The (Orchestral) Power of The Force

This one just has to be seen.



Brilliant. Just freakin' brilliant.

Role-Playing The Movies

What would happen if a GM tried to run the average D&D group in an epic Fantasy or Sci-fi campaign? I think it'd run something like these two webcomics:

The DM of the Rings

Darths & Droids

I tried to think of some witty remark to insert here, but the comics speak for themselves. Read them. You'll like them.

When In the Course of Human Events . . .

The SciFi Channel keeps green lighting pilots which have a ton of potential. Unfortunately, the follow through is usually severely lacking (see Flash Gordon). Once again, SciFi has me intrigued with a revisioning of the American Revolution. This could be a great series . . . if done correctly. Focusing on the two different families--"a loyalist family and a family that is leaning toward rebellion"--is a good start. I hope they also incorporate the view of those who really didn't support either position but were more concerned about making ends meet.* Imagine an episode or two centering on the imposition of a Stamp Act, another on quartering soldiers, yet another on a Boston Massacre like situation and the subsequent trial (and defense of the soldiers by a lawyer who actually leans toward rebellion), and so on. History provides an almost limitless number of plots from which to draw. What gives me great hope regarding this series is the fact that SciFi isn't doing this in house but is purchasing the drama from CBS Paramount Television.

*Most historians will acknowledge that 1/3 of the colonists remained loyal to Britain, 1/3 wanted rebellion, and another 1/3 were apathetic.

Wildly Inconsistent

I've been making my way through the first two seasons of Star Trek:Voyager these past few weeks. I enjoyed the series when it made its initial television run, probably moreso than most Trek fans did. True, it had its low points, but so did every series, especially in the first two seasons. Remember, even season 1 of The Next Generation was mostly awful.

I'm in the middle of season 2 of Voyager now, and I recently watched two episodes in the order on which they appeared on the disc. First was the train wreck that is Threshold, often 'honored' as the worst Trek episode of any series. And it was bad. It didn't induce the gag reflex that it appears to in a lot of other Trekkers, but it was bad.

Immediately after that, however, was the episode Meld. In this episode, a crewman named Suder, a Maquis with a history or violent behavior (or at least violent impulses), murders one of his crewmates. Under interrogation by Tuvok, Suder confesses that he did it because he didn't like the way the other crewman looked at him. Tuvok cannot comprehend this motive; it is not logical that such a minor act could not trigger such a violent response. So in an attempt to stabilize Suder's mind and to learn more about his motives, Tuvok initiates a mind meld with Suder.

And for the rest of the episode, we watch as Tuvok struggles with his own darker nature and nearly succumbs to violence himself. Meanwhile, Suder has become placid, almost stoic. In the end, Tuvok returns to himself, but it's clear that the experience has changed him, and not for the better. Real conflict, real character growth. The episode was amazing.

How is it that a single series can have two consecutive episodes that are so vastly different in quality? How could the show have been so bad one week and so brilliant the next?

Bionic Wednesdays!

Anyone else excited about the new Bionic Woman show? Reviews suggest it's a mediocre remake of the original series, which I loved, but that Katie Sackoff steals the show as the bionic prototype gone bad.

I once won a free Chipotle burrito for answering the pop culture trivia question of the day relating to the original Bionic Woman show. The question: What was the name of the bionic dog?

Free Chewbacca!

Miscast

I meant to post this a couple weeks back. Keanu Reeves has signed on to play Klaatu in a remake of the Day the Earth Stood Still. Klaatu? Really? I think Reeves' acting skills make him the perfect choice to play Gort.

Personally, I think it's a travesty that such a classic is being remade. Leave it alone.

Friendly Neighborhood Postage Stamps

I think I've lost a few geek cred points. Would you believe I had no idea the Marvel stamps had already been released? For the most part, I dig 'em.


I have to ask, though, if Spider-woman and Elektra are the most iconic women characters in Marvel comics. Wouldn't the casual person on the street be more familiar with the Invisible Woman? What about the Scarlet Witch or She-Hulk? The most deserving of the Marvel women is probably Wasp, a founder and long time member of the Avengers.

The Sub-Mariner and The Thing stamps don't do much for me, either. What about Thor or Daredevil? One would think either of them are more recognizable than Sub-Mariner.

Nevertheless, I have my sheet of Marvel stamps sitting in my desk and will use them with pride. Now, who will be deemed Iron Man worthy?

teh borgz

And another, to go with the last one:

Borg

Just a little something I put together the other day.

Sloshed!

A "Favorite Comic Book Artist" discussion over at the Hero Games discussion boards led me indirectly to this bit from Ben and Alice:

Rob Liefeld drinking game

The rules are as follows:

Read any comic both drawn and written by Rob Liefeld (X-Force, Youngblood, Brigade, etc.)

