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May 27, 2004
Gaming Quotes
(Pre-gaming, while talking about how many calories different drinks have, and finding out that 12 oz of Guinness has less calories than 12 oz of skim milk)
Amber: I need to drink more Guinness! I can take calcium supplements, but I can't take Guinness pills!
(During the re-cap from last week)
Sean: And Rich, not wanting to lose all his characters and have to create a new campaign and new characters, has given us a way out.
GM: This part, it's just a bunch of rocks in a little ring, is called the grinder.
Spence: And if you heat it up it would be a hoagie.
Rich: Actually, if you cooled it down it would be a hoagie.
Malar: Don't fuck with the dragon
Mariline: But we could get money.
Malar: But we could get dead.
Mariline: (pause) But we could get money.
Dragon: Excuse me? I can't quite make out what you're saying.
Mariline: Nothing.
Boos: Well you should be agreeing with that (enriching the mind)
Mystifys: (The Mage): Ooh. Pretty lights.
Mariline: I'm a thief. That's what they do. Steal things!
Malar: I'm a bat. I'll do what bats do. There's bat guanno on your head.
GM: Ok, you come out.
Sismari: (In the best stereotypical lisp possible): Hi, my name is Sismari, born of Shadow, touched by golden fingers and I'm faaaabulous.
(After the Silver Dragon lights the cavern)
Malar: Can you teach that?
Dragon: No, you have to have claws.
Malar: I turn into a talking bear.
GM: No, Corwin, that won't work.
GM: He (the dragon) looks you over and seems to be satisfied with what he finds.
Sean (out of character): I feel an adventure coming on. I don't know why I know that, but I'm sure of it.
Posted by amber at 10:17 PM | TrackBack
Gaming Dreams
Last night, I had dreams that revolved around gaming. Not characters from my games, but people I either game with currently or gamed with long ago.
It started (at least, where I remember) with us having our weekly Thursday night game, only no one showed up until around 10:30. That's when Spence showed up. I was already in bed. And I told Rich that I wasn't going to get out of bed to start gaming that late at night.
Then the dream shifted to some sort of college/classes/lots of people together for one purpose type of things. I don't know exactly what it was. But I was walking around naked while almost everyone else was in bathrobes. I know part of what I was doing was getting ready for a Con. My friend Jake (from college) was there and we were talking about gaming. Then Eric (my first GM, also from college) showed up to chat, asking me what I was doing with myself in a gaming sense lately. (I haven't seen Eric in about 10 years.) I was telling him about the Amber gaming that I was doing and the Cons I was going to and told him I was going to one in Minneapolis soon. I told him a few other things about my life, then we started talking about nipples (He and I actually had a couple hour long conversation about nipples in college while we waited out a rain storm.)
Around this time, I woke up.
And of course, I now have this overwhelming desire to find Eric and see what he's up to.
Posted by amber at 07:22 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 24, 2004
Amber as an Amber Player
I'm a member on SoA, as well as on Master's Council. I read many people's blogs, read and sometimes participate in the WISHes, and check out 20x20 room on occasion. But very, very rarely do I actually participate in any of the discussions. Why? I'm not sure if I have anything to contribute.
I've been playing Amber for about a year and a half. I started playing in Myriads of August, which went on one of it's serious hiatus' and I decided not to come back when it did. From there, I was in Ken's Days of the Youth, Theresa's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Alan's Legends Done Right and Threshhold of a Dream, Rey's Deux Ex Machina, and probably numerous others that I've forgotten. (These are not counting the current games that I am playing that are not on hiatus - Tom's Amber Throne War, Deb's A Common Disaster/Rites of Passage, Felicia's Children of the Empire, the collaborative GA, Jules' Reconstruction, and Paul's SB, along with GMing my own Seasons of Mist.)
So, that's a lot of games that I've been involved in during the last 18 months or so (Closer to 21 months, maybe). You'd think that with the variety of the games, the number that I've been in, the number of characters I've created for them, and the time that I've been in them, I'd have a decent handle on Amber, right?
Wrong.
