New Zealand - Christian Nation?

Well, well, well - "Bishop" Brian Tamaki must be wanting to get a new pair of shoes. In his latest drive to hook in more regular customers - sorry - parishoners, Tamaki has played the "New Zealand, Christian Nation" card.

But how accurate is that claim. See, one of the founding ideas of New Zealand was a place where people could have a new start away from the constraints of England, but without loosing touch with the Commonwealth.

New Zealand [b]has[/b] been a country full of Christians, after all most people draw their history back to the UK, which was predominantly Christian in its population.

However, Helen Clark has the right of it - Christianity has never been a STATE religion. That is, the country has never declared Christianity as the religion of the people. Brian Tamaki is getting himself all confused by thinking that because a lot of NZers are Christian, that makes the country a Christian country.

It isn't.

It is a country with a large Christian majority. But these distinctions are important. If Christianity were to be the state religion, then it means that Christians will have certain benefits over other religions. This is exactly what Tamaki is trying to push for. It is also a very UN-Christian thing to desire.

One of the key things that most New Zealanders seem to pride themselves on is how free this country is. We enjoy more freedoms that most countries - the US included. Part of that freedom comes from our legendary image of being an easy-going "she'll be right" nation. Yet this image has been fast eroding in recent decades.

The reality is that NZ has a confused nation where people like Tamaki have stirred up conservative views by saying that the NZ we all dream of is being threatened by new ideas - all the while actually making people erode the very things they seek to protect.

I had a Catholic upbringing as a child, and while I no longer consider myself Christian, I do consider myself religious and moral. I have some foibles, but I do feel that I strive to do the right thing.

I also feel that I have a reasonable understanding of what Christ's words are meant to convey. This enforcement of religion that Tamaki is trying to push is not the will of God. It is the will of a man desperate to make more money and get back in the headlines. Kicking Homosexuals didn't work for him - Civil Unions got through and most people just got on with their lives.

Notice how the smacking issue has pretty much faded away too...

I've looked at the newspaper polls this morning - most NZers who have voted on the polls (thus being a somewhat skewed view) seem to feel that New Zealand is not and should not be a Christian Nation.

Considering that a large number of those people will be Christians, that is an interesting revelation that is in complete contradiction to Tamaki's claims.

New Zealand should be considered a place where everyone is welcome, as long as they are willing to respect other peoples differences. Feel free to follow Islam, Buddha, the Tao - whatever. Just respect that others will choose to follow their own paths.

That is the nation I want to live in, a place where we respect each other's differences and work to strengthen what unites us.

There is no place for the divisive, insidious and snake-like behaviour of false prophets like Brian Tamaki. I genuinely believe that he is a liar and a charlatan. I most definitely believe that he does not speak the word of God. If anything, he is the opposite, and his actions continue to prove this.

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: iMovie HD
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Not impressed with Religious Division

48 Hours - The Heat is on!

So tonight was when our heat was playing at the Paramount. *whew* It was a bit nerve wracking. There were a number of really interesting films, and some really not so good films.

All in all, it seems that everyone had a lot of fun making their movies - some will be forever burned into my mind (Supertran, I'm looking at you...) and others were somewhat forgettable.

We were fortunate enough to have a very slick but very pointless "horror" flick before our movie, so the comedy of Hypochondriacs - the Walking Goldmines really hit a mark. People laughed and it seemed that the entire theatre applauded at the end of our film. In fact I got the sneaking suspicion that we got the loudest applause of all the films that played. But that could have been my imagination.

The presenter certainly liked it and made a comment that it had something for everyone - and we got more raucous applause when we were asked to stand up. :) So fingers crossed that we at least make it to the top 40 films to be chosen before the finals.

The film really managed to stand up well against the competition, and I was pleased with it - although I can see where we need to improve some things. Hopefully Project TWC will help us develop the necessary skills to up our game. :D

It was hard to vote for films I liked - there were a number of great movies to choose from. I ended up choosing Supertran - for being a memorable GBLT entry, and for being kind of funny in parts. (That moustache did make him look hot...) My other choice was Oh Illium... which was an atrocious film but very funny. And there was a kind of hot guy in it. LOL!

I probably should have voted for Homekill, but the revenge seeking hedgehog was likely to get a lot of votes anyway... :D

So yay! Here's hoping that all went well, and that we get to the next stage!

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: iMovie HD the Missing Manual
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: All warm and fuzzy!

Project TWC: Foundations

I'm surprised by how some people don't seem to think that I'm serious about this project. At the moment I'm playing with footage taken of the Town Belt to get comfortable with iMovie. It's not as powerful as using Final Cut, but I think it will help. Essentially, yesterday I took footage of areas that kind of fit with the theme or "feel" of the series as I see it in my head.

I also recently bought a book on film-making using DV format. It is aimed at people like myself who are planning to get into film-making with the aid of a camcorder, a computer and a dogged determination to get a film made.

It's proving very helpful, already suggesting techniques in the pre-production. So I've worked on the series overview and I'm planning to work on a storyline for the first five episodes as well as a treatment of those first five episodes - so as to spot the series inconsistencies. :)

To that end, I'm looking for some preproduction crew as well - namely to help with planning, and writing. I have a couple of volunteers for general work on the project. So we'll see how that goes. :)

I am soooo excited! :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Practical DV Filmmaking
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Super happy Conan

Web Projects, The Movies, Hanging out...

