Half-elf, half-orc and the USS Enterprise

It struck me today, more forcefully than ever, just how radical by our standards Star Trek was when first shown. A mixed-race crew with representatives of former and current opponents in hot and cold armed conflict. They may have had a white North American male ordering them about, but by contrast the alien half-elf was arch conservativism.

The Next Generation always seemed to me a step forwards, but I suspect now it could have been a step back. An elder captain meant a more subtle paternalism, and as a Frenchman played by a Brit a reference to early influences on modern North American culture. For all the extra women on show - one to three in the main cast - and a man with a disability - overcome in part - there was less reflection of our diversity.

That diversity seemed to have been moved into other forms of life - an android and a Klingon - and with regard to opponents, the assumption seemed to have been made that mass conflict would eventually be overcome too. The Prime Directive reinforced this, suggesting each group had to make its own way up. But, as the android suggested with his growth arc, up appeared to mean human, or at least the ideals of the Federation.

It became fashionable to bash the good guys over the course of TNG, certainly in DS9, perhaps even to denigrate the idea of good. But there was a bright light in a character we might easily first equate with a half-orc - a trope I'd say is still fresh - Worf. The development of the Klingons through him made so much possible, not least DS9. 

His being there highlighted the value of an alternative perspective on things, the wonders of a reference to multiple sources, the deep fulfilment in a constant struggle to know the best approach. This struggle is likely a very general thing, something fundamental to a universe in which it appears just one of potentially many possibilities is experienced. If the Federation was this, Worf's essence as a character, it might have been a worthwhile venture, and on that level, through Worf, TNG may have kept that early radicalism alive.

Of course, that radicalism was largely conservative, belief in a wholesome past used to shape a better future. It seems to reject the Enlightenment while actually being at root the same process, an opening up of the mind to a lost, forgotten or revealed body of knowledge, the demonstration of its value and its use to synthesise new solutions.

But then from 1987 to 1994, the consensus outside Trek was for consensus itself, and a globalisation was moving visibly and fast. In this sense TNG may have been advocating the other view still, albeit this time a comfortable, cosy, closed tradition, as far as the franchise would tolerate. After all, an update of a successful series isn't especially bold.

As for the ideas of the original series, I won't argue the times weren't already moving ahead of Star Trek in the '60s, that the series was just matching a trend. But what does that say about us now? Who heads our fantasies today? A state-sponsored torturer in 24, an exclusive prostitute in Secret Diary of a Call Girl and a serial killer in Dexter.
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Do they believe in us?

Look at what Harald is doing with magic in his house rules for World of Darkness.

And how about those concepts in making a polycosmos work? The idea belief makes a thing more possible and disbelief less is a way overlapping planes could be separated.

The take on ghosts as the dead who don't accept is familiar, so how about the idea of ghosts as beings who do? They want to believe we're here and so, increasingly, we are.

Could that be a horror story for Flash Fearsday? Here's my 140-character effort.

I woke. They stood there. Aliens? 

They looked me over, smiled. "You are real," they said. "We made you. And all you know." 

"No!" 

"Let us play."

Is it more of that gamer horror? You can try at Lunching on Lamias too. I still haven't written anything for Jennie's Expansion Joints this week, but I'm getting there. You?
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Big screen small (1) - Zen, dragon and daggers

No breakthrough here, but I'm sure skirmish wargamers and combat-oriented roleplayers will see something of value in it, as will cinema lovers and martial arts fans not aware of the links, and likely also creators of all kinds pondering the perennial issue of originality.

A Touch of Zen, 1969:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000:

House of Flying Daggers, 2004:

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Commenting trouble - a solution

It seems a glitch is stopping some of us commenting on blogs. If you're having trouble and haven't seen a solution to it yet, Warpaintguy has an illustrated explanation here.

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A new Specialist Game?

I don't usually react to rumours. But I will now. Faeit 212 has reported the possibility there'll be a new GW Specialist Game released. That's big news for a lot of us I'd bet.

