sacrifice your health to kill more monsters, or trust the ones you have built to do the job? Your mana regenerates over time, making this an interesting dynamic, and there is a gem type which gives you mana when it hits an enemy. An interesting feature in a truly impressive game.
Like Cursed Treasure, they have a leveling system. Unlike Cursed Treasure, you can change how your skill points are distributed before each level. Additionally, as you level, you gain options which allow you to change how the monsters work: you can make them faster, tougher, or add extra waves of monsters. It makes it so that even early maps remain replayable as you level.
Speaking of maps, there are an 169 of them. 169! A freaking massive game. If you have time to dedicate, there is huge replayability here.
BLOONS TOWER DEFENSE
There are five incarnations of Bloons Tower Defense, plus a Player vs Player (PvP) version. My computer, which was old years ago, doesn't run Bloons 5. They all have a measure of fun, but the graphics get slicker and the monkey towers do more things in the higher version. What are monkey towers, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked. The towers you place are mostly monkeys throwing darts or glue or what-have-you. (This is a very weird game.) Even though maybe half the towers don't have monkeys, depending on the version, I still call them that because I like saying monkey towers. Monkey towers.
Anyway, there's a set path along which balloons travel, and you place monkey towers near the path to pop them before they complete it. There's too many tower types to go into detail, but I would like to highlight the "Super Monkey" - a very expensive tower which shoots darts really fast. Like, super fast. He wears blue and red and has a cape. Some Balloon types include the basic red balloon, the blue one which turns into a red when popped, ceramic and lead balloons which pretty much require explosives or fire to pop, camo balloons which require certain upgrade towers in order to see them, and the MOAB - Mother of All Balloons. It's a balloon pinata, with balloon prizes. You need highly upgraded cannons to deal with it.
On the surface, you wouldn't think I'd like this one. It has a set path on which nothing can be placed. However, the absurdity of monkeys popping balloons and the upgrade options of the monkey towers just make it fun - and there's enough challenge to the game to keep me coming back for more without being so challenging that it doesn't feel beatable.
CURSED TREASURE
In this one, you are an evil someone or other guarding their magic jewels from nasty adventurers who want to steal them. You have three towers: dens, which shoots arrow after arrow and can be placed on grassy areas; crypts, which shoot a limited number of magic balls and can be placed on ice; and temples, which continually shoot a stream of magic and can be placed on red tiles. (I think the red tiles are either supposed to be mountainous or burnt forests.) Towers gain experience as they kill monsters; when they gain enough experience, you can pay to level them up. Each eventually has two different types of towers they can level up to. You also have three spells: one allows you to cut down forests to make room for towers, one increases the attack rate of your towers, and the third rains a fiery meteor down on those annoying adventurers
Cursed Treasure has a leveling system. For each level, you gain experience (separate from your towers experience, which only applies to individual towers on a map) based on how many actual enemies you destroyed, how many waves were destroyed, and how many gems you save. When you level, you get three skill points you can put into one of three tracks - Orcs, which increases your tower's firing rate, Undead, which increases your tower's range, and Demons, which increases your tower's damage. Each skill point also grants or increases special abilities based on how they're spent.
Also, there's a rating system which displays the rank you've received for each completed map - good gives you a bronze star, excellent gives you a silver star, and brilliant gives you a gold star.
I have a lot of fun with this game. I enjoy seeing how different leveling paths affect the play of the game.
GEMCRAFT LABYRINTH
There are three games in the Gemcraft series: Gemcraft, Gemcraft Chapter 0 and Gemcraft Labyrinth. In each, you play a wizard who creates various gems and towers. When monsters pass by, the gems zap them. Different gems have different abilities, such as increasing damage, giving you mana, or poisoning the enemy. You can also combine multiple gems together to get gems that have multiple powers. You can also build traps that go off as monsters run over them. These things pretty much hold true over all three games. The rest of this review will just go over Gemcraft (Labyrinth).
You can place towers in the path of the monsters, although you cannot completely block them off, which I've found to be acceptable. You can still make mazes, to some degree, for them to go through. You can also place towers in areas beside the path, where the monsters cannot go. This breaks from most TD games, where it's one or the other. You can build "Shrines" which allow you to destroy gems to create special effects. There are amplifiers - towers that don't allow gems to fire, but do boost the power of gems in towers adjacent to it.
Then there is one of the key features. The mana that you use to create gems and towers? Yeah, that's also your health bar. It creates a real sense of strategy - do you sacrifice your health to kill more monsters, or trust the ones you have built to do the job? Your mana regenerates over time, making this an interesting dynamic, and there is a gem type which gives you mana when it hits an enemy. An interesting feature in a truly impressive game.
Like Cursed Treasure, they have a leveling system. Unlike Cursed Treasure, you can change how your skill points are distributed before each level. Additionally, as you level, you gain options which allow you to change how the monsters work: you can make them faster, tougher, or add extra waves of monsters. It makes it so that even early maps remain replayable as you level.
Speaking of maps, there are an 169 of them. 169! A freaking massive game. If you have time to dedicate, there is huge replayability here.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Tower Defense and Cube 3D
I am a big fan of tower defense. The first one I played was a mod for Warcraft III, from before it was 'World of' . It set my expectations for tower defenses, though I was to be often disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I've come to appreciate and enjoy the strategy involved in other games; they just employ techniques that sometimes bug me.
First, I'll describe the mod. I believe it was called Cube 3d Tower Defense. You started with enough gold to build a basic tower or two. Monsters came out of a cave and headed toward your home base. Kill the monsters, gain gold. Let the monsters reach your base, lose health. That's the short and sweet premise of all tower defense games, actually.
Other common tower defense tropes include multiple types of towers and multiple types of enemies. Common towers include: a standard attack tower, one which does weaker faster attacks, one which does slower more powerful attacks, and one with great range. It is not uncommon to have one or more towers with special attacks, such as splash damage, poisoning, or slowing enemies.
Typical enemies include a standard, weak enemy which can be taken out with 1 to 5 shots of a standard tower, faster enemies which often come in droves and can be taken out with 1 or 2 shots even from a weak tower, and an enemy with a lot of health which usually ignores a portion of the damage done to them. It's not unusual to see an enemy which can heal other monsters, ignore some or all special attacks, or fly directly to the exit, ignoring the regular path and placement of the towers.
Most tower defense games have a set path along which the monsters travel, and upon which towers cannot be built. Cube 3d, however, had bases (in addition your home base-think baseball) which the monsters travelled to in a specific order; if the travelled over base 3 to get to base 2, they went back to base 3 before proceeding on. If you blocked their regular path, they found another way. If there was no other way then, and only then, they started attacking your towers until they could get through. You could make fantastically complex labyrinths.
Those are the parts which for many tower defense games are missing, particularly the ability to block off the monster's path. Of course, the towers and the monsters already existed with attacks and defense fully statted when the mod was made; the tower defense part was a relatively simple add-on. Most tower defense games, on the other hand, are made from whole cloth.
Tomorrow, I will discuss some other tower defense games and what I like and find awkward about them.
First, I'll describe the mod. I believe it was called Cube 3d Tower Defense. You started with enough gold to build a basic tower or two. Monsters came out of a cave and headed toward your home base. Kill the monsters, gain gold. Let the monsters reach your base, lose health. That's the short and sweet premise of all tower defense games, actually.
Other common tower defense tropes include multiple types of towers and multiple types of enemies. Common towers include: a standard attack tower, one which does weaker faster attacks, one which does slower more powerful attacks, and one with great range. It is not uncommon to have one or more towers with special attacks, such as splash damage, poisoning, or slowing enemies.
Typical enemies include a standard, weak enemy which can be taken out with 1 to 5 shots of a standard tower, faster enemies which often come in droves and can be taken out with 1 or 2 shots even from a weak tower, and an enemy with a lot of health which usually ignores a portion of the damage done to them. It's not unusual to see an enemy which can heal other monsters, ignore some or all special attacks, or fly directly to the exit, ignoring the regular path and placement of the towers.
Most tower defense games have a set path along which the monsters travel, and upon which towers cannot be built. Cube 3d, however, had bases (in addition your home base-think baseball) which the monsters travelled to in a specific order; if the travelled over base 3 to get to base 2, they went back to base 3 before proceeding on. If you blocked their regular path, they found another way. If there was no other way then, and only then, they started attacking your towers until they could get through. You could make fantastically complex labyrinths.
Those are the parts which for many tower defense games are missing, particularly the ability to block off the monster's path. Of course, the towers and the monsters already existed with attacks and defense fully statted when the mod was made; the tower defense part was a relatively simple add-on. Most tower defense games, on the other hand, are made from whole cloth.