I seem to have problems with every aspect of Amber gaming - other than the role playing itself. I haven't gotten a handle on character creation well enough to feel comfortable creating one completely by myself. I think a lot of it might be that powers, in particular, have never been fully explained to me. I'm starting to get attributes down, but I'm still never sure what the practical difference between a 10 and a 50 in strength would be so trying to decide what to put into various stats (or what the highest bid I should make for them) is perplexing to me.
Then there are the various mechanics of Amber itself. I don't really get how trumps work, how Shadow works, the basics of Chaos. I've read the books, they still don't make as much sense to me as I would like. I'm doing the best I can to make them make sense during my own campaign, but I'm always afraid that I'm doing something wrong.
But for all that I'm not getting the mechanics, when it comes time for me to play, I love it. Of course, I do better in instances where it's just interaction rather than having to actually DO anything. Those are the times I get nervous because I'm really not sure what I CAN do. It's not so bad during PBeMs, because then I can call out to Rich for advice. But during face to face games, I don't have that option. I think that's part of the reason why I play in games of people I know well. I don't have to worry as much about saying "Hey, I have no clue what to do here" and feel embarrassed by it. (Though I did feel pretty embarrassed when I had to admit it to Arref during his game at ACUS.)
Still, I'm learning and I'm growing. And I'm starting to get into games that are lasting a little longer (just the bad luck that things happened to the GMs and they had to drop the games, or I had to drop the games for varying reasons). I'm trying to be a better Amber player. It's just a matter of figuring out what to start on first.
Posted by amber at 05:11 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Character Update
Since I'm wickying it today, I figured I might as well get a character update out there. I think I'm all caught up on my posts, but we'll see as I go through them.
ACD
Gabriel - Just watched Del disappear. Not certain if he should blame his father or not. Even more confused than ever.
Turn: Corwin
Amber Throne War
Jennifleur - Trying to figure out the best course of action regarding this Rune character, just interrupted by two more cousins.
Turn: One of the other cousins
Broken Lands
Lidda - Trying to find out why Lucien is spending their money when they should be out making it instead.
Turn: Lucien
CotE
Sable - Still need to get the points figured out. Not certain if there is going to be any more talk with her brothers. I'll leave it up to them.
Turn: If it's going, Dante, I guess
GA
Mirelle
Current threads
Waltz - Looking for Random to begin the Waltz.
Turn: Random
Contredanse - Introducing Random to Iolaus, Francesca coming to join them
Turn: Random or Francesca
Past Threads
Quadrille - Setting up dancing the waltz with Random.
Turn: Random
Backstory Threads
Caine/Mirelle - Same place as last week, waiting to run into Caine again.
Turn: Caine
Jayla
Current Threads
Waltz - Pissed as hell at Gavin, convinced he put a spell on her.
Turn: Gavin
Rhianwyn
Current Threads
Waltz - Being introduced to Delwin by Merlin, trying not to let her nervousness and fear overwhelm her.
Turn: Merlin, most likely, though Delwin could go
Contredance - Admitting to Bleys that she is nervous about asking someone she doesn't know to dance.
Turn:Bleys
Past Threads
Quadrille - Dancing and speaking with Gavin
Turn:Gavin
Lorelei
Backstory with Iolaus
Enjoying his company in the gallery, finding out what there attracts his attention.
Turn: Iolaus
SB
Braem - Trying to convince Tannis that she is who she says she is so she can get into the House.
Turn:GM
As GM
SoM
Andred/Starwind - Finding out about the latest problem in the District.
Turn: Mine or Andred's
Gaius - Having dinner with Lady Madiera, his... lady friend.
Turn: Mine
Jinx - Enjoying Clay's company
Turn: Mine
Uriel - Having a chat with Marlene in Tony's while he waits to meet Ace for some whoring.
Turn: Uriel
Writing for Writing's Sake
That Little Side Story
Maya
Thread 1 - Waking up next to Hadrian.
Turn: Hadrian
Thread 2 - Listening to Hadrian's life story, trying to comfort him as he talks.
Turn: Mine
All in all, I think I'm pretty much ahead of the game. Some other things need to be done for games - like finding someone for Gabe's trump, doing the points for CotE, working on logs for GA - but most of my posting is caught up.