Apparently it's not a rerelease of Blood Bowl, Man O'War or Warhammer Quest, or even a supplement for Space Hulk. Then again why would it be a rerelease, not wholly new?

Perhaps wishful thinking, given some of our happiest gaming experiences might have been with the past games. I'd guess most players who've tried one or more of these, or Necromunda, Gorkamorka, Mordheim or Inquisitor say, have fond memories, and the 6mm Epic system was for a time near equal of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

Epic itself seems an unlikely choice. After all, we have Apocalypse nowadays, which has a similar scope with a higher price per model in real world currency. Warmaster seems unlikely for the same reason, if that's what the coming Storm of Magic means.

Surely the right answer is Killzone? A Necro-Gorka-Mordheim approach blended with wider 40K. It would offer a path into what many see as an increasingly costly hobby, quieting critics on price and simplicity and opening the door to new players, the future.

But then I thought, well, why do we need GW to release that particular game? We already have it. In fact, why do we need a company to release any game if we can just make it ourselves? A public limited company has shareholders to please as well as us.

I really can't answer that. Higher production values maybe, but personally I'd still prefer multiple smaller designers sourcing art or card elements than one large.

A wider player base? Well, we've been there - one guy picking up a less expensive game system can more cost-effectively run demos and get a group interested.

Future support? I don't see much for the Specialist Games. Pure passion seems a better guide to that. Look at the D&D OSR. That's what player love can do. They still have a whole community of new ideas, and revisions and releases, decades later.

Maybe love is all you need?

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40K OSR? (7)

This week's update on a possible 40K OSR. What is it? Some potential definitions here.

If you identify with the concept, especially if you're putting out new ideas, feel free to use Colonel Kane's 40K OSR logo - to the right.

If you do, consider crediting Kane and adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll.

It's a great blog; up at the moment are some orc pirates, and this week Kane and Martini Henrie gave their thoughts on Old School gaming.

And here's more good stuff, alternative ideas old and new and hands-on creativity.

• Atrotos at Rules Manufactorum asks whether 40K should be more like Magic the Gathering in terms of composition and theme. I'm intrigued.

• The second and third parts of the in-depth battle report have now gone up at A Gentleman's Ones, and in the latter Brian reflects on the impact of that alternative approach to deployment.

• Von has reflections at the new GAME OVER, on the hobby over the years, with links to four thought-provoking posts, including Brian's intro to the report.

• Lantz has wonderful conversions at The Magnet Pro of a tech-priest transmechanic and a Leman Russ burrower. Yes, you read it right - the shells burrow. Sound familiar? Check the AdMech FanDex for details...

• And if that's got you excited about Squats and/or Demiurg, Mik over at Mik's Minis gives us a link to a new blog - You Ain't Seen Squat! - building a new force and considering counts as options. It all excites me, but the living ancestor pushes a special button by using an Epic mini.

• On the subject of counts as, Andy has the second part of an Apocalypse battle report at Creepy Corridor with a scary biotitan and some great Ork vehicles; first part here, set up here.

• At Strictly Average Brent gives us an update on his ongoing Brotherhood project, a fantastic mix of old elements and new.

• Commissar Carrie at Inquisitork has put up an index for the growing Radical and has the ninth instalment, Rest, bringing another force into the mix...

As for me, I'm not sure what's up with the Orkosystem series at Roll With It - a squig is due to follow the snotling sabbatur, but must have flown off. I hope the ladz can get him back. When the current run of flash fiction for Heroes of Armageddon finishes I'm planning to expand on the hive interior supplement with something very Orky...

As ever, if I've missed anything - and this week I think I must have - feel completely free to leave recommendations and links in the comments. Better still put something up.

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The power of ideas

I admire Sidney Roundwood at Roundwood's World, and I'd bet you do too, or will as soon as you visit the blog. I think he has what many of us aspire to, a full approach.

He's done me the honour of building on a post I wrote a couple of months ago, Getting out of the boat (1), a post representing a part of what the Expanse is all about. He used the ideas in a Great War battle over his superb trench boards featuring a mix of rules.