Tomorrow, I will discuss some other tower defense games and what I like and find awkward about them.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
My First Three D&D Characters
Note: My laptop decided to stop working this morning. Yay!
My first was a gnome cleric/wizard. He had a lot of hit points because, for some reason I never understood, gnomes had a constitution bonus. A small creature with illusion based magic doesn't scream health/sturdiness bonus to me, but hey, I’ll take it. He was intelligent and had a basic Neutral Good alignment.
I still kick myself for not using that Rod of Silence. I’m certain he would have had a lengthy adventuring career, had that alarm not been raised.
My next character was a halfling conceived as a cleric/fighter with a level of rogue to round out his abilities. Being the only rogue in the party, I wound up being roped into abandoning his original concept and advancing him exclusively with rogue levels. He was not planned for that, and he was not good at it.
Fortunately, he was reincarnated as a satyr, which gave him enough bonuses to be slightly less embarrassing. He was curious about everything, and wanted to experience the world. He was True Neutral out of a deep belief in balance, rather than the typical true neutral character who just doesn’t much care.
I eventually grew frustrated with him. He wasn’t effective at the one thing people expected from him, and I had trouble figuring out who else he might be. I decided if I was going to play the party’s rogue, I was going to be an impressive rogue. I pored through books for the perfect race. I read and plotted and planned to maximize his skill bonuses; I made sure he had, or would get, every possible increase to trapfinding and lockpicking. Backstory and personality fell into place; what felt missing, I fleshed out. I wanted him effective.
And he was. He was as good with traps as our cleric was with undead. (Our cleric was a wiz against undead.) I had extra feats and was able to also make him a decent fighter; not the primary fighter, but a good addition to combat. He had a smart mouth. Where the previous character was comical, this one was serious. (Still funny - just in a different way.) He may be my favorite character ever. (We’ll have to see what happens with my current one.) And not because of his effectiveness - well, that helped - but because he had personality. He had a place.
Look, I am a big fan of multiclassing. Huge. And adaptability is important. But when you're deciding who to be, planning and focus go a long way to determining if you’ll reach your goal. It could be that what you’re looking for is at the high level of one class, rather than spread among the lower level of several. Anyway, that’s how it worked for me with my first three D&D Characters.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Buffy: the Critical Episodes
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer did a masterful job of weaving dangerous enemies, interesting major villains, and character relationships into a satisfying and emotional network of story arcs. Each season had a self-contained major threat that was dealt with by the end of the season. There were also story arcs that spanned the series. It was a plotting structure that I haven’t seen matched in any other show.
A few years ago, I tried to make a list of the best Buffy episodes. Unfortunately, I could only narrow it down to about a third of them. I wanted a more concise list. So, for this post, I limited myself to one episode per season. I chose them based on the number of storylines they touched, as well as their impact on the series. An interesting side effect was that several of these episodes wind up doing a lot of the summarizing a person might need to understand what’s happening.
I admit, I had to get opinions and input from a couple friends for several of the seasons. One of them, Cole, has a blog at http://coleikerd.hubpages.com/
There are spoilers below. Big Spoilers. I have tried to save surprises both for these episodes and the ones in between. Actually, there are entire storylines not touched upon here. But, just to be absolutely clear, SPOILER ALERT. If you would like to avoid my spoilers, I have the short list of episodes, but you really must stop reading after that.
Season 1: Episode 7, “Angel”
Season 2: Episode 22, “Becoming, Part II”
Season 3: Episode 8, “Lover’s Walk”
Season 4: Episode 20, “The Yoko Factor”
Season 5: Episode 19, “Tough Love”
Season 6: Episode 21, “Two to Go”
Season 7: Episode 22, “Chosen”
Season 1: Episode 7, “Angel”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Buffy, the one person in all the world “with the strength and skill to fight the vampires” faces down a variety of evils with her friends Xander, Willow, Giles, and a mysterious stranger named Angel.
This episode sets Buffy and Angel’s relationship, and provides us with clarity into Angel’s past. We get a peek at how easy it is for Buffy’s mom (and the rest of the world) to explain away the world of weirdness. The Bronze features prominently throughout the series, but not so much in these episodes. And Xander hates on Angel.
Season 2: Episode 22, “Becoming, Part II”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Angel turned evil and caused chaos. He joined forces with a vampire couple named Spike and Drusilla.
This episode opens with Buffy returning from a trap designed to distract her from an attack on her friends. By the end of the episode she has made an alliance with an enemy, fallen out with her mother, and faced down an old flame. Willow starts down a dark path. And Xander hates on Angel.
Season 3: Episode 8, “Lover’s Walk”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Xander began dating Cordelia. Willow began dating Oz. Angel came back, but is no longer evil. There is a second slayer in town, Faith.
Spike, seeking a way to win Drusilla back, returns to Sunnydale. The most critical factor in this episode is the number and weight of the evolving relationships. And Xander hates on Angel. Just, more subtly. In the background. Without words.
The man playing golf is the mayor of Sunnydale.
Season 4: Episode 20, “The Yoko Factor”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (and the spinoff, “Angel”): Buffy and her friends started college. Giles is no longer Buffy’s watcher. A secret military organization is operating in Sunnydale. Buffy’s new boyfriend is part of them – or was, but has been kicked out. The big bad for the season convinces demons to work together and cause a great amount of chaos. Xander is dating a former vengeance demon, Anya, who is afraid of bunnies.
I did my best to not allow my list of favorites episode to influence my list of critical episodes. Every episode of Buffy contributes in some way to the overall storylines in a complex yet fairly easy to follow (if you watch the episodes) web. Okay, there are a couple in the first season you wouldn’t have to watch, and wouldn’t miss much from.
This episode opens with Buffy returning from Los Angeles, where Angel has been operating. They...had a disagreement. The main plot has a metaphorically toothless Spike, now a tacit part of the Scooby Gang, causing some good old fashion chaos at the direction of this season’s big bad. It also features: Giles singing, Xander hating on Angel, Riley hating on Angel, Angel hating on Riley… Pretty much everyone hating on everyone. A fun fight fest. And an annoyed duck face.
An episode so big it spills over, “To Be Continued” style to the next one.
Season 5: Episode 19, “Tough Love”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: A powerful and dangerous enemy named Glory is in Sunnydale, looking for a key that will allow her to unlock a hellish dimension. That key is in human form, created via a spell by monks trying to keep it from her. Glory eats brain energy. She also kicks Buffy’s butt six ways from Sunday. Buffy’s mother dies. (S5, Ep6: The Body). Giles buys a magic store and hires Xander’s girlfriend, Anya. Spike is still in the group, and has earned a certain measure of trust.
Buffy and Dawn never exactly have a smooth relationship, but this one is an early hint of just how wrong it can go. Buffy and her sister are still heavily struggling with their mother’s death. We see a little deeper into Willow and Tara’s relationship. Glory gets pretty creepy/scary. Willow takes another dark turn.
Season 6: Episode 21, “Two to Go”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Xander leaves Anya at the altar. Anya returns to what she once was: a vengeance demon. Giles moves back to England, and leaves the shop to Anya. After some complications in his relationship with Buffy, Spike has run off to find himself. A group of three…well, nerds…teamed up to take over Sunnydale. Two wound up in jail, one got free and shot both Buffy and Tara. Willow is not pleased. It’s fair to say she is as pissed off as anyone in the series gets. She took gruesome revenge on the man who shot Tara. Then, she decides to continue her vengeance on his two accomplices.
This episode sees part of the apex of the dark path that Willow has been following. Fueled by grief and vengeance, she becomes a dark force they have little, if any, hope of stopping. Notice how her hair goes black when she’s charged with evil magic.
Season 7: Episode 22, “Chosen”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Into every generation, a slayer is born. One girl with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires and the demons. But many girls have the potential to be slayers; they certainly could be called. An entity which identifies itself as the First Evil has been killing off these potential slayers. This entity can appear as anybody who has died, and mess with people’s minds, but can’t touch anything. (Did I mention that Buffy died? Don’t worry. She got better. But there’s also a second actual slayer because of it. Her name is Faith.) In return, they have gathered at Buffy’s house for protection. Jonathan becomes a…hostage of sorts, and a part of the good guys. Anya is human again. Willow has been recovering from her time as the villain. And everyone you don’t see onscreen has left Sunnydale. (They just don’t realize why.)