Posted by amber at 12:13 PM | TrackBack
May 22, 2004
Tweaking and Twiddling
I did some tweaking and Twiddling of Amber's Amber this morning. Nothing terribly noticable, other than adding some links to the side and getting rid of the damned pop-up for comments and the like.
There are a few more things that I'm going to add at some point - a section for gaming related sites (Like Shadows of Amber, Master's Council, OpenRoleplaying.org), possibly having Game sites (like HoC and GA) interspersed with them, possibly giving them their own section in the links. I'm not sure yet.
I'd also like to have the categories listed to make navigation a little easier. (That one I haven't figured out how to do yet, but would be forever grateful to anyone that could help me out.)
As a side note to this, if there are any game-related websites or blogs - of any flavor - or any LJs (and these don't have to be game-related) that you want me to pimp, feel free to ask. I just added the people that I know or I read fairly regularly. But I'm always up for adding more.
Posted by amber at 05:54 PM | TrackBack
WISH 97
In Ginger's latest WISH, she talks about venting about your games as a player release.
What’s your take on player bitching/venting: complaints intended to relieve player stress and not to actually change things in the game? When and where and to whom is it appropriate? How should players and GMs handle it?
Here's my take on the matter.
I'm a venter for ventings sake. I've always been this way, and I quite probably always will be. Usually, for me, venting is a way to get my thoughts in line to find out whether it's something that's important enough for me to bring up and for me to get the anger/frustration/negative emotions out before I talk to the person I need to talk to about it. I'm reactionary by nature and venting to friends is the easiest way that I have of not letting that nature blow things too far out of proportion.
Most of the time, I vent privately to friends. I'll vent to Rich about something that's happened or a rule change or whatever else that I don't like. I'll vent to Paul. I'll vent to Deb or Liz or Jim or Kris or Tara or Wayne. Rarely do I vent to all of them - usually only one or two, whoever happens to be there at the time. And I try (though I don't always succeed) in making it clear that I'm just venting, that I don't want answers. I just need to get things clear in my own head.
I very rarely vent in public. Whine? Sometimes. But, again, I try to make it clear that it's not necessarily a fault thing that is causing me to complain as much as it is fates conspiring against me at the moment.
When it comes to other people venting, my default setting is that they are just venting, unless they specifically ask me what I think they should do. Then, I'll give advice. Until then, I listen. I guess it's because, with my own venting, that's all I'm looking for.
As a GM, I'm not sure how I'd handle it if a player were to vent to me about my game. My game is too new and it hasn't come up yet. (Though I'm certain it will in time. I've got a lot to learn and I'm bound to make mistakes.)
Of course, a lot of it does (and will) depend on my mood at the time as well. Thinking back on it, when I was modding GA, there were times that people vented, publicly or privately. Sometimes, I'd feel like giving advice. Sometimes I realized it was venting for venting's sake. And sometimes, when I was in a bad mood myself, I figured they could go screw themselves with their bitching and complaining.
Thinking back on that time, I also realize that I can take criticism of the game as a whole a bit easier if it isn't said to me one on one. I can read it from afar and keep the general detachment/vent and bitch privately and then deal with it more calmly later. The biggest problem I have in "taking it personally" is when someone complains about my own playing. Because then it is personal.
So that's my two pennies. YMM(APD)V.
Posted by amber at 09:09 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
May 20, 2004
Games, Games, who's got the games?
This morning, I awoke to a very unusual occurance. But for the three e-mails that I needed to answer for SoM, I had absolutely no game mail to answer. Nothing. Not even the side stories that Paul and I write because I get incredibly bored when things are slow. And, it was like that all day yesterday too.
I'm starting to think that I need another game to help fill my time. GA, while 1 post a day, has hit a lull for me at the moment. And, even with my three characters, I've found it fairly easy to keep up. Amber Throne War is incredibly slow - I think it moves on an average of one post per week. SB averages a post every three days. And The Broken Lands goes in fits and spurts, depending on the other two players that I'm playing with. And those are the only four active games I have.
I don't blame the GMs or the players for this - life is busy for different people at different times. It just happens to be slow enough for me at the moment because I'm either paired with people who are busy or because two of my games are, by nature, slow games. It's just the way that life is.
