What Kind of World Do You Want? Part 2

By David

What Kind of World Do You Want? Part 1

A little basic sociology

In the first part of this post I talked about the hooks, or points of relevance, distinguishing my created fantasy world--Archaborea--from other fantasy environments. I also mentioned how the method to my creation came from a series of articles called “Dungeoncraft,” by Ray Winninger. He had a short list of rules for creating successful worlds which I also choose to use in my process.

Rule #1: Never create more than you must.

Rule #2: Whenever you create something important, create at least one secret tied to it.

Setting the stage for my creation’s adventurers (the players,) I look at the second entry on my list of hooks: The Bad Guys Rule. The evil empire is alive and well on Archaborea. However, due to the nature of the environment (remember that grinning cactus?) even the tyrants have their limitations. So there will be a tyrannical, despotic government but it will be balanced out by the savagery of the natural flora and fauna. I am thinking I may give my heroes a choice to start in a small village under the rule of an ogre-lord “regional governor” or a small village in the wilderness (sort of a pioneer village surrounded by packs of predators and other natural hazards.) They will have a small, manageable homebase, but also some kind of instant challenge, either natural or political.

Along the way, I am aware of potential plotlines and adventure ideas. That is what this process really does, it helps to set things in place and spark ideas, stimulating my creativity. My hope is that my players will feed off of this creative energy as well and together we can build a compelling story within the game, resulting in fun for everyone.

Using rule #2, I have established that the evil rulers of the world (although called “ogre-lords”) are not actually ogrish. They will be beastly in appearance, looking more like minotaurs, with bovine heads and horns, and bulky, hirsute bodies--not fur-covered, just hairy. The secret of their heritage will be something I want the players to discover over the course of the campaign and may include other, unknown villains they will not expect.

My hook established the ogre-lords as conquerors in a war long ended. The length of time I am not sure of yet; somewhere between fifty and one hundred fifty years sounds about right. Enough time for society to have settled a bit, established some norms and traditions in the wake of war, but not so much time that no one remembers the conflict, perhaps lost a parent or grandparent. This being a fantasy realm, its also possible for some long-lived race to have members who actually fought in the war. The war will be a quasi-taboo topic: some want to forget and move on, some want to start it again, hoping for a better outcome.

The village homebase for my players will be a combination of races living and working together. This will allow for the players to be able to choose any race they wish. I don’t want to limit my player’s choices of a character too much because I will be limiting other things as a result of the environment. It is really all about balance, trying to balance what can and cannot be. The village itself will be small, not more than a few hundred at most, with roughly ten to twenty percent of that number belonging to the village militia or guard. When it is decided whether the village will be a pioneer village or an ogre-lord village then that will inform the disposition of the guard.

The village will also be relatively isolated because the nature of the world limits population centers. Nature plays a big role in this world; it will be as much of a challenge as some of the humanoid foes the players will face. A later post will cover this environmental aspect, but for now I will concern myself with some names and personalities the player characters may encounter: the leader of the village, the captain of the guard, a few townspeople (a tradesman, a shopkeeper or two, and maybe a couple farmers.) I will outline the village: a list of major buildings (in alphabetical order for ease of reference.)

Maps will come later, but next part of this series will be religion: god(s) and myths.

A Game of Dejarik (Dreams and Suppositions) part 1

By David

Dejarik, holo-chess, the Star Wars chess game. Less than two minutes of screen time and it has obsessed my thoughts for years. I realize it is largely set dressing: distracting background for the scene in which Luke practices the ways of Force-Sense. The animators of the chess pieces probably had the barest of internal logic in mind when they animated the scene. I am sure no rules were written down for the game, it just had to look credible and interesting. I always wanted to own a set of my own, perhaps even learn to play it.

That dream finally had a chance at reality when I discovered the company producing miniatures for Star Wars miniatures games had produced miniature versions of the dejarik pieces! I acquired them by trading some other gaming material I had--but no longer needed--and made a homemade board from wood. Now that I had the physical parts, I needed rules…

My search online resulted in several variations, which all seem to have vanished from the internet, except this one: Holochess by Mike Kelly, But even this one didn’t really seem accurate compared to what I knew from watching the movie. The rules I found seemed like variations on checkers more than chess. When it came down to trying it out, the game moves from the movie could not be duplicated with the fan-created rules available. I decided I would have to do it myself.

