Thursday Bonus

I'm working on a story arc for City of Heroes. I decided that I want this story to be full of CoX tropes. Think of it as a tribute to CoX and all the joy it has brought me. I'm planning on using Rachael as the mission giver.

Here is a quote from an early draft of the story....

"Really? You say Statesman was there? He couldn't have been, I was farming the Statesman Task Force while you were rescuing Atlas Park, he couldn't have been there too.

Furthermore, MAGI was robbed....AGAIN! I think they need a new locksmith. Azuria assures me that the scotch tape they use to hold the vault closed is good enough."

This is....subject to change.

Oh! By the way....for my Macintosh brethren...The City of Heroes Macintosh client has been released. I'm on the Infinity server. @Rachael Storm

One more thing - I'm really enjoying "Saul Rubenstien's Discount Taskforce" by @Ascendant. Its a developer's choice. Very funny missions.

I WANT THIS!

This started out as an April Fools Joke from ThinkGeek.

But, did you notice what they said on the right?

ATTN Tauntaun Fanatics! Due to an overwhelming tsunami of requests from YOU THE PEOPLE, we have decided to TRY and bring this to life. We have no clue if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant little ThinkGeek a license, nor do we know how much it would ultimately retail for. But if you are interested in ever owning one of these, click the link below and we'll try!

I hope when they introduce this, it will be in Adult Size!

Special Touch: Notice the LightSaber zipper?

Star Wars: The Old Republic Update

My Jedi will be from Chandrilla, but still, how about

• Ord Mantell
• Issue #4 of The Threat of Peace!
  

City of Heroes: Issue 14

I decided to give City of Heroes another spin now that issue 14 is out.

WOW.

Why is it cool? You can CREATE story arcs and adventures. You can choose any villain group or design your own for these missions. Furthermore, you can share these missions with other players. Keep a special eye for "Developer's Choice" missions. Those are missions that the Dev's felt were incredibly well done. While Champions Online has the "Nemesis" project (which looks to be wonderful), I think this offers MUCH more potential for expanding gameplay. After all, there is something to be said for opening the doors to UNLIMITED content.

I played a few custom missions this morning created by other players. Then I found out that "TwoFlower" was posting missions. I first came upon his work playing his Neverwinter Nights Penultima series. The adventures he designs tell solid stories with a bit of a "tongue in cheek" quality. I was a big fan of Penultima and may stay re-subbed if he continues his work in CoX.

His missions are.
1931: The Do-It-Yourself Laser Moonbase Project (Dev Choice) <- Rachael Recommends
2539: The Best of The Rest of What's Left
1960: The Hydroponic Psychotropic Freak Out!
4562: The Household Chores of the Damned <- Rachael REALLY Recommends!

I may try my hand at creating a few missions, but I'll need good inspiration. This is a feature I'd LOVE to see in other games. It raises the bar of what can be done in an MMO.

Thinking about Work

Traditionally, this has been a gaming and general geekery related blog. I know my audience prefers it that way. Sure, from time to time, this blog gets various bits of odds and ends that are more for me and my brain than anyone else. The idea behind this has a few different roots.

1. When learning material, it is best to read it, write it, and speak it. You engage more portions of the brain and therefore facilitate learning.
2. In the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and various other sources I've read, I learned that when setting goals, it is best to write them down. This gives them a form of reality that acts as a hook for their creation to start taking shape.
3. By writing things down, I don't forget them.
   

This may explain why I write some of the crazy things I write.

However, I do work and I want to take pride in what I do. I also need to collect my thoughts together with regard to what I do and how I fit in with my company. So, what does this mean for you, dear reader?

It means that I am considering adding a new type of post here. A post that has to do with Software Development. I know I don't have many readers who are developers and even fewer of them will be true "Engineers", so it could be that these posts may be a bit dry to the average reader. Hopefully, you the reader may get to learn a bit about what Software Engineering and Software Quality Assurance is like.

Do I intend on reducing the amount of "gamer geekery" posts I post here? No. Trust me that if that happens, it's only because I hit a dry spell (like I have of late). It is possible I'd spin that off into another blog at some point, but at the time of this writing, I don't know.

So what do y'all think?

Farewell Dave Arneson

I hope he and Gary save a place at the table for me to roll up a character when my race is run.

The Empty Chair
Eulogy for a Gamer
By Jolly Blackburn

There is an empty chair,
at the table this day.
A hallowed place where,
a friend once played.
The roll of his dice,
my ears long to hear.
Or perhaps it would suffice,
if he should suddenly appear.
With character sheet in hand,
and a bag of Cheeze-doodles to share.
All his friends would stand,
as he sat in the empty chair.
I hear his voice a-callin’,
and it ties my heart in a knot.
For he cries, “Though a comrade has fallen,
You must play for those who cannot.”
We conquered worlds on the run,
he and I in the name of fun.
And as others may come and go,
I make both both friend and foe.
But what I long for most,
is our past now long a ghost.

Dave's not here, man. Farewell, Dave.

Progressive Rant

I am a progressive. I'd say "liberal", but the conservative movement in America has managed to propagate "The Big Lie" that liberal is somehow "immoral" rather than simply a point of view with which they disagree. That being said, I'm incessantly assaulted by those people who disagree with my viewpoints (many of whom are close friends of mine). While I appreciate that my views are not universal AND that freedom of thought and speech are cornerstones of the United States, I find that certain conservative pundits repeatedly spread misinformation in hopes of helping their cause rather than actually using solid arguments supporting their cases. I guess that would take too much effort. So, I often find that I must collect resources to cut through the BS and misinformation that I'm assaulted with.

Now, I'm not going to stick my head in the sand and say that my prime news sources don't have any political agenda. However, I would argue that there is a difference in the quality of news I hear on CNN vs. Fox News.

What types of things am I talking about? Here is an example. When I say I want "Progressive Healthcare reform" every single conservative I know responds with "Socialized Medicine Sucks". Here is a little snippet from a recent post from Media Matters: SOURCE.

No issue incurs the wrath of these modern-day Red hunters more than health-care reform. For more than 75 years, conservatives have smeared progressive attempts to reform our faltering health-care system as "socialized medicine."

Let's get one thing straight. Anyone who argues that progressive health-care reform initiatives amount to "socialized medicine" is being disingenuous at best. At worst, they lack a basic understanding of what "socialized medicine" really is.

Simply put, health-care reform that leaves the for-profit health insurance industry intact, reform that leaves doctors and other medical professionals free to offer their services outside of a government system, reform that leaves citizens free to choose a private health-care plan over a government plan simply can't be described honestly as "socialized medicine."

In the spirit of this, I'm going to list a few links for all that address assertions made by my political opponents.

1. Fact Check - (Non-partisan) a site that catches assertions made by our elected officials and notes half-truths or mis-truths. If you are a conservative trying to convince me of something, get your facts straight - don't assume Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, and O'Reilly are telling you the absolute truth.
2. Media Matters - (Progressive) This seems to be the best site for correcting the blatant lies spread by various Fox News types. I've seen more cases of falsehoods debunked here than almost anywhere else. This is a more progressive link, but still recommended reading.
3. Blast the Right - (Progressive) This podcast is a little further to the left than I am. However, Jack Clark provides an excellent weekly podcast addressing various issues and includes a bibliography for EVERY episode he releases. He includes some great quotes of various well known people that has inspired me to take a more pro-active stance.
4. Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting - (Non-partisan) This is a website I've only recently started looking at. It seems promising in what it presents.
5. My History Can Beat Up Your Politics - (Non-partisan) This podcast is more history than politics, but I include it here because it gives a bit of an insight as to the why's of what is going on today.

In conclusion, if you want to convince me, I want REAL SOLID ARGUMENTS as to why you think what you think. I don't want BS reasons that have no foundation or WORSE a foundation based on false information. Put your money where your mouth is.

Got a source you want to share? POST IT!

Another Star Wars: The Old Republic Update!

The Treaty of Coruscant featurette, narrated by Lance Henrickson

Furthemore, Issue 3 of The Threat of Peace is available.

Oh! and they did a post on Creating the Bounty Hunter class.

Flames of War Battle Report

But not here....