It's my day off work today. So I'm chilling here with Uriel - what a sexy computer! - and planning out ideas for my Web Project. I wont reveal too much here, but it is going to be a kind of Insider's Guide to Happiness with more of a humorous edge and a different approach to the surreal aspects.

It will, naturally, be a small budget affair. I'll be looking for volunteers to help with the writing, acting, and production based aspects. The idea will be produce a series of 5-10 minute episodes (more on that once I've worked a bit more on the core concept) which will be shown on YOUTUBE.

I'll then set up a website with higher definition versions of the episodes for download.

The idea behind the project is to get practice in with making a series of short films, and maybe even start a new web following. I have some cool ideas for the series - and with Fraser's help I hope to develop them.

Today I'm looking at getting some footage of Wellington to play with and start building a visual library of Wellington shots for the series. There is also a gym visit and a few other activities in the works today. :)

Laters!

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Magnum Opus
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Bubbly and Excited

Movie Madness

It has been on the books for some time - I was planning to eventually upgrade to a new computer. An iMac to be exact.

Well the high from doing the 48hour Film Challenge has ended up being the unexpected instigator of change. I went looking at video cameras and realised that I would also need some serious hardware to do even semi-decent editing. Thus when I looked at the monthly cost to upgrade my computer and get a camera, it was an easy decision. :)

So here I am typing on Uriel, my new iMac computer. It is a very sexy little machine (and the free ipod nano was a great surprise to get. :) )

Now I've downloaded the powerful Celtx software that I used to help plan out the scenes and shots for the weekend, and I will be saving up for Final Cut Express... The plan is to practice and prepare for application to the Film School next year. I want to work on a few personal projects first and further develop my understanding of media before I apply.

Also it will mean that I'm more prepared for next years 48 hour challenge, which I will definitely be intending to participate in. :D

On that note, I'm working on a web-project concept (gotta love Macs) which would be a monthly 5-6 minute episodic series based in Wellington. The current concept is about 12-15 episodes... but I need to think a little more on it. I'll be inviting friends and the like who are keen to get some movie-making practice in with a little web project. :)

I'll reveal more once I have the concept further developed. :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Manual of Exalted Power: The Lunars
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: All fired up!

...And that's a Wrap, folks!

Wow. It's finally over - the 48 Hour Film Challenge was an absolute blast! I was involved with Gino's Rebel Faction team, and it was a fantastic experience from beginning to end! :D

Even though numerous obstacles kept popping up to block the creation of our film, someone was looking over us. Firstly, I was unable to finish work on time to be at the assignments of genre etc. Then we found out that the primary shooting location was first invaded by parents for an open day, then the rugby first XV. Then we found out that the next day our final primary location was going to be where the Regional BRASS BAND competitions were going to be held!

Yet through some impressive team work and sheer determination we were able to get all our primary shooting done between 2pm and 11:30pm on the Saturday, which meant that Ryan and I were able to sit down with the dailies and edit the sucker over the course of Sunday.

For my first serious directing project, it was a lot of fun. Gino had managed to get a team of truly creative people who were full of ideas and talent. Gino and Jeremy's script was hilarious, and it was important to me to try and keep to the spirit of our run throughs - aided by their performances as two of the key characters.

Viv and Angela dressed up the set amazingly, Jamie's graphics (some of which I had to leave out of the final cut, :( ) were perfect.

Our cast were fantastic - often in these "friends as actors" projects, you tend to have to take what you can get performance-wise, but Danyl, Gino and Jeremy put in bloody amazing performances. Meredith's medical props were invaluable - as was having her around to help out with all the jobs that needed to get done so that Ryan, Gino and I could focus on the post-production.

Margaret... what can I say? The Donut shot was fantastic!

Felicity (Flick) also was a godsend with the music, she found us some fantastic Royalty Free tracks that when Ryan put them into the rough cut, we found that the music cues mostly married up to the action! You should have heard us in the Editing room! :D

I'm also very pleased with the cinematography - it was my first time using a camera, and everything is well centred. I kept thinking "that couldn't have been me!" :D

So thanks to everyone on the Rebel Faction! We made a film that we can all be proud of, and best of all everyone had a blast! *Whew* I hope I didn't miss anyone out! Angela, Felicity, Jamie, Jeremy, Danyl, Gino, Viv, Meredith, Ryan, myself - I'm sure I'm missing someone out...

Sorry! I'm so tired, I'm sure there were eleven people...

Well, when we watched the final product, we were in hysterics. Of course there are plans to make a 10 minute (or so) Special Edition. (I hesitate to say "director's cut" because it will also be including Gino's ideas and isn't just my work.) I hope we get to do commentaries for the DVD. :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Scion: Hero
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Super Happy!

Review Time: Final Fantasy XII

So it is about 1:30am on a Wednesday morning and I have just finished playing what can only be described as the best Final Fantasy - nay - best Computer/console RPG to date.

Seriously. Forget KOTOR, forget Jade Empire, Forget Final Fantasy X, and (thankfully for some) forget Final Fantasy X-2. This is simply the most amazing game I have played in a long time.