This and one or two other things currently in the pipeline have left me in a happy stupor.

Why?

Setting aside even the fact that it's Roundwood and others I respect, I think it's about seeing a contribution recognised, its value acknowledged, and in blogging knowing something hasn't just fallen by the wayside. It's understanding in some small way we've added to the sum of thinking and experience.

Every one of us who creates, suggests or speculates in whatever form is contributing just like this. We all do it in some way, and it's a very precious thing. And key I think in keeping the passion high and keeping the contributions coming is feedback.

If you see something good out there in the blogosphere or elsewhere, I'd encourage you to use it, respond, praise the positives and help improve the rest. Leave a comment, write a post, recommend it, especially if the source has a smaller audience.

Get involved in the exploration. If you're not sure where, start with the blogrolls here.

Thanks again to Sidney and to everyone who's run with an idea they saw here, and most of all to everyone beginning, continuing or supporting that wider exploration in any way.

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Mapmaking merry (6.1)

Here's a variation on my system for random map creation. This time I need it to work for collapses, avalanches and the like, whenever characters could be trapped in new structures.

It's simple, but does build on the previous post so you'll need to read that to follow.

1. The initial choice of polygon should have a number of points (corners, perhaps also centre) at least equal to the number of characters if you don't know who'll be affected, or the number affected if you do. Mark each character as being at a single point, arranged as they are at the moment the landscape changes.
   
   
2. For who's affected, choose a die with a number of faces equal to or above the number of points. For a fair mass I'd suggest rolling it once per character and more dice for a greater mass or spread. The results indicate the points covered; results without points could be overspill. Repeat results could mean multiples of material finishing up in a location, for the purposes of injury and digging out.
   
   
3. For the connections the degree of complexity ought to be low, perhaps half or less of the usual die, and a modifier of -1 should be applied. This means there could be no connections at all, with every character potentially isolated.

Buried characters could be allowed to create new passages, deeper in or outwards, and for this and the rescuers you'll need an approach suitable for the game system. It could be a roll per turn, or a random number of turns per connection. Direction could also be random to represent disorientation, with modifiers or a reroll for voices or other guidance.

Hiding the map from rescuers means they'll have to guess where to begin digging, but a roll could also be made. You might even want to have them test when moving over the material, to see if they trigger internal collapse and injury, or fall in themselves.

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What's weird?

Beedo at Dreams in the Lich House asked what weird is, and I've read some of the insightful responses, including the usual good thought from Von, here, at the new GAME OVER.

My own interest is less in weird as a genre than the idea of weirdness itself. For me it's not so much combining elements - which is common, and even simple in the struggle to make fresh things - but more a suggestion of hidden depths and reframings.

Weirdness in this understanding becomes the creation of a new space in which existing knowledge is reduced in value or needs to be synthesised anew - and still comes up short - where presumed fundamentals are undermined or replaced and where the observer is challenged to engage to a high degree, quite possibly at a more intuitive level, at least initially. It's clear this is relative and depends very much on the observer.

It's also a greater task for the creator too, but potentially very valuable. It's rather like the change we make in our world when learning a new language, in that a language is less a naming system than an alternative set of interpretative tools which can show spaces we hadn't imagined exist; the whole a process in which we find more than we might expect.

The value is in intimations of something as yet unknown waiting, an encouragement to explore. Weird takes those intimations and runs with them, and the further, the better.
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Locks in space?

A question it seems a good time to ask: what's the space travel equivalent of the waterway lock?

It would be more than a simple drive of course, or a faster-than-light portal say, in that it's not about speed, though it might be linked with warping space. It seems more than maneouvring thrusters given we're looking at movement onto another level rather than laterally. It doesn't look related to escape velocity either - that would be pushing off into the stream.

Maybe we just don't have it yet?

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Interactive express elevator

Payákár is on the away team, and on board the shuttle for the wild ride down to the surface of Ice Planet Nine...