Recently, the German 10th Panzer Company met the American Able Company 1/141st infantry 36th ID on the field of battle, at the battle of Monte Cassino.

Chris posted a nifty little battle report over at his blog.

Wow, I've never seen him roll THAT good!!!!!

Time Warner Introducing Bandwidth caps here in Austin

Yes Really.

Musical Interlude

In accordance with this momentous day, I'm dedicating my post to my two all time favorite things: The RNC and Gangsta Rap.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Conservative Rap Battle - Michael Steele's Response
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Mark Sanford

Happy April 1st!

My Apologies

Between running through my backlog of posts AND the fact that I slept very poorly last night, there will be no post today....


except this one...

Will Rachael Return?

Remember back when we were gods?

Rachael Storm, a librarian exposed to a massive dose of atmospherium, developed the ability to increase her density providing her with superstrength and near indestructibility. Amongst her exploits were going toe to toe with both Lord Recluse and The Hamidon. She defeated every member of the Praetorians.

Some of the most computer fun I've had was playing City of Heroes. Heck, this blog was started as a City of Heroes Blog. Since I burned myself out on it, though, I have not yet found an MMO that has really grabbed me, and I have looked. We know I'm waiting anxiously for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but that is likely to come out in 2010. Star Trek Online has no ETA.

Recently, I noticed that Champions Online (one of the MMO's I've been watching) is slated for release in "Spring 2009" - e.g. any time now. I'm thinking that The Dawn Patrol may return here or at least make an appearance.

In all honesty, I do miss being the "Stone Goddess", the "Big Bad Boulder Bitch", etc. I miss the Task Forces, the Trials, the Raids. Honestly though, I've tried to play, and CoX just can't grab me anymore.

I wonder how many people I knew in Paragon will be there? We've all come a long way in the past 4 years...

More Star Wars Stuff!!!!!

A far time ago, in a galaxy long away....

Here are a few new news bits!

1. The BOUNTY HUNTER class
2. Issue 2 of the Threat of Peace

And of course....

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY NUMBER 2!!!!!

Advice Column Roudup

Like many people, I find that navigating life can be difficult and fraught with ambiguous choices. Thankfully, the internet is here with great advice columns to help! All of these columns have the "Rachael Storm" seal of approval!

• Ax a Pirate
• Ask a Ninja
• Two Hot Girls in the Shower
• Strong Bad Email
• Dear Abby by John Prine
  

Incidentally, there IS an advice column portion of this blog. Simply post a question in one of the comments and start it with "Dear Rachael". The avenging librarian will be sure to come in and answer the question!

IE8 goes Live today

As many people who know me know, I am an unapologizing Microsoft hater. I'm aware my dislike is rather irrational, but at least I have reasons to back it up.

However, because this actually directly effects me I must report that at Noon Eastern today, Microsoft will release IE8.

• CNN Official News Report
• MSDN notes compatibility differences
• Paul Thurrott's Review of IE8

Here's to Microsoft increasing my workload by 33%.

SPAM! VIA IM!?!?!?

The other day, I got a bit of spam via my Instant Messenger. I must say it's creative. My name has been changed for the purpose of this post.

(And in the unlikely event that this is a real person, GO GET THERAPY!)

ritab anihy: hello
Rachael: hello
Rachael: who are you?
ritab anihy: Hey Rachael
Rachael: Hi
ritab anihy: This is difficult for me to do because I'm shy..but I have a crush on you, i have been sending you emails but no response
Rachael: I"ve not seen any
Rachael: who are you?
ritab anihy: I've never been able to tell you for reasons which you would quickly identify as obvious if you knew who this was.
Rachael: I see
ritab anihy: With that said, I want you to guess who I am, and approach me yourself.
Rachael: I am spoken for.
ritab anihy: To help you out with your guessing I made a few pictures and videos with "Rachael" written on my body.
Rachael: O_o
ritab anihy: They're kind of risque photos so I had to make a profile at www.THISWASPAMMER.com and post them there
Rachael: hrm, lemme ask this
ritab anihy: did you get my last IM about the riscque photos? if you didnt get the link visit it in my yahoo profile
Rachael: what city do I live in?
ritab anihy: My username in the members area is "RachaelandME09" (It's a free website but you might need a CC or Debit to verify your age because I had to. Sigh.)
Rachael: ah...ha....I see.
ritab anihy: once you are inside search for me. I want you to guess who I am and then approach me yourself. I'm shy and this is the bravest thing I've probably ever done, but you need to do the rest.
Rachael: I'm afraid to tell you - I am currently spoken for
ritab anihy: i wont ever be able to get on yahoo messenger again this is my only day so come talk with me on the website
Rachael: So, I will not be following up with this.
Rachael: and
Rachael: You've not told me what city I live in
ritab anihy: Kisses, Secret Admirer
Rachael: so I suspect this is spam
Rachael: now I know it is
ritab anihy: Permanent Gone Message - I quit using Yahoo Messenger, I only used it to communicate with my crush and I have now done so. He knows where to talk to me at

Grrr.....

iPhone OS 3.0 presentation (Shamelessly copied from the Gizmodo coverage):

Q: Video is still a blackhole if you visit a website with flash.
A: We have no announcements on Flash today.

ME: COME ON APPLE!!!!

Q: Where do you stand on tethering?
A: There’s two pieces needed to support that: client side and working with carriers. We’re absolutely supporting tethering in the client side in iPhone 3.0, but we’re working with carriers around the world to see when they can add tethering support on their networks. But we are building that support into iPhone 3.0.

ME: COME ON AT&T!!!! THE IPHONE OFFICIALLY SUPPORTS IT!!!!!!!

Twilight: 1943

One of the things we like about our wargaming is a chance for any two of us to sit down and work out an army battle. The limitation of playing Flames of War is a reason for any army to fight any army. That is, why would say...America fight the UK or even America fight America? In my desire to create a map campaign for Flames of War I came up with the following, Inspired by Twilight 2000.

Twilight: 1943

History is rather fragile. Where a pebble in a river may not make the slightest difference, a grain of sand in the ocean of time can cause the equivalent of a tidal wave.

What if?

Edith Keeler ran the 21st Street Mission soup kitchen in New York during the depression. Her speeches and philosophies inspire a pacifist movement in the United States. The strength of her message allows her to go as far to meet with Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Roosevelt loses his bid for a third term to Wendell Willkie who further pushes for isolationism and echoes Keeler's philosophies noting her popularity.

While Japan had allied itself with Axis Germany, the power struggle delayed Japan involving itself heavily in the war beyond financial support to Germany. Prince Fumimaro Konoe knows of Yamamoto's reservations to going to war with the US, which Tojo supports. Yamamoto knew that America was a sleeping giant, not to be awakened. If Japan entered the War and attacked America, it would be an act that could lose the war. Furthermore, Fumimaro has heard the some of the Keeler philosophy.

December 7th, 1941 passes without incident. The US remains neutral a little longer.

The United States' isolationism permits Germany to get a stronger foothold and ally with Mexico. Despite diplomatic talks, Mexico attacks Texas in 1942. However, even though the Axis has attacked on American soil, the Washington looks to a diplomatic solution. Dismayed by this and still disillusioned from the Civil War, Texas exercises it's right to secede. Following suit, the former Confederate states do as well.

It becomes clear to President Wilke that the US must follow suit and declare war on the Axis, but is also at war with Texas and must face a war on all fronts. The US moves for greater ties with Canada, but the United Kingdom disapproves of some the American priorities and while not declaring a full war due to it's necessary collaboration with the US.

Mexico realizes it's next on the Axis agenda, as they are getting minimal support from Germany, leave the Axis causing negatively impacting the relations with Germany and also ensuring that Germany is unable to immediately crush the United States. Furthermore, while flexing its muscles, Mexico realizes it needs resources to continue its fight and defend itself. To this end, they attack Venezuela in an attempt to seize the oilfields there.

Emboldened by the chaos across the world, the Grand Duchess Tsarina Anastasia comes out of hiding and rallies the Soviet citizens who were disillusioned with Communism and stokes the fires of revolution in Russia.

