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May 26, 2005
Thoughts for the Lexicon game
I've got two different possible scenarios in mind for the lexicon game that I (eventually) want to run. For the readers of this blog, whether you have time/desire/whatever else may make gaming decisions for you with this game or not, I'd like to know which of the two sound more interesting to you. It makes it a lot easier to decide which one to focus more of my energies on.
The first scenario is in honor of the anniversary of Random ascending the throne. Depending on the number of players, it could be anywhere from 10 years to 50 years after the ascension. The players will be historians, creating an encyclopedia of Random's reign, to be given as a gift to the King.
The second scenario is from the dawn of Amber, right after Benedict's birth. This scenario would have the players documenting the early years of Amber - which can include the children of Oberon that didn't survive to the years of the Corwin Saga, among any other events that the players feel like documenting.
For those who don't know what a lexicon game is, here is a good description.
Posted by amber at 09:49 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 25, 2005
Facing new challenges
I've always wanted at least one person that I know and no well to be involved in whatever game I'm in - be that a regular face-to-face campaign, a PBeM or a Con slot. There've always been too many unreasonable fears that have kept me from joining anything completely alone and, I'm sure, which have kept me from trying a game that I would truly enjoy.
This year at TBR, it could be different. Well, no. This year at TBR it WILL be different. I've joined one game that, as far as I know, there is no one that I know well in. No one to fall back on for interaction. No one to purposefully sit near because at least they are someone I know. And this is probably a good thing.
It's about time I started practicing some of what I preach. I have a good friend that has a difficult time in believing in himself. He sees every mistake as a death blow, worries about every overture he makes. And through it all, I tell him that he's got to have faith in himself, that he's worthy of that faith and there are a lot of us that believe it.
And the issue of not joining games without my "safety net" has long been my own lack-of-faith demon. I know that I haven't been gaming as long as some of these people. I know that I'm still learning. And I'm often afraid that I will seem stupid because I don't know something and that I'll take away from everyone else's gaming experience. That, in my nervousness, I'll revert to type by trying too hard and, rather than gaining friends, I'll convince everyone around me that they really don't want to have anything to do with me.
But really, if I don't take the step to do things on my own, what have I lost, beyond a possible good time for myself? No situation is ever as bad as I fear and if everyone doesn't like me/want to game with me again/whatever... so what? I haven't lost friends/gaming partners/whatever. And I will still probably have a good time. As long as I stay relaxed, I probably won't say anything I regret.
So, I'm having my first go at this challenge. Now, it could change and it could turn out that I've got people that I DO know well in this game. But if it doesn't, that will be ok. I'll still have a good time, and I'll be able to share stories about the game I was in with Rich and Paul when I get back rather than have one or the other of them know because they were in it with me.
Posted by amber at 03:03 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 20, 2005
My games at TBR are...
All my first picks.
Slot 1: Trading Spaces with Deb and Bridgette
Slot 2: More Than You Think with Paul
Slot 3: GMing The Back Door
Slot 4: Monsters! with Meera
Slot 5: ACD with Deb
And now I can tell about the player list for the Back Door without worry. It's actually a very small group - only three players. But all three of them are ones that played in In Her Shoes last year, so I know they're all enjoyable players. They are: Will Wagner, J.P Brannan and Jeff MacDonald. By Monday, I'll be sending the e-mail out to them with the character creation info.
It's hard not to be excited.
Posted by amber at 08:41 PM | TrackBack
Administrata Note
There seems to be something buggy with our typekey registration and it's not currently working for comments. I know Sean mentioned looking into it when he gets a chance, but in the meantime, just post non-registered comments when you feel like commenting.
Posted by amber at 10:28 AM | TrackBack
Those Were the Games, My Friends
On 20x20 Room, Ginger speaks of games that she misses. Paul answers at Blog, Jvstin Style (Karen Groves' Thy Kingdom Come), as does Arref at In the Shadow of Greatness (A Grand Affair).
Ever since I first read Ginger's post, my answer has concurred what Arref later wrote - A Grand Affair was my true introduction into the world of Amber gaming.
Before I was invited into GA, I had just dipped my toes into the world of PBeM Amber gaming. I'd played in a grand total of two games for a total (between the two) of maybe 75 posts. I was enjoying it, and I loved the mythos of Amber, but I couldn't immerse myself the way that I wanted.
