A Dark Kindle

artsfantasia: Deaths Apprentice by Moni “moni158”

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:57:37 -0500

Deaths Apprentice by Moni “moni158”

The meaning of "Adult"

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:44:30 -0500

I run roleplays of all manner of things. Often, as a GM, I must consider if the content of these roleplays exceed what would be appropriate based on the template set by the movie industry, mostly the PG-13 and R ratings. Typically, most RPs I run could fit in the PG-13 category, but sometimes I run games that most definitely do not, and must be considered R.

Now, when I run these RPs, I typically run them with characters like you would find in Die Hard or Rocky or any other movie that features complex villains who are doing what they want to for their own reasons. However, because most of these RPs take place on adult forums, I’m often inundated with character concepts that look like characters from a pornographic film: one dimensional, hyper-sexualized creatures that only want to have sex.

Forgive me, but if I read a plot outline for an adventure, describing a land of adventure and excitement, with traps, hostile natives, dangerous enemies from near and far, I’m more likely to think of Indiana Jones, not Jungle Fever 4. I know sometimes sexual elements crop up in these types of RPs, but they’re not built solely on moving from one sexual conquest to the next. Things flow naturally along until there’s a point where it makes sense to do so, not because you’re a walking prostitute.

I know this rant seems a bit silly, but I think we should stop considering Adult to mean sex, and meaning what it truly is: material we don’t want children to see because it’s overly bloody, sexual, and might make them actually think about the situation. So please, think of what it means to be an adult, and not just the idea that you’re old enough to have sex.

That’s the end of my rant. Good night.

A Pathfinder Adventure

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:21:40 -0500

I’ve done plenty of online RPGs, even DMed a few meself, but either August 14 or August 21, I’ll be running my first, live, person to person roleplay. A Pathfinder game of all bloody things x.x

The story is simple. Players will vote who they want to support, the majority determines which way the group wants to go, and they create characters based on that decision. From there, it’s completely open ended. Support the King in Exile Matthew, who wants to prolong a war and is almost xenophobic in his crusade to create a wall to keep foreign invaders out, or support the crowned King Phillip, who is willing to let the war end and be done with it, but removed Matthew through his ties with the more covert arm of his intelligence services.

I can’t wait. I’ve got the map and some of the lore written, now I just need to start consolidating it. If it goes well, I might open the campaign up to skype, since I already have a nibble there :D

Changes be afoot!

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:08:08 -0500

The fish has nothing to do with the contents of this post.

Right lads, here’s the skinny of it!

Made two changes directly to the blog. New background, new avatar. Also, changes are coming in how regularly I try to post. Tales of Adventure will be reset back to blank and will be chronicling the adventures of a rowdy band of heroes in an upcoming Pathfinder game I’ll be detailing shortly.

New stuff is exciting sometimes!

Also, for reference, the background is set to 1920 x 1600 so if you don’t see all of it, that’s why :)

Appologies for Absence @.x

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:55:04 -0500

Hey everyone,

Sorry I haven’t been here recently. My main desktop’s monitor has completely died and I am trying to find a decent enough replacement (read: better) monitor than what I have. I haven’t really posted anything here via the laptop because it’s old and I don’t want to push it too hard. Basically, just have faith that I’m going to attempt to get back on here and start doing awesome stuff yet again.

For now, here’s a picture of Deadpool being, well, Deadpool.

How Governments Work #3: Democracy

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:35:05 -0500

Say the word Democracy to anyone walking the streets of America and they’ll think you’re referring to our election process. Unfortunately, this simply isn’t the case, and there’s a very important reason why. Democracy is the direct vote of the people on all things related to government. And for a country the size of the United States, this isn’t possible.

Roughly 2,000 years ago, the world was a much smaller place. Most people knew the world was large, but had little reason to want to travel it. Greece, birthplace of classical thinking, was one such place. Most of the peoples of Greece were content to simply live in city-states, individual cities that formed alliances with one another for common defense, but preferred to remain independent and pass their own laws and defend themselves. Here, cities were fairly large for cities of the time, but most issues regarding the citizenry was voted upon directly, or occasionally voted upon by people acting in the people’s place.

