RISK Mk. II

This is my shameless self promotion of a game that I'm working on. It's an in-dev table-top wargame that includes some RPG elements. I'm trying to get a good playtest or few, but I have very few people here and no traffic on the related blog. As a disclaimer, I only call it Risk Mk. II because it uses the Risk figurines, and I couldn't think of anything else to call it (that's another part of the playtesting). I'm trying to get enough intrest in it to write up the rules and really work on it more than just in my spare time, so if people are interested, please use the above link and leave some comments/suggestions.

Game Idea: RISK: Zombies

This is me noting that I am still alive and am trying to post, though with limited success.

I had this idea while playing RISK a couple of days ago, mostly from a POW joke my friend made (I realize that sounds bad, but it was about the pieces, I had a couple of someone else's).

All of this is subject to playtesting, in that I thought of it and wanted to write it up.

I'll start with the POW rule I thought of, which can be implemented with little trouble, and adds some depth to the game. I hope. Basically, when you are attacking another territory, for each 6 you roll, you may take one of the opposing territory's armies as your own, instead of killing it, if you would have killed it normally.

The Zombies version is a variation of the POW rule in which one player controls the Zombies, but the outbreak starts after everyone else has already placed their pieces, so there is no knowing where the Zombies will be. I'm thinking that the setup will be the same as the normal game, just excluding the Zombie player. The Zombie player will then take a random card and repopulate that territory with Zombies by replacing 2/3 (rounded up)((or maybe something else)) of the existing units. The Zombie player will then choose two adjacent territories and occupy those as well, using the same method as described above. This could also be redone as having the Zombie player choose 5 cards and using those. Gameplay would be as normal except in the case of the Zombies. The Zombies would attack and take over territories in the same way, but when attacked, they do not get the defender wins ties rule. also, when moving into a new territory, the zombie attack force would lose 1/4 or 1/3 of its members, regardless of the outcome of the previous encounters. However, when attacking or being attacked, the Zombies gain all of the opposing dead (not their own) for their own 'infantry' at the end of the turn (no matter whose it is). These spare 'infantry' must be placed on the disputed territory. The Zombies do not, however, receive reinforcements at the beginning of the turn, so they need to kill opponents to gain anything. The Zombies are not, however, required to do anything during their turn.

A possibly problematic government bill

Bill S.978 might pose some problems to some of our readers and authors. Here is a good video explaining it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib7-vSrp6y8

Game Review: Frozen Synapse

Today's review is on Frozen Synapse, a new game by Mode7, an indie game developer comprised of three people in the UK. Their previous game, Determinance was a third person, multiplayer, sword-fighting game. Frozen Synapse is almost completely different, the only similarities being that it's third person, and it's a game. (I haven't played Determinance (windows only), but that's what I got from what I've seen)

You assume the role of Tactics, a Shapeform. Your job (as indicated by your name) is to be a tactician. The Shape is basically a digital overlay of the "physical" world (in-game). The being that reside in the Shape are called Shapeforms. Most of the time, Shapeforms are usually named by their job or attribute (e.g. sniper, for someone using a sniper rifle), but you also meet some that aren't, like Belaqua.

In the campaign, you are recruited by an organization called Petrov's shard to help them bring down Enyo:Nomad, a super-corporation that is in control of a city called Markov Geist. I haven't played much of this yet, but what I have played is amazing. The levels are randomly generated, and if you lose on a mission, the map is regenerated for a new playing field, making your skill the only thing that actually matters, instead of, say, memorizing the map. My advice: READ EVERYTHING!!! This will give the game form and reason. It's not too much to read, but it increases your game experience immensely. Also, I reccomend playing at least some of the campaign first, for the above reasons.

The multiplayer integration is nearly flawless, but I would like to see some more integrated UI instructions. Things like: there is a small circle on the bottom left, but it never tells you that it's there and you have to mouse over it to find out what it's for. However, the game is still in beta and feels like a complete game with some add-ons, so I can't really complain. The gameplay is actually turn based, so it can effectively be "played by email," which is nice for those who have no time...

The gameplay is unlike any other game I have played. It's "simultaneous turn-based," which basically means that each player makes their move, then they're executed simultaneously. This makes you have to look at every possibility before committing your move. I will attempt to post a video of this soon. (If anyone knows of good software (Mac), that would be useful).