Japan finally sorts itself out with Tojo ascending to power one year after the deadline of the Imperial Conference to select a prime minister. Yamamoto's tactical genius allows him to maintain his post. December 7th, 1942, Pearl Harbor is bombed.

Such is the world of Twilight: 1943.

Facebook

I finally fell into the Facebook crowd. The company I work for is interested in borrowing ideas from various social networks, so I figured it was worth looking into.

Learn more about Facebook.

I have to say, the neat thing about it is being able to reconnect with people you've lost track of. It also helps to make sure you don't loose track of people over time. You can keep an eye on people and remind people you exist.

Those of us who had a better high school existence than I did, might find it worth-while to look into as it is almost trivial to find people you knew. I found people from a private school I went to who I was very fond of. Note this was 20+ years ago.

Give a look, its free and you might find something you like. If you don't like it, you've not lost anything.

If you wish, look me up (I'm listed under my *gasp* real name there).

Star Wars: Creating the Polluted World of Hutta

Bioware's latest entry on Star Wars: The Old Republic

Nal Hutta - it's where the Hutts (as in Jabba the...) came from.

10. Panzer Division or 21. Panzer Division?

Well, after finally sitting down and spending more time with the books, I think my initial target Flames of War force is going to look a bit more like this.

1500 Pts - German Panzergrenadierkompanie List - 10th Panzer Division

1 Company HQ @ 125 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [80] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts
1 Anti-tank Rifle Section @ [45] Pts
1 Anti-tank Rifle team @ [25] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/1 @ [20] Pts
1 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 210 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [60] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/10 @ [25] Pts
1 3.7cm tank gun @ [0] Pts
2 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [150] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 210 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [60] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/10 @ [25] Pts
1 3.7cm tank gun @ [0] Pts
2 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [150] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 210 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [60] Pts
1 SdKfz 251/10 @ [25] Pts
1 3.7cm tank gun @ [0] Pts
2 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [150] Pts
2 SdKfz 251/1 @ [40] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Panzer Platoon @ 345 Pts
3 Panzer III L or M @ [345] Pts
3 5cm KwK39 gun @ [0] Pts
3 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
3 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Light Anti-aircraft Platoon @ 60 Pts
2 SdKfz 10/5 @ [60] Pts
2 2cm FlaK38 gun @ [0] Pts

1 Priority Air Support @ 175 Pts
Priority Air Support
1 Ju 87D @ [175] Pts
1 Bombs @ [0] Pts

1 Tank-hunter Platoon @ 165 Pts
2 Diana @ [165] Pts
2 7.62cm FK36(r) gun @ [0] Pts
2 AA MG @ [0] Pts

Total List Cost: 1500

You will notice that there are a LOT of half-tracks. The German Blitzkrieg relied on their vehicals. I love a fast moving, in-your-face army, so this SHOULD suit my playstyle. This tactic is reflected in the German special rules on page 166-167 of the main book. First, I have the "Stormtroopers" rules. This gives me a chance to get an extra 4" of movement in the Assault Step. Sadly, the 251s in the don't bring the "Stuka Zu Fuss" (Stukas on Foot) rule into play. I do get vehicle mounted machine guns and the "Mounted Assault" rule. "Mounted Assault" basically means I can assault from the vehical (though it's a tad more complex than that). This gets my troops out there FASTER.

The HQ are comprised of "Panzerknackers". Panzerknackers are "Tank Hunters". We all love our tanks. I'm taking this into account by fielding the Panzerknackers which are designed to assault tanks.

I love my tanks, so I need the 3 Panzers. I'll use my Panzer IIIJ models for now.

Notice the Priority Air Support. This means that on my first turn, I roll a dice pool for air support. If I roll a six in that pool, I get Air Support for that turn. Priorty vs. Limited is merely how many dice I get to roll. The next turn I roll one less die, but the mechanic works the same. I hit TOP armor, so that should be nasty for any tanks even though I have a low armour penetration. In World War II, the Stuka was used for this, and they were MEAN.

I need the Anti-aircraft gun to...well...deal with incoming aircraft. I'm not the only one with Air Support.

Finally, I round out the list with the Dianas which are also anti-tank, but work with my lightning war methods.

Now, the problem with the above list, is that I'm a little troop light and not *quite* as balanced a list. In Flames of War (much like real war), battle is a balancing act. I think this list is far more balanced, but not quite as appealing to me.

1500 Pts - German Panzergrenadierkompanie List - 21st

1 Company HQ @ 55 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [55] Pts
2 Panzerknacker @ [10] Pts
1 Motorcycle and sidecar @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzer Platoon @ 270 Pts
3 Panzer III G, H or J @ [270] Pts
3 5cm KwK37 gun @ [0] Pts
3 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
3 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Priority Air Support @ 175 Pts
Priority Air Support
1 Ju 87D @ [175] Pts
1 Bombs @ [0] Pts

1 Heavy Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon @ 160 Pts
1 HQ Section @ [20] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
1 8.8cm FlaK36 gun @ [140] Pts
1 Large Crew @ [10] Pts
1 SdKfz 7 @ [5] Pts

1 Tank-hunter Platoon @ 165 Pts
2 Diana @ [165] Pts
2 7.62cm FK36(r) gun @ [0] Pts
2 AA MG @ [0] Pts

Total List Cost: 1500

I have many of the same options.

With either list, I can take them to 1750, the SAME way...I add the following:

1 Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel @ 50 Pts
1 SdKfz 250/5 'Greif' @ [0] Pts
1 Hull MG @ [0] Pts
1 Rear AA MG @ [0] Pts

1 Escort Platoon @ 190 Pts
3 Captured Honey Stuart @ [190] Pts
3 Captured 37mm tank gun @ [0] Pts
3 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
3 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

It's exactly 240 pts.

For modelling purposes though, I'm not going to be using 'Greif', I'm instead going to model 'Max': his captured Dorchester Armoured Command Vehicle. He figured if it was good enough for Monty (who managed to stop his Blitzkreig) it was good enough for him. Stat wise, you just use the 'Greif' stats, but still...it's cool! I love the variety I get to use with working in the british vehicles into my army so I have a wide variety to choose from.

The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

On Sunday, Chris, Clay, and I went to "The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium". It was a place that the trophy Fiancee told me about, and I was intrigued. It is a restaurant devoted to Beer and Sausage. If this doesn't intrigue you, you probably should just wait until Monday's post.

The local Flying Saucer is located in The Triangle so its centrally located and just a couple hops north from the drag. As you approach the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the extensive outside patio. I can hardly wait to head here in the summer.

Now to the reason you want to know about this place.

First of all, there are TWO menus. The first is food menu which has a large selection of sausage based dishes, many of which are unusual (sausage con queso and sausage nachos). The second is a densely packed, blue paper menu which has beer. The really exciting part of this second menu is something described on the back. For those familiar with wine bars, you may be familiar with the "flight of wine", that is a sampling of 5 different wines which are served in small glasses so that you don't get more than a single glass worth of wine, but get a variety. Flying Saucer has "Flights of Beer" - a selection of 5 different 4 oz samples of beer. I didn't get one while I was there, but I think when I head back (I'm having my bachelor party here) I will likely enjoy the "Texas Flight".

The Austin location has a selection of local brews. As Sunday was "2.75 Texas Pints", I figured I'd get a "512 Pecan". Chris order a St. Arnold's Spring Bock.

A slight digression. There is more to life than Shiner Bock, and if you go there, and you order "Pabst Blue Ribbon" not only will they tell you that they don't have it, but the people you are eating with will ridicule you for the rest of the day (You know who you are, Clay).

ANYWAY...

The food, as previously mentioned, is primarily Sausage - View the menu here. Other than reading the menu, all you need to know is, "The food is good".

The ambiance is fun and casual. The female waitstaff is friendly and knowledgable (to be sure, if you like the staff at Bone Daddy's, Hooters, Tilted Kilt, and Twin Peaks, you will like this place).

Yes, this is a chain. However, it earns my seal of approval.

iPhone whining addendum 1 - Crow tastes good

Remember when I complained about the iPhones lack of features?

Amazon heard me!

Now - WHERE THE @!#$%^&* IS MY TETHERING?!?!?!

Another blog!

