Fanboyism, Part Deux

So I got a copy of the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide: Full Metal Fantasy Volume I (herein IKCG) this weekend, after frothing at the mouth for the book for nearly a year, and I must say -- it's worth the wait. Not only do you get all the rules for adventuring in the IK, and an overview of common knowledge players would have, you also get a great (if slightly complicated) section on creating mechanika, rules for steamjacks and warjacks (of WARMACHINE fame), new skills, tons of feats, lots of new magic rules (especially divine), and more detail than you can shake a stick at.

This huge and gorgeous tome contains more detail than I ever thought necessary for a role-playing setting - calendars, gods, religious observances, and all sorts of minutae fill the books 400+ pages of loverlyness - but it all works great. Joe Martin and crew have been working on this particular book for 1-2 years and that really has paid off here in spades - while the original Witchfire Trilogy modules that formed the Iron Kingdoms setting hinted at greatness for the world, it is this book that truly displays the setting's maturity and rounds off so many of the rough edges to make Immoren a world  truly set apart from DnD.

And seeing that Privateer Press was founded by two of the industry's best artists (Matt Wilson and Brian Snoddy), the art is a knockout, which enhances the book's inspired design. It's very satisfying for me to finally see the presentation of the world that gives me two of my favorite games - Iron Kingdoms and WARMACHINE - as a mature and distinctive roleplaying setting that truly stands on its own.

Fanboyism

So Scott's down at San Diego Comic Con, and I assigned him to dig up information for me on the film version of Sin City, perhaps my favorite comic ever. The news is good - so good I have to share:

* The film is divided into 3 vignettes - The Hard Goodbye (the first comic, starring Marv), That Yellow Bastard (starring Hardigan and Nancy) and The Big Fat Kill (starring Dwight and the ladies)
* Conversely, it is directed by 3 directors - Frank Miller, Robert Roderiguez, and Quentin Terentino. No, I'm not kidding.
* The comics were used as a storyboard when doing the movie, so it should be true to Frank's vision.
* It's black and white with spot color for the vignette, just like all The Babe Wore Red, That Yellow Bastard, and Call Me Blue Eyes.
* Mickey Rourke is Marv, Bruce Willis is Hardigan, Jessica Alba is Goldie/Wendy, Amy Smart (Road Trip) is Nancy, Laura Flynn Boyle (The Practice, Men in Black II) is Gail.
*Apparently, the teaser they showed at Comicon is a film version of "The Customer Is Always Right", a short story from one of the compilation editions (I think it was Booze, Broads and Bullets) and was quite entertaining.

I am squealing with girlish delight, I'm so excited. I had always hoped to somehow be involved in making this a movie, but I know Frank has never given up on the franchise. It does seem to be in capable hands - I always thought Marv's story could make for a good film, and I am lamenting the fact that my favorite story of them all, A Dame to Kill For, was passed over for A Big Fat Kill, perhaps the worst story involving Dwight and the ladies of Old Town - but I'm still excited. Maybe they're saving Dame for Sin City 2 as a flashback. Cross your fingers for me.

What's the Penetration Rating On Those?

Be all that you can be with the U.S. military...and more.

Your tax dollars at work, folks.

Naughty by Nature

For all you new Mastermind owners out there, Rich Redman's Notes from the Bunker has the first of a two part article on crime in games, including a basic description of the act and what they might be used for. No mechanics are listed, and it's a good look at the larcenous arts. Of course, it presumes the players are going to be 'the good guys', but that's easily rectified thanks to Mastermind. Heh heh heh...

Bulwer-Lytton Ain't Got Nuthin' on Me!

As you semi-regular blog visitors know, I sometimes write about game development and writing here to help you all out. My help today is a list of what not to do. Visit the Bulwer-Lytton (that's the guy who wrote 'It was a dark and stormy night') awards to see prose at its absolute worst -- and most hilarious.

Hell on Earth
 
Got another chance to spend a little QT with the GF, and watched the Brazilian historical drama City of God last night. It was fantastic. The film follows the development of Rio De Janeiro's most notorious favelas, or slums, from the point of view of a young man named Rocket growing up in the 60's and 70's there. Watching these young kids evolve into violent adults, the favela devolve from public works project to ghetto hell, and a casual drug trade erupts into gang war with the introduction of cocaine are all inspiring and enlightening. Directors Katia Lund and Fernando Meirelles have a Tarentino-esque directing style - kinetic, humourous, intense, and inspired - and Braulio Mantovani's script succeeds wonderfully in creating both empathy and animosity towards this bunch of callous hoodlums, sleazy snitches, casual highwaymen, and wayward youth.  It is both entertaining and exhausting from beginning to end.
 
