| Hey, Story Games! |
[Jul. 19th, 2008|01:08 am] |
Another rant about "the only way to play rpgs is mine"?
Yes. The only way to play RPGs is mine. And yet, my vision is broader than yours. I don't secretly hate my fellow gamers' style and post agony-aunt rants behind their back. I don't make somebody's rulebook the benchmark for table interactions. I respect the way my friends confound and challenge me. I exalt the way opposition adds depth. I love them.
Let me tell you about a character.
When Steve runs things, I'm Gavaran. As a joke, I describe him as a "very deadly Niles Crane." He's an engineer, a burglar, a scientific fencer, a stubborn atheist. I've been him for about a year and a half.
He is not my character. I merely remember as him.
I envisioned all kinds of things as Gavaran. Steve often says no. My shop doesn't look like I thought. I can't tumble like that. It doesn't work.
You would call it deprotagonism.
Stanislavski talks about really feeling the character. Contrary to what you may have heard, Stanislavski mostly believed this was bullshit. You do not feel the character. You feel you. Trying to feel the character leads to self-indulgent wish fulfillment.
Searle talks about the Chinese Box: a set of symbol manipulation rules that make it look like you know Chinese, even though you don't. This metaphor is an apt way to describe purist appeals to system. However you believe it applies to AI problems, it's a good way to describe why confident protagonism (even in the form of expecting consistent applications of systems where you may not get what you want in a given instance) is crap. It is Feeling the Character. It is self-indulgent and fake.
This isn't easy. I fought Steve a lot. I had my box. I knew how to respond to the expected input. He didn't give it to me. I got angry, but Steve is my friend. I trust him.
You feel you. You do not enjoy full confidence in the system. You cannot hide in your box; suddenly, the rule for writing a character changes, and you didn't get the latest programming. There is a break between the desired process and what actually happens. This is authenticity, and transfers your feelings to the experience of another persona. You get the memory back. The game stole your desires and made a mockery of them.
It's fuckin' great.
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| yacht club |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|09:07 pm] |
I'm going to lay off putting up any more King city 2.
I'm not one for secrecy but I'll type about it when and if there's something
to type about.
so shhhh.
Thanks.
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Here's a quick drawing of my favorate rapp-ists KRS-1, Rakim. And that's soundwave in a dumb hat.
I fully believe that Rakim is the only actually tough dude to rap. And KRS is like a hip hop dad
he rhymes about eating at dennys. I love that shit.
My comic book larder is low, but my pal Ross just sent me his new Water baby book. I'm about half through,
he draws so good. I'm deeply impressed by his ability to draw facial expressions.
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Not to be an asshole and take away comics without giving something in return, today I'm putting up some of my old porn I did for Josh Lesnick's Slipshine.net . Thanks to Josh for getting me these old pages again.
I did this in 2003 when I was living in Filthy Rich's living room in the tip top of manhattan where it meets the bronx.
This was drawn when I was all divorced from the idea of ever getting into the mainstream comic industry.
I was all fuck comics so I thought it was funny at the time to call my porn Fuck comix.
Those were the days of all night horror /sci-fi movies chexican delivery and buttman magazine.
the days of high adventure!
I had a friend who was working as a porn actress and she'd told me stories about when they film gang
bangs and dudes show up with paper bags on their heads. Filthy Rich joked about wanting to go to one with a
bag on his head but a hole cut in it so you sould see his whole face.
The first girl's Loyal tattoo is based off the one Belladonna has on her lower back.
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| Oni, LJ and advertising ,etc |
[Jul. 19th, 2008|12:46 pm] |
1. Very interesting post on Web 2.0 and profitability. What I draw from the post was that in the long run, LJ's starting model was insufficient because of the Law of Participation. The Law of Participation is this: in a given site, 90% of the users are lurkers, essentially, 9% participate off and on, and 1% contribute the lion's share of the content. The problem with LJ is that the costs of the site increase exponentially while the people using the site increase arithmetically. That means if you rely on that 1%, who may not be increasing that much anyway, you are going to have to get more and more money from them in order to cover the increasing costs. However, I think that one reason why users react so strongly against ads on LJ (when they really don't seem to care that much on other services) is because of the promise Brad made. So it seems strange to me that the post doesn't mention that as a reason people are so upset.