No, dear reader, I'm not going anywhere, nor is the good blog Pequod going anywhere.

The Myth Adventures of the 4Cs of the Aporkalypse

Yes, I've inspired others to jump on the blogger bandwagon and post. Here is one such example. Plans are still in flux with regard to this new blog, but adding it to your RSS reader might not be a bad idea if you want to keep up with my gaming mythadventures.

First Flames of War game

Last Thursday, Chris brought his four Shermans, two jeeps and two M10s over and faced off against my 3 Panzers and 2 StuGs (pronounced stoog, with a hard G). My first Flames of War game. Again, I did not take enough notes for a real battle report, but this is meant to be more of an evaluation of the game.

First of all, if you are familiar with Warhammer 40,000, you shouldn't have too much difficulty picking up this game. It does seem more complex than 40k, but the rules tend to be presented in a much clearer manner and layout. For example, when dealing with a vehicle being hit, all of the rules are collected in the same place and specific rules are in italics whereas descriptions are in standard font. It makes for a much easier read.

Furthermore, it also seems to have greater verisimilitude than 40k does in it's play. You don't have the one or two uber killer units that can be maximized across the army. Instead you are forced to have a much more realistically structured army. Vehicles move more realistically. In 40k, land vehicles only move 6 inches if they want to fire and if they move flat out, they can't fire at all. However, as my Panzers developed in the game, they were able to move 12 inches across country and still blast away. Now, they weren't able to maximize their rate of fire (the Shermans could because they had stabilizers) and they received a penalty to hit, but it meant that I felt my army was working with me, instead of against me.

A real departure from other miniatures games is that shooting depends on your opponents ability to avoid being hit, instead of your ability to shoot. In modern warfare, with modern weaponry, the skill of the shooter doesn't come as much into play as the ability to keep from being hit. Flames of War mimics this by rolling against your opponents training (Conscript, Trained, Veteran). Think of it like an "Armour Class" for your opponent. This, of course, makes me happy as most of the Wehrmacht are considered "veterans" in Flames of War making me much harder to hit.

Another interesting quality of Flames of War is that tactical options exist that permit different types and sizes of armies to play against each other. To clarify, in 40k, there would NEVER be a battle of a 2000 point army vs. a 1000 point army. Except in certain min-maxing situations, the 2000 point army will utterly crush the 1000 point army. However, in Flames of War (as in real life), a small force may be called upon to hold off against a much larger force. Flames of War *has* tactical options that can permit a general to formulate tactics that can make this sort of thing possible, and not an exercise in frustration. I have a perfect example of this in Thursday's game. As the game started, the Shermans moved in and quickly killed two of my Panzers (bad rolls on my part, great rolls on Chris's part). This meant that for the first half of the game, I was at a disadvantage. However, Panzer #3, managed to move into a good location and planted itself allowing for it's main gun to fire at it's full Rate of Fire without penalty - destroying 2 Shermans and one M10 before it died. I managed to pull off a Pyrrhic victory as one of my StuG's survived vs. one of Chris's jeeps. Had this been 40k, I probably would not have recovered from this loss.

One other option I've touched on previously in my Flames of War rants is the educational portion of the game. Did you know that the Soviet Army had a female tank driver in World War II who posthumously earned one of the USSR's highest honors? Did you know that the StuGs were used throughout most of the war, including at the end when Germany was short of equipment? These are just a couple of the myriad facts that you can learn by reading the books and playing this game.

With all of this 'realism', the question may be asked, "what about the game aspects? Is this pure simulation?" It certainly does have more "game-mechanic" aspects about it. Notice the jeeps and the M10s that Chris brought? He had the option of moving the jeeps in and basically doing the FoW equivalent of a "Deep Strike" and place the M20s where he wanted them. Vehicular turning has some 'hand-wave' qualities where you can end up facing any direction you want when your turn finishes.

All in all, this is a very fun game. As I previously said, I really felt like my army was working with me instead of against me, as is often the case with Warhammer 40,000. The scale was fun because I didn't feel as cramped as I often do in 40k. I've still got some more playing to do to really formulate a full opinion, yet I think this may end up being an excellent hobby option for miniature wargamers.

Paint Recommendation

As previously mentioned, I'm building an Afrikakorps army. For the tanks, I was trying to decide what colours would allow me to get done the fastest but still look good. After all, I *am* an unrepentant lazy painter. So, I figured I'd go ahead and basecoat my tanks in tan then darken with a wash followed by a highlight.

Anyway, this meant that I had to find a good colour tan to use. As an experiment, I purchased a can of the Krylon "Camouflage Paint with Fusion Technology" in "Khaki". Not only was it the right colour, but because it's "Ultra-Flat" it will be a good basis for painting on.

Upon opening it, I noticed that the head is a different shape than what I'm used to. I don't know if this is a new thing for Krylon or just for this paint.

THIS PAINT IS A DREAM! It comes out in a very fine mist and goes on more evenly than just about any paint I've used before. I've always found Krylon serviceable, but I generally had problems with spraypaint. I don't know if it was the favourable weather or what, but I'm incredibly pleased with this paint.

If you are looking for a good basecoat for military figs, I think this is the paint you should take a look at. They have Khaki, Olive, and Brown for your camo needs. It even comes in Black!

If I have any further observations, rest assured, I will post and link here.

Starting Flames of War

Despite what you may have guessed with regard to my last post, I actually am putting the Warhammer Fantasy Army on the back burner. Most of the group of miscreants I hang out with are more interested in pursing Flames of War. As I have started reading the rules I've fallen under it's spell as well.

It doesn't hurt that for my birthday I got three Panzer IIIs, a Panzergrenadier platoon, and two StuG G's.

Links of Note:

• Flames of War bootcamp! (a good getting started link).
  
• Main Flames of War site - with community (you need to sign in to see it, but login is free)
• The local Flames of War retailer in Austin, is Great Hall Games
• Lone Star Historical Miniatures - Austin is a local FoW scene that plays at GHG with a Yahoo Group.
  

Anyway, the next step for me, is coming up with an initial list. They were very helpful at Great Hall with providing guiding me in my first steps. It is a bit tricky wrapping my head around how to build an army list for this game because of the very wide variety of options compared to something like 40k.



I'm thinking that based on what I HAVE so far, I'm going to try something like this (about 1500 pts).

Panzergrenadiercompanie

1 Company HQ @ 235 Pts

1 HQ Section @ [55] Pts
2 Panzerknacker @ [10] Pts
1 Motorcycle and sidecar @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
1 Anti-tank Rifle Section @ [30] Pts
1 Anti-tank Rifle team @ [25] Pts
1 Kfz 70 @ [5] Pts
3 Sniper team @ [150] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts

1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Panzergrenadier Platoon @ 225 Pts

1 HQ Section @ [45] Pts
1 Panzerknacker @ [5] Pts
1 Kfz 15 @ [5] Pts
3 Panzergrenadier Squad @ [180] Pts
3 Kfz 70 @ [15] Pts

1 Assault Gun Platoon @ 355 Pts

2 StuG F/8 @ [355] Pts
2 7.5cm StuK40 gun @ [0] Pts
2 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

1 Panzer Platoon @ 460 Pts

4 Panzer III L or M @ [460] Pts
4 5cm KwK39 gun @ [0] Pts
4 Co-ax MG @ [0] Pts
4 Hull MG @ [0] Pts

Total List Cost: 1500 points

Thoughts?

Valkia of the Warriors of Chaos

While I've not yet started building the Warriors of Chaos Army, I've been planning the theme and feel. In the book there is the Khornate leader "Valkia". However, Games Workshop does not have a model for her. While I was sorting through my figs, I found one which I can use for her with a little conversion.



She is a Reaper mini called "02923: Princess of Hell". I'd purchased her because it was a cool figure, long before I'd thought seriously about doing a Fantasy Army. Well, I think I'm going to send her into battle by removing the whip - adding a shield there, and possibly replacing the dagger with a full Chaos sword.

I think that'll work....

iPhone whining

Why isn't my iPhone as cool as it SHOULD be? I love my iPhone. But really, there are some areas where it lacks functionality for no good reason. The chips in it are powerful enough (heck the thing plays Youtube videos effortlessly), but the executable code isn't there.