This episode features an awkward conversation about cookies, a daring plan, and a game of Dungeons and Dragons. No, they don’t say the name of the game. I recognize the books. Plus, he’s referred to as the dungeon master, which only applies to D&D. The last five minutes of this show is what got me watching the series. How, I wondered, could this be so different from that awful movie? (Seriously. Have I mentioned I didn’t like the movie?) There is an amusing reference back to the second episode.
There are so many characters and stories that converge on this last episode. If you only see these seven episodes, you have the basic story, but you have missed so much.
A few years ago, I tried to make a list of the best Buffy episodes. Unfortunately, I could only narrow it down to about a third of them. I wanted a more concise list. So, for this post, I limited myself to one episode per season. I chose them based on the number of storylines they touched, as well as their impact on the series. An interesting side effect was that several of these episodes wind up doing a lot of the summarizing a person might need to understand what’s happening.
I admit, I had to get opinions and input from a couple friends for several of the seasons. One of them, Cole, has a blog at http://coleikerd.hubpages.com/
There are spoilers below. Big Spoilers. I have tried to save surprises both for these episodes and the ones in between. Actually, there are entire storylines not touched upon here. But, just to be absolutely clear, SPOILER ALERT. If you would like to avoid my spoilers, I have the short list of episodes, but you really must stop reading after that.
Season 1: Episode 7, “Angel”
Season 2: Episode 22, “Becoming, Part II”
Season 3: Episode 8, “Lover’s Walk”
Season 4: Episode 20, “The Yoko Factor”
Season 5: Episode 19, “Tough Love”
Season 6: Episode 21, “Two to Go”
Season 7: Episode 22, “Chosen”
Season 1: Episode 7, “Angel”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Buffy, the one person in all the world “with the strength and skill to fight the vampires” faces down a variety of evils with her friends Xander, Willow, Giles, and a mysterious stranger named Angel.
This episode sets Buffy and Angel’s relationship, and provides us with clarity into Angel’s past. We get a peek at how easy it is for Buffy’s mom (and the rest of the world) to explain away the world of weirdness. The Bronze features prominently throughout the series, but not so much in these episodes. And Xander hates on Angel.
Season 2: Episode 22, “Becoming, Part II”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Angel turned evil and caused chaos. He joined forces with a vampire couple named Spike and Drusilla.
This episode opens with Buffy returning from a trap designed to distract her from an attack on her friends. By the end of the episode she has made an alliance with an enemy, fallen out with her mother, and faced down an old flame. Willow starts down a dark path. And Xander hates on Angel.
Season 3: Episode 8, “Lover’s Walk”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Xander began dating Cordelia. Willow began dating Oz. Angel came back, but is no longer evil. There is a second slayer in town, Faith.
Spike, seeking a way to win Drusilla back, returns to Sunnydale. The most critical factor in this episode is the number and weight of the evolving relationships. And Xander hates on Angel. Just, more subtly. In the background. Without words.
The man playing golf is the mayor of Sunnydale.
Season 4: Episode 20, “The Yoko Factor”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (and the spinoff, “Angel”): Buffy and her friends started college. Giles is no longer Buffy’s watcher. A secret military organization is operating in Sunnydale. Buffy’s new boyfriend is part of them – or was, but has been kicked out. The big bad for the season convinces demons to work together and cause a great amount of chaos. Xander is dating a former vengeance demon, Anya, who is afraid of bunnies.
I did my best to not allow my list of favorites episode to influence my list of critical episodes. Every episode of Buffy contributes in some way to the overall storylines in a complex yet fairly easy to follow (if you watch the episodes) web. Okay, there are a couple in the first season you wouldn’t have to watch, and wouldn’t miss much from.
This episode opens with Buffy returning from Los Angeles, where Angel has been operating. They...had a disagreement. The main plot has a metaphorically toothless Spike, now a tacit part of the Scooby Gang, causing some good old fashion chaos at the direction of this season’s big bad. It also features: Giles singing, Xander hating on Angel, Riley hating on Angel, Angel hating on Riley… Pretty much everyone hating on everyone. A fun fight fest. And an annoyed duck face.
An episode so big it spills over, “To Be Continued” style to the next one.
Season 5: Episode 19, “Tough Love”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: A powerful and dangerous enemy named Glory is in Sunnydale, looking for a key that will allow her to unlock a hellish dimension. That key is in human form, created via a spell by monks trying to keep it from her. Glory eats brain energy. She also kicks Buffy’s butt six ways from Sunday. Buffy’s mother dies. (S5, Ep6: The Body). Giles buys a magic store and hires Xander’s girlfriend, Anya. Spike is still in the group, and has earned a certain measure of trust.
Buffy and Dawn never exactly have a smooth relationship, but this one is an early hint of just how wrong it can go. Buffy and her sister are still heavily struggling with their mother’s death. We see a little deeper into Willow and Tara’s relationship. Glory gets pretty creepy/scary. Willow takes another dark turn.
Season 6: Episode 21, “Two to Go”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Xander leaves Anya at the altar. Anya returns to what she once was: a vengeance demon. Giles moves back to England, and leaves the shop to Anya. After some complications in his relationship with Buffy, Spike has run off to find himself. A group of three…well, nerds…teamed up to take over Sunnydale. Two wound up in jail, one got free and shot both Buffy and Tara. Willow is not pleased. It’s fair to say she is as pissed off as anyone in the series gets. She took gruesome revenge on the man who shot Tara. Then, she decides to continue her vengeance on his two accomplices.
This episode sees part of the apex of the dark path that Willow has been following. Fueled by grief and vengeance, she becomes a dark force they have little, if any, hope of stopping. Notice how her hair goes black when she’s charged with evil magic.
Season 7: Episode 22, “Chosen”
Previously on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: Into every generation, a slayer is born. One girl with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires and the demons. But many girls have the potential to be slayers; they certainly could be called. An entity which identifies itself as the First Evil has been killing off these potential slayers. This entity can appear as anybody who has died, and mess with people’s minds, but can’t touch anything. (Did I mention that Buffy died? Don’t worry. She got better. But there’s also a second actual slayer because of it. Her name is Faith.) In return, they have gathered at Buffy’s house for protection. Jonathan becomes a…hostage of sorts, and a part of the good guys. Anya is human again. Willow has been recovering from her time as the villain. And everyone you don’t see onscreen has left Sunnydale. (They just don’t realize why.)
This episode features an awkward conversation about cookies, a daring plan, and a game of Dungeons and Dragons. No, they don’t say the name of the game. I recognize the books. Plus, he’s referred to as the dungeon master, which only applies to D&D. The last five minutes of this show is what got me watching the series. How, I wondered, could this be so different from that awful movie? (Seriously. Have I mentioned I didn’t like the movie?) There is an amusing reference back to the second episode.
There are so many characters and stories that converge on this last episode. If you only see these seven episodes, you have the basic story, but you have missed so much.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Oolat in the Forest
This is an original story written for today's blog. I hope you enjoy it.
Though the sun had not set, it may as well have been midnight for all the light that came through the canopy. I held my lantern in front of me, a dim piece of light that barely illuminated the ground. Barely was enough to guide us, and enough to make us a target of the oolat, should one of the creatures be around.
I felt a hand on my back. I turned, bringing the light around. Rihala the little elven girl stood there, seeming even smaller than normal in the darkness.
"I fell behind. You walk fast," she said, quiet as a mouse on my shoulder.
"We must move quickly. Every moment here is another monster we attract," I replied with a whisper.
“You can take any monster with your swords,” she said with her child-like faith and innocence.
Rihala nodded gravely. I began moving more slowly so she could keep up. We moved quietly, but the darkness seemed to magnify every sound. The one that stopped me was a heavy breathing sound, behind them and slowly catching up.
I handed Rihala the lantern. "Take this and get up that tree. Quickly."
She nodded, took the lantern, ad climbed. I backed away from the light, so my eyes could adjust.
There was a blur of movement and a flash of claws as big as my daggers. I was knocked away, slammed into a tree. My head began to pulse with pain. Rihala screamed, and hugged the tree from in the branches. A bear-sized lump of fur and slashing claws was clawing the tree, taking chunks out with each swing.
I pulled out one of my daggers and threw it at the oolat. The dagger glinted slightly as it hit the creature. It roared and turned to me. The light gave me a brief outline of its face. It had horns coming out the top of its misshaped head. Tiny red eyes gleamed out from the mass. When it roared, I saw it’s teeth, like sharp little arrowheads, ready to slash into flesh.
I stood and my head began to spin. I drew my swords. The motion, the faint glint of light off my swords got its attention. Stupid me, never planning far enough what, now that I had its attention, I wasn’t really sure what to do. I decided I was going to start planning things a little further ahead.