And I know that I've been contemplating needing time away, but yesterday and this morning gave me nothing but an empty hole where my gaming was supposed to be. I don't think time away - or even a big slow down - is going to work for me.
What I need is another game, something not quite as intense as every day, but something that still has some regularity to it. Something to fill in the holes. Anyone have any suggestions? A game they know needs another character or that I'd be a good fit in or... well, something I could check out at least? Or have the GM check me out? Four games is just too few for me to be involved in.
Posted by amber at 06:56 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
May 19, 2004
Satisfaction: PBeM vs Face to Face
A friend posted something in his LJ about needing to game. I offered to point him in the direction of some PBeMs that I knew of, but he said it didn't satisfy the gaming beast inside of him, that need to sit down with dice and people and run a game.
And, for all that my gaming life started in Face to Face GURPS games in college, I would much rather do PBeMs than Face to Face. I have a hard time understanding the need for a F2F, because my desire to play is still being fulfilled through the PBeM.
I think it's because my preferences run to the interaction of the characters more than the combat or the need to use dice. (It's also why Amber is my system of choice.) I like to see the characters grow, become more than what they were when I started. Granted, that can happen in a face to face game - I know some people with 15 or 20 year old characters. I've just never had it happen with me.
Which brings me to my second reason why PBeM works better for me. I've found that, as I've gotten older, I have a shorter attention span. Rich and I were talking on our way home this weekend about our D&D game that we play on Thursday nights. I usually have the laptop with me, partly to take notes and partly because if I don't, I'll get up to check my e-mail, read a book, futz and putz doing other things that are NOT gaming. And I manage to distract other people as well. Which is NOT good. But I find that unless I have something in the game to keep my interest, it wanders. And it's not fair to make the GM come up with something that is continually interesting me, especially if the group breaks off into seperate groups. It's not that the game, on the whole, is uninteresting to me. It's just that my attention has wavered until I'm needed again. It's also one of the reasons that I'm generally quiet in large group scenes in PBeM. I try to avoid them when I can because I lose my concentration in the weavings here and there of various conversations.
For the most part, when it comes to PBeM, whatever thread I'm reading, I'm involved in it and it keeps my attention as such. Plus, it gives it to me in small bites so my attention doesn't need to be focused on it and only it for long periods of time, like it does when I'm playing F2F. I don't feel guilty because my mind isn't on anything but it.
Further added into the mix is the fact that I freeze - very easily, I freeze. Some of it is because I'm still really learning the systems I'm playing and I don't know what will and won't work. During a PBeM, I can ask Rich or Paul or Ginger or Deb or Liz or Jim or a million and three other people for advice on what I am thinking of doing. It somehow feels wrong to me to do that in a F2F. Plus, I feel the pressure of "I've got to do something RIGHT NOW." While that might be more true to life, I'm the one playing the character, and that character is living through my foibles. When I feel rushed about something, I might make the wrong decision - my character may have a lot more composure than I do. It's one of the reasons that Rich is running plot and I'm running characters for IHS at TBR. Because I can play characters fairly well, if I know what I'm trying to do in general. If someone throws a monkey wrench into my plot, I'm not as quick to recover. PBeM gives me the chance to think out what I want to say, how I want to say it, and what words put the best spin on what I'm doing. Not to mention, it helps enhance my writing. A vital necessity, in my mind.
That's not to say that I think F2F games are bad, evil, should be avoided by me at all costs. Quite the contrary. I DO like my Thursday night group - I love watching Spence play Sismari, interacting with Wayne with our whole Theif/Druid thing. I like seeing the characters come alive. I like enhancing my acting skills. I like the conversation before, during and after the games. And I like the fact that I don't have to wait months or years for a plot to be realized. It's a good way to reconnect with friends. It's got a lot to say for it.
But still... in the end, I'd have to go with PBeM. It's got far more benefits for me. So given the choice, I'd choose it.
Though I wouldn't turn down a good face to face game if it came my way.