As many readers know, I have the cushy telecommuting job that lets me work from home. Furthermore, my company pays for my internet. This has allowed me to get Roadrunner Turbo/Premium (whatever you want to call it). Further, I've dropped my landline in favor of just calling with my iPhone. However, from time to time I do need to leave the house. When that happens, I only have internet connectivity about half the time. Where is my iPhone tethering? Other phones allow you to connect your PC to your phone and use it as an ISP, why oh why doesn't the iPhone? Its been rumoured to be coming, but I'd really like them to get moving on it.

Heck as part of this, wouldn't it be cool if even though I was at a place with a Wi-Fi connection, I could still run data through my iPhone's Wi-Fi antenna so the thing can work as a Firewall?

I can use VPN and and Windows Remote Desktop on my phone! Why not this?

Furthermore, why should I have to buy a TomTom? The iPhone has the power and ability to do turn-by-turn directions. It's available for other phones! The iPhones Google Map feature is so wonderful; there are other "turn by turn" GPS apps. So it would seem to me to be a minuscule addition in capability to actually say "TURN HERE" aloud and not take your eyes off of the road! If the free market is so great, why the hell hasn't this been implemented yet? (incidentally - Gmap is a rather "meh" application as it has problems when you give it an address)

Here is another limitation. Adobe is looking at trying to implement an iPhone version of Flash (which is wonderful considering most sites I visit extensively use flash). But it's not here yet. Yes, Adobe says it's hard...but this gadget has been around for sometime.

How about software to let me read Amazon Kindle books?

All that being said, I noticed something rather spiffy the other day. AT&T IS preparing to offer a "MicroCell" extender which basically worked like a low power cell tower in your house. It uses your broadband connection to connect to the network. Now admittedly, I do get a decent signal in my house, but I really would like to have the extra insurance and "free anytime minutes". This would really pay for itself as I could drop my minutes from unlimited to something MUCH, MUCH lower (even if it was $5/month). With something as cool as this, why are there these other limitations? Even so, as cool as this is, my iPhone handles Wi-Fi, I should be able to just make calls OVER Wi-Fi.

Other than that, I LOVE this little gadget. Everyone who interacts with me knows this thing is almost permanently attached to my hand. It works with my company's Exchange server, I can VPN and remote Desktop with it. I can control iTunes on my desktop. Then with all of the other free applications I've installed, I feel like I'm almost directly connected to the internet. These other limitations just seem so artificial!


*EDIT*
Almost forgot - syncing with iTunes wirelessly...c'mon! This isn't brain science!

I'm not old...

I'm 37, I'm not old.

Happy Birthday to me.

FUTURAMA NEWS

More FUTURAMA Coming To Fox Network?? It's Possible, Says Zapp Brannigan!!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Yes Really.....

LINK


Oh and Here is a bonus link

This is why you're fat.com

It's worth clicking for the "Deep Fried Peanut Butter-Covered Brownie Wrapped In Cookie Dough".

Sites like this make me weep for humanity.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Making of Tython

Another video from Bioware!

Developer Dispatch: The Making of Tython

The d20 Modern Campaign

Chris has nicely provided a map of the area our unit is currently stuck in.

LINK

The orders that the Sarge got over the satellite phone was to try to make it to Rammstein NATO base in hopes of extraction. However, the Neo-Soviets captured our sniper, so now we need to figure out how to get him out.

Another Miniatures game

I like games. Its cool playing different games with different mechanics and seeing what is out there to have fun with. I also enjoy history (though there ARE vast gaping holes in my knowledge). This had prompted me to look beyond and think about other types of games. One of them that has recently caught my eye is Flames of War. I've not picked it up yet, but I'm looking at it.

Its a World War II miniatures combat game.

I know I need to get my personal life in balance and figure out how best to work my playtimes with the rest of my life. But I digress....

Chris A and I have been looking at this and have considered giving it a go. I've heard it's a good balance of simulation/game (whereas Warhammer, 40k, and Warmachine are more game than simulation).

One of the neat things about the game is that it lists out what part of the war a certain miniature would be from (Early, Middle, Late). It's land and air based combat (if you want a sea based game, tell Chris to get his butt in gear and work on his project). Its actually rather cheap compared to GW or Privateer Press as you can have a HUGE army for about $200.

Of course, I'll be totally and unrepentantly evil and play the German army. Chris has picked the US. Furthermore, we've also hooked in a couple other friends into this. Cliff (the Ork player) is going to play the Italians and Clay (the IG player) will be running the Soviets.

For fun, we've all kinda decided that when we play, it will be a potentially "alternate history" to permit anyone to fight anyone (in 40k style), else certain of us would never fight the other of us (notice though how I picked the army that everyone could fight).

The first weekend of every month Flames of War is played up at Great Hall Games here in Austin, so I'd be sure to find players.

I'm shooting for an AfrikaCorps Panzercompanie.

If any of you dear readers have played it, please comment and let me know what you think!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Video Documentary #1

Star Wars...those near an far wars....please let them stay....

*edit* This used to be embedded video, but the Autoplay every time you visited, was...irritating. So, I've replaced it with a link to the video on The Old Republic website.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Video Documentary #1

Why Digital TV was delayed

I'm related to this person....so I can laugh...

Aborting a campaign

Sadly, I prematurely terminated the Eberron Campaign I was running. I wasn't that happy about having to do it, but there were logistical problems that made me decide to not continue. I still have the campaign material (and boy do I have a LOT of it), but the group dynamic didn't work in the way I was hoping.

Now, some of the problems listed here involve observations on my group's dynamic (many of whom are readers). To those people, THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE CRITICISM - it's more an observation of how I try to run the group. I ask y'all to please not get upset about this - I'm not upset about it.

Problems encountered:

• Unpredictable attendees - We are a VERY laid back group. So, we ran into the problem of not always being able to have the people in the group there. This meant it was difficult to convey the story I wanted.
  
• HUGE group - I am not a great GM and trying to wrangle 8 players was too painful.
  
• Raucous group - I often found myself usually having to yell over the group and carefully manage the players to make sure that everyone got an action. If we played in the afternoon, it wouldn't be as much of a problem - but as many know - I tend to run out of steam after 9 pm, so I'd run out of energy too early.
• Too many details - Because of the large group, it meant that trying to tailor encouters proved far too difficult given the time I had to prepare.
  

The Saturday is a fun group - and rather random. The fun part of this for a GM is the fact that the party tends to GIVE you material. For example, we had a "vampire" in the group. Well, she had done a few things that were rather brutal - especially in a city based campaign. I suddenly had a WONDERFUL subplot where a member of the city guard noticed her activities and was out hunting the "Vampire" in town.

Gold, right? Yes indeed.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do about this beyond the fact I've stopped the campaign because I couldn't keep it going. I may look at creating something that is a tad more episodic that would better lend itself to the group, but I'm not sure what that'd be.

The sad part is, I LIKE the campaign I came up with. I was using a series of resources and combining them to create a rather rich setting: The Sharn Sourcebook (because it's a Sharn based campaign), Ptolus (to fill in the setting gaps), and The Shackled City (the mega-campaign I was using). I even found a few more sources to sprinkle in as I was going to gently transition from 3.5 to Pathfinder. However, I think I'd need to run this game in a smaller group until I got a better handle on things.

The great thing about Eberron/Sharn is that the setting was rich enough that I was able to pull a lot of different concepts from other campaign ideas I'd had to pull together. For example, a long while back, I'd tried to start a Traveller campaign. In this I'd added a large number of concepts to make it fit the story. I never was able to get that campaign going - but - I was able to pull a number of those concepts and fit it into my Sharn setting (great houses wielding power in a powerstruggle with each other, the group becoming involved in things just below the surface, strong criminal organizations). However, that time has just not come.

Now, of the things I COULD run - I think perhaps something more rules light would help and a campaign design that didn't require me to keep as much continuity in place.

Alternatively, I could make "my" night a "hey, lets play this boardgame" night. If I could get my hands on a copy of "Warhammer Quest", that'd really be cool.