It took a few steps toward me, then was by me almost before I could bring my sword around. I stepped away. I’m not sure where I’d hit the creature, but I had felt the change in the word’s trajectory. I swung one sword overhand, got the creature watching that one and moving its claw’s to fight me off. I stuck the next one under. I definitely connected with the creature’s flesh, a couple inches in before I yanked back, my head protesting the sudden movement.
The oolat swung its paw at me again. I tried to step back, but took a slash of claws to my arm and torso. It forced me to take a step back, tripping and falling. The swords released from my grasp, falling nearby as I hit the ground. The breath was knocked out of me, and the creatures stood over me, its claw raised. It was silhouetted in light. The light was coming closer. The oolat turned its head.
I turned my head and saw a sword glinting. I grabbed it, and pointed it at the oolat’s chest. It looked back to me and roared. I pushed the sword up into its stomach, through organs. It let out a roar of pain and anger. Then it stopped, and fell on me.
“I really have to start thinking these things through,” I told myself, and began the work of getting out from under the monster.
Rihala approached me, holding the lantern high as I pull my last leg out from under the monster.
“Maybe we should sleep,” she said.
I nodded my agreement, and lay back on the ground. I closed my eyes and hoped that we wouldn’t sleep too long.
“Rihala? Thanks for throwing the lantern. That was good timing.”
She didn’t answer, but I could practically hear her smile. I drifted off to sleep.
Though the sun had not set, it may as well have been midnight for all the light that came through the canopy. I held my lantern in front of me, a dim piece of light that barely illuminated the ground. Barely was enough to guide us, and enough to make us a target of the oolat, should one of the creatures be around.
I felt a hand on my back. I turned, bringing the light around. Rihala the little elven girl stood there, seeming even smaller than normal in the darkness.
"I fell behind. You walk fast," she said, quiet as a mouse on my shoulder.
"We must move quickly. Every moment here is another monster we attract," I replied with a whisper.
“You can take any monster with your swords,” she said with her child-like faith and innocence.
Rihala nodded gravely. I began moving more slowly so she could keep up. We moved quietly, but the darkness seemed to magnify every sound. The one that stopped me was a heavy breathing sound, behind them and slowly catching up.
I handed Rihala the lantern. "Take this and get up that tree. Quickly."
She nodded, took the lantern, ad climbed. I backed away from the light, so my eyes could adjust.
There was a blur of movement and a flash of claws as big as my daggers. I was knocked away, slammed into a tree. My head began to pulse with pain. Rihala screamed, and hugged the tree from in the branches. A bear-sized lump of fur and slashing claws was clawing the tree, taking chunks out with each swing.
I pulled out one of my daggers and threw it at the oolat. The dagger glinted slightly as it hit the creature. It roared and turned to me. The light gave me a brief outline of its face. It had horns coming out the top of its misshaped head. Tiny red eyes gleamed out from the mass. When it roared, I saw it’s teeth, like sharp little arrowheads, ready to slash into flesh.
I stood and my head began to spin. I drew my swords. The motion, the faint glint of light off my swords got its attention. Stupid me, never planning far enough what, now that I had its attention, I wasn’t really sure what to do. I decided I was going to start planning things a little further ahead.
It took a few steps toward me, then was by me almost before I could bring my sword around. I stepped away. I’m not sure where I’d hit the creature, but I had felt the change in the word’s trajectory. I swung one sword overhand, got the creature watching that one and moving its claw’s to fight me off. I stuck the next one under. I definitely connected with the creature’s flesh, a couple inches in before I yanked back, my head protesting the sudden movement.
The oolat swung its paw at me again. I tried to step back, but took a slash of claws to my arm and torso. It forced me to take a step back, tripping and falling. The swords released from my grasp, falling nearby as I hit the ground. The breath was knocked out of me, and the creatures stood over me, its claw raised. It was silhouetted in light. The light was coming closer. The oolat turned its head.
I turned my head and saw a sword glinting. I grabbed it, and pointed it at the oolat’s chest. It looked back to me and roared. I pushed the sword up into its stomach, through organs. It let out a roar of pain and anger. Then it stopped, and fell on me.
“I really have to start thinking these things through,” I told myself, and began the work of getting out from under the monster.
Rihala approached me, holding the lantern high as I pull my last leg out from under the monster.
“Maybe we should sleep,” she said.
I nodded my agreement, and lay back on the ground. I closed my eyes and hoped that we wouldn’t sleep too long.
“Rihala? Thanks for throwing the lantern. That was good timing.”
She didn’t answer, but I could practically hear her smile. I drifted off to sleep.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Clothe the Skeleton
Worldbuilding is creating a fictional world. It is usually done for stories or games, but can be done simply for the joy of it.
There are countless approaches to worldbuilding, including top down (create the large areas, then focus on the small ones) and bottom up (create the small areas, then focus on the big ones). You could even create the language first, as Tolkien did.
Personally, I like the method I call “Clothe the Skeleton.” I start with a skeleton – the bare bones of an idea. From there, list the direct implications and consequences of the idea. Continue answering the questions about previous answers until you have the answers you need to write or create the game. Assuming those are your goals, remember to stop planning and begin writing or playing the game.
Below are some questions to consider, grouped by category:
Land Maps: Where are the mountains, lakes, and oceans? Where are the major rivers
Weather: The wind currents in large areas of water or land blow in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere. Large mountains will apply pressure to clouds, causing rain and snow on the side near the water source, and desert on the other side. Does your world have any strange weather patterns?
Flora: What kind of interesting plants live on your world? Is there an interesting flower or fruit that might enhance your world? Are there any plants with special properties
Fauna: What kind of animals are there? Are there large reptiles lumbering around? Tiny little mammals just seeking to stay alive? What kind of pets do people have? What monsters do they fear? What creatures have they domesticated
People: What intelligent races exist? What forms do they take? Do they have any special abilities or weaknesses
Culture: Speaking of people, what are the major cultures of your world? What do they value? What do they consider taboo? How do they expect their people to behave? How do they treat people who do not follow these expectations? How do they treat outsiders? Insiders? What subcultures exist, and how are they defined
Celebrations: What does your culture celebrate, and how do they do so? Are there annual festivals? Are things not normally allowed encouraged? How do people feel about the holiday? What happens when people celebrate it differently, or try to sit it out?
Language: Consider combining two similar languages to create a new one. Alternately, list sounds that are appropriate when creating new words. I recommend keeping a dictionary of created words. Sometimes creating a word will suggest others that you hadn’t made yet.
Memes: Not those pictures with words that float around the net and make some laugh while others groan. I mean the core cultural ideas that people understand by being a part of the culture, or the ideas of the culture that are spread by being raised in or associating with people from the culture. What things do they value, fear, and love? How do they express that in sayings? Music? Art? Behavior?
History: What historical events hold sway over the time frame you’re focusing on, if you are focusing? What are some of the critical wars, and who fought? What do people go to war for? What would they risk their lives for?
Sacred: What stories does the culture hold sacred? What about locations? Objects? What stories does it give about the origins and structure of the world? How does it treat the natural world? What heroes des it admire? What qualities do their heroes possess?
There are countless approaches to worldbuilding, including top down (create the large areas, then focus on the small ones) and bottom up (create the small areas, then focus on the big ones). You could even create the language first, as Tolkien did.
Personally, I like the method I call “Clothe the Skeleton.” I start with a skeleton – the bare bones of an idea. From there, list the direct implications and consequences of the idea. Continue answering the questions about previous answers until you have the answers you need to write or create the game. Assuming those are your goals, remember to stop planning and begin writing or playing the game.
Below are some questions to consider, grouped by category:
Land Maps: Where are the mountains, lakes, and oceans? Where are the major rivers
Weather: The wind currents in large areas of water or land blow in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere. Large mountains will apply pressure to clouds, causing rain and snow on the side near the water source, and desert on the other side. Does your world have any strange weather patterns?
Flora: What kind of interesting plants live on your world? Is there an interesting flower or fruit that might enhance your world? Are there any plants with special properties
Fauna: What kind of animals are there? Are there large reptiles lumbering around? Tiny little mammals just seeking to stay alive? What kind of pets do people have? What monsters do they fear? What creatures have they domesticated
People: What intelligent races exist? What forms do they take? Do they have any special abilities or weaknesses
Culture: Speaking of people, what are the major cultures of your world? What do they value? What do they consider taboo? How do they expect their people to behave? How do they treat people who do not follow these expectations? How do they treat outsiders? Insiders? What subcultures exist, and how are they defined
Celebrations: What does your culture celebrate, and how do they do so? Are there annual festivals? Are things not normally allowed encouraged? How do people feel about the holiday? What happens when people celebrate it differently, or try to sit it out?