For the most part, when dealing with individual cities and whatnot, direct voting works. The people can all be gathered in one place, explained the issue in detail, and allowed to vote how they see fit. It’s neat and simple, but also not very efficient on a large scale. A city state such as Athens or Sparta might elect to go to war, but the people of another city may choose to remain home. With no coordination, efforts can fail, and quickly. A vote between two cities to provide funds for a road may result in different outcomes, leading to a road that leads to nowhere. Even if all the people voted, would the voters in one city outweigh the votes of another city, leading their voices to be silenced by the vast majority?

Next time: Dictatorships, why they never, ever seem to work.

How Governments Work #2: Feudalism

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:25:42 -0500

There are many different types of government. There are democracies, republics, dictatorships, oligarchies, but some of the most self sustaining ones rely on the use of a modern example of feudalism, which swept Europe during the middle ages and helped redefine government from the centralized Roman Republic and Roman Empire to the modern republics of today.

Feudalism is the practice of subdividing land for people to better manage and control. The idea is that a country on the whole is governed by the King, who sits on the throne and directs the country as a whole. The kingdom would then be divided into large swaths of land to be directed by Dukes and Barons, who themselves would have castles and command the people under them. The land would be further divided until it formed a network that linked individual townships to the king himself through a long chain. Often, money and troops would flow up from the bottom, swelling until it reached the King, who would use the money and untrained troops assaigned to him from the lower ranks to bolster his army of professional troops during times of war and unrest.

The feudalistic system worked for the most part, giving the people on the bottom a sense of security that they would receive protection from the guiding hand of the King, while it gave the King power and the ability to enforce his rule without having to personally oversee every individual township. Later, as time went on, the King and the people under his rule would begin to fight over who had the authority to do what. Today, many consider feudalism dead, but the idea of feudalism lives on in the way government is arranged today, laid out with a central Federal government, state governments, then county and city governments. It allows for powers to flow between the groups, and keeps the citizenry happy while granting the people we place in power the ability to provide for national defense, trade, and well-being.

Next time: Democracy, and why the United States isn’t one.

How Governments Work #1: Communism

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:14:47 -0500

When most people say Communism, they immediately think of China or the Soviet Union. What most people don’t understand is that this is very, very far removed from communism and is merely a type of socialism taken to extremes. What is communism? Communism can best be described as a town or village in which everyone works together for the common good of all, sharing all resources equally and that people only take what they need. This sounds nice on paper, but is quickly squashed by reality.

People are greedy. I said it, greedy. It’s not a bad greedy per say, but rather a type of greed that can be beneficial. I want to have the most resources so my family can do better. I want more so I don’t have to do as much and can focus on my family. There will of course be greedy people who are only thinking of themselves, but most people who are genuine will want to care for those in their immediate family first. And it’s something that is very, very hard to do on a large scale.

Communism is essentially what most tribes operate under. They don’t pay taxes to higher governments, they don’t work to build roads to other villages, they simply exist on their own as mostly independent groups. They farm or hunt together, care for the children together, sustain themselves together, it’s all part of a group effort. And that works, but it has trouble making the transition to a large group. When you look at someone else, especially someone you don’t know, you can’t very well sympathize with them as much as you could with someone within your village. John, your neighbor your entire life, means more to you than some random person who moved in just two weeks ago. That sounds callous, but it’s reality.

On the small scale, when it’s only a village or town, communism can possibly be achieved. However, there is a threshold at which it begins to break down, and that’s when a new system must be looked to. So just remember, China and the USSR weren’t communist countries, but are rather socialist states.