On Basilisk Station

On Basilisk Station is the first of the Honor Harrington (link has spoilers) series by David Weber. It is a sci-fi setting that is inspired by the Horatio Hornblower series of Napoleonic era sea warfare. In much the same way, the Honor Harrington series follows the exploits of Honor Harrington of the Royal Manticoran Navy. She is an officer in command of the Fearless in the book.

Obviously, it is a military sci-fi book and has aspects that give the space battles a similar feel to Napoleonic era ship combat. Weber fully succeeds at evoking this feeling. While nuclear missiles are used and FTL travel is prevalent, the pacing of combat is similar to the days of wind power and cannons.

The book starts slow as it needs to set up a great deal of hows and whys things are. However, the second half of the book moves up and into overdrive.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I've already planned to read the entire series.

Finally trying d20 Modern

This past Saturday, the 5 C's gaming group started up a d20 Modern campaign. Chris A is running us through a scenario not unlike 'Twilight 2000'. Coincidentally, the time I had played Twilight 2000, I played a mechanic - and I'm playing one in THIS game too. Anyway, we are starting out at level 7, which is good as in d20 - levels 5 to 15 tend to be the 'sweet spot' for the system.

I've always been intrigued by d20 Modern and always wanted to try it - I'm excited that I'm finally going to be able to give it a go. Its a bonus that Chris is running, as he runs a good game. Furthermore, this is a military campaign, so he is in his element.

The setting is an alternate present where the troop surge backfired. National Guard troops had so weakened the U.S.'s home defense that a number of states seceded (including Texas - the home of our characters). Around this time, the reborn USSR (under the leadership of Putin) annexed a number of former Warsaw Pact countries causing our characters to be stranded behind enemy lines. We are all from different units (with Chris's wife playing an embedded photojournalist) and now have to do our jobs AND get back to Texas (who has recalled us).

The fact I'm starting a book he loaned me called "Team Yankee" adds even FURTHER depth to this. A review of the last book I read is coming up on Wednesday.

Our first move was placing explosives that broke up a Soviet supply convoy. There was a lot of character generations, so we didn't get too far. It didn't help that I got "Airplane Crud" on the way back from Portland so a headache, burning sinuses and general 'bleh' means I couldn't contribute as much as I'd like.

I'm excited to continue with this.


EDIT - We are HERE.

The Three MMOs for which I'm waiting

Yes, if you've been paying attention, but I figure I'll go ahead and note them here in case you wish to catch up with me. Whatever I end up playing will end up being talked about here.

• Champions Online - Slated for Release in Spring 2009. The spiritual successor to City of Heroes/City of Villains.
• Star Trek Online - The release date has not yet been announced for this, but the engine is the same one for Champions so really it's universe building, not engine building. Boldly go where no one has gone before!
• Star Wars: The Old Republic - Again, the release date has not yet been announced for this, but I think we can expect it sometime in 2010.

Now, I did try Warhammer Online, and it didn't grab me. I've heard WoW is better with Wrath of the Lich King, so we shall see.

Today I fly back to Austin...

Second and Third Eldar Battles

On Sunday,I faced up against Chris A and the Imperial Lancers. This was the first time he'd played with the new Space Marine Codex and not running as Blood Angels. Like me, he found love for Vulkan Hestan and his magical twin linking of Flamers and Meltas. He ran 2 tactical squads, 2 speeders with dual meltas and Vulkan. I put together a similar list (because I still have the few painted Eldar) but padded it out to 750 points. It wasn't the most efficient use of points, but I learned a few things by loading up with options.

This was a 750 point game, and my list came in right around 747.

First of all, Elrond was loaded up with Runes of Warding, Runes of Witnessing and Spirit Stones. this makes him nasty against other Psychers (which I didn't face) but also makes him a more powerful Psycher. He can avoid Perils of the Warp by rolling 3 dice for his psychic test and discarding the highest and fire off 2 psychic powers per turn. Furthermore, I gave him Doom, Eldritch Storm, Fortune and Guide. I only used the last 2 during the battle. Guide is wonderful to help hit the opponent harder. Alternatively, Fortune didn't play out quite as well, but I think it'd work well in the long term.

Again, I attached him to the Fire Dragons mounted in the Wave Serpent. Note that the Wave Serpent wasn't remotely tricked out like it could be. Personally, I think that if you do that, it makes the Eldar tanks too powerful (because the three upgrades on the tanks are what give Eldar a bad name).

That being said, if I was building a harder core list, I would have dropped Eldritch Storm and Doom from Elrond and gave the Spirit Stones, Star Engins and Vectored Engines to the thing. This would not have altered the total points for the army. Holofields are not an option for Wave Serpents which is the MAIN nastiness for Eldar Tanks, especially when stuck on Falcons which can carry troops. Of course, considering my performance on Sunday, perhaps tricking out the Wave Serpent would be a good choice.

Again, I'm not going to do a battle report, but just a few highlights.

1. In the first game, I had ended up placing the troops all near the Wave Serpent. This took a penetrating shot from the Space Marine Speeder. One roll of a 6 later, and not only did I no longer have a Wave Serpent, but half of my army was dead from the fireball. I had to stop for a minute because I was laughing so hard.

2. Chris's brother had given him a bunch of resin cast Terrain pieces. So, we used these for terrain. Interestingly, the shape lends itself nicely to 5th ed. They are tall enough in placed to block line of sight to a few figs, but a whole squad can't necessarily hide.

3. This reminds me, being a fan of International Coffee's Suisse Mocha, I end up going through about 1 can a week. Instead of throwing them away, I'm setting them aside to use as terrain. I'm going to paint them up to look like Imperial cargo containers.

4. Because we were running with a smaller force, we decided not to use the big 4x8 table, but just played on a small area of the dinner table since it was for fun and we are both rusty on the rules.

Anyway, I lost both games and I think that was due to poor generalship on my part. However, as always, we had a fun afternoon and THAT is why I play 40k.

Today I'm in Portland....

The funniest musician you aren't listening to...

Jonathan Coulton is living my dream - a computer programmer turned musician.

Check him out, his music is available for purchase from iTunes and from his website.

Here are a few choice pieces:

Re: Your Brains


Skullcrusher Mountain


Code Monkey


Baby Got Back


Anyway, enjoy this while I'm in Portland this week. I'll try to post while I'm away.

And here is hoping I have better news on my return from Portland than I did last year....

Marine Status

The "Blueberry" marines are pretty much finished. They are still a tad bluer than I'd like, but I think when they are mixed in the huge number of marines I'll have when I'm done, no one will notice.

Now, usually I paint the edge of the base with a colour to indicate which unit the model is with. I've not done it yet for this first batch. I won't do this until I've enough MORE painted troops to assign troops to different squads.

Anyway, here is a low-rez picture of the figure, so you can get an idea. I don't have a good digital camera though so this is the best I have for now.

Disney Star Guitarist

You may remember when I previously posted about "Guitar Rising". Sadly, this software has yet to materialize. My reading indicates that it has to do with problems in interference between strings.

Whatever....

So, it seems that Disney has picked up the guantlet with "Disney Star Guitarist". Yes, I'm worried. The thing I can say about Disney is I don't think they'd release an unpolished product.

Now, sadly because it's Disney with "High School Musical" and "Hanna Montana" links, I think I'd probably rather claw my eyes out than use this (maybe they'll cut a deal with Sony for rights to SRV songs or Elektra for some Metallica?). Hope springs eternal.

Here are some links...

• Finally, Guitar Hero for Actual Guitar
• Video: The Holy Grail of Music Gaming

First painted Eldar!

No, I didn't paint these, but they are mine nonetheless!


Here is the painter!

I can't play Space Hulk anymore

WAY back when, when I started playing 40k, I bought the game Space Hulk as it was cheaper to get Terminators THERE than to buy a box of Termies. At the time, Space Hulk was $45, and a box of 5 Terminators was $40 (iirc). No brainer, right? I've always been pleased with my purchase.

Space Hulk ALSO came with a bunch of Genestealers. Well, last weekend, I did some MAJOR cleaning out of my possessions, I had to think, "What am I going to do with all these Genestealers?" The decision...I gave them away.

