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I know it's cheesy, but I could get into the idea of Vice Squad: Miami Nights. But the question is: Would it be better simulating Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or Miami Vice? Hmm...

Who gives a shit about the Oscars? Check out the Razzie "winners."

This is a bit long, but it's an interesting read (although I don't necessarily agree with all of it): What's Wrong With Games and Gaming Groups.

Over the weekend, I acquired a nice, big stack of RPG books -- the first edition of GangBusters and the five adventure modules TSR published, as well as a hefty library of James Bond 007 supplements and adventures.

I flipped through the GangBusters boxed set last night, and it definitely helped to focus my enthusiasm for a Roaring Twenties gangster campaign. I could see a bit of an open-ended game around clashing racketeering businesses coming together in time, although I don't think it could last any more than five or six sessions in total. Of course, the other option for a short campaign is simply for me to run the five modules in order -- that is, if they actually could be used that way.

Whatever the case, a gangsters campaign would be some distance off, as I'm concentrating on Star Wars right now.

I finally had a chance to check out all three of the new generation of video game consoles. Besides the improved graphics and processing capabilities, the PS3 and Xbox 360 didn't really impress me. After giving the Wii a try, though, I'm sold. Wii Sports alone would make it worthwhile to have.

Damn. And I swore I'd never buy another Nintendo system.

Talking with Logan on the phone this morning about RPGs, I got to thinking that I'd like to play or run games on a much more regular basis than in the past. While I don't think I could quite pull off a weekly game, mostly due to other commitments that would make a weekly game impossible, I do think I could pull off a bi-weekly campaign and a once-a-month game of a different type.

I've been flipping through BESM 3E a bit, and both Logan and I would like to at least give that game a shot. After all, as of this past Monday, I own all three different editions of the game, and I've never got any use out of any of them. The biggest problem is in narrowing it down to a solid idea, as BESM is a generic anime RPG -- and anime touches on every genre imaginable. It's like saying "I want to run GURPS," and then trying to figure out where to go from there.

Some of my favourite animes probably wouldn't convert to the RPG medium very well, as they tend to be the more introspective and bizarre types, including Serial Experiments Lain. And then there are other genres that I just don't have enough interest in, even if there's a big following in the anime fan community. Giant robots and mechs are probably the best example of that. Personally, I think giant robots/mechs work better in a strategic game like Battletech than as an RPG.

Now, something along the lines of Cowboy Bebop could be a blast to play. It would not only let us give BESM a try, but it would also scratch the Serenity itch, as the two series have some similarities. Record of Lodoss War would bring us full-circle back to D&D, so I'm not really into that idea, even if Lodoss is a pretty cool setting. Maybe something loosely based on Ninja Scroll or Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex would be suitable. Even Vampire Hunter D or Bubblegum Crisis could be used as good starting points for a BESM game.

You see the problem? Too many ideas. It's difficult to narrow it all down.

Staring at my RPG shelf a little while ago, I looked down and suddenly found myself reaching for Fireborn -- first the players' book and then the GM's guide. I flipped through them, only stopping to read a couple of things. Instead of doing detailed research, I was simply looking to get a feel for the setting and how the game would play out.

Fireborn appears to be a very neat game that creates strong ties to the setting for the player characters. It also looks to be a game that requires more than the usual amount of prep work for the GM. In the hands of a capable GM, though, I bet a good story can unfold at the table.

I finished watching the first season of Dead Like Me, and I can understand why it was recommended to me. Unfortunately, I can also understand why the series was cancelled during its second season. I'd imagine the concept would grow a little stale after awhile without a serious shake-up or change in the show's formula.

Damn snow. My back hurts like a bastard from shovelling my and the neighbour's driveway yesterday. I miss our mild winter.

Following my trend of watching TV shows on DVD, I started watching the first season of Dead Like Me last night. It's definitely morbid, but it's also pretty funny. I don't know how they managed to keep it interesting as an ongoing series, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

We kicked off a new Star Wars RPG campaign last night with an introductory session that included a dull introduction to the rules (Jacquie kept fidgeting the whole time) and about an hour-and-a-half worth of actual play. Unfortunately, the actual play was a little less stellar than I'd had in mind. It was mostly a series of one-on-one scenes with very little interaction between the player characters. I think it also came off as being very railroady, which was a bit unfortunate.

I have high hopes for the campaign, though, so I suspect things will improve as I get more comfortable sitting in the GM's chair for a regular game again.

Cthulhu speaks ... and swallows your soul at the same time. Yay!

adopt your own virtual pet!

I'm feeling pretty good about the Star Wars RPG campaign we'll be kicking off on Sunday. If what I've been working on is actually fun for the players, then I think it could actually turn into a long-term campaign.

Instead of developing typical adventures, I'm building the game's structure on various major events I want to happen and how the characters will deal with a rapidly-increasing number of major and minor NPCs. After all, as the game begins, the New Republic is still in its early stages and it's still growing and evolving. At the same time, the Republic's military forces are still fighting the remnants of the Empire's military while also trying to pull the Galactic Senate back together.

To make things even more complicated, Luke Skywalker is re-forming the Jedi Order -- and there are still likely to be some people out there who believe the Jedi really did try to overthrow the government more than twenty years prior.

Oh, this is going to be fun. :)

I got scammed.

No big deal. It's not as bad as it sounds.

Yesterday, Jacquie and I were running around doing some shopping when we decided to stop in at Worlds Collide in Oshawa. Now, believe it or not, this wasn't really my idea. She suggested it, but she tried to make it sounds like my idea. Don't believe it. She went in there with high hopes of finding either Ingenious or Thurn & Taxis on the shelf. She found the former, but not the latter.

I picked up my comics and the next volume of Cerebus (I only have a couple more volumes to buy now), and then we hit up the board games section. She found Ingenious, picked it up and started walking around with it. I spotted a copy of Arkham Horror for a measly $33 (I later found out it was marked down about $20 because the box was dinged) and mentioned to Jacquie I was tempted to pick it up at that price (like I really need anymore board games in my collection, but come on, it's Lovecraftian!).

Eventually she asked if I'd like Arkham Horror for my birthday, and I told her that yes, that would be a good idea. So she grabbed it. After hanging out the counter talking with Ross for quite some time, eventually it came time to exchange some cash for the goods. That's when I got scammed.

"Well, I'll buy this for you for your birthday and you can buy this for me for Valentine's Day," Jacquie said as she slid the copy of Ingenious along the counter towards me. Ross burst out laughing.

Long story made short: We now have two new games in our ever-growing board game collection.