Posted by amber at 11:25 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
May 17, 2004
Character update
It's a very slow time for me, gaming, right now. I had one game die last week, another couple that are moving very, very slowly. In an unusual move, there were only 5 pieces of game mail for me to answer this morning before work, plus two for the game I'm running. And this was with me not doing any game mail all weekend. I was actually done on time. (Though the things that I wanted to write out for work made me late anyway but... *shrug*)
Anyway, here are the state of my characters.
ACD/RoP
Gabriel - Finally saying something regarding the conversation Corwin is having with the girl in the bed next to his. He just couldn't keep quiet any longer after Rhiannon's name was mentioned, especially after the talk with Julian.
Turn: GM or Corwin
Amber Throne War
Jennifleur - Seeing if her cousin will come with her to see what information has been found out about Rune.
Turn: Cousin (damn, can't remember his name!) or GM
Broken Lands
Lidda - Trying not to be too sullen about the fact that Lucien didn't take more money from Ock for the healing. (And that they're going to be paying for a round... but she might "find" money somewhere. Maybe. ;)) She hasn't said anything to him yet, but once they're on the way to the inn for food, you'd better believe she's going to.
Turn: Ock or GM
GA
Mirelle - Still dancing with Bleys, bringing up rumors from her youth.
Turn: Bleys
Might want to get a few other discussions started today, before we switch to the next set of dances. She definitely will want to say a word or ten to Random as they dance. Need to check the line-up on that one. Maybe I'll get that out during lunch.
Turn: Mine
Backstory: Trying to avoid thinking of Caine "in that way". Not very successful.
Turn: Caine
Jayla - Trying to turn the situation with Caine around to her better advantage.
Turn: Caine
Finishing up short conversation with Julian.
Turn: Julian
Doing her best not to run away from Richard. Pretty proud of the fact that she hasn't yet. Glad the dance is almost over. Going to throttle the one she thinks put a spell on her when the dance is over.
Turn: Richard
Rhianwyn - Feeling very embarrassed at her "Master Flower Maker" comment and how flatly it fell. Needs to reply to Gavin's talk about Magic.
Turn: Mine (to be done during lunch)
Blushing tremendously at Iolaus' comment about finding her in Amber.
Turn: Mine (can't be done until tomorrow)
Speaking with Walker about artists.
Walker
SB
Braem - Giving her credentials - at her own House! - because the guards don't recognize her. Trying not to freak out at the alike/different feel that Chaos has. Oh, and trying not to drop the man that she's carrying.
Turn: GM
That Little Side Story
Maya - Hadrian just got her pregnant. She doesn't know it yet and he doesn't know it yet, but... yeah. Hadrian's line was just too perfect for it NOT to happen. Not sure how this will affect her for TBR - since I'm using her in two games - but I'll make it work out somehow. Child off somewhere with Grandpa or something. Or maybe it will just be an AU Maya that we have in the games. Time to figure that out when the time comes.
Turn: Hadrian
Possibly going to start the next subset of the story - Maya telling Hadrian about the pregnancy - today. Not sure yet, though.
Turn: Mine
I think that's everyone. I hope.
Posted by amber at 09:45 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 14, 2004
Extremes
It amazes me how completely at one extreme or the other I feel with my writing. Either things come easily, or I have to struggle with every word. Either I absolutely love a turn I've sent out or I think it's complete and utter dreck. There seems to be no middle ground.
And the two don't coincide. Sometimes the hardest to write come out the worst, sometimes the best, and vice versa.
Lately, I've been in a real "hard to write" stage. I write and rewrite, stare at the screen, can't think of anything witty to say, and once they go out and I get initial reviews, am convinced that I've said/done the wrong thing. It's rarely as bad as I'm afraid it is.
I think much of it has to do with the depression that I've been suffering with lately. I'm starting on my new dosage this morning, so hopefully, a change will be in the offing.
I'm sure part of it is the rush that I feel to get turns done as well.
There's this psychological need (and since that seems to be the topic of the day, lets go with it) for me to get turns out as early as possible because I don't want to hold anyone else up. I want to give them all as much time as they can have to get their own turns out, should they choose to do so. I feel it strongest in GA because there is such a tight turn around for the section we're in at the moment and, with only one post a day allowed to the list, I don't want to hold anyone up from getting their turn a day. The other games I'm a little more lax about, but I still do my best to get my turns out every morning and try to play catch-up at night with the other that came in during the day.