Anyway, her upcoming thesis is that the advertisement-supported Web 2.0 model is going to collapse eventually. I'm wondering what her alternative for Dreamwidth is, though, given that they seems to be going entirely ad-free for that.
2. Via Tari: http://thepenguinblog.typepad.com/the_penguin_blog/2008/07/special-guest-p.html
I actually will read books on a computer, but the problem is that a computer is not as portable as a real paperback book, nor as cheap. The same will hold true for a reader. I will only buy one if it goes below fifty dollars.
3. And now to discuss oni
( More than you ever wanted to know about oni ) |
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| The Game of Immortals: Stats for Sauron |
[Jul. 19th, 2008|12:34 am] |
It's pretty easy to use it to generate stats for Sauron.
Name: Sauron
Titles: The Lord of the Rings, the Red Eye, the Deceiver (Suaron previously had the Title the Lord of Gifts, but that was seized from him during the fall of Numernor)
Customary Forms:
- Actor: The Necromancer (The Deciever)
- Prop: The One Ring (The Lord of the Rings, the Eye) Powers: Turn Invisible, Command. These have attached pledges which I don't feel like working out right now.
- Realm: Mordor (The Red Eye)
- Wisp: Ringwraiths (The Lord of the Rings)
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| Recent Researches - Why Yahoo Private Domain Registration Is Not Private |
[Jul. 19th, 2008|01:17 pm] |
Originally published at I Am Completely Serious. You can comment here or there. In short:
It’s not possible to either transfer or cancel a domain registered this way without making your personal information public. Yahoo’s description of the service is dishonest about this.
At length:
( Read the rest of this entry » ) |
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| Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 3: Fire, Chapter 17 |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|08:38 pm] |
Katara: Isn't it weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?
Zuko: I told you. He hasn't been here since my family was happy.
Cabbage peddler got a shout out! XD
( Spoilers for The Ember Island Players )
So tomorrow night, the Avatar movie (a.k.a. the final four episodes!)... Do I liveblog it -- which will be full of flailing and keyboard mashing -- or do a semi-coherent post? Both? Decisions, decisions.
And in other news, I received the latest volume of Saiyuki Reload today from RightStuf. You know, it's been so long since the last volume came out, I'm not quite sure I remember what's going on! D: |
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| Just saw "The Dark Knight" |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|03:09 pm] |
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Dark Knight was good. The Joker was about as cerebral as you could possibly make the Joker--nothing less than what I'd expect from Christopher Nolan. The movie also addresses a lot of sticky issues with the Batman that a lot of other takes on the character flat-out ignore. |
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| man, I'm dumb |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|02:03 pm] |
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I just stapled my fingers together. |
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| this is why we can't be in the same room |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|11:25 am] |
Jul 18 11:02:34 [dub] ey yo
Jul 18 11:02:43 [Internet] your boy is wylin man
Jul 18 11:02:44 [dub] so I almost swung on this guy at lunch yesterday
Jul 18 11:02:50 [Internet] what happened?
Jul 18 11:02:52 [dub] and apparently somebody is gonna call me a retard at SDCC
Jul 18 11:02:57 [dub] over [video game], of all things
Jul 18 11:02:59 [Internet] lol what?!
Jul 18 11:03:01 [Internet] wait
Jul 18 11:03:04 [Internet] start from the beginning
Jul 18 11:03:05 [dub] two different stories
Jul 18 11:03:08 [dub] lunch first
Jul 18 11:03:08 [Internet] this isn't memento
Jul 18 11:03:15 [Internet] LOL this nigga is giving us teasers
Jul 18 11:03:18 [Internet] EAT a DICK
Jul 18 11:03:21 [dub] I was at Louisiana Fried Chicken getting my food
Jul 18 11:03:29 [Internet] oh I thought you meant you were going to lunch
Jul 18 11:03:30 [Internet] I was mad
Jul 18 11:03:31 [Noz] wait
Jul 18 11:03:37 [Noz] there's a Louisiana fried chicken now?
Jul 18 11:03:43 [Internet] what do you mean now?
Jul 18 11:03:48 [Noz] ALWAYS?!