Firstly it is a truly imaginative and epic storyline of a war between nations, betrayal, love, mystery and humanity's drive to be masters of our own destinies. Next is the impressive utilisation of the PS2's Emotion Engine chip to make the characters in game the most lively, believable sprites you have ever seen. When you see Doctor Cid walk into the private chambers of Prince Vayne Solidor, his every gait and movement tells you something about his personality - even down to the bemused cocky smile that develops when he is told some interesting news.

Every character, no matter how small, has detail to their features and clothing. The main characters are all distinctive and extremely engaging. This is a game that I would just LOVE to see a live-action movie. Only they would need to have the same voices as the incredible voice actors who make each and every character interesting and enjoyable.

But what of the game itself?

Set initially in the kingdom of Dalmasca, Princess Ashe of Dalmasca and Prince Rassler of Nabradia are married to help bring peace to the ongoing conflice between the Empires of Rozzaria and Archadia. But treachery is afoot and soon disaster strikes.

The game picks up two years after, with you initially playing Vaan, a lowly street-rat of a kid who dreams of being a Sky-pirate someday. You wander around the city of Rabanastre doing odd jobs for people while they prepare for the arrival of the new ruler of the city.

Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, FFXII uses an active system for combat where monsters roam around locations. There is no cutting to a staged fight where everyone lines up on either side. It all happens in the normal location the characters were wandering around - further more, because you can see the monsters, you can avoid them.

This leads to chaotic and exciting battles where characters move around the area, seeking higher ground, trying to strike from behind the enemy... generally use various tactics. However combat is still turn based, meaning that you can pause the fight to open your combat menu, survey the scene and select the action. Or you can let the characters stick to pre-programmed routines, called Gambits, which are a sophisticated If/then set of rules that you give each character.

Each gambit is placed in order of importance - which means that the characters will make decisions based on the situation + the level of the gambit programmed. Because of the sheer number of gambits each character can take and the number of If/then combinations - this makes for a lot of detail. The AI here is impressive. Characters do not waste actions. If both Basch and Penelo have "raise knocked out PC" as an option - they don't both act. If Basch starts to do the action first, Penelo will move on to her next priority gambit. She will also make decisions based on the situation. For example if someone attacks her- she will move out of the way before attempting her action.

Monsters aren't dumb either. If there are traps nearby, they will try to lead the characters to them, or knock characters into deadly locations. If you catch a monster by itself, it will slowly lead the party over to other monsters - or make enough of a fuss that they will come to it.

Then there is the sheer number of options for customising your party - from a variety of weapons and armours, to magics, techniks (special abilities that can give you a winning advantage), Quickenings (kind of like Limit Breaks, but more powerful and controllable), Espers (FFXII's summons) and accessories.

Wow.

See those two over there - that is the quality of the in-game cut scenes and graphics. Notice how expressive Balthier and Vaan are. It never ceases to amaze me how detailed the expressions get in this game. Along with the physical movement of the characters.

By the time I reached the end of the game I had to share straight away how much I LOVE THIS GAME! Balthier is the coolest Sky Pirate ever. "After all, I'm the leading man..." His voice is smooth and cocky. He makes Han Solo (who he is modelled after) look pretty lame in comparison. I kid you not. There is a scene at the end of the game where he just made me grin and think "typical Balthier, you rock!"

What are you doing? Go out and get this game! NOW! :)

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Scion: Hero
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Pretty Freaking Good!

Not too grand...

So for some reason I've come down with a nasty little tummy bug this morning that is more annoying than disabling. But I have taken the day off work to try and relax and get the damn thing over and done with.

(Nick, Nasia, Cat, Paul, I should still be up for Wild Talents tonight, I'll keep you posted...)

I'm suspecting that it is partially anxiety related - I've been mostly good, but somethings have been building in the background and this might be my body's way of saying "whoa!"

Considering that I'm going to be doing the 48 hour film challenge this weekend coming, I need to be in top condition.

So how are things going for Conan at the moment? Well, not too bad for the most part. I'm working on another possible business venture, enjoying work and getting by with ESG. I've been getting a little anxious about WGS - my competitor. I just don't have the kind of money or income to compete with them - and I'm not too happy about the idea of going into partnership with people because I could stand to lose more than I currently have risked.

But taking a loan is even more risky - especially with the economy getting a little flakey now. Damn housing prices!

I need to sell more Roleplaying games. That's really the heart of it - but it is proving to be frustratingly hard to move a lot of the games I'm stocking because while on a worldwide scale, they are the top sellers (and I did the research), locally most people are after indie games. The problem there is that to import indie games and make a profit, they would cost more from my website than from the American websites.

Not to mention that I need to sell more of my current stock to even have the money to buy said Indie games in the first place.

So yeah - I suspect I've been working myself ragged without even realising that I was doing it. *sigh*

I am feeling a bit tired and worn out at the moment. There are a number of things I want to do and I just can get them done at the moment.

The other night, I felt like some of my friends have a less than stirling view of me as a person - that I'm losing something - and then I had a run in with someone who has assumed the worst of me. I think that kind of also set this off - just a whole bad-timing thing.

I'm realising that part of the reason we get into relationships - even bad ones - is that they still help make us deal with some of this. There is someone else to help carry the burden, I guess.