What I found even more interesting was the documentary included on the DVD, "Notes from a Personal War." This documentary traces the horrendous path of favela violence from the late 70's to today, where it is an all-out war between police and dealers right in Rio's back yard. The documentary checks all sides in the conflict - cops, dealers, and dwellers are interviewed - and thought it seems to take the side of the favela residents more often, it swings dramatically at other times to judge everyone as responsible for the continuing conflict. The impression I took away is that this is almost the same thing going on in Gaza and the West Bank...only no one is watching.
 
My New Project
 
After a recent incident, I've found a new calling. Check it out.

The Weight of a Soul

Got a slight repreive from the heat last night and watched 21 Grams with Becky. I would say that this is the most depressing picture I've seen this year, aside from Requiem for a Dream (arguably the most depressing film ever made), and this is coming from a guy who revels in his large collection of depressing, fatalistic film. The performances are great and I really like the characterization of the primary players, but the storytelling is cross-cut so bizzarely at the beginning that you can hardly tell what's happening until a half-hour into the movie. The movie is quite visceral in it's storytelling, and it really grabs at you to see these people so destroyed by grief as they search for new ways to live through it. The quest seems quite personal - apparently, the director dedicated this film to his wife, who lost her unborn baby 2 days before he was due. Overall: a good montage of grief, survival and the karmic wheel at work.

I'm Due

...Overdue, in fact, for an update. Let's see what's doing this week:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Now that I've mostly finished the most important project on my plate, I'm moving on to some new, refreshing work - namely, another job application, getting some work for Privateer Press finished up, sheparding my most recent product to the printer and selling a *buttload* of wargaming stuff lingering in my basement. Everything must go! BUY BUY BUY!

*ahem* So, if you know anyone on the lookout for some rare Games Workshop or Foundry miniatures, I'm your man. I have a complete set of Warhammer Quest (I mean everything - all expansions and character packs included), a bunch of old Rogue Trader era books (WAAGH the Orks and RT compendium), tons of old White Dwarfs, Eldar and Dark Angel Space Marines from 2nd edition and a lot of Chaos stuff still in the box, and of course Warhammer Fantasy junk. I need to move it, so if you want to get it for right around 50% retail, email me.

Mastermind
Well, the first review of Mastermind has shown up, and it's pretty snarky. Apparently the reviewer saw RPG.net's review section as a place to air his complaints about the Spycraft line rather than talk about that particular book. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, but I feel it is...less than balanced. Anyone who cares to give a second opinion - whatever that may be - on the book itself would be appreciated.

Oh yeah, and there's work in there somewhere
Not a whole lot going on on the writing front at this point - I continue to toil on Projects X and Z while I have a little downtime waiting for Spycraft 2.0 development. I think next year is going to be a big year for Spycraft, and to be honest I only know a few things that should be hitting the shelves. Call me a goob.

Still nothin' on the Weird Campaign Idea of the Month front, either. Not that I can talk about at least. Maybe in September. Yeah, that'd be perfect. I'll try and come up with something in the meantime.

Weirdest Thing I've Seen All Day

Colin Powell performs a rendition of the Village People's "YMCA"

I shit you not.

I Will Survive, Yeah, Yeah

Somehow, I made it - I finished the first draft of a major project for a upcoming release, completed stage 3 of my application for cool game-related job (I'm in the top 5% of candidates, so cross your fingers for me), play a game of WARMACHINE, and *still* managed to hang out/get plowed with friends 3 nights this weekend. As a note, Bicardi Lemon Rum is totally untastable when mixed with Minute Maid Lemonade. Good times.

For those of you going to Gencon, it's time to start thinking about meeting up with the Spycraft team. Patrick Kapera will likely be busy the entire time, but if you decide to play some RPGA Living Spycraft or come to the Build an Agent or Spycraft Q&A sessions, you will be able to see him. Scott will be likely be repeating his stint running demos for the good folks over at Twilight Creations running demos of Zombies!! or The Most Dangerous Game, their Spycraft expansion for When Darkness Comes... Once again, I will be a freelancer roaming the floors of the exhibition hall, drumming up work, visiting with the good folks at Privateer Press, and using the Mythic Dreams booth as a homebase...since Dark Inheritance should (hopefully) be there!

Speaking of Dark Inheritance, everything is DONE on that front. Poor Chad worked all weekend to bring you, the ravening Spycraft fan, DI for this show. I also ended up getting a primary writer and editorial credit for my work on this book, which is a surprise - I started with a 1000 word prestige class rewrite and blossomed into about 10,000 words in original material and rewrites + another 20-30k in edits. I've seen the final layout for this book and it is going to be bangin'. Do yourself a favor and buy two :)

Sooo...if you want to meet some of us Spycraft folks, my recommendation is to attend the (Friday?) Q&A. Myself, BD Flory, Patrick, Scott and Rodney Thompson will all likely be there to answer your questions, talk about SFA, and reveal hints at the cool new things we have coming up in the next year. We're all pretty approachable guys, so don't be surprised if you are invited to hang out at a later time ;) More on the job application and other surprises soon!