Jul 18 11:03:49 [Internet] That's some of the most famous fried chicken
Jul 18 11:03:50 [dub] I order or whatever, and sit down. I pull my ipod out of my back pocket so I don't break it while I wait
Jul 18 11:03:51 [Internet] yes
Jul 18 11:04:01 [dub] Put it on the table, RIGHT BY MY SHOULDER and shit, and sit facing the counter
Jul 18 11:04:18 [dub] about three or five minutes later, this tall-ass dude is in line, steps forward, PALMS MY SHIT, and steps back
Jul 18 11:04:29 [Internet] LOL
Jul 18 11:04:32 [Internet] he took it?
Jul 18 11:04:33 [dub] I'm like, "I didn't just see that." I honestl believed I didn't, beause I checked my pockets for my ipod just ot be sure
Jul 18 11:04:36 [dub] but he took it
Jul 18 11:04:45 [Internet] oh shit
Jul 18 11:04:46 [dub] so I'm like "Yo dude, you need to give that the fuck back"
Jul 18 11:04:53 [dub] he looks at me like "Huh?"
Jul 18 11:04:55 [dub] "My ipod"
Jul 18 11:05:02 [dub] and he's like "I don't" and he DROPS MY FUCKING IPOD
Jul 18 11:05:04 [tentaclesex] jesus christ people are ridiculous
Jul 18 11:05:07 [Internet] hahaha, yeah, I would have asked for it back too first
Jul 18 11:05:07 [Internet] HAHAHA
Jul 18 11:05:10 [Internet] Like a cartoo!
Jul 18 11:05:11 [Internet] n
Jul 18 11:05:13 [dub] and tries to lecture ME about how i shouldn't leave shit around
Jul 18 11:05:17 [Internet] LMFAO!!!!
Jul 18 11:05:18 [tentaclesex] WHAT!?
Jul 18 11:05:21 [tentaclesex] DAMN
Jul 18 11:05:24 [Internet] Dude at that point I would have shit on his shit nigga
Jul 18 11:05:28 [dub] I'm like "It was right hte fuck here" he's like "Naw, it was over HERE"
Jul 18 11:05:32 [dub] I was flabbergasted
Jul 18 11:05:33 [Internet] I would have crapped on his CRAP
Jul 18 11:05:39 [dub] I was ready to fight, I wasn't ready to be amazed
Jul 18 11:05:48 [tentaclesex] hahahah
Jul 18 11:05:48 [Internet] He would have had a BAD DAY TODAY
Jul 18 11:05:48 [tentaclesex] shit on his SHIT and crap on his CRAP
Jul 18 11:05:54 [dub] and he keeps trying to let me know that people steal shit
Jul 18 11:06:00 [dub] and i'm like "I know, and you shold really stop talking to me"
Jul 18 11:06:02 [dub] and he leaves
Jul 18 11:06:07 [dub] I was fucking stunned
Jul 18 11:06:24 [dub] before he left, he was like "how much is one of them things?"
Jul 18 11:06:36 [dub] biggest nuts int he world, man
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] LOL!!1
Jul 18 11:06:38 [tentaclesex] hahah
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] hahahahaha
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] Maybe he was possessed by the Quantum Leap guy
Jul 18 11:06:38 [tentaclesex] hahahah
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] and he really WAS trying to teach you something
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] LMFAO!!!
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] WOW man
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] WOW
Jul 18 11:06:38 [Internet] this guy is magical
Jul 18 11:06:38 [tentaclesex] man, seriously, what the fuck
Jul 18 11:06:47 [tentaclesex] he just has no idea that stealing is wrong
Jul 18 11:06:51 [Internet] Dude honestly, you did the right thing not to attack him
Jul 18 11:06:55 [dub] I went from mad to completely confused and back around to mad again
Jul 18 11:06:56 [Internet] If someone was that indignant man
Jul 18 11:06:59 [tentaclesex] like no sense of it whatsoever
Jul 18 11:07:01 [Internet] I might have flown into a rage
Jul 18 11:07:08 [dub] I was hoping he'd run
Jul 18 11:07:10 [dub] I've had a bad month
Jul 18 11:07:11 [Internet] the thievery, I can forgive, but the lecture lol
Jul 18 11:07:18 [dub] I was mad at the thievery the most!
