Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Right lets get this update underway. First off I'll touch on a subject that I rarely venture to in my blog - work. Work is less than perfect at the moment. Hours are longer, work is more intense and the blame culture is in full flow. Moreover the minutae are overwhelming the bigger picture and it is strangling everything. As a result of that and two rather horrific viruses I have been almost totally unproductive. Inert. Living to work rather than working to live. That sucks.

So what have I been up to? Well, I have returned to WoW after a pretty long break. A new server (The Maelstrom) and a new guild (The Border Reivers) and a new character (Gorthe, a Warrior of all things!). Everything is very pleasant, the guild is an absolute pleasure and the commitment is almost zero. Alls good really - WoW is definitely a 'game' now rather than a lifestyle choice!

I've finally got my roleplaying game, Duty and Honour, into some form that can be properly playtested. I've been conversing a lot with the guys from The Collective Endeavour (see the links in my sidebar) which has been very productive. I like the vibe there and the collective nature of the contributions appeals to the old Leftie in me.

The game itself has changed quite a lot as it moves from being a set of chargen rules and a resolution mechanic and becomes a real game. So far it has been reasonably well received but there is a fair bit of work to be done yet. If anyone is interested they can download the alpha playtest documents here. If you have any comments I would love to hear them.

Fan fiction wise I have been formally given the Teen Titans to write at DCI, which is very cool. I still have Green Lantern on the burner as well. The site is moving along, albeit slowly, but my ability to write is severely curtailed by my lack of energy after work. It'll come.

Roleplaying-wise we are still playing Pendragon and motoring towards the magical sword in the stone moment. The stories of our original characters are coming to the end now and it is going to be a sad moment to see them ride off into the distance but there are lovely new characters ready to take their place. We have also just finished a very-alpha playtest of Ben's 'Liberty Comics Presents...' game and then we will be playing Cold City ran by Andrew. I went to Furnace, a convention in Sheffield, a couple of weeks ago and it was excellent. I played Monkey (a game in development), Mob Justice, Dead of Night, Conspiracy of Shadows and Burning Wheel. Yes, I know, indie games whore...

And thats about it really. Who knows what will come in the near future - I'll just keep on plodding on though.

Neil

News of my demise...

... well, you know the rest.

Loads of things are going on at the moment - most very poor, some excellent - but all of them are eating time which I could have dedicated to blogging about them. Oh the irony. I'm going to make an effort to catch up this weekend.

Neil
Still here

Oh Just SQUEEEE!

Thats all I can say really...

Neil

Media Whore!

No, it's not another rant.

My interview with the Sons of Kryos has just been posted on their site. I'm the last one on the podcast. I don't say anything spectacular, I don't pimp my game and I really need to get a new accent. However it is there.

And yes, for those in the know, the irony of me wanting to 'soak my feet' in light of the subsequent infection etc. was chuckle-worthy.

Neil

The General Election That Never Was...

... mentioned by Gordon Brown. Ever. At all. What the hell happened here? Was it the final crescendo of the silly season? Is there honestly nothing else to be done than this. Did the PM ever mention having an election. No. Has he ever suggested it? No. Have any of his ministers mentioned it? No. So nobody in the Labour Party has said there would be an election.

So whats the fuss?

Ah they never said there WOULDN'T be an election! Well thats spectacular. I'm sure that Golden Brown (textured like sun) has better things to do than constantly placate the banal speculation of the media. I was watching the incredibly irritating SKY news on Friday and these things were trumpetted as 'sure signs of an upcoming election' - a statement on Iraq and the comprehensive spending review. Wow! At the start of the parliamentary session, the PM will have the audacity of speaking to the most contraversial foreign policy of the decade and matters of the economy, which is pretty central to the business of government. Oh, and the PM cleared his diary. Shock!

No, this was an election inseminated, gestated and coddled in the womb of the media. They want an election because elections mean sales. They created a no-win scenario for Brown. They started the speculation in time for the Conservative Party conference and let the Tories undercut Brown when Brown was really not in the position to undercut. He had to make a choice - election on the backfoot or 'bottle' a situation he never prescribed to. Wonderful.

Remember who runs the minds of the country kids. I'll give you a hint - they don't work in Westminster.

Neil