Chit-Chat

[Laraqua]

To vent, commiserate and congratulate. All references to the real world should be made here. All meaningless and meaningful chatter should be made here.

To begin ... my sister has adopted a stray cat (about four months old the kitty is) which has developed the habit for following her a few steps behind, running ahead, running back, but basically, staying within a few feet of her, even for somewhat long walks. She doesn't have a name yet but I helped persuade mum to let her keep the cat. How many cats will actually follow a person? I am so jealous, living in my first floor flat.

So yeah, there's my entirely personal comment.

Oh, and you don't have to be playing the game to post here. Chit-chat's open to everybody.

Also, in case you guys are wondering, you can swap the scores around as much as you feel like. You don't have to apply them in order.

[waferthinninja]

I like the maps. What did you make them with?

[SuAside]

1. take real maps
2. add numbers
3. add explanation
4. ?????
5. profit

[Laraqua]

I got the maps as basic schematics off the internet, put them in paint and then copied and pasted a few D20 Modern onto a different paint window. I then copied the floor tile pictures and the individual bed/cupboard/etc. pictures and put them into the rooms. So yeah, I pretty much created them through making a Frankenstein of other people's work!

[Laraqua]

There, I did y'all a teaser entry for one of the in-game threads. The game ain't beginning just yet. I just felt inspired and figured I'd put a post up. Give you an idea what it's all about.

[OathinBlood]

Very nice. It certainly piqued my interests.

[Laraqua]

So what are you guys got to do in the next week? I've got two essays I need to finish and I'll be spending the weekend with my folks. And I'm gonna be a naughty uni student and have a bit of a drink tonight with friends. What'll you lot be doing?

[waferthinninja]

My wife is away this weekend and taking the little one with her so I have a weekend of freedom

I am going to see Spidey 3 on Friday, then I am going to the London SciFi film festival http://www.sci-fi-london.com/ to see Captain Eager and the anime all-nighter. Its going to be film-tastic.

I might try and fit a game of Arkham Horror in at some point too, I've been addicted to it recently.

James

[Laraqua]

I need to get the expansions to that game. I've got Arkham Horror but I want the other ones, too. 8)

[waferthinninja]

The Dunwich Horror expansion is definitely worth it. It adds loads more of everything, Insanity and Injury cards, and contrary to what you might expect it can actually shorten the game since it really accelerates how fast the GOO appears. It generally makes the game harder, but IMO that is a good thing as the basic game is too easy on the whole, I certainly won more than I lost with the base set, with DH it is about 50-50. The Horror itself doesnt often appear, but its another thing for the investigators to worry about.

[OathinBlood]

Always wanted to play Arkham Horror, but I don't have a gaming group to play with - which is, incidentally, why I'm here. I have to make a model about Earthquakes and the Elastic Rebound Theory.

[Mr. Handy]

I've never played Arkham Horror, but I've heard of it and it sounds great. I'd love to be able to play it.

I like the teaser entries, and I'm looking forward to the start of the game.

During the week I'm working, but this week we've got a training course on CICS COBOL programming. It's a nice change, and we get out a little early. Plus I can go online during breaks. There's not enough time to post much, but it helps me keep up with the reading and frees up time in the evenings. The only problem is we also start early, so I get even less sleep than I normally do. I didn't update Zombie Apocalypse Tuesday since there's a PC in combat whose player hasn't posted, but I plan to do so Wednesday no matter what. One NPC in the same combat just got very badly wounded - by her own gun! Ah, the chaos...

[Laraqua]

You a programmer, eh, Mr. Handy? What sorts of programs you usually make?

Also, here folk: http://www.kontraband.com/show/show.asp ... ain-topten . Real zombies. I wonder if this is scripted. I'd be surprised if folk would be allowed to do that.

[Mr. Handy]

Most of the programs I make at work deal with databases. I do some COBOL programming, but mainly I program in Visual Basic .NET (usually ASP.NET web applications that connect to SQL Server databases), and I've also made some Access databases. I'm a civilian computer programmer working for the police department. A lot of my programs are used for day-to-day management, but I've also made a few statistical and investigative tools.

