[IMCotD] Gygax Ascension Day

(9:21:52 AM) Gerall: Ernest Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008)
(9:23:52 AM) Kevin: ah.
(9:24:19 AM) Kevin: that's a friday. I should have that off.
(9:24:29 AM) Kevin: we should game that day. :)
(9:25:18 AM) Kevin: or roll up a 1st ed. ad&d character.
(9:27:03 AM) Gerall: Boss: "What do you need that day off for?"
Gerall: "Gygax Ascension Day..."
(9:28:29 AM) Kevin: yep. good name for it.
(9:28:57 AM) Gerall: we need to create some 1st ed ADnD characters and post them to the blog
(9:29:26 AM) Kevin: sounds good.
(9:50:44 AM) Gerall: i get to play the gnome illusionist!! COLOR SPRAY!!
(9:51:55 AM) Kevin: sounds like after the scourge. true?
(9:52:28 AM) Gerall: i haven't gotten the urge to Gnome it up out of my system yet.
(9:53:01 AM) Kevin: "gnome it up" lol
(9:53:39 AM) Kevin: gnome: verb. To hit a person with a Color Spray.
(9:53:49 AM) Gerall: LOL

[Android OS] Tablets and Aesthetics

For those who may not be aware, I am a gadget junkie. Free Software advocate wouldn't be an inaccurate description for me either. Given this combination of interests, I've gone bonkers over the latest batch of tablets using the Android OS. I have a ViewSonic gTablet (currently loaned out to another gamer), and a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. Given these differing devices, I've come to a few conclusions about my personal sense of "portable computing aesthetics". Enjoy my ranting after the break!

[BRP] Chronicles of Future Earth, the setting that almost was...

Sarah Newton is more creative and prolific in her writing than anyone has a right to be. I was brought into her development of the The Chronicles of Future Earth via quiet PM on the BRP Central forum, and was astonished.

This release from Chaosium is only about one-third (one-quarter?) the material Sarah had intended to shoe-horn between its covers. She's documented a far-future world populated with miracle technology, sorcery, and an Immortal God-Emperor ruling The Venerable Autocracy of Sakara. The monstrous Gene Wolfe vibe makes me squee.

Add to this that the Autocracy's capitol city Korudav is approximately five times the area of Glorantha's Pavis (including the Rubble!), and you'll begin to sense the tremendous breadth of setting here. I've seen her full-maps of a re-envisioned Urth, not just the snippet included in this release. I am happily paging through my copy of this now (purchased from Chaosium's website - in the interest of full disclosure), and am enjoying fitting this wonderfully unique bit of gaming into my imagination.

My hope is that this supplement will prove popular enough that Chaosium looks upon the scraps on their cutting-room floor with future interest. I haven't spoken with Sarah Newton much (since I deleted my Facebook account), but I wish her well with her new position at Cubicle 7. Given her momentum for the project two years ago, and the horrid time she endured waiting for the manuscript to see the light of day, I can only imagine she's moved on. Ah well.

Fun facts to know and tell: there's an adventure set in TCoFE already in print! Take a look at Sarah's submission in the BRP Adventures book. Yeah, I'm obsessive. So what?

[Android] Blogger's Android client - finally!

This will help me get ideas into the blog, no doubt. Here's something simple from my tablet. Vaati Monks, and a tribe of dragon-tainted centaur wandering the central Flanaess on Greyhawk have kept me writing. Plus, the deeply baroque effort on Wanderer hasn't stopped.
Hang in there! There is lots more to come.