So, now, I have a bunch of non-blood angel painted Terminators AND no genestealers plus my Space Hulk set. So, if you come by and want to play Space Hulk, better bring a bunch of genestealers.

Incidentally, now I got a TON of books to take to Half-Price books.

First Eldar Game

After a year, I finally had my first battle with some of my Eldar. This was the FIRST 40k game I've played where I did NOT play Space Marines.

I primarily used the models I have which consisted of 20 Dire Avengers, 6 Fire Dragons with a basic Wave Serpent, and 1 Wave Serpent. Elrond from the LotR line kindly stepped up to pull "Farseer" service with the "Guide" psychic power. This came to about 532 points.

Cliff brought his Orks and constructed a group of Boyz, 'Ard Boyz, Storm Boyz, a Deff Copta, and a Warp Head. We set up on a half-table and did a basic Annihilation scenario.

I have to say, I like the feel of Eldar. They seem rather fragile compared to Space Marines (obviously - Eldar have a Toughness of 3 and a Save of 4, whereass Space Marines have a Toughness of 4 and a Save of 3). BUT, they throw down a LOT of damage. The Dire Avengers get 2 shots at 18".

Sadly, I didn't take notes to make a real battle report for my readers. However, I did get a chance to get a feel for how Eldar play. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the contrast of performance to my Space Marines.

However, I did make note of a few fun/funny turns.

1. One of my Dire Avenger squads moved in and killed 3 of the Storm Boyz. They blew their Leadership test and fled. "Da Boss didn tell us dey 'ad gunz!!!!"

2. The Warp Head's head exploded (it always cracks me up with this happens).

3. The Fire Dragons and Elrond stepped out of the Wave Serpent and killed about 70% of the 'Ard Boyz, only to have the other squad of Boyz come around the corner and blast them to hell. This was followed by the 'Ard Boyz assaulting Elrond and the remaining Exarch and taking them down.

The result of this game is in dispute. At the end of the game, there were 2 regular Boyz and the Nob with powerfist vs. 2 Dire Avengers and 1 Exarch (plus a Wave Serpent with no weapons). Cliff conceded, but I maintain it was a draw.

However, we had a fun game. So as far as I'm concerned we BOTH won!

Veruca Salt of the Anger Sharks

I've been back on the painting wagon, as previously mentioned. My plan is to try to paint about 30-45 minutes a day (the time after work until my Trophy Fiancee gets home). A key that is pointed out in other painting faqs, as little as 5 minutes a day is worth it.

I've started with "finishing" some of my tactical marines. This basically means shading so that they aren't solid white and look realistic. Way back in '07, I figured out that the best shading was using a thin blue wash and then heavily drybrushing white.

Sadly, I forgot a few things when I started this most recent time. The main thing I forgot was that the blue wash needs to be VERY thin. I didn't make it thin enough, and so my marines look like they've rolled around in the blueberry patch. Whiel they are salvageable, it's taking a LOT of work to make them look OK. Now, there is an upside to this, in the intermediate stages make the figs look like statues.

Anyway, when I'm done though, my "75% complete" stack will have 15 less figures.

Anyway, remember, if you are shading "white" with a "blue wash" make that wash really, really thin!

Hot Rodding

I love my beautiful pony (car). Of course, I'd really love to customize it. Sadly, I spend too much on Warhammer minis and computer parts to do anything like that. So for the other car nuts out there, I'll post a few things I'd like to do Miss Sally - but sadly probably never will....

• Something like the Kenwood DNX5120. I love the idea of built in navigation and the ability to watch a movie if I'm sitting in my car waiting. Now, I'm not saying this brand or this specific item, just this feature set.
  
• I think that the functionality of the Hypertech Hyperpac Engine Controller 84009 should be incorporated into the stereo package so that it's all nicely integrated. Furthermore, they should have had the forthought to have Majel Barret (Rest in Peace) record the computer voice so I could have my car TELL me "Warning - Engine Temperature High" or "Warning - Fuel Level Critical". But then again, I see my car like a Federation Starship.
• Some type of Cell Phone extender would be cool too. I have all that electricity, I should be able to use it.
  
• Of course, all of these digital packages are just gravy. The main course would be something like a Shelby Cobra or Roush conversion. Of course, I don't want the body kits, I want the thing to be dressed DOWN to look like the V6 version (I love "sleepers"). Supercharger isn't actually necessary, I don't need THAT much power (but it'd be nice).
• Now, while I would never intentionally speed, a little reminder to slow down would probably be helpful. Roush has nice radar detectors as does Cobra.

This should be enough to turn my car into a nice home away from home. Now, I may need an improved security system above what it has, but that is easy.

Getting the Space Marines organized

Well step one of trying to get started finishing (heh) the Space Marines is massive organization and planning. To that end I've divided my army into 4 groups:

1. Ones to strip paint off
2. Unpainted/unassembled
3. 75% done (I tend to get to this point and it's hard to make myself finish them)
4. Completely complete

It turns out that, as expected #2 is the smallest group of figs at a count of less than 10. After that I have about 10 to 20 that are completely complete. Then I have about 40-50 that are 75% done. The largest group are the ones sporting old paint (probably about a company worth of marines). I've also collected together all of my various bits and organized them so that I can actually FIND the bits I have.

In order to save my sanity, I'm going to start with the ones in group #3. Finishing the marines shouldn't be too taxing. It mainly involves adding a thin blue wash, dry-brushing white back over it, picking out the details, and then clear coating it. This also works out because it means I am focusing on the ones in the current army list I have.

The trick to this, of course, is to work out a specific time to do this. I'm thinking of reserving about an hour a day immediately after work until the Trophy Fiancee gets home. I just need to rebuild my work area next so I can get underway.

The other thing I've realized in all of this reorganization is that I don't have everything nicely set up to make the army transportable. The foam inserts I have don't necessarily fit everything just the way I want (especially with the new terminators I've acquired that have the big bases as opposed to my old ones. However, that can wait until later I think.

Wow, I've got a lot of work in front of me on these. I think I made the right decision in farming out the Eldar to Fish-N-Chips painting (see the link on the right, he does great work!)

Whether Fantasy?

Well the results are in. I'm going to be building a Chaos army for Warhammer Fantasy I think.

Here are the themes for the army:

1. Mounted Army - I like horsies, so I want to have the entire army mounted. I like armies with a "Shock and Awe" motif, so I try to create lists that work that way. I also like very fast moving armies, and so mounted in Fantasy makes sense.
2. Khorne - I love dark red. In this case, I should be able to easily paint the army with a red base coat, dark wash, red dry brush, and then a bunch of detailing. I should be able to build and paint this fairly quickly (which is good, since I don't like painting).
3. Molly Hatchet - Look at covers of Molly Hatchet album covers and then look at Chaos Lords. It makes sense. Furthermore, listen to the lyrics of "Beatin the Odds". There is both Chaos imagery and gaming imagery. It fits well.

If I get in a REALLY silly mood, I'll take a Bloodthirster and greenstuff a tee-shirt so I can have "Khorn-holio". Then if anyone issues a challenge, I can respond with "Are you threatening me?!?!?"

Seriously, here is the list I'm thinking of, so far, its about 2251 pts.

Type	Unit	Size	Cost
Lord	Chaos Lord	1	210
	Axe of Khorne		45
	Chaos Runeshield		50
	Juggernaut of Khorne		50
	Mark of Khorne		15
Hero	Chaos Sorcerer	1	85
	Level 2		35
	Barded Chaos Steed		16
	Fury of the Blood God		20
	2 - Dispel Scrolls		50
Core	Marauder Horsemen	10	130
	Command		30
	Flails		20
	Throwing Axes		20
	Light Armor		10
	Mark of Khorne		30
Core	Marauder Horsemen	10	130
	Command		30
	Flails		20
	Throwing Axes		20
	Light Armor		10
	Mark of Khorne		30
Core	Marauder Horsemen	10	130
	Command		30
	Flails		20
	Throwing Axes		20
	Light Armor		10
	Mark of Khorne		30
Core	Chaos Warhounds	5	30
Core	Chaos Warhounds	5	30
Core	Chaos Warhounds	5	30
Core	Chaos Warhounds	5	30
Special	Chaos Knights	5	200
	Command		50
	Mark of Khorne		30
Special	Chaos Knights	5	200
	Command		50
	Mark of Khorne		30
Rare	Dragon Ogre Shaggoth	1	265
	Additional Hand Weapon		10

The idea here, is that the Chaos Hounds will block line of sight to protect my mounted troops until they can close to hand to hand. The light armor, gives a basic save to the marauders of 5+ (yeah, not much, but it's something - armour+mount). Eventually, I'd like to work Valkia into the list...