Don't mind me - I'm kind of in a bit of a daze today.

Just having one of those feeling alone kind of days.

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Scion: Hero
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Not feeling too grand...

The World - Hard Truths Part I: Overpopulation

It is sobering to read in the Dom Post's editorial about how little we appreciate the cost of living in the West. How our lifestyle, so sought after by other nations, is simply not sustainable if population growth remains as it is.

Already the world is straining under the weight of human consumption, and yet none of us are willing to dramatically change our lifestyles. I admit, I'm simply not sure if I could make the shift in my personal lifestyle that easily.

Yet something needs to be done. My brother has a particularly dark view of the future. He doesn't believe there is enough to support humanity and the race's decline and self-destruction is not too far off. His only hope is that the collapse will not be until after he passes away.

What can we do? Limit the number of children we have? Force a number of nations to live in poverty and strife so our nations can continue living the luxury life?

I don't have the answers yet. Only concerns...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Scion: Hero
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Worried about the future...

Crazy Blogs, New Projects

Gah! I've been trying all morning to get this blog working properly - it seems that Google has had some sort of crazy internal error that made it think my text was a spyware virus! Bizarre!

Anyway...

I've been up to a lot recently - what with recovering from Armageddon, attending the Wellington Wedding show and finishing my twelve-week-challenge. Yes, it has been over twelve weeks since I started my exercise regime, and the results have been fantastic!

Now it's time to turn to a new project - the 48 Hour Film Challenge. I've signed up with Gino's team, and we had our first production meeting last weekend. It was very exciting, and I'm looking forward to getting involved. Best of all, I'm directing! WOOT! I've been wanting to give film directing a go for a long time, so it's really exciting that I've been offered the role.

Of course it's such a small team we'll all be helping each other out - but it will still be a great experience and I'm sooooo looking forward to it. :D

I picked up Scion: Hero the other day too - from my competitor, but I'm not going to have the game for another six weeks and I simply couldn't wait any longer...

It's very cool. A much streamlined version of the Exalted system, and it makes me wonder why 2e didn't go so simple... *shrug*

Burning Empires is also looking very cool. I'm really enjoying the unique elements that make it stand out so much. It has a very interesting approach to how players and the GM interact with each other and the game. I'll do a proper review at a later date.

I've got to go now, I need to print out Scion and Wild Talents material to be prepared for the gaming group tonight. :)

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Scion: Hero
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Feeling great!

WUSHU and the Emperor's New Clothes

So I've been thinking a bit about the indie gaming scene recently. As I read through Burning Empires in preparation of starting a game, I have been looking into some of the more experimental products out there and comparing them with my current experiences with Exalted.

In the process of doing all this, I cam across yet another "WUSHU is the only RPG I need..." diatribe on RPGnet. See, there is this little indie game that is relatively cheap - in fact one version of it is even free - that is making the rounds on RPGnet and it gets a lot of fanfare and discussion about how it has changed the way people roleplay and how incredible and concept it is.

This is Wushu.

Essentially "designed" to be a rules-light action heavy descriptive narrative game - it gets a lot of positive press.

Well I've followed Wushu for several years since the very first inception of the game. It has left me with the opinion that it is a classic case of Emperor's New Clothes. See, everyone is busy talking it up and getting all excited that it has kind of slipped people's notice that ... well... it doesn't really exist in the form that people refer to it.

Yes, there is a lot of material about playing the game, and a lot of people are playing it. But it isn't new. Nor is it revolutionary. Heck, it barely scrapes in as a game at all.

See, Wushu is basically an idea of a game that has been prevented from growing any further.

The idea is that the more you describe something in the game, the better the benefit. In Wushu this is measured by gaining more dice by doing more things or adding extra elements.

That's it. That's the revolution of the game. Despite the fact that Feng Shui did it almost ten years previously. Exalted does it. The New World of Darkness does it. Weapons of the Gods does it. So why is it different?

Well you get more mechanical benefit (apparently) by doing more in combat and it makes you think about fights in a more descriptive and detailed manner.

Like Burning Wheel. Or Fireborn. Or Inquisitor. Or...

I guess my big beef is that Wushu isn't much of anything that is talked up to be this amazing experience of a game.

So why all the hype? Why are so many people unwilling to admit that it isn't the game that is so amazing?

Because what Wushu does is challenge the way some players think. Some players are still very traditional in their gaming habits. They don't think about their game in cinematic or narrative terms, they don't break the rules, they don't provide soundtracks to their games - they don't really change their viewpoint unless someone suggests something new.

Ironically, I find it is this kind of gamer who becomes particularly evangelical about games like Wushu once it changes the way they think.

I know I sound jaded here, but I read Wushu and thought... eh. I want more guts thank you.

To me there is a time and place for light rules - action heavy gaming needs streamlined rules, but it also needs detail and guidance. It needs fabric and guts. Not just the idea of a combat or action scene, but an actual framework that really expresses the range of ideas.

I want to be able to look at the system and suddenly think "WOW! I could do this!"

I want a game that inspires more from my players - because a lot of roleplayers are not writers or artists, they are creative but may not have seen as much or normally think in such a manner.

Games like WUSHU don't guide or inspire these kinds of people, they leave such players high and dry - often asking "where is the game?"