Which means the real action is starting at Spaceswords & Glory, the blog hosting one of the two Humanspace Empires games being run online. If you haven't heard yet, HE is a pulp science fantasy roleplayer by The Drune at ix, reviewed here.

You can read up on everything that's happened so far and follow all the action through the posts and comments.

There's some more general info here, with a brief summary of the second of the two games, Ancient Astronauts.

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40K OSR? (6)

The latest update on the possible 40K OSR. What's that? Some potential definitions here.

Feel free to use Colonel Kane's 40K OSR logo - eyes right - if you identify with the concept, especially if you're putting out new ideas.

If you do, please credit Kane and think about adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll, for reasons that will be clear; there's an excellent rogue trader bridge crew up at the moment.

It's a varied week, with a good mix of rules, fiction, modelling and suggestions.

• Master Bryss at Rules Manufactorum has encouragement and a full example - disciples - for creating new troop types.

• Ricalope has his Quadruped at Ricalopia, a fast armour-hunter with rules.

• Lantz announces the four-strong writing team for the AdMech FanDex.

• One of the team, Commissar Carrie at Inquisitork has been productive, putting out two new instalments for Radical - Rain and Resurrection - this week, with a new menace, well-adapted combat and some strong language.

• At Warp Signal James S also wrote some background for key characters, heroes of Iybraesil, inspiration for some painting.

• Back to the adeptus mechanicus with Mordian 7th Regiment's battle report over gorgeous terrain; the set-up and advice on the same was here.

• There's more great terrain in the first part of a battle report with an alternative approach to deployment from Brian at A Gentleman's Ones.

• Staying with battle reports, Warpaintguy played his first games with Orks, using Killzone no less, three battles altogether.

• Over at Warpstone Flux jabberjabber has the last of the five horsemen of Chaos, with Slaanesh, Tzeentch and the icon bearer now complete.

• Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze has a converted Trojan recovery vehicle.

• Apocalypse 40K shows a conversion of a current rhino to the original pattern, a potential kit, and plans for an Epic space marine lander in 40K.

• CounterFett at All Things Fett has a suggestion for an alternative to the standard terminator design, borrowed from Dust Tactics.

It's worth mentioning too that Von has moved GAME OVER to Wordpress, and the new address is http://kaptainvon.wordpress.com/. His week takes in the key events, first the Blogger outage and then the Games Workshop news - his discussion of new army choice gave way to a decision to limit GW gaming to the Specialist Games.

At Galaxy in Flames too Big Jim too tells us he'll be playing some Battlefleet Gothic.

You might also like to know that Miniature Wargame Conversions has compiled a list with links to online activity inspired by the dissatisfaction with GW's behaviour.

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Flash Fearsdelayed

Here's this week's Flash Fearsday. I'm late. It's a writing challenge hosted at Lunching on Lamias, an attempt at horror in 140 characters exactly, line breaks counting one.

Last week I tried my hand at gamer horror, and this is perhaps a little more.

They don't make me do things, but they make me want to.

They encourage me.

Oh, those logos...

My mind - it's branded!

Like a head of cattle.

Yikes. Would any of us let that happen? Thought not.

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Light in the dark

Another video, with a connection of sorts to the last. This time the Star Wars prequels, which I also have little to say about in general. Another of those complex subjects.

Recently though I had a chance to watch certain scenes again, and rediscovered an effective sequence, part of the 'duel' between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul.

It starts at 1:48 and runs through to 4:08. In my view what goes on in that 140 seconds falls down only for the not-quite-perfect acting - luckily just one word is used - as well as a lack of identification with the characters, and maybe one or two odd movements.

On the upside, we get some good characterisation, well chosen shots, spaces that play a role, and references to the wider narrative I'm willing to believe were thought through.

At any rate, however well or badly the individual elements work in the context of the film, prequel trilogy and entire series, I do think the sequence as a whole deserves praise. To my mind too its overall minimalism is a good route in to a critique of the larger project.

It's 12 years today. It was a moment in many of our lives. What do you think?