Take 1 drink for every time the following occur:

* clenched teeth
* mouth open really wide in battle cry
* action shot where background is just abstract colored space
* leg of running/jumping character positioned so that you can only see thigh
* spray of bullets that doesn't hit anybody
* large gun that shoots colored blasts of indeterminate nature
* character or team moves into/out of another dimension or otherwise warps
* character seeming to fly, who cannot actually fly
* character who is not invulnerable casually jumps out of plane/space ship
* indoor floor that is colored green, silver or red

And that doesn't even cover the bonus round.

Good thing none of the regular contributors to this blog are drinkers....

Friendly Neighborhood

Spider-man is heading for Kid's WB!

If this show follows the WB tradition of such shows as Batman, Superman, X-men Evolution, and Legion of Superheroes, we could have a hit on our hands.

My Roleplaying Cred

Your Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Score
Category	Your Score	Average
Hacklust	40.57% Will kill for XP	53.5%
Sensitive Roleplaying	45.57% "But what's my motivation for this scene?"	54.7%
GM Experience	42.75% Puts the players through the wringer	69.4%
Systems Knowledge	91.95% Played in a couple of campaigns	90.4%
Livin' La Vida Dorka	66.67% Goes nuts on the weekends	63.3%
You are 59.82% pure Average Score: 68.8%
Take The Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Test and see how you match up! (By The Ferrett)

And Yet Another

Well, Lucas didn't announce another movie or anything at CIV but TPTB did release a trailer for the new 3D Clone Wars series.

Clone Wars Trailer

The shot of Anakin jumping from STAP to STAP, deflecting blaster bolts, is pretty nifty. My hope is that this series will develop Anakin and Obi-wan as the heroes of the Clone Wars. The novelization of ROTS did a nice job of emphasizing the fact that Anakin and Obi-wan were household names, but the movie did little in that regard.

Truth be told, I'll love just about anything Star Wars.

Another Reason to Celebrate

In remembrance of influential (nay, legendary) science fiction writer Douglas Adams, let us all take a moment and grab a towel:

May 25th is Towel Day

Have a great day, all you hoopy froods out there. And Don't Panic.

30 Years

Star Wars was released on this date in 1977.

Who could have imagined how big it would turn out to be?

Edit: UserFriendly.org offers this tribute today:

Most excellent.

Spider-Mess

I've been meaning to post my thoughts on Spider-man III for the last couple weeks. When I heard about all the different players included in this film (Sandman, Green Goblin II, Venom, Gwen Stacy), I suspected a messy plot. My fears were not unfounded. There's way too much going on over the course of 2:20 or so. Three villains involving different plots? Come on. You don't need to be a film executive to know that's a train wreck waiting to happen. The action sequences are fun, but the film feels rushed and sloppy. Rather than offering a point by point review of Spider-man III, I thought I'd offer my thoughts on how Raimi could have made an excellent, character driven superhero movie.

1. Ax Venom. The character only works with significant set up. Introduce the black suit in this film and save Venom until the IV installment of the franchise. With all the money generated by the Spider-man films, there will be a IV film.

2. Make Green Goblin II the primary villain. Rather than having GG II and Spidey duke it out all movie, go for the psychological angle. The two meet early in the film and battle to a draw. Harry decides to completely destroy Peter's life (which he does in the current incarnation of the film . . . in 15 minutes. Argh!). Harry dismantles Peter's life in every way possible: job, school, and home. Jameson stops buying his pictures, he gets evicted, flunks out of school, and Mary Jane walks away (manipulated or on her own--doesn't matter). Aunt May might even be hospitalized (Harry will stop at nothing to have his revenge). Much of the film would be about this systematic destruction of Peter's life.

3. In the midst of all this personal chaos, the Sandman goes on a New York crime spree. This further exasperates Peter's situation; he's trying to fight crime while his life unravels.

4. Somewhere along the line, the symbiote enters the picture. Down and out, Peter encounters the new suit and embraces the power it provides.

5. Spider-man finally defeats/apprehends Sandman, only to discover Harry/GG II is behind the crime spree. Sandman is part of the larger plot to unhinge Peter.

6. Feeling the influence of the symbiote, Peter finally gives in to the dark side. Green Goblin II and aggressive Black Suit Spider-man duke it out in a climactic battle.

7. Spider-man wins, but beats Harry to a pulp in the process. Harry's amnesia protects Peter's identity. The film closes with Mary Jane and Peter encountering one another in Harry's hospital room. Visiting hours end and the two leave the room together; Peter asks MJ if she wants to grab a cup of coffee. She agrees and we see the two walk away together, hopeful that things will be set right. As they walk away, we see a shimmer of the black suit from beneath Peter' clothes.

