Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Other Game Company to add new card products


The other day I wrote The Other Game Company (TOGC) to tell them what I was up to and what I needed from them. Here is what I had to say:

Dear Other Game Company

I love your cards and I am currently using them to teach two game groups the d20 system.

To help them along I have a sheet of paper with a square for the right hand and a square for the left hand in which they can place your equipment cards. This allows the players to specify what they are using and change things around during combat.

On that same piece of paper are 3 more squares two Standard Action squares and a Free Action square. In one Standard Action square the spell casters can place your spell cards. I have some business cards I printed the names of the common actions “move, run, draw weapon, etc”which the players can place in there standard action boxes. The players can choose to place a full action card across both boxes.

What I would really like is a set of quality Action cards. Things like “Draw Weapon” which explains that this is a normal action unless you have the quick draw feat in which case it is a free action. Or “Concentrate on a Spell” which has all the concentration penalties listed based on the surrounding conditions. Things like that.

I down loaded the Healing Fireball Productions Combat Cards from RPGnow. They are useful as quick references but do not fill my needs.My goal is to speed up combat by simply allowing the players to lay down a set of cards representing thier actions. Less time explaining, less Munchkin (a big problem when I run my son’s game).

You are the guys who make great cards. I hope you will take up this challenge.

Dave Graham

Here is what they had to say in response to this request.
Hello,

thanks for your ideas!

We're planning two new card products, and something like Action Cards is one of them. Newcomers have always been the main focus of our attention when it comes to cards - right now we're in the planning stage of how to pull a project like that off.

I can't give you an ETA right now, as TOGC has some major changes coming. We're about to relaunch or site, so watch that space.

FYI: the upcoming update for the Complete Item Cards will include a sheet for all equipment a character can carry. This will be similar to the sheet you're using, minus the places for action cards - but I'll think about incorporating something like that. So thanks again!

Regards,
Stefan Pietraszak,
TOGC

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Map of An Inconvenient Truth


I was notified by Ken Mankoff of TheClimateProject.org that there is now a Google map that is related to the The Inconvenient Truth. This map apparently has both locations of TheClimateProject.org presentations to educate people on climate change as well as items of interest that are being impacted by climate change.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Denver Post runs a peep show


Okay it is not what it sounds like. My friend Andrea Schweitzer sent me this one. And it was sooo cute (sickeningly cute some would say), I had to post it. Go see the entire show here at the Denver Post web site.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Giant Cat at Lee Martinez Park



Monday the 17th (Saint Patricks Day) was a snowy morning in Fort Collins. It was a paricularly wet sticky snow which we only see in spring. Great snow for snowmen. Pictured is Nichole (friend), Audrey (daughter) and Will (son) along with our creation. We sent the photo to the Coloradoan Newspaper and they posted it to their web site.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Big Dog Robot walks like a real pack horse

This completely blew my mind. It is clear that these people really studied and simulated the four footed pack animal. I watch this video and cannot believe that there is not a couple of very skinny people inside that machine. This technology will truly change the world.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Randy Pausch "Last Lecture" a must see for all

I have noticed that when I am home with the kids I don't get much "Work" done. Some how I don't do much writing on my book, I don't do dishes, laundry, or vacuuming in a timely manor. I don't like keeping up on quicken. It is even hard to do my telecommuting work for CoCreate. I often feel guilty for not getting enough done. I find myself doing things with the kids. Everything from sledding on a snow day to setting up games or art projects (and then doing the projects with them). I just like to play too much. So when I viewed this video I suddenly let go of the guilt and realized I was doing it right.

This is certainly a must see for everyone.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Great time to convert to d20 gaming

As many of us who play Dungeons and Dragons know the fourth edition will arrive in June of 2008. That said, it looks like the focus of 4 will be improved playability at higher levels and an effort to make game play more aligned with video gaming technology and expectations.

Now I am running two campaigns right now. Both of which were using version 1.0 to 2.0 rules depending on what you are doing plus a bunch of custom rules. My friend Dave Miller has been hounding me for the last three sessions asking for "a set of skill rules we can understand and use".

Well after doing a bunch of research, I determined that the skill problem was solved with the d20 system of Dungeons and Dragons v3.0. So I am converting all of my games to the d20 system. I have ordered used Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 Players Handbooks for all the players (only $5-$6 each + $4 shipping on Amazon). For myself I purchased used 3.0 Dungeon Masters Guide, Monster Manual, Monster Manual II, and Monster Manual III (3.5) all were between $11 and $13 each.

I had been avoiding 3.x because it was so different from the 20 years of knowledge I already have. There was also was an issue of investment. I have lots of 1.0 and 2.0 stuff. Who wants to throw down $30 a book to get the same game only repackaged. Now with 4.0 coming, 3.0 stuff is cheep and 3.5 will start dropping soon.

The other nice thing about waiting 8 years on d20 is that now there is a rich collection of 3rd party products for the Dungeons and Dragons 3.x d20 system. In fact it was getting hard to find things on the net that had not been "contaminated" with d20.

So, I have decided it is a great time to convert to d20 gaming. Unfortunately I will need to retrain all of my players. I am learning a lot, after all: "The best way to learn something is to teach it."