Oddly enough games like Burning Empires go the other way - putting far too much framework in there and weighing down the game. (Although I have to admit, there is plenty there to inspire, and I'm loving the idea of running this game even more now.)

Naturally I'm predisposed to a more middle-of-the-road level of design in a game. But I love light systems when they are appropriate - Over the Edge immediately comes to mind. It's even simpler than WUSHU, in many respects.

I guess my love for Fireborn's mechanics really has convinced me that games like WUSHU are full of promises that I don't feel they deliver.

As I explore further into the Indie realm of RPGS I find that most games are weak when it comes to handling things like frameworks - that in the eagerness to give "power to the players" they often cop out and just don't provide anything other than loose mechanics and rely on the players to be creative enough to fill in the gaps.

But that is a rant for another time. :)

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Feeling pretty good despite what it may seem. :)

Armageddon is upon us!

For those who haven't yet heard, I've secured a stall for Evin Shir Games at Armageddon. It has been a long and arduous decision to make, but I finally decided to attend. That has meant a lot of crazy last minute planning!

As of the moment, signs and posters are being designed, t-shirts are on their way and I'm currently planning what games to demo over the course of the weekend.

Given the number of people attending and all the stalls that are on display - it will be interesting to see how successful it is for me financially, and to measure how much interest there is in the business.

There is the possibility that this could be very profitable for me, and I have to make sure that I don't price myself so low that I don't make any money.

So I invite everyone to come along and check out the stall! :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Final Fantasy XII strategy Guide.
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Getting organised for the weekend!

Decisions and the next step...

Well I made the decision - it wasn't an easy one, but through very careful consideration of all the pros and cons I finally made a choice.

I stayed at FCs. My boss made a very good counter offer to TW that was full of concessions that will help my business grow, in comparison to the ephemeral offer TW made that was left far too open and vague. Given TW's history it simpl wasn't good enough. I needed solid facts and security. TW wasn't offering that.

Not to mention that I talked to both Mum and Dad, and for the first time in almost twenty years they came the the exact same conclusion and reasonings. That kind of thing really makes you pay attention. :)

Once that was out of the way, what happens next but my business is given a massive opportunity that could see me successfully growing my business in an exciting direction. It's now all hinging on my gaining the necessary capital to follow up on the opportunity - and I have a number of possible routes to follow, so I'm waiting to hear back from them before I make the announcement officially public.

It's going to be a crazy time now, hope I'm ready to deal with it all. :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Exalted Second Edition
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Excited by the upcoming developments!

When Opportunity Knocks...

Wow. When it rains, it pours. I've just been offered a very attractive role at my old employer's TW. It is a big position, with intimidating scope and the opportunity to be one of the people who gets to call the shots. I will be able to make the job my own and even dictate much of what the role will involve.

It will pay more than any job I have previously had, and the experience and training offered is phenomenal - It will benefit me greatly for the future...

I have also gotten the hint that someone else is preparing an offer for me, regarding ESG. This other offer could be not quite as impressive financially, but I would likely have even more control over the role that follows.

Finally, my current employer has gotten wind of all this - because of some judicious use of language by myself - and is preparing a counter offer to keep me working for him.

Wow.

So what should I do?

Option 1 is initially more attractive, but will be high stress, very difficult and will require me to close down ESG. This is a problem because I still have considerable outstanding debts that a clearance sale wouldn't clear up, but another year just running the business will likely pay off.

Option 2 is currently a rumour, so I don't really want to speculate on it yet.

Option 3 is also a bit uncertain, but it means less money now and less knowledge gain - but I get to run my business and try to grow it out. Fingers crossed and all that. :)

So what do you all think I should be focusing on?

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Like the Flowing River
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Facing some great opportunities...

Media, Hegemony, Values

It's interesting to think about the effect that media has on the way we look at life, and the somewhat unusual assumptions that we often make without realising it.

I've been thinking recently about some things that have been bothering me - not too seriously, but they are interesting to note. It began with Roswell and continued into Battlestar Galactica. See, in Roswell, there were no gay characters. Now, I'm not really a fan of using gay/"ethnic" or other types just for the sake of political correctness - but I do find it interesting that over the course of three seasons not a single identifiable gay character showed up.

Battlestar Galactica is supposed to be this gritty, realistic setting - and we have been treated to a lot of information about the "Reality" of the setting. Yet there are remarkably no gay characters. It seems that only heterosexuals are capable of being involved in resistance against invading machines, and flying military vehicles.

This is despite statistics showing this is not true.

Right now I'm seeing Juice TV playing over a flat screen television in the cyber cafe - it's interesting how most videos show heterosexual couples hooking up. One music video was about cyber-dating showing all manner of people typing on computers and then meeting in real life. Not a single lesbian or gay couple was in the video.

This is a classic case of self-fulfilling prophecy. By not showing homosexuality as a part of human nature and culture, we continue to vilify it simply by enforcing heterosexual images. Just because it isn't showing homosexuals being burned on crosses doesn't make it any less discriminating.

The reality is that homosexuality is a part of nature, regardless of being an anomaly or some deliberate process to keep population contained - it has been with humanity since the very beginning. Most other social species in nature have also shown to have homosexual members, and some biologists are arguing that there may actually be a purpose to a percentage of the population portraying such a trait.