8. Roll credits.

9. No Gwen Stacy. This storyline is sacred ground for Spider-man fans. The films went in a different direction. Leave it alone. Period.

Film IV focuses on Peter putting his life back together, symbiote in tow, and the downfall of Eddie Brock.

You should have talked to me, Raimi. There's no reason these films can't be entertaining as all get out and offer a quality story.

The Top 15 Han Solo Quotes You Need to Use in Regular Conversation

From Double Viking via Fark.com. The article gives full descriptions of each event.

15. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
When to say it: When you get a bad feeling, obviously

14. “Had a slight weapons malfunction, but everything's perfectly alright now. We're fine, we're all fine, here, now, thank you. How are you?”
When to say it: When your cell phone signal begins to break up

13. “No, no, NO. THIS one goes THERE, THAT one goes THERE.”
When to say it: When working on a project with a partner

12. “Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.”
When to say it: When a friend accomplishes something

11. “Never tell me the odds!”
When to say it: When gambling

10. “Yeah, I’ll bet you have.”
When to say it: When an intergalactic bounty hunter tells you he’s been waiting a long time to bring you in

9. “Here’s where the fun begins.”
When to say it: When you’re about to enter a dangerous situation

8. “You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.”
When to say it: Anytime

7. “What an incredible smell you’ve discovered!”
When to say it: Anytime you smell something awful

6. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.”
When to say it: When a fat/hairy person laughs at you

5. “Wonderful girl. Either I’m going to kill her, or I’m beginning to like her.”
When to say it: When talking about a woman you’re attracted to

4. “How we doin’?”
“Same as always.”
“That bad, huh?”
When to say it: When asking someone about their day

3. “I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field controls my destiny.”
When to say it: During a debate on religion

2. “Hey…it’s me!”
When to say it: When someone tells you to “be careful”

1. “I love you.”
“I know.”
When to say it: Duh

Look at the size of that thing!

Well, this should make the postal service rate increase a little more palatable, anyway:



Fifteen Star Wars stamps on a single sheet. Impressive. Most impressive.

Even with a Millennium Falcon stamp, though, I doubt a first class letter will be able to make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

Marketing Stunt

From a message board I frequent:

Omega Flight!

Years ago, I had great hopes for the original Alpha Flight comic. Early on, it was a fun ride. Guardian, Sasquatch, Aurora & Northstar, Snowbird, Shaman, Marina, and Puck!

The series got off to a great start, then faded to that "good but not great" limbo that typically leads to cancellation. And that's exactly what happened. Mac died and Heather took his role (which never really worked for me, btw), Aurora and Northstar had their falling out, and then we were treated to the whole bizarro Alien Marinna Loves Sub-Mariner plot that made its way into The Avengers. Despite the weirdness of the plots and borderline dysfunction of the team, I was a fan. I lost track of the various Alpha Flight restarts, however, and really have no idea what happened to the group over the last decade (with the exception of nearly the entire team being snuffed from existence in the pages of New Avengers. Off panel. Another beautiful death sequence brought to you by the geniuses at Marvel Inc!)

Although Alpha Flight can't seem to pull in enough readers to support an on-going title, Marvel is giving a couple of the old Alpha Flight characters yet another chance. I give you Omega Flight, the new 5 issue limited series.





US Agent? Sasquatch? Beta Ray Bill?! I'm such a sucker. Despite my recent rantings about Captain America, I'll probably give this series a try.

Is it just me or is Sasquatch in serious need of some hair conditioner in that second image?

Bite the Hand

If this is legit, I'm going to be seriously p!ssed:

Report: Captain America dies on the page

Of all the stupid...I'm speechless. Just speechless.

Roll The Bones

One thing that makes Hero System different that most other RPGs is the dice. Champions players don't habitually carry around a bunch of dice that make you think of Kepler trying to align the planets within Platonian solids. We use six-sided dice (abbreviated 'd6'), the kind you used as a kid to play Monopoly, Risk, or Yahtzee. We use d6 and only d6. We're pretty exclusive that way. We only use the fancy dice to indicate on the map where the bad guys are—if we use them at all.

So, where D&D might call on a player to roll a d20 (read as 'a twenty-sided die', a geometric shape called an icosahedron), Hero System calls for the player to roll 3d6 (read as 'three six-sided dice'). Why would anyone prefer rolling three dice when you could only roll one? The answer is simple. It's called "The Bell Curve."

Let's say that in order for your character to perform a certain skill, you have to roll ten or less (abbreviated '10-') on the dice. With either a single d20 or with 3d6, the probability of doing so is 50%. So far, so good. Now, let's say that with experience, you character's roll changes so that now you have to roll eleven or less (11-). The probability of doing so on a d20 is 55%, which is not bad. But on 3d6, the probability jumps to 62.5%. The net effect that the mid-range is opened up substantially with 3d6, while the extremes remain highly improbable. (One effect of this is that a person rolling a d20 is ten times as likely to roll a critical failure and get his/her character killed at an inopportune moment.)