I have watched the scene many times over--as I said, I am obsessed--and a gradual pattern began to emerge. There is a definite turn order and even specific moves that vary for each piece that changes position. Some pieces never move, some move off screen (they can be seen in different positions as the scene progresses.) All that remains, in my own thought process, is to determine if an internal consistency can be applied where one might never have existed at all.

I start by mapping the progression of the pieces through the scene. Beginning with the initial placement and the board layout and marking each piece’s changed position as it is shown. The pieces start near to each other on the exterior circle rather than exactly opposite in the board. This suggests either the pieces have already been moved before we see them, or that the placement is not like traditional chess. SInce the pieces are lined up on the outer ring and the action seems to occur mostly on the inner spaces when we see it, I feel safe in assuming what we see is the start of the game.

Next I look at the individual pieces, making notes I hope will help me later in identifying patterns and perhaps pinning down what the pieces represent. The pieces of earth chess are idealized versions of a medieval court, why couldn’t the dejarik pieces be similar stylized avatars or icons?

Next time, I will break down the individual pieces.

Next. Part 2: Meet the players (or rather, the pieces.)

The Consequences of Parenting

By David

Becoming a parent is easy; the follow-through of BEING a parent is the hard part. I have an acquaintance (lets call him Ward.) Ward has five children, aged elementary up to high school. I have four, from elementary up to college. Now, I don’t consider myself a better parent because I have been at it longer, but..(you knew that was coming, didn’t you?) I like to think I’m more successful at it because I follow through.

Children learn through practice; it’s like the scientific method:

1. Observe

2. Make a guess

3. Try it out

4. See what happens

5. Return to 2., using those results, repeat.

Consistency is a key factor. If the results are always different, they get stuck in a loop leading to either boredom or frustration. When you say something, children will trust you, until they see different results for themselves. This may be by simple observation or by testing the limits. (For my own children, testing the limits occurred during the even years; the terrible 2’s, 4’s, 6’s,...18’s, 20’s, you get the idea)

So, when I tell my children, “don’t go out of this yard or you’re coming in the house!” They expect to come in if they step out of the boundaries. If I do not follow through with the condition, they may not believe me next time, my credibility and authority will sink.

By example, Ward was packing up his minivan, getting ready for a camping trip; his children nowhere to be seen, except the youngest (8) who is on the side of the house hitting a piece of wood with an aluminum bat.

“Knock it off!” Yells Ward..

“Okay.” the boy stops, watches his father return to the van, and resumes his testing of what the wood does when he smacks it with the bat.

Ward pokes his head out of the van again. “I said knock it off! Go inside and get your blanket. I want to get packed so we can get out of here!”

The boy doesn’t respond verbally, but waits for his dad to resume packing, then he resumes hitting the piece of wood.

Ward steps out of the van and approaches the boy, who stops, lowers the bat, and looks a little sheepish.

“That’s it,” Ward yells. “You are not going camping with us. You’re staying home!” He takes the bat and hurls it aside, returning to the van. The boy just looks on, appearing to consider his next course of diversion.

Now, Ward had already told me they were all going to be gone and the boy was obviously too young to stay by himself. It is an empty threat that he has no intention of carrying out. And this is not the first; Ward doesn’t follow through even when he makes a reasonable threat. He simply sighs and walks away. It’s too much effort for him to spend the time carrying out the punishment. He wants to move on to something else more enjoyable. The boy knows it, I know it, and the rest of his kids know it.That is why they don’t really listen to him unless there is something in it for them.

Where is June (his wife) while all of this is going on? Usually, whenever real parenting needs to happen she disappears, and when the coast is clear she reappears. Ward and June practice what my wife calls uninvolved parenting.

Every parent has probably overheard (or even said) things that would never happen in an effort to urge kids to follow directives. But that is where the consistency matters. If you always use ridiculous threats and promises, the children will see no benefit to following authority. The first time they see something actually happen, with consequences, it will probably make them step back, dumbfounded or possibly angry.