Language: Consider combining two similar languages to create a new one. Alternately, list sounds that are appropriate when creating new words. I recommend keeping a dictionary of created words. Sometimes creating a word will suggest others that you hadn’t made yet.
Memes: Not those pictures with words that float around the net and make some laugh while others groan. I mean the core cultural ideas that people understand by being a part of the culture, or the ideas of the culture that are spread by being raised in or associating with people from the culture. What things do they value, fear, and love? How do they express that in sayings? Music? Art? Behavior?
History: What historical events hold sway over the time frame you’re focusing on, if you are focusing? What are some of the critical wars, and who fought? What do people go to war for? What would they risk their lives for?
Sacred: What stories does the culture hold sacred? What about locations? Objects? What stories does it give about the origins and structure of the world? How does it treat the natural world? What heroes des it admire? What qualities do their heroes possess?
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Shaping the World
Today’s entry is a little shorter, a little more abstract, and a little more serious.
Everybody has something in their life or world they would like to change. Everyone has hopes and regret; everyone has fears and passions. You want to change the world? Look at your hopes and your regret; these will help you form your path. Take control of your fears and your passions; these will move you forward.
Remember not to let your fear drive. It will destroy you. Don't let your passion run too wild; it will destroy those around you. The very passion that drives you can trample your hope, if it is not well monitored. And trampled hope is the essence of regret.
It would be so nice, sometimes, if our vision for the future were as clear and solid as the memory of our past. Some have visions that are nearly this clear. We call them visionaries, great men and women. They shape the world, overhaul it to match their vision.
There are, of course, those who have a vision but fail to alter the world to match it. What is the difference between the two? Is it ability? Opportunity? Is it an internal or external circumstance? Perhaps it's not that simple. No, I don’t think it is.
The difference between those who shape the world and those who fall short of that is an amalgamation of where they come from, where they choose to go, and the physical and social environments in which they find themselves.
I suppose those who shape the world recognize where the true differences are between the world and their vision. The ones who fall short imagine the world to be the vision they expect, or imagine it as the hell they fear, instead of the life it is.
Everybody has something in their life or world they would like to change. Everyone has hopes and regret; everyone has fears and passions. You want to change the world? Look at your hopes and your regret; these will help you form your path. Take control of your fears and your passions; these will move you forward.
Remember not to let your fear drive. It will destroy you. Don't let your passion run too wild; it will destroy those around you. The very passion that drives you can trample your hope, if it is not well monitored. And trampled hope is the essence of regret.
It would be so nice, sometimes, if our vision for the future were as clear and solid as the memory of our past. Some have visions that are nearly this clear. We call them visionaries, great men and women. They shape the world, overhaul it to match their vision.
There are, of course, those who have a vision but fail to alter the world to match it. What is the difference between the two? Is it ability? Opportunity? Is it an internal or external circumstance? Perhaps it's not that simple. No, I don’t think it is.
The difference between those who shape the world and those who fall short of that is an amalgamation of where they come from, where they choose to go, and the physical and social environments in which they find themselves.
I suppose those who shape the world recognize where the true differences are between the world and their vision. The ones who fall short imagine the world to be the vision they expect, or imagine it as the hell they fear, instead of the life it is.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Doctor Who, Hey, Doctor Who
How do you explain Dr Who to a non-whovian? What is the show made of?
It starts with his name - which we never learn. I’ve heard the rumor that it's a mathematical formula. In any case, he is called "the doctor." Not “Doctor Who.” That’s just the name of the show. Don’t worry, it gets weird.
Add in a blue police box (kind of a phone booth) which is larger on the inside. Much larger on the inside. No, you don't understand: it is tremendously large on a scale I'm not entirely certain you're prepared to comprehend. Call it a TARDIS. It can travel to anywhere, at anywhen? Even outside reality. And it has this simply amazing ability to camouflage itself as anything. It got stuck on “blue police box” and won’t come out.
Add a travelling companion. And another. One of them leaves, and here comes another one or three.
Add in killer robots who run around (so to speak) exterminating and conquering. ( I think they have creatures inside. Did I imagine that episode?) These are the notorious bad guys of the whoniverse. They are the klingons to the doctor's Kirk. This is not the weird part.
At this point, I must admit to a bit of confusion. When I refer to the doctor, should I capitalize Doctor? I think not, since it isn’t actually his name. It is, however, the closest we've heard to a name. *shrug* If we ever learn his name, I guarantee it will be less satisfying than wondering.
Another critical piece of the doctor’s: he regenerates when he dies. He gains a new appearance, new mannerisms, an entirely new personality. Each regeneration comes with a shiny new set of clothes. A clever way to bring in a new actor and modernize his wardrobe, really. Also a very interesting story telling device which has been used on multiple occasions. Perhaps it’s starting to get weird.
Then there are the weeping angels. Stone angels that only move when you blink. Stay away from them. Far away.
There’s the sonic screwdriver. How has it taken me so long to mention the sonic screwdriver? It does a bit of everything, really. It's kind of the swiss army knife of hi-tech gadgetry. A cynical person might call it his special hi-tech plot device.
Then there’s the psychic paper. It shows to the reader whatever the holder wants it to show. Unless the viewer is highly intelligent, or psychically trained.
Of course, there’s the Time Lords of Gallifrey. Sounds like the title of an intergalactic drinking song, doesn't it? Some people call him a space cowboy, some people call him the doctor of love. Don’t look at me like that. Why not be weird? You can't be ordinary, anyway. There aren't any ordinary humans.
And everyone's important.
I hope everything is clear now. I'm not certain I can explain it any better. This entry seems to be getting a little wibbly wobbly.
Until yesterday, I'll see you tomorrow.
It starts with his name - which we never learn. I’ve heard the rumor that it's a mathematical formula. In any case, he is called "the doctor." Not “Doctor Who.” That’s just the name of the show. Don’t worry, it gets weird.
Add in a blue police box (kind of a phone booth) which is larger on the inside. Much larger on the inside. No, you don't understand: it is tremendously large on a scale I'm not entirely certain you're prepared to comprehend. Call it a TARDIS. It can travel to anywhere, at anywhen? Even outside reality. And it has this simply amazing ability to camouflage itself as anything. It got stuck on “blue police box” and won’t come out.
Add a travelling companion. And another. One of them leaves, and here comes another one or three.
Add in killer robots who run around (so to speak) exterminating and conquering. ( I think they have creatures inside. Did I imagine that episode?) These are the notorious bad guys of the whoniverse. They are the klingons to the doctor's Kirk. This is not the weird part.
At this point, I must admit to a bit of confusion. When I refer to the doctor, should I capitalize Doctor? I think not, since it isn’t actually his name. It is, however, the closest we've heard to a name. *shrug* If we ever learn his name, I guarantee it will be less satisfying than wondering.
Another critical piece of the doctor’s: he regenerates when he dies. He gains a new appearance, new mannerisms, an entirely new personality. Each regeneration comes with a shiny new set of clothes. A clever way to bring in a new actor and modernize his wardrobe, really. Also a very interesting story telling device which has been used on multiple occasions. Perhaps it’s starting to get weird.
Then there are the weeping angels. Stone angels that only move when you blink. Stay away from them. Far away.
There’s the sonic screwdriver. How has it taken me so long to mention the sonic screwdriver? It does a bit of everything, really. It's kind of the swiss army knife of hi-tech gadgetry. A cynical person might call it his special hi-tech plot device.
Then there’s the psychic paper. It shows to the reader whatever the holder wants it to show. Unless the viewer is highly intelligent, or psychically trained.
Of course, there’s the Time Lords of Gallifrey. Sounds like the title of an intergalactic drinking song, doesn't it? Some people call him a space cowboy, some people call him the doctor of love. Don’t look at me like that. Why not be weird? You can't be ordinary, anyway. There aren't any ordinary humans.
And everyone's important.
I hope everything is clear now. I'm not certain I can explain it any better. This entry seems to be getting a little wibbly wobbly.
Until yesterday, I'll see you tomorrow.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Sir Gavin and the Horse
After I mentioned Sir Glasswaite, I decided to write a short story about him and post it here. I changed his name to Sir Gavin, which rolls off the tongue a bit better.
