Showing posts with label Gary Gygax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gary Gygax. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Cold Reboot

Reboot.
 
What does it really mean?
 
Well, originally it's use was to denote the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally.
 
Believe it, or not, it comes from a military phrase. To "re-boot" meant to change, or replace footwear before beginning a new operation.
 
Why would one perform this particular action? Under what circumstances does one need to reboot, or re-boot?
 
Well, in the military I can only assume you changed your footwear because there is quite a lot of travel, much of it walking, and boots get worn out fairly regularly. You wouldn't want to undertake a new mission with footwear that would hurt your feet, or give out and fail to provide you adequate protection.
 
The term is most familiar in use from it's computing origins however. Why would you need to reboot a computer?
 
According to the Reboot (Computing) entry on Wikipedia, there are a number of causes including [but not limited to]:
 
 
Troubleshooting: Rebooting may be used by users, support staff or system administrators as a technique to work around bugs in software, for example memory leaks or processes that hog resources to the detriment of the overall system, or to terminate malware. While this approach does not address the root cause of the issue, resetting a system back to a good, known state may allow it to be used again for some period until the issue next occurs.

Manual, hardware-based: A power switch or reset button can cause the system to reboot. Doing so, however, may cause the loss of all unsaved data.

Manual, software-based: Computer software and operating system can trigger a reboot as well; more specifically, Microsoft Windows operating systems are outfitted with a restart command that closes open programs and eliminate data loss due to reboot.

Power Failure: Unexpected loss of power for any reason (including power outage, power supply failure or depletion of battery on a mobile device) forces the system user to perform a cold boot once the power is restored.


So basically, you reboot if something goes wrong. Furthermore, it's often either a last ditch effort sort of situation, or is done to protect the good parts of the system before they can be corrupted. It is a good bet however that unsaved, and unprotected data can be lost in the endeavor.

Why then do we reboot franchises, settings, and stories that for the most part aren't broken?

These thought occurred to me when I read the news that YouTube is reporting the trailer for the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot, "The Most Disliked Trailer in YouTube History".

I don't want to discuss that particular film, or trailer specifically, and why people may, or may not like it. Rather, I want to look at our definition for reboot, and ask ourselves, "Was the original Ghostbusters universe damaged, broken, malfunctioning, and/or had it completely lost power?"

Let's see...IDW has been making Ghostbusters comic books since September of 2011. There have been numerous video, and computer games with the latest ones having come out in 2009, 2011, a Virtual Realty game at Pax East in 2012, a mobile app game in 2013, and a video pinball game in 2014. There continue to be action figures, collectibles, t-shirts, cosplayers, fan films, and even a LEGO playset. There are at least two novels coming out that I know of, a version of the in-universe book Tobin's Spirit Guide (referenced in the first film), and I know I personally purchased the Insight Editions book 'The Ultimate Visual History'.

Now what do all of these items have in common? They are all based on the original film franchise, and it's expanded universe.

I am sure the new film will have a slew of products, but that's not what I'm addressing here. I am simply pointing out that the original version still sells. It is the love for the original that makes us want to see more of those characters, and that world. So why reboot?

If it ain't broke, for the love of Nimoy, DON'T TRY TO FIX IT!

DC Comics, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and so many other IPs are not in need of repair. They are in need of expansion. They need love. You want to reboot something? Reboot something that sucks.

On that note...

It occurred to me that there is a certain RPG from gaming's heyday that is notably viewed with mockery, and disdain. A game considered, not good-bad, but just bad-bad. At the same time, I find it to be a game with a promising core premise. A game whose idea is good, and whose execution is terrible.

So don't reboot good stuff you shlubs, reboot this...






Because if you don't...I will.


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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Age of The Pussyfoot

  
WARNING: The Snark Level on this bad boy is pretty high.
I'm just griping about a pet peeve. Feel free to ignore me.


I had the pleasure of hanging out with a good friend of mine a few evenings back; one who just so happens to be a pretty damn good GM (high praise from me, as those who've read my blog before can attest).

While we hit upon a number of subjects, there was one that I knew I had to talk about here. It's something that's been bugging me for a while and I want to find out if other gamers have experienced the same thing.

In recent years I have been playing with very different groups of gamers than those I'd gamemastered for in the past. It should be noted, I'd played with my old New Jersey group in one form or another for almost 20 years before encountering/assembling the members of my current New York ones.

I've noted repeatedly that there are considerable differences in style, approach, and just over all synergy at times.

This is not to say my current groups aren't fantastic role-players and excellent gamers (not to mention just great people). It is more a question of us not sharing that intrinsic trust and understanding of each other, the kind that develops over time to the point where none of you have to think about it. 

In addition, our likes and dislikes, and our (though far from identical) 'Appendix N's* as it were, were much closer to each other in my older groups. We drew inspiration from the same or very similar creative sources.