The soundtrack is amazing and I recommend everyone buy the soundtrack version of this game. It is completely original and includes electronic, symphonic and atmospheric elements. I'll leave the breakdown to someone else...

Mode7 only sells their games in two packs, so you can split the cost with a friend, or just give it to them. Mode7 can be found here.

Closing comments:
Frozen synapse is an amazing game, which everyone should try. I think you'll be hooked. The soundtrack is amazing and the multiplayer works well. The campaign is long and engaging, and explains what is actually happening. In short: A great game.

The Tree of Life; Knowledge

The leaves
Of knowledge
Fall from the tree
Of Life

I gather
Them up
And recreate
The impossible

Fallen
Discarded
Knowledge
The basis

Purest thought
In a form
So mundane
Yet found

The misuse
Of great
Knowledge
The downfall

And yet
We seek
For more
Expansion

But in all
There it lies
Barely known
Knowledge

Some Drawings I Did

These are some sketches I made...

 Above: A Person

Below: Creepy Fish Man

Michael

Picture: Xanthurian

"So this is your collective is it? Your little support group?"

"What's left of it," said Gabe. "All of us that survived."

"We think," added Bekka. "There's always hope."

Michael snorted. "Is there? No matter how you struggle, you die. You might give Death a hell of a time trying to catch you, but he always wins. Trust me. I worked for him."

"And no matter how you try to ignore it, life goes on. Everyone leaves their mark here," said Gabe.

"And there's always heaven," whispered Bekka.

"Heaven?"

"Yes, Michael. Not even Death can keep God from-"

"Apparently he can. Because you know what, Bekka? If there is a God, which I'm damn sure there isn't, He ain't here. He's up in His royal easy chair watching us drop like flies. Laughing. Because this story won't have a happy ending. If angels can die, what can survive? We're alone in the universe, whether there's a God or not. Bekka," Michael's grey eyes drew her blue ones in,

"This is hell."

Musician

The beauty
The sorrow
Conveyed through
with a single note
Inspiration

The pain
The serenity
Spoken without
a single word
Genius

The fear
The hope
Powered by
nothing but song
Amazement

The beginning
The end
Captured within
and spread without
Music

Graphic Novels

I wish to start some sort of graphic novel type story. I don't yet know what it should be about. Any ideas? I would prefer something sci-fi/fantasy or steampunk-ish, so that i don't really need to know a lot about the subject, and I can make stuff up.

The Tinker

The gears shot out as the face plates came flying off. Fancy looking, but entirely functional, brassy bits flying everywhere.
"Another failure," the Tinker sighed, "I really should just stop"
But the Tinker didn't like the idea of defeat. It was, in fact, loathed. So the plans were studied, the parts rebuilt, and the machine put back together.
"It should work this time... Then again, it was supposed to work all the other thirty-eight times as well... Grrrr..."
The truth of the matter is that the springs were overwound, which the Tinker found on the next rebuild. Thus fixed, the machine was promptly thrown out, as the Tinker had lost interest. However, there was a young street Urchin who found this broken piece of machinery, fixed it up, and brought it back to the Tinker, good as new.

The Tinker had found the one that would become the Tinker's apprentice. Thus instated, the Urchin found life rich and lived the Tinker's life for a while. However, the Urchin never forgot his life on the streets of the City, and eventually went back there, to the great sadness of the Tinker.

Thus, the Tinker never again saw the Urchin until the Tinker was about to die. Finding that the Urchin had started another shop and had wanted to ask the Tinker to see it. The Tinker was joyous that the Urchin, the hoped apprentice, had started a shop, nearly identical to the Tinker's. However, the Tinker died and was never shown the shop. Thus, the Urchin became the Tinker until the new Urchin was found.

And thus the it goes, Urchin to Tinker and back to the Urchin; the Tinker's cycle.

Erosion

Through aeons

it flows

a relentless river

of consciousness

With varying speeds

it flows

at times serene

at times violent

Yet onward

it flows

never ceasing

till the end

Yet through the end

it flows

not yet done

nor yet begun

Bind

The binds of life
so complex
misleading
yet so simple
all the same

Interconnected
Is what we are
Unknown
But still
Bound together

There is insanity
unraveling the ties
Breakdown
Yet always
Fitting together

Hatred and fear
False guides
Hunger
But in all
Somewhere truth

Hope and love
True mentors
Wisdom
Yet even there
Something evil

Then death
Some veil
Untouchable
The great crossing
But still life

Life and death
But blips in time
Infinitesimal
But fleeting
Though all we know

Facebook!