And then GA came along - an adult game (which had fit with much of my recreational writing at that time) and a chance to play an elder that I could create from scratch. I was a bit nervous - I knew (well) only four players out of the 12 or 15 that we started with. And I was new enough that I was nervous about seeking out others with whom I had no previous contact for storylines. I hoped (desperately) that I'd measure up. And as time went on, I think that I did.
GA taught me, changed me, allowed me to grow. I learned how to be a bit better role-player. I learned not to be afraid to say "Hey, do you wanna...?" I learned more creativity. And (probably most importantly in terms of learning) I learned from my fairly major mistakes. In the end, though it's taken awhile, it made me a better player and a better person.
As Paul mentions, considering GA himself, a large portion of it was social. And that was, for me, the most important aspect in and of itself. If it weren't for GA, I would not have met Paul nor Arref to be able to see posts like this. (Hell, this blog probably wouldn't exist. Becoming more involved in Amber is what got me into it in the first place). I certainly wouldn't have been enjoying myself in Strange Bedfellows. Deb would be a name I knew from being on the fringes, but not my GM in ACD nor, more importantly, a friend. My good friendship with Jim would not exist. I wouldn't have gotten to know my "big sister", Jenn. I wouldn't have met the wonderful lady from England, Mel. Michael and Ginger would just be GMs for a game Rich is in, rather than people I've met and have the privledge to call "friends". And the list goes on, not even counting the other friendships it spawned by getting to know these people, nor the Cons I've attended (finally getting up the nerve to co-GM a game).
And Seasons of Mist would probably not exist. I would not have had the confidence to start a game, rounded out by close friends who help me through the trials and tribulations of being a new GM. I have a lot to thank GA for.
I do still miss it. Beyond the things it taught me, the friends I made, the way it spawned the voices in my head to start speaking, there were the storylines and the unanswered questions. Would Jayla admit to herself that she loved Richard, or was it too late? Would Mirelle and Caine finally patch their difference? Would Mirelle leave Amber once again, this time in the company of Delwin and Sand? And what about Rhianwyn? What would have happened when Caithness returned to find her in her rooms? Where would that story have gone? So many questions still remain to me, so many stories that wish they had an end.
And that, I think, is the real reason I miss the game so. I was involved. Involved in my characters, in their futures, in what was to be. And ending it before the end leaves me with those questions. The friends made are friends kept. The lessons learned stay with me. But the stories... the stories remain in my mind, begging for another chance to be written, small reminders of a game which meant so much.
Posted by amber at 08:23 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 18, 2005
What's Coming in my Gaming Life
I've got at least two online games for which I need to create characters for, though (luckily) neither are things that I have to have get working on RIGHT NOW. (As was suggested to me regarding the Lexicon game that I want to do, I can just let it settle in my brain for awhile and work them out in bits and pieces.)
The first is for an Amber game that Rich and I will be playing in together. Rich will be playing Gerard and I will be playing his buxom Former-Tavern-Wench wife. The only thing I have settled for her thus far is that she will be a red-head (no? Really?), is far from a dainty flower (Gerard would break anyone that didn't have some meat on their bones), and they met when she held him for quite some time in an arm wrestling contest. He couldn't do anything but love her. :) But as far as points, or even a name, that's still brewing around in my mind.
The second is for a PBP system, non-Amber. It's a site that Rich found and quickly became addicted to called Tazlure. He's now a moderator on the site and told me of an area that will soon be reopening that he knows I would love. It's called the Rose Guild and they are an off-shoot from Pan. Basically, Roses are like Geishas or Companions. It's one of my favorite character types to play, so I figure I'll try my hand at it. A major advantage is that the posting rate is slow - sometimes as slow as once a week. It will help keep me from being overburdened.