My newer groups don't always gel as easily, but oh man, they CAN gel. When they do, it's priceless.

Now, on to my gripe...

The one area where we don't see eye-to-eye that pops up fairly often is in how timid, and often remote, the players are about putting their PCs in physical danger.




When encountering any given situation, I noticed a propensity for players to resort first to long range observation (such as a telescope, using sensors to scan, checking things out with heightened senses), followed by shorter ranged scans, followed by short range - nearly close up - observation, followed eventually by listening at the door. In between each of these 'investigations', the PCs will stop and spend as long as possible discussing the information they obtained from their observations and try to decide what to do about it. 

Where and when at all possible, they will launch a probe, send in a droid, or perhaps a henchmen, and otherwise see if they can interact with the gaming environment via remote control. Heaven forbid adventurers, explorers, and superheroes should walk over to the TV and actually press a button to change the channel.

Pure cowardice? Perhaps. But no, it's more than that.

From where I sit, there are several contributing factors here. The major ones are Gary Gygax, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Computer games.

Thanks Uncle Gary!

For a large number of Gamemasters, especially those who call themselves 'Dungeonmasters', the relationship between themselves and the players is adversarial. It's a contest to see who can foil whom the most effectively, over the longest period of time.

This is helped by tales of Gygax himself and those who GMed D&D in its earliest incarnations. According to Gygaxian history and sciences such as ecology, biology, and biodiversity, the entirety of the average D&D setting is a thousand time worse than our homicidal home planet in After Earth**. The setting, the world, is actively out to kill you. The air has spores, treasure chests and furniture might try to eat you, there's likely a Trapper beneath your feet, and a Lurker Above over your head.

Those who grew up on a steady diet of this kind of gaming***, well, no wonder they're so paranoid. If they walk forward through the wrong door or tap the hidden wall panel that releases the spiked, 50 ton ball of rolling doom, or touch practically anything, the character they have grown to care about will die a meaningless, sad death in the bowls of some crazy priest's oversized basement.

Best to be extra, especially, super-duper, triple check careful.

It's not like you can just roll up another guy. Oh wait...

Make It So! Eventually.

Star Trek: The Next Generation took away many of the more military elements of the Original Series' universe, making Starfleet seem even less like an armed force. Phasers looked like dustbusters, uniform dress codes were fairly lax, and the flagship of the fleet carried scores of civilians (including children) into the unknown reaches of time warping, doomsday machine having, hostile alien having space. Genius.

However, they did keep true to one of the U.S. Army's most sacred tenets; Hurry Up and Wait.

Whether it's used to give out assignments to see if they can save the day or to see how their day-saving assignments are coming along, there is just nothing like a good board meeting.  The only thing better than working to stave off a catastrophe is getting the chance to sit and overthink how that can be done for a half an hour. Anything to kill the tension, fast paced action, and/or momentum of the story.

Good grief, shoot me.

The advanced technologies and futuristic setting simply give players more amazing and innovative ways to avoid physically doing very much.

Why beam down to a planet and have to deal with it's annoying natives when you can scan them, blast them, or beam them somewhere without ever having to leave the safety and comfort of your city-in-the-stars. Remember when we had to look at the landing site, talk to people, fist fight a Klingon, or maybe kiss an alien hottie (male or female)? Thank goodness that's over.

Soy milk, low fat, Raktajino latte anyone?

Just Farming Until I Get Better Gear.

Much of my frustration with the timid, tentative nature of so many players is aimed at the younger generation I'm afraid. I wish that wasn't the case, but looking at which players I feel overanalyze, and under-commit to action, and which ones think on their feet, and then take their chances, the more I think most of the latter are the older veterans.

This sucks, as it means, in part, that I am becoming the old grognard I have desperately been trying to avoid turning in to.

I blame Video Games. No seriously, I do.

A casual fan of them myself (though not a diehard fanatic by any means), computer, and video games, and especially MMOs, distance the player from the game experience in a way that is both subtle, and very different from the immersion you get in a good table top RPG.

As deeply connected as you can be with your character in some computer games, that fact that you don't create them to the level you do I a pen & paper game, makes them not as much 'yours'. If you think up a background, and a story for your MMO character, that's nice, but it doesn't effect your gameplay. The fluff you fleshed out in your mind have no bearing on your World of Warcraft character's interaction with the NPCs in the game, or the environments you travel to.

A side effect of this is that a fairly large portion of table top gamers who are also computer, and video gamers (and let's face it, that's a lot of people), see the investment in their PCs are either not worth it, or worth it, but then they have to keep them safe. Table top characters don't respawn. You don't get numerous lives. You get one. Best to safeguard it.

***

Normally, my game sessions run a good 8 hours on average. In 8 hours I am used to getting a lot done. I am constantly stunned and confused by people who describe their sessions in terms of a certain number of encounters (usually two or three tops) and a couple of role-playing sequences.