-Sir Gavin and the Horse-
Alynor’s hooves hit the sand with a soft and rapid thu-thud. The ocean air assaulted Sir Gavin’s nose. The King’s Rangers were behind him, and he hoped he was far ahead enough to allow time for the transfer. Alynor would soon collapse of exhaustion if they did not complete it.
He heard the hunters' cry. A chill ran down his spine. They were only after him, though, and didn’t know he could transfer. If he succeeded, he could reach Ryia before she was executed.
He leaned forward and whispered in Alynor’s ears as he gently stroked the horse’s neck.
“My friend, this transfer must be quick. It will be dangerous. But after, I will do the running. Will you transfer?” Alynor huffed, barely more than breathing out a little heavier. But Gavin understood.
“Ryla is in danger, as is her mare. Will you transfer?” After a moment, he felt Alynor’s mind relax, prepared for the transfer.
Gavin glanced behind. There seemed to be three dark shapes following him. If the moon were out, he could judge their distance better. He’d know better whether there was time. The rangers saw in darkness as though it were sunlight, and shot better on horses than most men standing.
Gavin turned forward, and focused his attention on what he could see. He pushed on the image, and it shot down his arm and through his hand. Alynor’s vision, in turn, rushed up Gavin’s arm. He took a breath, trying to come into focus. He had to take a second, to let the vision attach. Otherwise, they would just switch right back.
He heard the thud of an arrow in the ground behind him. Alynor whinnied; he knew that sound all too well. He tried to speed up, but there wasn’t enough energy in his muscles.
So Gavin skipped down the regular order of transfer. He tensed his muscles tightly, hoping it would be enough to keep him in the saddle, and pushed the energy to Alynor. His mind remained behind. His body was leaning over, could fall any second.
Gavin reached out now with the fire of his own mind, the core of his being. He expanded the flame to touch Alynor's, and experienced that moment of flash, that fraction of a second where he couldn’t figure out where he was or how he’d woken up here.
But the memories didn’t come back.
There was something unfinished.
Behind him, there was a "thump." He recognized that sound. He knew the kick of sand by his feet meant arrow. Arrow meant danger.
He felt like there should be a rider on his back. He was missing someone, but he couldn’t stop to look. Danger was behind him, and he needed to get to…
Gavin couldn’t remember the name of the place he ran to. He could picture it, though, and could picture a woman’s face. Unsure of the destination ahead, but certain of the danger behind, the only thing he could do was run.
-Sir Gavin and the Horse-
Alynor’s hooves hit the sand with a soft and rapid thu-thud. The ocean air assaulted Sir Gavin’s nose. The King’s Rangers were behind him, and he hoped he was far ahead enough to allow time for the transfer. Alynor would soon collapse of exhaustion if they did not complete it.
He heard the hunters' cry. A chill ran down his spine. They were only after him, though, and didn’t know he could transfer. If he succeeded, he could reach Ryia before she was executed.
He leaned forward and whispered in Alynor’s ears as he gently stroked the horse’s neck.
“My friend, this transfer must be quick. It will be dangerous. But after, I will do the running. Will you transfer?” Alynor huffed, barely more than breathing out a little heavier. But Gavin understood.
“Ryla is in danger, as is her mare. Will you transfer?” After a moment, he felt Alynor’s mind relax, prepared for the transfer.
Gavin glanced behind. There seemed to be three dark shapes following him. If the moon were out, he could judge their distance better. He’d know better whether there was time. The rangers saw in darkness as though it were sunlight, and shot better on horses than most men standing.
Gavin turned forward, and focused his attention on what he could see. He pushed on the image, and it shot down his arm and through his hand. Alynor’s vision, in turn, rushed up Gavin’s arm. He took a breath, trying to come into focus. He had to take a second, to let the vision attach. Otherwise, they would just switch right back.
He heard the thud of an arrow in the ground behind him. Alynor whinnied; he knew that sound all too well. He tried to speed up, but there wasn’t enough energy in his muscles.
So Gavin skipped down the regular order of transfer. He tensed his muscles tightly, hoping it would be enough to keep him in the saddle, and pushed the energy to Alynor. His mind remained behind. His body was leaning over, could fall any second.
Gavin reached out now with the fire of his own mind, the core of his being. He expanded the flame to touch Alynor's, and experienced that moment of flash, that fraction of a second where he couldn’t figure out where he was or how he’d woken up here.
But the memories didn’t come back.
There was something unfinished.
Behind him, there was a "thump." He recognized that sound. He knew the kick of sand by his feet meant arrow. Arrow meant danger.
He felt like there should be a rider on his back. He was missing someone, but he couldn’t stop to look. Danger was behind him, and he needed to get to…
Gavin couldn’t remember the name of the place he ran to. He could picture it, though, and could picture a woman’s face. Unsure of the destination ahead, but certain of the danger behind, the only thing he could do was run.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Playing and Planning
I love role playing games. I cut my teeth playing Vampire: the Masquerade. I’ve played Earthdawn. My whole week feels off if I don’t get to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Maybe it will surprise you, then, that I never played an RPG as a kid. There were a few students in my school who played them, but I never managed to join their games.
A friend helped me create a thief for D&D at lunch one day. And yes, thieves aren’t welcome in some gamers' adventuring parties, but I chose thief mostly so I could disable traps. I couldn't imagine what self-respecting adventurer would consider leaving a castle or town without a way to deal with the inevitable traps. I wasn't invited to an actual game and didn’t know how to invite myself, so I thought, "Fine. If I can't get anybody to play, I'll write my own games." (I’ve grown more confident and social since then.)
So I did. I figured out how the game would work mechanically, and designed settings. I even doodled maps in class. From this grew my love of world building. I began asking the questions: Where do you place cities? (Trade routes and water sources are good places to begin.) How much would it change a game to set it in Rome or Greece? How far can you get without your people learning to write? (No, wait. That was Civilization.)
World building is a great hobby of mine. It became very useful when I started running games. Knowing, in general, how a city is laid out helps when players have characters being chased through it. Knowing who the important characters in a kingdom are helps when players interact with the nobility or guild leaders. But it has pitfalls, in gaming and writing.
On the gaming side, you might get so wrapped up in your world that you forget to actually plan the game. You could start a session with nothing for the players to do. Some GMs handle that well; most cannot.
With books, you might love your world so much you forget to actually write, or neglect a storyline because you can't force it into your world. That issue could actually be an enormous headache.
I've faced the problem of excessive world building with too little writing. I still face it, sometimes. But I've also realized that if I don't write the stories, that world I worked on will die a quiet death. Nobody will know the tale of Sir Glasswaite if I only ever figure out the names of a few people in his kingdom. I would have to write his story, and get people to read it, for his tragic death to have meaning.
So I do my best to spend more time writing stories than thinking about them. For example, I invented Sir Glasswaite for this blog entry; I think I will go write him up now. I see a knight, riding his horse by the sea…
A friend helped me create a thief for D&D at lunch one day. And yes, thieves aren’t welcome in some gamers' adventuring parties, but I chose thief mostly so I could disable traps. I couldn't imagine what self-respecting adventurer would consider leaving a castle or town without a way to deal with the inevitable traps. I wasn't invited to an actual game and didn’t know how to invite myself, so I thought, "Fine. If I can't get anybody to play, I'll write my own games." (I’ve grown more confident and social since then.)
So I did. I figured out how the game would work mechanically, and designed settings. I even doodled maps in class. From this grew my love of world building. I began asking the questions: Where do you place cities? (Trade routes and water sources are good places to begin.) How much would it change a game to set it in Rome or Greece? How far can you get without your people learning to write? (No, wait. That was Civilization.)
World building is a great hobby of mine. It became very useful when I started running games. Knowing, in general, how a city is laid out helps when players have characters being chased through it. Knowing who the important characters in a kingdom are helps when players interact with the nobility or guild leaders. But it has pitfalls, in gaming and writing.
On the gaming side, you might get so wrapped up in your world that you forget to actually plan the game. You could start a session with nothing for the players to do. Some GMs handle that well; most cannot.
With books, you might love your world so much you forget to actually write, or neglect a storyline because you can't force it into your world. That issue could actually be an enormous headache.
I've faced the problem of excessive world building with too little writing. I still face it, sometimes. But I've also realized that if I don't write the stories, that world I worked on will die a quiet death. Nobody will know the tale of Sir Glasswaite if I only ever figure out the names of a few people in his kingdom. I would have to write his story, and get people to read it, for his tragic death to have meaning.