Jul 18 11:07:26 [dub] if you're gonna steal, don't be a bitch about it
Jul 18 11:07:29 [dub] don't get CAUGHT
Jul 18 11:07:31 [tentaclesex] I don't know what I would have done
Jul 18 11:07:32 [Noz] stuff like that makes you wish you can just beat people
Jul 18 11:07:40 [tentaclesex] it would probably depend on my mood
Jul 18 11:07:41 [dub] but i also wasn't trying to get banned from LFC
Jul 18 11:07:42 [Internet] you should have de-skinned a fried chicken and smacked him with the hot part of the flesh
Jul 18 11:07:44 [dub] that shit is the truth
Jul 18 11:07:56 [tentaclesex] hahah
Jul 18 11:08:03 [dub] but yeah, the SDCC thing isn't as interesting
Jul 18 11:08:17 [dub] I do -.com and had a post go up today like "the game'll be at the con, i'll be at the con, holler when you see me"
Jul 18 11:08:28 [Internet] hahahaha
Jul 18 11:08:29 [dub] and some dude is like "Yeah i'm gonna go and call you a retard to your FACE because you don't answer my questions"
Jul 18 11:08:32 [Internet] that had to happen
Jul 18 11:08:39 [Internet] Well if he doesn't
Jul 18 11:08:46 [dub] and since I technically work for Sony, I can't be like "I wish you would"
Jul 18 11:08:47 [Internet] You can go online and just clown him
Jul 18 11:08:51 [Internet] but if he does, you can clown him too
Jul 18 11:08:54 [dub] hahaha
Jul 18 11:08:58 [dub] I honestly hope he does
Jul 18 11:09:01 [Internet] just keep a whipped cream pie under your desk
Jul 18 11:09:11 [tentaclesex] hahah
Jul 18 11:09:11 [dub] like, I want someone to bring the itnernet to real life for me
Jul 18 11:09:17 [tentaclesex] yeah, that dude needs a pie
Jul 18 11:09:25 [tentaclesex] or a knife
Jul 18 11:09:32 [tentaclesex] bring like a machete
Jul 18 11:09:37 [dub] hell naw
Jul 18 11:09:37 [Internet] lol fuck man
Jul 18 11:09:43 [Internet] I gotta eat something os I can work out
Jul 18 11:09:48 [dub] he'll catch five across the eyes
Jul 18 11:09:50 [tentaclesex] just swing that shit around over your head and look crazy
Jul 18 11:09:56 [dub] you don't punch bitches, you slap them
Jul 18 11:10:05 [tentaclesex] chop up a convention booth
Jul 18 11:10:05 [Internet] when is SDCC?
Jul 18 11:10:10 [dub] next week, wed-sunday
Jul 18 11:10:12 [Internet] because I have to go to SD
Jul 18 11:10:13 [dub] i'm flying down thursday
Jul 18 11:10:18 [dub] when?
Jul 18 11:10:20 [Internet] I'll try to go to SD next week
Jul 18 11:10:24 [Internet] whenever I want, for a school project
Jul 18 11:10:24 [dub] we can find dude
Jul 18 11:10:31 [dub] i might have an extra pass, too
Jul 18 11:10:35 [Internet] I'm jacked up right now, I'll scare him for you in a smedium shirt
Jul 18 11:10:39 [dub] you can be David Brothers: Professional
Jul 18 11:10:44 [dub] I'll be David Brothers: Press
Jul 18 11:10:55 [dub] "Professional what?" "Professional at whoopin yo monkey ass NYUGGA!!!!!"
Jul 18 11:11:00 [Internet] hahahaha |
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| Linkblog Digest: The Code Red Edition |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|01:43 pm] |
It's been a while since I've been to work on a Friday. Feels kind of strange!
On Manga
Erica Friedman presents the truth about publishing, selling & buying manga.
BL manga artist Youka Nitta quits the industry in light of revelations that she traced photographs in her work. A little extreme? Maybe. But this is Japan & saving face is a big deal in the culture. Of course, this makes me ask: Why is it that Youka Nitta quits when it's revealed that she traced photographs but when smutty shoujo mangaka Kayono traced the work of Kazusa Takashima, it was Takashima who got driven out of the business? As far as I'm concerned it's Kayono's fault Last Client was left unfinished! (Yes, yes, I know Kayono's mother is some important shoujo mangaka or something and has lots of pull... but come on!)
On Writing
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, a new pro market will be opening its doors to submissions on August 1.