Seriously? Why do you bother? If I ain't getting in at least five role-playing scenes, two or three major plot reveals, two or three moments that progress some of the subplots, and at least two or three small battles with one or two major ones then hell, why did I leave my house to come to the game?

Now some campaigns have less combat by nature, some more or less subplots, but for the most part I am use to players taking in the situations, thinking on it for a few minutes tops, than initiating some course of action. After the action they see if they learned anything additional during the scenario, and if they did, it's time to regroup, plan their next move, and then perform that move, whatever it is. If they didn't learn anything new, take a moment to breath, and figure out how to learn more, or pursue their goals, and interests.

These are games. They are games in which the group playing the game combines their talents to create a work of narrative fiction overseen by die rolls.

Get active, make decisions, roll dice.

For Henson's sake, do something.

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* We all know what Appendix N is by now right? Hmmm. May have to update mine.

** When I say, "A thousand time worse than After Earth", I don't mean worse than the actual movie. I don't like D&D, but jeez. After Earth just sucked.

*** Worse, those who continue to do so. Talk about an abusive relationship. I guess everyone gets off on different things. Whatever floats your boat brothers, and sisters.






Wednesday, July 27, 2011

In It For The Long Haul

After suggesting a few ideas for the new campaign I'll be running at my FLGS, The Compleat Strategist, I received only a few initial reponses. The first was from the most, erm, vocal of our group who gave a very detailed overview of his opinion of each idea and why he thought they would make for a great campaign (or not).

Key among his criteria it seems was longevity. A good portion of his analysis of each campaign concept focused on whether or not it was viable to run 'for years to come'.

Now there was a time, probably no more than 10 years ago, when campaign longevity was definitely a factor in my mind when designing a game for my group(s). However, in that time I have moved three times, gotten married, gotten divorced, adopted a dog and played with at least 5 different groups. I am 42 years old. Longevity is in gaming for me is still having the same group in three months.

Between work schedule changes, kids (for those who have them) and the like, who plans on creating campaigns that will last years any more? Do you? Are you over 25? I mean seriously.

I'm interested to hear what the blogosphere thinks about this. Am I wrong in being thankful I get to game in the here and now? Should I be building something to last generations and stand the test of time? How does one do that these days?

My two longest running campaigns were a D&D (Sorta) campaign that ran about 3 1/2 years realtime* and a Star Trek campaign that lasted about 2*. I haven't had anything go more than a year since forever.

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*Actually both of these campaigns technically lasted a lot longer than similar campaigns as our session schedule was unusual. The D&D was run everyday, Mon-Fri for at least 5 hours during the summer (We played at summer camp) and once a week for about 8 hours during the winter/school months. Star Trek was the opposite. We played it Mon-Fri during the school months and occasional weekends during the summer.

If you figure most campaigns are played once a week for an average of about 6 hours, our campaigns stretched out would be very, very long.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Gary!








Thursday, March 4, 2010

Gone But Not Forgotten

This marks two years since the passing of Gary Gygax.

I highly recommend heading over to Jeff Rients page to see his brilliant tribute once more.

Its also GM's Day, when all us underappreciated GM's...er...get discounts at online game stores? Its kind of like how we celebrate President's Day with White Sales.

I'm really not sure the purpose of GM day. Its not like I get hallmark cards or flowers or anything. Since its falling on a Thursday I won't be gaming. I don't get it.

But thanks...just the same.

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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

To All My Fallen Heroes

The one year anniversary of the passing of Gary Gygax has me remembering not just the man himself but the fact that all three of my big creative influences have left us.

With the passing of Mr. Gygax, who I'd 'spoken' to online once or twice, we lost the iconic embodiment of all things old school in gaming. It was he who started this pastime for many of us, he who had fun before he had vision and he who would argue not for his next dollar but for his views.

Gene Roddenberry left us a 'Wagon Train to the Stars' that also gave us inspiration and hope for a future we could be amazed by and proud of. At a time when I personally feared the world would melt itself down into a sizziling radioactive lump, I would think, "Wait, that can't happen. We'll unite eventually. We have to."

Lastly, Jim Henson...I know it may seem odd to put Mr. Henson here but in addition to his creative genius he managed to prove you could make a living being silly, inventive and by doing things your own way. Henson has always been a major hero of mine and I think his passing effected me most personally because of where and when it happened. I was a college student in New York City at the time and cut class to attend the funeral. Its something that to this day I'm glad I did.

So, my heroes have left but they are by no means gone. Henson's legacy ingites the imagination of my young nephew through Sesame Street. Roddenberry's vision gets an injection of action and adventure on the big screen in a few months. As for Gary Gygax, he's remembered every time I draw a character, read a game blog, write a story or run a game. Come to think of it, that's pretty much every day...

To the Dungeon Master, the Great Bird and the Frog...Thanks. Rest in Peace.

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