We're here. I've talked briefly to Zachary and my crack team of supervillain henchmen have set up a communications center in the heart of Indianapolis--we've got internet and phones up. Anyone else here? Let me know, I'll make a nightly check.
Not I, but could you please bother the FFG folks about the Midnight movie?
Can you PM where to find you on Saturday or Sunday?
*weeps*
Bradford-- Check! I will ask and report back.
Joe -- Check!
Stay tuned for some liveblogging from Zachary the First, (that may not be starting until tomorrow night) i think he's going to be using our internet access.
I weep with you, Doc. AM, I'm only time shifted from you by three days...it feels like a year.
Have fun, bastard!
Klax and I rolled into Greenfield IN and set up camp. We were almost trapped in eastern OH by a gang of inbred farmers wanting our genetic material - or maybe our blood for the corn god. They had set up a fake Days Inn sign, and we almost lost it all. We finally staggered into the metroplis of Ashtabula about 11 PM.
Other highlights of our trip:
Going on to the highway after we escaped the farmers, Klaxon looks in the mirror:
Klax: Oh oh!
Me: What's the matter?
Klax: There's a motorcycle gang following us! They're all over the road! Looks like about 30 of them! Oh, no! Here they come!
Four fat old bikers on bikes speed by.
Me: That's your motorcycle gang? All thirty of them?
Klax: Yeah, Can't ya count?
Every hotel in Erie PA was full. There were at least seven WITHIN EYE SIGHT!
Me: There's no rooms, Anywhere?
Clerk: No sir, everything is full up.
Me: Can we sleep in your stables? My son is pregnant...
Rolling through Western Ohio:
Me: Look, Klax! There's a hill! Over there!
Klax: That's a road embankment old man!
Rolling through Eastern Indiana:
Klax: I can just shove a stick inbetween the steering weel spokes and take a nap.
Later:'
Me: My LORD!
Klax: WHat?
Me: THERE'S A FIELD THAT'S NOT FULL OF CORN!!!!
Klax: That just ain't right!
-clash
Clash is the RPG version of Jack Kerouac!
This is not exactly close hold. In a few hours, everyone will know:
There will be a special announcement made at GenCon this year. It will be made tomorrow (Thursday). I think the time mentioned was 1830 hours.
It will take place in a location hosted by the RPGA, (the Sagamore Ballroom) but will be the sort of thing that will affect everyone. They are being very secretive about it. There is a curtained area under guard. "Everyone will be out of this room by 6, there will be many people gathered to hear this. Notices posted.."
Someone jokingly mentioned the number 4 and there was some laughter, but no response was made by the staffer telling us this.
I couldn't find out more.
This may be it. please don't shoot the messenger if it isn't the announcement I think it is!
And Calithena scooped me! But here I am... I'll pass along anything I find out.
http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome
Quote from: Abyssal MawAnd Calithena scooped me! But here I am... I'll pass along anything I find out.
http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome
Ah, ha ha ha ha ha! Ah, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..!.>
First Mr. Dee Twenny goes storygame.
Then 4E is announced at GenCon.
Must be a tough week for Pundy.
Quote from: Pierce InverarityFirst Mr. Dee Twenny goes storygame.
Then 4E is announced at GenCon.
Must be a tough week for Pundy.
The more I think about it, the more I suspect that the two may be connected. Dancy obviously knew that this was coming down the pipe, and the fact that one of the cornerstones of his rant was about differentiating the RPG hobby from the MMORPG hobby, I am beginning to suspect that Wizards may be moving in that very direction.
The plan is apparently to make the Internet a fundamental part of the D&D experience...I don't blame Wizards, as the trend in the growth of MMORPGs must seem like a beacon marking the direction that they should go as a business...but I wonder what that means for the "hobby" in the long-term? Does it portend an eventual merger of the D&D community into the larger world of MMORPGs?
TGA
Quote from: The Good AssyrianThe plan is apparently to make the Internet a fundamental part of the D&D experience...I don't blame Wizards, as the trend in the growth of MMORPGs must seem like a beacon marking the direction that they should go as a business...but I wonder what that means for the "hobby" in the long-term? Does it portend an eventual merger of the D&D community into the larger world of MMORPGs?
I don't think the plan is to make the internet a fundamental part of D&D, but rather making it a new avenue of approach to the game. An effort to bring in young, internet-savvy teens and fresh blood. I predict the veteran gamers can still play internet-free with no loss of game utility.
I hope the only real effect on the hobby will be to bring in more players. I don't think there will be a push to move the pen and paper, pile of books, handful of dice players over to the internet.
I just don't see a real merger between P&P RPGs and MMORPGs. The rather unsuccessful D&D MMORPG tells me that venue won't be pursued again for a long time.
-Jeff
Quote from: GoOrangeI don't think the plan is to make the internet a fundamental part of D&D, but rather making it a new avenue of approach to the game. An effort to bring in young, internet-savvy teens and fresh blood. I predict the veteran gamers can still play internet-free with no loss of game utility.
I hope the only real effect on the hobby will be to bring in more players. I don't think there will be a push to move the pen and paper, pile of books, handful of dice players over to the internet.
I just don't see a real merger between P&P RPGs and MMORPGs. The rather unsuccessful D&D MMORPG tells me that venue won't be pursued again for a long time.
-Jeff
You are probably right, Jeff. I was just feeling old and a little morose! :D I can't stand the MMORPG "experience" personally, so I am concerned that the movement in that direction will take some of the magic out of D&D.
It is obviously a good business decision, and the hobby *must* evolve to survive, but I reserve my right as a grognard to bitch about the Good Old Days™ while it's happening! :p
TGA
Quote from: flyingmiceEvery hotel in Erie PA was full. There were at least seven WITHIN EYE SIGHT!