I've been told that I'm taking too much responsibility in this, but I can't seem to get past that it IS my responsibility to get the turns out as soon as possible. And that I should do it and still be able to write well. I don't want to hold anyone up any further than necessary. I don't want people to be thinking "When the hell is she going to get her turn back to me?" or "Great, she replied so late that I've effectively lost a turn." I know that no one is (or should be) thinking that, but it's still niggling there and pushing me to get everything done first thing in the morning - the one time when I don't have unlimited time to do things. It always frustrates me more because I end up being later than I want (though never actually late for work) and, as was pointed out to me this morning, the quality of my writing suffers. Which is true.
It's one of the things I need to work past. Some people take the blame for everything - I take the responsibility for everything that isn't mine to take.
I'm really starting to think that a short break - even over the course of a weekend - to prioritize things and internalize those priorities - would be a good idea. I don't want to drop or hiatus games... there are too many good things going on in my games right now for me to do that. I don't WANT to lose those threads (Richard/Jayla in particular). Which is why a weekend would be good. Problem being, of course, this weekend is out because I won't have any thinking time (My sister's baby shower followed by a visit with friends), and next weekend, I'll only have Sunday because we're gaming with Glen (I think) on Saturday. Which brings me to the following weekend, when I was thinking of doing something here but... I don't know. Who knows. Maybe I will take that time for myself. The mental part of me is just as important as everything else, right?
Posted by amber at 07:51 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 13, 2004
Weekly Gaming Quotes
Sean: I'm starting early this week. (Picks up bottle of Hop Devil)
(Drinks bottle of Hop Devil)
(Eyes cross)
Wayne: (Talking about Devas) They can voluntarily give it up.
Amber: Can they now?
Wayne: Of course. How do you think we get half-celestials?
Talking about Wayne's fortune
Wayne: Yeah, but it's a month and a half late.
Amber: Well, you did say they were stale.
Rich: So you stock the Arrogant Bastard... (Our ship)
Amber: We sure do! (Thinking of the beer)
Rich: So named after it's Captain.
(After finding out we don't have a ballista any more)
Sean: The ballista was non-cannon...
Wayne: I want to cast Frisky Chest.
Rich: It's not as good as you think.
Steve: I have wind wall.
Rich: That would keep bone from falling on your head.
Amber (singing): Bone fragments keep falling on my head.
Amber: I just had an odd thought - this is the one time I've remained clothed and this is the first time Spence isn't here.
Rich: Well it's no fun otherwise.
Rich: ... With a tholid twack.
Amber: A tholid twack?
Rich: A tholid twack.
Sean: Sthwike him sthentaurian...
Sean: It just scares me, genitals being put into strange patterns
Rich: It's genital puppetry, not genital origami!
Amber: That's my spell. Turn sexual. Forget turn undead.
Rich: And half an hour later, you come out of the mist.
Amber: Thank god.
Sean: And I ejaculate in gratitude.
Clem: I've got good news and I've got bad news. The good news...
Sean: I just saved 10% on my car insurance.
Posted by amber at 09:38 PM | TrackBack
May 12, 2004
Harmony, Rest in Peace
It looks like Threshhold of a Dream is being put to bed prematurely. I was really looking forward to the game (though I was really only just beginning to get into it) and was quite enjoying playing Harmony, my earthy, fun loving, hippy-type actress/singer. Maybe I'll be able to find another home for her, or maybe Alan will bring TD back some day.
Either way, I hope Harmony isn't permanently in bed. (Though, I may bring her out for a spin at TBR. It'll save me having to create another character. :))
Posted by amber at 02:49 PM | TrackBack
May 11, 2004
Two trumps down
These are my first attempts at trumps, so they are incredibly simple (and Rich will hate it, but he hates anything that look photographic. And I have no artistic skill whatsoever, so here we go.) But I finally got the trump for Jennifleur (of Amber Throne War) and Braem (of Strange Bedfellows) finished. (Which, of course, means that I've found an actress for Braem - Claudia Black... still looking for one for Maya. Trying to go out of the "usual" for her.)
