• On Life and Love

    A D&D One-Shot with Coworkers

    I ran a blitz Tri-Stat dX one-shot with my coworkers a few weeks ago, and they decided they wanted something more “traditional”, and with combat. So this past weekend, we did a D&D one-shot. It was far less successful than the Tri-Stat game (unsurprising in retrospect), but folks still had fun and got to hang out in the context of roleplaying.

  • On Life and Love

    Lonely Games Are (Kinda) Less Fun

    I’ve resumed playing Galactic Civilizations II (GalCiv II), which I haven’t played since the olden days when the mornings were light and the afternoons long. Back in that long, long ago, I played on less-than-normal enemy intelligence and experimented with extending my reach through cultural influence and economic power. I read no manuals. I read no strategy guides. I micromanaged no economy. Why bother? The enemies were dumber than a box of rocks. Just play like it’s Civ 4, and be done. Returning to it, I (unsurprisingly) find myself wanting more challenge. I fired up an easy game and did a quick military conquest, my first. Not boring… exactly. But,…

  • On Life and Love

    A New Home for Children: A Tri-Stat dX One-Shot

    I had two hours to run a one-shot full of people who’ve never held dice outside of a Monopoly game. It started with the possibility of 7 players, but two had conflicts and one decided to just skip out. For some ungodly reason—when I thought I had 7 players—I picked Tri-Stat dX as the roleplaying system. I started a campaign in it a few years ago, and the flexibility of the system appealed for a high-powered fantasy game, like I was trying to do here. I wanted to play upon their interests in fashion, fame, and shiny things (and all the players were women), so I crafted a ladies-only party…

  • On Life and Love

    Showing Support: Where’s the Money?

    I find myself saying things like, “I support the alternative fuel (particularly electric) car movement. I’d love to test drive a Volt, or own a Prius. Some day, when they’re cheaper, I will.” (Or, in a variation: “No way would I pay $35k for a car, but I mos def support the move away from gasoline.”) But what’s the point of believing I support the direction of the industry (despite its flaws) if I’m not putting money into it to actually support it? It won’t go anywhere if people don’t spend money on the things. Fer skerious, though, there’s no way I’m spending $35k on a car. Not sure what…

  • On Life and Love

    Can’t Get Enough Purple

    I think I’ve even managed to baffle Mr. Ludo himself with my glee in playing GTA: San Andreas and now Saints Row: The Third. I sing along with almost every song in San Andreas, occasionally missing turns and stops because I’m thinking back to when I first heard whatever jam it was. Unlike whichever GTA I played in high school programming class, I’m playing this one solo and am interested in more than just running from the police and over people. Despite completing several missions, decking out in green (and an eye patch!), and trying to find some real plot here (and some damn money!), though, it’s not resonating with…