So far, I have a bit more for her. Her name will be Sevti (White Rose in Indian). She has long, black hair, quite fair skin and startling blue eyes. Her father was local and her mother from a far off land. They ran the local tavern, where Sevti helped out until she was old enough to leave with her parents' blessing. She'd often seen Roses come through, sometimes with Patrons, sometimes on their own, and when she had time, she would talk to them about the life they led. She knew, from a young age, that it was the life she wanted to lead. So she sought out the local priest of Pan to teach her some of what she'd need to know. Other things, she tried to learn on her own. (I haven't figured out her full skill set yet.) She does have a beautiful voice, which will only turn to exemplary when she trains. She's still a bit naive, but she knows that she will do whatever it takes to eventually realize her dream. Within the next couple of months, I'm going to start her character sheet over at Tazlure and then go from there. The major advantage is that Rich will be around to help me out with it. :)
I have a feeling I'm also going to have to create characters for whatever games I get into for TBR. Most of my first and second choices require me to create characters. Luckily, I already have Gabriel ready for ACD so that's one off of my slots that I won't have to worry about.
Rich and I really need to talk about The Back Door as well. We've got the generals worked out but there are a lot of specifics. In a way, it's good because we have a smaller group than we'd expected (though still workable). The main thing I need to know is what NPCs we're going to have in the game, as I'll be NPC-woman again. (I'm still not comfortable enough to lead a game. In time, I think it will come. Just not this year. :))
I'm also getting a chance to game with Glen, Lowell & Glen, and maybe Michael and Ginger on June 4. Glen wants to run through his TBR game for a little world building. Since I'm running against him, I'm jumping at the chance. (Wild Cards influenced? Hell yeah!) That character, luckily, will be created at Glen's.
As I look back, it looks like a lot but, even adding it into the other things going on (games and the move), it doesn't feel overwhelming. It feels pretty good.
Posted by amber at 12:21 PM | TrackBack
May 17, 2005
Changes at Amber's Amber
In case you haven't noticed, Amber's Amber has a bit of a new look. A week or so ago, Sean updated MT here on the Darkon server. With the upgrade, I decided it was time to change the outward appearance of Amber's Amber as well. All in all, I'm much more pleased with it - even if it is all white - than I had been with the previous layout. In time, I may tweak it even more, add a bit of color, things like that. But for now, enjoy the new layout.
Also, with the update of Movable Type and my re-entering my settings, let me know if you run into any problems, like the inability to comment or the inability to do trackbacks. Can't fix what I don't know is broken.
If there is a problem, you can e-mail me at tpisces at earthlink dot net.
Posted by amber at 12:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Anyone up for some Paranoia?
I'm not sure when yet, because life has been throwing a lot my way to get done before we move. But at the last Dope gathering, scuba-ben expressed his interest in playing some Paranoia. So now I'm trying to find time and players for such a game. I'm guessing some time in June and most definitely on a Friday night. Maybe the Friday of Father's Day weekend (though that would make for a bit of a full weekend for me.)
If we do this, who would be interested? From my past experience with Paranoia (before I fell asleep from extreme exhaustion, that is) was that it was a blast to play.
Posted by amber at 12:33 PM | TrackBack
Trying to catch up on my gaming, an idea rolling around in my head, and Character Updates
For some reason, I've been having a hard time getting my game posts out of late. I don't know if it's the stress or the occassional feelings of unworth or what. But I'll look at my posts and think "I don't have the energy to write X right now," and therefore forgo all of my posts. I need to get out of the habit. Part of it, I know, is that I have two things warring for priority with me right now - the various game posts that come in on a daily basis and the large amount of packing that I need to do for the move. I have a hard time staying motivated for more than one thing a day and whichever happens to get worked on first - game posts or packing - is what I usually end up getting done that day. Not that either of them takes me long. I usually pack for no more than a couple of hours (I still have two months to get everything in the apartment packed and it shouldn't be two months of eight hour days.) And my game posts, if I'm doing everything at once as has been my habit of late, takes me about an hour to complete.
Last night, I had an unusual occurance, though. While I didn't want to work on my game posts during my bout of insomnia, I did want to work on a backstory for Braem. So I spent about 2, maybe three hours, detailing her final preparations before meeting Gavril Chanicut and then being turned into a statue. I don't have it finished - I ran into a bit of writers block. But I'm up to the point that she enters House Chanicut. And that, in my mind, was a good start. I was proud of what I started, proud in a way I haven't been in awhile. I don't know if it was the fact that it was 3 in the morning or because it was a longer piece or because it was something that did come just for me - no GM involvement, no other players. But it's a feeling I'd like to recapture for all of my writing. I just have to find a way to do it, a way to keep myself motivated.