Anyway, here are the trumps, in all their glory. Critiques, as always, welcome. (And, eventually, if I can think of something neat to do, I'm going to create Amber's Amber Characters website where my trumps will be, along with other game information.)
Braem, of Strange Bedfellows
Played by Claudia Black
Jennifleur, of Amber Throne War
Played by Geraldine Sommerville
Posted by amber at 05:36 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Desire vs Ability
Right now, I have an overwhelming desire to answer my game posts. I feel like I'm *this* close to having them make sense and that I'll be able to break through with brilliance. But I can't guarantee it.
Stupid migraine.
Posted by amber at 10:04 AM | TrackBack
May 10, 2004
It's up and I'm out
Well, the TBR gamebook is up. Rich and I are running In Her Shoes in the first slot, and Deb, Paul and I are running Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in the last slot. So I'm opening and closing the game out as a GM.
I've chosen two games - both of Paul's - and left one slot blank. The good thing about chosing Dreams Made Flesh is that I can bring Maya for it. It's the one I starred. I have to add 25 more points to the current version of Maya that I have, but (hopefully) that shouldn't be too hard.
Now I just have to wait the two weeks to find out if I've gotten into the games. Then wait the month for the Con to actually start.
*nerves*
I've got SO much to do for In Her Shoes. Eep. (I CAN do this, right? Right?)
Posted by amber at 07:25 AM | TrackBack
May 07, 2004
Best time of day for writing
Of late, I've been doing most of my turn replies first thing in the morning. Part of the reason has been because then anyone that comes after me will have the full day to answer (and maybe I'll get a second answer in later, too. :)) Part of it is that I seem to have more energy in the morning than I do in the afternoon or evening - it's easier to do it when I first get up than after a long day at work which may have altered my mood.
But there's a problem with this - I don't write well in the morning.
I'm finding that I have a hard time getting my characters to say and do what I want them to when I write first thing in the morning. Yesterday, it took me the full hour and half before I left for work to get all of my turns out - and that wasn't turns for every thread that I am in. I just couldn't get the inspiration. I found the same thing this morning, though not as bad.
Last night, however, I was, once again, on. I'm very proud of the Jayla/Richard thread and where it's going - particularly with the writing that I'm doing with it. In general, I seem to say that about more of the evening threads that I write. So I may have to change my strategy around a little for when I reply.
I am curious though - do others have a time when they write better? And do they also have a difficult time reconciling it with the desire to write at that time?
Just curious.
Posted by amber at 07:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 06, 2004
Stud vs Slut
I was bemoaning Jayla's reputation (as I see it) as a maneater, and someone asked if that was necessarily a bad thing, then pointed out that men can take anything in a skirt but if a woman does the same, she's painted negatively. They agreed that this isn't a good thing. (Yeah, paraphrasing the conversation to hell... ;))
And... yes, it's true. And it's a dictomy that I've never understood. Why is it that men can do what they will but women must be demur and chaste and keep their legs closed? (If all the women do that, who will the men sleep with anyway? Because homosexuality, by common standards - not mine, is just as bad as loose women.)
I don't think of the women I play as "loose" - I think of them as having healthy sex drives and liking variety. And what, honestly, is wrong with that? What's wrong with wanting a buffet to choose from, as long as you don't make promises that you can't keep?
And Jayla doesn't make promises. She speaks to flatter, she uses innuendo and she enjoys her time in bed with the men that find their way there. Yes, she may want something from them, but she's giving them something in return - pleasure, definitely, and sometimes something more beyond just that.
She also uses sex when she needs to feel more powerful, when she's feeling a bit lost, when she needs to regain her footing. Sex is kind of her fix-all.
I also find it funny, somewhat, that Mirelle has had sex with more people than Jayla, yet her reputation doesn't seem to be suffering. Of course, all but one (in game, thus far) have been women. I wonder if that makes a difference.
Posted by amber at 12:53 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack
May 05, 2004
Character Update
Suddenly, my list has blossomed. A lot. I blame it on the ball. :)
ACD/RoP
Gabriel - In the infirmary, trying to get his strength back but instead having his blood pressure rise do to the arrival of his father.