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Most reasonable and wide-ranging response

Yep, the most reasonable and wide-ranging response I've seen. I don't agree with it all, the comments on player base say, and optimum length of business activity, but I have a much greater trust for this kind of holistic approach, a studying of the wider picture.

I recommend watching as much as you can; jump in anywhere - it's all high quality.

I've said elsewhere we each make our own decision on when things have gone too far, affordable or not. The last few months have persuaded me the gaming models of GW's two big systems no longer match my interests. There are plenty of alternatives.

As Shawn says: "it starts with us, and not with animosity".

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Rising with the tides

Yesterday's post on Hogintu, themed around 18.

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The age of maturity among the troobloo is 18, for life is hard and short in the cobalt desert in pursuit of the Blootrio. Eighteen months means the first steps will have been taken, and when a speckle - as the extreme youth of the troobloo are known - is able to walk, he or she can learn the dangers and destinations first-hand; learn how to draw skrabs, circle haaks and bow to delves, how to flay stasis tech from the fallen space elevators and see the sacred gyres where a troobloo may live for-never in untime.

Rule: Troobloo are eerily calm, highly focused and excellent learners, as they must be. When the result of a roll made for a troobloo is just one point from success, make a note. When this next occurs, there is a 50% chance the troobloo is in fact successful. If this second instance also results in a failure, the third will be an automatic success.

 - - - - - -

If you've just come into this, I'm using the month to fill out a setting I've been building up the past few weeks. The best starting points are probably the Hogintu location index and the recent conspiracy tables, which link plenty and give a sense of current complexity.

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Hello, little beastie... - Living table (1) - Entries 74-80

If you read my recent post on spectral creatures, you might have thought of something I didn't, that the ideas would make good entries for the table of small creature concepts.

You can find the full table here at DM Muse, ready for rolling. It's a living table, meaning anyone can add entries. There are 11 living tables so far, and new can easily be started.

Here are the latest seven then, making 80 in total.

1. This creature exists in this particular stream of light and will defend itself by striking at the visual organs of any individual observing it.
2. This creature inhabits the current light conditions at this specific location, and as the conditions change, it will follow, vanishing if they cease to exist; if an observer can manoeuvre closer, roll again on this table, treating the same result as the creature transferring to another set of these conditions elsewhere.
3. This creature exists only at the edge of sight, and maintaining it in the peripheral vision requires concentration; any individual approaching will seem to move to the edge of sight too, and if such an approach is made, roll again on this table.
4. This creature appears to exist within a reflective surface, such as a mirror, window or puddle, which is in fact a portal of some kind; if physical contact is attempted, roll again on this table, with the same result indicating the individual attempting physical contact is drawn through the portal.
5. This creature ordinarily inhabits the shadow of the individual discovering it, but has become briefly disoriented; it will attempt immediately to reenter the shadow; if prevented, the individual will undergo minor personality changes.
6. This docile creature navigates darkness by emitting light from an unusual organ.
7. This creature is in fact a colony of sparks of light inhabiting a precious stone.

I've added them to DM Muse, so they'll be visible a little later. Go ahead and add more.

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Keep plugging or pull the plug?

The Stylish Blogger nominations have died down now I notice. But how? Surely they multiply until the internet collapses? Have they left our part of the blogosphere? Did they get deleted by Blogger last week?

Wherever, after the dust has settled I have five more to turn the mind to. I'm very grateful to John Lambshead, jabberjabber, Ricalope, James S and Brian for thinking the Expanse is worthy of them, and especially for the generous words that were written.

But what to do now? After the first from The Angry Lurker I passed the award on to 15 blogs, and very gladly, but if I do that five more times, that's 75 more blogs nominated.

Can Blogger hold up? Can we?

I do want to nominate more, and would willingly nominate even more than I can. It's fair more of the great blogs out there get the attention they deserve. That said, I realise patience, time and probably also value have been stretched. Should a break of some kind be made? Maybe there's a more intelligent approach I just can't see?

I've been looking, but no revelations. Any thoughts?
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