Me: There's no rooms, Anywhere?
Clerk: No sir, everything is full up.
Me: Can we sleep in your stables? My son is pregnant...
Damn maybe I can turn the apartment that is attached to my house (Meadville PA) into a refuge waystation for Indy bound gamers.
Yeah Erie is trying to diversify and has ramped up the tourism stuff by promoting Presque Isle and drawing conventions into town. So every so often there is a perfect storm where there is no hotel rooms available.
In the future you could cut down I-79, Edinboro and Meadville have a handful of hotels right off of I-79. Edinboro is 15 minutes away and Meadville is 30 minutes away.
The stretch between Erie and Ashtabula is a long one without many places with hotels.
Quote from: The Good AssyrianThe more I think about it, the more I suspect that the two may be connected. Dancy obviously knew that this was coming down the pipe, and the fact that one of the cornerstones of his rant was about differentiating the RPG hobby from the MMORPG hobby, I am beginning to suspect that Wizards may be moving in that very direction.
I was thinking the same thing, re. the timing of his blogoblather... but I think it's simply a silly effort on his part at stealing a tiny fraction of their thunder.
The release of D&D 4E, and it's Internet-friendly approach, confirms what I've said for some time: that the only competition for D&D is World of Warcraft.
Unfortunatly, WOTC's competing with Blizzard and Blizzard is damn good at taking someone else's ideas and making them both better and (more) commercially viable. I now suspect that they've gone and made a better D&D than WOTC.
Here's the press release sent to my email, for those who missed it:
QuoteDUNGEONS & DRAGONS® FLASHES 4-WARD AT GEN CON
Highly Anticipated 4th Edition Coming in Spring 2008
August 16, 2007 (Renton, WA) – Whether you storm a mad wizard's tower every
week or haven't delved into a dungeon since you had a mullet and a mean
pair of parachute pants, one thing is certain, millions of D&D® players
worldwide have anticipated the coming of 4th Edition for many years. Today
Wizards of the Coast confirms that the new edition will launch in May 2008
with the release of the D&D Player's Handbook®. A pop culture icon,
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is the #1 tabletop roleplaying game in the world and is
revered by legions of gamers of all ages.
The 4th Edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game includes elements familiar to
current D&D players, including illustrated rulebooks and pre-painted
plastic miniatures. Also releasing next year will be new Web-based tools
and online community forums through the brand new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Insider (D&D Insider™) digital offering. D&D Insider lowers the barriers of
entry for new players while simultaneously offering the depth of play that
appeals to veteran players.
The 4th Edition rules emphasize faster game play, offer exciting new
character options, and reduce the amount of "prep time" needed to run the
game. D&D Insider includes a character creator that lets players design and
equip their D&D characters, dungeon- and adventure-building tools for
Dungeon Masters, online magazine content, and a digital game table that
lets you play 24/7 on the Internet — the perfect option for anyone who
can't find time to get together.
"We've been gathering player feedback for eight years," said Bill
Slavicsek, R&D Director of Roleplaying and Miniatures Games at Wizards of
the Coast. "Fourth Edition streamlines parts of the D&D game that are too
complex while enhancing the overall play experience. At its heart, it's
still a tabletop game experience. However, D&D Insider makes it easier for
players to create characters, run their games, and interact with the rest
of the D&D community."
Wizards of the Coast will release two 4th Edition preview books in December
and January—Wizards Presents: Classes and Races™ and Wizards Presents:
Worlds and Monsters™. The first live demos of 4th Edition will happen at
the D&D EXPERIENCE™ gaming convention in Washington D.C. in February 2008.
The full scope of 4th Edition books, miniatures, and adventures will be
available in the spring and summer of 2008.
Since its first release in 1974, the fantasy roleplaying game DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS has taken millions of players on imaginary adventures of epic
scale. Today, D&D is universally regarded as the original game that
created the roleplaying game category, and the inspiration for generations
of game designers. D&D is enjoyed by millions of players worldwide, while
countless more remember it with fond nostalgia.
Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a
worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game
categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based
entertainment products. Wizards is also a publisher of fantasy series
fiction with numerous New York Times bestsellers.
Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Player's Handbook, Dungeons & Dragons Insider, D&D
Insider, Wizards Presents: Classes and Races, Wizards Presents: Worlds and
Monsters, and D&D Experience are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the
U.S.A. and other countries.
© 2007 Wizards
# # #
OGL? That's the burning questions folks are asking here.
My sister and her husband, who have a "vacation" condo in Indy (being Colts, Pacers, Race fans with season tickets), sent me this (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/BUSINESS/70816024) link to a short story in the Indianapolis news.
Interesting the reporter notes the invasion of the computer...
Quote from: estarDamn maybe I can turn the apartment that is attached to my house (Meadville PA) into a refuge waystation for Indy bound gamers.
Yeah Erie is trying to diversify and has ramped up the tourism stuff by promoting Presque Isle and drawing conventions into town. So every so often there is a perfect storm where there is no hotel rooms available.
In the future you could cut down I-79, Edinboro and Meadville have a handful of hotels right off of I-79. Edinboro is 15 minutes away and Meadville is 30 minutes away.
The stretch between Erie and Ashtabula is a long one without many places with hotels.
There was that one town named Connecticut but spelled bad that had a Days Inn sign on the highway to lure in sacrifices for the corn god... Good thing I'm a roleplayer - I've seen this tactic used before... :D
If we'd know you were down that way we would've stopped in, estar! :D
-clash
This thread needs an update.