Turn: Corwin
Amber Throne War
Jennifleur - In the throne room with a newly arrived cousin, trying to find out just what he's doing here.
Turn: Lucius
DarkShades
Kathy - On Hiatus
DEM
Mirelle - On Hiatus
GA
Mirelle
1. In the baths - Enjoying Corwin's company
Turn: Corwin
2. In Backstory - Finished writing the first section of the Caine/Mirelle backstory. On to the second.
Turn: Caine
3. Pavane - Finished
Turn: Me, cleaning up and adding the log to the twiki
4. Quadrille - Getting into position with Bleys and the rest of the square.
Turn: Mine, to be done tonight when I can look up who is in the square so I can see if they're getting together elsewhere
5. Schottische - Waiting for a reply from Bleys before moving off with Benedict to dance.
Turn: Bleys
Jayla
1. Pre-Ball, Jayla and Pyotr - Just finished their bit of recreation - EOT should be soon.
Turn: Pyotr
2. Pavane - Talking with Iolaus, Passel and Astinius
Turn: Iolaus, Passel or Astinius
3. Quadrille - Working out the switchero that will land Jayla dancing with Caine.
Turn: Either mine, Caine's or Gerard's. Not sure yet.
4. Schottische - Trying not to show how much Richard is shaking her up.
Turn: Richard
Rhianwyn
1. Between the Pavane and the Quadrille - Understanding VERY clearly that Nickolai is a dangerous man, by Caollaidhe's standards.
Turn: Caollaidhe
2. Quadrille - Being asked to dance by Gavin
Turn: Gavin
3. Schottische - Being flattered tremendously by Walker Sherwood Long
Turn: Walker
SB
Braem - Trying to figure out what the hell is going on, why the hell she's so stiff, and who the hell the guy is that she just saved.
Turn: GM
TD
Harmony - Still working out backstory stuff with Gabriel. Right now, she's asking him about how Verrain came to be in the position of power he's in and what he thinks about it.
Turn: Gabriel
(Gods, I hope those are all the threads. If anyone sees any that I'm missing, please let me know.)
And on another note - I'm finding that the name "Gabriel" seems to become attracted to my characters of late - the name of the character I took over in RoP, the name of the last person that Braem remembers seeing and the person that Harmony is becoming friends with. Weird. :)
Posted by amber at 01:07 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 02, 2004
Step One Made
Well, I've started the website for In Her Shoes. It's very bare bones at the moment, very minimalist. But that's because I have no graphic skill whatsoever and my HTML skill has gone severely downhill with disuse. But, it's something. And it will be something to point the players toward.
For anyone interested (not sure why you would be, but... *shrug*), here it is.
Posted by amber at 08:58 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Thoughts on TBR
We've gotten the preliminary rundown of the games for TBR. Things may still change, but for the moment, it looks like I'm running first and last. I'm interested to see how much I learn through the course of the Con. I'm running against a couple games that I wish I could have played in, but there's only so much time anyway. There's only one slot that I'm really unsure what I'll be doing in, but since things may still change, I'm not counting anything as set yet.
Rich and I have been talking about doing a website for In Her Shoes. Things like character creation rules, partial powers, elders that are around, castle layout, important things to know... that kind of thing. It shouldn't be a big site, so hopefully it won't take me long to write up. I should start working on it today. But Rich and I still need to work out the rest of the plot details. So it probably won't happen today.
I need to sit down with Deb and Paul at some point soon regarding Guess Who as well. I don't think we're going to have a lot of changes to make or too many things to hammer out. But it's better to get it taken care of now than later.
I'm also hoping there's some place I can bring Maya. I really want a chance to play her again. I may possibly bring her into In Her Shoes as an NPC too. It could be a lot of fun.
I'm starting to get the need for the Con again... that nervous excitement that I get when it's within reach. I already feel like I'm not going to be there long enough and wish that we could be there longer. I'm continually checking the website for updates, I'm thinking of characters that I can create, I'm wondering how games will run, excited to spend time with friends I see far too rarely.
The next 54 days are going to take forever.