Next time: Feudalism, a bridge to modern government

I gots dice

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:52:09 -0500

So. I fell off the deep end and decided I wanted some dice. Not just any dice though, oh dear God no. I wanted a special set of dice, and that’s when I decided to get a set like the ones above. They’re from the GameScience Precision series, this particular set being the smoked quartz. They’re pricy, at $1.50 a piece plus shipping, but I got a complete customized set for myself, which was 2d4, 4d6, 1d8, 1d10, 1d10 percentile, 1d12 and 1d20. The reason the dice are called precision is because normal dice lose their sharp edges inside the number painter, so they must be hand painted to avoid rounding the edges. You can buy them pre-painted, but those are $3.00 a piece, plus you only get one color. If you want to paint them yourself, I recommend Lumocolor permanent markers with the 0.4mm tip. They’re also pricey, but they are guaranteed to show up good.

Favorite Star Trek Ships

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 10:38:05 -0500

#10: The Galaxy Class

The Galaxy Class is the big mama of all the Federation’s ships. Large, powerful, basically a battleship. With children used as ballast. I can understand wanting to take a ship that’s going to be used for long-term exploration and putting families aboard, but personally, ask anyone who actually serves in the military if they’d want their families traveling along on dangerous missions where the ship may be destroyed. 1000 people aboard, most of them civilians, on a ship that may be built for exploration but can be deployed for war. Sure, the civilians may be off-loaded during especially dangerous missions, but what about situations likeBest of Both Worlds, where there was no time to off-load the civilians? The design is cool and I like the aesthetic, just not the idea that civilians are sitting around waiting to die.

#9:The Defiant Class

It was SF Debris who described the Defiant as “Ben Sisko’s Motherfuckin Pimp Hand”, and the name is pretty much sums up the Defiant to a T. Sisko used his 2 years at the Utopia Planetia to design a gun with engines, used to fight the Borg. It’s small, cheap to build, and a mean little bastard in a fight. Plus, unlike the Galaxy, it’s a ship that’s built strictly for war, meaning there’s no elaborate science suite aboard, no laboratories, no families. Just a crew who are there to fight. Too bad her only on-screen appearance fighting Borg showed her getting owned… damnit Worf!

#8: The Constellation Class

TheConstellationcan be summed up by two words: Four Nacelles. I don’t know if it’s the concept of More Engines = Faster Speed or what, but it’s nice to see a bit of divergence from the standard two nacelle design. It seems kind of awkward compared to some of the other ships, but I guess it’s just because we’re so used to the standard two nacelles that anything else just seems kinda silly. Damn you Pavlov!

#7: The Miranda Class

I remember first seeing the Relianton screen during Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and it always struck me how different it appears to the Enterprise in the same movie. Both were built by the same people with a similar layout, yet they look very different. TheMiranda looks boxy, small, compact. Like at any moment it’s going to get into a boxing match with anything that comes its way. Plus, the fact that it can go toe to toe with a much larger ship like theEnterprise hints that maybe there’s a reason it looks the way it does. I can see now why everyone just sort of accepted that it was a destroyer.

#6: The Kelvin

I’m not sure if the Kelvinis the name of her class or not, but the design looks interesting none the less. The traditional saucer mounted above a single engineering hull, just like the Enterprise, but with a smaller one mounted above as well. The design was our first introduction to the more industrial, working-class starships of JJ Abram’s Star Trek, and it did a hell of a job. Especially considering it held off the Naradafor a few solid minutes.

#5: The Constitution Class (Refit)

While I wasn’t a big fan of the originalEnterprise, the first time I saw the ship in, again, Wrath of Khan, I was impressed. It actually looked like a functional starship that they would fly around and explore the galaxy with, while also possessing clear weapon ports to show that yes, this ship means business. Considering the ship was meant to be the workhorse of Starfleet for the better part of a century, it’s clear why the image would leave a lasting impression on how starships were built well into the next century.

#4: The Nova Class

If theSovereignclass and theIntrepidclass ever got fused together and shrunk, it would definitely produce theNova. Small, neat and compact, the Nova shows off the new design of a more angled, triangular prow with the elongated nacelles that were becoming common as well. The result was a tiny ship that seems to be built mainly for scouting, since that’s the only thing we see her doing while on screen. Which is fine with me, considering it’s a nice little ship that doesn’t look like it’d hold up much against a big baddie, but could scurry in, look around, and bug out before anyone was wiser.