So I do my best to spend more time writing stories than thinking about them. For example, I invented Sir Glasswaite for this blog entry; I think I will go write him up now. I see a knight, riding his horse by the sea…
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Shows I Love
Some nerds obsess over a single show, focusing all their obsessive attention on that one fandom. Not I. I have a broad range of interests to give my obsessive attention.
-Space-
I like Star Wars, even the odd prequels. I am a big Star Trek fan; my favorite of the series is The Next Generation, but I have an appreciation for all of them, even the odd prequel. In the space category, I also like Farscape and Firefly. And Fifth Element.
-Horror-
I am a die-hard Buffy: the Vampire Slayer fan. I’ve even written bad fan-fiction about it. I outlined a whole alternate timeline with variations in how the stories and characters developed. No, you can’t read it.
Dollhouse was pretty epically awesome as well, at least from my viewpoint. I really enjoyed the complex storylines, even when they made little sense, and philosophical questions regarding identity.
More recently, I really enjoyed Bates Motel. (Adult content warning on that show.) I admit that the original Psycho movie is still on my to-watch list. With that said, I feel that they are really setting up the story and developing the characters well.
I’ve mostly kept up with the American version of Being Human. I tried the British version, but I didn’t like it nearly as much.
-Group Activity Shows-
I like Dr. Who. I started watching the fourth doctor with my dad. He’s the one with the seventies hair and the long multi-colored scarf. The doctor is, not my dad. I watched the early first doctor episode “The Aztecs” alone, but Dr Who still feels like I should be watching and discussing it with someone.
People might expect me to like a lot more anime, but I usually can’t watch it on my own. The notable exception is Death Note. And, though I know it’s not anime, Avatar: The Last Airbender, does have anime influence. Even there, I really enjoy watching and discussing it with my sister.
-Back to Buffy-
Okay, back to Buffy for a minute. I hated the movie. Still do - but I’m glad it turned out badly. Because of that, Joss Whedon created the series to match his vision. I also enjoyed Angel, which I felt was technically better but less rewatchable.
-Superheroes-
I like most of the modern superhero movies: Spiderman, Dark Knight, X-Men. Superman finally got a decent movie. I liked Avengers and the movies tied to it, though I really thought Wolverine was going to be in the Avengers. Of course, one of my favorite parts about superhero movies is picking them apart.
I think that the 90s Batman was one of the greatest cartoon series ever made.
-Summary-
Expect to see references to all of these, and more, in my blog. Please share your favorite series/movie - I am always open to hear about a good series I can sink my teeth into.
Bonus game for my fellow nerds: Can you spot all the Joss Whedon shows? Which ones were cancelled too soon?
-Bonus Round: Fantasy-
The Hobbit cartoon, The Lord of the Rings movies, The Hobbit movie, Xena: Warrior Princess, Charmed (Not really, though I once did), Once Upon a Time, The Flight of Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons II (It felt like a fan movie that understood the game), The Guild
-Space-
I like Star Wars, even the odd prequels. I am a big Star Trek fan; my favorite of the series is The Next Generation, but I have an appreciation for all of them, even the odd prequel. In the space category, I also like Farscape and Firefly. And Fifth Element.
-Horror-
I am a die-hard Buffy: the Vampire Slayer fan. I’ve even written bad fan-fiction about it. I outlined a whole alternate timeline with variations in how the stories and characters developed. No, you can’t read it.
Dollhouse was pretty epically awesome as well, at least from my viewpoint. I really enjoyed the complex storylines, even when they made little sense, and philosophical questions regarding identity.
More recently, I really enjoyed Bates Motel. (Adult content warning on that show.) I admit that the original Psycho movie is still on my to-watch list. With that said, I feel that they are really setting up the story and developing the characters well.
I’ve mostly kept up with the American version of Being Human. I tried the British version, but I didn’t like it nearly as much.
-Group Activity Shows-
I like Dr. Who. I started watching the fourth doctor with my dad. He’s the one with the seventies hair and the long multi-colored scarf. The doctor is, not my dad. I watched the early first doctor episode “The Aztecs” alone, but Dr Who still feels like I should be watching and discussing it with someone.
People might expect me to like a lot more anime, but I usually can’t watch it on my own. The notable exception is Death Note. And, though I know it’s not anime, Avatar: The Last Airbender, does have anime influence. Even there, I really enjoy watching and discussing it with my sister.
-Back to Buffy-
Okay, back to Buffy for a minute. I hated the movie. Still do - but I’m glad it turned out badly. Because of that, Joss Whedon created the series to match his vision. I also enjoyed Angel, which I felt was technically better but less rewatchable.
-Superheroes-
I like most of the modern superhero movies: Spiderman, Dark Knight, X-Men. Superman finally got a decent movie. I liked Avengers and the movies tied to it, though I really thought Wolverine was going to be in the Avengers. Of course, one of my favorite parts about superhero movies is picking them apart.
I think that the 90s Batman was one of the greatest cartoon series ever made.
-Summary-
Expect to see references to all of these, and more, in my blog. Please share your favorite series/movie - I am always open to hear about a good series I can sink my teeth into.
Bonus game for my fellow nerds: Can you spot all the Joss Whedon shows? Which ones were cancelled too soon?
-Bonus Round: Fantasy-
The Hobbit cartoon, The Lord of the Rings movies, The Hobbit movie, Xena: Warrior Princess, Charmed (Not really, though I once did), Once Upon a Time, The Flight of Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons II (It felt like a fan movie that understood the game), The Guild
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Glee and Sadness
Reality shows are not my favorite. I have seen a few, but never an episode of American Idol. So, I missed all the commercials for Glee. I started watching the show because it appeared on Hulu. I saw the first episode, completely unsure what I should be expecting.
Glee almost immediately captured my heart. Maybe it was the likable and relatable characters. Maybe it was the energy and sound of the music. It could have been the impressive run-on sentences of the borderline psychotic cheerleading coach. Or the way the show was ready to deal with difficult topics. By the third episode, Curt was coming out of the closet. By the fourth episode, teen pregnancy entered the picture.
That first season was a catharsis for me. I have to admit, my high school life was largely a negative experience. I had some good teachers, a few friends. For part of one year, I even had people to eat lunch with. But, mostly, high school was a desperate and lonely experience for me.
But Glee had (has) people coming together. It had (has) people to identify with. (I’m going to stick with past tense, even though the show still has seasons coming.) It had songs that were these mini stories you could get lost in. They were familiar and new expressions of heart. And there was drama and humor surrounding the music.
Finn Hudson was not a character I identified with. At first, he seemed like some jock unwillingly caught up in the Glee club. Charismatic, athletic, everyone’s high-school crush. I’m really not familiar with what that’s like. But early on, they hinted the character was a good person, and he really shows himself to be a hero and a good friend by the end of the first season. He became a character I could respect and even admire.
It is my understanding that Cory Monteith, the actor who played Finn, had a good heart and was well loved; that he expressed some of Finn’s best qualities, though he had his own set of difficulties. It was hard to read the news that he had died. It was harder to see confirmation that it wasn’t a hoax.
I’ve lost people in my life. I’ve been to more funerals than is comfortable to discuss. I hope that the people who suffered the most from Cory’s death are able to find some measure of comfort with their loved ones. The only thing I can offer is this: Cory brought a depth to his character. The way he portrayed Finn brought honesty and heart to the show. He had human fallibilities, but he was hard at work becoming a better person. This is a trait to be admired.
Cory, Finn. I don’t really know which one I’m talking to at this point. But you were a voice of growth, of honesty, and of heroic friendship. You were a voice of hope and, though you’re gone, your voice still sings true.
You are greatly missed.
Glee almost immediately captured my heart. Maybe it was the likable and relatable characters. Maybe it was the energy and sound of the music. It could have been the impressive run-on sentences of the borderline psychotic cheerleading coach. Or the way the show was ready to deal with difficult topics. By the third episode, Curt was coming out of the closet. By the fourth episode, teen pregnancy entered the picture.
That first season was a catharsis for me. I have to admit, my high school life was largely a negative experience. I had some good teachers, a few friends. For part of one year, I even had people to eat lunch with. But, mostly, high school was a desperate and lonely experience for me.
But Glee had (has) people coming together. It had (has) people to identify with. (I’m going to stick with past tense, even though the show still has seasons coming.) It had songs that were these mini stories you could get lost in. They were familiar and new expressions of heart. And there was drama and humor surrounding the music.
Finn Hudson was not a character I identified with. At first, he seemed like some jock unwillingly caught up in the Glee club. Charismatic, athletic, everyone’s high-school crush. I’m really not familiar with what that’s like. But early on, they hinted the character was a good person, and he really shows himself to be a hero and a good friend by the end of the first season. He became a character I could respect and even admire.