As parents, we have a responsibility to ready our children for the outside world. They need to be able to determine potential consequences of their actions and whether someone is bluffing or being genuine. It’s a matter of simple survival. An empty threat now and then is okay because it provides a contrast to the real ones. Helping to build the child’s judgement by giving them comparisons. That punishment is ludicrous, the child thinks, there is no way they can back that up, why would they say that? Now they have to think, consider what you might really have meant, read between your words.

By the same token, parents need to be prepared to back up what they say when necessary. Then, when it happens, the child will think about it next time: That promise sounds like it could actually happen; do I really want to risk it?

This way, they learn to think on their feet. When they are on their own, they will have to predict the consequences for themselves and weigh the risks. If all your threats are without meaning, what will they expect? That nothing will (or should) happen? What about when another person, or adult, says something (and follows through)? Will the child feel betrayed? Will they think it unfair, even if it was perfectly reasonable?

We have to learn consequences if we are to survive and cope with the world. Follow-through as a parent is a big part of teaching that. What do you think?

Summer Reading?

I have seen several reading lists recently and it made me think about the concept itself. Kids can be very quick to get “bored” in the summer. Personally, I hate this term; it seems like a weak excuse to put the onus on another to entertain you when you can’t bother to find something to do. Also, after the summer teachers must spend the beginning of a school year refreshing students memories on the previous year’s lessons.

So a reading list can provide ideas for things to do, it can serve as a source of entertainment, and it can help keep the brain active so its easier to get back into school after Summer break.

I see the reading list as an opportunity to catch up on reading goals. I had many books I wished to read either because I had heard good things about them or because I was familiar with the subject material or the author. A big one for me is any book which is referenced in other media or in pop culture; I want to know where it comes from so I can appreciate the reference better.

So I thought I would create a short list of books I thought everyone should read at least once. These are the books that really affected me, or gave me a comfortable impression, or a book I continue to reread once a year because they are just that entertaining. The list is almost entirely fantasy, but that is a lot of what I read.

World War Z, Max Brooks

This one drew me in because it was about zombies, but what captivated me was the depth of real human nature and engaging political analysis (not as dry as it may sound.) This one could serve as a documentary of any global natural disaster.

Red Sands, Paul B. Thompson and Tonya R. Carter
Arabian themed fantasy tale; light toned and fun. I have replaced this title in my library three times and I just can't explain adequately why this book draws me to read it at least once a year.

Empire Strikes Back, Donald F Glut

Even though my favorite movie is Return of the Jedi, this novelization is very well written; Don Glut paints pictures with language.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

An incredibly funny classic of Science Fiction, this has been translated to live action at least twice, but you have to read it to really appreciate the humor.

Coraline, Neil Gaiman

I used this novella as my read aloud lesson when I student-taught 6th Grade. It is captivating, thrilling and fun.

Dragonlance Chronicles, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

A post-apocalyptic fantasy world with governments and religions in upheaval, idealistic characters (some of which actually die; the second book is a tearful read) and a very touching sense of humor.

Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien

THE epic fantasy series. If you have only seen the movies, you are missing some amazing language, mythology and story structure.

Belgariad, David Eddings

A five book, epic fantasy “trilogy;” this series actually covers the growth of its hero from child to man, contains fantasy “races” that are human and distinguished by their cultures (not bearded, short or pointy-eared), it also has a unique magic philosophy that really sets it apart.

The Sleeping Dragon, Joel Rosenberg

A fantasy story that challenges many of the cliches and has many mature topics regarding social behaviors.

As I said, it is a short list. I may add to it from time to time.

Better yet, give me some suggestions in the comments below! What books really affected you? Tell me why, if you want, or just give me a title and/or author. Thanks!

Her Glass Slipper was by Converse: Being an intentional Dad

Teacher, Trooper, Gamer, Dad readers ~ Join me over at Whatever Girls for this weeks post:

follow link below

Her Glass Slipper was by Converse on Whatever Girls

Another One Destined for Broadway

I only recently saw the movie Frozen. You can either stop reading now or finish your thought about why I watched it, or why I took so long.

(There will be spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen Frozen, skip this post.)