Myself? I'm not sure if I totally buy into such theories - I do believe that it is an instinct of some sort that those who experience it must choose whether to follow or not. After all, Humans have the luxury of free will - the ability to choose to follow instinct or ignore it. (Although I may someday argue my theory that Free Will may potentially be viral.)

Regardless, it is not as if I'm arguing that everyone in the world becomes gay, or that we should be showing exclusively gay couples making out on every show and piece of media.

Rather, I'm interested in discussing how heterosexuals take it for granted how such imagery of just heterosexual couples is sending a negative message to those who are not. Just as much as shows that only show caucasian people can send negative messages to non-caucasians.

The difficulty is that it isn't just a case of adding two women or two guys into a video - it's about how nobody just did it.

This is how a hegemony works. The idea is so ingrained that nobody even questions or thinks about it. It just is, and that's the message we send.

When homosexual or lesbian couples do appear on media it is often as either comical queens, sex-crazed queers or exotic lesbians who are open to three-ways with straight men.

I remember a United Colors of Benetton ad I once saw that best represented what I'm looking for. It showed a number of people just smiling and wearing UCB clothing - but upon looking at the image you realised that the people were paired up. Two male/female couples, one female/female and one male/male. It wasn't in your face, it was quite subtle.

That particular campaign also had ads where the couples were kissing, hugging - and being natural about it.

Abercrombie and Fitch are another classic example - with their sexually ambiguous pictures of guys horsing around on beaches, with girlfriends and sometimes hinting at possibly boyfriends.

The point of this post today is that until such imagery is subtle but prevalent, we are simply enforcing a divide where there really should be none. We are all human, and we all share a number of good strong honest values - we would benefit from that.

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Has media in his sights today!

Review Time: Battlestar Galactica Mini-series and Season One

Saul Tigh is a dickhead!

Just wanted to get that out of the way. After sitting through both the mini-series and the first season, and now having watched the first two episodes of season two, I have decided that I really don't like Tigh.

Which, to me, is a testament to how well written, directed and acted the reimagined Battlestar Galactica is. This series does what several other shows struggle to do. There is the in depth character drama, the dealing with a post-apocalyptic storyline, the allegorical comparisons to the War on Terror and the overall gritty realism of the show.

I am in love.

Now I know that most of you are already fans of this critically acclaimed show, so I am pretty much preaching to the converted. But I have been enjoying re-watching this much of the series in anticipation of watching season 2.0, that I had to share my thoughts.

Considering the tone of the last season of Roswell, it has been interesting to note that BSG utilises a lot of the same style and tone that Roswell's third season used. Not surprising, Ron Moore worked on both series and was a very strong influence in the latter part of Roswell's run.

BSG is superior to Roswell due to what appears to be a synergy of creative talents who all "get" what the reimagining's feel should be, and have succeeded in making a very consistent tone.

The scripting is at times cheesy, but the performances manage to raise it to a solid level.

Most importantly, this show manages to make the audience sympathise with some of the oddest characters. For example, very few of the BSG's villains are outright unsympathetic. Six and Boomer are both essentially deadly cylon agents, and yet they are sympathetic and almost likeable. All the Six models have shown a desire to be loved and wanted, Boomer suffers because she is unaware of her true nature and then battles with it when it is revealed.

This is brilliant casting and directing.

All in all, I love this show. Can't wait to see what happens next! :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Like the River Flows
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Getting down with Galactica!

12-Week-Challenge: Status Quo and Breaking Through

It's 7:30am and I've just come from the gym. Today was meant to be my 20-minute cardio session, which I do on every alternating day from weights. Unfortunately I was only able to do about 9 minutes before I totally clapped out.

Now I tried pushing myself, but I probably could have pushed further. What I do know is that it was fatigue from another late night that compounded the situation. I had eaten enough this morning to have the energy to cycle, but I had felt drowsy this morning.

Yesterday Reno (my trainer) and I did a weigh in and found that I had basically had no noticeable change over the last month. The work I've been doing has just caused my body to hit status quo. So we've altered my programme to break through this easy stage and push my body further.

The side-effect is that yesterday's work-out left me feeling exhausted, and a late night followed by an early morning has left me even more drained. So it will be an early night for Conan tonight. :)

What the really big issue about this is that I have to discipline myself to break through the initial urge to give up when doing cardio, and complete the exercise. I know I can do it, I have before.

Then again, we do have bad days - it's just that I've had a couple of those.

The other option is that I lower the intensity of the cardio exercise, or change the exercise I'm doing. I'm keen to change the exercise, as the problem is mostly in my legs feeling fatigued too early on in the exercise. Of course today I think my heart was a little too strained too...

Either way, I shall not give in! :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Like the Flowing River
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Not giving in!

Gaming, Theory and Debate

It has proven to be quite a week for gaming, this week. I've been following an interesting debate on RPGnet regarding GNS theory being considered elitist, and some very interesting points have been made during the course of the discussion.

One of the key things to come out of the discussion was that GNS theory and its successor Big Model theory aren't intrinsically elitist, but that there have been proponents of the theories who have used them in a fairly elitist manner.