This makes the Summer Shorts writing challenge very timely! (Sign ups are closed but unofficial participation is allowed!)
For the past week, agent Kristen Nelson has been discussing beginning writer mistakes over on weblog.
And finally, N.K. Jemisin touches on an issue brought up by the latest volley in the Helix firestorm. Although I admit this latest quote from William Sander's newsgroup is priceless:
Do not do or say anything to give the editor the impression that you might be a pain in the ass to work with.
Pot. Meet kettle.
On Reproductive Rights
WTF is this nonsense? For more information, visit Planned Parenthood's page about the Bush administration's latest attempt to undermine women's access to health care and information here. |
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| More Masquerade photos |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|10:22 am] |
In case you missed them, the photos of me and Adrian at the Masquerade are in the post below this one, with the same tag.
This isn't all of them. If you encourage me by commenting, I will post more!
( Cut for photos ) |
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| No words...just no words! |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|12:08 pm] |
From here:AC: I don't know about appropriate, but it does seem like the right costume for the character. She should be in black... it's in her name. And leather is very tough... it saved my brother's skin (literally) when he laid his motorcycle down at about 80 mph (He doesn't do that anymore. He's a very good Dad now.). If she's gonna have baddies coming at her with knives and swords etc... the leather isn't armor, but it's damn tough, and it's easier to deliver some good kicks if it's a body suit and not pants. Was your brother wearing fishnets "when he laid his motorcycle down at about 80 mph?" I doubt it. So if leather is such a great thing to wear in a fight...and I agree that it probably is for hand-to-hand combat...then why is a third of Black Canary's body exposed?
You want to say "some girls just like fishnets," fine. You wants to make the same, stupid crack about guys staring at her legs, fine. But then don't go on about how from personal experience you know how wise it is to have a heftier material between one's skin and the elements. That's just...AURGH!
AURGH!
I've tried to just ignore this, because frankly I think that Barbie Canary looks more like Lord Fanny than Dinah Lance. But when someone goes on about how great a thicker material is for a fight and then all but says, "Except for her legs, because how else are the villains supposed to tranq., cut, stab, or claw her in a fight," my inner geek won't be quelled.
The only Black Canary figure I'll ever own is the one with the Butch Guice costume. That thing had everything: full-body protection, no fuck-me heels, utility belt, and pockets.
Doctor Developer: I like the fishnets, but she's wrong about, ah, how her legs, um, "offer a great distraction ... before delivering a round-house kick to the head." Why would you get close enough for her to deliver a kick when you can, as you say, hit her with a dart from across the street. |
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[Jul. 18th, 2008|12:49 pm] |
Happy birthday, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) renenet! |
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| Cory Doctor visits Secret Headquarters |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|11:06 am] |
(Cross-posted to ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) adam_warren)
Cory Doctorow visits Secret Headquarters, and while showing off the manga shelf, look what appeared:
They didn't mentioned Empowered by name, but I still thought it was crucially kewl that it showed up. |
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| End of An Era: Iron Fist |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|03:30 pm] |
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/4thletter/~3/339091958/ http://www.4thletter.net/?p=1307 You know, I was going to detail my San Diego con schedule here in excruciating detail. What panels I was going to (the ones with black people talking, obviously), what parties I got invited to (none, all of you suck), and what I was planning on eating (if SDCC is like E3, the food is expensive and terrible), but then I decided against it. Other sites are going to do it better than I will, and if you’re swift enough to be reading 4l! and going to E3, you’re swift enough to be able to look at a schedule and see what interests you.
Instead, I’m going to post the beginning and the end of The Immortal Iron Fist #16, the official end of the Brubaker/Fraction/Aja era of Iron Fist. They revamped the character, turned him into something viable and interesting for the first time in ages.
   
the beginning
 
the end
It’s nice to see a socially conscious superhero, innit?
This one goes out to Cheryl Lynn.
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| Bittercon: Writing Groups |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|07:52 am] |
Time to steal from the best! I am raiding Readercon's program schedule for stuff that might be fun to discuss for those of us stuck at home. And on today's schedule, there's: Writing Groups and Writers, a Match Made in Heaven or Hell?
( Read more... ) |
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| Beeker's Ode To Joy |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|10:50 am] |
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excited
accomplished