Moving along. The movie as a whole wasn't bad. But it is definitely not for everyone. It was structured more like a Broadway musical than any other animated movie I have seen. I don’t know if it was written this way intentionally. The writer, Jennifer Lee, previously wrote Wreck-It-Ralph, which I also enjoyed (but for different reasons.)

I felt like this was written specifically to be adapted as a musical for Broadway, which seems to be a trend. More than exposition was delivered through song; a lot of dialogue was as well. In addition, every scene seemed overly “staged.” I could almost see the scenery changes designed for a live production and the emphasis on all action being clear from the singular vantage point of a live audience. There seemed to be very little use of camera angle changes to drive the visuals; it was all very dependent on the music and the character’s postures. This is not a bad thing, necessarily, it just may put some people off.

I only had two problems with the movie: Olaf’s appearance and Elsa’s resolution scene.

Olaf (the talking snowman) is, of course, a large part of the comic relief. He is very charming and dim-witted in the right places, and he has a terrific musical number about looking forward to enjoying the summer heat (remember, he is a snowman.) My complaint, a minor one, is his face. He is just a little too goofy-looking. In fact, he reminded me very much of Jar Jar Binks from The Phantom Menace. Now, I understand he needed to look unlike a generic snowman. He would not have worked if he looked like the typical, round-headed snowman. But there is a line between distinct features and “fade into the background” and I think they could have drawn him much better.

Elsa, the ice queen, had a terrific coming out scene, when she exercised her true power without restraint and created a frozen castle for herself. Her battle scenes and magic-use looked like something in an X-Men movie (very enjoyable and exciting.)

Her denouement act, however, was handled much too quickly: it seemed too simple and neat. After years of holding back, and then letting loose with raw emotion, the realization that “love will thaw” should have taken a bit more time. I don’t mean a lot of time, but a false start or two and maybe Anna encouraging, “You can do it, Elsa! I love you!” With--at most--one to two minutes of screen time, the return of summer through magic would have had dramatic, emotional impact. This was the moment that almost ruined my suspension of disbelief.

Imagine watching Tony Stark fly in the Iron Man suit if we had not seen his failed attempts first. “Yeah, I can fly.” Would seem like a much more cocky line. (As is, I feel that “YES!” moment right along with him; otherwise (without the sense of accomplishment,) I would be asking, “and?”)

On the plus side,two of the best characters were the male lead, Kristoff, and his companion: a reindeer named Sven. One of the best moments involved Kristoff singing a “duet”,as both himself and the reindeer (exaggeratedly imitating the reindeer’s voice while Sven supplied appropriate facial expressions. It was a good visual of the depth of their relationship, and very funny. I liked Kristoff and Sven much more as sweet, comic characters than Olaf.

The revealing moment of the villain, Hans was also handled well; no sinister looks, creepy music, or even a musical number illuminating his motivations until the moment we found out he was the bad guy. Finding out he was not the simple, sweet guy he seemed was not necessarily a shock, but it was a great plot point. Much more rewarding, dramatically, than the Elsa point above.

If you can get past the obsessive internet fandom, and equally obsessive detractors, around this film, and just watch it for fun, it is worth it. If you like stage plays, definitely check this one out.

Tabletop Gaming is Alive and Well

Thanks to The Save or Die Podcast for reading my email and passing along my shameless piug for this blog.

Hear the podcast at this link
http://saveordie.info/?p=1034

I mentioned back in September that I was listening to this podcast and how much it reminded me why I love my hobby. It also spurred me to become more active in creation. I have started working on a campaign world to set adventures in. My children and I have begun to play again (using a house-ruled version of the Moldvay set, despite my intent to return to my Holmes roots.) And I am working on some other ideas with an intent to publish.

The gaming hobby is so much more available now than it seemed back in the 80's. Finding a gaming store used to be a 90 minute bus ride to a hole in the wall, or a single shelf at a tiny bookstore. Now the local gaming stores have more open gaming demos, so you can try out a game before you invest in it. And finding the game you want can be as easy as typing the name into your browser. The hobby feels more alive and less secretive now.

What is your gaming experience? Do you want to start some? Give it a try; role-playing is not dress-up, and its not funny voices surrounded by dim, dark walls and flickering candles, as some of the lurid movie-versions would have many believe (I'm looking at you Tom!)