This was an interesting observation, given the general vitriol and flamebait that discussing Forge-based theory tends to generate. The debate has actually been pretty level headed, with the various people managing to keep things pretty civil.

For me the upshot of the discussion has been that most people in the industry and hobby tend to see GNS and Big Model as poorly constructed theories. The blunt reality is that the methodology used to construct the theories, and the ensuing essays discussing them have been poorly planned and constructed - a view that I have held for some time now.

I've had a mixed opinion on game theory - for a while I was rabidly anti-theory because I found that many of the essayists from Forge (who were the more prominent theorists of the time) produced sloppy theories based around obscure terminology and a tendancy to borrow terminology from other disciplines without using the proper definitions.

All in all, it came across to me as a group of people who were thinking about gaming, but not using proper critical thinking skills in the process. Rather they used poor argumentation and their approach to any criticism was a near evangelical denial of rebuttals.

This has changed somewhat over the last year and a bit. Part of it has been through watching Luke's changing views on gaming. (See Gametime in the blog links) While I don't share some of his insights - I think he is allowing himself to be drawn into some flawed approaches to gaming, I am seeing how parts of his exploration has led him to finding a better way of articulating what it is that he is looking for in a game.

So I find the goal of gaming theory to be an admirable one - to create a common framework to discuss our hobby and what it is capable of. The problem is that for this to be truly effective on a broader scale, it needs proper research and a solid methodology to back up the theory.

This is where the current discussion has made interesting revelations. Ryan Dancey's research into the hobby produced a much better model of how to look at the various people in the hobby and how to approach game design.

Consider the Wizards of the Coast research into roleplaying

Now compare how this methodology looks next to GNS. While the WoTC study no doubt gets some things incorrect - there is some debate about Dancey's assertion of a perfect 22% in each of the four quandrants - the methodology is sound, and the argument both valid and well constructed.

I recently wrote a bit of a rant against GNS, I still remain unconvinced regarding it's reliability, applicability and validity. As pointed out in the RPGnet discussion, much of GNS and Big Model theory misuses common social science terminology, twisting the meaning to suit the theory, and even sometimes missing the meaning altogether. (My personal bugbear being the abusive use of Social Contract without any material or definition of what the theory means by using that term, because the implied "contract" is nothing like an actual social contract as laid out in social philosophy, sociology, psychology or political theory.)

It has been suggested by such influential writers on the hobby and Robin Laws and John Wick that there is a schism due to hit the indie game market, brought about by the methodologies instigated by the Forge theorists. It is becoming more and more apparent that the GNS model has, as an influence on the greater hobby, been very little - contrary to what many indie gamers would like to believe.

This predicted schism within the indie market has already begun, with the formation of such groups as Gamecraft, started by one of my favourite modern gaming theorists, Levi in conjunction with TonyLB - the creator of Capes, of all things.

Gamecraft's approach is much closer to how I envisage game theory being used. It aims to be practical, open, clear and focused on actual results. The methodology is improved on and building towards gentler discoveries. The key thing is that it isn't buying into a single theory and trying to prove it, but rather looks at the actual craft of gaming and game design.

If I had the time and patience I would possibly go into research myself on the topic. But there are some good minds out there aiming to bring positive developments to the hobby. Some of these people cut their teeth in the Forge when it was developing theory, but they are now moving into more productive areas.

The last couple of years saw a boom in the indie market as far as products produced, but that bubble is about to burst. The greater industry has not stood up and listened - it has developed at its own pace, and with more non-GNS focused indie businesses entering the market, the Forge and GNS are likely to become footnotes in the industry.

The problem that the indie industry faces is one of longevity. Most indie games are short lived wonders - popular for a while, but ultimately not as widely played or used as the more traditional games. Look at products like Wushu and PTA - people play them from time to time, but they are not the preferred games for a majority of hobbyists.

This is not to denigrate such games - some indie games have done some very cool and interesting things that give me reason to pause and consider how I can improve my more traditional games. They are fun to play occassionally, and they have some cool structures.

But they have been built on a theory that argues one should focus a game on a single axis. WoTC's theory argues that a well-designed and successful game uses more than one axis in its design. Consider Promethean - it is built on a mix of indie and traditional design ethics, and as such is a lot more successful than, say, Capes or Primetime Adventures.

It isn't merely because it is produced by White Wolf - remember, White Wolf was once an indie game design company - rather, it is because White Wolf's staff know how to produce quality products.

The same goes for WoTC. While I'm not a big d20 fan, I have come to realise that I *do* like it. I bought d20 Modern, and Dark*Matter and I love them. Sure it is a clunky set of rules, but there is something about them that I also like. The same goes for D&D.

I don't think I'm particularly unique in this respect. I'm beginning to better understand why these games are successful and why people end up going back to them. Why Shadowrun 4e is so good. And why an indie game like Wild Talents can be so popular. Because all these traditional games have much more to offer in the long run...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Eberron
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Taking on gaming theory!

Review Time: Roswell Season Three

This is it, I've finished watching the entirety of Roswell. Wow. What a series.

I think the first thing that comes to mind is that Roswell really manages to stand out above a lot of its contempories. This is a show that manages to mix a lot of humour, self-parody and realism to create a show that has a very distinctive feel of its own.

