I Trudge Onward in the Blogging World

First of all, I want to thank those bloggers that kept me on their blogrolls. So, "Thank you!". I've decided to continue blogging, and hopefully coming up with some stuff worth blogging about.

The Sandbox Dilemma

I'm sure this topic has been discussed ad nauseam in blogs and elsewhere, but it's something I have been thinking about. How much is enough when it comes to a sandbox setting? ( I think I may have written about this before? I didn't go back and check... ) Unless, you are using published material, who has the time to fully flesh out a fantasy campaign? Much less a star-spanning science fiction campaign?

I've thought one solution would be to use a patchwork method. Using a variety of sources, I could patch together a fantasy sandbox world. There's plenty of free material on the web. An almost endless variety of dungeons, and other adventures that could be used without any or very little preparation.

The only problem I could see is that it wouldn't feel... cohesive. Well, it would feel that way to me, maybe not the players. I guess that's not really a problem, just my opinion. With a little work, I'm sure it could be made to feel cohesive.

In fact, in the early days of role playing, I think a lot of players used the patchwork method. I can imagine most DM's used the TSR modules set in their own worlds, along with some of their own creations. It worked for the most part, and was enjoyable. In fact, I think I probably had more fun in the early days of role playing, than later in life. Maybe because it was all so new, and exciting?

I guess, in the long run, it doesn't really matter, unless it's going to be a multi-year, long running campaign? I don't see that happening for me anytime soon, and I'm not getting any younger. So I think I can get away with just getting enough together for a few gaming sessions, and feel good about it. In fact I think I've got a good idea to base a few game sessions around. I'll have more on this idea later this week.

Rolemaster Gets a New Edition?

Okay. Fine. This happens after I've reacquired many of the Rolemaster Standard books I want. I guess I need to go check their website. UGH. Oh well, who am I kidding? If the books are priced right then I will be buying them. In fact I will probably buy more than one copy. I've been a Rolemaster aficionado since the beginning.

Until next time, Happy Gaming!

More nostalgia, or "Are we having fun yet?"

"Whatcha gonna do with all those gumballs Popeye?"

After I posted the blog entry yesterday, I began wondering how many people would understand the Popeye Gumball Machine reference?  The whole idea of a giant mutant brain with tentacles clutching a Popeye Gumball Machine made me laugh.  I want to play such a character in a post apocalyptic campaign.  The giant mutant brain would be fond of saying, "Thanks for the gumball Popeye... thanks for the gumball!".If I can't play one as a character I will make one a NPC, and he will roar, "Thanks for the gumballs Popeye... thanks for the gumballs!"  Who out there in the blogosphere knows where that bit of dialogue came from? ( I found the photo here...  A cool 70's nostalgia blog. )

I decided to continue a little with yesterday's theme, and list RPGs I would like to own, or in some cases own again, but not necessarily play.

1.   Space Opera
2.   Bushido
3.   Paranoia
4.   Space Master
5.   RuneQuest
6.   Tunnels & Trolls
7.   Marvel Super Heros
8.   Twilight 2000
9.   Boot Hill
10. Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega
11. The Morrow Project ( Actually this one might be fun to play. )
12. Shadowrun

I'm sure there are quite a few others I would like to own.  I just can't recall anymore right now.  While I was doing research for this post I found a RPG database at Pen&Paper . Cool beans!  Now I can search for those games I have forgotten the names to, but played once or twice at conventions.

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega probably would have been the third RPG I bought; if I had ever been able to find it.  The first was D&D, the second Gamma World, so the third would have been MAtO!  Instead, I believe that Traveller was the third RPG I bought.  It was the cool little black box with the digest sized books.

Anyway, time to chill out, and watch some Zorro, no not the newer movies, but the old serials.  These will either be really cool, or funny.  Hopefully, not lame.  I hate lame...