Thoughts?

(*Edited to add recommendations @ 10:16*)

Take it off, Take it ALL OFF!!!!

About 90% of my Space Marine army I purchased from other players instead of getting them new. The drawback to this, of course, is removing the paint so that I can turn them into true Imperial Stormtroopers (aka The Anger Sharks). When dealing with GW paints, this normally isn't an issue. Just soak 'em a while in Simple Green and then pull out your handy toothbrush (or Sonic Scrubber) and they get nice and clean!

However, shortly before Thor's Hammer in Austin closed, I purchased a batch of marines that were painted tan. I don't know WHAT paint this guy used, but DAMN, that stuff does NOT want to come off. They are plastic, so I don't want to risk Acetone (which I know will work) and my experiments way back when with Pine Sol proved damaging to plastics, so I need to find a better paint remover for these guys.

So, I'm experimenting with DOT 3 brake fluid. I'd heard that you don't need much, but in THIS case, I'm actually needing to soak them a bit to try to get this paint to come off. I'll be sure to post on this.

One other thing...Crusher Joe noted on his blog that black Gesso was good for when weather doesn't permit spray painting. Well, I gave it a shot (since I have very little luck with spray). He is right, Gesso = AWESOME! I don't think I'm going to go back to spray.

Welcome 2009! Looking forward...

As with most people, I use Jan 1st is a time to consider how to best improve oneself. I'm talking about New Year's Resolutions. My 2008 resolution worked very well actually. I used the vaguely worded "Better Living through Technology". Basically, the idea was to use tech to better manage the minutia of my life. It worked! I take my daily meds, I exercise regularly, I don't forget things as much.

What of 2009? Well, this year, I'm going to do some more concrete things.

1. Read more - As I tend to wake up and be more alert in the morning, I'm going to spend at least 30 minutes a day reading.
2. Try to post HERE at least once a week - and have it be gaming related. I like writing, and even if only 3-4 people read this, I like having a place to have stuff written down for general consumption because it "makes it more real".
   
3. Try to paint either 5 rank and file troops or 1 special character a week. I want to have all my marines look cool - and I've got a TON.
4. Drop 25 lbs of fat. Sounds easy? Perhaps it is, but it's all I really feel I need to do. In doing this, I'm going to follow some of the advice of Tim Ferris: Lose 20 lbs of Fat, Gain Muscle, Weight Training. I'm not going for "athlete"; I'm not going for "ripped", just not dumpy.
5. Trim possessions. I've already started this, but I have a bit to go. I want to dump some of the excessive crap in my life. As the Buddha said, "Suffering is caused by craving or attachments to worldly pleasures of all kinds". Now, I'm not intending to completely renounce all of my worldly possessions, but there is much I don't need that is merely trappings that are unneeded, "when I became a man, I put away childish things." Who knows, I might be closer to escaping the cycle of Samsara.

Anyway...Here is hoping that 2009 rocks!

Year in Review

Wow, what a year 2008 was. If someone had told me 365 days ago, what was to come, I'd've thought they were crazy.

The year started off in my standard crunch time at work. I did manage to get in some Warmachine playing though and my Eldar Spirit Host arrived. Immediately following that, I went on a short business trip. Upon my return I was informed that my marriage was over (hence all of the songs of loss).

Thoughts of politics surrounded my brain during the election, but as many know, I'm happy at the results.

2008 saw the loss of Gary Gygax. His legacy lives on. We also lost the original pin-up girl, Bettie Page.

Finally disgusted with WH40k Tourneys, I decided to just play home games. I'm glad I made this decision. This meant I played in a map campaign, which was quite enjoyable.

The most momentous day in 2008 was April 22nd. I had started dance lessons (which I really enjoyed) but most importantly destiny led me to meet the woman who'd eventually become my "Trophy Girlfriend".

My schedule eventually settled into playing RPGs on Saturday night with a bunch of friends at my house and a few roadtrips in MY NEW CAR where I discovered "Chicken Fried Bacon".

I decided I didn't like D&D 4E but that I did like going to see Marcia Ball and Carolyn Wonderland at Blues on the Green (Looking forward to next summer's!)

I dropped cable and land-line phone in favor of RoadRunner Turbo and my spiffy iPhone.

I started running a D&D 3.5/Pathfinder campaign based in Sharn and learned about "Star Wars: The Old Republic" MMO and a "Star Trek" MMO.

And most recently, I traded off my Brettonians as I realized there was no way I could get them all painted. I'm thinking about what would be another better fitting Fantasy Army for me.

Most importantly, my Trophy Girlfriend is now my Trophy Fiancee.

My game posts dropped off some while I was working on my metaphysical reboot, but hopefully, I'll get back on track. My 27" LCD Monitor must not go to waste.

Hopefully, 2009 will be a bit calmer.

Warhammer Fantasy Army

A little known fact is that I actually had most of a Warhammer Fantasy Brettonian Army. Sadly, when I looked at the painting requirements of the army, I decided that I didn't enjoy painting enough to really warrant the amount of painting required for the army. So, I've traded them off for more marines...

This begs a question. Assuming I DO decide to assemble a WFB army (one that is easy to paint), What army should it be?

Currently, I'm leaning towards a Warriors of Chaos army as they remind me of Molly Hatchet album covers...

Other possibilities are Lizardmen, Tomb Kings, or Dark Elves.

Realizing I don't really care about competitiveness, I'm open to comments!

On Vacation starting tomorrow

Have yourself a happy holiday season!



(Maybe NSFW)

Farewell Bettie Page

As the HDD turns

So I decided to max out the RAM on my laptop this weekend...taking it to 2 Gigabytes of RAM.

Sounds easy right?

Well the first wrinkle is that it involved removing the keyboard. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem for a geek such as myself so I pulled out the screwdriver and 20 minutes later was booting up to 2 gig of RAM.

YAY....or so I thought.

Since then, the laptop has bluescreened several times.
I've swapped with known good ram, and still get blue screens.
I flashed the bios to the latest version, and still get blue screens.
I emptied the ram slot under the keybaord, it has blue screened.

*sigh*, I think my laptop is about to go to the computer lab in the sky...

For those who don't know, my real life/non gamer persona uses several computers as a Software Quality Engineer. My laptop isn't technically necessary, but it makes my life MUCH easier. I had been thinking about replacing my laptop maybe next year....I really wish I didn't have to do it now...

I want Linux....

I know people who are "Mac people" and I know people who are "Windows people". Despite how far both technologies have come, there is still the great divide that dates back to the days of EGA graphics. However, I was one of those "wierdos" who loved Unix. It's a wonderful and powerful OS. While I recognize that with the advent of Intel CPU Macintoshes, OS X is based on FreeBSD (a Unix variant), but the cost of proprietary hardware kinda bugs me. I love the weird hacker-esque command line arguments. I love the choice. I love the fact it's FREE. I love the fact that Linux acutally makes your PC use LESS electricity. I love that I can customize the OS compiles the way I want.

I really like Linux, but I find myself unable to run it because I have the following very key limitations in software availability.....

1. No Itunes for Linux - If I could get something to sync my iphone, I could make the jump on one of the PCs I use regularly (I use 3).
2. Support for Browsers other than IE or Safari - Netflix demands IE (and soon Safari). Because of this, I cannot use it on my HTPC (remember when I dropped cable? I pulled out an old disused PC and I stream TV shows on it).
   

If either of these two hurdles get surpassed, I can likely drop one of my Windows licenses.

Whenever time permits, I'm going to evaluate a couple of "Run Windows apps under Linux" programs, but it just seems silly to me. I don't WANT to keep sending money to Redmund.

Why does this HAVE to be so hard?!?!??!?!