I would definitely classify the third season as the best in the series. Where the second season tried too hard to become more like Buffy and Angel, season three sets up its own tone and feel, and does a stand out job of it too.

Something that truly impresses me is how much the series successfully refers back to previous seasons - things that you noticed very early on in the previous seasons eventually come back in the third season, sometimes in very unexpected ways.

The tone of the series takes on a much more realistic and gritty tone. This isn't the angsty sixth season of Buffy nor the campy noir of Angel - Roswell manages to mix the tone to feel more realistic. Happy couples fight, families don't just work things out at the end of an episode, some issues have taken an entire three seasons to be resolved.

Furthermore, old mistakes have continuing consequences that are slowly resolved - we see all the characters change and grow over the course of this series. By the final episode, not one character is unchanged. But not only that, the changes are fully believeable and solid - sold by the performances of a truly talented ensemble cast.

There are many stand-out episodes in Season Three, my favourite is possibly "I married an Alien" where the episode flips between a sitcom alternate reality version of Roswell in the theme of Bewitched, and the harsher real world. Much like Buffy's musical episode, this is an experimental story. Unlike Buffy, it does a much better job at showing the stark differences between real life and that of a sitcom.

I initially wasn't sure how to feel about the last episode. While some storylines are tied up, some things are left unfinished, and other new issues arise. Yet the ending feels very satisfying. What later struck me was just how much this show has tried to be hyper-real. Before many of the hyper-realistic shows of today, Roswell remains true to real life when dealing with the characters' emotions and decisions. (For the most part, there are some questionable episodes...) The series ends just like real life - the story isn't over, it's just reached the point where we can part company with the characters.

Having said that, there is plenty left open for a spin-off or a return to Roswell - which I like. It keeps the illusion of realism for that fact.

Over the course of the series I have grown to really like the characters. To the point that I would be hard pressed to name a favourite. I love them all for each of their little quirks and personality traits.

If you haven't yet started looking for this show - DO IT! Roswell is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. It may not have the polish and cool of Dead Like Me (Which I still rate higher as a show) but it has a real heart that has made me keen to watch it again at some point. Just so that I can revisit those very cool characters and their lives...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Hordes Primal
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Sleepy, but good.

Review Time: Roswell Season Two

So I'm continuing my viewing of the complete series of Roswell. To recap, for those who don't know the basic set up, Roswell is set (unsurprisingly) in the town of Roswell, New Mexico where aliens are rumoured to have landed in the 1940s.

Using the rumoured alien spaceship crash as inspiration, Roswell tells the story of three orphans who are revealed to be Alien/Human hybrids, brought to Earth for some unfathomable reason.

The first season really focused on the relationships of the various characters. A sort of Dawson's Creek meets X-files via Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Most episodes dealt with slowly revealing the mystery surrounding Max, Isobel and Michael - why they were brought to Earth and why they were hidden away in a pod chamber until they "hatched."

Season two changed gears (apparently due to pressure from the executives at WB) and focused more on the sci-fi elements.

Oddly, this is where Roswell stumbles as a series. The characters, and actors playing them, are cool and interesting. When the series focuses on character episodes, Roswell's strength as a series shines. These are not your typical two-dimensional people - like in Smallville - or cheesy stereotypes, like in Buffy.

No, Roswell's characters have a lot of interesting depth and background. Most of all, the series keeps the characters consistent from episode to episode. (Although there are the occasional continuity flaws from the props department and camera crew - one episode is glaringly obvious for this...)

I think that's what I really like about Roswell. The characters have been built up and developed - even the more minor roles. When one of the main crew dies unexpectedly, it carries a lot of weight for the show. Furthermore, there are some stand-out performances from ALL the main cast over the course of this season. I really believed in the characters emotions, and the cast manage to really sell you on the whole premise - even in the shockingly lame story arc involving an alien infestation.

In some ways Season Two feels a bit like Babylon 5 Season 4. A lot happens, and is all crammed into one Season when it could have been stretched out over two or three.

One big issue of this is that certain episodes work better than others and one was placed out of sequence because the executives thought that the clue in the episode would be lost unless it was placed directly before the finale where the hint reaches fruition.

It's a shame really - because the episode happens chronologically out of order during a very very tense arc in the Season.

However it all comes together in a very cool finale that left the series open for a third season, while still wrapping up most of the loose ends from Season One.

Oddly the best episodes were the least science fiction based. Firstly there is the Christmas episode, where we get to learn a lot more about the various characters - and although it has a schmaltzy "miracle" sequence, I actually liked it for that. The pain and emotions were very well done by the cast who clearly set out to have fun with the episode. The other great episode was the Las Vegas one, where the gang go off to gamble away money.

Another great character episode that tells us more about everyone's motivations. Unfortunately one of the characters ends up being changed later in the season - although it is worth noting that if you go back to the first time the character shows up, everything still remains consistent from a bigger picture point of view. Which is actually cool - because you get sucked in by that character's lies as much as everyone else.

With one more season to go, I'm hoping that everything comes to a satisfactory conclusion. I'm not sure I'd be happy if they just drop the storyline about the revolution on the alien's homeworld - there needs to be a satisfactory resolution to that other than "we stay on Earth and let them sort it out..."

Only time will tell...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Feeling good!