Alright, so I know I'm not actually supposed to write today, but I have officially applied Facebook to this blog. There is now an RPS page and a like button (right over there (at time of publication) ->) I shall be interested to see how this pans out.

Unbreakable

The power
The feeling that
You can do
Whatever
You can
Possibly
Wish for

The helping
Of the helpless
The goodness
Of what you do
Touching others
Their lives yours
To do what you will

The corruption
Of absolute power
Finding your soul
At first you fight
But then
You decide
You quite like it

The rampage
From your soul
Unleashed
In its full glory
The terror
Of the helpless
Fuel

Unstoppable
You tear
Straight through
The earth
Just because
You can
Unbreakable

Insanity

I look out the door
Hall of mirrors spinning through
Monstrous reflections
Distorting reality

The mirrors seethe
I try to run
My feet are gone
The words "Death Warrant"
In their place

The reflections come alive
come out of the mirrors
Start their way
Toward me

Panic
Scream
Wake
Find nothing has changed
Well this sucks

I see the flesh
Falling from my hands
Then darkness
Then screams
I suppose that's me
Isn't it?

This strange feeling
That I should be dead
Only a lust
For human flesh
Keeps me alive

You might say zombie
I simply say insane
And you will run
As you truly aught

I have come to the end
My life truly done
Then in death
The same

Over again

Stricken
Insane
Anew

For That I Know It

I suppose
I would have thought
She was beautiful
If I had been able
To feel as such
The serenity
Of her expression
As I drained
Her Life-time
Away

The curse
Of Necromancy
To live
Off the Time
Of others
And see them
Fall
Into serenity
Or insanity
As they will

In this instant
That I know
This love
Is the most pure
And fleeting
Of my life
For
Because of it
I shall now die
For that I know it

My world was one
Of fear and war
Like Pandora's Box
But without the Hope
For I took hope
And changed it to fear
And all I knew
Was hatred
And anger
But no more

For now
I know love
As the purest
Of life-time
And I know
That I can take
No more
For love
Is too great
To kill for

I can only hope
They will
Remember
To love
When I'm Gone

The State of ReoganWorks

A new story
Every day
Or so it was

Then we all
Failed each other
Now reforms

Life and death
Joy and misery
Then it fell apart

Out with the old
Defective
In with the new

Make it work

Game Review: Warzone 2100

Warzone 2100 is an in development RTS (Real Time Strategy) game, based after "The Collapse," a nuclear war that obliterated most of the population. You play as The Project, a group trying to rebuild humanity, but who is hampered by various enemies.

This is going to be a short review, because I haven't played the game much yet, but it'll be close enough.

The biggest gameplay difference is that you get to design your own vehicles. In fact, you need to design vehicles, or you only get a bunch of trucks, the basic building unit. There is also a huge tech tree, which allows for nearly infinite possibilities in design and construction. Some different construction options are: wheels, half-tracks, treads, and VTOL. There are a huge number of weapon types, including: rockets, machine guns, mortars, and AA guns. There are the campaign, offline skirmish, and online multiplayer modes. The offline skirmish and multiplayer have everything unlocked, not relating to the campaign, so if you want to just start playing, you can. The campaign is designed around time-sensitive missions, so you need to act fast, and think faster when playing through it. There are very few things unlocked at the beginning of the campaign, and your research is very limited.

I haven't really played this enough to give a truly complete review, but I hope this at least gives you some idea of the game.

Pros: Designable vehicles and interesting storyline.

Cons: It's still Alpha, so there are some bugs. The storyline is rather non-essential to gameplay, so much so, that the intro movie is an option on the main menu, instead of integrated at the beginning of a new campaign.

Overall: An excellent game for those who like RTS with an interesting, if unimportant storyline. The designable vehicles are definitely a plus, but it's a little confusing unless you look at the website guide first.

Update: Xanthurian

I have updated "Whatever It Was" to be longer and I have changed the name to "The Perfect Ones"

The Perfect Ones

I have also realized that this is the 600th post. I don't know what that means.