The table below, which I constructed based on my own study and knowledge of probabilities back in the mid-90's, shows how likely each outcome is when 3d6 are rolled. There are 216 possibilities that can arise when rolling 3d6: each of the three dice can achieve six different results, which leads to 6³ (6x6x6=216) different total outcomes. Only one of these outcomes produces a result of 3: a '1' on all three dice (abbreviated, for our purposes, as '111'). There are three different ways a 4 can result: each of the three dice could produce a 2, while the others show 1, i.e., 112, 121, and 211. There are six different ways that a 5 can be produced: 113, 131, 311, 122, 212, and 221. And so on.

The table below is organized as follows. The first column shows each possible value from rolling 3d6, 3-18. The second column shows how many different ways (out of 216) that value can be obtained. The third column shows the probability or that value coming up [P_(x)]. And the final column—the really useful one—shows the cumulative probability of all values equal to or less than the current value turning up [P_(x-)]. So, as can be seen from the table, the chance of rolling 8- is about one in four, while the probability of rolling 14- is about nine in ten.

Value	Occurrences	P(x)%	P(x-)%
3	1	0.46	0.46
4	3	1.38	1.85
5	6	2.78	4.63
6	10	4.63	9.26
7	15	6.94	16.2
8	21	9.72	25.9
9	25	11.57	37.5
10	27	12.50	50.0
11	27	12.50	62.5
12	25	11.57	74.1
13	21	9.72	83.8
14	15	6.94	90.7
15	10	4.63	95.4
16	6	2.78	98.1
17	3	1.38	99.5
18	1	0.46	100

All hail the Hero System!

Frelling Civl War

In light of Marvel trying to foist the ridiculous Age of Apocalypse on faithful readers (I gave up comics altogether when I found out Marvel was putting together this steaming pile of universe bending crap), I swore I'd never get sucked into another universe wide marketing event. And I've remained true to that pledge since returning to comics several years ago. Marvel's latest pile of universe bending crap, Civil War, has received some of the most vitriolic criticism I've ever seen. From what I've read the two primary players--Captain American and Iron Man--have been totally out-of-character throughout all seven issues. Would it kill some of these writers to go back and fracking read the comics of those they're about to bring to life? Apparently so. Anyway, here's what I understand is a very humorous rendition of the final issue of Civil wars.

IRON MAN: I am totally surprised that Cloak is using his teleportation power to rescue his teammates, just as I was totally surprised at the Invisible Woman using her invisibility powers to infiltrate our prison and Hulkling using his shape-shifting abilities to impersonate someone! Keep an eye on the Human Torch, I suspect he might be ready to unleash a blast of frigid cold on us!

Ahahahaha! I am SO glad I didn't drop a single cent on this garbage. The various humorous synopses have been a real hoot to read, though. Here's a version with art and everything.

Civil War in 30 Seconds

Brilliant! Way better than reading that drivel at 2.99 a pop.

Babble On and On

Babylon 5 was, in humble opinion, the best sci-fi on television. The stories were compelling, the writing was tight, the dialogue was naturally witty and often poignant, and the actors' performances were authentic. The show even got the science right. And it all centered around a five year story arc, the scope of which is almost unparalleled in television. It was, for lack of a better word, epic.

So I was sad when it was over. When I got the chance, years later, to watch the entire series from beginning to end, I was even more impressed. My praises of the show ultimately led to my participation here. But when it was over, again I was saddened. The same thing happened when Nancy and I recently watched the series. Babylon 5 was gone, and we missed it.

When we got a Netflix subscription for Christmas, the follow-up series Crusade was one of the first things we queued. We've been through one disk of the 13-episode series, and so far so good. It's not as good as B5, but sequels never are (with the possible exceptions of The Godfather Part II, Toy Story 2, and Addams Family Values). But it's kept us in touch with that universe, and made us wonder if someday we might go back.

So imagine my joy to hear that the first installment of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales is scheduled for release on DVD sometime in the first half of this year.

A synopsis from The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 gives the following overview:

While travelling from Minbar to Babylon 5 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan picks up an unexpected guest with a dire warning. Meanwhile, Lochley summons a priest to the station to help with a problem that may have supernatural implications.

There's even a link to some photos taken on-set by series creator J. Michael Straczynski.

And if all of that weren't enough, the second installment of the anthology will feature a story with one of the best characters from the original series: former B5 security chief Michael Garibaldi.

Too bad there will be no more stories with G'Kar, Dr. Franklin, or Zathras, though.