Of late, I've been thinking about starting an Amber Lexicon game. Something that would be slow going - maybe a week between entries. I was thinking of A Chronicle for King Random's reign for one of his anniversaries - 10th, 15th, 50th, whatever. I think it would depend on the number of players. I've been watching the fun Rich is having in a Lexicon game a friend of his started and I keep thinking this would be fun. It would require much less of me in the way of administration than SoM currently does, and it would give me the longer writing experience that I so desperately need to be a better writer all the way around. It's just a matter of deciding when to start it and if anyone would be interested. The "Gotta Have It Now" part of me is saying "It will help keep you sane during the move!" The more reasonable part of me keeps insisting "You've got enough on your plate at the moment. It's not a responsibility you can take on in good concious." I need to listen to the later. I want to listen to the former. However, with my lack of follow through with anything lately (I still need to get Gabriel's room description up on the ACD twiki and I've got to compile and post all of my previous threads for every game I'm in plus SoM, not counting non-gaming things like the things that I need to send people like CDs and gifts that are waiting in my house), I think it behoves me to wait until I can feel comfortable with my commitment level of things.
And now, Just what have my characters been up to.
ACD
Gabriel
With Anna - Having a nice lunch, trying to find a way to slowly draw her out of her shell. Not sure if he's succeeding.
Turn: Anna
With Martin - Talking about Rhiannon, just shooting the shit
Turn: Martin
With Hodge - Just getting started in a little conversation before cards
Turn: Hodge
AoY
Mirelle
With Julian - A little talk over breakfast
Turn: Julian
With Llewella and Random - Just ran into Llewella, going to get Random. Waiting expectantly to find out just what she missed at Morning Court.
Turn: Random
Amber Throne War
Jennifleur
With Rhudd, Oberon and Rune - Holding spells at the ready in case Rune gets away from Rhudd's grasp
Turn: GM
SB
Braem
With Kennard and Gord - Just finished an info dump to Gord regarding a) why she isn't a statue any longer and b) her take on her recent adventures with Kennard
Turn: Kennard or Gord
Backstory - Finished her preparations and her walk (and talk) with Tannis to House Chanicut. Next, she'll be seeing her patron for the evening, Gavril Chanicut
Turn: GM, awaiting approval for story thus far and some information on Chanicut-that-was
Alex
With Theo - Finishing up dinner, getting ready to go blow some things up
Turn: Theo
You know, it feels good to have so much green. I need to work on that a bit more often. (Particularly because SoM is fully green as well at the moment.)
Posted by amber at 12:28 PM | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
A Change of Scenery
I don't know who knows this and who doesn't, but Rich has been in the process of finding a Post-Doctoral position. The top two choices had been the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. We've flown to both locations so he could interview. Yesterday, we got back from the second trip and today, he received news that he's been accepted for the position at Vanderbilt. After both interviews, this really is the better job for him so after talking for awhile, we both decided that Nashville it would be.
Now the question is: are there any Amber gamers in the Nashville area?
Posted by amber at 03:36 PM | TrackBack
May 03, 2005
TBR Choices
There are really NO games that I didn't want to play. So it was a tough choice. But...
Slot 1
Choice 1 - Trading Spaces
Choice 2 - Nine Lives in Amber
Choice 3 - All Growing Things
Slot 2
Choice 1 - More than You Think You Are
Choice 2 - Dogs in the Circle
Choice 3 - Attitude is Everything
Slot 3
Choice 1 - GMing The Back Door
Choice 2 - Tales of the Regency: A Piece of the Action
Choice 3 - The Incubus
Slot 4
Choice 1 - Monsters!
Choice 2 - Whose Pattern is it Anyway?
Choice 3 - Le Cygne: Ghost Ship
Slot 5
Choice 1 - A Tricky Proposition (ACD)
Choice 2 - Twice Upon a Time
Choice 3 - The Puppies of Tijuana
I starred ACD. But really, no matter what I end up getting, I'll be happy with. And if no one wants to play in my game and I have to play in someone else's, I'll be happy. Regardless, it will be a good Con, I think.