It is my understanding that Cory Monteith, the actor who played Finn, had a good heart and was well loved; that he expressed some of Finn’s best qualities, though he had his own set of difficulties. It was hard to read the news that he had died. It was harder to see confirmation that it wasn’t a hoax.
I’ve lost people in my life. I’ve been to more funerals than is comfortable to discuss. I hope that the people who suffered the most from Cory’s death are able to find some measure of comfort with their loved ones. The only thing I can offer is this: Cory brought a depth to his character. The way he portrayed Finn brought honesty and heart to the show. He had human fallibilities, but he was hard at work becoming a better person. This is a trait to be admired.
Cory, Finn. I don’t really know which one I’m talking to at this point. But you were a voice of growth, of honesty, and of heroic friendship. You were a voice of hope and, though you’re gone, your voice still sings true.
You are greatly missed.
Monday, July 15, 2013
A Writer Writes
I have read and listened to a lot of writing advice. A lot of writing advice. It comes in many flavors, from “This is the best method,” to “There are many ways to write, each one valid.” The key bit of advice comes down to this: only writing is writing. Plotting is not writing. Planning is not writing. Thinking about it…is not writing
The only thing that is writing is actually getting the words on the page. Most authors will acknowledge the helpfulness of having some kind of outline, but the best outline in the world is not a novel.
This has, of course, application to many other areas of life. Thinking about exercise isn't exercise. Planning a routine isn't exercise. Only getting off your butt and moving around is exercise. Admittedly, in some cases and routines, staying on your butt or laying down and exercising is the method.
This is great advice for me; I suffer from what they call on Writing Excuses "World Builder's Disease." World Builder's Disease is when you get so caught up in planning the world of your novel that you forget to actually write it. When I realized that my characters would not have the breath of life unless others read them, I decided it was time to do something about it and just write.
I discovered something interesting. What came out of me was not the fantasy novel I've been working on, but an entirely different genre. A horror novel set in the modern world. I'm not sure where inside this came from, but I will finish it. This is the novel my mind needs to write before it can write anything else, so it is the novel I will write. And with taking that writer's chair and fulfilling my - well, to be honest - my dream, I can feel the rest of my writing in the back of my mind, surging forward and pressing on the portal that will bring it to life.
In fact, I am going to cut this entry a little short (with apologies) and get back to novel writing. I recommend that you get up and move to a project that you've been procrastinating. Writing, exercising, learning to mambo or asking out that special someone. It's really the fear of failure that keeps us from starting and, in truth, failure is something to treasure, not to fear.
The only thing that is writing is actually getting the words on the page. Most authors will acknowledge the helpfulness of having some kind of outline, but the best outline in the world is not a novel.
This has, of course, application to many other areas of life. Thinking about exercise isn't exercise. Planning a routine isn't exercise. Only getting off your butt and moving around is exercise. Admittedly, in some cases and routines, staying on your butt or laying down and exercising is the method.
This is great advice for me; I suffer from what they call on Writing Excuses "World Builder's Disease." World Builder's Disease is when you get so caught up in planning the world of your novel that you forget to actually write it. When I realized that my characters would not have the breath of life unless others read them, I decided it was time to do something about it and just write.
I discovered something interesting. What came out of me was not the fantasy novel I've been working on, but an entirely different genre. A horror novel set in the modern world. I'm not sure where inside this came from, but I will finish it. This is the novel my mind needs to write before it can write anything else, so it is the novel I will write. And with taking that writer's chair and fulfilling my - well, to be honest - my dream, I can feel the rest of my writing in the back of my mind, surging forward and pressing on the portal that will bring it to life.
In fact, I am going to cut this entry a little short (with apologies) and get back to novel writing. I recommend that you get up and move to a project that you've been procrastinating. Writing, exercising, learning to mambo or asking out that special someone. It's really the fear of failure that keeps us from starting and, in truth, failure is something to treasure, not to fear.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Nightmare Creatures
Fear is a powerful human emotion which reaches into the darkest depths of our souls. It creates monsters where there are none, and turns real and mythical monsters into ever more frightening versions. Tonight, I discuss monsters of our nightmares.
I'll start by making a confession: I like reading *about* Lovecraft's groundbreaking stories. However, I quickly grow bored when I read them. I love Edgar Allen Poe, to mention someone in a similar genre. And I have enjoyed Charles Dickens, to point out one classic author that does not write horror.
With that confession made, I would like to say that I admire the complexity of Lovecraft's mythos. He invented fantastically frightening immortal creatures. Knowledge of the creatures or the magic associated with them was enough to drive people mad; truly the stuff of nightmares. For what could a person fear more than losing their minds? What greater nightmare could there be? Death? Death is just the ultimate loss of mind; the ultimate loss of self.
Often, his horrific creatures had tentacles, perhaps in keeping the feel of the ocean under which some of his creatures slumbered, waiting to be awakened. Water and its depths are a great source of fear. People have lived near water since ancient days. The fear of water makes sense - a real and ever present danger for those most vulnerable to its destructive essence. A fear made even greater as sailors described great monsters of the deep-which Lovecraft’s creatures could sometimes resemble.
Lovecraft was not the only person to create nightmare creatures. Before vampires became romantic, there was Bram Stoker. (Quick Question - How is kissing a cold body romantic? Or, for that matter, how is kissing someone who exists solely off of blood desirable?) He gave the greatest description of the powerful and immortal hunter of the night. Any modern vampire writer must pay homage to Dracula, if only in mentioning weaknesses and strengths, or the reader will feel cheated and confused.
Interestingly, though he seems to be a manifestation of our fear of the dark, Count Dracula appeared in daylight several times in the novel. It wasn’t until movies that the vampire’s aversion to sunlight came to be. Perhaps, then, we adapted this monster to our existing fears, to give form to our fear of the night?
The werewolf is also said to stalk the night. More specifically, though, it is associated with the moon. This seems to refer to the madness traditionally associated with a full moon. It speaks to our fear of the violently primal aspects of our human nature. Here, again, the association of werewolf and moon did not arise until film. Still it fits so well; the werewolf has no control over when they turn or what happens when they do.
There are countless monsters I could discuss. But we’ve made a nice circle here; from immortal creatures of madness and water, to immortal creature of darkness, and ending with an uncontrollable mortal monster.
Pleasant dreams, dear reader.
I'll start by making a confession: I like reading *about* Lovecraft's groundbreaking stories. However, I quickly grow bored when I read them. I love Edgar Allen Poe, to mention someone in a similar genre. And I have enjoyed Charles Dickens, to point out one classic author that does not write horror.
With that confession made, I would like to say that I admire the complexity of Lovecraft's mythos. He invented fantastically frightening immortal creatures. Knowledge of the creatures or the magic associated with them was enough to drive people mad; truly the stuff of nightmares. For what could a person fear more than losing their minds? What greater nightmare could there be? Death? Death is just the ultimate loss of mind; the ultimate loss of self.
Often, his horrific creatures had tentacles, perhaps in keeping the feel of the ocean under which some of his creatures slumbered, waiting to be awakened. Water and its depths are a great source of fear. People have lived near water since ancient days. The fear of water makes sense - a real and ever present danger for those most vulnerable to its destructive essence. A fear made even greater as sailors described great monsters of the deep-which Lovecraft’s creatures could sometimes resemble.
Lovecraft was not the only person to create nightmare creatures. Before vampires became romantic, there was Bram Stoker. (Quick Question - How is kissing a cold body romantic? Or, for that matter, how is kissing someone who exists solely off of blood desirable?) He gave the greatest description of the powerful and immortal hunter of the night. Any modern vampire writer must pay homage to Dracula, if only in mentioning weaknesses and strengths, or the reader will feel cheated and confused.
Interestingly, though he seems to be a manifestation of our fear of the dark, Count Dracula appeared in daylight several times in the novel. It wasn’t until movies that the vampire’s aversion to sunlight came to be. Perhaps, then, we adapted this monster to our existing fears, to give form to our fear of the night?
The werewolf is also said to stalk the night. More specifically, though, it is associated with the moon. This seems to refer to the madness traditionally associated with a full moon. It speaks to our fear of the violently primal aspects of our human nature. Here, again, the association of werewolf and moon did not arise until film. Still it fits so well; the werewolf has no control over when they turn or what happens when they do.
There are countless monsters I could discuss. But we’ve made a nice circle here; from immortal creatures of madness and water, to immortal creature of darkness, and ending with an uncontrollable mortal monster.
Pleasant dreams, dear reader.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)