The Perfect Ones

*Edited on: 10/31/2010*

I was a lieutenant then, just stationed on the ship. The captain was terrible, and very strange, his beard was two strings from the corners of his mouth and a goatee. He flogged us himself for the smallest thing, even just bringing his food five minutes late. Simply put, he was sadistic. However, or maybe because of that, I wanted my own ship, just like in all the dime novels. It didn't have to be fancy, but I wanted one anyway. I can't think of anyone who doesn't, besides Davis, but he was always kinda strange. He never seemed to care if he moved around in the system, didn't seem to care about much at all, except what he did in the lab. But good things happened to him, seemingly without any drive from him. However, my skill or luck, however you want it, at climbing the ranks was not very good at that time, so I had been a lieutenant for quite a while. Ironically enough, my rise started with my fall. My fall from grace within the navy. You see, I destroyed a ship of theirs when they thought it needed no destroying. They were wrong, of course, but they were still mad at me. Whatever it was, she was key. I think she was pregnant. I'm not quite sure, but I think she was. But that doesn't matter. Anyway, whatever it was, she was the first one to go.  She was sleeping in a hammock on a walkway over a storage area, her choice, not ours. We never checked those much, the storage areas. One night, myself and some others were walking along when we heard screams from the walkway. We looked in and saw her there, awake and looking extremely disoriented and -I don't know- frazzled? Frankly, she looked terrified. I asked what was wrong and she said it was just a nightmare. We continued our rounds for a while, and found a part of the corridor that had yellow blood-like stuff on the floor and a bit of the walls. The rest of the group went through, though not without curios looks, and continued on. I stayed back, suspicious. I went back along the corridor to the storage room to see if anything had happened. I looked in. She wasn't there. Her hammock had some of the yellow stuff from the hall, but nothing else was there. I looked over the railing and saw a flash of yellow and black legs. Alien insectoid legs. I called the rest of my squad and told them to meet me at the captains office. They never came. At one point I thought I heard screams. I called them again. There was no response. I went into the captains quarters by myself. The captain was sitting at his desk, looking concerned. I coughed a little to get his attention, he asked me what it was. I responded with a rather full report of the events of the evening, omitting only the legs. The captain ordered us all to shuttles and readied the self-destruct. He stayed in the launching bay control and opened the doors to let us all out. We flew out into the darkness of space.

*  *  *  *

The captain sat back in his chair and waited for the end. Suddenly, Lieutenant Davis burst out from behind him. The captain whirled around. Davis had a gun.

     "What are you doing here?! The ship is going to explode, you idiot!" the captan yelled at him.

     The lieutenant only replied, "Exactly, Sir. They all want it dead. My precious creature! That which I worked so hard to create, and they wish it dead, along with you."

     "W-wha-?" The captain stammered. "What are you talking about!?"

    "O, nothing sir," scornfully, "They all knew. They only wanted you out of the way. They didn't care about this ship, or any of the inhabitants. They only wanted you dead."

     " I cannot accept that, you insubordinate fool!"

     "O, but you must. I can't do this without you 'Captain'."

     "And if I refuse?"

     "Did I ever say I needed cooperation?"

     "..."

      Davis smiled evilly, "Just as I thought. No, I just need your access, your life matters not."

     "Then why not just kill me now?" The captain was getting exasperated.

     "Ever heard of meat on the hoof, "Captain'? I simply don't want to lug you around, though I will if I must"

     "Why did you have to kill all those people though?"

     "Why? To make it convincing, that was all."

     "But... All those people," the captain sounded a little shaken.

     "Tarina, the pregnant woman, she was the carrier, that's why she died first-"

     All this time, the captain had been bringing his cat-of-nine-tails out from behind his back. He chose this moment to swing. Davis ducked, but was nocked off balance. The captain swung again, but Davis shot, first. The captain looked at the bloody stump that was all that was left of his left hand, then he fell, almost screaming from agony. Davis then tore off some pipe insulation from one of the steam ducts. He thrust the captain's stump into it, cauterizing the wound. The captain only screamed all the more.

     Davis put his face right next to the captain's and hissed, "My precious creature tears its way out, then eats the host. The host is the lucky one, though, for once the host is eaten, her brain is fused with the creature into a completely new being. An unstoppable being. A perfectly unique being mutated from its original form by the thoughts at the time of bonding. Commanded only by its whims and loyalties, and very slightly influenced by its previous life. O, they can also survive space. So, if you wish to help me, I will be generous, and let one of them eat you. Does that sound fair?"

     "You're utterly insane! How do you expect me to go along with this?" The captain was outraged, and only partially from the pain.

     "You seem to misunderstand. I'm giving you the chance to become a Perfect One, though you certainly don't deserve it."