I also like to make computer games, though I haven't had much time for that lately. The last two games I completed I made with Visual Basic 6 about 4 or 5 years ago. One is a Hunt the Wumpus clone with a graphical interface called Hunt the Terrorist, which I made mainly to get used to using VB. The other is a full-fledged game called Tomb of Doom. It's turn-based with 2D graphics I drew myself. It's set in the 1920's, and the protagonist is an archaeologist named Kate Carlisle who is trapped in an Egyptian tomb and must escape with her life. The tomb is randomly generated each game, so the room layout and placement of objects and enemies is different every time. It's not Call of Cthulhu, though, and there are no Mythos references, but it does have some of the same atmosphere.

Thanks for the link to the video - I've only watched about half of it so far, but I should be able to see the rest of it soon.

[SuAside]

but mainly I program in Visual Basic .NET (usually ASP.NET web applications that connect to SQL Server databases), and I've also made some Access databases.

you poor poor soul...

oh well, at least COBOL will be all nice & logical for you. a nice change from your daily struggle in VB.NET & VBA.

[Laraqua]

Whoopsy, I forgot to ask two very important question. One requires an answer, the other would be interesting for you to answer.

Required Question: Your boundaries. What are they? You can feel free to private message me if you don't want it to be made public. Basically, most people have their boundaries where things go too far. Your character or others getting raped, animal or child mutilations or deaths, extreme sexism or racism, consensual sex, nudity, etc. Take a good moment to think about what, if anything, you couldn't stand reading about and tell me them. This isn't because this game will have bucket loads of it. I won't include such things for shock value or just because I can. I will only include that which adds to the feeling of the game, much as most good writers do and I will most likely not be very explicit with such subject matter. After all, subtlety is often scarier then being knocked over the head with something.

Optional Question: What bothers you when you read it in prose. Reading about a person having to crawl across glass, spiders, Sophie's choice type dilemmas, or my personal favourite, someone so desperate to escape they snap off their nails in their desparate bid to escape.

But yeah, this game is meant to be fun. If there are certain subject matters you can't stand to see broached, please contact me.

[OathinBlood]

As for the first question, I really don't have any boundaries. I can understand that it's all fiction, and if used well, can make the fiction even better and more disturbing. If just thrown in for shock value, it's not so much offensive as it is stupid.

As for the second, personally, it really gets to me when the idea of complete and inescapable doom dawns on the protagonist. I wrote a short story once, where an icicle grew beside the on/off button for the heater which it was on. It turned it on, but it melted so much that when it wanted to turn it off, it was no longer long enough to reach the button, so it could only wait for it's inescapable death.

[waferthinninja]

No boundaries for me either.

Inevitable doom is what gives me the fear too. I actually had a dream a few days ago that highlights it well.

In my dream it was late at night. I was in my house when I heard some noise outside. I peeked out the window and saw a small group of teenagers larking about. I considered going out to clear them off, but was then shocked to see one of them throw a firebomb at a house opposite. Then there seemed to be hundreds of them, a huge gang totally destroying the neighbourhood, smashing everything and killing everyone. My wife and I took the baby up into the loft to hide.

We heard the gang enter the house and desperately tried to keep the baby quiet. We knew it was only a matter of time before they found us. I woke up before they got to us, but it was terrifying, I still clearly remember how desperate and doomed I felt - there was really no escape. It was terrible not knowing what would happen - would we be smoked out, burned alive, raped, beaten, knifed - but the inescapability, the loss of control was what made it terrifying.

[waferthinninja]

I am a programmer too btw. Database and scripting stuff at work. Games and stuff at home

I am making a browser based MMORPG. Its still in "alpha" but you are welcome to take a look
http://waferthinninja.clawz.com/borderl ... rlands.php

James

[SuAside]

well, that makes 3 of us. my diploma says i'm a programmer at least (amongst other things), but it's not a job i'd take atm.