#3: The Sovereign Class

First sweeping into view in Star Trek: First Contact, the Sovereign is a wonderful looking ship that actually appears to be a warship, something that hasn’t really been seen on Star Trek before. Her sleek lines and elegance made her look beautiful, and then we saw her in a fight against the Borg. She took whatever the Borg threw at her and returned it in spades, telling the Borg to piss off back to the Delta Quadrant. Ah if only that had worked.

#2: The Excelsior Class

I was never a big fan of theExcelsiorin Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, so it came as quite a surprise when she reappeared in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Sure, it was the same model, but the change in command coupled with the difference in shots made all the difference. I’m always a fan of the original though, since ILM sullied the original model with those ugly flaps to make Star Trek: Generations. Damn you ILM!

#1: The Abram’s Enterprise

When I first saw this ship… I was blown away. It seemed like there was absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, that could ruin it. Soft, rounded edges, big bulky engines, it all just seemed so graceful and elegant, especially after we saw theKelvinearlier. Again, it goes back to the wholeReliant/Enterprisething earlier. Same people making the same ships, yet one is vastly more beautiful than the other. Regardless, I’ll take what I can get, so I’m happy to say the Abram’sEnterprisegets to be the best.

Please send all hate mail to ~~Idontcare@gmail.com~~

Roleplaying & You

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:11:00 -0500

So I recently discovered that there are, in fact, numerous types of roleplaying systems out there. Some are the traditional tabletop roleplaying games that people think of, others are more specialized. Regardless, however, I think there are three main types that should be looked at for anyone wanting to get into tabletop roleplay.

BESM

Big Ears Small Mouthis an anime based RPG made for players who want to have the fun of running their own game in a setting that’s fairly familiar to them, such as Ranma 1/2, Naruto, Inuyasha, any of them. The character sheets are a bit confusing at first but it falls into place quick and easy, and usually it’s a breeze once you understand what you’re doing. Anyone who’s a fan of anime will enjoy it, so long as it doesn’t devolve into a game of hentai x.x

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a spin-off of the popular D&D systems everyone’s familiar with. It takes the rules of D&D’s 3.5 edition and balances them, adding new quirks here and there. Most campaigns can be run with the standard core rulebook and the accompanying monster manual, and it’s a fairly balanced run. Newer players may want to find themselves someone to actually teach them some of the ropes for a few games, but the books and character sheets are fairly intuitive once you give it a read. There are numerous character sheets available online so printing new ones is quick and easy.

World of Darkness

The new World of Darkness (nWoD) takes the rules of the World of Darkness and adds more stability and ease. It’s a very dark game, great for horror movie fans who want to experience everything from serial killers to vampires to creatures that are only a few steps away from God. The point system keeps players balanced easily, even at higher levels. Strangely enough, this is one of the only systems I know of that only uses a single type of dye, a d10. Regardless, a handful of d10 lets every player have a fun time and experience stuff that’ll send chills down their spines.

Bath time for kitty!

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:37:16 -0500

Bath time for kitty!

The 10 Commandments of Retail Shopping

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:54:00 -0500

I get annoyed by people who can’t follow common courtesy, so if you’re about to go shopping, please remember the 10 commandments of shopping retail.

1. Thou shalt use common courtesy with customers and salesmen alike.

Saying “Hello” “Hi” “How are you?” “Can you please..?” “Thank you!” can really make a difference and often make salesmen and customers respond more positively towards you.

2. Thou shalt understand thyself is not entitled to special privileges.

Coming in and demanding something, be it service or a particular item, is not going to automatically get you what you want. Someone who asks nicely is more likely to get special help than someone who demands assistance.

3. Thou shalt attempt to help thyself prior to requesting assistance.

Important. Asking for help after two seconds of looking, especially for large and obvious items, is something that annoys people to death. If you are in a hurry and spot someone and ask, that’s understandable. Saying you looked when you haven’t is obvious.

4. Thou shalt not abuse thine relationship with salesmen.

Customers are in a position of power. Enough bad words and a salesman is suddenly out of a job. However, most salesmen know how to untangle themselves and ensure that nothing is done to help you, even as you get more and more irate.

5. Thou shalt not bring small animals into thine store.

Small animals do not contain self control, and therefor will use the restroom, make loud noises, freak out, etc., often at the most inopportune times, leading to quite a few headaches.

6. Thou shalt control small children or remove them from thine store.

Children should be taught and mentored in how to correctly act in public. However, just like you don’t take a completely untrained driver onto the interstate for the first time, your child needs some background in how to act. If they can’t behave, they need not be there.

7. Thou shalt not steal.

This one is fairly obvious for two reasons. Security will remove you from the store (with police if necessary) and it harms the salesman’s opportunities for getting a bonus. When a salesman sees theft going on, they’re watching money that could be in a bonus check leaving, and will not appreciate it.

8. Thou shalt attempt to replace unwanted items correctly.

When selecting multiple items, several selections must be made. Often, items are clustered together to let you have options all at once. However, tossing the unselected items away only makes a mess, one that a salesman has to then clean up.

9. Thou shalt not use loud or unbecoming language.

Many retail stores are host to children and young adults. Both of them are highly influenced. Yelling curses and swears shows they are probably more mature than you, and that you do not need to be in the store.

10. Thou shalt attempt to clean thine own messes.

Vomiting and accidentally dropping a bottle of juice can be understood when it comes to leaving a mess. However, throwing trash on the floor, leaving items scattered and untidy is a mess a salesman must also clean up.

Photo

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:53:45 -0500

This makes me sad D:

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:40:21 -0500

This makes me sad D:

I laughed so hard at this. Deadpool is insane.

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:56:13 -0500

I laughed so hard at this. Deadpool is insane.

Why I hate the original Fallout 3 Ending

Sun, 13 May 2012 12:44:09 -0500

I, without a doubt, absolutely love Fallout 3. I like it because there’s not a complicated backstory that gets drug along with it like in New Vegas, where you feel you’re missing something if you don’t play the first or second game. It’s a nice, singular storyline that tells us that while the people in California are getting stuff put back together, the people on the east coast have it pretty bad and probably need help. Like, fast.

The issue I have with Fallout 3’s ending comes when you play the original through to the end, and you have to choose to go into the highly irradiated area in order to turn on the machine. You have followers! That’s what they’re there for! Use them! I hate that I have to die at the end just because someone isn’t smart enough to realize, “Oh wait, this massive super-mutant guy is COMPLETELY IMMUNE to all radiation and could easily do the job. Have him do it.” It’s… I know the point is to valiantly sacrifice yourself but at the same time, there are always options. It’s asinine.

Ok, done ranting. Gonna go play more New Vegas, because while I love Fallout 3, New Vegas has more nifty things and I want.

paleoillustration: Sinosauropteryx prima (2007) by Julius T....

Sun, 13 May 2012 03:36:31 -0500

paleoillustration:

Sinosauropteryx prima (2007) by Julius T. Csotonyi.

-Digital painting / photographic composite

A metre-long compsognathid dinosaur, Sinosauropteryx prima, forages for prey in a Cretaceous Chinese forest. This dinosaur is among the growing number whose remains include preserved feather-like integumentary structures, strongly suggesting their close kinship with birds.

I remember the concept art coming out for Star Trek Online, and...

Sun, 13 May 2012 02:01:00 -0500

I remember the concept art coming out for Star Trek Online, and I was really excited. Like, super excited. Starships had gotten stale over the years because no one wanted to deviate too wildly from what had already come out, and so no one did. They just sort of shrugged their shoulders and said, “Meh, make it look like this ship and this other ship had a baby ship.”

The concept art suggested that while much of the feel of Star Trek’s design would be coming back, it would have a more modern appearance. Smooth lines and graceful curves would start to take a back seat to more practical usage dictated by the needs of the ship versus the beautiful lines that had defined the ships of the Next Generation. It almost felt like a throwback to the original series, with sharp lines and utilitarian workings.

Of course, then in the game they don’t look near as nice as the sleek lines on some of the traditional hull components, so I wind up going with classic ship design anyway :P

Photo

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:33:29 -0500